Anonymous
09/03/2025 14:17
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
High SES black parents are the most discerning and correct about the DC education landscape, I've found.
Makes sense - they have all the same concerns as UMC parents writ large + unique concerns along the lines of academic expectations vs other UMC peers and sometimes fraught (if not necessarily hostile) INTRAracial dynamics with other black students. It’s a lot to navigate but understandably invisible to those outside this space.
All- I do mean ALL- my African friends scrimp and save to send their kids to parochial or other private because of these dynamics. There’s more to it than this, but they feel actively discriminated against.
Have seen this myself, but what about Banneker? Feels like at least at the highschool level DCPS created a working option to support non-at-risk Black families. Or is that a separate category from high-SES?
There’s a whole lot going on between Africans and African Americans. I am personally curious if those issues are magnified or minimized at Banneker, but I don’t know anyone who sent their kids there yet. I think the no nonsense no excuses old school way of doing things is appealing, to me.
Anonymous
09/03/2025 14:14
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
High SES black parents are the most discerning and correct about the DC education landscape, I've found.
Makes sense - they have all the same concerns as UMC parents writ large + unique concerns along the lines of academic expectations vs other UMC peers and sometimes fraught (if not necessarily hostile) INTRAracial dynamics with other black students. It’s a lot to navigate but understandably invisible to those outside this space.
All- I do mean ALL- my African friends scrimp and save to send their kids to parochial or other private because of these dynamics. There’s more to it than this, but they feel actively discriminated against.
Have seen this myself, but what about Banneker? Feels like at least at the highschool level DCPS created a working option to support non-at-risk Black families. Or is that a separate category from high-SES?
Anonymous
09/03/2025 13:10
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
High SES black parents are the most discerning and correct about the DC education landscape, I've found.
Makes sense - they have all the same concerns as UMC parents writ large + unique concerns along the lines of academic expectations vs other UMC peers and sometimes fraught (if not necessarily hostile) INTRAracial dynamics with other black students. It’s a lot to navigate but understandably invisible to those outside this space.
All- I do mean ALL- my African friends scrimp and save to send their kids to parochial or other private because of these dynamics. There’s more to it than this, but they feel actively discriminated against.
Yep - pretty much. It’s hard to manage the awkward demographic dynamics at play — and the big suburban publics come with other racial issues along these lines, so the best (or least worst) option is often private/parochial, selected with intention of course.
Anonymous
09/03/2025 12:19
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
High SES black parents are the most discerning and correct about the DC education landscape, I've found.
Makes sense - they have all the same concerns as UMC parents writ large + unique concerns along the lines of academic expectations vs other UMC peers and sometimes fraught (if not necessarily hostile) INTRAracial dynamics with other black students. It’s a lot to navigate but understandably invisible to those outside this space.
All- I do mean ALL- my African friends scrimp and save to send their kids to parochial or other private because of these dynamics. There’s more to it than this, but they feel actively discriminated against.
Anonymous
09/03/2025 12:16
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Wrong.
Maryland has lots of charter schools and Virginia has few because the state constitution gives local school boards the authority to authorize charters, which they rarely do.
You're really splitting hairs here. MoCo has one charter school right now and it's brand new, just opened last week.
.
PG has considerably more, no?
Anonymous
09/03/2025 10:25
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
Exactly. In an area with so much competition between school districts, DCPS would push most students with a choice out.
Anonymous
09/03/2025 10:11
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
High SES black parents are the most discerning and correct about the DC education landscape, I've found.
Makes sense - they have all the same concerns as UMC parents writ large + unique concerns along the lines of academic expectations vs other UMC peers and sometimes fraught (if not necessarily hostile) INTRAracial dynamics with other black students. It’s a lot to navigate but understandably invisible to those outside this space.
Anonymous
09/03/2025 08:52
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
High SES black parents are the most discerning and correct about the DC education landscape, I've found.
Anonymous
09/03/2025 05:15
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
You might say DCPS is more focused on metrics involving its predominantly black student population, but that hardly means that DCPS genuinely cares about the true academic development and fortunes of those students. And don’t get me started on the plight of high-SES black students, who are truly a non-entity in DC public school landscape.
Anonymous
09/02/2025 22:16
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.
DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.
So true. DCPS is getting worst every year too. Exhibit A, look at the new ELA and science curriculum for middle school. What a disaster. It’s a race to the bottom.
Sorry but we opted out of DCPS. The reality is no one is going to prioritize other stuff over academics and schools will not get buy in from families with high achieving kids if you don’t offer challenge and rigor to meet their needs.
Lastly, no DCPS would not thrive if charters didn’t exist due to low standards and expectations that continue to be lowered. Families would just move to the burbs. Charters are what kept us in the city.
Anonymous
09/02/2025 22:07
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:Wrong.
Maryland has lots of charter schools and Virginia has few because the state constitution gives local school boards the authority to authorize charters, which they rarely do.
You're really splitting hairs here. MoCo has one charter school right now and it's brand new, just opened last week.
.
Anonymous
09/02/2025 21:15
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:The one thing that charters have over DCPS is that they CAN, if they can find good replacements, remove teachers who aren't a good fit. Now, that may not happen as quickly or as smoothly as we may like, but you don't end up with entrenched checked out teachers.
BASIS has some churn, but they have also discovered some true gems.
BASIS also likes to hire subject -matter experts rather than people who studied education, so sometimes they hire people who really aren't good teachers at all. We've seen that churn.
But my kid has a few teachers who have subject-related degrees, and then decided to go into education and got M.ed and are former DCPS teachers but left bc they wanted freedom from DCPS and these people are excellent. They are such good teachers.
Anonymous
09/02/2025 21:10
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Wrong.
Maryland has lots of charter schools and Virginia has few because the state constitution gives local school boards the authority to authorize charters, which they rarely do.
Maryland has lots of charter schools and Virginia has few because the state constitution gives local school boards the authority to authorize charters, which they rarely do.
Anonymous
09/02/2025 20:49
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
In a high-performing school system, there are no cons, no gaps that BASIS needs to fill with young teachers that aren't well trained or paid. Our near neighbors in the DMV don't allow charter schools.
Anonymous
09/02/2025 20:25
Subject: Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.
Anonymous wrote:The one thing that charters have over DCPS is that they CAN, if they can find good replacements, remove teachers who aren't a good fit. Now, that may not happen as quickly or as smoothly as we may like, but you don't end up with entrenched checked out teachers.
BASIS has some churn, but they have also discovered some true gems.
It’s a double-edged sword. Charters routinely lose good teachers to public systems, including but not limited to DCPS, because good teachers are attracted to perks like job security. So there are pros and cons on both sides.