Just got back from the session for the parents tonight, and again came away quite impressed. They are putting tremendous emphasis on study skills, organization, time management and other foundational life skills, to help these kids become independent, self-sufficient and responsible toward getting the work done, and it's repeated and emphasized from one class to the next, and they provide robust support and help during the one study period as well. They truly have put a lot of thought and energy into the model, it's nothing like I have ever seen in schools elsewhere.

The point was emphasized that the parents should not get involved in whether the child is keeping up with homework and studying for quizzes/tests. I'd sure prefer it that way but what of my DC decides he doesn't care about grades? And as to discipline, DS tells me he behaves because he doesn't want to face consequences at home if we found out he got in trouble at school. So how does a kid develop internal motivation? I saw those kids in Algebra 2 with rapt attention: internal motivation. How to cultivate? I had checked-out parents and I slacked off.

Anonymous wrote:sheesh, every thread becomes a general discussion. This is so tedious. And you wonder why Basis parents keep starting new threads? The topic is "how is Basis going so far?". Why don't you start a thread about <what happens to low SES kids in charters across America> and leave this thread for parents of Basis kids to report how it's going so far? We do not have a listserv, we don't know each other, we have no directory, and we have little other choice for reaching each other than THIS THREAD. Please, go to the General Basis thread with this debate.

Hello fellow parent.
Check out the Basis boosters site http://www.basisdcboosters.org to register for the listserv. You may need to email the Boosters president as it is a yahoo listserv.

Went on a tour as well, saw a mix of kids, with some here and there coming in with less discipline or study habits, lack of organizational skills, and some who seem unprepared and not actually at the 5th-6th et cetera grade level where they should be, but I was impressed with their teaching method and how they keep pinging kids for understanding, and quickly addressing areas where they are struggling. They are really focused on process and organization and seem to be nipping any problem areas in the bud quickly. I think there's a bit of a learning curve for all of the kids in that area of process and getting into good habits, but once the basics are down I think our child will do great there as will many others.

We're still struggling with getting the homework finished in a reasonable amount of time, but we've been very impressed with what DC has been learning the past two weeks.

Tour today, visited classrooms. Pretty amazing. Could see in English class that kids are coming in at different levels so there's some catching up to do. They will be having a tutoring program during a part of lunch hour once they sort out who will need it. And each teacher has tutoring hours every week. So there, doubters!

Anonymous wrote:Question for Basis parents that I could not find immediately find answer to on website---

How many grades does Basis DC currently offer?

Currently BASIS offers grades 5, 6, 7 & 8. Next year they'll add 9, and a year after that 10 - until it has fully articulated middle and high schools.

Question for Basis parents that I could not find immediately find answer to on website---

How many grades does Basis DC currently offer?

Anonymous wrote:I've an idea. Basis parents: any thoughts on the following:
1. did everybody on the attendance list show up? My kid tells me there's one name in his class that never showed.
2. how is your child's commute to school?
3. how much homework so far?
4. is your still kid excited to go to school?

1.) Yes, one that didn't show in our child's class as well. But it's not uncommon for parents to be on the list for multiple charters - maybe they got a slot at another school. I'm also aware of a parent who pulled their child from one of the other 5th grade groups because they are going overseas on a foreign service assignment.

2.) Great, easy commute on the Green Line. Walk on nice days and when we have the time.

3.) Homework situation has been fine thus far - taking a while initially but getting into the groove. Agree, there's a lot that is self-directed, the CJ seems to really be helping there.

4.) Yes, still excited.

I agree, 9:13, but the the other side to it is that the poster who keeps bringing this stuff up keeps making it clear that they expect BASIS to cure all the worlds ills, end world hunger and achieve global peace - or if it can't, that BASIS should be shut down.

There's a clear anti-BASIS sentiment in those posts, and as much as it can be shown that the things this poster is attacking BASIS for are things that are not unique to BASIS, that should serve to mitigate the anti-BASIS fear-uncertainty-doubt campaign this poster is running.

For what it's worth, I think BASIS does do a lot that would help toward helping students at home - from the STARS tutoring which helped get the kids up to speed and acclimated over the summer, to the classroom and overall system, where they place a lot of emphasis on organizational skills and procedure, as well as emphasis on building their independence toward managing the work and understanding the procedures, which can help to bridge the gaps in parental help at home. If the student goes home with a clear understanding of what is expected of him, what it is he is to do, and how he is to do it, and what he needs to bring/prepare for the next day, he will not need as much input or help from his parents with it and becomes more self-reliant. BASIS does far more in areas like this than public schools do.

Anonymous wrote:I've an idea. Basis parents: any thoughts on the following:
1. did everybody on the attendance list show up? My kid tells me there's one name in his class that never showed.
2. how is your child's commute to school?
3. how much homework so far?
4. is your still kid excited to go to school?

1. I have no idea. Didn't ask DS and he didn't mention it.

2. The Metro bus from Capitol Hill is an easy commute -- 15 minutes.

3. Homework hasnt been bad so far. Friday was the first day the 30 math problems were assigned and it took about an hour to get through them. The rest of the homework took about a half hour this weekend. I feel like the homework is so much more self-directed than work in his old school. I don't feel like I have to hover over him to make sure it gets done.

4.Yes, DS is still very excited about school.

Anonymous wrote:So how exactly does DCPS "mitigate home circumstances" for low-SES students?

They are after all the ones with far more resources to include twice as much money per student to put toward such things...

how about starting your own thread with this question, and keeping this one for basis parents to repond to the questions above

So how exactly does DCPS "mitigate home circumstances" for low-SES students?

They are after all the ones with far more resources to include twice as much money per student to put toward such things...

I've an idea. Basis parents: any thoughts on the following:
1. did everybody on the attendance list show up? My kid tells me there's one name in his class that never showed.
2. how is your child's commute to school?
3. how much homework so far?
4. is your still kid excited to go to school?

sheesh, every thread becomes a general discussion. This is so tedious. And you wonder why Basis parents keep starting new threads? The topic is "how is Basis going so far?". Why don't you start a thread about <what happens to low SES kids in charters across America> and leave this thread for parents of Basis kids to report how it's going so far? We do not have a listserv, we don't know each other, we have no directory, and we have little other choice for reaching each other than THIS THREAD. Please, go to the General Basis thread with this debate.