Anonymous wrote:The problem with BASIS is that it's not "really simple" as somebody claimed on the last page, not at all. Many 5th graders seem like a good fit for BASIS, so they are sent by their well-meaning parents. From what I've observed, few of these kids "wash out;" no mistake was made in sending them.

What happens is that the teaching proves to be so uneven, the leadership so prone to gaslighting families who encounter difficulties, the facility so lousy, the curriculum so rigid and narrowly focused on test taking, that most BASIS families get turned off the experience over time and leave.

Sure, you can always pull out, but it might be better to face the reality that BASIS is risky business compared to most DMV schools offering consistent rigor from the get-go. BASIS just not a very welcoming program offering a rich or happy educational experience to young people. There are a lot of sharp elbows at BASIS and not much of a community feel. When we left for a private, we were glad to feel included but dismayed to discover that our BASIS MS grad wasn't as well prepared as we'd hoped, other than for chemistry and biology.

Heading to BASIS is to roll the dice in a somewhat risky game of chance. Best to see it that way to hedge your bets, to avoid getting hurt. If you can afford a stronger program/school pyramid that's a better bet for both MS & HS or are willing to move for one, do it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with BASIS is that it's not "really simple" as somebody claimed on the last page, not at all. Many 5th graders seem like a good fit for BASIS, so they are sent by their well-meaning parents. From what I've observed, few of these kids "wash out;" no mistake was made in sending them.

What happens is that the teaching proves to be so uneven, the leadership so prone to gaslighting families who encounter difficulties, the facility so lousy, the curriculum so rigid and narrowly focused on test taking, that most BASIS families get turned off the experience over time and leave.

Sure, you can always pull out, but it might be better to face the reality that BASIS is risky business compared to most DMV schools offering consistent rigor from the get-go. BASIS just not a very welcoming program offering a rich or happy educational experience to young people. There are a lot of sharp elbows at BASIS and not much of a community feel. When we left for a private, we were glad to feel included but dismayed to discover that our BASIS MS grad wasn't as well prepared as we'd hoped, other than for chemistry and biology.

Heading to BASIS is to roll the dice in a somewhat risky game of chance. Best to see it that way to hedge your bets, to avoid getting hurt. If you can afford a stronger program/school pyramid that's a better bet for both MS & HS or are willing to move for one, do it.

We are dealing with people that stayed the course in DC until late elementary whereas a good deal of truly risk averse types would have never even consider it or decamped to the burbs or private early on. They’ve already rolled the dice so to speak.

If Basis bought a few free years before going private, any minor adjustment/catch-up seems immaterial, or at least a bet that paid off.

And I sort of trust private school admissions committees to assess whether a kid (coming from Basis or wherever) will be a good fit for their school.

This is precisely how we are using Basis - a way station before private — admittedly a bit easier for us because a sibling is already in that pipeline and we are quite confident that our Basis student will be more than fine upon the eventual transition — and we’ll be about $80K less out of pocket.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The parent bullies on WhatsApp are worse than the gaslighting by admins, at this point. Unless you complain there’s too much homework. Ah everyone will agree with you then.

Yeah, to me the "gaslighting admins" thing sounds like the old Head, who is gone. I haven't heard that complaint since.

Yes parents do bully the teachers, and use the WhatsApp to egg each other on. That part is crazy to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just one data point but we know someone who said they knew a Basis kid who then went private and math foundation was not strong. Kid had to retake math year.

Accelerating too fast unnecessarily does not leave much room for depth. It is superficial. It is crazy IMO to try to accelerate all these kids and then senior year is basically just a wasted year.

Just one data point but just saying.

I don’t doubt the anecdote but it also demonstrates that a kid was accepted into a (presumably decent?) private out of Basis.

Anonymous wrote:The problem with BASIS is that it's not "really simple" as somebody claimed on the last page, not at all. Many 5th graders seem like a good fit for BASIS, so they are sent by their well-meaning parents. From what I've observed, few of these kids "wash out;" no mistake was made in sending them.

What happens is that the teaching proves to be so uneven, the leadership so prone to gaslighting families who encounter difficulties, the facility so lousy, the curriculum so rigid and narrowly focused on test taking, that most BASIS families get turned off the experience over time and leave.

Sure, you can always pull out, but it might be better to face the reality that BASIS is risky business compared to most DMV schools offering consistent rigor from the get-go. BASIS just not a very welcoming program offering a rich or happy educational experience to young people. There are a lot of sharp elbows at BASIS and not much of a community feel. When we left for a private, we were glad to feel included but dismayed to discover that our BASIS MS grad wasn't as well prepared as we'd hoped, other than for chemistry and biology.

Heading to BASIS is to roll the dice in a somewhat risky game of chance. Best to see it that way to hedge your bets, to avoid getting hurt. If you can afford a stronger program/school pyramid that's a better bet for both MS & HS or are willing to move for one, do it.

Anonymous wrote:The parent bullies on WhatsApp are worse than the gaslighting by admins, at this point. Unless you complain there’s too much homework. Ah everyone will agree with you then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree. Call it BDS (Basis Derangement Syndrome).

Here is a public service message:

• We don't care that you didn't research Basis carefully before sending your kid to the school and that your kid can't handle the academics and rigor;

• We don't care that your kid washed out of Basis 10 years ago and you have a huge chip on your shoulder;

• We don't care that your kid is at some school in the burbs or some religious school that we never heard of and is "thriving";

• We don't care that your kid was "straight As" at Basis but wanted a school with a football team and now is "flourishing" at J-R; and

• We don’t care that you are outraged that Basis doesn’t have a pottery kiln, greenhouse, pool, or whatever out wonderful amenity you kid’s current school offers.

The fact is that 1) Basis is a great free option for academically motivated kids; 2) the ratings and college outcomes demonstrate this fact (your subjective anecdotes, deep-seated insecurity, and hate rants establish nothing); and 3) there are plenty of happy families and kids at Basis.

This is really simple: If your kid is not a good fit for the school, don't send them. If you do and your kid washes out, don't spend your free time flaming the school and Basis parents and kids because you made a mistake.

We are a happy Basis family, but think it’s fine if others share their less-than-stellar experiences.

Anonymous wrote:The parent bullies on WhatsApp are worse than the gaslighting by admins, at this point. Unless you complain there’s too much homework. Ah everyone will agree with you then.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just one data point but we know someone who said they knew a Basis kid who then went private and math foundation was not strong. Kid had to retake math year.

Accelerating too fast unnecessarily does not leave much room for depth. It is superficial. It is crazy IMO to try to accelerate all these kids and then senior year is basically just a wasted year.

Just one data point but just saying.

I don’t doubt the anecdote but it also demonstrates that a kid was accepted into a (presumably decent?) private out of Basis.

Anonymous wrote:Just one data point but we know someone who said they knew a Basis kid who then went private and math foundation was not strong. Kid had to retake math year.

Accelerating too fast unnecessarily does not leave much room for depth. It is superficial. It is crazy IMO to try to accelerate all these kids and then senior year is basically just a wasted year.

Just one data point but just saying.