Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Your 7th grader goes to bed at 7 pm?!

If that’s really true, when can she possibly go to practice for “swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities”?

Anonymous wrote:OP, I feel for you. As a veteran suburban middle school teacher and DCPS pre-k parent, quality is more. I’d have the group of concerned parents at BASIS advocate for the quality projects rather than a bunch of busy work. Here are some terms you can use: (1) You want project based learning that cuts across multiple disciplines from which multiple grades can be derived. (2) Socratic Seninar for English literature which allows for students to “dig deeper” and “closely read” to learn a set of skills such as critically thinking for shades of meaning, author’s purpose, context clues, etc.

In my experience many new teachers give more homework but the quality isn’t there. Many newer teachers also have kids teaching themselves the content with that much homework each night. Homework must not be considered "busy work" done at home but rather an essential learning pursuit that will increase in complexity as the student progresses through the grades.

Homework is tailored to students' needs and capacities and will not be unreasonable in amount. Parents can aid in their children's education by creating a positive homework environment, one that encourages the child to do his/her homework while maintaining a positive attitude. But you must advocate for your child if you find the school on the side of error.

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Your 7th grader goes to bed at 7 pm?!

If that’s really true, when can she possibly go to practice for “swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities”?

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

Translation - their children are too brilliant to be with the less brilliant, and “pour it on” to ensure that their precious angels can make it in the Ivy League and avoid a life of being ordinary. I don’t see how in this scenario their lives are any different - same stressed out kids but this time from their parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

Translation - their children are too brilliant to be with the less brilliant, and “pour it on” to ensure that their precious angels can make it in the Ivy League and avoid a life of being ordinary. I don’t see how in this scenario their lives are any different - same stressed out kids but this time from their parents.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

This is so helpful for someone who is in-bounds for Deal but has a charter middle school option (not BASIS).