Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PS. If BASIS' approach to language learning was intelligent, the most prestigious test-in MS and HS magnet programs around the country would be rushing to copy it, along with top private schools.

They aren't.

I think you are overestimating how much anyone cares about language learning in the US.

I know that of the students who left BASIS mainly over language learning policy is heading to an Ivy League school to study engineering in the fall. We keep in touch with the family. He took an AP language test freshman year in HS and scored a 5. Later on, he took, an International Baccalaureate Diploma language exam (two years past AP) and scored 6/7. It seems that a few Ivy admissions officers care. Yea, maybe nobody else.

I think this poster is drunk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PS. If BASIS' approach to language learning was intelligent, the most prestigious test-in MS and HS magnet programs around the country would be rushing to copy it, along with top private schools.

They aren't.

I think you are overestimating how much anyone cares about language learning in the US.

I know that of the students who left BASIS mainly over language learning policy is heading to an Ivy League school to study engineering in the fall. We keep in touch with the family. He took an AP language test freshman year in HS and scored a 5. Later on, he took, an International Baccalaureate Diploma language exam (two years past AP) and scored 6/7. It seems that a few Ivy admissions officers care. Yea, maybe nobody else.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PS. If BASIS' approach to language learning was intelligent, the most prestigious test-in MS and HS magnet programs around the country would be rushing to copy it, along with top private schools.

They aren't.

I think you are overestimating how much anyone cares about language learning in the US.

Anonymous wrote:PS. If BASIS' approach to language learning was intelligent, the most prestigious test-in MS and HS magnet programs around the country would be rushing to copy it, along with top private schools.

They aren't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing wrong with wanting one’s kids to become masters in their native language. But the idea that a school must support such learning in the name of promoting intellectual curiosity is not an argument that I follow. I guess learning some Latin along the way would stunt your child’s intellectual development??

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Basis was not the right choice for your child. Congrats on having another wonderful option.

I agree with this. If I have a talented budding violinist, should I expect a school to be instructing them? Should I expect they get exempted from music class because my kids studies violin? No.

What, are you dense? The parents discussed above asked for their children to be left alone on language instruction because they were so far ahead of the pack. That approach is standard in Metro area suburban schools, where ed leaders and admins actually care about promoting and supporting bilingualism in an increasingly globalized world. In MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, kids can test out of mandatory language instruction in public school (though it's not easy to do that). Christ, what an unsophisticated school system this really is. I'm going to hope that the new HOS actually gets it.

No, the parents asked for the school to "support" the kid in the second language to enable the kid to reach fluency as a teen. They also wanted their 7th grader to then take what - late high school language classes? I can see why that's a terrible idea on a number of levels. The school's curriculum is very clearly Latin for the first 2 years - I see zero problems with this approach.

"When I asked at BASIS admins if the program would support my kid's language learning--s/he speaks a very difficult major world language--perhaps through DL, I was told, absolutely not. The only language the the child could, and must, study before 7th grade is Latin. Come 7th grade, the choice would be to study the language the child speaks at either the beginning level, or begin studying a different language and stick with it for the next six years. When I pointed out that this rigid approach would make it next to impossible for the child to reach our goal of achieving native level fluency/literacy in the language the kid already speaks as a teen,"

Yes, because you don't speak Arabic, Chinese or Russian and, hence, have no idea how difficult it is for adults to become fluent in these tough languages. Experts say that the work to gain fluency is best done while young, consistently and for many years. Dabbling in languages MS and HS languages doesn't pay off, not in the elite college admissions game. When I was a kid growing up in Cal, bilingual public school students were seldom permitted to build on language skills gained at home in school settings. Fortunately, the state has done a 180 degree turn on the issue in the last 20 years, a very impressive turnaround. BASIS isn't used to dealing with many bilingual immigrant families who don't speak Spanish. Not the Arizona experience. They go with blunt instruments on language instruction for lack of understanding and resources. BASIS DC can't even afford a school library.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing wrong with wanting one’s kids to become masters in their native language. But the idea that a school must support such learning in the name of promoting intellectual curiosity is not an argument that I follow. I guess learning some Latin along the way would stunt your child’s intellectual development??

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Basis was not the right choice for your child. Congrats on having another wonderful option.

I agree with this. If I have a talented budding violinist, should I expect a school to be instructing them? Should I expect they get exempted from music class because my kids studies violin? No.

What, are you dense? The parents discussed above asked for their children to be left alone on language instruction because they were so far ahead of the pack. That approach is standard in Metro area suburban schools, where ed leaders and admins actually care about promoting and supporting bilingualism in an increasingly globalized world. In MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, kids can test out of mandatory language instruction in public school (though it's not easy to do that). Christ, what an unsophisticated school system this really is. I'm going to hope that the new HOS actually gets it.

No, the parents asked for the school to "support" the kid in the second language to enable the kid to reach fluency as a teen. They also wanted their 7th grader to then take what - late high school language classes? I can see why that's a terrible idea on a number of levels. The school's curriculum is very clearly Latin for the first 2 years - I see zero problems with this approach.

"When I asked at BASIS admins if the program would support my kid's language learning--s/he speaks a very difficult major world language--perhaps through DL, I was told, absolutely not. The only language the the child could, and must, study before 7th grade is Latin. Come 7th grade, the choice would be to study the language the child speaks at either the beginning level, or begin studying a different language and stick with it for the next six years. When I pointed out that this rigid approach would make it next to impossible for the child to reach our goal of achieving native level fluency/literacy in the language the kid already speaks as a teen,"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing wrong with wanting one’s kids to become masters in their native language. But the idea that a school must support such learning in the name of promoting intellectual curiosity is not an argument that I follow. I guess learning some Latin along the way would stunt your child’s intellectual development??

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Basis was not the right choice for your child. Congrats on having another wonderful option.

I agree with this. If I have a talented budding violinist, should I expect a school to be instructing them? Should I expect they get exempted from music class because my kids studies violin? No.

What, are you dense? The parents discussed above asked for their children to be left alone on language instruction because they were so far ahead of the pack. That approach is standard in Metro area suburban schools, where ed leaders and admins actually care about promoting and supporting bilingualism in an increasingly globalized world. In MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, kids can test out of mandatory language instruction in public school (though it's not easy to do that). Christ, what an unsophisticated school system this really is. I'm going to hope that the new HOS actually gets it.

I don’t understand why you’re calling PP dense, she’s asking if you’d actually expect schools to apply this philosophy to all subjects. I personally don’t think BASIS has an obligation to let your kid not take language; I agree that they shouldn’t make him/her take basic classes in the language s/he already speaks, but as long as another language is available, I don’t see a problem. Similarly, I don’t think basis should make my Suzuki-trained violinist take intro violin, but I don’t think then teaching her the flute is objectionable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing wrong with wanting one’s kids to become masters in their native language. But the idea that a school must support such learning in the name of promoting intellectual curiosity is not an argument that I follow. I guess learning some Latin along the way would stunt your child’s intellectual development??

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Basis was not the right choice for your child. Congrats on having another wonderful option.

I agree with this. If I have a talented budding violinist, should I expect a school to be instructing them? Should I expect they get exempted from music class because my kids studies violin? No.

What, are you dense? The parents discussed above asked for their children to be left alone on language instruction because they were so far ahead of the pack. That approach is standard in Metro area suburban schools, where ed leaders and admins actually care about promoting and supporting bilingualism in an increasingly globalized world. In MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, kids can test out of mandatory language instruction in public school (though it's not easy to do that). Christ, what an unsophisticated school system this really is. I'm going to hope that the new HOS actually gets it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing wrong with wanting one’s kids to become masters in their native language. But the idea that a school must support such learning in the name of promoting intellectual curiosity is not an argument that I follow. I guess learning some Latin along the way would stunt your child’s intellectual development??

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Basis was not the right choice for your child. Congrats on having another wonderful option.

I agree with this. If I have a talented budding violinist, should I expect a school to be instructing them? Should I expect they get exempted from music class because my kids studies violin? No.

What, are you dense? The parents discussed above asked for their children to be left alone on language instruction because they were so far ahead of the pack. That approach is standard in Metro area suburban schools, where ed leaders and admins actually care about promoting and supporting bilingualism in an increasingly globalized world. In MoCo, Arlington and Fairfax, kids can test out of mandatory language instruction in public school (though it's not easy to do that). Christ, what an unsophisticated school system this really is. I'm going to hope that the new HOS actually gets it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nowhere near 40K. We got great fi aid, pay 15K. Kid says the school's math instruction is better than at BASIS, science roughly the same, no comparison for humanities, sports, music, art.

School employs many older/super experienced and younger teachers (vs. few older at BASIS). Admins and teachers respect the child's academic interests, learning style, foreign language background. The school gets more grads to top colleges each year than BASIS with a graduating class that's about the same size. PS. We're not white and UMC.

Okkkkkk then. So you got financial aid.
Comparing any public school to a private one is just silly. Of course you are getting what you want- that's why you are paying for it. But it doesn't really mean anything about Basis or any other public school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s nothing wrong with wanting one’s kids to become masters in their native language. But the idea that a school must support such learning in the name of promoting intellectual curiosity is not an argument that I follow. I guess learning some Latin along the way would stunt your child’s intellectual development??

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Basis was not the right choice for your child. Congrats on having another wonderful option.

I agree with this. If I have a talented budding violinist, should I expect a school to be instructing them? Should I expect they get exempted from music class because my kids studies violin? No.

Anonymous wrote:Nowhere near 40K. We got great fi aid, pay 15K. Kid says the school's math instruction is better than at BASIS, science roughly the same, no comparison for humanities, sports, music, art.

School employs many older/super experienced and younger teachers (vs. few older at BASIS). Admins and teachers respect the child's academic interests, learning style, foreign language background. The school gets more grads to top colleges each year than BASIS with a graduating class that's about the same size. PS. We're not white and UMC.