Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS parent who couldn’t agree more. We hate the building.

I mean, Jefferson, Eliot-Hine, and Sousa middle schools all have much better physical plants than Basis, and easier entry than Basis….so there’s that.

No, there isn't "that" for MS academics, unless maybe you're a longtime Maury family with children willing to do extra work outside school like crazy.

Jefferson attracts no more than a handful of UMC Brent grads these days. They were getting 15+ a year for 6th grade pre-Covid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS parent who couldn’t agree more. We hate the building.

I mean, Jefferson, Eliot-Hine, and Sousa middle schools all have much better physical plants than Basis, and easier entry than Basis….so there’s that.

Anonymous wrote:BASIS parent who couldn’t agree more. We hate the building.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’ve never had to think about how low expectations attach to your child before they even speak, you’ll probably miss the point.

I’m not really trying to defend BASIS. Who wouldn’t want a better building, more green space, a gym? Of course we would. But for us, the real value of BASIS isn’t about facilities—it’s about insulation.

For some families, the big question is whether a school “fits.” For ours, it’s how to keep our kid from getting buried under the low expectations that seem to follow him everywhere—public, charter, suburban, wherever. That shifts what kind of environment feels like relief.

And sure, if your child has ADHD or another neurodivergence, BASIS can feel harsh. That’s real. But those are intrinsic challenges a child carries anywhere. They’re not the same as the extrinsic bias that lands before my kid even opens his mouth.

We’ve seen the difference. At our old school, “central-casting” kids—affluent, white, sometimes clearly struggling—still got the enrichment slots and leadership nods, while our child, who outperformed them on every metric, got overlooked. That quiet favoritism doesn’t play the same way at BASIS, and that’s part of the relief.

And look, we can overcome bias anywhere—we do it all the time. But if there’s a school that spares us some of that emotional labor, why wouldn’t we choose it? Why root for it to change in ways that put that burden right back on us?

BASIS isn’t perfect. But it gives our child space to push back against the slow, steady build-up of low expectations. For us, that’s not nothing. And for others who’ve never had to think about it—that’s a luxury.

Why do you keep writing the same post over and over.

Everyone is glad BASIS is working for your kid. Good.

Now, what about all the kids for whom BASIS does not work? What about the kids for whom the problem is not that they are underestimated, but that they are presumed to be fine without engagement or challenge because the focus is on kids who are struggling with grade level material? Which, by the way, is a much more common occurrence in DC public schools than the situation of a high achieving kid being overlooked in favor of rich white kids, who are not only rare in DC publics but also tend to be concentrated in a small handful of schools.

So, your kid is getting what he needs. Great. What about everyone else?

This is on DCPS. They need to step it up, raise standards, and start meeting the needs of the kids who live in this city to prepare them to succeed in the world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’ve never had to think about how low expectations attach to your child before they even speak, you’ll probably miss the point.

I’m not really trying to defend BASIS. Who wouldn’t want a better building, more green space, a gym? Of course we would. But for us, the real value of BASIS isn’t about facilities—it’s about insulation.

For some families, the big question is whether a school “fits.” For ours, it’s how to keep our kid from getting buried under the low expectations that seem to follow him everywhere—public, charter, suburban, wherever. That shifts what kind of environment feels like relief.

And sure, if your child has ADHD or another neurodivergence, BASIS can feel harsh. That’s real. But those are intrinsic challenges a child carries anywhere. They’re not the same as the extrinsic bias that lands before my kid even opens his mouth.

We’ve seen the difference. At our old school, “central-casting” kids—affluent, white, sometimes clearly struggling—still got the enrichment slots and leadership nods, while our child, who outperformed them on every metric, got overlooked. That quiet favoritism doesn’t play the same way at BASIS, and that’s part of the relief.

And look, we can overcome bias anywhere—we do it all the time. But if there’s a school that spares us some of that emotional labor, why wouldn’t we choose it? Why root for it to change in ways that put that burden right back on us?

BASIS isn’t perfect. But it gives our child space to push back against the slow, steady build-up of low expectations. For us, that’s not nothing. And for others who’ve never had to think about it—that’s a luxury.

Why do you keep writing the same post over and over.

Everyone is glad BASIS is working for your kid. Good.

Now, what about all the kids for whom BASIS does not work? What about the kids for whom the problem is not that they are underestimated, but that they are presumed to be fine without engagement or challenge because the focus is on kids who are struggling with grade level material? Which, by the way, is a much more common occurrence in DC public schools than the situation of a high achieving kid being overlooked in favor of rich white kids, who are not only rare in DC publics but also tend to be concentrated in a small handful of schools.

So, your kid is getting what he needs. Great. What about everyone else?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’ve never had to think about how low expectations attach to your child before they even speak, you’ll probably miss the point.

I’m not really trying to defend BASIS. Who wouldn’t want a better building, more green space, a gym? Of course we would. But for us, the real value of BASIS isn’t about facilities—it’s about insulation.

For some families, the big question is whether a school “fits.” For ours, it’s how to keep our kid from getting buried under the low expectations that seem to follow him everywhere—public, charter, suburban, wherever. That shifts what kind of environment feels like relief.

And sure, if your child has ADHD or another neurodivergence, BASIS can feel harsh. That’s real. But those are intrinsic challenges a child carries anywhere. They’re not the same as the extrinsic bias that lands before my kid even opens his mouth.

We’ve seen the difference. At our old school, “central-casting” kids—affluent, white, sometimes clearly struggling—still got the enrichment slots and leadership nods, while our child, who outperformed them on every metric, got overlooked. That quiet favoritism doesn’t play the same way at BASIS, and that’s part of the relief.

And look, we can overcome bias anywhere—we do it all the time. But if there’s a school that spares us some of that emotional labor, why wouldn’t we choose it? Why root for it to change in ways that put that burden right back on us?

BASIS isn’t perfect. But it gives our child space to push back against the slow, steady build-up of low expectations. For us, that’s not nothing. And for others who’ve never had to think about it—that’s a luxury.

Why do you keep writing the same post over and over.

Everyone is glad BASIS is working for your kid. Good.

Now, what about all the kids for whom BASIS does not work? What about the kids for whom the problem is not that they are underestimated, but that they are presumed to be fine without engagement or challenge because the focus is on kids who are struggling with grade level material? Which, by the way, is a much more common occurrence in DC public schools than the situation of a high achieving kid being overlooked in favor of rich white kids, who are not only rare in DC publics but also tend to be concentrated in a small handful of schools.

So, your kid is getting what he needs. Great. What about everyone else?

Anonymous wrote:If you’ve never had to think about how low expectations attach to your child before they even speak, you’ll probably miss the point.

I’m not really trying to defend BASIS. Who wouldn’t want a better building, more green space, a gym? Of course we would. But for us, the real value of BASIS isn’t about facilities—it’s about insulation.

For some families, the big question is whether a school “fits.” For ours, it’s how to keep our kid from getting buried under the low expectations that seem to follow him everywhere—public, charter, suburban, wherever. That shifts what kind of environment feels like relief.

And sure, if your child has ADHD or another neurodivergence, BASIS can feel harsh. That’s real. But those are intrinsic challenges a child carries anywhere. They’re not the same as the extrinsic bias that lands before my kid even opens his mouth.

We’ve seen the difference. At our old school, “central-casting” kids—affluent, white, sometimes clearly struggling—still got the enrichment slots and leadership nods, while our child, who outperformed them on every metric, got overlooked. That quiet favoritism doesn’t play the same way at BASIS, and that’s part of the relief.

And look, we can overcome bias anywhere—we do it all the time. But if there’s a school that spares us some of that emotional labor, why wouldn’t we choose it? Why root for it to change in ways that put that burden right back on us?

BASIS isn’t perfect. But it gives our child space to push back against the slow, steady build-up of low expectations. For us, that’s not nothing. And for others who’ve never had to think about it—that’s a luxury.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No horse in this race at all. However the most passionate parents I have met in person tend to be the Basis haters.

This thread is almost entirely BASIS haters. They go on and on and on about all the things they hate about BASIS, and then every once in awhile, someone corrects something silly they say and that person gets labeled a BASIS booster. There's an unmistakable jealousness among the BASIS haters. They may or may not want their kids to actually go there, because the downsides are real, but they are extremely jealous of BASIS's pretty incredible record of getting kids into great schools.

I haven't followed this thread closely but have posted a few times. You are missing what the "hate" is towards, even though it's right in the OP.

People don't hate BASIS. They hate that their middle school options in DC are so limited that BASIS is one of the few acceptable options, even though the BASIS approach to education is not really what they want for their kids.

If DC had lots of great MS options, if many of the IB MSs had decent test scores and offered tracking in math AND ELA, if there were a variety of charter MSs offering decent quality education with various approaches, I don't think anyone would care about BASIS. Parents who wanted that kind of testing-forward approach would send their kids there, and parents who didn't would send their kids to one of the many other schools in the city where you could still get a good education. Many kids, including many smart kids, do NOT thrive in a BASIS style education system. Parents want options for these kids.

But when people vocalize this, they are immediately jumped on: what's wrong with BASIS, BASIS is working great for my kid, you obviously don't know what quality education is because BASIS is offering it and you don't care.

It's not BASIS hate, it's resentment that BASIS is one of the few options available to families who want a more rigorous academic experience for their kids, and that the options they would prefer more (Latin, Deal) are harder to get into or don't exist at all.

I think what sometimes gets lost in these discussions is why BASIS appeals to some families in ways that schools like Deal or Latin may not—even when those families recognize that Latin or Deal might be more well-rounded or accommodating in certain respects. I actually think, had I been a kid, I might have preferred Latin’s vibe. And I completely get the appeal. But I want to speak honestly about why BASIS, for us, has been the right fit during these middle school years—even if we’re not necessarily viewing it as the forever plan.

Some families are incredibly adept at navigating flexible, accommodating school environments where expectations are fluid and where engaged parents can step in and advocate for individualized tweaks—extra time, special seating, leadership roles, and so on. And they’re good at it because they’ve been doing it their whole lives. At our former charter, we saw how certain families, often with high social capital and a certain Central Casting profile, got more from the system—more access, more grace, more visibility.

For our family, that didn’t feel like a fair fight. And while we’re comfortable advocating when necessary, we’ve also seen how quickly one can be labeled “difficult” if you don’t come from the expected mold.

At BASIS, there’s a certain stiff-arming of parents—and ironically, that’s been a relief. The cadence of tests and quizzes provides a kind of clarity. Weekly grades, constant feedback, and a rigid academic structure give our child the opportunity to consistently demonstrate that they’re not only engaged, but performing well. That they are not deficient.

Because let’s be honest: the achievement gap in this city is real. And when your child bears more than a passing resemblance to those most frequently left behind by that gap—when they are statistically expected to struggle, regardless of what they’re capable of—you learn very quickly how rare it is to find a school that doesn’t subtly affirm those expectations. That doesn’t delay or flatten the signal that your child is thriving.

At BASIS, the bluntness of the system works in our favor. The feedback is constant. The assessments are objective. And when the grades are in the 90s week after week, it’s hard for a teacher—or anyone else—to overlook that. That’s not something we’ve found as readily in environments that pride themselves on flexibility or “whole child” approaches, but often leave families like ours in the position of having to prove again and again that our kids are not exceptions to a grim statistical trend.

And yes, I’ve heard people say, “Well, not all smart kids thrive at BASIS.” I’m sure that’s true. But it’s often said as if the school is failing them, when in many cases, it just means those students have specific deficits—executive function, stamina, etc.—that need addressing. Those don’t magically disappear at Latin or Deal. They may just get papered over. At BASIS, the structure exposes them. That’s not cruelty—it’s transparency. And for families like ours, transparency is a gift.

So no, BASIS isn’t perfect. And no, it’s not right for every child. But it should absolutely exist as an option. And for families whose kids are often underestimated by default, it offers something precious: a system that doesn’t rely on teacher perception, parent polish, or social currency to affirm that your child is capable.

I am the PP. I am glad you are happy with BASIS for your kid, but I think the actual point of my post flew right over your head. Because my whole point is that while there is nothing wrong with BASIS, it is not right for every family or ever kid.

I have a kid like this. BASIS is just not it for her. She needs different things from her curriculum and environment. She'd do okay with testing and homework aspects (she likes homework and tests well) but she needs other things too and they don't exist at BASIS. And DC offers me so few options for her. If we are very lucky we will get into Latin (we probably won't be lucky). We can't afford to move IB for Deal and even if we got into a feeder for 5th, we are committing to years of cross-town commutes for schools where most of her friends will live much closer to the schools. Our IB MS is okay, but the IB HS is not. There are application HSs, but they are oversubscribed and admission is really more of a lottery than a selection process for kids over the GPA threshold, so it's not something we can count on or feel good about.

Responding to someone in this position with "BUT BASIS IS GREAT!!!!" is the whole problem. I'm glad it's great for you. What about the rest of us?

"I am glad you are happy with BASIS for your kid, but I think the actual point of my post flew right over your head. Because my whole point is that while there is nothing wrong with BASIS, it is not right for every family or ever kid."

From the post you are responding to: "BASIS isn’t perfect. And no, it’s not right for every child."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So no, BASIS isn’t perfect. And no, it’s not right for every child. But it should absolutely exist as an option. And for families whose kids are often underestimated by default, it offers something precious: a system that doesn’t rely on teacher perception, parent polish, or social currency to affirm that your child is capable.

What the hell. Nonsense. We don't need in-demand public middle schools and high schools in this country in this century without outdoor space, any real arts education, language instruction throughout middle school or even a quiet place to study (e.g. a library). Schools without adequate facilities aren't "right" for any teen. DCPS or DCPCS could offer "something precious" in a far more humane and constructive package, like on the Arizona BASIS campuses. I have a nephew at a BASIS AZ campus who plays in a competitive orchestra there than wins state competitions.

Public schools aren't too hot here because parents and other stakeholders don't organize to vote politicians in who support good schools, and to vote out those that don't. In the upscale burbs, they do, hence the better schools.

It’s interesting how quickly some people pivot to talking about facilities when the point was about bias and perception. The kids who are underestimated by default aren’t losing out because of missing playgrounds.

Good for those people. From where I sit, facilities and bias and perception are part and parcel of the problem at BASIS DC--a dreary school experience--because while the entire faculty, staff and all of the students are all losing out where the god-awful physical plant is concerned, some are missing out more than others, particularly active middle school boys and ADHD students of all ages. Our "perception" as a BASIS family was that the grim facilities hurt morale, that of admins, teachers, students and parents alike. The miserable building beat down joy of learning, particularly enrichment. My BASIS middle schooler seldom left the bad building, disturbing when you consider its location. There were precious few outings to the National Mall very nearby to learn in some of the world's best museums for young people.

Unlike most of the other parents I got to know at BASIS, I didn't go to a "normal" public school with good facilities and little in the way of an academic push, so I wasn't expecting your garden variety public MS or HS experience here in DC. I went to Hunter in NYC, in another spectacularly crappy building without a playground where everybody had to take accelerated math and science classes from day 1. Even so, Hunter's building was palatial and wonderful compared to BASIS DC's.

Anonymous wrote:So no, BASIS isn’t perfect. And no, it’s not right for every child. But it should absolutely exist as an option. And for families whose kids are often underestimated by default, it offers something precious: a system that doesn’t rely on teacher perception, parent polish, or social currency to affirm that your child is capable.

What the hell. Nonsense. We don't need in-demand public middle schools and high schools in this country in this century without outdoor space, any real arts education, language instruction throughout middle school or even a quiet place to study (e.g. a library). Schools without adequate facilities aren't "right" for any teen. DCPS or DCPCS could offer "something precious" in a far more humane and constructive package, like on the Arizona BASIS campuses. I have a nephew at a BASIS AZ campus who plays in a competitive orchestra there than wins state competitions.

Public schools aren't too hot here because parents and other stakeholders don't organize to vote politicians in who support good schools, and to vote out those that don't. In the upscale burbs, they do, hence the better schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So no, BASIS isn’t perfect. And no, it’s not right for every child. But it should absolutely exist as an option. And for families whose kids are often underestimated by default, it offers something precious: a system that doesn’t rely on teacher perception, parent polish, or social currency to affirm that your child is capable.

What the hell. Nonsense. We don't need in-demand public middle schools and high schools in this country in this century without outdoor space, any real arts education, language instruction throughout middle school or even a quiet place to study (e.g. a library). Schools without adequate facilities aren't "right" for any teen. DCPS or DCPCS could offer "something precious" in a far more humane and constructive package, like on the Arizona BASIS campuses. I have a nephew at a BASIS AZ campus who plays in a competitive orchestra there than wins state competitions.

Public schools aren't too hot here because parents and other stakeholders don't organize to vote politicians in who support good schools, and to vote out those that don't. In the upscale burbs, they do, hence the better schools.

It’s interesting how quickly some people pivot to talking about facilities when the point was about bias and perception. The kids who are underestimated by default aren’t losing out because of missing playgrounds.

Good for those people. From where I sit, facilities and bias and perception are part and parcel of the problem at BASIS DC--a dreary school experience--because while the entire faculty, staff and all of the students are all losing out where the god-awful physical plant is concerned, some are missing out more than others, particularly active middle school boys and ADHD students of all ages. Our "perception" as a BASIS family was that the grim facilities hurt morale, that of admins, teachers, students and parents alike. The miserable building beat down joy of learning, particularly enrichment. My BASIS middle schooler seldom left the bad building, disturbing when you consider its location. There were precious few outings to the National Mall very nearby to learn in some of the world's best museums for young people.

Unlike most of the other parents I got to know at BASIS, I didn't go to a "normal" public school with good facilities and little in the way of an academic push, so I wasn't expecting your garden variety public MS or HS experience here in DC. I went to Hunter in NYC, in another spectacularly crappy building without a playground where everybody had to take accelerated math and science classes from day 1. Even so, Hunter's building was palatial and wonderful compared to BASIS DC's.

Yes it’s terrible especially for boys in general. No gym, no fields to play and run around.

The classrooms are so small and hallways are so narrow and cramped. I just cannot imagine how bad it. must be between classes in the hallways. claustrophobic

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So no, BASIS isn’t perfect. And no, it’s not right for every child. But it should absolutely exist as an option. And for families whose kids are often underestimated by default, it offers something precious: a system that doesn’t rely on teacher perception, parent polish, or social currency to affirm that your child is capable.

What the hell. Nonsense. We don't need in-demand public middle schools and high schools in this country in this century without outdoor space, any real arts education, language instruction throughout middle school or even a quiet place to study (e.g. a library). Schools without adequate facilities aren't "right" for any teen. DCPS or DCPCS could offer "something precious" in a far more humane and constructive package, like on the Arizona BASIS campuses. I have a nephew at a BASIS AZ campus who plays in a competitive orchestra there than wins state competitions.

Public schools aren't too hot here because parents and other stakeholders don't organize to vote politicians in who support good schools, and to vote out those that don't. In the upscale burbs, they do, hence the better schools.

It’s interesting how quickly some people pivot to talking about facilities when the point was about bias and perception. The kids who are underestimated by default aren’t losing out because of missing playgrounds.

Good for those people. From where I sit, facilities and bias and perception are part and parcel of the problem at BASIS DC--a dreary school experience--because while the entire faculty, staff and all of the students are all losing out where the god-awful physical plant is concerned, some are missing out more than others, particularly active middle school boys and ADHD students of all ages. Our "perception" as a BASIS family was that the grim facilities hurt morale, that of admins, teachers, students and parents alike. The miserable building beat down joy of learning, particularly enrichment. My BASIS middle schooler seldom left the bad building, disturbing when you consider its location. There were precious few outings to the National Mall very nearby to learn in some of the world's best museums for young people.

Unlike most of the other parents I got to know at BASIS, I didn't go to a "normal" public school with good facilities and little in the way of an academic push, so I wasn't expecting your garden variety public MS or HS experience here in DC. I went to Hunter in NYC, in another spectacularly crappy building without a playground where everybody had to take accelerated math and science classes from day 1. Even so, Hunter's building was palatial and wonderful compared to BASIS DC's.