Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 21:43     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
The first Latin graduating class, and a few classes to follow, represents the class that had a massive diaspora from founding parents at the end of 8th or early in HS who got spooked by having their kids in a 'first graduating class' that was untested, and dealing with the difficult transitions that the school went through in its earlier years. This first graduating class that remained at Latin has found schools that are good fits, and significant funding to go with. If every Latin student who follows finds a college that is a 'good fit' and funding to go with, then as those who come in more academically advanced actually stay the course - they will be in fine shape indeed. As are those graduating now.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 17:46     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our DC has had a good experience at Latin.


Good to hear. Our child has had a really good experience so far in Upper School at Latin; better than middle, which our child enjoyed. Have you spoken to many parents with their children currently in Upper School, or is your information based on those who chose to leave before trying Upper School? While the latter may have evaluated carefully, they would not have access to firsthand experience which might surprise you. Curious, since I think there is an idea about Latin that 'everybody' leaves after 8th grade. It's simply not true. Last year the highest ever group of students stayed on from Middle -- about 80% I believe -- and the new students who came in are wonderful. It's a great freshman class and I hope this year's rising 8th consider carefully staying on. The teachers simply cannot be beat.
I'm intrigued by BASIS, and given that we gave Latin a go when it was 'untested' we are probably the kind of family that would have given a high expectations school like BASIS a spin. That being said, the worst courses I had in High School involved teachers 'teaching to the AP'. Luckily, I only had a few teachers that took that tack. The rest taught us to think, and we sailed through the APs when we took them. What is the BASIS take on this?
Thanks.


But if all this is true, why aren't far more Latin students applying, and being admitted to, blue chip colleges, at least yet? I ask because I interview area high school seniors for my Ivy each fall, a common enough volunteer gig in DC. Early this year, I asked my alma mater's interview coordinator if I could interview Latin applicants - he said there were none. My spouse heard the same story about MIT applicants. Generally, when a kid applies to one Ivy, a or top tech school or military academy, they apply to several, or even most, leading us to suspect that Latin kids aren't applying to 5-star schools for now. If more MS kids stay, will this change, or will BASIS become DC's primary feeder school for too colleges or what. Not everybody cares, but some do, so thought I'd mention our experience.


You're kidding, right? Latin has only HAD one graduating class.

The relevance of your Ivy is doubtful, there are so few good quants in the Ivies. "Pedigree > talent" (in the hard sciences, engineering, etc.) However, last I knew, they understood math at MIT.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 17:44     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:Our DC has had a good experience at Latin.


Good to hear. Our child has had a really good experience so far in Upper School at Latin; better than middle, which our child enjoyed. Have you spoken to many parents with their children currently in Upper School, or is your information based on those who chose to leave before trying Upper School? While the latter may have evaluated carefully, they would not have access to firsthand experience which might surprise you. Curious, since I think there is an idea about Latin that 'everybody' leaves after 8th grade. It's simply not true. Last year the highest ever group of students stayed on from Middle -- about 80% I believe -- and the new students who came in are wonderful. It's a great freshman class and I hope this year's rising 8th consider carefully staying on. The teachers simply cannot be beat.
I'm intrigued by BASIS, and given that we gave Latin a go when it was 'untested' we are probably the kind of family that would have given a high expectations school like BASIS a spin. That being said, the worst courses I had in High School involved teachers 'teaching to the AP'. Luckily, I only had a few teachers that took that tack. The rest taught us to think, and we sailed through the APs when we took them. What is the BASIS take on this?
Thanks.


But if all this is true, why aren't far more Latin students applying, and being admitted to, blue chip colleges, at least yet? I ask because I interview area high school seniors for my Ivy each fall, a common enough volunteer gig in DC. Early this year, I asked my alma mater's interview coordinator if I could interview Latin applicants - he said there were none. My spouse heard the same story about MIT applicants. Generally, when a kid applies to one Ivy, a or top tech school or military academy, they apply to several, or even most, leading us to suspect that Latin kids aren't applying to 5-star schools for now. If more MS kids stay, will this change, or will BASIS become DC's primary feeder school for too colleges or what. Not everybody cares, but some do, so thought I'd mention our experience.


You're kidding, right? Latin has only HAD one graduating class.

The relevance of your Ivy is doubtful, there are so few good quants in the Ivies. "Pedigree > talent" (in the hard sciences, engineering, etc.) However, last I knew, they understood math at MIT.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 17:28     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Well the city has a magnet HS and many parents are not bothering to apply to the school. Ask yourself why.

You mean Walls? Banneker? Ellington? All three are technically academic magnets, they just aren't all that tough to be admitted to, or graduate from. Could it be that many parents aren't "bothering to apply" because Banneker's average SAT scores, which DCPS makes public, are lower than the national average? And according to the Post, in a given year, Walls gets 0-1 kid into Harvard, while Thomas Jefferson in Alexandria gets a dozen. TJ's student body is only about twice as large as Walls'.

My great concern about Basis, although my kid will try it for at least 2012-2013, is that the students needing remediation who strolled in will monopolize instructor time and energy. Although Basis may not keep such students long, while they stay, they will invariably slow gifted kids down. Basis, being a charter, lacks a mechanism to remove students who are behind the curve. They can, and surely will, stick around to repeat grades.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 13:08     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:Am sending my child to Basis because:

1) can't afford an independent middle school
2) don't want to move to the burbs after building a life on Capitol Hill
3) feel that Latin is too far, with too much goofing around on the bus involved in getting there, and that other MS charters don't cut it
4) don't see Stuart Hobson as an acceptable alternative for a DC who, for the most part, has been bored at Watkins for 2 years

Am not sending my kid because I object to selective admissions.

The Basis crew, and involved parents, have bought into the open lottery paradigm. What can you do, but save your pennies for HS and college and try to hang on in the city. The chorus of voices recognizing that other school systems know what they're doing in screening for magnets, offering a model that could be replicated in the District, is too small. Argue this and stand accused of racism, elitism, being a dreamer, you name it. I'll leave it to other parents to wax enthusiastic, and plan for boatloads of AP tests.


Well the city has a magnet HS and many parents are not bothering to apply to the school. Ask yourself why.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 11:56     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Am sending my child to Basis because:

1) can't afford an independent middle school
2) don't want to move to the burbs after building a life on Capitol Hill
3) feel that Latin is too far, with too much goofing around on the bus involved in getting there, and that other MS charters don't cut it
4) don't see Stuart Hobson as an acceptable alternative for a DC who, for the most part, has been bored at Watkins for 2 years

Am not sending my kid because I object to selective admissions.

The Basis crew, and involved parents, have bought into the open lottery paradigm. What can you do, but save your pennies for HS and college and try to hang on in the city. The chorus of voices recognizing that other school systems know what they're doing in screening for magnets, offering a model that could be replicated in the District, is too small. Argue this and stand accused of racism, elitism, being a dreamer, you name it. I'll leave it to other parents to wax enthusiastic, and plan for boatloads of AP tests.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 11:00     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
+1. +100. Get thee to Mo. Co. or Fairfax (or any of several dozen US cities) where they speak your language.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 10:57     Subject: Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I like Basis, it is the think tank of schools. That's not for everyone but when it works it is a good thing.


In Tucson, perhaps. But in downtown DC? This is a trainwreck waiting to happen! Pass the popcorn!


I concur, as did PPs on the other recent BASIS thread (Basis to Open in 2012-2013....30 pages). Without selective admissions of some kind, BASIS seems unlikely to maintain high standards into HS. Too many parents will simply be fleeing bad neighborhood middle schools, although their progeny aren't necessarily BASIS material. I'd love to see any FARM kid who can score Advanced on the 4th or 5th grade DC-CAS (as long as their school isn't being investigated for cheating) admitted automatically. This good idea has gained no traction as most involved argue that it's far more "equitable" for many families of brilliant and highly disciplined kids, who can't afford 30K for privates, to vote with their feet out of DCPS and DC Charter in search of greener pastures than for BASIS to admit kids who probably have what it takes to ace 6-8 AP tests. That work load is standard fare at Thomas Jefferson HS in Alexandria, and other suburban magnets, a school which knocks itself out to identify and nurture gifted low-income kids. No-brainer that open lotteries don't lend themselves to the creation of stellar high schools in the inner city. Boston Latin figured that one out in the 18th Century.

Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 10:46     Subject: Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Remember, Latin has had ONE graduating class. So, hard to say there is a trend about what types of schools Latin graduates apply to based on ONE year.

http://www.edline.net/pages/Washington_Latin_PCS/Our_Program/College_Counseling/6460138435580401156

List of acceptances, with stars by schools where a student is enrolled and x# by the school indicating how many were accepted.

The first graduating class has frontiers -- everyone is saying that Latin is getting stronger -- probably the "quality" of the schools will increase each year.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 10:36     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Our DC has had a good experience at Latin.


Good to hear. Our child has had a really good experience so far in Upper School at Latin; better than middle, which our child enjoyed. Have you spoken to many parents with their children currently in Upper School, or is your information based on those who chose to leave before trying Upper School? While the latter may have evaluated carefully, they would not have access to firsthand experience which might surprise you. Curious, since I think there is an idea about Latin that 'everybody' leaves after 8th grade. It's simply not true. Last year the highest ever group of students stayed on from Middle -- about 80% I believe -- and the new students who came in are wonderful. It's a great freshman class and I hope this year's rising 8th consider carefully staying on. The teachers simply cannot be beat.
I'm intrigued by BASIS, and given that we gave Latin a go when it was 'untested' we are probably the kind of family that would have given a high expectations school like BASIS a spin. That being said, the worst courses I had in High School involved teachers 'teaching to the AP'. Luckily, I only had a few teachers that took that tack. The rest taught us to think, and we sailed through the APs when we took them. What is the BASIS take on this?
Thanks.


But if all this is true, why aren't far more Latin students applying, and being admitted to, blue chip colleges, at least yet? I ask because I interview area high school seniors for my Ivy each fall, a common enough volunteer gig in DC. Early this year, I asked my alma mater's interview coordinator if I could interview Latin applicants - he said there were none. My spouse heard the same story about MIT applicants. Generally, when a kid applies to one Ivy, a or top tech school or military academy, they apply to several, or even most, leading us to suspect that Latin kids aren't applying to 5-star schools for now. If more MS kids stay, will this change, or will BASIS become DC's primary feeder school for too colleges or what. Not everybody cares, but some do, so thought I'd mention our experience.
Anonymous
Post 05/17/2012 08:43     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Very true PP. We'll just have to wait and see how it turns out. Personally I'm not at all a fan of homework in general, but I do see that my kid has learned some skills from doing it, both reinforcing concepts learned at school and frankly also learning some self-discipline and time management skills. She cried a lot at the beginning of the year, and dilly-dallied longer than it would have taken to just do the assignment. She learned to work faster and not procrastinate. Perhaps the founders are aiming for this to occur during the school day.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2012 21:43     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:14:21, if the founders are saying that only math is given as actual homework and that the rest of the work is done during class hours, but then other parents of non-neurotypical kids or those who are not organized, or are perfectionists, or whatever (LOTS of kids in other words) are saying that their kids are finding the homework onerous, then the reality is that the founders may be unrealistic about their academic program. If a good portion of the kids have trouble completing their work in school then that's reality, despite what the school's organizers may say.


14:21 here. Your assessment of the situation might be spot on, PP. I don't have enough information to gauge.

Perhaps the founders are being unrealistic about how much the kids can finish during the school day and, therefore, the amount of school work that spills over into homework.

On the other hand, perhaps the majority of posts on GreatSchools and similar sites are from a small but vocal minority of families whose children are struggling with the curriculum and, thus, bringing a lot of school work home.

I don't think it is possible to gauge whether or not a good portion of the kids are having trouble from posts on a web site .
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2012 21:14     Subject: Re:Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:Working great for Greece and Spain right now....


No one is claiming Basis will develop a new economic model
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2012 18:39     Subject: Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I like Basis, it is the think tank of schools. That's not for everyone but when it works it is a good thing.


In Tucson, perhaps. But in downtown DC? This is a trainwreck waiting to happen! Pass the popcorn!


Worse than the rest of DCPS? Not possible. But enjoy the schadenfreud.


Worse than Latin and Deal? Yes, of course - without question. I'll enjoy it indeed!


The comfort derived from the misery of others is slight.
--Cicero
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2012 18:30     Subject: Why are you sending your child to Basis?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I like Basis, it is the think tank of schools. That's not for everyone but when it works it is a good thing.


In Tucson, perhaps. But in downtown DC? This is a trainwreck waiting to happen! Pass the popcorn!


Worse than the rest of DCPS? Not possible. But enjoy the schadenfreud.


Worse than Latin and Deal? Yes, of course - without question. I'll enjoy it indeed!