Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP who has a couple weeks to decide if we take our BASIS spot for a kid who excels in math and Spanish or stay at Oyster-Adams with a view to going private at some point, trying to lottery into DCI (which sounds impossible for Spanish), or moving to the burbs. We haven't been happy with STEM or humanities challenge in DCPS thus far.

I just read through this thread, and a couple other recent BASIS threads. Reading between the lines, BASIS sounds militant about what students learn and don't learn. The business of demanding that kids who came up through immersion language study take beginning languages sounds a big detour from best ed practices. Why can't middle school kids with the background to study a particular AP subject offered at BASIS do so long before 11th grade, be it calculus (which, apparently, is allowed), or a humanities subject, or a language? Who would be hurt by some flexibility, particularly where like-minded parents are prepared to organize and pay for after-school instruction? I also don't get why there's no PTA at BASIS, if I got that right.

On a call with a BASIS admin to ask these questions this past week, I was told that the obstacles to middle school students who are ready for AP work from pursuing it outside math are threefold. In a nutshell, "scheduling and resource obstacles and a policy not to overwhelm students pursuing rigor in other areas." This approach doesn't sound like a 21st century solution. Before anybody jumps on me for being entitled in wanting "preferential treatment," consider the fact that the highest-performing middle schools in this country aren't prone to require their most advanced students to take beginning classes in subjects they've long since mastered.

I say this in an effort to help you avoid a huge mistake. DO NOT ENROLL AT BASIS. When you start your post describing the defined curriculum as "militant" and then conclude that what they do and how they do it doesn't match your expectations, when you are focused on Spanish and know up front your kid won't be able to jump ahead, what decision do you have to make? You are a bad fit for what they do, and they a bad fit for what you want. I would respectfully suggest that you view as militant is actually the school trying to be transparent so that people like you go in with eyes wide open. If you enroll, you will be back here daily to complain about the things you knew going in. Caveat emptor.

P.S. You are never going to be happy at DCPS or any charter. Enroll in private school now. Or move to Fairfax.

I'm not the PP you're responding to, but I suggest the opposite. Enroll in BASIS, politely shake admins up, organize like-minded parents, lobby your DC council member for better treatment of the kids. Taxpayers and students deserve better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP who has a couple weeks to decide if we take our BASIS spot for a kid who excels in math and Spanish or stay at Oyster-Adams with a view to going private at some point, trying to lottery into DCI (which sounds impossible for Spanish), or moving to the burbs. We haven't been happy with STEM or humanities challenge in DCPS thus far.

I just read through this thread, and a couple other recent BASIS threads. Reading between the lines, BASIS sounds militant about what students learn and don't learn. The business of demanding that kids who came up through immersion language study take beginning languages sounds a big detour from best ed practices. Why can't middle school kids with the background to study a particular AP subject offered at BASIS do so long before 11th grade, be it calculus (which, apparently, is allowed), or a humanities subject, or a language? Who would be hurt by some flexibility, particularly where like-minded parents are prepared to organize and pay for after-school instruction? I also don't get why there's no PTA at BASIS, if I got that right.

On a call with a BASIS admin to ask these questions this past week, I was told that the obstacles to middle school students who are ready for AP work from pursuing it outside math are threefold. In a nutshell, "scheduling and resource obstacles and a policy not to overwhelm students pursuing rigor in other areas." This approach doesn't sound like a 21st century solution. Before anybody jumps on me for being entitled in wanting "preferential treatment," consider the fact that the highest-performing middle schools in this country aren't prone to require their most advanced students to take beginning classes in subjects they've long since mastered.

I used to think that parents who enrolled at BASIS expecting the school to bend to their whims were the most entitled parents on earth. You, madam, have shown me the error of my ways. You aren't even enrolled and still have 3 paragraphs of suggestions and critiques about the way the school is run. You seem genuinely surprised that the HOS didn't change the school based on your suggestions. Well played!!!!

Your problem, sir, is that the parent and taxpayer above is right.

We'd have better public schools if "best ed practices" were the order of the day, vs. having charter franchises force students who've already mastered content to sit in beginning classes, yea.

More actual innovation wouldn't be misplaced in one of the country's lowest performing urban school systems. I'm tired of charters paying lip service to innovation and experimentation when the game they're playing is to promote the opposite. Too many talented, accomplished kids who get spots at BASIS don't enroll because their parents read the writing on the wall. We know top 5th grade math students EotP whose parents had the same (logical) reaction as PP above.

These kids move or go private. Who wins, you? How?

-Signed BASIS parent of 2 years

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its more simple than that. Basis cares immensely about its test scores. Time, energy, and resources spent helping a small minority of middle school students continue with advanced Spanish does not really serve that purpose.

Where were the "time, energy and resources" spent? The parents doing the organizing and were willing to cover all costs. I've followed this story as a BASIS parent. You don't have the full picture.The truth is that it's common for BASIS juniors to score 3s and 4s on AP Spanish although it's an easy test.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP who has a couple weeks to decide if we take our BASIS spot for a kid who excels in math and Spanish or stay at Oyster-Adams with a view to going private at some point, trying to lottery into DCI (which sounds impossible for Spanish), or moving to the burbs. We haven't been happy with STEM or humanities challenge in DCPS thus far.

I just read through this thread, and a couple other recent BASIS threads. Reading between the lines, BASIS sounds militant about what students learn and don't learn. The business of demanding that kids who came up through immersion language study take beginning languages sounds a big detour from best ed practices. Why can't middle school kids with the background to study a particular AP subject offered at BASIS do so long before 11th grade, be it calculus (which, apparently, is allowed), or a humanities subject, or a language? Who would be hurt by some flexibility, particularly where like-minded parents are prepared to organize and pay for after-school instruction? I also don't get why there's no PTA at BASIS, if I got that right.

On a call with a BASIS admin to ask these questions this past week, I was told that the obstacles to middle school students who are ready for AP work from pursuing it outside math are threefold. In a nutshell, "scheduling and resource obstacles and a policy not to overwhelm students pursuing rigor in other areas." This approach doesn't sound like a 21st century solution. Before anybody jumps on me for being entitled in wanting "preferential treatment," consider the fact that the highest-performing middle schools in this country aren't prone to require their most advanced students to take beginning classes in subjects they've long since mastered.

I say this in an effort to help you avoid a huge mistake. DO NOT ENROLL AT BASIS. When you start your post describing the defined curriculum as "militant" and then conclude that what they do and how they do it doesn't match your expectations, when you are focused on Spanish and know up front your kid won't be able to jump ahead, what decision do you have to make? You are a bad fit for what they do, and they a bad fit for what you want. I would respectfully suggest that you view as militant is actually the school trying to be transparent so that people like you go in with eyes wide open. If you enroll, you will be back here daily to complain about the things you knew going in. Caveat emptor.

P.S. You are never going to be happy at DCPS or any charter. Enroll in private school now. Or move to Fairfax.

Anonymous wrote:I think its more simple than that. Basis cares immensely about its test scores. Time, energy, and resources spent helping a small minority of middle school students continue with advanced Spanish does not really serve that purpose.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP who has a couple weeks to decide if we take our BASIS spot for a kid who excels in math and Spanish or stay at Oyster-Adams with a view to going private at some point, trying to lottery into DCI (which sounds impossible for Spanish), or moving to the burbs. We haven't been happy with STEM or humanities challenge in DCPS thus far.

I just read through this thread, and a couple other recent BASIS threads. Reading between the lines, BASIS sounds militant about what students learn and don't learn. The business of demanding that kids who came up through immersion language study take beginning languages sounds a big detour from best ed practices. Why can't middle school kids with the background to study a particular AP subject offered at BASIS do so long before 11th grade, be it calculus (which, apparently, is allowed), or a humanities subject, or a language? Who would be hurt by some flexibility, particularly where like-minded parents are prepared to organize and pay for after-school instruction? I also don't get why there's no PTA at BASIS, if I got that right.

On a call with a BASIS admin to ask these questions this past week, I was told that the obstacles to middle school students who are ready for AP work from pursuing it outside math are threefold. In a nutshell, "scheduling and resource obstacles and a policy not to overwhelm students pursuing rigor in other areas." This approach doesn't sound like a 21st century solution. Before anybody jumps on me for being entitled in wanting "preferential treatment," consider the fact that the highest-performing middle schools in this country aren't prone to require their most advanced students to take beginning classes in subjects they've long since mastered.

I used to think that parents who enrolled at BASIS expecting the school to bend to their whims were the most entitled parents on earth. You, madam, have shown me the error of my ways. You aren't even enrolled and still have 3 paragraphs of suggestions and critiques about the way the school is run. You seem genuinely surprised that the HOS didn't change the school based on your suggestions. Well played!!!!

Anonymous wrote:NP who has a couple weeks to decide if we take our BASIS spot for a kid who excels in math and Spanish or stay at Oyster-Adams with a view to going private at some point, trying to lottery into DCI (which sounds impossible for Spanish), or moving to the burbs. We haven't been happy with STEM or humanities challenge in DCPS thus far.

I just read through this thread, and a couple other recent BASIS threads. Reading between the lines, BASIS sounds militant about what students learn and don't learn. The business of demanding that kids who came up through immersion language study take beginning languages sounds a big detour from best ed practices. Why can't middle school kids with the background to study a particular AP subject offered at BASIS do so long before 11th grade, be it calculus (which, apparently, is allowed), or a humanities subject, or a language? Who would be hurt by some flexibility, particularly where like-minded parents are prepared to organize and pay for after-school instruction? I also don't get why there's no PTA at BASIS, if I got that right.

On a call with a BASIS admin to ask these questions this past week, I was told that the obstacles to middle school students who are ready for AP work from pursuing it outside math are threefold. In a nutshell, "scheduling and resource obstacles and a policy not to overwhelm students pursuing rigor in other areas." This approach doesn't sound like a 21st century solution. Before anybody jumps on me for being entitled in wanting "preferential treatment," consider the fact that the highest-performing middle schools in this country aren't prone to require their most advanced students to take beginning classes in subjects they've long since mastered.

Anonymous wrote:NP who has a couple weeks to decide if we take our BASIS spot for a kid who excels in math and Spanish or stay at Oyster-Adams with a view to going private at some point, trying to lottery into DCI (which sounds impossible for Spanish), or moving to the burbs. We haven't been happy with STEM or humanities challenge in DCPS thus far.

I just read through this thread, and a couple other recent BASIS threads. Reading between the lines, BASIS sounds militant about what students learn and don't learn. The business of demanding that kids who came up through immersion language study take beginning languages sounds a big detour from best ed practices. Why can't middle school kids with the background to study a particular AP subject offered at BASIS do so long before 11th grade, be it calculus (which, apparently, is allowed), or a humanities subject, or a language? Who would be hurt by some flexibility, particularly where like-minded parents are prepared to organize and pay for after-school instruction? I also don't get why there's no PTA at BASIS, if I got that right.

On a call with a BASIS admin to ask these questions this past week, I was told that the obstacles to middle school students who are ready for AP work from pursuing it outside math are threefold. In a nutshell, "scheduling and resource obstacles and a policy not to overwhelm students pursuing rigor in other areas." This approach doesn't sound like a 21st century solution. Before anybody jumps on me for being entitled in wanting "preferential treatment," consider the fact that the highest-performing middle schools in this country aren't prone to require their most advanced students to take beginning classes in subjects they've long since mastered.