Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Basis has rowdy classrooms?

In the middle school, absolutely. BASIS hires too many teachers right out of grad school with little in the way of classroom management skills. These teachers often use BASIS as training to well-paid suburban jobs.

Too many of the kids aren't right for the curriculum and the cramped building--there's no outdoor space or gym--makes some of the younger kids stir crazy, particularly boys.

This sounds bad... I knew there was extremely high turnover, but didn't realize there was a lot of behavior issues.

My 5th grader has never mentioned any behavior problems.

The behavior issues and inability for teachers to discipline at all are the reason my kid left. I escalated to "leadership" and they were useless. And no she didn't "wash out" she had straight A's, distinguished honor roll and is killing it in HS now.

A few years ago, theft was pretty common.

A friend's daughter had her airtagged bookbag (and laptop) stolen. Went home with her classmate to PG county. Of course the police refused to follow the airtag, but the school also refused to take action.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Basis has rowdy classrooms?

In the middle school, absolutely. BASIS hires too many teachers right out of grad school with little in the way of classroom management skills. These teachers often use BASIS as training to well-paid suburban jobs.

Too many of the kids aren't right for the curriculum and the cramped building--there's no outdoor space or gym--makes some of the younger kids stir crazy, particularly boys.

This sounds bad... I knew there was extremely high turnover, but didn't realize there was a lot of behavior issues.

My 5th grader has never mentioned any behavior problems.

The behavior issues and inability for teachers to discipline at all are the reason my kid left. I escalated to "leadership" and they were useless. And no she didn't "wash out" she had straight A's, distinguished honor roll and is killing it in HS now.

I'm sorry to hear that! I haven't heard anything about that this year, from my kid or from other parents or on the WhatsApps (where people complain very easily!) Maybe it's gotten better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Basis has rowdy classrooms?

In the middle school, absolutely. BASIS hires too many teachers right out of grad school with little in the way of classroom management skills. These teachers often use BASIS as training to well-paid suburban jobs.

Too many of the kids aren't right for the curriculum and the cramped building--there's no outdoor space or gym--makes some of the younger kids stir crazy, particularly boys.

This sounds bad... I knew there was extremely high turnover, but didn't realize there was a lot of behavior issues.

My 5th grader has never mentioned any behavior problems.

The behavior issues and inability for teachers to discipline at all are the reason my kid left. I escalated to "leadership" and they were useless. And no she didn't "wash out" she had straight A's, distinguished honor roll and is killing it in HS now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Basis has rowdy classrooms?

In the middle school, absolutely. BASIS hires too many teachers right out of grad school with little in the way of classroom management skills. These teachers often use BASIS as training to well-paid suburban jobs.

Too many of the kids aren't right for the curriculum and the cramped building--there's no outdoor space or gym--makes some of the younger kids stir crazy, particularly boys.

This sounds bad... I knew there was extremely high turnover, but didn't realize there was a lot of behavior issues.

My 5th grader has never mentioned any behavior problems.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Wrong. Some leave for other schools or just move away (BASIS doesn't backfill) but most leave because kids wash out.

-Longtime BASIS parent

And your evidence for a preponderance of kids who leave "washing out" is? Data? Please tell us where these undesirables ended up so we can verify.

-BASIS parent of 6 years whose children ultimately left because they were:
*burned out on studying what amounted to the same science content year after year
*fed up with language classes that were far too easy for them
*tired of their favorite high school teachers quitting to chase better-paid jobs
*weary of running around town in search of serious extra-curriculars, tired of not being able to do after-school activities with classmates
*fed up with the hyper competitive environment, even though they could, and did, compete in most areas
*eager to part ways with a building offering little in the way of natural light

how many principals did BASIS have while you were there?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Basis has rowdy classrooms?

In the middle school, absolutely. BASIS hires too many teachers right out of grad school with little in the way of classroom management skills. These teachers often use BASIS as training to well-paid suburban jobs.

Too many of the kids aren't right for the curriculum and the cramped building--there's no outdoor space or gym--makes some of the younger kids stir crazy, particularly boys.

This sounds bad... I knew there was extremely high turnover, but didn't realize there was a lot of behavior issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Wrong. Some leave for other schools or just move away (BASIS doesn't backfill) but most leave because kids wash out.

-Longtime BASIS parent

And your evidence for a preponderance of kids who leave "washing out" is? Data? Please tell us where these undesirables ended up so we can verify.

-BASIS parent of 6 years whose children ultimately left because they were:
*burned out on studying what amounted to the same science content year after year
*fed up with language classes that were far too easy for them
*tired of their favorite high school teachers quitting to chase better-paid jobs
*weary of running around town in search of serious extra-curriculars, tired of not being able to do after-school activities with classmates
*fed up with the hyper competitive environment, even though they could, and did, compete in most areas
*eager to part ways with a building offering little in the way of natural light

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1000. It’s a myth that most of the families who leave BASIS do it because the kids can’t handle the academics. Many leave for better schools overall, particularly Walls. We burned out on surprisingly uneven teaching and rowdy classrooms.

Basis has rowdy classrooms?

In the middle school, absolutely. BASIS hires too many teachers right out of grad school with little in the way of classroom management skills. These teachers often use BASIS as training to well-paid suburban jobs.

Too many of the kids aren't right for the curriculum and the cramped building--there's no outdoor space or gym--makes some of the younger kids stir crazy, particularly boys.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC only has 47 in the graduating class but here is a selection of colleges to which kids were admitted (some were admitted to more than one of these).

Per capita, no other public school in DC comes close to these results.

Bryn Mawr
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Edinburgh
Elon
Emory
Georgetown
GW
Harvard
NYU
Northeastern
Northwestern
Oxford
Pomona
Smith
St. Andrews
Tufts
UC Berkeley
UPenn
U Mich
UT-Austin
UVA
Wesleyan
Wisconsin-Madison
Yale

If you kicked out all of the kids who aren’t in AP classes at the other high schools they’d have similar numbers.

BASIS does a good job on those 47, but the real advantage is shaking off the ones who aren’t top tier students.

It’s such a simple sleight of hand trick, it’s amazing that a school so famous for its math slips it by so many people.

You keep saying that. But here are a few questions for you:

Can you acknowledge that the curriculum at BASIS differs from DCPS? (Requires you to just take a cursory look at the required classes to know this is true, but if you saw the syllabus, as parents do, you would know it's dramatically different and BASIS teaches much more content).

Do you acknowledge that it's possible that the kids who survive BASIS might be learning more than they would have through DCPS?

Can you acknowledge that many of the kids who make it through 8th and then decide to leave for Walls or Private (about half the kids who start) were actually pretty well served by the middle school curriculum?

And now these 50 kids who make it all the way through to graduate -- yes, I agree that these 50 probably would have been successful anywhere. But maybe, just maybe, they actually like the curriculum at BASIS. Maybe they had opportunities there they wouldnt have had at a different school.

Can you acknowledge that a lot of kids leave basis feeling hurt and disillusioned and discouraged from learning?

It’s an intriguing idea and clearly works for some kids, but when dcps has so many problems, pouring money into a system that works for so few - and is frankly designed to work for so few - is disturbing. It seems like a great idea for a private school, where a specific model can be implemented and if you don’t fit the curriculum and the culture, you’re free to leave - not a public school system which is supposed to serve everyone.

I’ve got no problem with a curriculum with heavy emphasis on math and science and testing, and it’s nice to see those who suceed, but the cost, both financially and in terms of those who don’t succeed seems awfully high.

Then don't send your kids.

NP, we looked at Basis last year and decided no, did not list them in lottery.
Our child tests in 98-99% in math.

DS is heading to DCI in the fall. They offer tracking and advance math for Calculus in 10th in addition to advance languages great facilities, and tons is sport and extracurriculars. And actual science labs.

So if you have a math kid, there are other, more balanced options.

75% of DCI kids are BELOW grade level in math.

Buena suerte.

Sure because DCI has a diverse group of kids and abilities and offers lots of electives and flexibility in the curriculum.

Plus the highest performing math kids won’t be with the below grade level. They have enough critical mass of kids to offer multiple levels of math. That’s how the majority of middle and high schools work in this country.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC only has 47 in the graduating class but here is a selection of colleges to which kids were admitted (some were admitted to more than one of these).

Per capita, no other public school in DC comes close to these results.

Bryn Mawr
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Edinburgh
Elon
Emory
Georgetown
GW
Harvard
NYU
Northeastern
Northwestern
Oxford
Pomona
Smith
St. Andrews
Tufts
UC Berkeley
UPenn
U Mich
UT-Austin
UVA
Wesleyan
Wisconsin-Madison
Yale

If you kicked out all of the kids who aren’t in AP classes at the other high schools they’d have similar numbers.

BASIS does a good job on those 47, but the real advantage is shaking off the ones who aren’t top tier students.

It’s such a simple sleight of hand trick, it’s amazing that a school so famous for its math slips it by so many people.

You keep saying that. But here are a few questions for you:

Can you acknowledge that the curriculum at BASIS differs from DCPS? (Requires you to just take a cursory look at the required classes to know this is true, but if you saw the syllabus, as parents do, you would know it's dramatically different and BASIS teaches much more content).

Do you acknowledge that it's possible that the kids who survive BASIS might be learning more than they would have through DCPS?

Can you acknowledge that many of the kids who make it through 8th and then decide to leave for Walls or Private (about half the kids who start) were actually pretty well served by the middle school curriculum?

And now these 50 kids who make it all the way through to graduate -- yes, I agree that these 50 probably would have been successful anywhere. But maybe, just maybe, they actually like the curriculum at BASIS. Maybe they had opportunities there they wouldnt have had at a different school.

Can you acknowledge that a lot of kids leave basis feeling hurt and disillusioned and discouraged from learning?

It’s an intriguing idea and clearly works for some kids, but when dcps has so many problems, pouring money into a system that works for so few - and is frankly designed to work for so few - is disturbing. It seems like a great idea for a private school, where a specific model can be implemented and if you don’t fit the curriculum and the culture, you’re free to leave - not a public school system which is supposed to serve everyone.

I’ve got no problem with a curriculum with heavy emphasis on math and science and testing, and it’s nice to see those who suceed, but the cost, both financially and in terms of those who don’t succeed seems awfully high.

Then don't send your kids.

NP, we looked at Basis last year and decided no, did not list them in lottery.
Our child tests in 98-99% in math.

DS is heading to DCI in the fall. They offer tracking and advance math for Calculus in 10th in addition to advance languages great facilities, and tons is sport and extracurriculars. And actual science labs.

So if you have a math kid, there are other, more balanced options.

75% of DCI kids are BELOW grade level in math.

Buena suerte.

yeah, but if you want to compare apples to apples with BASIS, cut out those 75 percent, and judge the school by the remaining 25 percent who are at or above grade level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC only has 47 in the graduating class but here is a selection of colleges to which kids were admitted (some were admitted to more than one of these).

Per capita, no other public school in DC comes close to these results.

Bryn Mawr
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Edinburgh
Elon
Emory
Georgetown
GW
Harvard
NYU
Northeastern
Northwestern
Oxford
Pomona
Smith
St. Andrews
Tufts
UC Berkeley
UPenn
U Mich
UT-Austin
UVA
Wesleyan
Wisconsin-Madison
Yale

If you kicked out all of the kids who aren’t in AP classes at the other high schools they’d have similar numbers.

BASIS does a good job on those 47, but the real advantage is shaking off the ones who aren’t top tier students.

It’s such a simple sleight of hand trick, it’s amazing that a school so famous for its math slips it by so many people.

You keep saying that. But here are a few questions for you:

Can you acknowledge that the curriculum at BASIS differs from DCPS? (Requires you to just take a cursory look at the required classes to know this is true, but if you saw the syllabus, as parents do, you would know it's dramatically different and BASIS teaches much more content).

Do you acknowledge that it's possible that the kids who survive BASIS might be learning more than they would have through DCPS?

Can you acknowledge that many of the kids who make it through 8th and then decide to leave for Walls or Private (about half the kids who start) were actually pretty well served by the middle school curriculum?

And now these 50 kids who make it all the way through to graduate -- yes, I agree that these 50 probably would have been successful anywhere. But maybe, just maybe, they actually like the curriculum at BASIS. Maybe they had opportunities there they wouldnt have had at a different school.

Can you acknowledge that a lot of kids leave basis feeling hurt and disillusioned and discouraged from learning?

It’s an intriguing idea and clearly works for some kids, but when dcps has so many problems, pouring money into a system that works for so few - and is frankly designed to work for so few - is disturbing. It seems like a great idea for a private school, where a specific model can be implemented and if you don’t fit the curriculum and the culture, you’re free to leave - not a public school system which is supposed to serve everyone.

I’ve got no problem with a curriculum with heavy emphasis on math and science and testing, and it’s nice to see those who suceed, but the cost, both financially and in terms of those who don’t succeed seems awfully high.

Then don't send your kids.

NP, we looked at Basis last year and decided no, did not list them in lottery.
Our child tests in 98-99% in math.

DS is heading to DCI in the fall. They offer tracking and advance math for Calculus in 10th in addition to advance languages great facilities, and tons is sport and extracurriculars. And actual science labs.

So if you have a math kid, there are other, more balanced options.

75% of DCI kids are BELOW grade level in math.

Buena suerte.

Anonymous wrote:It costs x dollars per kid to educate them in DC. Basis gets that x dollars per kid. So why are some folks on this thread up in arms about their tax dollars going to basis? If not basis - money (same rate) will go to some other dcps or charter school. The fact that some kids wash out of basis because it is too hard/challenging is irrelevant. X dollars times number of kids remains the same.

so, one the one hand we rage about how DCPS spends that X per student and fails to educate a large percentage of them, and then we turn around and say, "yeah but basis spends x per student and fails to educate a large percentage of them, and that's fine!"

Eliminate the bottom 60 percent at any DCPS and you'll see most have actually quite impressive scores and college acceptances. There are even some other schools which would exceed BASIS' numbers if they could cut the bottom 60 percent out of the results.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC only has 47 in the graduating class but here is a selection of colleges to which kids were admitted (some were admitted to more than one of these).

Per capita, no other public school in DC comes close to these results.

Bryn Mawr
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Edinburgh
Elon
Emory
Georgetown
GW
Harvard
NYU
Northeastern
Northwestern
Oxford
Pomona
Smith
St. Andrews
Tufts
UC Berkeley
UPenn
U Mich
UT-Austin
UVA
Wesleyan
Wisconsin-Madison
Yale

If you kicked out all of the kids who aren’t in AP classes at the other high schools they’d have similar numbers.

BASIS does a good job on those 47, but the real advantage is shaking off the ones who aren’t top tier students.

It’s such a simple sleight of hand trick, it’s amazing that a school so famous for its math slips it by so many people.

You keep saying that. But here are a few questions for you:

Can you acknowledge that the curriculum at BASIS differs from DCPS? (Requires you to just take a cursory look at the required classes to know this is true, but if you saw the syllabus, as parents do, you would know it's dramatically different and BASIS teaches much more content).

Do you acknowledge that it's possible that the kids who survive BASIS might be learning more than they would have through DCPS?

Can you acknowledge that many of the kids who make it through 8th and then decide to leave for Walls or Private (about half the kids who start) were actually pretty well served by the middle school curriculum?

And now these 50 kids who make it all the way through to graduate -- yes, I agree that these 50 probably would have been successful anywhere. But maybe, just maybe, they actually like the curriculum at BASIS. Maybe they had opportunities there they wouldnt have had at a different school.

Can you acknowledge that a lot of kids leave basis feeling hurt and disillusioned and discouraged from learning?

It’s an intriguing idea and clearly works for some kids, but when dcps has so many problems, pouring money into a system that works for so few - and is frankly designed to work for so few - is disturbing. It seems like a great idea for a private school, where a specific model can be implemented and if you don’t fit the curriculum and the culture, you’re free to leave - not a public school system which is supposed to serve everyone.

I’ve got no problem with a curriculum with heavy emphasis on math and science and testing, and it’s nice to see those who suceed, but the cost, both financially and in terms of those who don’t succeed seems awfully high.

Then don't send your kids.

i won't. Now explain to me why I should pay for it, when it doesn't seem to have a lot of value.

Why not just kill BASIS and double the size of Walls, or create a second school with the same curriculum and policies as Walls?

You could double Walls w/o regard to Basis. Or you simply allow Basis to be test in at all grades w/ backfilling mandated. Problem solved.

well, there's not an unlimited pot of money, so presumably someone is going to ask where the money for double walls comes from... basis' budget seems a good source.

BASIS allowing test-in would solve most of my problems, but here's the catch -- the BASIS model wouldn't work and the investors wouldn't go for it.

Do the math -- there's 700 students at basis, and basis can charge DCPS x amount to educate each.

Older kids cost more to educate than younger kids, especially if you're doing elaborate AP courses. At the moment, BASIS has 446 kids in the middle school--so the bulk of the student body skews towards the cheaper to educate end. The most expensive to educate (grades 11 & 12) have just 49 and 63. If you kept the same enrollment, just distributed it evenly across all grades (had fewer middle schoolers and backfilled the high school) you'd end up with a much more expensive student body to educate. If you expanded the school to make all grades the same size as the incoming 5th grade class, you'd have a very large, very expensive to educate student body.

Instead, as it is, BASIS can charge DCPS for 700 students, have large grade sizes in younger grades where it's more profitable, have small grade sizes where it's expensive, and get rid of the kids who struggle and keep the kids who would probably be very successful no matter the school they went to, and using the good scores and college acceptances of those few who make it through, keep enrollment at the lower level strong.

And this isn't a secret, this is how the BASIS model works around the country.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC only has 47 in the graduating class but here is a selection of colleges to which kids were admitted (some were admitted to more than one of these).

Per capita, no other public school in DC comes close to these results.

Bryn Mawr
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Edinburgh
Elon
Emory
Georgetown
GW
Harvard
NYU
Northeastern
Northwestern
Oxford
Pomona
Smith
St. Andrews
Tufts
UC Berkeley
UPenn
U Mich
UT-Austin
UVA
Wesleyan
Wisconsin-Madison
Yale

If you kicked out all of the kids who aren’t in AP classes at the other high schools they’d have similar numbers.

BASIS does a good job on those 47, but the real advantage is shaking off the ones who aren’t top tier students.

It’s such a simple sleight of hand trick, it’s amazing that a school so famous for its math slips it by so many people.

You keep saying that. But here are a few questions for you:

Can you acknowledge that the curriculum at BASIS differs from DCPS? (Requires you to just take a cursory look at the required classes to know this is true, but if you saw the syllabus, as parents do, you would know it's dramatically different and BASIS teaches much more content).

Do you acknowledge that it's possible that the kids who survive BASIS might be learning more than they would have through DCPS?

Can you acknowledge that many of the kids who make it through 8th and then decide to leave for Walls or Private (about half the kids who start) were actually pretty well served by the middle school curriculum?

And now these 50 kids who make it all the way through to graduate -- yes, I agree that these 50 probably would have been successful anywhere. But maybe, just maybe, they actually like the curriculum at BASIS. Maybe they had opportunities there they wouldnt have had at a different school.

Can you acknowledge that a lot of kids leave basis feeling hurt and disillusioned and discouraged from learning?

It’s an intriguing idea and clearly works for some kids, but when dcps has so many problems, pouring money into a system that works for so few - and is frankly designed to work for so few - is disturbing. It seems like a great idea for a private school, where a specific model can be implemented and if you don’t fit the curriculum and the culture, you’re free to leave - not a public school system which is supposed to serve everyone.

I’ve got no problem with a curriculum with heavy emphasis on math and science and testing, and it’s nice to see those who suceed, but the cost, both financially and in terms of those who don’t succeed seems awfully high.

Then don't send your kids.

NP, we looked at Basis last year and decided no, did not list them in lottery.
Our child tests in 98-99% in math.

DS is heading to DCI in the fall. They offer tracking and advance math for Calculus in 10th in addition to advance languages great facilities, and tons is sport and extracurriculars. And actual science labs.

So if you have a math kid, there are other, more balanced options.

It costs x dollars per kid to educate them in DC. Basis gets that x dollars per kid. So why are some folks on this thread up in arms about their tax dollars going to basis? If not basis - money (same rate) will go to some other dcps or charter school. The fact that some kids wash out of basis because it is too hard/challenging is irrelevant. X dollars times number of kids remains the same.