Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

My middle school kid has been bored in most her classes at BASIS, and annoyed by the presence of rowdy, unmotivated and dim-witted classmates. A magnet test-in program BASIS is not.

Signed
Boston Latin Graduate who was expecting Boston Latin type wonder, esprit de corps and challenge.

Another jerk parent. Does it amuse you to talk about "dim-witted children?" Are you always awful, or just online?

Anonymous wrote:50+ students are running cross country for BASIS this year.

At the first meet with 6 charters in attendance BASIS placed first in all 4 divisions - MS girls and boys, HS girls and boys.

Exactly. See, BASIS has a great sport like cross country if your child really needs an athletic endeavor to add to all the homework.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a population of about 700,000. FFX pop is 1.1 million, and TJHSST gets students from Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William as well. DC cannot support a TJHSST.

Realistically, the picture for a DC magnet is much worse than even the raw population totals suggest. The pertinent number for a high-standards magnet is the size of the Asian population. DC has about 25,000, Fairfax has about 200,000. Tack on another 100,000 or so for Loudoun, PWC, and Arlington. DC is light years away from being able to match that. DC magnet is just for people who want the veneer prestige without having to compete with the suburban talent.

Actually it's for people who can't bear or are otherwise too good to live in the suburbs.

Anonymous wrote:OP, contrary to others, I think this is a great idea. Just Fantastic. I think it should be carefully, comprehensively studied and vetted, and implemented in the next decade or so. May I suggest that you shoot for the 2025-26 school year?

- 5th grade parent in Bethesda, who owns a home less than half a mile over the DC border, and would be happy to make the enormous profit this portends by selling to a panicked AU Park parent with kids in elementary or middle school, just as soon as my daughter finishes high school.

Ha. I like you.

50+ students are running cross country for BASIS this year.

At the first meet with 6 charters in attendance BASIS placed first in all 4 divisions - MS girls and boys, HS girls and boys.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

My middle school kid has been bored in most her classes at BASIS, and annoyed by the presence of rowdy, unmotivated and dim-witted classmates. A magnet test-in program BASIS is not.

Signed
Boston Latin Graduate who was expecting Boston Latin type wonder, esprit de corps and challenge.

Well then, you got yourself a genius. Get permission to take the SAT right now and go off to college!!

For everyone else with a smart kid, BASIS sounds just fine. Athletics are not the point at a magnet school -- just look at Thomas Jefferson. Make 'em all run cross country, if they want to be in shape, box checked.

OP, contrary to others, I think this is a great idea. Just Fantastic. I think it should be carefully, comprehensively studied and vetted, and implemented in the next decade or so. May I suggest that you shoot for the 2025-26 school year?

- 5th grade parent in Bethesda, who owns a home less than half a mile over the DC border, and would be happy to make the enormous profit this portends by selling to a panicked AU Park parent with kids in elementary or middle school, just as soon as my daughter finishes high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

My middle school kid has been bored in most her classes at BASIS, and annoyed by the presence of rowdy, unmotivated and dim-witted classmates. A magnet test-in program BASIS is not.

Signed
Boston Latin Graduate who was expecting Boston Latin type wonder, esprit de corps and challenge.

Please move back to Boston.

Anonymous wrote:If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

My middle school kid has been bored in most her classes at BASIS, and annoyed by the presence of rowdy, unmotivated and dim-witted classmates. A magnet test-in program BASIS is not.

Signed
Boston Latin Graduate who was expecting Boston Latin type wonder, esprit de corps and challenge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

And because of the end-of-year comprehensive exams, most of the kids who wouldn't get into a magnet have left by 7th or 8th grade.

Right, the public MS/HS school without grass, a decent stage or gym, or even a library. The joyless school with the dark grey walls and few serious extra-curriculars. The school that assigns 11-14 year olds several hours of homework each night, virtually ensuring that they will burn out, or stress out, eventually.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a population of about 700,000. FFX pop is 1.1 million, and TJHSST gets students from Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William as well. DC cannot support a TJHSST.

Realistically, the picture for a DC magnet is much worse than even the raw population totals suggest. The pertinent number for a high-standards magnet is the size of the Asian population. DC has about 25,000, Fairfax has about 200,000. Tack on another 100,000 or so for Loudoun, PWC, and Arlington. DC is light years away from being able to match that. DC magnet is just for people who want the veneer prestige without having to compete with the suburban talent.

The logic you're following on population size doesn't hold up. You just don't need a giant population to support a great public high school, or a school-within-a-school program. What you need to do is attract, vet and retain a critical mass of exceptionally strong and highly motivated students, halfway decent facilities and great teachers. You also need to foster a happy atmosphere.

Take St. Anselm's, the grade 6-12 Benedictine Abbey school in Eckington. They top Jay Matthews' list of best DC high schools although they only graduate four dozen students each year.

We have the students in DC, in abundance, but not the serious test-in magnet programs due to obnoxious racial politics.

Anonymous wrote:If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

And because of the end-of-year comprehensive exams, most of the kids who wouldn't get into a magnet have left by 7th or 8th grade.

If what you really want is a magnet middle school, just send your kids to BASIS. Their math is so hard, only an academically competent, hard worker student, can stay in. New parents to the school say they can hardly help with the 5th grade homework it's so rigorous.

AND there doesn't seem to be a problem with available seats at BASIS, if you want them! So, "magnet" parents, send your kids to BASIS, and be happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has a population of about 700,000. FFX pop is 1.1 million, and TJHSST gets students from Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William as well. DC cannot support a TJHSST.

Realistically, the picture for a DC magnet is much worse than even the raw population totals suggest. The pertinent number for a high-standards magnet is the size of the Asian population. DC has about 25,000, Fairfax has about 200,000. Tack on another 100,000 or so for Loudoun, PWC, and Arlington. DC is light years away from being able to match that. DC magnet is just for people who want the veneer prestige without having to compete with the suburban talent.

God I hope you're trolling.

Anonymous wrote:DC has a population of about 700,000. FFX pop is 1.1 million, and TJHSST gets students from Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William as well. DC cannot support a TJHSST.

Realistically, the picture for a DC magnet is much worse than even the raw population totals suggest. The pertinent number for a high-standards magnet is the size of the Asian population. DC has about 25,000, Fairfax has about 200,000. Tack on another 100,000 or so for Loudoun, PWC, and Arlington. DC is light years away from being able to match that. DC magnet is just for people who want the veneer prestige without having to compete with the suburban talent.