BASIS Independent Brooklyn

556 Columbia St

Brooklyn, NY 11231

14 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on October 04, 2023

I am a former student as BASIS. While I have a multitude of warm memories concerning my time there, there are many fundamental issues with what this school adversities versus what it provides. When it comes to its science education, I believe BASIS does an excellent job not only preparing but pushing students in chemistry, physics and biology. However, during my time at BASIS, I was in an accelerated math course advertised as being Pre Calc A and B. I am now in public school taking IB HL math, the equivalent of calculus, and the course I was given was effectively a glorified algebra 2 course. The material fostered no wider understanding on the math content, as it presented it rapidly yet extremely disjointedly. I felt like I could preform the math “steps” but had no idea what I was doing. Similar rules applied for History and English, and the writing standards at the school are incredibly low. No critical thinking was ever asked of us, just “ACE” paragraphs, or practically summarizing information. This does not hold up when it comes to higher level academic writing and is not at all college preparatory. Basically, they tell you you’re doing advanced courses while not fully letting you absorb or digest any material to create understanding. Lastly, the children at BASIS are incredibly unruly, disruptive and often extremely heinous to teachers and staff. Many times, class would effectively be canceled because the teacher simply could not get the students under control. I have never been subjected to or simply overheard more hate speech than I did at BASIS, with students constantly pushing extremely misogynistic, homophobic and racist narratives. During my last year at BASIS, the tensions between male and female students (of which there were SIGNIFICANTLY less of) ran so high that teachers were effectively picking sides or letting the chaos simply fester. The administrators were of little use and were often incredibly disorganized. Overall, there were some lovely teachers who I recall with the utmost respect. But a lot of the courses are more accelerated than they are actually challenging, which is hardly useful for the students.
Submitted by parent on May 09, 2023

The school has continued to stand apart from others with its strong academic focus, and the administration and faculty have spent time building community through assemblies, sports, events, and clubs. The new Head of School for the Upper School has a great team of Deans and Directors to support students and the counselor is a wonderful resource. What really makes BASIS stand out, though, is the focus on continuing to challenge students and helping those students go off to top colleges and universities incredibly well-prepared. The teachers are given the freedom to teach as they please, and we are just happy our two kids have been fortunate to have found their place here.
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2022

Simply put, Basis is a cram school. If the end-result is getting high test scores and lots of AP classes under your child's belt, it may be worthwhile. But the pressure on kids is immense, and the supports insufficient. It's sink-or-swim: students who can't handle the unrelenting pressure drop out. The stellar results of the graduates reflect the fact the culling that happens over 12 grades.High credentials for college applications are the goal. Any learning or critical thinking that occurs en route is purely incidental. Example: my son learned Chinese when he started at the school but then was told in future grades the foreign language would switch to Latin, meaning he would forget all his Chinese. The reason for this appears to be that purpose of learning Chinese for 4 years or so is the supposed stimulation it provides to native English speakers by virtue of how different it is from English. Then they switch to Latin to give them an edge in guessing the meaning of words on college entrance exams. And as for English-- I wondered why my child, a naturally strong reader, never had any home reading assignments. I found out all the reading is done in class, out loud. It was clear that the reason was that the level was too hight for many kids to understand without line-by-line explication in class. I believe this is because the purpose of the reading was to understand the meanings of the words and sentences for test prep. Reading, and if not savoring, then at least digesting the material was not the purpose.Alarmingly, when 1 month into his sojourn at Basis I told the dean my son was anxious and depressed and even developing psychosomatic problems, she told me this was common and Basis and usually resolved in a couple of months. Maybe it does for those who stay. We did not re-register.Read between the lines of some of the positive reviews and you will see that some parents largely get this, but have decided it is what their kids need to get an advantage in the college-race, in preparation for the rat-race.
Submitted by other on April 11, 2021

While BASIS is great for students who may consider themselves gifted or for students who thrive under pressure, average students may find these same characteristics crippling. I consider myself to be an average student, who can get good grades and do well in a traditional educational setting, but at BASIS I was constantly stressed and felt overworked. I felt as though the finish line was constantly being moved, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep up. As for the handful of students who seemed to thrive within the BASIS system, they would often express that they in fact weren't happy, and were just as stressed out, if not more stressed than the rest of us (something to keep in mind when you read parent's review of the school, as they may not have the full story.) My parents and I were also surprised at how often the quality of teaching fell short, especially when one of the selling points of BASIS was the teachers. While there were a few gems of teachers who I still remember fondly, I have since moved to a public school, and the overall quality of teachers is significantly higher.Students: If you are considering going to this school, or any BASIS school I would encourage you to honestly ask yourself what kind of student you are and what you consider to be an ideal learning environment. If you want to be as prepared as possible for higher education and are willing to sacrifice some mental health and a LOT of time, I would say go for it. Otherwise, look elsewhere. Trying to speak to someone who already attends can also reveal some important insider information, so if you can, I would reach out on social media and see what you can learn.Parents: I would be careful if signing up your child to go here. I have seen some of my friends' relationship with their parents crumble because of this school. Make sure you're maintaining an open dialogue with them and about their experiences. The truth is, while BASIS may seem like the key to a good college or education in general, most students have a hard time with the amount of rigor, and I know my mental health paid the price. There are probably other options out there that would work better for them. It's far from a one size fits all format.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2021

My kids love the teachers and their classmates. They do have good teachers (with student hours) and a strong academic curriculum. Yet, the administration is horrible, horrible. They have good teachers, but it does not feel like a school community. Their admin staff is very tit for tat if you dare give them any constructive feedback (which starts at the top) - they fail to see how working with parents is tied to their employment. The Glassdoor reviews tell you everything about how the school is ran.In addition, the school has a lot of work to do on racial sensitivity and outreach. The school hardly has any Black and Brown children. Maybe there is 2-3 per grade (out of 80 children for each grade K-5 )! When asking the Head of School about outreach opportunities - she was completely clueless and instead of offering up ways to work with parents, never followed up. The school did send out a diversity and inclusiveness survey, but has yet to show what feedback and what “real” work they are putting in. Their is constant turnover with the Head of Operations - and it is evident in how the school is being ran. There seems to be no connectivity with building relationships with parents and understanding that is how trust and loyalty to the school is built. It’s a shame because the school could really thrive, but they need new management - administrators who have real operating experience, know how to run a school, know how to manage, have commercial awareness, and also authentic in building relationships. I find it hard to believe in this challenging time - with so many people out of work, you have a management team/admin staff who clearly are taking things for granted. Instead of stepping up, they choose to look for others to blame or better yet, they pretend the issue does not exist. I hate to air out the dirty laundry of BIB (as the school has great potential) - no school is perfect, but the management of the school is just pure chaos. Hopefully, someone will see this review and pay attention and make some substantial changes.
Submitted by parent on January 17, 2020

Great. that's it. Great. lots of work and lots of support.
Submitted by parent on July 11, 2019

The school is not for those with a weak commitment to learning - both at the student and parent level. it is rigorous, but fun, with teachers who believe in, and are experts in, their subjects. There is no "old guard" at the school looking to protect a tony reputation that usually means little when it comes to actually educating children. There is no "wishy washy" administration either -- this is not a place for parental influence on curriculum or workloads. They have a formula and it works -- you don't like it, go elsewhere. We found it completely refreshing and valuable in a world so easily bent on not pushing kids and constantly questioning teachers. Our child learned more in a year than in 3 years in one of the highest ranked public schools in the city and now is 2+ grade levels advanced in Math and Reading. Outstanding program.
Submitted by teacher on October 16, 2017

This school offers accelerated academics. The teachers are inspired, creative, caring, and enthusiastic. Students are encouraged to be independent, self-motivated, deeply engaged thinkers.
Submitted by student on September 24, 2017

The amount of homework is insane 3-4 hours.
Submitted by parent on August 26, 2016

This is my kids' second year at Basis Independent Brooklyn (BIB) and we are extremely happy with the school: it is great at fostering a genuine interest for learning in a very warm, nurturing and fun environment. The teachers are young, full of passion and energy and are engaging the kids in great, creative ways. The high amount of homework is actually balanced by a natural motivation to do it, which is part of the BIB culture. I was wary and a bit afraid before enrolling my 2 children: BIB delivered beyond my wildest expectations!
Submitted by parent on February 15, 2016

Both of my boys (3rd and 5th grades) are thriving. BASIS instills immense academic confidence and accountability. I cannot believe the transformation I have witnessed with my children. It just doesn't compare to NYC public schools and provides more than most other private schools for less $.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2016

My son is in the 3rd grade at Basis, in his first year there, and was previously enrolled in the Gifted & Talented (G&T) program of the NYC public schools. For my son, Basis is light years better, in terms of offering him the level of challenge that he needs to stay engaged with his work. He was bored with the city's G&T curriculum, and often got in trouble because it wasn't teaching to his level. (He's one of those kids who had the whole periodic table of elements memorized in first grade, from looking at books on his own). Now that he's in Basis, he has the challenge that he needs, and he's staying on task. It's true that some programs fit some children better than others. The NYC public schools seem better suited for creative writers, which is about the only thing that ever is appropriately challenging, whereas Basis is better suited for the kids who love math, engineering, and science. They also engage critical thinking skills and give opportunity for writers, but they aren't pressuring my son into any situations of extreme writer's block, which is good, because he's a math kid, not a writer. The writing that he is encouraged to do is answering specific questions that may take some critical problem solving skills, which he can handle. Poetry is a bit more difficult for him, and he's not really doing much of that, which is a relief. On the other hand, they've advanced him up to some 7th grade math work (and he's in the 3rd grade). I think that by 7th grade there, he could be taking calculus, which they do teach to middle school students that are ready.It's great that they have gym every day and several recess periods, and they move about from class to class. The better your blood flows, the better your brain works, and the better you behave. My son's old school often took recess inside the classroom (!!?!) and gym was only once a week (not exercising kids is just asking for trouble).Furthermore, Basis employs a number of "Learning Expert Teachers" who know a lot about "neurodiversity" and childhood behavioral development, using "social thinking" strategies. If you have a bright kid who might be a little Asperger's-like or perhaps have some social delays, they have a wonderful support system with positive methods. My son has so much fun there, learning so much; I'm a little jealous that I'm not a kid going to school there.
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2015

Our daughter is thriving in the lower school at Basis. She looks forward to school, likes all the teachers and classes, has made lots of friends, and loves to ride the school bus. Classes move at a fast pace and academic expectations are high. She spends on average two hours a day (including weekends) on homework and studying for quizzes. We miss the field trips and the school library at the previous school. Overall we are happy with our daughter's education at Basis.
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2014

While not yet open, we have a great feeling about BASIS and are looking forward to starting our 4th grader at the school. They seem to have a solid track record and dealing with them has been a breath of fresh air. We have been seeking more accelerated and supportive learning for our child and thing we have finally found the environment. Will update once school starts!