The DC Education Blog

DCPS doesn't win "Race to the Top"

2010-03-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

DCPS came in 16th of the 16 finalists competing for the federal Race to the Top grants.

Bobb to run for Mayor of DC?

2010-03-28T17:13:00.000-04:00

Speaking of Robert Bobb, there is a rumor floating around Detroit that he will be giving up his job as Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager to against Fenty in the upcoming Mayoral election. DPS spokesman Steve Wasko has denied the rumor. "The bottom line is absolutely nothing has changed. He plans to be here at least through the end of his contract," March 1, 2011."

Detroit continues to look to DC for school help

2010-03-28T17:09:00.000-04:00

Detroit's public school system may be one of the few systems that is in worse shape than the Districts, which may explain why it continues to look at the District for guidance. First, DC alum Robert Bobb has become the de-facto head of Detroits beleaguered public schools. Now, the Detroit News editorial staff is urging the Motor City to emulate DCPS in how it deals with teachers and focuses on student achievement.

She has fired low-performing teachers in chronically failing high schools. And she has implemented a new teacher evaluation tool, 50 percent of which is based on teachers' impact on student learning.

The result: Not long ago Washington, D.C., public schools were considered the worst of the worst of America's troubled schools, much as Detroit Public Schools are today.

Now, for the first time in more than a decade, the city's student test scores on the rigorous National Assessment of Educational Progress are improving significantly. The jump is attributed to Rhee, who has a laser-like focus on improving teacher quality.

"Other districts from around the country are coming to us now to look at this teacher evaluation tool," Rhee said in a phone interview with the Detroit News Editorial Board. "It is huge."

WTU contract ready?

2010-03-28T00:32:00.000-04:00

Apparently that's what WTU president George Parker has been telling union members.

Washington Teachers' Union president George Parker e-mailed and robo-called members late Wednesday night to say that he hoped details of the long-awaited labor pact with DCPS would be available as early as their return from spring break on April 6. (Break begins Friday).

There have been numerous "peace is at hand" declarations throughout the tortured two-year-plus course of talks between WTU and D.C. Public Schools, but this looks like the real deal. Both sides have been discussing the details of a roll out strategy, and Parker said in the e-mail that informational sessions will be set up for teachers to ask questions about the accord, which is expected to give Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee more latitude to replace ineffective teachers and set up a limited pay-for-performance system.

Transfer follow-up

2010-03-28T00:27:00.000-04:00

GFBrandenburg's Blog has
more on Bill Turque's recent article about transfers from charter schools to DCPS.

DCPS getting some PR help?

2010-03-24T06:37:00.001-04:00

It looks like Chancellor Rhee is looking to bolster DCPS's public image by hiring a PR firm, and its being paid for by private funds.

The private funds that DCPS officials said would be used to hire former Obama White House communications director Anita Dunn will come from philanthropist Katherine Bradley, Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee told the D.C. Council Monday. Bradley is donating $100,000 through the D.C. Public Education Fund, the non-profit set up by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to handle private contributions to school reform.

The Post reported Friday that Rhee had reached out to Dunn, one of the Washington's most accomplished Democratic media consultants, to help tell the school reform story more effectively. Rhee said that she and Dunn first spoke about a year ago, and that after she left her White House post in November, she and her firm, Squier Knapp Dunn, began advising DCPS on a pro bono basis.

Want to work for DCPS?

2010-03-24T01:50:00.001-04:00

They're looking for someone to manage their Head Start Education Services.

Our public school students need your expertise, passion and leadership.

We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals, teachers, and central office employees.

DCPS serves 45,000 students in the nation's capital through the efforts of approximately 4,000 educators in 123 schools. As part of a comprehensive reform effort to become the preeminent urban school system in America, DCPS intends to have the highest-performing, best paid, most satisfied, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central office staff whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and significant achievement gains for DCPS students.

Position Overview
The Office of Early Childhood Education is working to support the provision of high-quality early education services that prepare children for kindergarten entry and later school success. Approximately 4,500 children, ages 3 to 5, attend Head Start and pre-kindergarten classrooms in 85 DCPS elementary schools.

The Manager reports to the Deputy Director, Head Start Program Operations.

Responsibilities
Provide demonstration teaching and classroom coaching in early childhood best practices. This includes observing teacher practices and facilitating individual teacher conferences to provide feedback.
Support teachers in using standards, curricular resources, and child assessment data for instructional planning.
Participate in the design and facilitation of professional development for early childhood instructional staff.
Identify, plan, and implement ongoing professional development for mentor teachers.
Assist in the supervision of Head Start mentor teachers, including performance evaluations and development of improvement plans as needed.
Assist in the on-going evaluation of data on the efficacy of training and mentoring on teacher practices.
Collaborate in the preparation of reports and monitoring activities as required by the Deputy Director, Head Start Program Operations.
Supports and carries out the Chancellor's mission to transform DC Public Schools and close the achievement gap.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
BA/BS in Early Childhood Education or relevant field, masters preferred.
A minimum of 5 years of experience in the development, administration, and monitoring of curriculum and instructional programs with specific experience in providing professional development for teachers and assistants.
Certified as Pre-K CLASS coder, strongly preferred;
Ability to prioritize tasks and be flexible to changes deemed necessary by Director;
Ability to analyze complex problems and able to resolve the problems in a reasonable timeframe based upon state and federal policies and regulations.
Additional Desired Characteristics
Commitment to Equity: Passionate about closing the achievement gap and ensuring that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, receives an excellent education.
Leadership: Coaches, mentors, and challenges others to excel despite obstacles and challenging situations.
Focus on Data-Driven Results: Relentlessly pursues the improvement of central office performance and school leadership, instruction, and operations, and is driven by a desire to produce quantifiable student achievement gains.
Innovative Problem-Solving: Approaches work with a sense of possibility and sees challenges as opportunities for creative problem solving; takes initiative to explore issues and find potential innovative solutions.
Adaptability: Excels in constantly changing environments and adapts flexibly in shifting projects or priorities to meet the needs of a dynamic transformation effort; comfortable with ambiguity and non-routine situations.
Teamwork: Increases the effectiveness of surrounding teams through collaboration, constant learning and supporting others; sensitive to diversity in all its forms; respects and is committed to learning from others
Dependability: Does whatever it takes to consistently deliver with high quality under tight deadlines; successfully manages own projects through strong organization, detailed workplans, and balancing of multiple priorities.
Communication and Customer Service Skills: Communicates clearly and compellingly with diverse stakeholders in both oral and written forms; anticipates and responds to customer needs in a high-quality and courteous manner.
~cb~ TWP

Educational Requirements
Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.

How To Apply
Please email a current resume and cover letter citing vacancy announcement 09-CAO-218 to DCPSEmployment@dc.gov. For additional vacancies, visit the DCPS homepage at www.dcps.dc.gov.

Notice of Non-Discrimination. In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, as amended, District of Columbia Official Code Section 2-1401.01 et seq. (Act), the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, source of income, status as a victim of an interfamily offense, or place of residence or business. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination, which is prohibited by the Act. In addition, harassment based on any of the above-protected categories is prohibited. Discrimination in violation of the aforementioned laws will not be tolerated. Violators will be subject to disciplinary action. The following office has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Equal Employment Opportunity Unit, District of Columbia Public Schools, 825 N. Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, (202) 442-5424.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only candidates who are invited to interview will be contacted. We are not able to provide feedback on the status of individual applications. We do not accept applications by fax. No phone calls please.

Position Information

Opening Date: October 21, 2009
Closing Date: December 30, 2009
Vacancy Announcement Number: 09-CAO-218
Salary: $76,152 - $78,596
Location: Washington, DC

Contact Information

Contact Email: DCPSEmployment@dc.gov

Rhee testifies to DC Council

2010-03-23T23:39:00.000-04:00

Chancellor Rhee made her annual appearance in front of the DC Council Committee of the Whole to discuss all things DCPS. The City Paper has the details.

Barry claims Rhee discriminates against Ward 8

2010-03-23T23:14:00.006-04:00

Councilmember Marion Barry is unhappy with the pace of capital improvements to schools in his Ward 8 district and wouldn't you know it, he didn't throw in some good old fashioned (albeit thinly veiled) race baiting to go along with it.

"She is discriminating against the residents of Ward 8."

That's the accusation leveled against D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee by Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry, who gathered a handful of his constituents to express outrage over Rhee's announcement that two southeast Washington elementary schools will remain closed through next year.

The schools in question are Turner Elementary and Moten Elementary, which Rhee shuttered in 2008. Students were placed in other nearby schools, with Rhee promising to rebuild and improve the schools in 2010, according to a press release from Barry's office.

But yesterday ahead of her hearing with the D.C. Council about her highly-criticized school reform efforts, Rhee said budget constraints and the bad economy would make it impossible for the school system to come through on those promises this year. She instead postponed the rebuilding projects for another two years.

Community activist Elaine Carter ignores any subtlety and dives right in:

"This isn't urban renewal, it's negro removal.... They want us blacks out of the city."

Throw on some legwarmers and a pair of parachute pants... its like we're back in the 80s.

DCPS students will get White House easter egg invites

2010-03-23T22:30:00.003-04:00

Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan will hand out tickets to this year's White House Easter Egg Roll to select students of J.O. Wilson Elementary School during a visit.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan plans to hand out tickets to students at J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Northeast Washington during a visit to observe how the school has improved its academic rigor and helped students live healthier lives.

"I don't know if there will be enough tickets for everyone," said Principal Cheryl B. Warley, stressing that the ticket giveaway is just a small part of the important visit.

Duncan will be accompanied by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, State Superintendent of Education Kerri Briggs and D.C. Charter School Board Executive Director Josephine Baker. The mayor's office is staying mum on details about the tickets until after a news conference this afternoon.

Wilson get a Lacrosse team

2010-03-22T06:30:00.002-04:00

Wilson Senior High becomes the only DCPS school to offer Lacrosse as a varsity sport.

Out of Bounds applications rise by 50%

2010-03-22T06:28:00.002-04:00

From DCPS:

For the first time in recent history, every eligible District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) attracted applicants for the annual K-12 Out-of-Boundary, Pre-School (PS) and Pre-Kindergarten (PK) lotteries. The overall number of unique applicants increased by 50 percent from 2009, with a record high of 5,219 families expressing interest in DCPS programs located in all eight Wards. The lottery ran from January 28 to February 28.

Capital Gains update

2010-03-22T06:26:00.000-04:00

The folks over at GFBRANDENBURG'S BLOG have been crunching some statistics around the DCPS Capital Gains program and the analysis doesn't point to success.

The group that was NOT bribed had a small (about one-half of a percent) rise in reading proficiency.

The group that WAS bribed (up to $100 every two weeks per student if they did everything right) had a decrease of nearly 2% in reading proficiency.

Furthermore, if you follow the same group of students from one year to the next, the results are even more dramatic. In the control group, the students who were 6th graders in 2007-8 and were (for the most part) 7th graders in 2008-9, went from 37.9% proficient to 44.3% proficient, a rise of about 6.5%. And over the same time period, the students who were 7th graders the first year and mostly became 8th graders the next year went from 49.5% to 49.9%, a rise of about 0.4%.

However, in the experimental group, the 6th graders in SY 2007-8 who generally became 7th graders in SY 2008-9 went from 40.7% proficient in reading to 32.1% proficient, a rather large DROP of about 8.6%. And the experimental group’s 7th graders the first year, who mostly became 8th graders the second year, went from 41.0% proficient to 36.5% proficient, a drop of about 4.5%.

So, it appears that the bribes are counter-productive in reading.

Charters don't purge

2010-03-18T23:33:00.001-04:00

On of the criticisms leveled at charter schools by their foes (public school advocates, teachers unions, etc) is that much of their success comes from poaching the "good" students from public schools. One of the ways this is supposedly done is by purging undesirable (i.e. low performing) students. The theory goes once a charter has procured the District funds that come along with each student they systematically purge their rolls of said undesirables. Bill Turque at the Post has crunched the numbers and sees if this holds any water.

The conventional wisdom is that the District's public charter schools, which operate with more autonomy than traditional public schools, shed themselves of undesirable students with impunity as the year goes on. Many of them end up back at their neighborhood public schools, while the money that the children represent -- a District per-pupil funding level that averages about $9,000 -- stays at the charters, forcing DCPS to serve kids they have not budgeted for.

But school officials on both the public and public charter sides say there is no data supporting the phenomenon of some vast annual migration. According to DCPS, of the 2,529 mid-year admissions during the 2008-09 school year, just 264 (7 percent) were from public charter schools. The rest were kids who were either new to city, who had dropped out and returned, or who came from private and parochial schools.

DCPS spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway also said the 264 figure does not represent a net gain, and that it is offset by students who leave. "DCPS students also transfer to charters mid-year--and the funding doesn't follow them either," she said.

Barnaby Towns, communications director for FOCUS (Friends of Choice in Urban Schools) an advocacy group for D.C. Public Charter Schools, calls the migration "something of an urban myth" for which there is no statistical evidence.

UPDATE: Corrected Bill Turque's name.

Senate rejects voucher amendment

2010-03-18T23:27:00.000-04:00

Tuesday the Senate rejected an amendment to an FAA authorization bill that would have reopened the DC Opportunity Scholarships to new participants.

Tuesday's 55 to 42 vote was widely seen as one of the final chances for the program to be extended beyond the students who are already currently enrolled. Funding will continue for current students until they graduate high school, but has been cut off to new students for a year.

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced an amendment to a reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration that would have extended the voucher program for five years and funded it at $20 million a year, opening it to new students. The Senate killed Lieberman's attempt to amend a different bill earlier this month.

Reaction from the Daily Caller and the Examiner.

Marion Barry is a buffoon

2010-03-18T23:19:00.000-04:00

Sorry, but that's how I'm going to call it. The City Paper documents Barry's latest ramblings at a D.C. Public Schools oversight hearing and they're a doozy.

I'm gonna raise a subject that I know is going to set off the Washington Post. We have a clash of cultures. We have a clash of cultures. Everybody that comes here talks about Michelle Rhee not including people, not being collaborative, not listening....

The reality is that this school system is 90, 92 percent African American, Latino American, and a small number of white students. Everyone knows that this country is a melting pot, but there are distinct cultures in this country. The African-American culture, because of our history and a lot of other reasons, has a distinct culture difference with non-white America. Latinos are the same thing. Does not mean that non-African-American, non-Latino cannot teach, cannot administer, but when the cultures are so great, Ms. Rhee comes from a culture...that's autocratic, a culture that's dictatorial, a culture of hierarchical in their discussions.

We see it every day in Iraq---the American government trying to change a culture that has been totalitarian, that has been nonexclusive, that has been a police state. And we're having a hard time now, after 10 or 12 years in Iraq, getting that culture shifted to democracy. We see it in Afghanistan, and so until we face that, we're still going to have those problems.

I read the chancellor's educational plan...It looks at though it was designed for Montgomery County, or Long Island, N.Y., or some other affluent county. It was not designed for Washington, D.C., for an urban area. Not designed for a city, a ward where 82 percent of the parents are single family in my ward, where 54 percent are in poverty....

You can't teach a child to read when you can't read yourself. You can't teach a child values of respect if you don't respect yourself. And there's a lot of that going on around....We have to recognize this culture clash. Be ready---the Washington Post is going to be going crazy....I'm raising reality on where we are.

Marion Barry... champion of low expectations, and apparently a bigot to boot. If you didn't know Barry was black you could be forgiven for mistaking some of this coming from klan literature.

Hardy update

2010-03-18T22:57:00.001-04:00

Bill Turque over at the Post's education blog has more on the ongoing controversy over the replacement of Hardy Middle School's principal Patrick Pope.

UPDATE: Updated misspelling.

3 cases of Scarlet Fever in DC schools

2010-03-17T08:53:00.000-04:00

Three students who attend Terrell Elementary School have come down with cases of Scarlet Fever.

The school district says it's not an outbreak, but they do have three confirmed cases of scarlet fever at one of the elementary schools. The problem is doctors say is very contagious, easily spread, and if left untreated it could cause more serious problems.

...

Beers says it's not heard about a lot, but scarlet fever is actually pretty common. She says on any given week, she treats a couple of cases of scarlet fever. Usually it's in children younger than 5.

"It's contagious just like the common cold is contagious," Beers said.

But unlike the common cold, a lot of people don't know much about scarlet fever. So, when they hear about the disease, they think the worst.

"I think people sometimes worry about it. Way back before we had antibiotics or penicillin, it could be a serious disease if it went untreated but now it's easily treatable," said Beers.

DC hires first female varsity prep football coach (aka the plot of Wildcats)

2010-03-13T18:24:00.001-05:00

Calvin Coolidge Senior High School has a new football coach, and her name is Natalie Randolph.

Randolph was chosen from about 15 candidates after the previous coach resigned. The Washington native and University of Virginia track star played six seasons as a receiver for the D.C. Divas of the National Women’s Football Association, helping the team win the title in 2006.

She also was an assistant coach from 2006-08 at another D.C. high school, H.D. Woodson, where opposing coaches would throw funny looks her way when told she was on the staff.

Now she’s a head coach, ready to dispel naysayers. And she doesn’t plan to do it by screaming in the kids’ faces.

“I’m probably more Tony Dungyesque,” said Randolph, who has a copy of the Super Bowl-winning coach’s book. “I’m soft-spoken, so me yelling is not me. I’m going to be me. That’s what I do in the classroom. When I get observed, the observers say ’I didn’t expect you to be able to handle this class,’ but I do what I have to do to get it done.”

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

On the road...

2010-03-12T08:34:00.001-05:00

Posting will resume this weekend.

WaPo says Congress should reauthorize vouchers

2010-03-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

In today's edition the editorial board of the Washington Post urges Congress to reauthorize the District's federally funded private school voucher program.

Unless Congress acts soon or the D.C. government decides to assume responsibility, the voucher program, which has benefited so many students since its inception in 2004, is in grave danger. The Obama administration closed the program to new students; children currently enrolled, while supposedly assured of getting vouchers until they graduate from high school, face uncertainty as the program's administrator pulls out. This is exactly what the program's chief antagonists, the teachers unions, want; the National Education Association lobbied fiercely against Mr. Lieberman's amendment. Given that a rigorous, federally mandated study confirmed the program's effectiveness and that local leaders such as D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee have supported it, we understand why Mr. Reid sits on his hands. What possible explanation could Democrats devise for killing something that has been so crucial in the lives of thousands of poor D.C. children? How would it look? No, better to do nothing and hope the issue goes away.

Mr. Lieberman vowed from the Senate floor not to give up. He said he will look for other bills that could be subject to his reauthorization amendment. We hope he succeeds in making the Senate own up to its responsibility.

Rhee vs Weingarten in Newsweek

2010-03-09T23:28:00.001-05:00

The Post's Newsweek magazine has an article up about pitting foes AFT President Randi Weingarten and DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee regarding their views on tenure and performance based pay.

Weingarten and Rhee are the two principal actors on the most important stage in the ongoing drama of school reform in America. Almost three years ago, Rhee was brought in to fix what was arguably the worst school system in America. The public schools in the nation's capital were notorious for high costs and low performance. Rhee has taken direct aim at the holy grail of the teachers' union: the common practice of giving public-school teachers lifetime tenure under rules that make firing a teacher, no matter how incompetent, very difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Rhee attempted to abolish tenure in exchange for offering merit pay—teachers who agreed to be judged by their performance could make up to $130,000 a year. But Rhee's offer was never even put to a vote by the union. Rhee ran directly into Weingarten, whose union represents the bulk of teachers in big cities across America.

Weingarten, a media-savvy and clever lawyer, can see that the days are fast ending when the teachers' union can count on the support of the Democratic Party and the passivity of the education establishment to protect teachers with near impunity. But she is putting up a spirited rear-guard action to preserve the long-established job security of her union members. The two women have been locked in negotiations for a new union contract in D.C. for more than two years. The battle is being closely watched at the White House, where President Obama has backed his reform-minded education secretary, Arne Duncan, and by school administrators and politicians all over the country. Rhee has a chance to set a strong example for weeding out incompetent teachers—if she doesn't overplay her hand against Weingarten, who is a formidable foe. "You have two strong-willed and very smart and determined women with very different agendas," says Chester Finn Jr., a former assistant secretary of education and a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. "It has an almost gladiatorial aspect to it."

Aside from graduating from Cornell, the two have little in common. During several long and short interviews with NEWSWEEK over the past year, Weingarten spoke in big, round, high-flown sentences, and then artfully changed the subject or lapsed into jargon when challenged with uncomfortable facts. In private negotiations, she is known for letting loose with fits of temper, real or contrived. In public or private, Rhee, whom we also spoke to several times, is direct and blunt to the point of rudeness. In negotiations, she is known for staying cool—or cold—though her eyes burn and bore in. Rhee and Weingarten, who first tangled about five years ago when Weingarten was running the New York City teachers' union and Rhee was testifying against her as the head of a nonprofit organization promoting school reform, clearly dislike each other.

Gotta love the picture they ran with the article.

NewsHour on fixing education features Rhee

2010-03-09T23:07:00.000-05:00

PBS's NewsHour recently had a piece on the national debate on fixing education which includes comments from Michelle Rhee.

More on abusive teachers

2010-03-09T23:02:00.000-05:00

According to MPD Chief Cathy Lanier warrants have been issued for four DC teachers over accusations of abuse.

"There were four cases in the 69 incidents where there were arrests made," Lanier says.

Lanier later clarified that warrants were issued for four teachers, but only one teacher has been arrested so far.

Lanier says police referred another 12 or 13 cases to the U.S. Attorney's Office, but prosecutors declined to pursue charges.

"A lot of times in cases like this, it's one person's word against the other. We do the best we can to investigate or sustain one side or the other. But the attorneys have to make the decision whether they can prosecute that case. Just because a warrant was submitted and declined, it doesn't give you any real conclusions."

Lanier says the rest of the cases were non-criminal.

You can listen to the "Ask the Chief" program in question here.

UPDATE: The Examiner has more.

Mark Lerner interviews Brian Jones

2010-03-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

Mark Lerner over at the Examiner has an interview up with Brian Jones, Chairman of the D.C. Public Charter School Board.

DCPS finalist in Obama admin's "Race to the Top"

2010-03-09T22:57:00.000-05:00

DCPS is one of 16 "states" to make it to the final round of the Obama administration's Race to the Top program which will dole out $4.35 billion in grants to the winners. Recipients are determined by 19 criteria (which you can find in this document) such as student performance, if teachers performance is measured, openness to charter schools.

The Wall Street Journal piece linked above has the following graph showing the average 8th grade student math and reading scores for the 16 finalists.

DCPS still has a long way to go to catch up to the rest of the country.

UPDATE: More in the Post.

DCPCSB to hold emergency meeting regarding Young America Works PCS

2010-03-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

From the DC Public Charter School Board

Board Calls Emergency Meeting to Propose Revocation of Young America Works PCS

Washington, D.C. – The D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB) has called an emergency meeting to take place on Friday, March 5, 2010 at 6:00 pm at the PCSB headquarters. The single item on the agenda is a proposal to revoke the charter of Young America Works PCS. If the board votes in favor of the proposal, it will begin a process that may result in the school being closed permanently at the end of the school year. The meeting is open to the public.

The board has decided to call the emergency meeting because of serious and persistent concerns about the school’s increasingly unsafe environment for students, and related deficiencies in academic instruction. The board’s next regular meetings were scheduled for March 15th and 16th, to host public hearings about the 13 charter applications that were submitted in February. Board chair Brian Jones stated, “Given our serious concerns about the learning environment for students at Young America Works, we have decided we must take action on this immediately.” Squeezing a serious matter like this into the already full agenda during the application hearings would not have allowed adequate time to focus on the critical issues before us and to develop a thoughtful, appropriate response to the current situation at Young America Works.”

The D.C. Public Charter School Board currently oversees 57 public charter schools on 99 campuses, serving nearly 28,000 students living in every ward of the city. D.C. Public Charter Schools currently serve 38% of the city’s public school students.

Hardy update

2010-03-04T22:17:00.003-05:00

Fox 5 posts the following report about Rhee's meeting with Hardy Middle School parents.

The Post has more here and here.

Two WAMU reports on DC Schools

2010-03-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

Over the last couple of days WAMU has had a couple of reports concerning DC schools.

First is a piece on the District mulling over a revision to its Student Code of Conduct that would be applicable to both DCPS and DCPCS students.

Next is a look at the rise in teenage pregnancy in the District.

DCPS publishes revised snow make up calendar

2010-03-02T00:26:00.000-05:00

Now that the recent snow is (hopefully) behind us for the year DCPS has published a revised school schedule that accounts for days lost to the inclement weather.

Date	Existing Calendar	Make-Up Calendar	Day Restored
Friday, March 19th	Professional Development Day (no students)	Regular Instruction Day (students and teachers must report)	Feb 8th
Monday, May 17th	Parent-Teacher Conference Day (students do not report)	Regular Instruction Day(students and teachers must report)	Feb. 9th
Friday, June 18th	Half-Day Records Day (students dismissed at 12:15 p.m.)	Regular Instruction Day (students and teachers must report) With agreement of the WTU, 4th Advisory Records Day will not be made up.	Feb. 5th (half day)
Monday, June 21st	Originally designated make-up date	Regular Instruction Day (students and teachers must report)	Feb. 10th
Tuesday, June 22nd	Originally designated make-up day	Last Day for Students and Teachers. Regular Instruction Day (students and teachers must report)	Feb. 11th

Friendship Collegiate vs KIMA

2010-03-02T00:13:00.001-05:00

In a battle between two top high school DC charter schools Friendship Collegiate on Friday night Friendship Collegiate pipped KIMA in overtime 81-74.

The rematch was tonight on KIMA's home court. I'll update as soon as I know the score.

Chuck Brown plays for DCPS students

2010-03-02T00:07:00.000-05:00

The Post reports on Go Go legend Chuck Brown performing with and for students at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School last Friday in support of the school's Reading Is Fundamental program.

More on fired teachers

2010-02-25T23:04:00.000-05:00

Local ABC affiliate WJLA has a report on DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee's defense of her comments about the reasoning behind the recent teacher layoffs.

Kind words for outgoing Chairman of DCPCSB

2010-02-25T22:58:00.000-05:00

Harry Jaffe and Mark Lerner both have articles up at the Examiner about outgoing Chairman of the DC Public Charter School Board Tom Nida.

"The Unabashed Dismantling of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program" at NRO's The Corner

2010-02-23T23:39:00.000-05:00

Lindsey Burke of the Heritage Foundation and Virginia Walden Ford, executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, have an op-ed up over at the conservative National Review's The Corner blog on the defunding of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

On travel...

2010-02-23T09:01:00.001-05:00

... posting will be light for the next couple of days.

Yu Ying Charter School marches in Chinese New Year parade

2010-02-22T00:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of the students, teachers and parents from Yu Ying Public Charter school marcing in Sunday's Chinese New Year parade.

DCPS pays over $28,000 per DCPS student per year

2010-02-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

In an update to a previous story the libertarian think tank Cato Institute has crunched the number for the 2008-2009 school year and has come up with an all in number of over $28,000 spent per DCPS student. The Cato numbers take into account not only operational costs (~$15,000 per year, the number usually cited when talking about how much a school district spends) but also capital costs (building costs, etc) and transpiration (the court run Special Education buses). A spreadsheet with all the gory details can be found here.

John Stossel (of 20/20 fame, now with Fox Business) recently did a show about public education and weighs in on DCPS costs here.

Rhee detail reasons behind firing one teacher

2010-02-20T23:47:00.001-05:00

In response to DC Councilman Gray request for information about statements she made in a recent Fast Company article DC Chancellor Rhee gave more details around a teacher who was fired for having sex with students.

The D.C. public school teacher accused of sexual misconduct before he was laid off in October allegedly had sex with an 18-year-old special-needs student, resulting in her pregnancy, Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee told D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray in a letter.

Rhee did not name the teacher, student or school in the Feb. 12 letter. She did reveal that police and prosecutors told school officials that because of the student's age, the allegation did not warrant criminal investigation.

"It is DCPS' understanding that the student continues to maintain that her former teacher is the father of her child and is seeking to establish paternity," Rhee wrote. "She is receiving assistance from relevant District social services agencies."

A copy of Rhee's letter can be found here.

UPDATE: The Examiner has more.

Rhee on Politics Hour

2010-02-20T23:42:00.000-05:00

DCPS Chancellor Rhee was the guest on Friday's Politics Hour show hosted by Kojo Nnamdi on WAMU. Audio of the show is available at the above link.

DCPS HQ in on the move

2010-02-18T22:59:00.004-05:00

Folks at DCPS mission control have begun the move north from their current digs at 825 N. Capital to new (smaller and cheaper) offices at 1200 First St NW (in the DC Education Blog Editor's neck of the woods).

View Larger Map

Bill Turque has more on the shred-fest taking place in preparation for the move.

Need to publicize a school event?

2010-02-18T22:42:00.002-05:00

I have just added a page Calendar of Events where I will post upcoming events of note that have to do with either public, charter or private DC schools, or more general events related to DC Education. If you have an event please email the relevant information (time, place, contact info, etc.) to dcedublog@gmail.com. Please make sure to have EVENT: at the start of the title. We reserve the right not to publish events (for instance, they have little or nothing to do with DC education, they're commercial in nature, etc.)

DCPS looking for a few good people...

2010-02-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

... to volunteer.

1. Athletic Coaches (Boys Basketball and Football) - M.C Terrell ES

Boys basketball and/or football coaches are needed at M.C. Terrell ES. Time commitment: 5-6:15 pm, daily.

Contact: Mecye M. Boddie, OST (After School Coordinator), 202-645-3740 (Office), 216-856-0808 (C), mecye.boddie@dc.gov

2. Adult supervisors for afterschool cooking program - Multiple locations

Volunteers are needed to supervise students in Common Threads program, which teaches low-income children to cook wholesome, affordable meals. For more information on the program, visit www.commonthreads.org
Tyler Elementary (1001 G Street SE) - Mondays - 3:30-5:30
CulinAerie (1131 14th St. NW) - Tuesdays - 4:00-6:00
Riverside Center (5200 Foote St, NE) - Tuesdays - 4:00-6:00
Oyster Adams Bi-Lingual Campus (2020 19th Street NW) - Wednesdays - 4:30-6:30
To volunteer, contact: Mary Ann Weprin, Common Threads, phone: (312)329-2501 ext 204, maryann@commonthreads.org

3. Beautification Day 2010 Planning Committee (March - August 2010)

Beautification Day is an annual event established in 2005 as a citywide "spruce up" of all DC public school buildings in preparation for the first day of school. Each year more than 2,000 volunteers help spruce up our schools. The Planning Committee will meet monthly to from March-May and bi-weekly during the months of June-August. Meetings will be held in the evenings. Professionals, retirees, and college students are encouraged to join.

The Committee will assist the Office of Community Partnerships in planning this annual event. Responsibilities will include:

Marketing and communications
Volunteer recruitment and management
Logistics and supplies
Event day timeline and support
Contact: Jessica Rial, Jessica.rial@dc.gov , include "Beautification Day 2010 Planning Committee" in the subject of the email

4. Readers - Father of the Year Essay Contest

Readers are needed to help select essays for the semi-finalist and finalist categories for the 2010 Washington Nationals Father of the Year Essay Contest. The contest is designed to improve writing skills and stimulate thinking about the nurturing roles played by fathers and father figures, as well as to raise awareness of the importance of fathering and focus attention on what makes a great father.

Thursday, March 11, 2010
6:00 p.m. - light meal provided and opening remarks
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. - review of essays
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
500 Indiana Avenue, NW - Third Floor Juror's Lounge
Washington, D.C. 20001 (parking can be requested)

Contact Diana Epps, depps@hftcc.org , to sign up to volunteer

5. Panelists, Library Aids, Reader/Tutors - Powell Elementary School

Powell Elementary needs volunteers to:

serve as panelists from March 22-26th for the students' portfolio presentations (listen and help judge their work and presentations, and celebrate the students' project-based learning); PreK-4th grade 9 - 1 am and Noon - 3:15 pm.
unpack and organize books. This is an ongoing project during school hours.
read to students during a morning reading session from 8:00-8:40 am any day M-F.
read to student during a power lunch session from 11-12 pm any day M-F
Location: Powell ES, 1350 Upshur Street, NW
Contact: Principal Janeece Docal, Janeece.docal@dc.gov - include "Powell Volunteer" in the subject line.

6. Athletic Coaches (basketball, soccer, dance), Drum assistant and Math tutor - Shaw @ Garnet-Patterson MS

Volunteers are needed for the following position:

Girls basketball coach
Girls soccer coach
Dance instructor
Drum assistant
Math tutor
Time commitment varies from 3-8 hours a week depending on the position. Contact: Sheilla Hara, Afterschool Program Coordinator, Shaw @ Garnet- Patterson Middle School , 2001 10th Street, N.W., Office: 202.673.7329 Cell: 703.447.0766, sheilla_hara@yahoo.com

7. Afterschool Volunteers - Lasalle-Backus EC

Volunteers are needed afterschool to assist with:

Dismissal, transition and snack delivery: duties including assisting with students in transition from various clubs onsite, as well as monitoring and giving snacks out during snack time in the cafeteria and assisting staff with transitioning students during school dismissal.
Pre-k and Pre-School Aide: to assist lead teacher in the classroom with students. Aide must have some experience working with this age group.
Both positions will be needed daily, but flexible. Contact: Tamara Convington, 202-671-6340, 202-706-3756 (cell), tamara.covington@dc.gov

8. Male Mentors - Prospect Learning Center

Male volunteer needed for one-on-one mentoring during an afterschool program. Volunteer hours are anytime Mon.-Thurs. between 3:00-5:00 pm. Volunteer commitment is at least one day per week. Spanish-English skills recommended, but not required. Student is preparing for high school and needs to talk informally about his future and generally what is on his mind. If the volunteer prefers more structure, he can certainly assist the student with assigned readings in our program. We can work with the volunteer on arranging what is most suitable for both of them.

Contact: Karin Wiener, Prospect Learning Center (Capital Hill area), 202 548-4380, karfelice@verizon.net

9. Volunteers - Walker-Jones EC

Volunteers are needed to:

escort students as they transition from classes
work with individual and/or small groups of students in grades Early Childhood, K and 1st
distribute notices and materials to students, parents, and staff
maintain "Birthday's of the Month" log and gift bags
assist with in-snack preparation and Monthly Showcase productions
Contact person: Samantha Hayes, School Coordinator, Walker-Jones Education Campus (202) 535-1684, Cell (202) 270-6095, samantha.hayes@dc.gov

10. Afterschool Volunteer Opportunities- Orr Elementary School

Volunteers are needed to:

Supervise snack distribution
Work as classroom aides and tutors
Students who have committed, involved and positive role models are more likely to be successful in school and life. We need people like you to give just 1.5 hours (3 - 4:30 pm) to make a life-altering impact upon our future leaders.

Contact person: Marlon Ray, Orr ES, marlon.ray@dc.gov , Ofc: 202. 671.6240, Cell: 210. 378.7099

11. Afterschool Volunteers with Arts Experience - River Terrace ES

Volunteers are needed to assist with dance, music and arts and crafts programs. Program hours are 4 - 6 pm, Monday - Friday. A commitment of 1-2 days per week is desired.

Contact: Tim Weedon, tim.weedon@dc.gov , 202-480-0832

12. Volunteers - Garfield Elementary School

Volunteers are needed to:
escort students as they move to enrichment classes
assist enrichment teacher with preparation of materials
work with individual and/or small groups of students during enrichment classes
make contact with community groups for donation of recyclable "art" materials
Contact person: Angela M. Tilghman, Principal, Garfield Elementary School, angela.tilghman@dc.gov, (202) 671-6140

13. Phonics Tutor - Aiton ES

Tutor needed to teach phonics to struggling 5th grade male student attending Aiton ES. The student is in an afterschool program until 6:30 and is available for tutoring after school. Volunteer position requires as least a one-hour weekly session or more.

Contact: Karla Reid-Witt, Office: 202 724.7621, Karla.Reid-Witt@dc.gov

14. Afterschool Volunteer Opportunities - Various Locations

Volunteers are needed to work directly with DCPS students during afterschool programs in the following areas
Academics (one-on-one mentoring and/or tutoring in all core subjects for elementary, middle, and high school students)
Arts and Culture (drama, theater, music, painting, any other form of arts and crafts; multicultural activities, current events/journalism, photography)
Wellness and fitness (nutrition, healthy eating habits, healthy relationships, personal development, sports, teamwork, physical activity)
Contact person: Please contact directly the afterschool coordinator for the schools below.
Garrison ES, Rasheedah Franklin, rasheedah.franklin2@dc.gov
Eliot-Hines MS, Rodney Fuller, fbrenda1@aol.com
Emery ES, Amenemhet Ashenafi, amenemhet.ashenafi@dc.gov
Winston EC, Kanishea Spencer, kanishea.spencer@dc.gov
Deal MS, Margaret Berkey, margaret.berkey@dc.gov
Randle-Highland ES, Roberta Felder, roberta.felder@dc.gov
Brent ES, Vanity Nobles, vanity.nobles@dc.gov
Hendley ES, Thomas Mitchell, tamitchII@verizon.net
Plummer ES, Keona Allen, keona.allen@dc.gov
Shaed ES, Paul Jeffries, mrpauljeffries@gmail.com
Whittier ES, Dana Torrence, dana.torrence@dc.gov
15. Tutors for Afterschool Program - Dunbar SHS

Looking for tutors for high school level academics. Tutoring will be available Mon-Thurs from 3:15-6:00pm. We also welcome tutors on Saturday for Saturday School from 10am-1pm. Students can be tutored one-on-one or in small groups. Please be available for at least 1 hour a day, 2 days a week, or at least 2 hours on Saturday. For more information, please contact Dunbar SHS After School Coordinator, Audra Murray by email at Audra.Murray@dc.gov or by phone at (202) 698-3477.

16. Volunteers - Watkins ES (Capitol Hill Cluster)

Watkins ES is currently looking for volunteers to assist with supporting its wonderful student population. There are several opportunities for volunteers to directly work with Watkins students to improve their reading skills.

Volunteer times: Monday through Friday between 9 am to 3 pm.
Location: Watkins ES, 420 12th St SE
Contact: Curtis Taylor, Student Support Team Coordinator at 202-698-3356, Curtis.Taylor@dc.gov

17. Afterschool Volunteers - CW Harris ES

CW Harris needs volunteers to work with students in grades K-5. This is an ongoing opportunity and requires 2 or more days a week commitment.
Volunteer times: M-F, 3:15 - 6:15 pm
Location: CW Harris ES, 301 53rd St. SE
Contact: Jana Jones, Afterschool Coordinator, jana.jones@dc.gov, (202) 645-6767
18. Afterschool Volunteers -Moten ES

Creatively Developing Abilities (CDA) Outreach needs volunteers for the afterschool program for Moten ES @ Wilkinson, Drew ES and Simon ES. Servsafe certification holders needed also, if you have one please let us know. High School Student volunteers are welcome.

Volunteer times: afterschool hours
Location: Moten ES @ Wilkinson (2330 Pomeroy Rd. SE), Drew ES (5600 Eads St. NE) and Simon ES (401 Mississippi Ave. SE)
Contact: C. Simms at 202-641-4410, csimms@cdaoutreach.org

19. Mentors and Study Hall Aides - Kelly Miller MS

The Higher Achievement program needs Mentors and Study Hall Aides at its Kelly Miller MS location (Benning Road 301 49th St, NE). Transportation/Shuttle service provided to the school from Stadium/Armory Metro. Time commitment is at least once per week, Monday, Tuesday, and/or Thursday; Study Hall Aides- 3:30-6pm, Mentors- 6-8:15pm.

For more information or to fill out an application please go to

www.higherachievement.org/volunteer

If you already have a DCPS volunteer clearance letter, please inform Matt Thornton that you are already clear to volunteer.

Contact: Matt B. Thornton, Higher Achievement, 202-375-7733, mthornton@higherachievement.org

20. Tell us about your volunteer work

The Office of Community Partnerships will spotlight individuals, organizations and groups volunteering in DCPS in its electronic newsletters. Updates will also be used to better coordinate our volunteer program. Please take a moment to report your current volunteer work or any upcoming projects you hope to participate in.

To update us on your volunteer work, please click on the below link:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGhUQy04U0o0U25xMUdkaXhGWDFsb2c6MA..

21. How to become a DCPS volunteer

Complete a volunteer application.
Process your application in person. Bring the application and proof of a negative TB test result (taken within the last 12 months) and a government issued photo ID to DCPS Central Office and complete a fingerprinting background check.
Receive a volunteer clearance letter in the mail. Once your application clears school security you will receive a volunteer clearance letter in the mail (average processing time 5-10 business days).

The (non)success of swimming in public schools

2010-02-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

The City Paper has a pretty good profile of Roy Fagin: avid swimmer, Coolidge Senior High alum, DC Parks and Rec employee and one of the founders of the DC Wave swim team, and his Don Quixoteian quest to bring organized swimming to DCPS.

How to make up for days lost to snow

2010-02-17T01:56:00.000-05:00

According to Bill Torque at the Post DCPS is considering a number of options to make up for school days lost to the recent snow storms; including extending the school day.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Calloway said no decisions have been made, but that stretching the school day -- which currently runs from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. -- might be part of the make-up schedule DCPS is expected to release next week. Calloway said the District was "considering all options including converting non-student days into instructional days and adding time to the school day."

Calloway said the District is also in discussions with D.C. State Superintendent of Education Kerri Briggs about adjusting the administration of the DC-CAS standardized tests, now set for the last two weeks of April.

Adding time to the school day would require clearing several hurdles, including union cooperation and rearranging transportation for special education students. If officials decided to extend the end of the day, afterschool activities would also have to be adjusted.

DCPS already has two days on its 182-day calendar set aside to make up for lost time -- June 21 and 22 -- the Monday and Tuesday after the last scheduled day of classes. Using those would be about as popular as a root canal, and teachers often say that the deeper into June the school year goes, the less productive it becomes.

Postponed: See Inside the Classroom: Tuesday, February 16, 6:30pm McKinley High School Ward 5

2010-02-16T11:54:00.002-05:00

From DCPS:

POSTPONED: We recognize that after all the snow, ongoing snow removal, and long weekend, coming out to a meeting tonight would be difficult for many. Please stay tuned for information about the rescheduling of this Teaching and Learning Meeting in Ward 5.

For those of you who were planning on coming to this meeting, we want to make you aware that there is another Teaching and Learning Meeting in Ward 3 that you are welcome to attend Tuesday, February 23, 2010 from 6:30-8pm at Oyster-Adams (2801 Calvert St. NW).

Julie Doar-Sinkfield on charter school equity

2010-02-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

The Examiner's Public Charter School Examiner and Executive Director of The William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts Julie Doar-Sinkfield has an article in today's Examiner comparing the attention DCPS school get vs. charter schools get from the District government during such events as the recent snow storm.

Post profiles Tata

2010-02-15T22:09:00.000-05:00

Bill Torque at the Post has a profile of ex Brigadier General and current DCPS COO Anthony J. Tata.

Go to bed kids... you have school tomorrow

2010-02-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

From DCPS:

FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16: All DC Public Schools and administrative offices will open on time and will operate as usual.

Many DCPS teachers a no-show on Friday?

2010-02-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

That's what the anecdotal evidence was saying to Leah Fabel at the Examiner.

While students and school staff all over the D.C. region stayed home Friday, D.C. teachers returned to work for the training that have become a keystone of the reforms pushed by schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

They've also been a source of contention with union leadership, who stress the need for more training focused on discipline, and who voice dissatisfaction with Rhee's new "DCPS Teaching and Learning Framework" around which professional development is based.

Miner's gym teacher Duriel Cobb trucked to school in a 4x4, slightly miffed by the end to his nearly weeklong vacation, but on board with the work ahead.

"The climate of the school has changed with the new professional development," he said, explaining that he's benefited most from learning new strategies for tapping into students' ability to learn.
But at Northwest's Seaton Elementary, a teacher who requested not to be named said that turnout was less than 50 percent, training sessions were canceled, and "the building was freezing."

Robert Bobb update

2010-02-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

The Detroit Free Press has a long, in-depth look at former DC BoE president Robert Bobb's tenure thus far as chief of finance for the Detroit public school system.

DCPS Salary

2010-02-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

Because its one of the popular searches that sends folks this blog here is the DCPS teacher's pay scale.

Years of Service*	Step	BA	BA + 15 Credits	MA or BA + 30 Credits	MA + 30 Credits	PhD or MA + 60 Credits
1	1	$42,370	$43,782	$45,194	$46,606	$49,431
2	2	$42,515	$44,474	$46,235	$48,255	$50,277
3	3	$43,386	$45,387	$48,255	$50,277	$52,293
4	4	$44,988	$46,980	$50,277	$52,293	$54,322
5	5	$46,575	$48,574	$52,293	$54,322	$56,343
6	6	$48,173	$50,174	$54,322	$56,343	$58,364
7	7	$50,202	$52,199	$56,832	$58,845	$60,871
8	8	$52,216	$54,222	$59,330	$61,360	$63,382
9	9	$54,245	$56,242	$61,848	$63,865	$65,887
10	10	$56,255	$58,267	$64,347	$66,367	$68,396
11	11	$58,278	$60,279	$66,864	$68,869	$70,893
12	12	$62,327	$64,337	$71,874	$73,894	$76,135
13
14
15
16	13	$67,184	$71,203	$78,398	$80,460	$83,083
17	Longevity 1	N/A	N/A	$79,298	$81,360	$83,983
18	Longevity 1	N/A	N/A	$79,298	$81,360	$83,983
19	Longevity 2	N/A	N/A	$80,798	$82,859	$85,484
20	Longevity 2	N/A	N/A	$80,798	$82,859	$85,484
21+	Longevity 3	N/A	N/A	$82,898	$84,960	$87,583

You can find more about compensation here.

WTU close to contract with DCPS?

2010-02-12T23:46:00.002-05:00

WTU president George Parker was a guest on today's Politics Hour radio show hosted by Kojo Nnamdi and was asked about the status of the (long gestating) teachers' contract.

"We are very close" was Parker's answer.

(via WeLoveDC)

Trying this social media thing...

2010-02-12T23:33:00.000-05:00

There are now many different ways you can follow the DC Education Blog other than by this blog. You can follow us on Facebook, via Google's new Buzz feature and via an RSS feed (either traditional or Atom).

Lottery now open

2010-02-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

Its lottery season! The DCPS out of bounds / pre-school / pre-k lottery for SY2010-2011 is now open.

Dear Applicant,

We appreciate your interest in DC Public Schools! Whether you are applying for pre-school/pre-kindergarten or an out-of-boundary seat in grades K-12, there are many exciting offerings for you to consider.

Before you start your application, we encourage you to take a moment to "Rediscover DC Public Schools" and check out a few of the great options available. We also encourage you to read some important information about the Pre-School/Pre-K Lottery and/or the Out-of-Boundary Lottery.

If you have questions regarding the lotteries, please email us at enrollmentprocess@dc.gov or call us at (202) 478-5738

Thank you for your interest in DC Public Schools — a quality education option for your child!

Sincerely,

Michelle Rhee
Chancellor

DCPS Students to get new chow?

2010-02-12T23:13:00.000-05:00

So thinks Bill Torque at the Post's DC School Insider blog.

Hardy students protest loss of principal

2010-02-12T20:58:00.000-05:00

More than 100 students, parents and teachers of Hardy Middle School took part in acts of civil disobedience to protest the reassignment of Hardy's principal Patrick Pope.

In an act of civil disobedience more than 100 students, faculty and parents boarded the No. 36 bus in Georgetown, Thu., Feb. 4, and traveled to the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest to demand a meeting with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. The seventh-graders, with picket signs in-hand, "Hope for Pope" wanted to convince the Mayor to reverse District Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee’s directive to reassign Hardy principal Patrick Pope to another school.

"Everyone knows that Hardy is one of the best middle schools in DCPS [D.C. Public Schools] by anyone’s standards," said Hardy students Claire Keller and Jennifer Li, the group’s unofficial spokespersons.

"We have a superb arts and music program, top test scores and a strong academic foundation. For all of these components to work together and make a near perfect school we need someone to link them. Mr. Pope is that someone. Why change something that works perfectly? Why mess with the best?" the students said.

The uproar in the Hardy school community started Fri., Dec. 4 at a meeting with Hardy parents and Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. During the meeting Rhee announced that Pope would end his 11-year tenure at the Ward 2 middle school in Northwest to lead a new state-of-the-art, arts middle school scheduled to open next year in a centralized location in the District. Dana Nerenberg the principal of Hyde-Addison Elementary School in Northwest would replace Pope. Nerenberg, who only has four years of experience as a principal, will run both schools simultaneously.

Rhee has been quoted as saying that she wants to make Hardy more attractive to neighborhood families and promised Key Elementary School parents that she would "turn" the school around during a private meeting with Georgetown parents in November. Neighborhood parents, Rhee insisted, were confused about whether or not Hardy was their feeder middle school because of the application process and arts program.

We're back...

2010-02-12T19:59:00.000-05:00

So much for the 1 week break in order to finish out the quarter at the day job. It turned into a 10 month break. DOH. Anyway, the crunch of work and family has lightened up a little so I'm diving back into this site. Posting to begin shortly.

(And if anyone wants to overpay so I can underwork in order to devote more time to the blog any reasonable offer will be considered)

Charter school allowance

2009-03-11T00:07:00.000-04:00

From Ariana Quiñones-Miranda at FOCUS

Hello all,

We are launching a campaign to preserve the public charter school facility allowance. We need your help in having your trustees, parents and allies contact key city officials to let them know we don’t support cuts to the facilities allowance. And with the wonders of technology, and some help from our friends at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, you can now click on a link (below) to send a customizable email message to the city officials working on the city budget.

THE REQUEST

Please help by calling or emailing one or all of the following individuals before Friday the 13th to state your support for maintaining the facilities allowance at its current level of $3,109 per student. You don’t have to engage in any conversation; it should just take one minute each to make the statement, say thank you, and hang up or to click on the link, customize your message, and hit send.

1. Dan Tangherlini, City Administrator, 202 727-4036, dan.tangherlini@dc.gov
2. William Singer, Chief of Budget Execution, 202 478-9200, william.singer@dc.gov
3. Victor Reinoso, Deputy Mayor for Education, 202 727-3636, victor.reinoso@dc.gov

Paste the web address below in your email browser to send a customizable email message to these officials:
https://secure.publiccharters.org/site/Advocacy?id=227&pagename=homepage.

Thanks for your support and my apologies if you have received this message already.

Ariana
--
Ariana Quiñones-Miranda
Deputy Director
Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS)
1530 16th Street NW, Suite 104
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202 387-0405
Fax: 202 667-3798
Cel: 202 903-4609
aquinones@focusdc.org
www.focusdc.org

Rhee and Johnson officially an item?

2009-03-04T00:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, we're getting all Page 6 here, but it appears that Chancellor Rhee and Sacramento Mayor (and ex NBAer) Kevin Johnson are out of the closet, romance wise. From Gilbert Lee's blog:

The Cal Basketball season finale versus UCLA was bound to have a huge crowd because of ESPN's national coverage and the assignment of the College Gameday show at Haas Pavilion. Among the folks that we saw...

{snip}

Kevin Johnson - the Mayor of Sacramento was courtside in a smart brown blazer. He was definitely into his date, Washington D.C. school superintendent Michelle Rhee. They exchanged a couple of (edited) of kisses and he was definitely sharing his basketball insights with her during the game. I'm glad that he's "dating" someone his own age.

[Via the City Paper's Loose Lips column]

More voucher coverage

2009-03-04T00:21:00.000-05:00

The future of the DC Opportunity Scholarship is still generating press.

Robert Vinson Brannum of the Examiner says its time to let the program fade away...
... but Matt Kibbehe in an OpEd disagrees
As does the Post's editorial board.
John Aloysius Farrell over at US News thinks Congress treats DC residents like lab rats
The WSJ's editorial board wonders if the President will come to the rescue
The PowerLine blog goes with the slightly more provocative headline of OBAMA SELLS OUT AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN

'Round the blogs: bad weather edition

2009-03-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

Notes from around the blog world...

A Polish American in DC: Guide to Teaching didn't like yesterday's half school day.
Neither did Ms. Mindless

Dee

PS Montessori was frustrated
So is Ms. Angala
The New Teacher on the Block is annoyed (I mean really annoyed)

So, I think we've spotted a theme here. And from my own observations I'd have to agree that school should have probably been canceled outright. Two of the chicklets are in school; they both attend different charter schools. One was closed, the other mirrored DCPS. Much like what some of the above teachers noted we saw very few kids actually make it to the classroom at the opened school on Monday.

Finally, if you haven't already you should go visit the teacher blogs I have listed on the blogroll to the right. There's a lot of great stuff to discover.

Chairman of the D.C. Public Charter School Board interviewed

2009-03-03T23:57:00.000-05:00

Mark Lerner has the first part of his interview with D.C. Public Charter School Board Chairman Tom Nida over at the Examiner.

UPDATE: Here's part 2.

Bad weather, or, a first person account of Education Hearing at HD Woodson/Fletcher Johnson

2009-03-03T23:36:00.000-05:00

An anonymous reader sent the following photos and blurb about attending the Mayor's Education hearing at HD Woodson/Fletcher Johnson:

I attended the Mayor's Education hearing today March 3rd at HD Woodson/Fletcher Johnson, which Mayor Fenty did attend. I was shocked by the ice and snow that had not been removed from the school's grounds and stairs, nor had any salt been put down. To prevent myself from falling, I actually grabbed onto students who were also sliding around on the ice on the main staircase that students' use to enter the building. I have attached photos of ice and snow that has not been removed from the school grounds and on the public sidewalk surrounding the school.

I too am shocked that Fenty/Rhee did not cancel school when DPW and DDOT have still not removed ice from neighborhood streets and DCPS facilities certainly has not done their job! I'm pretty sure HD Woodson/Fletcher Johnson is not the only school with this problem!

[hat tip to the anonymous reader]

Voucher press

2009-03-02T12:05:00.000-05:00

The fate of DC's Opportunity Scholarships (i.e. vouchers) is generating some press again. This newest article is from the New York Times.

Bloggers Eduwonk and Blue Commonwealth weigh in as well.

Congress will most likely kill DC's voucher program

2009-03-01T11:05:00.001-05:00

It looks like Rep. Holmes-Norton's wish will soon come true. It looks like the Democratic controlled congress is not going to reauthorize the District's voucher program.

The D.C. voucher program — the first to provide federally funded vouchers to students — was launched as a five-year pilot program through the 2004 omnibus appropriations law (PL 108-199). The language was only included after a bitter fight over the proposed program in the Senate.

Alexa Marrero, a spokeswoman for Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon of California, the ranking Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, said reauthorization of the program was highly unlikely.

“I think school choice opponents have chosen to put an end to this program,” Marrero said. “This is a lifeline, and it’s being taken away.”

Most Democrats, meanwhile, have long opposed voucher programs, arguing that vouchers steer funding away from the public schools.

“Sen. Kennedy strongly opposed the creation of the program, which takes funds from very needy public schools to send students to unaccountable private schools,” said Melissa Wagoner, a spokeswoman for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy , D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

More than 1,715 students with an average annual family income of $22,736 take advantage of the program, according to the Washington Scholarship Fund, which administers the program. Under the D.C. voucher system, students can each receive up to $7,500 for tuition.

Some voucher recipients appear in a video that is an "Open Letter" asking President Obama to help save the program.

Reaction at NRO and the Weekly Standard.

Anacostia HS to be restructured by Friendship Charter Schools

2009-03-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

While it will remain a traditional public school Friendship Charter School will help DCPS in the restructuring of Anacostia High School.

Anacostia is among 27 schools that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee said last year would undergo restructuring because they failed to meet federal guidelines. The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that such schools be restructured if they do not meet specified goals for five consecutive years.

The law gives school authorities five options: reopen the restructured school as a charter school, reconstitute the school by replacing all or most of its staff, collaborate with an external partner, undergo a state takeover, or develop another major restructuring effort.

Mrs. Rhee proposed five schools - Anacostia, Ballou, Coolidge and Dunbar High School, and Hart Middle School - be restructured under the third option.

The chancellor's restructuring plan, which she initially outlined last year, calls for selecting an organization that has "expertise and experience in turning around low-performing schools in order to meet performance standards as effectively and as quickly as possible."

Free citywide conference to address bullying

2009-03-01T00:08:00.000-05:00

From the Student Support Center:

Washington, D.C. - The Student Support Center (Center) will be hosting a free, citywide charter school conference entitled, Bullying 101: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You. The conference will address the bullying problem faced by students across the District and provide the strategies and resources needed to effectively address bullying.

Studies tell us:
Bullying increases the risk of more serious types of violence, interferes with learning, and threatens the long-term well-being of bullies, bystanders and victims.
Roughly 1 in 6 students consider themselves traumatized by bullying.
To be effective, a bullying program must pay attention to the family backgrounds of both bullies and victims.
Schools must set rules and enforce them school-wide if they are to reduce bullying.
National and local experts will discuss proven systems needed to address bullying. Participants will also hear from DC charter schools who have successfully implemented methods to prevent bullying. At the end of the conference, participants will know how to use mental health supports, parent involvement, school-wide discipline, safety planning and Second Step implementation as bully prevention.

The conference will get started with a special presentation by City at Peace, a nonprofit organization using the performing arts to help students address conflict. City at Peace will give conference attendees a glimpse of the troubling effects of bullying on a student. After the performance, students from charter schools across the District will share their personal stories and the affliction they witness on a daily basis.

This conference is influenced by elements of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant initiative. Through the initiative, the Center has worked with 18 DC charter schools to implement evidence- based programs and supports to reduce alcohol and drug use, disruptive behaviors, and increase parent involvement, social and emotional support and school safety interventions.

Directly following the conference, there will be a cocktail reception celebrating the ten years of service provided through the Center and honoring founder and former executive director, Eve Brooks.

As a children’s advocate, Brooks has worked intensely to ensure DC charter schools have access to school nurses, school-based mental health supports, school resource officers, and other vital resources needed to support a safe and healthy school.

The conference will be held at Gallaudet University’s Kellogg Conference Center located at 800 Florida Ave. NE, from 11:30AM-4:30PM. A plated lunch will be served.

To register for this event, visit www.studentsupportcenter.org.

Three DCPS students guests at President's address to the joint houses

2009-03-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

Three DCPS students were guests of First Lady Michelle Obama at her husband's first address to the joint houses of congress.

Elizabeth Carballo, Akrem Muzemil and Juan Francisco Rodriguez had all asked questions of the first lady Feb. 10 when she visited Mary's Center, a nonprofit organization in the District.

All three public high school students come from modest backgrounds, said Maria Gomez, president and chief executive of the nonprofit group, and all are serious about their goals.

And, Gomez said, all three, in their Sunday best, were filled with excitement last night along with a sense of, "Wow, this can't be happening to me!"

Also invited to the first lady's box in the balcony of the House chamber was Howard University senior Victoria Kirby. "It was definitely a humbling experience and a wonderful opportunity," she said afterward.

Board begins process to revoke MEI Futures Academy's charter

2009-02-28T22:46:00.000-05:00

Mark Lerner over at the Examiner has all the details.

MEI Futures Academy opened in fall 2007 as a residential charter school serving teenage mothers and their young children. A recent PCSB review resulted in a list of deficiencies including failure to operate in accordance with the school’s mission statement, failure to deliver the academic program described in the charter application, failure to comply with federal special education requirements, and a lack of sufficient books and supplies, among other issues. Before the vote, board member Will Marshall told the school’s leaders, “I voted for your application because I believed in your mission and your ability to carry it out. It’s painful to be in this place where we no longer believe you can do it.” MEI’s school leaders suggested that many of the concerns could be addressed with more time. Josephine Baker, the PCSB’s executive director and board secretary responded, “None of this is new. We raised these same concerns last year, and there has been no real resolution.” PCSB members voted unanimously to begin the revocation process, and informed MEI’s leadership of their option of a public hearing before a final vote by the board members.

Rhee on the Politics Hour

2009-02-28T22:36:00.001-05:00

DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee was a guest on WAMU's Politics Hour program on the 20th. The audio can be found here.

Rhee drops a bit of a bombshell by basically admitting that her "Plan B" to deal with the ongoing DCPS/WTU work contract is no longer an option that's being pursued. More on this at the Post.

Violence down at DCPS schools

2009-02-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

{We're back}

According to Chancellor Rhee serious violence at DCPS schools has decreased 10% from last year.

Rhee says, when school began in September, there was an uptick in incidents, but she says because of consistently enforced consequences, within three months those had leveled off and decreased. The latest data from D.C.P.S. compares August 2007 through January 2008 and the same months the following year. There have been 82 fewer serious incidents, which translates into a decrease of 10 percent. Serious incidents include assaults, drugs, fires and fights.

WAMU audio of this report here.

Posting to resume shortly

2009-02-26T00:57:00.001-05:00

More travel, more work, less sleep. Posting should return to normal in a day or so.

Residency checks to start earlier

2009-02-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

In order to combat fraud DCPS officials will begin the verification of DC residency for DCPS students earlier than normal. Schools normally begin the process in May; this year State Superintendent Gist wants schools to start a month early.

“Moving up the date would give the schools more time between when they start collecting documentation for their students and when the annual enrollment audit is conducted in the fall,” wrote Gist’s spokeswoman, Nicole Shaffer, in an e-mail to The Examiner. “This would provide the schools more time to collect the necessary documentation of student residency from parents, more time to audit their own files and more time to project how many students they will have for the coming school year.”

The District has struggled for years with out-of-town students illegally attending the city’s public and charter schools, which are already home to more than 70,000 students.

Its hard to believe, but apparently people are lying to try to get *into* DC's public schools.

Judge issues new rules aimed at special education lawsuits

2009-02-19T11:20:00.016-05:00

To try to stem the tide of lawsuits filed in District court Chief Judge Lee Satterfield has instituted new regulations for lawyers bringing special education related suits against the District

The rules are the first of their kind in the District governing special-education lawyers, who have turned what in other jurisdictions is a quiet practice area into a multimillion-dollar industry in the nation’s capital. For decades, D.C. school officials have regularly missed federal deadlines on testing and treating kids with disabilities. That has allowed lawyers to bill the city for tens of millions of dollars in litigation fees.

Outraged by the city’s special-ed legal bills, Congress capped fees in D.C. special-ed cases. But, as The Examiner has reported, some lawyers have gotten around the caps by filing multiple lawsuits for single students, alleging that each new blown deadline represents a separate cause of action.

D.C. has more special-ed hearings than the 50 states combined. The litigation has helped make D.C. the most expensive special-ed system in the nation: Taxpayers spend about $300 million a year for about 11,000 special-needs students.

DC students take part in White House celebration

2009-02-19T09:10:00.012-05:00

Students from Shaw and Stuart-Hobson middle schools, and KIPP DC: KEY Academy took part in a celebration at the White House hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama in celebration of Black History Month.

Mrs. Obama seemed a bit surprised when the sixth- and seventh-graders from three local schools said yes, they knew slaves helped build the White House, that President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation upstairs in a bedroom named for him, and that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders met in the building with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson to discuss the end of segregation.

"So you guys know your history. That's a good thing," she said. "That means your parents and teachers are doing their jobs."

Mrs. Obama encouraged them to look beyond the names in the history books and to "think about the extraordinary people who live in your own world," like parents, grandparents and teachers, "all those folks who play important roles in black history and American history every single day."

WaPo looks at City Lights Charter

2009-02-19T08:02:00.006-05:00

The Post has a profile of the soon-to-close City Lights Public Charter School.

Stimulus update

2009-02-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

First it was to be $148 million, now the total monetary payout to DCPS from the recently passed stimulus package appears to have grown to $227 million.

WTU buys radio ads in contract fight

2009-02-18T23:49:00.001-05:00

The WTU has produced a radio ad and is purchasing time on local stations promoting their counter-proposal to DCPS's contract terms.

Audio
(Click on the funky play button to open the audio player)

Marc Fisher at the post comments on the piece here.

Ex-DCPS ombuds has a new job

2009-02-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

The Ombuds Blog (there is a blog devoted to Ombuds... and I thought I was niche) reports on ex-DCPS ombuds Tonya Vidal Kinlow has a new job.

Tonya Vidal Kinlow, the former Ombuds for the Distict of Columbia Public Schools, has been named as Vice President of Government Affairs for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

Around the blogs

2009-02-17T10:56:00.015-05:00

Here's a roundup of blog postings about all things related to District education.

The Thinkwell blog has thoughts about Rhee, Charters and KIPP.
Congress Heights on the Rise on the proposed school closings
Susie's Budget and Policy Corner also on school closure and the consolidation proposal

Three elementary schools closing proposed

2009-02-16T23:07:00.000-05:00

DCPS is proposing that three elementary schools, Birney, Draper and Webb elementary, be closed at the conclusion of this school year.

Officials said Savoy and Wheatley are being renovated to U.S. Green Building Council standards, creating healthier environments for children. They also said the consolidation of Savoy and Birney, which share a building but have separate principals and faculty, will reduce duplication and not significantly affect students.

Draper, on Wahler Place SE, has only 84 students in pre-K through sixth grade, and its enrollment is projected to be lower next year. Its second and third floors are occupied by a public charter school, Achievement Preparatory Academy, that offers grades 4 through 8.

The plan calls for Draper students to move to Ferebee-Hope Elementary on Eighth Street SE, where officials said they would have access to a more comprehensive program unavailable at the smaller school. Ferebee-Hope has 271 students, but its capacity is 521.

BBC on Washington schools

2009-02-16T22:59:00.001-05:00

The BBC has an article and video piece about the state of DCPS.

Rhee to speak at CPAC?

2009-02-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

Apparently DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee has been invited to speak at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference. I have not heard if the Chancellor has accepted the invitation.

Re-Imaged Eastern plans meet skepticism

2009-02-16T22:51:00.000-05:00

DCPS has ambitious plans for the soon-to-be-closed Eastern High School, including reopening the school as a series of specialized "academies" is being met by a healthy does of skepticism by parents and alumni of the school.

D.C. officials unveiled their proposal last night to convert Eastern High School into specialized "academies" focused on health sciences and pre-law. But the reaction from parents, staff and alumni, hardened by years of abortive reform efforts, ranged from noncommittal to hostile.

The District is gradually phasing out the current incarnation of Eastern, one of 10 District high schools under a federal mandate to overhaul its programs because of consistently poor academic performance. The school is closed to ninth-graders this year, and DCPS plans to re-open with a redesigned building and rebooted curriculum in the fall of 2010.

DCPS envisions the reconstituted Eastern as a community of smaller academies, one focused on health sciences--including both pre-med courses and careers in the health industry--and another possibly specializing in law, government and international policy.

Rhee interviewed in the Examiner

2009-02-16T22:42:00.002-05:00

The DC Examiner has an interview with DCPS Chancellor Rhee.

Union's take on WTU/DCPS negotiations

2009-02-16T22:39:00.000-05:00

Alexander Russo at Scholastic's This Week in Education blog took notes at a talk given by Rob Weil, the ATF's Deputy Director of Education Issues, at last week's Yale School of Management education conference. Part of Weil's talk touched on the ongoing WTU/DCPS contract negotiations.

About the Washington DC negotiations, Weil said: Only in a few places, like DC, can tenure be part of the discussion since tenure is usually defined at the state level. What makes the Rhee proposal unusual is that it divides teachers with the same status into two different groups in terms of pay and tenure. Randi Weingarten's "everything on the table" speech at the National Press Club opened up the discussion of tenure, but didn't concede it. Chancellor Rhee has not responded to the counter-proposal put forth by the DCTU, which Weil describes as "extremely progressive" in addressing many of the issues raised by Rhee in a recent Washington Post story. The full text of the Rhee proposal and the DCTU proposal are not publicly available. It is standard procedure not to bring a contract proposal up for a vote until the negotiators have reached a tentative agreement.

16 arrested for fight at Cardozo

2009-02-10T21:11:00.008-05:00

Sixteen students were arrested and more than a dozen students, one seriously, after a lunchtime fight at Cardozo high school.

Authorities said that most of the injuries were minor but that one student, a 17-year-old male, suffered a head injury during a fall and was knocked unconscious. They said the youth was taken by ambulance to Howard University Hospital and regained consciousness on the way.

Alan Etter, a spokesman for the D.C. fire department, said that about 15 students complained of injuries and that five were treated at hospitals.

"Basically it was a huge brawl going on in the cafeteria, and we had to evacuate the hallways," said Laneisha McCauley, a ninth-grader at the 816-student school in the Columbia Heights area of Northwest Washington. "I thought it was ridiculous. Crazy."

Rhee's OpEd in the Post

2009-02-10T00:21:00.003-05:00

DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee has an op-ed in today's Washington Post: The Toughest Job.

DCPS ranks 46th in country in AP performace

2009-02-09T22:54:00.015-05:00

In their latest AP Report to the Nation which ranks states by the performance of their public school students on the Advance Placement tests. DC ranked 45th out of 51, with 6.9% of DCPS students receiving a 3 or higher on an AP test. This represents a bump of 1.2% over last year's number (5.7%) but is still down from 8.7% in 2003. Maryland ranked first in the report. Virginia ranked third. The Washington Times has an article about the report here.

Mark Lerner writing for the Examiner

2009-02-09T22:42:00.007-05:00

Local charter school advocate, blogger and all round good guy Mark Lerner has a new gig. He's the Examiner's DC Charter Schools Examiner. Congrats Mark!

Obama visits Capital City charter, praises system

2009-02-09T22:23:00.020-05:00

Last week President Obama and his wife visited the Capital City Public Charter School and heaped praise on the school, promoting it as a model for successful schools nationwide.

President Obama called Capital City "innovative" and spoke of "rewarding innovation" as a means to improve the performance of schools nationwide. Head of School Karen Dresden has embraced innovation from day one. "We definitely use innovative structures and teaching practices to ensure that all students are learning and making progress and that our school is a strong and supportive community," she said. "Our Expeditionary Learning model engages students in rigorous learning and provides opportunities to apply knowledge to real-world situations."

The visit came during a rough period of his nascent administration involving withdrawn confirmations.

NYT columnist columnist Maureen Dowd likened the visit among the turmoil to Bush's "My Pet Goat" moment.

DCPS finances upgraded from "Dead" to "Mostly Dead"

2009-02-09T22:19:00.005-05:00

In Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi's report to the City Council about the state of the District's finances it was reported that DC's Public School system's rating was upgraded from material weakness to "significant deficiency," which is apparently an improvement.

WTU submits contract counter proposal to DCPS

2009-02-08T23:50:00.026-05:00

The Washington Teachers Union, the 4,000+ DCPS teachers' collective bargaining representation, has submitted to DCPS a counter proposal to Rhee's "Plan A". Here's the letter sent by WTU president George Parker to his members announcing the proposal and listing its highlights.

HIGHLIGHTS
The current teacher contract proposal presented by the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) is designed to support the overarching goals of the DCPS five year education plan.
The proposal draws successful, collaborative contracts from across the region and nation.
The WTU's proposal takes a comprehensive approach to addressing the serious issues facing the students in DC's Public Schools, drawing from successful education strategies used in cities like New York, Miami and Chicago.
Key provisions of the WTU proposal include:
Providing teachers with the support and training they need to do their best work, such as high quality job-embedded professional development and induction programs for new teachers;
Ensuring DC's students are taught by the most effective teachers by providing WTU/DCPS Teacher Centers and strengthening teacher evaluations, accountability and support;
Recruiting and retaining great teachers for DC's schools by increasing base salaries, creating school-wide financial incentives and career latter programs;
Improving school conditions, by ensuring optimum resources in every classroom; supporting the District's efforts to overhaul special education; and research-based practices and services aimed at boosting student achievement in the lowest-performing schools; and
Implementing a strong discipline and safety program that includes consistent monitoring, enforcement and proactive intervention.
The provisions in the WTU's proposal stress the importance of accountability, collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders, essential characteristics of any successful school district.

Reactions from

The Post
Harry Potter and the Urban School Nightmare
The American Prospect's Tapped blog

DCPS: "No field trips, we're studying for tests"

2009-02-08T23:35:00.011-05:00

Although not mandated from the central office it appears that, for the second year in a row, DCPS middle and high school students can expect to stay firmly planted in their classrooms between now and the administration of their standardized text. Field trips are out; cramming for tests is in. Marc Fisher over at the Post notes how this is keeping students from attending such events as Ford's Theatre's celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday.

DCPS pre-K and Out-of-Boundary enrollment begins

2009-02-08T23:21:00.036-05:00

Sorry for the unexpected week off; I had more business travel that also came with a truly brutal illness that hit right in the middle of it all.

Anyhoo, pre-K and out-of-boundary enrollment for DCPS began on Jan 29th. Here's the announcement from DCPS.

DC Public Schools Announces Start of 2009/2010 Out-of-Boundary Enrollment Process
Administration makes more options available for DC families, centralizes lottery process

WASHINGTON, DC – This week District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) began distributing letters to families announcing the start of the 2009/2010 Out-of-Boundary Enrollment Process. This process provides families the option to apply to have their child attend a school other than the school(s) assigned to them.

Yesterday, DCPS began accepting applications online at www.k12.dc.us/options and in person at every school. The last day for submissions is March 13, and the out-of-boundary enrollment
lottery will be held on March 18.

This year will be the first time all lotteries are conducted centrally to improve transparency and ensure that each school has the same standards for fairness and efficiency. As DCPS continues to make critical systematic improvements, the enrollment process will ensure that families have the opportunity to send their children to schools that meet their needs and that have the resources to deliver an excellent education.

"School choice is a vital part of empowering parents to advocate for their child’s success," said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. "This reform effort is ultimately about guaranteeing that every single school is a viable option, regardless of ward or grades served."

Changes to this year’s Out-of-Boundary process include:
More options for every child in the District
A longer application period allowing parents more time to weigh their options
Parents can now apply for up to five out-of-boundary schools
A centralized lottery process for all schools, which will be random selection not first come first serve, thus parents can take advantage of the full application period ending on March 13
Students who attend an out-of-boundary school currently will, as of 2009/2010, have a right to attend the school into which their current DCPS school feeds, previously students only had a preference to attend the school and had to re-apply through the out-of-boundary process
“We are creating a system of schools designed to provide a seamless path from Pre-K through 12th grade,” said Chancellor Michelle Rhee. “This administration is not satisfied with just pockets of excellence, we want District parents to view DCPS as the best option for their child regardless of their zip code.”

In addition to the Out-of-boundary process, applications for pre-kindergarten and pre-school can also be submitted between January 28, 2009 and March 13, 2009 through the DCPS website or at each school. If a school has more applicants than available slots, it will participate in the random selection lottery on March 18.

For additional information, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions parents can visit www.k12.dc.us/options, contact their child’s school directly or call the DCPS Critical Response Team at (202) 442-5885.

The DCPS website also has letters about enrollment and out-of-boundary issues from each of their schools here.

Bobb update

2009-02-02T18:52:00.002-05:00

The Detroit Free press has a profile of Robert Bobb, Detroit's newest federal manager.

Paper trail around Janney modernization delay

2009-02-02T18:46:00.003-05:00

The Tenleytown RFP has a great post up regarding the push back of the modernization and expansion of Janney Elementary School's facilities from starting in 2010, near the front of the facility upgrade queue, out to 2014 near the end of the queue.

Yu Ying Charter profiled at WTOP

2009-02-02T18:34:00.004-05:00

WTOP has both a print and a video profile of the first year Chinese language immersion Yu Ying Charter School.

Interesting internship for DC students

2009-02-01T01:37:00.015-05:00

From Casey Trees:

I am pleased to announce that Casey Trees is offering a paid internship for DC high school students this summer. The 8 week internship will provide training and education in the field of urban forestry. Students will maintain trees in the city and work outdoors for the majority of the program and will also enjoy various field trips and professional development activities.

Qualifications for the internship are:

Be a resident of the District of Columbia currently enrolled in a DC high school.
Be 16 or older.
Have a motivation to learn.
Have a demonstrated interest in DC’s environment.
Show a willingness to represent Casey Trees as a professional in conduct and appearance.
Have a strong work ethic and the physical ability to work hard outdoors in all weather conditions, including rain and heat.
Show a willingness to work with a variety of landscaping tools and equipment.
Complete an application with two references supporting qualifications for the job.

Application can be downloaded here.

[hat tip: Christina Escobar at Casey Trees]