Posts by Natalie Wexler — Contributor
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Can “restart” turn around low-performing charter schools?
When a traditional public school is failing, officials often decide to apply a turnaround strategy rather than to close it. Is it time to apply a similar approach to failing charter schools? With 43% of its public school students enrolled in charter schools, DC has the largest charter sector outside of New Orleans. But the quality of those charter schools varies greatly, with… Keep reading…
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DCPS middle school tries a new way of teaching math
Can a blend of computerized and traditional teacher-led instruction give students a better educational experience? Hart Middle School in Congress Heights is trying to find out. Math class at Hart is looking different these days. Instead of 25 or 30 kids seated at desks or grouped around tables in a classroom, scribbling in worksheets or tracking the teacher, nearly 200 students… Keep reading…
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Why many DCPS students can’t write
Many DCPS high school students have trouble writing a grammatically correct sentence, let alone a cogent essay. If they can’t write, how will they fare in college? Or in life? For the past few months, I’ve been a volunteer writing tutor at a DCPS high school, working with 4 students selected by the school for their motivation and their promise. I wanted to help these… Keep reading…
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Eastern High School tries to reinvent itself with IB program
Eastern High School’s slogan is “The Pride of Capitol Hill,” but much of its student body doesn’t actually live in the neighborhood. This fall the school will begin offering the rigorous International Baccalaureate program, which it hopes will both benefit its current students and also attract more families who live nearby, including more affluent… Keep reading…
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Let’s not blow the “cheating scandal” out of proportion
This is one half of a point-counterpoint about recent revelations over cheating on DC standardized tests at DCPS and charter schools. read the other view, by Ken Archer. Of course teachers shouldn’t cheat on standardized tests that measure student performance. But let’s keep the allegations and findings about cheating in DC schools in perspective. The media… Keep reading…
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DCPS gets all its teacher evaluators on the same page
In an effort to build confidence in its teacher evaluation system, DCPS has launched a program that uses videos to ensure that its various evaluators are scoring teachers consistently. As part of the IMPACT evaluation system introduced by former Chancellor Michelle Rhee, teachers are observed in their classrooms up to 5 times a year. Sometimes a principal or assistant principal… Keep reading…
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Raise DC tries to bring coherence to education chaos
DC is up to its ears in nonprofits and governmental agencies focusing on children and youth, some of them duplicating efforts and others even working at cross-purposes. A new initiative called Raise DC is trying to bring some order to this chaos, and to produce better results. The seed for Raise DC was planted in 2011, when a group of community leaders came to Mayor Vincent Gray with… Keep reading…