Posts by Natalie Wexler — Contributor
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Does Ward 3 need a charter middle school, or can Hardy transform itself?
Hardy Middle School, long shunned by families in its Ward 3 neighborhood, is beginning to change, say at least two candidates for the Ward 3 seat on the State Board of Education (SBOE). But another candidate says it’s time to start a new charter middle school in the area. Almost 90% of the students at Hardy, in Georgetown, come from outside the school’s boundaries. Keep reading…
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Innovations at Dunbar High School have sparked progress, but there’s still a lot of student churn
Last week, Dunbar High School celebrated a dramatic rise in test scores with a pep rally featuring some of its alumni, including Mayor Vincent Gray. Other troubled DC high schools could learn something from Dunbar’s experience, but student churn is still a problem. Dunbar, located in Truxton Circle near Union Station, was an elite black high school in the era of segregation. Keep reading…
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Charter schools sue for more funding, and the result could be a setback for home rule
A group of charter schools claims the DC government spends about $2,000 less per student on the charter sector than on DC Public Schools each year, in violation of federal law. Opponents say that requiring strict equality in funding between the sectors makes no sense. But if a federal court buys the charters’ legal argument, its decision could have far-reaching implications… Keep reading…
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Education activists urge DC mayoral candidates to commit to improving neighborhood schools
A coalition of DC education activists says we should strengthen the system of neighborhood by-right schools, and require coordinated planning between District of Columbia Public Schools and DC’s public charter sector. The coalition has released six principles it hopes will provide a basis for discussion during the current election season. Over 60 DC residents have… Keep reading…
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We have good data about DC’s low graduation rate, but little idea how to increase it
Given current trends, 40% of DC’s 9th-graders won’t graduate from high school on time. A new report gives us a lot of data about what lies behind that figure. Now the question is how policy-makers can use that data to improve the situation. The report, released last week by a public-private partnership called Raise DC, reveals that a student’s characteristics… Keep reading…
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Bowser remains vague on education plans, but clearly hopes Henderson will stay
Front-running mayoral candidate Muriel Bowser has released a more fleshed-out education platform, but it’s still short on specifics. And it seems to put a lot of faith in a hoped-for collaboration with the current DC Public Schools Chancellor. Bowser has abandoned her flimsy “Deal for All” education platform, which promised to replicate Ward 3’s… Keep reading…
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No more teaching to the test: Some DC teachers adopt a technique that gets students to think deeply
Has education become too focused on test scores? Do we need an approach aimed at getting students to think analytically rather than memorize facts? A growing number of educators from a variety of DC schools think so, and they’re changing the way they teach. For the past two years, a group of DC teachers has been meeting regularly to learn about something called Project… Keep reading…
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School quality is the issue, says Catania. But his platform may not improve it.
Mayoral candidate David Catania has laid out his vision for a key issue in the race, education. Building on the education-related legislation he has introduced as a DC Councilmember, Catania calls for strong measures to improve school quality, reduce the achievement gap between black and white students, and strengthen special education services. Catania identifies the… Keep reading…
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Shifting DC school boundaries promises real change
With education set to be a pivotal issue in the D.C. mayor’s race, both of the leading candidates have rejected a plan to redraw school boundaries and feeder patterns. They argue that changing boundaries before improving school quality will drive middle-class families out of the system. But it may be that the best way to improve quality and retain middle-class families is to… Keep reading…
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Carol Schwartz bids to become the education mayor
Carol Schwartz has produced a detailed, thoughtful platform on a key issue in the DC mayoral race, education. It’s unlikely to be enough to propel her long-shot campaign to victory, but right now her position is the one most likely to ensure stability in DC Public Schools. Schwartz, a former at-large DC Councilmember, has some good ideas about things like lessening the… Keep reading…