Posts by Natalie Wexler — Contributor
-
Morning bell: Transparency, ethics, and a space crunch in the charter sector
Charter management scrutiny: Some charters have contracts with outside management companies that aren’t transparent enough to ensure the schools are operating appropriately, according to the Public Charter School Board (PCSB). (Post) Keep reading…
-
One charter pleads for the right to give neighborhood kids a preference in admissions, with Henderson’s apparent support
Should some charter schools be able to decide for themselves whether to give a preference to applicants who live in their neighborhood? The leaders of at least one DC charter think so, and the DCPS Chancellor seems to agree. At a DC Council hearing last month on proposed new boundaries and feeder patterns, two top officials at a highly ranked charter school in Ward 8 pleaded for a… Keep reading…
-
Morning bell: Summertime brings sleepy elections and losses in learning
A new face on the DC State Board of Education: Only 3% of eligible voters turned out for Tuesday’s special election for the vacant Ward 8 seat. But that was enough for Tierra Jolly, who won with 704 votes. (Post) Keep reading…
-
The DCPS-charter relationship is getting heated in this education “hot spot”
An op ed in the Washington Post on Sunday said the balance between the DCPS and charter sectors resembles a “thoughtful weave of charters and traditional schools.” It’s not clear many others would agree. Richard Whitmire, the author of a biography of former DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee and a recent book on the Rocketship network of charter schools, dubbed… Keep reading…
-
Morning bell: Report on school discipline prompts legislation and yields some surprises
Ease up on preschoolers: Reacting to a recent report on school discipline from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, DC Councilmember David Grosso introduced a bill that would prohibit DCPS and charter schools from expelling or suspending pre-kindergarteners. (Post) Keep reading…
-
Morning bell: Progress and delay on the special education front
Special ed legislation advances: The DC Council’s Education Committee unanimously approved legislation that would speed the delivery of services to children with disabilities. The full council will vote on it in the fall. (Post) Keep reading…
-
Morning bell: Do DC’s test results paint too rosy a picture?
No real progress?: Critics charge that the apparent rise in DC’s standardized test scores is the result of manipulation of the data, and that the improvement reflects an influx of wealthier students. DC officials disagree. (Post) Keep reading…
-
DC’s cooperative play programs for toddlers can’t keep up with parent demand
There’s a huge demand for the cooperative play programs operated by DC’s Department of Parks and Recreation. DPR will open 4 additional programs this fall and plans to add more in the future, but officials say there’s a limit to how much they can do to accommodate the many parents who want to participate. Prompted by the urging of the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood… Keep reading…
-
Morning bell: New charter school says its only option was to locate near a DCPS school
No Harmony here: DCPS is upset because the Harmony School of Excellence-DC, a new science-themed charter school, will open across the street from Langley Elementary, which has a similar focus. But, echoing a familiar charter complaint, Harmony’s founder says he couldn’t find any other suitable location. (Examiner) More Hispanic kindergarteners: Between… Keep reading…
-
Morning bell: Would joint planning by DCPS and the charter sector help or hurt DC schools?
What’s behind the conflict: Two DC education reporters and Deputy Mayor for Education Abigail Smith discuss DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s call for more coordinated planning between the charter and traditional public school sectors, and the resistance mounted by some charter advocates. (WAMU) Maryland educators oppose delaying school start date: Three… Keep reading…