Posts tagged Charter Schools
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Morning bell: A proliferation of plans to help families pay for college
DC Council tentatively approves college aid proposal: The vote came on Councilmember David Catania’s plan to provide “Promise” scholarships for lower-income DC students. Some, including the Washington Post editorial board, fear that the program could jeopardize federal funds for a similar initiative, DC TAG. Post reporter Emma Brown delved into the details… Keep reading…
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Worried about redrawing school boundaries? Why not try controlled choice zones instead?
DC Councilmembers voiced anxiety about an impending change in school boundaries at a hearing last week. But instead of redrawing boundaries, maybe we should replace them with school choice zones. Three education policy analysts recently penned an op-ed in the Washington Post calling for “controlled choice zones” in parts of DC. They suggested that in… Keep reading…
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What’s the best way to use technology in the classroom? One new charter seems to have figured it out
A new charter school in Ward 8 is engaging young children through “blended learning,” which mixes traditional classroom methods and technology. Critics have charged that blended learning is simply a sneaky way of reducing teacher headcounts and thus easing stretched budgets. But at Ingenuity Prep, which opened this year in the Bellevue neighborhood of… Keep reading…
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What Kaya Henderson really said about middle schools, and why it makes sense
Some have criticized DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson for reported remarks that the school system should “outsource” middle schools to charters. Here’s what she really said, which happens to be something that’s well worth considering. Middle schools have been the subject of much debate, not just in DC and not just in recent weeks. We’ll take… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Many DC residents are giving the mayor a thumbs down on school quality. Will a new official help?
Most DC residents give low ratings to public schools: Approval ratings have doubled since the mid-1990s, but a Washington Post poll shows that only 38% think Mayor Vincent Gray has done a “good” or “excellent” job improving DC’s schools. Former school official named to head DCPS effort to improve secondary schools: Former Interim State Superintendent… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Should centrally located Dunbar become a selective DCPS high school?
Dunbar High School group has been working on a plan to revive school’s glory: A group of parents and alumni at the struggling Truxton Circle school have been working on a proposal to give the school more autonomy. That could include greater control over which students can attend. (Post) One parent might applaud the change: A DCPS parent says schools that draw students from… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Mistakes have been made
Some DC teachers got erroneous evaluations: DCPS revealed that 44 teachers received evaluations based on a mistaken calculation of the “value” they had added, as reflected in their students’ test scores. Half were rated too highly, and the other half too low. (Post) More troubles at charter school: New court filings allege that a former senior official… Keep reading…
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Three linchpins of education reform
What’s the one thing we need to do to make the District’s public schools great? There is no one thing. We need to do many things, all important and many interconnected. But there are three things on which we should focus, starting now. Keep reading…
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Morning bell: Some teachers get an F at forum
Partisan crowd gives Gray a hard time: At a forum for mayoral candidates sponsored by the Washington Teachers Union (WTU), Mayor Vincent Gray faced hostile questions about school closures, teacher evaluations, and an emphasis on test scores. He got boos, while other candidates drew cheers for opposing some of those policies. (Post) And the media give teachers a scolding: … Keep reading…
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New reports compare DCPS and charters
DC’s education agencies have joined forces to produce a set of reports that make it easier to compare DCPS and charter schools. The new data include figures on special education students, suspensions, expulsions, and mobility during the last school year. The DC School Equity Reports, funded by the NewSchools Venture Fund, could help answer questions that until now have… Keep reading…