Posts tagged Charter Schools
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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…
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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…
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Morning Bell: Another DCPS high school will get a dazzling new building
A new Ballou: DC officials celebrated the topping-out of the high school’s new building in Southeast DC, which will cost $142 million and feature a dazzling array of amenities. Ballou, which currently enrolls only half the number of students the new building is designed for, is the latest in a string of DCPS high school modernizations. (Post)… Keep reading…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Breakfast links: Bills, bills, bills
Marijuana bill blossoms; Primary results; Dead zebras; BIDs on roads; Charter school “cannibalism”?; Another blow; Spinning wheels; Maglev merits; And…. Keep reading…
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Morning bell: DCPS responds to competition from charters
Knocking on students’ doors: DCPS is sending principals door-to-door to boost enrollment, with training provided by political campaign experts. (Post) Not enough coordination?: A new science-oriented charter school will open this fall across the street from a DCPS school with the same focus, leading DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson to call for joint planning between… Keep reading…
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Morning bell: New boundary proposals raise a host of questions
Boundaries and school quality: At the first of 3 meetings on the new student assignment proposals, parents from east of the Anacostia River voiced concerns about being relegated to the District’s lower-performing schools. (Post) New middle schools?: The proposals call for 4 new middle schools and major changes in assignment patterns at that grade level, but it’s… Keep reading…