Posts tagged Education
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Montgomery County says no new homes in Silver Spring because the schools are full
For decades, school planners assumed that families would move out to the suburbs once they had kids, and made projections for where and how to build new schools based on that. But as that trend begins to shift, Montgomery County is finding school enrollment harder to predict, which creates new challenges in and out of the classroom. Keep reading…
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These 10 DC schools are making big gains with at-risk students. Why aren’t they more popular?
When test scores are announced in the District of Columbia, some public schools are high-fliers every year. They’re the schools that families clamor to get into, and they tend to be in the city’s most affluent neighborhoods, where students come to school with loads of advantages. However, there are other high-achieving schools that we should be paying attention to. Keep reading…
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Why urbanists should be enthusiastic about urban agriculture
Urban agriculture aims to eradicate food insecurity in cities, foster community, and otherwise contribute to the well-being of residents — all things urbanists seek. There are a dozen or so farms and more than 100 school gardens in and around DC, and research indicates they can have a surprisingly large benefit to residents’ quality of life. Keep reading…
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Are bad boundaries spurring inequality in Montgomery schools?
Montgomery County public schools have been growing at an incredible rate and show no sign of abating. Instead of adjusting boundaries to allow a more equal distribution of students, the county is building additions in its over-capacity and less-wealthy schools. Keep reading…
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School choice can mean trade-offs for families, like an early trek across the city
DC is one of many cities that have expanded school choice options in recent years, through policies such as inter- and intradistrict choice, the growth of charter schools, and tax credit scholarships or vouchers for private schools. But new choices can also mean trade-offs for families, and the school that best meets a family's needs might be on the other side of town. Keep reading…
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Meet two of the driving forces behind urban gardening in DC
When most people think about DC, farming is probably not the first thing that comes to mind — nonetheless, urban agriculture is thriving in DC and throughout the region. To learn more about local efforts, I spoke with the coordinators of two DC gardens, Noyes Park Community Garden and Ferebee Hope Garden. Keep reading…
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DC’s old school and church buildings are getting a new life
We should applaud projects that aim to repurpose closed churches and schools for the benefit of the larger community, and recognize that such efforts can take many forms. Keep reading…
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This video shows you how to pick a good school
Websites and rankings can only tell you so much. If you're curious about a school, schedule a visit, meet with the principal, or talk to neighbors whose kids attend. Keep reading…
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Why trade play space for parking when both are possible?
Many of DC’s elementary and middle schools have both fewer parking spaces than a work site of their size would often have, and less play space per student than experts recommend. However, there is a mutually beneficial solution. Keep reading…
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Washington residents can get a library card almost anywhere in the region
Many of the library systems in the Washington region allow residents of other jurisdictions to get a library card without paying a non-resident fee. This is usually done in the form of reciprocal agreements between two library systems, allowing residents of either system's jurisdiction to use the libraries in the other system. Keep reading…