Posts tagged Education
-
“What’s a white bitch like you doing in a school like this?”
That was the first interview question I remember being asked for the first job I would accept as a high school teacher. Ten years after that interview, my willingness to put up with the indignities of being a teacher in some of DC’s toughest schools has worn me down and pushed me away from the profession. I would never exchange the ten years I have spent in the classroom for anything else, but I must admit that, for me, the burden of teaching has finally caught up with me. Keep reading…
-
School drop-off zones can be total madhouses. How do we solve that problem?
Dropping off and picking up kids from school can entail navigating a messy labyrinth of parked and moving cars, running kids, bicyclists, and opening car doors. To alleviate the chaos, some schools have implemented strict drop-off policies or worked to promote walking and bicycling. Not all of those solutions works everywhere, though, and as schools work to find solutions, many are dealing with increasing numbers of parents who drive their children to school. Keep reading…
-
DC is about to blow its chance to make schools more than tests
What gets tested, it’s said, gets taught—and by the same token, what doesn’t get tested gets ignored. Just look at how the school curriculum has shriveled since the advent of high-stakes testing in reading and math fifteen years ago. Now DC has a chance to reverse some of that unintended damage. And it’s about to blow that chance. Keep reading…
-
This is what school buses looked like in 1934
If you were an elementary school student the 1930s, this Dodge school bus might have been your ride. Keep reading…
-
Breakfast Links: Glitches stop switches and cause transit hitches
Metro's entire system faced delays Thursday morning due to an IT glitch that caused the Rail Operations Control Center to lose contact with track switches. Will a new middle school entice more Ward 4 residents to stay in the District? A new study examines whether mayors actually back up public statements about addressing inequality with programs. Keep reading…
-
The economics of school performance in the Washington region
In the US, it’s typically the case that high schools with higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students have lower rankings, and fewer kids who attend them come out ready for college. Our region's schools in Virginia and Maryland largely follow this trend, but in DC, the numbers look a little different. Keep reading…
-
Why aren’t more colleges using Metro’s discount student pass program?
In February 2016, WMATA approved its University Ride Pass program, which allows college students to take unlimited rides on Metrorail and Metrobus for $1 a day at participating schools. But colleges aren’t lining up for the deal the way you might expect. Keep reading…
-
DC provides pre-K education, but you still have to use a lottery system to get your child in. Here’s how it works.
DC’s public school system guarantees pre-kindergarten education for all three and four-year olds. But to enroll their children, families have to apply for a seat through a lottery system. And unlike Kindergarten and beyond, children don’t always get to go to the school closest to them. Here’s how the lottery works, and some tips on how to navigate it. Keep reading…
-
2016’s greatest hits: Race is a huge indicator of who has a college degree in DC
One of FiveThirtyEight’s great interactive features looks at voters in different groups (college educated whites, Hispanics, etc.) and their effect on the Electoral College. One part graphs each group and its prevalence in various states. Keep reading…
-
DC’s public schools have a new leader. As a parent, here’s my take.
As a parent of a child just entering DC Public Schools the system, I’m keen to pay attention to the administration and politics that will shape not just my daughter’s education, but also that of the 118,000+ kids that attend District schools. DCPS just got a new chancellor, and while there’s been controversy around the pick, I see reason to think he’ll be successful— and to support him in those efforts. Keep reading…