Morning bell: What to do when the snow falls

Differing views on snow days: Some parents in the DC area feel that schools close down more often than they should, and some in Loudoun were particularly upset when the county canceled classes for an entire week that included midterm exams. But a Harvard study says that weather-related shutdowns may actually be better than the alternative in terms of effects on academic achievement. (Post, WBUR-Boston)

And local school districts have different ways of making up the lost time: Fairfax will hold classes on days that were scheduled as holidays, while DCPS will add two days at the end of the school year. Other districts (including Loudoun) have extra time built into the schedule and won’t need to add days to meet state-mandated minimums. (Post)

DCPS forms task force to study testing: The 27-member task force, composed of DCPS employees, will make recommendations to reduce the time and stress associated with standardized tests. (Post)

Students from troubled charter may have no place to go: The Public Charter School Board is considering closing down Options PCS for financial mismanagement, but officials say DCPS won’t be able to absorb many of its students, who have serious learning and behavior problems. (Post)

And one former principal of the charter admits to defrauding DCPS: Donnie Dukes has plead guilty to overbilling city agencies for busing students with disabilities. The plea apparently came about as a result of Dukes’ cooperation with federal investigators looking into possible criminal charges against Options PCS. (Post)

DC Council likely to pass bill for gender equity in school sports: The bill, introduced by Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, would require DCPS and charter schools to report how much they spend on girls’ and boys’ sports along with other data pointing up possible disparities. (Post)

How can we ensure truly integrated schools?: Three education pundits have advice for the committee redrawing DC boundaries and feeder patterns. (Post)

Teachers union files grievance on evaluation system: After 44 teachers got ratings based on mistaken information, the Washington Teachers Union has filed a class-action grievance with DCPS asking to examine all teacher evaluations that have been done since the IMPACT system was initiated 2009. (Post)

DCPS will evaluate principals differently: In response to complaints about a system that rated over half the principals as below “effective,” officials have decided to decrease the weight given to student achievement measures. (Post)

Bowser stresses middle schools in campaign pitch: Mayoral candidate and DC Councilmember Muriel Bowser says DCPS should make middle schools a priority this year and is calling for capital expenditures to ensure that middle school buildings meet students’ needs. (NW Current)

Arne Duncan gives a shout-out to DC: In a Washington Post op-ed, the Secretary of Education singled out DC (along with Tennessee) as a district where “a succession of leaders [have] told educators, parents and the public the truth about educational underperformance and … worked closely with educators to bring about real changes.”

Local community college enrollment drops: Echoing a national trend, enrollment at Maryland’s two-year public colleges has dropped 6% since 2010. In Virginia, the figure is 3%. The reason seems to be improvement in the economy. (Post)

Upcoming events:

Specialized Instruction Saturday is a DCPS event for parents, with panels on topics including the school lottery, early childhood education, special education, and strategies for helping English language learners. Saturday, February 1 from 10 am to 3 pm at Cardozo Education Campus, 1200 Clifton St NW.