[Ed. Note: Herein is a cross posting around recent essays by DCPS parents Allyson Criner Brown and Emily Roderer (via DC Line) and DCPS budget analyst Mary Levy (via C4DC). Together, their essays outline how DCPS can be saved from itself and the ministrations of political entities. Of course, whether DCPS will be saved is … Continue reading Saving DCPS From Itself

--On November 16, DCPS is holding its annual (mandated) budget meeting; sign up is here. Per history, expect a tightly controlled official narrative; limited testimony with no official response; and finishing within seconds of the announced ending. ---Here is a helpful list of school-based mental health providers, by school, from the DC department of behavioral … Continue reading A Round-Up Of Recent News That Should Influence DC Voters (But Probably Won’t)

In late October, the DC Council marked-up the Safe Streets for Students bill, B24-0066. It would create an office of safe passage to monitor conditions and promote safe passage; provide for more crossing guards; and ensure a master plan for safe routes and passage for school kids over 5 years. A vote is expected before … Continue reading Unsafe Passages: A History Of Inaction & Photo Essay

This past week, after more than a month, DCPS ended holding public feedback sessions on its strategic plan. The only hitch: There is no strategic plan. For sure, there were good questions asked of participants at the virtual session I attended, on October 1—and the slide deck presented at my session articulated goals as well … Continue reading DCPS Strategery (Now, With Council Assistance!)

[Ed. Note: The following editorial, to save legislation that would ensure all DCPS schools have librarians henceforward, is by long-time DCPS libraries activist Peter MacPherson.] By Peter MacPherson For reasons that cannot sustain even modest scrutiny, DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson has shown no interest in helping DCPS school librarians.  Worse, he is actively preventing … Continue reading Come On, DC: Save Our School Librarians!

Yesterday, at large council member Christina Henderson, along with council chair Phil Mendelson, introduced legislation that would, literally, only change one term in existing law, from “2022-2023” to “2023-2024.” In so doing, the council member is proposing to throw out her own legislation, which required all DC school students 12 and up to get vaccinated … Continue reading Covid 1984

This coming Saturday, October 22, at 10 am, be sure to join DCPS librarians at a read-in at our city hall, the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW), to protest the DC council not passing legislation that would provide a librarian for every DCPS school. Specifically, the Students' Right to Read Amendment act is in … Continue reading Support Librarians This Saturday, October 22, 10 AM

[Ed. Note: On September 27, the DC Council held a hearing on a resolution regarding the need for a large addition to Stoddert Elementary as well as overcrowding of schools in Ward 3. The hearing had a number of public witnesses as well as government witnesses--but the only council member in attendance was the chair … Continue reading The Coming Storm Of Expanding Ward 3’s Schools

--DCPS is holding strategic planning meetings; sign up is here. (Fun fact: When searching for more information about this, I found a press release for DCPS’s strategic planning . . . from 2012.) --On November 2, the DC council will hold a hearing for a bill on expedited background checks for teachers. More information is … Continue reading In Case You Missed It (Now, With Graphs!)

[Ed. Note: On September 16, the DC Council heard testimony on a revision of the Schools First In Budgeting act. Introduced back in December 2021, the bill had a public hearing in January 2022--after which followed months of silence. The bill was one of a pair that council chair Phil Mendelson had introduced to address … Continue reading Ignoring The $1 Billion Elephant In The Budget Room