“When we have principals who are not letting kids back into school, what are we doing with those principals? It’s not my place to try to get someone fired, but someone has to hold our school staff accountable whenever children are kept from learning.” --Ombudsman for Public Education Joyanna Smith, about minute 54 of the … Continue reading No Comment

The title above is only one question in a litany that I (and probably loads of other people) have in the wake of a recently reported letter (see below) from the DC inspector general (IG) to the council, saying that the IG determined that former DCPS chancellor Kaya Henderson had given “preferential treatment” to DC … Continue reading So, Can We Have An Audit of the Lottery Now?

Pace T. S. Eliot: in the wake of spring break and council hearings and PARCC, we in DC have what appears to be strange bedfellows and disturbing noises--including rodents and inequity--in regard to our public schools. At budget hearings this week, for instance, the DC city council heard loud and clear common concerns around DC public … Continue reading April IS the Cruelest Month

Tomorrow, Friday April 14, two new working groups of the cross sector task force will be meeting via phone to discuss at risk issues and school facilities. You can call in to hear the hour-long discussions (but not participate): At risk issues working group: 11 am Facilities working group: 12:30 pm Conference call number: 515-604-9300 … Continue reading Call Tomorrow for At Risk Issues and School Facilities

Now that the mayor has released her proposed budget for FY18, the city council will be holding budget hearings for all agencies involved in education and school-related issues on the following days (also highlighted in the calendar on the right): Deputy mayor for health and human services (oversees all health professionals in DC public schools): … Continue reading Let’s Talk Money

So, this is happening now, at DC’s public schools: --Parents threatened with deportation. --Parents late to pick up kids because of immigration officials at their door. --Immigration officials visiting metro stations during school drop off and pick up. --Student attendance dropping as a result of fear. As you may recall, in February Teaching for Change … Continue reading Protecting DC’s Immigrant Students

Last summer, for a short beach vacation, my family stayed at a hotel outside Atlantic City, NJ. Though blissfully dog-friendly, the hotel was surrounded by highways, so every morning I got up early, loaded dog in car, and drove to a nearby residential neighborhood with sidewalks for hours of exercise. Those neighborhoods my dog and … Continue reading Taxi Totalitarianism & Casino Choice