[Update 3/14/17: OSSE's response to all public comment is here, in a document dated March 14.] and it's all good: "Today [Friday March 10], the DC State Board of Education [SBOE] provided the Office of the State Superintendent for Education (OSSE) with ten recommendations for changes to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) draft accountability … Continue reading Woo Hoo! Our State Board of Education Goes There . . .

The other day, I participated in a phone call with several other people regarding the charter school walkability preference proposal. As you may recall, the mayor proposed on January 30 giving elementary-age students a preference in the lottery for charter schools if their by right DCPS schools are more than half a mile away from … Continue reading Dispatches from Planet Pollyanna: Charter School Walkability Edition

On Valentine’s Day, February 14, Teaching For Change, a social justice nonprofit working with DC schools and teachers, sent a letter to the mayor, deputy mayor for education (DME), council, state board of education, and DC attorney general, asking those DC leaders to enact specific and affirmative policies to ensure our DC public schools will … Continue reading Sanctuary in DC: School Edition

So you missed last week's deadline to get your comments in to OSSE on its draft plan to judge our public schools? That’s not exactly surprising, as we DC citizens had a total of 33 days, tops. (Which is actually a few days more than DCPS chancellor Antwan Wilson had.) But you can STILL get a … Continue reading Who Says There Are No Second Acts? Let’s Talk ESSA—And Take A Poll!

If you can spare some time this Monday and Tuesday, please call some members of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee (listed below) and ask them (nicely, politely, but firmly) to oppose Congressman Jason Chaffetz's DC voucher bill. The bill--expected to be introduced tomorrow--will be voted on Wednesday morning. It is expected … Continue reading Got A Phone? Make A Call For DC Public Schools Monday and Tuesday

Tomorrow morning, March 3, starting at 8 am, DCPS teachers will rally at Freedom Plaza (14th and Pennsylvania Ave. NW), in front of DC's city hall, to demand a new contract. After 6 years without pay increases or a contract, DCPS teachers were just offered a contract without retroactive pay and without any say whether … Continue reading No Pay Raises, No Contract? This Time, It’s On Us

[Ed. Note: Below are comments from DCPS teacher David Tansey and DCPS parent Danica Petroshius to our state superintendent of education’s office (OSSE) concerning how federal law to hold our schools accountable, ESSA, will be formulated in our city. OSSE proposes using an 80% weight for test scores. Many parents and teachers have protested this. … Continue reading Inspiration Morning: Weigh In NOW On How DC Should Judge Its Schools

This was just posted on the Open Government DC webpage: "My School DC and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education are holding a public meeting on Monday, March 6 from 6-7:30pm at the Woodridge Library (1801 Hamlin St NE) to discuss the [mayor's] proposed walkability preference for public charter schools. The intent of the … Continue reading Charter School Walkability Preference: Public Meeting 3/6/17

Two DC charter franchisors—KIPP DC and DC Prep—applied in January with the DC public charter school board to create five new schools and almost 4000 new school seats. The charter board will vote on both schools’ plans at its meeting on April 24. (Public comment on both applications is due March 20 and can be … Continue reading Happening Right Now: Proposals for Five New DC Schools–and Almost 4000 New School Seats

Meetings: New DCPS chancellor Antwan Wilson will be holding public meetings in every ward this spring. All meetings are from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm and will have some food and childcare. Here is a flyer with more information. Ward 7: Tuesday, March 7, Ron Brown HS, 4800 Meade Street NE Ward 4: Thursday, March … Continue reading DCPS: Meetings and Money