Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.
“Dear PoPville,
My daughter is a kindergartener at a DC public school. My husband and I went in to drop off snacks for the class, and the teacher asked if we could do her a favor. She said they don’t have enough toilet paper or paper towels. She said that they never have enough. (I guess this shouldn’t have surprised me since the last couple times my daughter needed to use the bathroom when I picked her up, there was no toilet paper to be found.) (more…)
1250 Constitution Ave, NE
Wild. Thanks to Justin for sending. You can see all the plans here.
“Dear PoPville,
Saw what looked like 20 to 30 students fighting from my window. This happened around 3:45pm, yesterday (3/19) afternoon. Considering the proximity, I assume these are Dunbar HS students. This is the second fight I’ve seen here between HS students in as many weeks.
Luckily, the cops showed up almost immediately. At the peak, 4 DCPD cars were pulled up to handle the situation. Saw about 4 students hauled away in handcuffs.”
via DCPS
“Dear PoPville,
Councilmember Todd and I are leading an effort to obtain funding to open the swimming pool at Roosevelt High School for public use. If you are supportive of this effort, there are a few things you can do to help in the next few weeks, as the Council and the mayor determine budget priorities for 2020. The Department of General Services will need funding to construct a separate entrance for the public, and the Department of Parks and Recreation will need funding for staffing. DCPS would not be funding public access, and any public use would be secondary to student uses.
On April 4 and April 5, two relevant committees of the DC Council will be holding hearings about the budget. Details below.
If you want to help, here’s what you can do: (more…)
From a press release:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and University of the District of Columbia President Ronald Mason, Jr. celebrated the launch of the new Institute of Politics, Policy, and History (IPPH). Mayor Bowser and President Ronald Mason, Jr. have asked former Mayor Sharon Pratt to lead the effort to build out the programming for IPPH and to ensure that the institute becomes a stand-alone, self-sustaining entity by October 2019.
“I have called on UDC, the business community, and District leaders to affirm a path to UDC’s ascendance as a first choice two-year and four-year institution for DC’s best and brightest, and I look forward to seeing how this institute plays a role in that work,” said Mayor Bowser. “Through the Institute of Politics, Policy, and History, we can tap into the experiences of our residents, leaders, and communities to give more Washingtonians the opportunity to participate in building a stronger and more inclusive Washington, DC.”
The new nonpartisan institute will provide students extracurricular opportunities to interact with respected practitioners of politics and public policy. In addition, IPPH will introduce students to careers in policy and politics–two economic engines of Washington, DC.
“As the public University in and for the District, we are honored to partner in the establishment of this Institute,” said President Mason. “It offers an opportunity for our students and faculty, as well as the citizens of this community and the nation, to study and celebrate the unique past, present and future of the nation’s capital.”
Through its curriculum, IPPH will provide a focus on the unique history of Washington, DC. The institute will harvest, showcase, and celebrate the many narratives and communities of the District, from the city’s founding through today, with a goal of making the data points within the DC Archives accessible and engaging to contemporary audiences. Additionally, IPPH will engage practitioners of politics and public policy as well as historians to examine the touchstone issues of the day, illuminated with insights from local and national history.
The institute will consist of five programs that will be developed and rolled out between the spring of 2019 and the fall of 2020: (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown
Ed. Note: So about that upside down flag spotted at the Newseum the other day…
Update from the Newseum:
“the Newseum will remain open to the public through 2019.
“We stand ready to continue much of the Newseum’s important work for decades to come — through digital outreach, traveling exhibits, and web-based programs in schools around the world, as well as hopefully in a new physical home in the area.”
From a press release:
“Johns Hopkins University is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement with the Freedom Forum to acquire the property that currently houses the Newseum at 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, D.C., subject to all necessary regulatory approvals.
“Acquiring this iconic property in the heart of the nation’s capital will represent a transformative moment for Johns Hopkins University and place our research and expertise in the midst of national and global decision-making. This new location will allow us to consolidate and expand our Washington, D.C., academic facilities into a single state-of-the-art building – a world-class academic space that can be optimized for current and future research, education and engagement.
“Johns Hopkins’ acquisition of the building also provides financial support for the Freedom Forum’s vitally important First Amendment mission. As a nonprofit academic research institution committed to advancing knowledge and the principles of free expression, Johns Hopkins will continue to use this iconic facility as a home for education, discovery, free and open debate and the preservation and advancement of democratic ideals. Johns Hopkins also is deeply committed to serving and engaging the public, and, at this new facility, we will continue to open the doors of the university for a variety of events and offerings. (more…)
From Council Member Brandon Todd:
“At approximately 10:30 this morning [Tuesday], Metropolitan Police Dept. (MPD) officers responded to reports of a stabbing inside the restroom of E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, located on the 4500 block of Kansas Avenue, NW. MPD Chief Peter Newsham was on-scene this morning and provided the following information:
The 15-year old victim suffered a serious stab wound and has been transported to a local hospital. The victim’s wounds are non-life threatening and he is in stable condition. A 17-year old suspect, another E.L. Haynes student, is in custody. The weapon – a knife – has been recovered. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil
From an email:
“Time to Consider Changing the Name of Woodrow Wilson High School:
Forum and Community Conversation on President Wilson’s Impact on D.C.
February 12, 2019, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
The D.C. History and Justice Collective and the Wilson High School Diversity Task Force invite Wilson students, teachers, staff, alumni and neighbors, and residents of all eight wards to join a forum and community conversation on President Woodrow Wilson’s segregationist legacy in Washington. Is it time to change the school’s name?
President Wilson brought Jim Crow practices to the federal government, firing and demoting black employees who had found a road to advancement in the federal civil service. His racist employment practices decimated the black middle class in Washington in the early 20th century and fired up the segregation in housing and education that has kept many in the black community separate and unequal to this day. (more…)
900 block of Rhode Island Ave, NW
“Dear PoPville,
The Save Shaw Middle School Committee is having another public meeting this Thursday at the Shaw Watha library. We’d really like to get as many folks involved in this process as possible. Thanks!!
Please join us this Thursday, 12/20/18, from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Shaw Library to learn more about the effort to Save Shaw Middle School and what you can do to get involved.
The meeting will be held in the basement meeting room and all are welcome.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Jacques Arsenault
From the Office of the Attorney General:
“Attorney General Karl A. Racine today announced lawsuits against six Maryland parents for falsifying District residency to send their children to District schools for free. In four separate lawsuits, OAG alleges that these non-residents broke District law by sending a total of 10 children to District schools, including in-demand schools like Capitol Hill Montessori and Duke Ellington School of the Arts, without paying required out-of-state tuition. The lawsuits seek nearly $700,000 total in unpaid tuition and damages, and potentially up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties.
“These out-of-state parents cheated District taxpayers and deprived our students of educational opportunities by fraudulently sending their kids to District schools for free,” said AG Racine. “Residency fraud is theft and it is illegal. Parents who lie about residency to avoid paying non-resident tuition at District schools will face serious consequences for breaking the law.” (more…)
