schools

“Shopping for D.C. Public Schools: A Public Opinion Report”

By Prince Of Petworth

Shopping for Public Schools in the District of Columbia: A Public Opinion Research Report About What D.C. Parents and Guardians Look for When Selecting Their Children’s Schools

“This survey shows that many parents and guardians in D.C. feel comfortable using the lottery and moving children from one school to another if they think the educational grass is greener elsewhere.”

From the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor:

“The D.C. Council has requested and provided funding for an audit of enrollment in D.C. public schools by ODCA, including projections of enrollment in five and 10 years, and a model for projecting enrollment over time. To help the District understand how parents make decisions on enrollment in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the Auditor contracted with the survey research firm Belden Russonello Strategists, LLC, to survey parents and guardians of school-aged children.

DCPS.Parent.Survey (PDF)

The report, a quantitative survey of 600 parents and guardians of children in PK4 to 11th grade, looked at how families see the existing system and their educational options. (more…)

“No Big Box School”

By Prince Of Petworth


34th and Macomb Street, NW

Here are some details from theJohn Eaton reno website:

“Location: 3301 Lowell St NW, Washington, DC 20008

Ward: 3

Project Budget Estimate: $55M

Feasibility Study Design Architects: R. McGhee & Associates

Project Manager: Eupert Braitwaite

Project Start (Feasibility): January 2018

Anticipated Project Completion: August 2021

Project Status: Kickoff / Feasibility Study
DCPS Contact: Oni Hinton”

And you can see the latest meeting presentation here.

A change.org petition says:

“DCPS has announced plans to modernize our beloved John Eaton School that has served the local community and broader city for more than 100 years. To complete this important project, $55 million of taxpayer dollars have been allocated, and planning has been underway since 2017. However, there have been some serious missteps with the process. The community has not been fully engaged and current feasibility plans are flawed and ignore community input.

As a result, a coalition of unified Eaton parents and neighbors have joined together to ensure Eaton remains the neighborhood jewel that it has been for the last century – not a “big box” school as shown in some recent plans. (more…)

“1000 DC Public Schools Teachers Are Unlicensed”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Lorie Shaull

Thanks to Adelle for passing on the NBC story:

“An I-Team analysis of databases obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from D.C. Public Schools and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) show approximately one of every four D.C. Public Schools teachers worked without licensure during the 2017-18 school year.”

Read the full story here.

From CM Grosso’s office:

“The following is a statement from Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), chairperson of the Committee on Education, on the news reports regarding unlicensed D.C. Public Schools staff: (more…)

“Duke Ellington Students on D6 Bus”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Jacques Arsenault

“Dear PoPville,

During my daily commute home on the D6 bus, about 15 – 20 students from Duke Ellington School board the bus at the stop at 35th Street NW & Dent Pl NW, toward Dupont Circle. During the bus ride, their behavior is completely disrespectful to other passengers. They are loud, vulgar, and disruptive. I understand they are teenagers, but this behavior is beyond anything I have experienced before. I have spoken with fellow passengers about this, and we are at a loss about what do to.

One time the bus driver stopped the bus and asked them to quiet down, which was helpful. But when I asked another driver to do this, he said it was “against the rules.”

I have had many positive interactions with students from Duke Ellington – I was recently on a flight with students in the Museum program that were traveling to Miami, Florida, and they were an incredibly positive representation of the school.

I wrote an email to the principal, but is there anything else I should do? Contact WMATA?”

And while on the topic:

“Grosso expresses support for Ellington and fair resolution to residency claims

The following is a statement from Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), chairperson of the Committee on Education, regarding the Duke Ellington School of the Arts: (more…)

Our Crossing Guard is the Best! Vol. Three and Four – Meet Shelton and Jessica

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Suzanne for sending:

“I have two crossing guards to nominate for Crossing Guards Extraordinaire: Jessica and Shelton. They serve the corner of Aspen and 14th Streets NW, for both LAMB and DCI Public Charter Schools.

That corner has been nutty, as the schools opened in the fall and brought traffic– foot, bike, bus, and car– to the former Walter Reed campus. A child was struck by a car (fortunately the child is ok) and so the community got serious about safety.

Shelton has a birthday on Monday, and Jessica has a smile and attitude that delivers joy!

Ed. Note: Happy belated to Shelton!!

Thank you from both schools.”

Your turn! If you have a fantastic crossing guard please take a photo include a few sentences of why S/He is so great. And include what neighborhood you are in. Thanks! [email protected]

“Through their diligent work, the agency has revealed that about 40 percent of students at Duke Ellington, representing over $2 million in D.C.-taxpayer funded education a year, are not District residents”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Jacques Arsenault

From Councilmember David Grosso’s office:

“The following is a statement from Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), chairperson of the Committee on Education, on today’s release of a report on residency fraud at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education:

“Today’s report not only confirms the stunning depth of residency fraud at Duke Ellington, but also that the previous two chancellors had repeatedly lied to the Committee and the Council about how profound this problem is. I continue to grow frustrated with the lack of transparency from D.C. Public Schools and the Executive and this is the latest blow to their credibility. That is why I pushed to have OSSE assume responsibility of DCPS residency investigations last year and made investments through the annual budget process to provide resources to fulfill those responsibilities.

“Through their diligent work, the agency has revealed that about 40 percent of students at Duke Ellington, representing over $2 million in D.C.-taxpayer funded education a year, are not District residents and had no plan to reimburse the District for tuition. Under no circumstances is this acceptable. (more…)

Our Crossing Guard is the Best! Vol. Two – Meet Ms. Keesha

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Ellen for sending:

“This is Ms. Keesha, the lovely crossing guard at Garrison Elementary on 13th St NW. She goes above and beyond every day to make sure the kids and families at the school feel welcome and safe. But even more than that, she’s a community builder. Her enthusiasm is contagious! She engages with everyone, dog walkers, bikers, and neighbors, even those of us without any ties to the school. Commuters will toot a hello as they drive by. Even my dog, who mostly keeps his distance from people, will bound across the crosswalk to get to her. We miss her on the days we don’t see her! She deserves a big shout-out to show how much the community appreciates her!”

Your turn! If you have a fantastic crossing guard please take a photo include a few sentences of why S/He is so great. And include what neighborhood you are in. Thanks! [email protected]

Change in Hours at the Dunbar High School Track?

By Prince Of Petworth


1st and O Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

Since moving to Shaw at the end of last year, I’ve loved having access to the Dunbar High School track on weekends for my runs. However, the past couple times I’ve tried to access the track (mid morning on Saturdays), most recently yesterday, the turnstile on O Street has been locked. Any idea if this is just an oversight, a change in hours, or a change in policy?”

Ed. Note: We’ve spoken about the Dunbar Pool here.

Statement of Councilmember Grosso on residency fraud investigation at Duke Ellington School of the Arts: “The number of scandals plaguing our education system is staggering”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Jacques Arsenault

Ed. Note: Back in July 2016 we had a lengthy discussion about a “a huge portion of DC schools students actually live in Maryland”.

“Dear PoPville,

According to this Washington Post article, D.C. officials looked at 100 students at Duke Ellington and found that 1/2 were not D.C. residents. The finding was shared with the Superintendent and the Attorney General’s office in December, but the superintendent’s office told the investigators “to slow-track it because of the risk of negative publicity for the school system during a mayoral election year. It is unclear how far the probe has progressed since then.” Duke Ellington’s “self-declared mission is to offer a premiere arts education to D.C. children who lack the financial means to develop their talents elsewhere. A high rate of residency fraud could indicate that mission is suffering as D.C. taxpayers fund the education of children who live outside the city.”

From Councilmember David Grosso’s office:

“The following is a statement from Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), chairperson of the Committee on Education, regarding reports of an investigation into residency fraud at Duke Ellington School of the Arts:

“The number of scandals plaguing our education system is staggering. I am particularly frustrated and disturbed by today’s revelation of an alleged cover-up by the Office of the State Superintendent for Education, and possibly the Office of the Attorney General, into an investigation of residency fraud in order to politically benefit the mayor. Such actions are beyond unacceptable.

“We cannot tackle the public education challenges D.C. faces when this administration continues to withhold public information from residents, the Council, and the Committee on Education.

“I will be asking Superintendent Hansuel Kang about this troubling report at today’s OSSE performance oversight hearing.”

Update: He’s Going. Should He Stay or Should He Go? The DCPS Chancellor Antwan Wilson Scandal

By Prince Of Petworth


via DCPS

Update:

“Dear PoPville,

Any plans to have a posting on the Antwan Wilson scandal? The story may have gotten somewhat buried with its late release the Friday afternoon before a 3-day weekend. I’d think this story would be of great interest to DCPS parents and others concerned about the integrity and fairness expected from our school and other officials.”

The Washington Post reported:

“By Tuesday morning, seven members of the D.C. Council – a majority – said Chancellor Antwan Wilson should step down following revelations that he sought special treatment to enroll his daughter in a top D.C. high school, just two months after Wilson crafted rules prohibiting such behavior.”

From Councilmember Mary Cheh’s Office:

“There are increasing calls for DCPS Chancellor Wilson to resign following news that he violated his own policy and sought a preferential placement for his daughter. Residents are angry and that’s understandable. But I think the Chancellor should be replaced for reasons that go well beyond the placement issue. (more…)

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