DCPSWatch is an on-line magazine that covers education issues and news about the District of Columbia Public Schools. In addition to articles and columns about DCPS, DCPSWatch features resources for parents, students, teachers, DCPS employees, and civic activists.
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GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE REPORT ON DCPS, “While Early Reform Efforts Tackle Critical Management Issues, a District-Wide Strategic Education Plan Would Help Guide Long-Term Efforts,” Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, March 14, 2008 CHANCELLOR MICHELLE RHEE'S TESTIMONY TO SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE, March 14, 2008 COURT AGREEMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: Blackman/Jones case joint agreement between plaintiffs and District of Columbia, December 10, 2007, and press release about the agreement, December 12, 2007 SCHOOL REORGANIZATION AND CLOSING PLAN, press release, and reaction from Councilmember Marion Barry, November 28, 2007 FENTY ANNOUNCES STRATEGY FOR INCREASED SCHOOL SECURITY — Press release, October 22, 2007 FENTY AND RHEE PROPOSE MASS FIRINGS AT DCPS — press release, October 12, 2007, and proposed legislation, the Public Education Personnel Reform Amendment Act of 2007. DR. CLIFFORD B. JANEY, SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE, August 29, 2007 EDUCATION TRANSITION UPDATE BY MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY, CHANCELLOR MICHELLE RHEE, AND OFM DIRECTOR ALLEN LEW, July 30, 2007 MICHELLE RHEE NAMED ACTING CHANCELLOR OF SCHOOLS, June 12, 2007 REVISED VERSION OF THE ACADEMIC PLAN, NOW TITLED DCPS REFORM PRIORITIES OF THE FENTY ADMINISTRATION, May 16, 2007 MAYORAL TRANSITION STRATEGY — Press release and strategy paper, April 27, 2007. ONE-THIRD OF ADULT WASHINGTONIANS ARE FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE, a report from the State Education Agency of the University of the District of Columbia, March 2007 THE MAYORAL TAKEOVER -- The DC Board of Elections and Ethics approved of the "Referendum on Certain Provisions of the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007" as a proper subject of an amendment on May 22, 2007; Mayor Adrian Fenty asked the BOEE to reverse its decision on May 31, 2007, and appealed that approval to the DC Superior Court on June 1, 2007. The enrolled version of the DC Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007, Bill 17-001, signed April 22, 2007. Go to the main page on the takeover to see major testimony on the proposals. Council of the Great City Schools, Analysis of Mayor Adrian Fenty's Plan for the District of Columbia Public Schools, February 2007. Schedule of city council hearings, January 12, 2007; Save Our Schools Coalition press release, January 5, 2007; the DC Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007 as it was proposed by the mayor, Bill 17-001; Mayor's press release, January 4, 2007; The Parthenon Group, Fact-Base for DCPS Reform, January 4, 2007, Executive Summary, Report, and Appendix. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi, financial impact statement on Bill 17-001, March 26, 2007. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION RESPONSE TO THE MAYORAL TAKEOVER PROPOSAL, January 29, 2007
HOW WELL DOES A MAYORAL TAKEOVER OF SCHOOLS WORK? The NYC Department of Education Citywide Council on High Schools Annual Report 2005-2006 finds that, "The DOE’s implementation tactics have often shown ambiguous results and demoralized those needed to carry out the reforms," and that, "there is a widespread skepticism about the DOE’s claims and a corresponding cry, to which the CCHS adds its voice, for more transparency. Throughout its tenure, the Klein administration has been too frequently unwelcoming of input from key constituencies, especially organized parent bodies such as the CCHS, thereby alienating those who could be allies and will have to carry forward after the current administration ends." November 17, 2006 ANNOUNCEMENT OF INITIAL PROPOSED SCHOOL CLOSINGS
PROPOSED NEW DCPS GRADUATION STANDARDS AND COURSES OF STUDY:
THE DC EDUCATION RIGHTS CHARTER AMENDMENT is introduced by Parents United for the D.C. Public Schools, March 29, 2006 US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST WTU ELECTION OF OFFICERS, February 15, 2006, and American Federation of Teachers (February 21, 2006) and Washington Teachers Union (February 21, 2006) responses CAFRITZ WON'T RUN FOR THIRD TERM AS SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT, from The Common Denominator, January 25, 2006 SAUNDERS v. HANKERSON, the order and final judgment in the class-action lawsuit against the American Federation of Teachers and Washington Teachers Union, November 21, 2005. DC EDUCATION COMPACT merges with Public Education Partnership Fund, December 1, 2005 “CAPITAL CAMPAIGN: EARLY RETURNS ON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHARTERS,” by Sara Mead of the Progressive Policy Institute, was released on October 4, 2005; you can also download the full text of the report in PDF format LIST OF FORTY-FOUR NEW PRINCIPALS named on August 23, 2005. THE FORDHAM INSTITUTE REPORT ON CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING finds DC charter schools were underfunded during the 2002-2003 school year. See the Institute's press release at http://www.edexcellence.net/institute/charterfinance/, the complete report in PDF format at http://www.edexcellence.net/doc/Charter%20School%20Funding%202005%20FINAL.pdf, and the DC chapter at http://www.edexcellence.net/doc/CharterFinance_DC_2005.pdf. 2004-2005 NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND RESULTS — The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Schools in Need of Improvement Report, August 5, 2005, along with the DCPS press release and Frequently Asked Questions paper. DEBORAH GIST confirmed as Director of the State Education office. JOANNE GINSBERG confirmed as a mayor’s appointee to the Board of Education. DECLARATION OF EDUCATION: the latest strategic plan of DCPS, released May 2, 2005, THE DC EDUCATION COMPACT’S final report on DCPS, “A Call to Action,” also released on May 2, 2005. SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL: The State of the District of Columbia Public Schools Fifty Years after Brown and Bolling. a Parents United for the D.C. Public Schools Civic Leader Advisory Committee Report, March 2005 (in PDF format, on Parents United web site). US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION — The Institute of Education Sciences released an "Evaluation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program: First Year Report on Participation" on April 5, 2005 (in PDF format on USDOE web site) . OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL — report on “Benchmarking School Security of the District of Columbia Public Schools,” March 21, 2005 WINNERS OF THE WTU LOCAL ELECTION — The election results mark the end of the American Federation of Teachers’ direct supervision of the local, January 26, 2005 FIX OUR SCHOOLS — a new web site, begun in September 2004, focuses on repairing and restoring our deteriorating school buildings, and lists all repair work orders at all schools NEW SCHOOL BUDGET PROPOSAL — DCPS’s press release, January 13, 2005. CLIFFORD B. JANEY ANNOUNCES FIVE STAFF APPOINTMENTS: Thomas Brady, Chief Business Officer; Meria Joel Carstarphen, Chief Accountability Officer; Capers Brown, Executive Consultant for Contracts and Acquisitions; Nicole Conley, Director of Resource Allocation and Management; and Mark K. Truax, Director of Food Nutrition Service, October 20, 2004 ROBERT RICE appointed by Board of Education as interim superintendent, April 1, 2004 WASHINGTON SCHOLARSHIP FUND chosen to run the DC voucher program, March 24, 2004; and the MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING on vouchers between the Department of Understanding and DC, signed February 2, is released almost two months later. MORE IN THE FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF THE SCHOOLS: the Memorandum of Understanding setting up a School Board “Collaborative,” announced on March 26, 2004; the mayor’s “fact sheet” on his “school governance reform proposal,” released in February 2004; two papers by Mary Levy, on the history of public school governance in DC, January 2004, and on lessons from other cities on mayoral control of public schools, March 19, 2004; and Erich Martel’s comment on school governance, March 26, 2004. DEBATE OVER CONTROL OF DC’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS — including public schools takeover proposal by a group of metropolitan area power brokers and fixers, February 18, 2004; Mayor Williams’s proposed takeover bill and talking points, Bill 15-723; Councilmember Phil Mendelson’s bill to continue the present school board structure, Bill 15-714; and Councilmember Kevin Chavous’ bills to transfer responsibility for school safety to the Metropolitan Police Department, Bill 15-725 and Bill 15-727. INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT ELFREDA MASSIE RESIGNS, February 20, 2004 METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT SAFETY PLAN FOR BALLOU HIGH SCHOOL, February 18, 2004 CAROLYN GRAHAM APPOINTED TO BOARD OF EDUCATION, February 11, 2004 SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ROD PAIGE’S SPEECH ON DC VOUCHERS — at the Heritage Foundation, January 28, 2004. SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS, announced January 21, 2004 EXPLOSIVE CHARGES AGAINST DCPS AND THE CORPORATION COUNSEL’S OFFICE in the lawsuit over the firing of DCPS’s General Manager of Transportation: Winder v. Erste, Khabo, McCullough, and DCPS, Complaint for Declaratory, Injunctive, and Monetary Relief, December 23, 2004 COUNCIL ON THE GREAT CITY SCHOOLS draft report on DCPS: Restoring Excellence to the District of Columbia Public Schools, December 2003. The Council is soliciting comments on this draft report. ARE STUDENT RECORDS SECURE OR ALTERED? — the independent accountants’ report on applying agreed-upon procedures regarding student records at sixteen high schools/sites, September 22, 2003. DCPS REACTS TO REPORT ON ALTERATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RECORDS — December 9, 2003. DCPS PLANS TO ABOLISH 771 POSITIONS — “DC Public Schools Prepares for Abolishment of 771 Positions,” press release, December 9, 2003 INDICTMENT IN WASHINGTON TEACHERS UNION CASE of James Odell Baxter, II; James A. Goosby, Jr.; Gwendolyn M. Hemphill; and Robin J. Klein, November 20, 2003 NEW ON DCPSWatch: New columns by Ron Drake, Erich Martel, and Nathan Saunders, and letters from Cathy Reilly of SHAPPE on safety in public schools. SUPERINTENDENT PAUL VANCE RESIGNS, effective December 31, 2003, on November 14, 2003 THE MAYOR’S PLAN TO TAKE OVER THE SCHOOLS — “A Rationale for School Governance Reform,” shared privately with the city councilmembers on October 27, 2003. WE GET LETTERS. DCPSWatch has now started a letters feature. Write us at letters@dcpswatch.com about any feature of education in the District of Columbia, including DC Public Schools, charter schools, special education, Board of Education, State Education Office, the voucher controversy, and so on. Read our first published letter, from special education attorney Cathy Braxton, about the short time frame and inadequate notice given for student transfers. BARBARA BULLOCK'S STATEMENT OF OFFENSES AND GUILTY PLEA, October 7, 2003; Errol Alderman’s statement of offenses and guilty plea, October 15, 2003. LATEST CRIMINAL INFORMATIONS IN WTU EMBEZZLEMENT CASE — Barbara Bullock, former president of the WTU, on October 3, 2003; Errol Alderman on September 30, 2003. HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDS AT DCPS, the executive summary of the report by the Office of the Inspector General, September 30, 2003 DCPS BUDGET TREND, 1999-2004 — The Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s analysis shows a 37 percent growth in total local resources from FY1999 to FY2004. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REPORT on the State Education Office’s administration of the Child Nutrition Program, August 21, 2003. TEACHERS WILL GET PAY RAISES — See injunction against the DCPS by Superior Court Judge Zoe Bush, preventing it from withholding the raises, August 27, 2003; and the declaration filed by WTU administrator George Springer seeking the injunction, July 11, 2003. The Board of Education passed a resolution rescinding the elimination of pay raises on September 26, 2003. DCPS announces its five-year plan for special education, which it titles, “Our Vision for Tomorrow What’s Happening Today” NEW ON THE WEB: The Appleseed Center released a report on Special Education programs on September 12; the executive summary is posted on their site. Directory
of DCPS schools DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WASHINGTON TEACHERS UNION EMBEZZLEMENT SCANDAL |
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