D.C. Schools Insider - Emma Brown chronicles the District public schools.

Posted at 10:02 PM ET, 03/29/2011

DCPS press strategy: ‘Just stop answering his emails’

By Bill Turque

An e-mail exchange included in USA Today’s story on D.C. test score erasures reveals some of the push-and-pull between reporters and government officials.

By Bill Turque | 10:02 PM ET, 03/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:01 PM ET, 03/29/2011

Public engagement chief O’Brien departs

By Bill Turque

By Bill Turque | 04:01 PM ET, 03/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:35 AM ET, 03/29/2011

USA Today story brings fresh scrutiny to erasure issue

By Bill Turque

USA Today goes over some familiar ground, but drills down to new levels to address questions about standardized test scores in the Michelle Rhee era.

By Bill Turque | 09:35 AM ET, 03/29/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:44 PM ET, 03/25/2011

Updated: DCPS fires McKinley investigator

By Bill Turque

Officials said an investigator for the school system’s security office was dismissed for telling a former McKinley H.S. teacher that a top D.C. schools official wanted to “push under the rug” a probe into allegations against the principal. The investigator acknowledged his statement was a lie.

By Bill Turque | 06:44 PM ET, 03/25/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:45 PM ET, 03/25/2011

DCPS fires McKinley HS investigator

By Bill Turque

He admitted that he intentionally misled an interview subject by claiming that school system chief of staff Lisa Ruda wanted to squelch the investigation.

By Bill Turque | 04:45 PM ET, 03/25/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:24 PM ET, 03/25/2011

Investigator becomes the story at McKinley

By Bill Turque

DCPS investigator Eastern Stewart triggers a controversy by admitting that he lied when he told an interview subject that a top schools official was trying to squelch his inquiry into misconduct at McKinley Technical High School.

By Bill Turque | 03:24 PM ET, 03/25/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:08 PM ET, 03/25/2011

SUV crackdown won’t change how Henderson rolls

By Bill Turque

Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson will probably keep her SUV and driver despite a crackdown on gas-guzzling city vehicles

By Bill Turque | 12:08 PM ET, 03/25/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:38 PM ET, 03/23/2011

McKinley Tech principal placed on leave in transcript tampering investigation

By Bill Turque

McKinley Technology High School principal David Pinder, under investigation for allegations of doctoring student transcripts, was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday.

By Bill Turque | 04:38 PM ET, 03/23/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:00 AM ET, 03/23/2011

Aspen report on IMPACT: intriguing data, continuing tensions

By Bill Turque

The new Aspen Institute report on IMPACT draws no strong conclusions but reveals intriguing data and continuing tensions over the D.C. teacher evaluation system.

By Bill Turque | 09:00 AM ET, 03/23/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:30 PM ET, 03/22/2011

Community hearings for Henderson nomination

By Bill Turque

Kaya Henderson’s nomination to become permanent D.C. Schools chancellor will be the subject of three upcoming community hearings.

By Bill Turque | 05:30 PM ET, 03/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:14 PM ET, 03/22/2011

Thomson student who brought cocaine to school is back with mother

By Bill Turque

The D.C. elementary student who brought cocaine to school last week is back with his mother after several days in foster care.

By Bill Turque | 04:14 PM ET, 03/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:15 PM ET, 03/21/2011

Biddle: Let students ride Metro for free

By Bill Turque

D.C. Council member Sekou Biddle says students with poor neighborhood school options are unfairly paying for their transportation to schools outside their communities.

By Bill Turque | 12:15 PM ET, 03/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:15 PM ET, 03/16/2011

Educare early childhood center breaks ground in Ward 7

By Bill Turque

It took months of fits and starts, but the Educare early childhood center finally broke ground in Ward 7 this week.

By Bill Turque | 06:15 PM ET, 03/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:34 PM ET, 03/16/2011

A.G.: McKinley grant funds ‘may have been mishandled’

By Bill Turque

Acting D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan has referred to the U.S. Attorney’s office the findings of a DCPS investigation into the use of a $100,000 grant to McKinley Technology High School by AARP. Nathan said funds may have been mishandled.

By Bill Turque | 04:34 PM ET, 03/16/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:57 PM ET, 03/15/2011

Schools taking cuts may get a second look

By Bill Turque

Schools press for extra dollars at mayor’s budget hearing

By Bill Turque | 09:57 PM ET, 03/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:30 PM ET, 03/15/2011

A bid for ‘truth and reconciliation’ on D.C. chancellor selection panel

By Bill Turque

Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s office issued the report of his Chancellor Selection Advisory Panel Tuesday, confirming overwhelming support for his choice of Kaya Henderson.

By Bill Turque | 06:30 PM ET, 03/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:27 PM ET, 03/14/2011

Sizing up the DCPS central office

By Bill Turque

A veteran analyst of DCPS budgets questions the claim that the school system’s central office bureaucracy shrank by one-third under Michelle A. Rhee.

By Bill Turque | 02:27 PM ET, 03/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:49 AM ET, 03/14/2011

Lotteries for preschool, pre-kindergarten create long waitlists

By Bill Turque

Interest in the DCPS lotteries for preschool, pre-kindergarten and K-12 out-of-boundary seats continued to grow this year, with the overall number of unique applicants increasing by more than 25 percent over 2010.

By Bill Turque | 10:49 AM ET, 03/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:41 PM ET, 03/13/2011

DCPS principals get budget talking points

By Bill Turque

Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s office is helping principals deal with questions about proposed budget cuts.

By Bill Turque | 06:41 PM ET, 03/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:04 AM ET, 03/10/2011

DCPS budget: The Brian Betts effect

By Bill Turque

Since the Shaw Middle School principal was murdered, the school’s budget has been cut.

By Bill Turque | 10:04 AM ET, 03/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:15 PM ET, 03/08/2011

Problems plague DCPS budget roll out

By Bill Turque

D.C. school officials have had trouble getting school-by-school budget allocations into the hands of principals and parents.

By Bill Turque | 06:15 PM ET, 03/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:40 PM ET, 03/07/2011

Gray “comfortable” with chancellor search

By Bill Turque

The search for a schools chancellor focused only on interim Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

By Bill Turque | 07:40 PM ET, 03/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:30 AM ET, 03/04/2011

School reform study: Reliance on test scores ‘naive’

By Bill Turque

The first major independent study of D.C. schools since the inception of mayoral control in 2007 says it is too early to conclude that the change in governance has played any role in improved learning.

By Bill Turque | 11:30 AM ET, 03/04/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:35 PM ET, 03/03/2011

Rhee: DCPS bureuacracy ‘makes absolutely no sense’

By Bill Turque

Former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle A. Rhee told American University students Wednesday night that the school system’s central office often obstructed school reform and was contemptuous of parents.

By Bill Turque | 04:35 PM ET, 03/03/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:55 AM ET, 03/02/2011

Can District afford to continue school modernization program?

By Bill Turque

Former Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration spent $1.1 billion to stabilize, renovate and rebuild D.C. schools, its athletic fields and playgrounds. The ambitious capital plan, led by school construction czar (now city administrator) Allen Lew, significantly improved dozens of schools...

By Bill Turque | 11:55 AM ET, 03/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:38 PM ET, 03/01/2011

Gray nixes Evans's bid to return principal to Hardy

By Bill Turque

Perhaps council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), after hearing more than a year's worth of protests about Patrick Pope's reassignment from Hardy Middle School, just wanted to be able to tell folks he tried. Or maybe he actually does believe,...

By Bill Turque | 06:38 PM ET, 03/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:43 PM ET, 03/01/2011

DCPS joins charters in rising enrollment

By Bill Turque

In October's initial count, DCPS showed its first enrollment growth since 1969. An audited census released Tuesday confirmed the upward bump. There are 45,630 students enrolled in D.C.'s 123 public schools, a 2-percent gain over the 44,718 registered in last...

By Bill Turque | 04:43 PM ET, 03/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:15 PM ET, 03/01/2011

DCPS to re-think cuts after revised revenue forecast

By Bill Turque

As late as 9 p.m. Monday, Interim Chancellor Kaya Henderson was poised to inform principals that her proposed 2012 budget would bring deep cuts to their schools, possibly forcing layoffs. That's when she learned that revised revenue estimates by Chief...

By Bill Turque | 03:15 PM ET, 03/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:48 AM ET, 03/01/2011

Evans considers bill to return Pope to Hardy MS

By Bill Turque

D.C Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who has largely stayed out of the mess at Hardy Middle School, says he may introduce legislation to mandate the return of former principal Patrick Pope. According to a report in the Georgetown...

By Bill Turque | 07:48 AM ET, 03/01/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

D.C. Schools Insider: March, 2011