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

Posted at 01:00 PM ET, 06/28/2011

Hyde charter school swaps ‘character’ for college prep

By Bill Turque

The board voted 5-2 to approve a messy divorce--a decision by Hyde Leadership PCS to end a 12-year affiliation with its founder, Joseph Gauld.

By Bill Turque | 01:00 PM ET, 06/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:25 PM ET, 06/28/2011

Mediator: District cuts corners in special ed suit

By Bill Turque

Despite significant progress in some areas, the District has failed to meet its commitments in the “Jones” segment of the Blackman-Jones special education lawsuit, a court-appointed mediator reported Monday.

By Bill Turque | 12:25 PM ET, 06/28/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:59 PM ET, 06/27/2011

Spingarn principal: Teacher told special ed student to ‘shut up’ and ‘go to sleep’ prior to attack

By Bill Turque

Spingarn High School Principal Gary Washington says there is more to the story of the teacher who was attacked in her classroom last month by a special education student.

By Bill Turque | 12:59 PM ET, 06/27/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:39 PM ET, 06/24/2011

Was ‘vicious’ attack on Spingarn teacher avoidable?

By Bill Turque

The teachers union says math teacher at Springarn might not have been beaten by special needs student last month if he knew more of the teen’s history.

By Bill Turque | 12:39 PM ET, 06/24/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:13 PM ET, 06/23/2011

D.C. school voucher applications available Saturday

By Bill Turque

Families interested in applying for D.C. Opportunity Scholarships to private schools can do so from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street N.W.

By Bill Turque | 01:13 PM ET, 06/23/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:59 PM ET, 06/22/2011

School polls show big swings in sentiment

By Bill Turque

Surveys of D.C. school parents have been up and down over the years, and may not accurately reflect reality.

By Bill Turque | 05:59 PM ET, 06/22/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:03 PM ET, 06/21/2011

Kaya Henderson confirmed as D.C. schools chancellor

By Bill Turque

The D.C. Council gave unanimous approval to Mayor Gray’s choice to run the school system.

By Bill Turque | 05:03 PM ET, 06/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:38 PM ET, 06/20/2011

Ex-Noyes principal Wayne Ryan resigns

By Bill Turque

Instructional superintendent Wayne Ryan, former principal at Noyes Education Campus, drew acclaim for dramatic test score gains and then investigative scrutiny for suspicious levels of answer sheet erasures.

By Bill Turque | 02:38 PM ET, 06/20/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 06:28 PM ET, 06/17/2011

Principals wanted (and not wanted)

By Bill Turque

Just 19 of 125 school leadership posts will change hands this summer, Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson told the D.C. Council at her confirmation hearing Thursday. That compares with the 46 new principals former chancellor Michelle A. Rhee put in place for the 2008-09 school year, 24 in 2009-10 and 28 for the academic year ending today.

By Bill Turque | 06:28 PM ET, 06/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:25 AM ET, 06/17/2011

SAIL PCS says building is safe

By Bill Turque

Officials of SAIL Public Charter School, closing for financial reasons next week, are pushing back at assertions that their building is unsafe.

By Bill Turque | 10:25 AM ET, 06/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:16 PM ET, 06/15/2011

Henderson witness list covers friend and foe

By Bill Turque

The witness list for Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s confirmation hearing Thursday is chock-a-block with friendlies and critics. Thirty-seven speakers are teed up to address a range of concerns beginning at 11 a.m., including fired teachers, budget cuts and the untimely departure of principals at Burrville and Amidon-Bowen Elementary.

By Bill Turque | 09:16 PM ET, 06/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:54 PM ET, 06/15/2011

Fenty twins head back to private school, on-line.

By Bill Turque

Former Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who moved his twin sons from private school to Lafayette Elementary two years ago prior to his unsuccessful re-election campaign, is sending them back to private school--an on-line school.

By Bill Turque | 08:54 PM ET, 06/15/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:50 PM ET, 06/14/2011

SAIL charter school to stay open until June 24

By Bill Turque

Under a plan devised Tuesday, the cash-strapped charter school can complete its academic year.

By Bill Turque | 05:50 PM ET, 06/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 06/13/2011

Analysis shows big gaps in D.C.’s NAEP gains

By Bill Turque

A new analysis shows D.C. public school test scores are well below what would be expected statistically, compared with other cities with similar poverty, language, race, disability and family characteristics.

By Bill Turque | 08:00 AM ET, 06/13/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:49 PM ET, 06/10/2011

Some teachers more ‘minimally effective’ than others?

By Bill Turque

DCPS offers a reprieve to younger teachers who might be facing the axe under the IMPACT evaluation system.

By Bill Turque | 04:49 PM ET, 06/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:22 PM ET, 06/10/2011

Public will testify on Henderson confirmation

By Bill Turque

After complaints from teachers, parents and other school stakeholders, D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown has changed course and will allow an afternoon of public testimony June 16 on the question of Kaya Henderson’s nomination for permanent DCPS chancellor.

By Bill Turque | 03:22 PM ET, 06/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:08 PM ET, 06/10/2011

Middle school principal ousted after altercation with girl

By Bill Turque

A D.C. middle school principal accused of punching a 12-year-old girl in the face has been removed, a school district official said Friday.

By Bill Turque | 01:08 PM ET, 06/10/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:59 PM ET, 06/09/2011

Two special ed officials leave with (mostly) plaudits

By Bill Turque

No one believes that the city’s capacity to meet the educational needs of its physically and emotionally disabled children is where it should be, but Richard Nyankori and Tameria Lewis get generally high marks for leaving a solid foundation that can support future reforms.

By Bill Turque | 03:59 PM ET, 06/09/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 11:12 AM ET, 06/08/2011

Will Rocketship schools launch in District?

By Bill Turque

Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson pushes to bring a nationally acclaimed California charter school operator with a specialty in online learning to the District.

By Bill Turque | 11:12 AM ET, 06/08/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 08:21 PM ET, 06/07/2011

Graduation rates up, but math is questionable

By Bill Turque

Graduation rates for D.C. public high schools rose slightly in 2010, but were calculated with a method that the District will scrap next year in favor of a more stringent formula likely to show a drop in completion rates.

By Bill Turque | 08:21 PM ET, 06/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:57 AM ET, 06/07/2011

DCPS reinstates blind teachers

By Bill Turque

DCPS has agreed to reinstate with back pay two blind teachers it fired in 2008. Denise Hamilton and Fred Kamara were both victims of bureaucratic blunders involving their efforts to obtain required teaching certificates.

By Bill Turque | 10:57 AM ET, 06/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:48 PM ET, 06/06/2011

DCPS to finally get a curriculum

By Bill Turque

Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson has has launched a three-year project to give every subject and grade level a curriculum.

By Bill Turque | 05:48 PM ET, 06/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:33 PM ET, 06/02/2011

Charters not keen on walk in the PARCC

By Bill Turque

As the District retools its standardized tests to align with the Common Core standards, the charter community is expressing concerns that the new testing regime will limit schools’ control over curriculum.

By Bill Turque | 03:33 PM ET, 06/02/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:09 PM ET, 05/31/2011

A new division of ‘Central Office Effectiveness’

By Bill Turque

Despite budget pressures, at least one segment of the central office bureaucracy--the Office of Human Capital will create three high-paying jobs in the coming year.

By Bill Turque | 12:09 PM ET, 05/31/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

D.C. Schools Insider: June, 2011