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

Posted at 10:02 AM ET, 11/17/2011

D.C. says there’s no money for contract early retirement provision

By Bill Turque

DCPS says there is no money for the early retirement option.

By Bill Turque | 10:02 AM ET, 11/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:59 PM ET, 10/26/2011

School surveys draw from shallow pool of parents

By Bill Turque

Just 17 percent of those surveyed last May and June by the firm KPMG responded by phone, on-line questionnaire or hard copy.

By Bill Turque | 05:59 PM ET, 10/26/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:44 PM ET, 10/25/2011

DC CAS test is coming to second grade

By Bill Turque

DCPS second-graders will take the DC CAS test for the first time this spring, part of an effort to expand the pool of teachers eligible to be evaluated.

By Bill Turque | 04:44 PM ET, 10/25/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 12:26 PM ET, 10/24/2011

Cate Swinburn moves from from wooing donors to crunching test data

By Bill Turque

Last month, Chancellor Kaya Henderson named Cate Swinburn the new chief of DCPS’ Office of Data and Accountability.

By Bill Turque | 12:26 PM ET, 10/24/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:00 PM ET, 10/21/2011

Brown looks at multiple incentives to steer highly effective teachers to weak schools

By Bill Turque

D.C. Council chairman says he is studying incentives other states have established, including homebuying assistance, tax credits and loan repayments.

By Bill Turque | 03:00 PM ET, 10/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:07 AM ET, 10/21/2011

Brown proposes waiving annual evaluations to draw top teachers to struggling schools

By Bill Turque

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown (D) is developing legislation to encourage the city’s most effective teachers to work in its lowest-performing schools by exempting them from annual evaluations for at least a couple of years.

By Bill Turque | 01:07 AM ET, 10/21/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 07:05 PM ET, 10/19/2011

Why did Convention Center cancel College Fair?

By Bill Turque

There were no injuries, or arrests, according to MPD. A Twitter reference to a stabbing that circulated Tuesday was false. But in a statement Tuesday, Events DC said “disruptive activity” posed unspecified safety considerations for the evening segment, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. — seven hours later.

By Bill Turque | 07:05 PM ET, 10/19/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 04:03 PM ET, 10/18/2011

Raises for principals, zip for assistant principals, other staff

By Bill Turque

Under the new salary scale, retroactive to the beginning of school year 2010-11, average pay will rise from roughly $106,000 to $123,000.

By Bill Turque | 04:03 PM ET, 10/18/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 09:56 PM ET, 10/17/2011

Bathroom fires cause $150,000 in damage at Wilson HS

By Bill Turque

Woodrow Wilson High School re-opened in August after a $100 million-plus renovation, and celebrated its 75th anniversary with a gala this past weekend in its handsome, four-story, glass-enclosed atrium. But it’s also been a bumpy first few weeks for the Northwest D.C. school, with students getting multiple opportunities to brush up on their evacuation skills.

By Bill Turque | 09:56 PM ET, 10/17/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 02:10 PM ET, 10/14/2011

Time, money issues push back school equity report

By Bill Turque

By Bill Turque | 02:10 PM ET, 10/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:30 AM ET, 10/14/2011

Welcome to the new “Insiders”

By Bill Turque

It took a while, but we’re finally bulking up our inside game. Maryland Schools Insider and Virginia Schools Insider launched to help deepen our education coverage.

By Bill Turque | 10:30 AM ET, 10/14/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 10:01 AM ET, 10/12/2011

Rory Pullens to stay at Duke Ellington

By Bill Turque

Sources say that principal Rory Pullens, who was to move to a Los Angeles school district, will remain at Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

By Bill Turque | 10:01 AM ET, 10/12/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:39 PM ET, 10/11/2011

Deal principal ‘not done’ with DCPS

By Bill Turque

Melissa Kim will join NewSchools Venture Fund, a philanthropy that invests in teacher training, technology and charter schools.

By Bill Turque | 01:39 PM ET, 10/11/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:11 PM ET, 10/07/2011

D.C. tries to draw line on school residency fraud

By Bill Turque

Put a group of DCPS parents together and anecdotes about suspected residency fraud are likely to emerge.

By Bill Turque | 03:11 PM ET, 10/07/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 05:44 PM ET, 10/06/2011

Deal Middle School principal leaving for charter venture fund

By Bill Turque

Melissa Kim is leaving in December to join New Schools Venture Fund, the San Francisco-based philanthropic non-profit that invests in and supports public charter schools.

By Bill Turque | 05:44 PM ET, 10/06/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 01:41 PM ET, 10/05/2011

Chronic truancy down at some D.C. middle schools

By Bill Turque

Data submitted to the D.C. council chairman show what appears to be a significant decline in chronic truancy.

By Bill Turque | 01:41 PM ET, 10/05/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

Posted at 03:04 PM ET, 09/30/2011

In Ward 5, calls for more action on schools, less process

By Bill Turque

DCPS had come to unveil some initial options for overhauling schools, and got a reception that ranged from underwhelming to hostile.

By Bill Turque | 03:04 PM ET, 09/30/2011 | Permalink | Comments ( 0)

D.C. Schools Insider: November, 2011