Photos throughout newsletter from my annual back to school visits with Mary Cheh to Ward 3 schools. Thanks for including me!
Events & Action
Ward 3-Wilson Feeder Educator Network
At-Risk funds; & Renovations
Monday, Oct 7, 7PM:
Hearst Elementary School,
Join us for an update on renovation plans for W3/Wilson Feeder schools with staff from the DC Public Schools (DCPS) Office of Operations; and a discussion about school budgets and the use of at-risk funds with Erin Roth, Director of Education for the DC Auditor. See the Auditor's report here
 
Book Drive for children entering short-term housing
Ward 3’s new Short Term Family Housing for homeless families will be opening in early 2020. The W3 Democrats are hosting a book drive to welcome the new families. Books should be new. Childs Play is offering a 20% discount on books purchased for the drive. Politics and Prose offers a curated list of suggested books. Details at W3 Dems.
Testify: Wed, Nov 6
DC Council hearing on Dyslexia
Wilson Building, 1350 Penn. NW
Please consider testifying at this hearing about the need for required screenings, appropriate diagnostic testing, and early intervention for all our students. When dyslexia is missed when children are young, the toll can be substantial--and expensive. We know how to do this. But, we're not doing it! Please bring your stories to the Council Hearing. For more info, email jen.hausfeld@gmail.com
Decoding Dyslexia
Thursday, Oct 10, 7PM
Southeast Library, 403 7th St. SE
Join this newly organized DC parents/advocacy group at its regular meeting. The Oct meeting will include discussion of proposed DC Council bill. For more info: decodingdyslexiadc@gmail.com.
DCPS Back to School Block Party!
Saturday, Sept 14, 11-2
Roosevelt HS.
4301 13th St..
Nominate favorite staff for annual DCPS Standing Ovation awards
Until September 20, DCPS is taking nominations For more info and to submit, click here.
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What Next on Planning/Overcrowding/Old Hardy?
Proposal to lease away Old Hardy Still Rattling Around...
Readers of this newsletter know that overcrowding is a huge and growing issue for the Wilson Feeder schools, with nearly every school in the feeder pattern either already over-capacity or slated to be so within 8 years. Many elementary schools have already decreased their pre-k offerings because they lacked space.
Despite this, the mayor has proposed that the only DCPS owned property in the area that is not already in use by DCPS—the Old Hardy School—should be leased out for the next 50 years! The DC Council refused to allow this proposal to go through on an emergency vote last spring with no hearing. But, the proposal is still rattling around. Perhaps it will come before a hearing this fall. If so, I’ll let you know. For more info on the Old Hardy situation, see this post from my previous newsletter. And, visit Keep Old Hardy Public: KOHP.org.
Meanwhile, a new, proposed Master Facilities Plan from the Deputy Mayor of Education’s Office was released this spring. It offered no proposal for addressing overcrowding in the W3/Wilson Feeder area or future overcrowding in wards that will soon face it. It also failed to address the loss of neighborhood schools in wards 7 and 8, which has implications for the education budget (because small schools typically have higher costs per student), for the future of DCPS, and for equity--with residents in these wards increasingly unable to choose a neighborhood school for their children
Here’s my testimony to the DC Council on the Master Facilities plan.
Another proposal to lease away public rights.
This time: Jelleff Field.
Apparently, while the rest of us were enjoying summer… A decision was made by the Department of Parks and Recreation to lease away the public Jelleff Field to the Maret School for another 10 Years! Other students public can use it… but apart from a modest one-afternoon per week exception, not during after school/weekend times during the season, the times that school sports teams need access to it!
In a great oped by ANC Commissioner Elizabeth Miller, Hardy Middle School student Laura Welles captures it all with this:“It doesn’t seem right that our sports teams have to sit on a bus for over an hour to go to a sports field across town for a ‘home game’ when there is a beautiful playing field in a public park just across the street.”
Rescind the contract
Councilmembers Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Elissa Silverman (At-Large) have asked the DC Council to hold a hearing to investigate how the contract got signed with no public discussion and called on Mayor Bowser to revisit and rescind the contract.
I signed the petition to pull this back. I encourage you to sign, too. https://www.change.org/p/mayor-bowser-private-schools-should-not-have-exclusive-rights-to-public-fields-makejelleffpublic
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Good news from DC Public Schools—More time for social studies!
I’m thrilled to report this great news from DCPS Social Studies: “Building on the positive momentum of previous years, we are excited for robust scheduling guidance this year requiring all students in K-2nd to learn social studies (separate from an ELA block) for 45 minute/day for at least one semester and for students in 3rd-5th to learn social studies for at least 30 minute/day for the whole year.”
This follows concern that because schools and teachers were rated based on math and reading scores, there would be pressure to narrow the curriculum and spend more time on these two subjects at the expense of social studies, science, and the arts. There is data showing that this narrowing has happened on a national level. While there isn’t data available locally, I have heard more concern about this issue from parents than about virtually any other. And, the concern is well-founded: Not only do our students need a solid education in history, social studies, civics, science, and the arts for their own sake, we now know from the world of cognitive science that when students lack background knowledge gained from these subjects, their reading comprehension suffers. Three cheers for DCPS Social Studies!
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Congratulations to Wilson Principal Kim Martin!
Kim Martin has been named DC Principal of the Year, an honor coordinated by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. For the article, go to the Wilson Beacon, https://thewilsonbeacon.com/subscriptions/a great source of DC school news! So good in fact, I subscribe--and I recommend you do too! Subscribe here: https://thewilsonbeacon.com/category/news/
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State Board of Education News
The State Board of Education meets in a working session on the first Wednesday of the month at 5pm and in a public meeting on the 3rdWednesday at 5:30pm. The public meeting can be seen live on District Knowledge Network (DKN) (Comcast 99; RCN 18; FIOS 12). The Working meeting can be viewed at https://www.pscp.tv/w/1zqKVEyPPyVxB. The Public is always welcome to make comments at the Public Meeting. To sign up, call 202-741-0888 48 hours in advance of meeting.
Setting Standards for the Science
Assessment
Our next meeting, Sept 18, will include presentations and discussions on the new DC Science assessment, including a discussion on what level of achievement should count as “proficient.”
Do you need help mediating or navigating a school problem?
Ask the Ombudsman or Student Advocate.
The Office of the Ombudsman helps parents and students who have questions, concerns, and complaints about the DC public schools and DC public charter schools. The Ombudsman is independent and impartial in its approach to solving problems, listening to all parties involved and making recommendations based on the student’s best interests. The Ombudsman helps families solve problems their children are facing in areas that include special education, discipline, school environment, academic progress, and enrollment.
The Office can coach, mediate, or participate in a school meeting with you. They can be reached at 202-741-0886 or ombudsman@dc.gov.
Have Public Education Questions?
The Office of the Student Advocate supports families in navigating the DC public school system, both DC Public Schools and public charter schools. The Office operates a Request for Assistance line LIVE Monday – Friday between 9 am and 5:30 pm as a “311” system for public education. Call them at (202) 741-4692 for resources, referrals, and one-on-one coaching on a variety of public education issues. Also visit us online at https://studentadvocate.dc.gov for additional resources.
In March, the Office of the Student Advocate released the new Student Discipline Guide, a resource that explains new rules under student Fair Access to School Amendment Act of 2018
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Have a wonderful School Year!!!
Please Circulate...
on your school websites and in other forums...
As always, if you have thoughts on the above or other suggestions, always feel free to email me, ruth4schools@yahoo.com.
Please follow me @ruth4schools for the most up to date news!
(Since January 2019, I have served as the President of the DC State Board of Education. This newsletter is written in my capacity as W3 Board Member and doesn't necessarily reflect the views of the DC State Board.)
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