Blogs
“Public Education Finance Reform in the District of Columbia: Uniformity, Equity, and Facilities” and PEFRC (Part 1 of 2)
Here at FOCUS, we believe that every D.C. student, regardless of which public school they attend, deserves the same treatment and the same opportunities. Sadly, D.C. government policies impede this vision by valuing DCPS students over public charter students through disproportionate funding.
Our School Quality Dashboard: Helping You Find the Right School
Need help finding the right school for your child? Our School Quality Dashboard can help!
Since its launch, our School Quality Dashboard (SQD) has been a lifesaver for parents trudging through D.C. school options. We've just recently launched our latest version of the SQD with an improved, mobile-friendly interface.
FOCUS and Public Charter Schools in the News: January 2012
Between kicking off the year with another successful Public Charter School Recruitment Expo and fighting for fair funding at the Committee of the Whole’s public roundtable, January was a pretty busy month for us here at FOCUS.
Education Reformers on Twitter
Did you know that Twitter is host to an ongoing, vibrant education reform conversation? Following education reformers on Twitter is a great way to catch up with current educational debates on the local and national level.
Sometimes the trouble can be figuring out where to start. That’s why we’re offering our own suggestions of who to follow! Below is a sampling of some of our favorite education tweeters, with one list dedicated to D.C. reformers and another to reformers addressing countrywide educational issues.
February D.C. Public Charter School Open Houses
Now that it’s February, we’re closing in on D.C. public charter school enrollment deadlines. There’s still plenty of time to get caught up and check out what public charter schools have to offer in order to make the best decision for your family! This month’s offering of public charter school open house dates is provided below.
Join the D.C. Public Charter Youth Leadership Council!
FOCUS is forming a Youth Leadership Council to help public charter students get involved in our advocacy efforts. We’re excited to announce the D.C. Public Charter Youth Leadership Council, and we invite ALL 6th – 12th grade D.C. public charter school students to apply!
Operation Funding Equity
Chairman Kwame Brown and the Committee of the Whole held a public rountable hearing on Tuesday to hear from the community regarding a budget request from Mayor Gray. The Mayor requested to provide DCPS with $25 million in 2012 supplemental funding to cover "spending pressures" with no proportional supplemental funding for your schools. FOCUS mobilized the D.C. public charter school community to fight to ensure that charter school kids get their fair share of the funding. It was a huge success. Watch the video:
PEFRC’s January 25th Meeting Notice from PEFRC’s Website
The next meeting of the DC Public Education Finance Reform Commission (Commission) will be held this Wednesday, January 25 at 5:30 PM in the Petworth Public Library. The address is 4200 Kansas Ave NW. Parking is available, as is convenient access to the Georgia Ave/Petworth Metro (Green/Yellow line).
Live Tweeting from Today’s Council Hearing!
Thank you to all those who showed up in support of public charter schools to today’s public roundtable on Mayor Gray’s request to allocate $25 million in supplemental funding for traditional public schools with no additional funding for public charters.
We couldn’t be more grateful for the dedication and passion of our supporters. But, for those of you who didn’t happen to make it, we’ve got you covered.
Operation Funding Equity: Provide Supplemental Funding to PCS
There will be a Council hearing next Tuesday the 24th at 10:00 am on Mayor Gray's request to provide DCPS with $25 million in 2012 supplemental funding to cover "spending pressures" with no proportional supplemental funding for your schools. The public charter school community must fight to ensure that charter school kids get their fair share of the funding. 32,000 public charter school students need your help.
SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET INEQUITY:
