FOCUS DC News Wire 3/25/13

 

 

Let D.C. charters move into closed schools

The Washington Post

By Tom Nida

March 22, 2013

 

D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s plan to close 15 traditional public schools continues to cause controversy, sparking a series of meetings and protests and now the threat of a lawsuit. Henderson’s plan follows former chancellor Michelle Rhee’s 2008 decision to close 23 schools that the city deemed under-enrolled and underperforming and a 2012 report cataloging the poor performance of many District public schools.

Incredibly, not one of the 15 schools will be made available to the city’s public charter schools, which are growing fast and desperately need the space.

 

This makes no sense. Some 43 percent of the District’s public school students attend charters, which are publicly funded but operate independently of the traditional system. These charters can have a difficult time finding buildings in which to operate. Almost always, they must buy or lease property and then renovate it — that is, compete for commercial real estate and spend huge quantities of precious resources to renovate what often is warehouse, office or retail space. All told, two-thirds of charter campuses lease commercial property.

 

At the same time, the city has for years allowed vacant schools — with their playgrounds, playing fields and other education amenities — to rot. Or it has filled them up with D.C. government agencies or sold them to private developers for uses such as luxury condominiums. Only a lucky few charters have been permitted to repair, restore and renovate derelict school buildings after the city agreed to lease or sell them.

 

This isn’t the way the dual system was designed to work. D.C. law gives the city’s public charter schools a legal preference to move into surplus DCPS buildings before they can be offered to developers. Yet the city is refusing to allow charters to bid for any of the soon-to-be-closed schools.

 

As a result, D.C. charter schools are chronically short of space. Last school year, D.C. charters received 15,000 more applications than available seats. By contrast, DCPS school buildings have space for 20,740 additional students, the city has found. Over the next four years, currently open D.C. charters will require 1.6 million additional square feet of space, and new charter schools will need 1.7 million extra square feet of space, to accommodate new students. Meanwhile, DCPS middle and high schools are one-third empty.

 

In case you are wondering, none of the city’s discrimination against its charter students is justified by charter schools’ contribution to public education in the District.

 

Charters offer superior academic performance in a safe environment. District charter high schools have a graduation rate that is 21 percentage points higher than the traditional system’s. Not coincidentally, college-acceptance rates among charter graduates are significantly higher than for their DCPS peers. Among students eligible for federal lunch subsidies, the share of students in charters who pass the city’s standardized tests is 16 percentage points higher in math and 12 points higher in reading than the share of students in DCPS.

 

In the last round of closures, the city kept 17 school buildings away from charters, eventually letting them lease only six — a sorry result, but still far better than how charters will fare under the current plans.

 

The city has not made clear why it wants to keep charters out of mothballed school buildings. DCPS enrollment is about one-third the level it was a generation ago. Moreover, enrollment is only now increasing slowly, after years of DCPS reform: just 1 percent last school year, compared to 10 percent for charters. Changing demographics do not suggest a large increase in DCPS enrollment is imminent. As the District’s population increased 10 percent between 2000 and 2012, its school-age population fell by almost 16 percent.

 

A city study found that an additional 39,758 seats are needed at the high-quality public schools to adequately serve every District student. Yet high-performing D.C. public charter schools are being denied the right to move their schools into any of the buildings due to close. By denying surplus school buildings and space to D.C. public charter students, the city is failing its children.

 

The writer was chairman of the D.C. Public Charter School Board from 2004 to 2010.

 

 

The FOCUS Gala honoring Malcolm Peabody [FOCUS, Washington Latin PCS, DC Prep PCS, Two Rivers PCS, Thurgood Marshall PCS, Scholar Academies PCS, and William E. Doar, Jr. PCS mentioned]

The Examiner

By Mark Lerner

March 25, 2013

 

Last Thursday evening my wife and I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Friends of Choice in Urban Schools annual gala which this year honored its founder and board chair Malcolm Peabody. Mr. Peabody is retiring from his post.

 

The elegant event was held at the Washington Club, built in 1902 by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Peterson, he an editor of the Chicago Tribune and she the daughter of the newspaper’s owner. President Calvin Coolidge lived there for a period while the White House was undergoing a renovation.

 

The setting was therefore perfect for honoring a man who brought school choice to the nation’s capital. There were so many people in attendance whose lives were changed due to his work, such as prior Public Charter School Board chairs Josephine Baker, Tom Nida, and Brian Jones. Scott Pearson, the current PCSB executive director, joined the celebration as well as Nelson Smith, who also held this position but who I became close to in his role as executive director of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools. Also at the event were charter school leaders such as Washington Latin PCS’s Martha Cutts, D.C. Prep’s Emily Larson, and Two River’s Jessica Wodatch. I spent some time talking with Building Hope’s Joe Bruno, who has played a major role in Washington Latin obtaining the shuttered Rudolph Elementary, and who is also assisting me in having a biography written about the life of philanthropist Joseph E. Robert, Jr.

 

It was emotionally exhilarating to have so many of the individuals who have played instrumental roles in D.C.’s charter school movement gathered under one roof. Between the conversations with friends, enjoying the outstanding refreshments, and dancing to the music of the Glen Pearson Orchestra, I caught up with Mr. Peabody. I asked him for his reflection regarding his organization’s work over 16 years. “I just cannot believe that the system has become so large,” he said with a gleam in his eyes that to me revealed the personal pride he has in being able to make a difference in the lives of so many kids.

 

There was an awards ceremony whose master of ceremonies was FOCUS board member and co-founder of Thurgood Mashall Academy PCS Josh Kern. Four Malcolm E. Peabody Awards were presented. The winner of each was to no one’s surprise Mr. Peabody. It was then time for the FOCUS founder to address the crowd.

 

The remarks were from a man who it was apparent is walking away from the alternative school system he has built but who will never really leave. He showed sobering statistics regarding the percentages of free and reduced lunch kids who demonstrated proficiency on the 2012 DC CAS. For DCPS the rate for reading and math is in the middle 30’s. Charters score better with a reading proficiency percentage of 45 and a math proficiency rate of 52 percent. The clear message to a crowd of activists who have spent almost their entire adult lives working tirelessly to improve the public education of D.C.’s children is that there is so much more to do.

 

A fictitious Charter School Times was prepared for the Gala which contained tributes to Mr. Peabody from many of the guests. I especially like this one by Dan Magder, board member of FOCUS and Scholar Academies PCS:

“Mike Peabody has many talent and boundless energy, but one of the things that strikes me most is how often he shows up all his fellow board members in terms of his vibrancy. At 84, he rides his bicycle to meetings – I’ve seen him on a bike in the sweltering heat of DC summers wearing a sports coat and I’ve also seen him brave the biting cold of February with a warmer coat and gloves – in all cases he shows up with his bike helmet in hand, looking debonair and ready to go.

 

Mike has a true passion for making the world a better place, whether it is public education and choice, civil rights, or campaign finance reform - he has clearly demonstrated that he puts himself and his efforts into the mission. But his impact goes beyond the seemingly boundless energy he himself brings to these causes: Mike has his own special type of gravitational pull through which he identifies like-minded people (and sometimes people who become like-minded once he’s through with them!), and brings them into an orbit around the causes and activities that he so passionately pursues. Mike takes groups to walk through schools, matches individuals to boards of the various organizations he supports, brings people to elegantly planned events like this gala tonight. And as I myself have experienced, and so many others have too, once you’re in Mikes orbit, you’ve become part of the universe of his causes for good.”

 

I remember years ago when I was chair of the William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts Mr. Peabody brought the board chair of Children’s National Medical Center Diana Goldberg for a tour of the school. She asked how she could help and was told that we were in need of equipment to outfit our new darkroom so the students could learn photography. The next week staff was at her home picking up the supplies.

 

It was a privilege to be part of the celebration of the life of such a fine individual.

 

 

D.C. charter schools hold lottery for student admission [Two Rivers PCS mentioned] 

WJLA 

By Kimberly Suiters

March 22, 2013

 

For video see link above.

 

For thousands of D.C. families today was the real March madness, the day charter schools announce who will be admitted in the fall. And at one school, it's actually statistically easier to get into Harvard. In D.C., 43 percent of all school kids go to charter schools. They're chosen by lottery. The school with the longest waiting list has an acceptance rate of less than 2 percent. Harvard's rate is 6 percent. And unlike an Ivy League school, no connection in the world can get you in.

 

It's doubtful the preschool through 8th grade students at Two Rivers Charter School in Northeast know just how lucky they are. In this lottery, 1,840 children applied to get in. Only 32 will be chosen, and 20 of those are for the incoming preschool class.

 

“I absolutely, 100 percent, think a lottery is the fairest way in D.C. Everyone who applies has equal shot of getting in,” says Jessica Wodatch, the founder of Two Rivers Charter School.

Even when you teach at a school, your own children can't automatically attend. “I see the power of this approach and you just want that for your own kids, but you can't have it unless you're lucky enough to win this lottery,” says Jessica Ellis, a teacher at Two Rivers.

 

Federal law governs charter schools in D.C. No one can jump the lottery. Neither the children of teachers nor principals. Even siblings of students aren't guaranteed.

The only automatic “in” is reserved for the family of the school's founder.

 

 

GW Surprises DC High School Students With Full-Ride Scholarships [VIDEO] [Thurgood Marshall PCS and Washington Latin PCS mentioned]

In the Capitol

By Molly Greenberg

March 22, 2013

 

For video see link above.

 

Causing for tearjerker moments across the District, George Washington University presidentSteven Knapp awarded eight awe-inspiring, academically gifted D.C. high school seniors with full, four-year scholarships to attend the prestigious school this coming fall. Shocked and completely overwhelmed by such an honor, each student was taken aback by the moment, tears leaving trails down their cheeks as they choked out their gratitude to the crowd surrounding them. When the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship was doled out to each recipient, you could physically see just how much the reward meant to them, a true account of how invaluable of an experience a full-ride to GW meant to the students and their respective families.

 

Bouncing from campus to campus around the D.C. area, Knapp along with the Colonials mascot George delivered Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarships to accomplished youth which covers tuition, room, board, books, and university fees. Students from six different schools were blown away when Knapp entered their gymnasium, classroom, or the like, incapable of voicing their excitement and utter bewilderment, going speechless as all eyes turned to them.

 

They had done it.

They had made it.

 

They were the select few high school seniors who had managed to acquire the attention of GW and received a fairy tale-esque dream package for college in commemoration of their accomplishments: a free education.

Named for former GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, the scholarships have been given out to 140 students since the program started just 24 years ago. This year, eight more have been added to that highly coveted list of 140: DeLanté Fludd, Thurgood Marshall Academy; Joycelynn Kane, School Without Walls; Timothy Hursen, Washington Latin Public Charter School; Leslie Ogu and Charleene Smith, McKinley Tech High School; David Hernandez-Pineda and Olivia Persons, Benjamin Banneker High School; and Briana Whitfield, Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School.

 

For some of the families, this scholarship is a blessing, an opportunity to go to college void of burdensome financial troubles. For others, without this scholarship, their child may never have had the chance to venture into the college world.

 

“I’m the first one in my family who’s going to go to college, so we’re very excited,” exclaimed David Hernandez-Pineda. “My mom is going to go crazy today.” Karen Felton, director of admissions at GW, described this year’s recipients as representing “the best combination of strong intellect, commitment to community and fierce determination.” And for Knapp, well he admitted that this is always one of his favorite events of the year.

This is just one of many examples demonstrating why GW remains such a valued member of the D.C. community.

 

More kids get free lunch in D.C.'s wealthy suburbs

The Washington Examiner

By Rachel Baye

March 23, 2013

 

The Washington area's wealthy suburbs have seen a sharp rise in the portion of children receiving free, government-funded lunches

over the last several years, an indication of rising poverty levels.

 

In Fairfax County, the second-wealthiest county in the country, nearly 27 percent -- 47,874 -- of the public school system's 179,253 students receive free or subsidized school lunches this year, up from 21 percent -- 33,479 -- of 162,986 just five years ago, data show. Across the Potomac, Montgomery County, the 10th-wealthiest county in the country, has a similar story, with one-third of its 149,051 students receiving free or reduced-price school lunches, up from 26 percent of 137,745 five years ago. "[The trend] puts strain on these districts and on these schools that may not have the infrastructure or services in place to meet the needs of a growing low-income population," said Elizabeth Kneebone, a fellow in the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program.

 

Students who receive Free and Reduced Price Meals -- or FARMS -- are more likely to be behind academically, according to a recent study by Montgomery County's Office of Legislative Oversight, requiring districts to provide more remediation in math and reading.

 

Low-income children may be developmentally behind in their language skills and behavior, which can lead to them being incorrectly placed in special education, said Al Passarella, research coordinator for the Maryland-based Advocates for Children and Youth. Outside the school system, low-income families may need help with food, clothing and medical care.

The recession has accelerated the growth in poverty, as families have moved to the area for newly available affordable housing or jobs, and longtime residents have fallen on hard times, Kneebone said. "The schools are really on the front lines of these trends."

 

The trend has coincided with a significant growth in Hispanic immigrants in both counties. Half the students receiving FARMS in both counties are Hispanic, according to the school systems. In Montgomery, Gaithersburg High School has the most students in the program, with 848 of its 2,035 students receiving FARMS, up 48 percent from five years ago. In Fairfax County, Annandale High School leads FARMS participation, with 1,080 of 2,949 students, up 20 percent from five years ago. Wealthier neighborhoods have also seen participation grow. The program at Walt Whitman High School in Potomac grew to 49 from 35 students five years ago, while at Langley High School near Great Falls, participation climbed from 13 five years ago to 34 this year.The federal government reimburses both counties most of the costs of the program.

 

Students whose families are at 185 percent of the poverty level qualify for reduced-price lunch, while students at 130 percent of the poverty level qualify for free lunch, said Marla Caplon, director of the Division of Food and Nutrition Services at Montgomery County Public Schools. Maryland pays for the free breakfast program at the 40 Montgomery schools that have it. Virginia paid $900,000 toward the meal program in Fairfax, according to Fairfax County Public Schools spokesman John Torre.

 

The poverty level for a family of four is $23,550, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The rise in the program is unlikely to be reversed soon, Passarella said, though it may slow down. "We know that there are now many thousands of kids, literally, in Fairfax who are going to experience prolonged poverty," said John Morgan, executive director of the advocacy organization Voices for Virginia's Children. "The recession and the financial stresses on families have put many more kids at risk for what we call food insecurity, which means they are hungry some of the time or don't know where their next meal is coming from."

 

Why my grandson, 4, won’t be taking a gifted ed test

The Washington Post

By Jay Matthews

March 24, 3013

 

My eldest grandson, Ben Mathews, just turned four. According to the New York Times, that is a perilous age in that big city. Many four year olds are toiling through exercises designed by their parents and tutoring companies to prepare for kindergarten gifted program entrance tests. It gets worse. Adults are fighting over the very nature of those exams. Should they, as they do now, measure how much academic preparation preschoolers have had? Or should they assess the magic essence of giftedness, something much talked about but so far poorly understood.

 

Ben can relax. The public schools where he lives in South Pasadena, Calif., like most schools in the Washington area, don’t have gifted programs for kindergartners to compete for. Fairfax and Montgomery counties have separate elementary and middle school classes for those designated gifted, but like many other districts here they provide similarly imaginative teaching and opportunities for creative work to children who don’t score that high on IQ tests. High schools in the Washington area, as well as South Pasadena High, offer the most challenging college-level courses to anyone, gifted or not, who wants to take them. The national movement for gifted education has done much good. It has made it more likely that a sixth grader ready for algebra will be accelerated. Its research has shown that children can be both gifted and learning disabled. Teaching methods designed for gifted children have helped many children without the designation. But there is little proof that designated gifted children are getting much more than they would get in any well-taught classroom. On average talented students do as well as adults even without gifted classes.

 

Some say separate classes protect awkward and sensitive gifted children from bullying. But shouldn’t our schools do that for all children who are different? The truly gifted don’t appear to develop their innovative urges in school. Their passions need little more than friendly encouragement. Gifted education programs are not what set their thoughts free. Creativity Research Journal just published a study of the early lives of people celebrated for their creativity. The findings were used to identify 485 Kansas children with the same traits. A third of those students had never even been designated gifted. Many had average grades because they only focused on subjects that interested them.

 

Schools, even academies for the gifted, instinctively defend conventional values. They risk their funding if they don’t. They are likely to be at odds with many out-of-the-mainstream kids. Warren Buffett found it amusing to shoplift sports equipment when he was in junior high in the District. Future Education Secretary Bill Bennett recalls joining other student advisors at Harvard trying to persuade an undergraduate named Bill Gates not to drop out for some weird software scheme. I don’t want to abolish gifted programs. But more free time for such youngsters may be just as useful. They want to explore, experiment, follow their own logic. They are happy to discuss this with teachers, just as long as they get to do what they want, not stick to a program.

 

The best educators know how to adjust. I have no idea if my grandson Ben is gifted, but he is obsessed with the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. One of his preschool teachers, Robyn Hill, brought in a Gold Line map so they could ponder its intricacies. His latest school art project, hanging in our den, is a homage to the rail system and its lines of many colors. I don’t know where this leads, but I don’t think Ben needs a gifted class to tell him. All aboard, kid. Have fun. Let us know sometime how it’s going.