The $143 million in the District’s capital improvement plan (CIP) for Banneker HS could fully modernize the Euclid Street facility for 700 students AND provide a modern middle school at the Shaw site for families. This option is educationally sound for Banneker and Shaw families. It can be implemented the quickest, and is the most fiscally and environmentally responsible. Let’s…
Read More »Today the Washington City Paper published “D.C.’s Master Facilities Plan Will Shape the City’s Balance Between Neighborhood Schools and Charters,” a feature story on the District’s educational Master Facilities Plan (MFP). The article, written by freelance reporter Rachel Cohen, highlights many troubling aspects of the Mayor’s plan process, specifically failure to follow data transparency requirements in the Planning Actively for…
Read More »Mary Filardo, 21st Century School Fund Jeff Vincent, Center for Cities + Schools In 2017, we founded [Re]Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC), a non-partisan coalition to advocate for a ten-year $100 billion investment as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure package. But reducing inequity in our nation’s public school facilities will take a variety of tools. These tools are…
Read More »Last week, The 21stCentury School Fund along with Cooperative Strategies and the Urban Institute, released a Study of Enrollment Projections for D.C.’s Public Schools: Assuring Accuracy and Transparency. The study, produced under contract with the Office of the DC Auditor, analyzed the District’s current methods for projecting enrollment, evaluated the accuracy of past projections, and produced new five- and ten-year…
Read More »The 21st Century School Fund has worked on DC education master plans since 1994 and with other cities on education and facility planning. We propose that the facility planners provide options for: Expanded early childhood Provide PK3 classes, by right, in all Title I DCPS schools Provide PK4 classes, by right, in all DCPS schools. Increased equity of by-right access…
Read More »Four new and/or completely modernized DCPS schools are opening this fall with events this week and next: Bancroft Elementary, Ward 1, 1755 Newton St. NW, Thursday, August 16, 5:00 p.m. (also release of the city’s PARCC Assessment Scores) Boone Elementary (formerly Orr), Ward 8, 2200 Minnesota Ave SE, August 18, 4:00 p.m. MacFarland Middle School, Ward 4, 4400 Iowa Ave….
Read More »By Cathy Reilly: the Executive Director of the Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators (S.H.A.P.P.E) and member of the State Board High School Graduation Requirements Task Force. DCPS recently released draft regulations and policies for attendance, promotion, secondary grading and graduation. The public can provide feedback and comments online or at two in-person feedback sessions scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, July…
Read More »Last night the DC Coalition for Public Schools and Communities held a candidate forum focused on recent challenges facing the city’s education system. First, incumbent Council chair Phil Mendelson faced off against Ed Lazere, the long-time leader of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Then, At-Large incumbent Anita Bonds shared the stage with her two challengers: real estate developer Marcus Goodwin and…
Read More »Mayor Muriel Bowser released her proposed FY2019 budget last week including a 3.91% increase in the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula and an increase of nearly $56 million over the approved FY18 budget for DC Public Schools up to nearly $993 million. In addition to these important investments in operating funds, the mayor proposed $1.35 billion in capital funds to…
Read More »The Cross-Sector Collaboration Task Force meeting on Tuesday, July 25th at Luke C. Moore High School focused on D.C.’s complicated lottery and what an “at risk” preference is. The task force working group on improving outcomes for at-risk students hosted an informative presentation by Cat Peretti, Executive Director of the My School DC Lottery, on the possibility of including an…
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