tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14395441336166307642012-02-16T17:50:31.412-05:00The DC VOICE OstrichGet your head out of the sand!The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-79466247045793380522012-02-15T19:22:00.000-05:002012-02-15T19:22:33.862-05:00Special Ed "Conversation"Apparently, the District is finding the need to "start a conversation about what quality special education practices should look like in the District of Columbia.,” said Amy Maisterra, assistant state superintendent for special education, as reported by Bill Turque in the Post yesterday.
"OSSE has hired the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to study the quality of special education programsThe DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-58103645860289871352012-02-08T11:57:00.000-05:002012-02-08T11:57:29.738-05:00Some words on Chairman Brown's push to penalize uninvolved parentsTwo days ago, Lisa Gartner of the Examiner wrote, "D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown is planning to introduce legislation that would force low-income parents receiving financial assistance from the city to attend their children's parent-teacher conferences and PTA meetings.
Brown's bill aims to increase parents' involvement in their children's education, a step he and other city leaders say isThe DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-9510687166757626872012-02-01T12:17:00.002-05:002012-02-01T12:17:48.691-05:00*BREAKING* DC VOICE to co-host radio show
WPWC 1480 AM Launch Pilot Radio Program-The Education Town Hall- Takes to the Air,
11 a.m., Thursday, February 2, 2012
Washington, DC - Washington's progressive working class radio station, 1480 AM, announced today that its first pilot radio program-The Education Town Hall- will go live at 11a.m., Thursday, February 2, featuring local education advocates, Thomas Byrd and Jeff Smith of DC The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-8615337001698885882011-12-14T15:10:00.002-05:002011-12-14T15:11:22.941-05:00This is Us!!!Our hearing today has been canceled. We are going to the city council anyway, it's not like they don't have time.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/dc/2011/12/dc-council-cancels-schools-hearing/2003681
The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-46827225955764448232011-11-18T11:36:00.001-05:002011-11-22T14:08:00.825-05:00Something is WrongSomething is wrong. There is clearly a gap between educational policies and how these are carried out. There is also a gap between what a school is "supposed" to do, and what it even might "want" to do, and what it "actually" does in practice. This survey must jolt us out of our slumber and make us wonder whether or not we are pursuing real reform. The current emphasis on teacher performance and The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-8836827604986032802011-11-15T13:18:00.001-05:002011-11-16T12:30:07.644-05:00DC VOICE Advocacy Day Update
This past Thursday, November 10th, members from DC VOICE visited our city council to see what was the latest on our Community Schools
Legislation. We visited Harry Thomas Jr.’s office (Ward 5), Muriel Bowser’s
office (Ward 4), and Michael Brown’s office (At-Large) and we were fortunate
enough to run into Councilman Brown. Aides from all 3 offices articulated their
support for the initiative The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-187332591759782992011-11-01T12:32:00.000-04:002011-11-01T12:32:30.777-04:00The Washington Teacher: More DCPS School Closings On The Horizon!The Washington Teacher: More DCPS School Closings On The Horizon!: DC GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING ON CLOSING MORE SCHOOLS! Did you know that the Deputy Mayor for Education (De’Shawn Wright) h...The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-10863617706691183402011-05-04T14:25:00.000-04:002011-05-04T14:25:33.435-04:00DC VOICE May 2011 Town Hall Series<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-5894558837098706862011-04-29T13:59:00.000-04:002011-04-29T13:59:48.412-04:00Petition against the extension of liquor, tobacco, beer, and wine sales until midnight in D.C.OverviewMany D.C communities already contain too many harmful distractions to young people, their families and school communities. I am opposed to creating more opportunities for tobacco and liquor sales in D.C. Communities by extending liquor store hours to midnight as proposed recently by the Mayor.
Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »
Mayor Vincent Gray has proposed a budget that would The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-63972089050275550032011-03-23T14:14:00.000-04:002011-03-23T14:14:25.569-04:003 Meetings, 3 Perspectives<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-19301580588566917892011-03-10T18:54:00.001-05:002011-03-11T11:40:49.535-05:00Ready High School ProjectWhat DCPS Comprehensive High Schools are Doing to Ensure that our Students are College and Career Ready
This year DC VOICE changed the focus of its community action research. After six years of the Ready Schools Project’s focus on the supports all schools need in order to provide high quality education for their students, DC VOICE focused solely on the 10 comprehensive high schools, those The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-87549413841978798932010-08-17T14:34:00.000-04:002010-08-17T14:34:25.887-04:00Public Education Candidate Forum to feature D.C. Parents, Students and Community membersPublic Education Candidate Forum to feature D.C. Parents, Students and Community members
Local education organizations to co-host forum addressing parental engagement, community schools, student support services, English language supports, and other education issues
Washington, DC— With the primaries drawing near, it’s time the community weighs in on what’s being said about education in the The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-66226947566106502542010-06-22T11:26:00.000-04:002010-06-22T11:26:44.806-04:00New DCPS standards for Family and Community Engagement
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The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-49870927408220848732010-05-24T14:09:00.007-04:002010-05-24T14:15:06.699-04:00Will someone take my daughter, please?
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The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-50443014839864801622010-04-23T13:21:00.000-04:002010-04-23T13:21:07.358-04:00What A New Contract for Washington's Teachers Could Signal for Professional DevelopmentAlthough recent controversial news about DC Public Schools’ (DCPS) newfound budget surplus has overshadowed the release of Washington Teacher’s Union (WTU) and DCPS’ much awaited collective bargaining agreement on April 7th, there is still much to be celebrated. There has been an on-going negotiation between WTU and DCPS’ administration for the last two years, as teacher’s professional needs and The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-67259234261824203732010-04-20T16:51:00.000-04:002010-04-20T16:51:14.055-04:00Community Schools Report Release
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The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-24013040492687453382010-04-13T11:31:00.003-04:002010-04-15T10:36:43.039-04:00School Communities & Community Schools: A Teach-In
Involved communities and parents help increase student achievement. When a community is informed about what is going on and empowered to be active in the decision-making, the result is high quality teaching and learning in schools.
Delays in the redevelopment processes at both Bruce-Monroe/Park View and Turner/Green provide case studies of what happens when promises to a community and its The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-64144927619112788142010-04-09T13:15:00.001-04:002010-04-09T13:18:26.807-04:00Our VOICE: The Importance of Cultural Competency in Professional DevelopmentRecently, DC VOICE representatives attended a meeting with the State Board of Education to discuss important issues that our constituents have brought to our attention. In our Campaign for Equity, we have made professional development a crucial component of model for education reform. Outlined in our Supports for Quality Teaching (SQT) framework are seven areas which the public school system and The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-86613415424056302312010-03-16T15:18:00.001-04:002010-03-16T15:26:10.700-04:00Blueprint for Success: Elementary and Secondary Education Act 2010Today, the Federal Department of Education published President Obama’s blueprint for an reauthorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most famously known as the “No Child Left Behind Act” after an amendment by President Bush in 2001. Bush’s legislation was intended to close the achievement gap between white and ethnic minority students by requiring all children to be The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-65483334003628529762010-02-23T17:31:00.001-05:002010-02-23T17:32:26.128-05:00Reform with EngagementMichelle Rhee came out of the starting gate full speed ahead when she began as Chancellor of DC Public Schools (DCPS). Within her first year she closed 23 schools, fired almost half of DCPS’ principals, over 250 teachers and 500 teaching aides, allocated $200 million for school revitalization, and quadrupled funds for professional development. While her efforts have proven to bring about some The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-2560618985519445752010-02-12T16:19:00.001-05:002010-02-23T17:35:38.758-05:00Join the Coalition for Community Schools at their 2010 National Forum( Visit www.communityschools.org to learn more about the community schools model that DC VOICE is advocating.)
Innovation is the word of the day in education reform, as the U.S. Department of Education rolls out its new education reform strategy. Community schools are an innovation that is turning around student performance as it builds on a fundamental American principle: schools are The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-28514849259415581902010-02-04T13:06:00.002-05:002010-02-06T18:13:27.171-05:00Community Schools Lead to Better Quality Teaching in the ClassroomRecently, DC VOICE had a long conversation with a DCPS elementary school teacher, who by all indicators is a high quality teacher. It was a very interesting conversation, and it got us thinking. We started by asking our usual questions concerning how reform has affected schools’ operations and quality of instruction. This time here’s how the answers came back:
Did you get your books and The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-68509494934472306472010-01-26T10:18:00.001-05:002010-01-26T10:18:09.340-05:00DC VOICE City-Wide Reform Campaign Action BriefingOn Thursday, January 28th at 12:30 pm DC VOICE is hosting a city-wide conference call and webinar to update the community about the status of the Demand Reform Demand Equality Campaign focused on Community Schools, Parent/Community Resource Coordinators, and Professional Development. Community members have demanded that community schools be a priority for education reform in the District, and DC The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-81222006171077662842009-11-19T12:09:00.000-05:002009-11-19T12:09:12.099-05:00PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SECRETARY OF EDUCATION TO CO-HOST DC VOICE’S WARD 5 TOWN HALL MEETINGFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 16, 2009
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SECRETARY OF EDUCATION TO CO-HOST DC VOICE’S WARD 5 TOWN HALL MEETING
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s Listening Tour makes a stop at DC VOICE’s final meeting as part of the Ready Schools Project District-Wide
Town Hall Series
Washington, DC— In Ward 5, Luke C. Moore Academy Senior High School will be the setting for DC The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-17243330695544213542009-10-28T13:18:00.004-04:002009-10-28T13:24:34.963-04:00Moving the Discussion to Teacher QualityTeacher quality and effectiveness have long been topics of debate among DC VOICE members and constituents. One positive aspect of the recent RIF (Reduction In Force), school equalization, and DCPS budget discrepancies is that teacher quality has once again been positioned at the forefront of discussion. Chancellor Rhee has stated that this RIF was necessitated by school budget cuts at the City The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-72642970914047698272009-10-28T13:16:00.002-04:002009-11-02T16:25:16.537-05:00WARDS 7 AND 8 TOWN HALL MEETING ANNOUNCMENTFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 28, 2009
COUNCILMEMBER YVETTE ALEXANDER AND YOUTH AND FAMILY ORGANIZATION SASHA BRUCE YOUTHWORK TO JOIN HOST COMMITTEE FOR WARDS 7 AND 8 TOWN HALL MEETING
Delegation of Area Churches and U.S. Census Bureau also to lead Wards 7 and 8 Host Committee as part of upcoming Ward by Ward Town Hall Series to Release Data from over 100 School Interviews
Washington, DC— The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-40528252873859243322009-10-20T13:26:00.010-04:002009-10-27T23:42:05.717-04:00Reforming the Reform?D.C. education continues to receive only a fraction of the focus, participation, and public voice necessary at the Council level to ensure student development and success. So, as asked by Council Member Michael Brown during the October 16th Council Hearing on DCPS, is it time to “Reform the reform”?
In 2007 the D.C. Council gave full oversight of DCPS issues to the Mayor and the mayoral The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-39820138474595147502009-10-20T13:15:00.006-04:002009-11-02T16:25:02.950-05:00COUNCIL MEMBER MURIEL BOWSER AND ROOSEVELT PTA TO LEAD WARD 4 IN RELEASING READY SCHOOLS PROJECT RESEARCH RESULTSFor Immediate Release:
October 20, 2009
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNCILMEMBER MURIEL BOWSER AND ROOSEVELT PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION TO LEAD WARD 4 LIST OF HOSTS IN RELEASING READY SCHOOLS PROJECT RESEARCH RESULTS
Washington, DC— Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser joins the town hall series as a co-host. DC VOICE is proud to announce that the first Ready Schools Project 2010 Town Hall meeting in The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-30332692396894708732009-10-08T20:02:00.012-04:002009-10-20T13:20:42.048-04:00THE WASHINGTON TEACHERS' UNION MUST SPEAK OUT ABOUT MORE THAN JUST JOBSTHE WASHINGTON TEACHERS’ UNION MUST SPEAK OUT ABOUT MORE THAN JUST JOBSWashington, DC— Today at Freedom Plaza, hundreds, perhaps thousands will gather to protest recent teacher layoffs. Buses will be provided to transport students from school, and a call for attendance was sent out to education organizations throughout the District. The Washington Teachers’ Union organized the rally, which DC The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439544133616630764.post-39591262545530071472009-10-07T11:16:00.013-04:002009-10-27T17:29:28.666-04:00The Washington Nationals Have Their Heads in the SandDid you know that the D.C. government spent $611 million to build 2,422,240 UNUSED seats?According to the Washington Nationals (Major League Baseball) website, the team donates tickets to the community on a yearly basis. While the new ballpark has an approximate capacity of 41,000, the Nationals averaged an attendance of around 25,861 per game since the stadium opened in 2008.1 That leaves The DC VOICE Ostrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314315802377665075noreply@blogger.com0