PRESIDENT OBAMA’S SECRETARY OF EDUCATION TO CO-HOST DC VOICE’S WARD 5 TOWN HALL MEETING

FOR 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 VOICE’s final town hall meeting of the November Ready Schools Project Town Hall Series, with the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joining the conversation. The Secretary has been touring the nation on a Listening and Learning tour to meet with members of various communities, and has chosen DC VOICE’s Ward 5 town hall as a way to engage D.C. community members’ thoughts and concerns regarding public education in the District.

The Ready Schools Project Town Hall Series kicked off in Ward 4 on November 9th with Councilmember Bowser and State Board member Sekou Biddle. The Ward 6 town hall on November 10th included Councilmember Tommy Wells and State Board President Lisa Raymond. And this past Saturday, November 14th, Councilmember Yvette Alexander and State Board member Dorothy Douglas joined us for our Ward 7 and 8 town hall.

During her remarks at the Ward 7 and 8 town hall, Councilmember Alexander proclaimed, “I take the information DC VOICE provides seriously…[w]hen I hear from DC VOICE, it truly is the voice of the residents in D.C.”

These town hall meetings allow community members to learn current school data collected through DC VOICE’s 6th Annual Ready Schools Project where over 100 school principals were interviewed by almost 200 trained community members. Secretary Duncan will be on hand to discuss federal education initiatives, and will join the smaller breakout table discussions during the town hall meeting. He will also be joined by Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr., the Ward 5 Council on Education, as well as other education groups in the District as co-hosts for this meeting.

The fourth town hall meeting in the five part series will be for Ward 1 and 2 held this Friday, November 20th at 9:00am at All Souls Church, 1500 Harvard St., NW, followed by the final town hall of the series with Secretary Duncan in Ward 5 at Luke C. Moore Academy SHS, 1001 Monroe St., NE at 6:30pm.

To RSVP for an upcoming town hall meeting, please send an email to skashim@dcvoice.org.

Our mission is to inform and mobilize the public to hold both the schools and the community accountable for providing high quality teaching and learning for all.

1436 U Street, Suite 401, NW, Washington, DC 20009

Phone: 202.986.8535 * Fax: 202.986.1243 * dcvoice@dcvoice.org

Contact:

Jeff Smith
Executive Director
202-986-8535
smith@dcvoice.org

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WARDS 7 AND 8 TOWN HALL MEETING ANNOUNCMENT

FOR 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— Community members including students, parents, educators, faith-based leaders, government officials and members of the business community will convene for the purpose of education reform on Saturday, November 14th alongside DC VOICE for the Wards 7 and 8 Ready Schools Project Town Hall meeting. DC VOICE is pleased to announce that Councilmember Yvette Alexander will also be on hand to co-host this meeting. The data featured at this event includes responses from over 100 principals regarding teaching and learning conditions, and review of trends in the data over the six years of DC VOICE’s Ready Schools Project. Ward 7 and 8 specific data will also be featured.

In addition to Councilmember Alexander serving as a co-host, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Inc. will join the town hall meeting and help present the Ready Schools Project data. This organization focuses on at-risk families and youth in the District and incorporates leadership development for youth.

Also, the Delegation of Area Churches set to co-host the Wards 7 and 8 town hall meeting will bring the faith-based perspective to the discussion of school reform in D.C. The U.S. Census Bureau will also be on hand at the Wards 7 and 8 town hall to speak about the importance of being included in Census 2010.

Results of the Ready Schools Project 2010 will be released across the city as part of DC VOICE’s November town hall series. The Wards 7 and 8 town hall meeting will be held on Saturday, November 14th at 10:00am at Ward Memorial AME Church, 241 42nd St NE, 20019.

To RSVP for these town hall meetings, or for a complete list of the Ready Schools Project 2010 November Town Hall Series, please send an email to skashim@dcvoice.org.

Our mission is to inform and mobilize the public to hold both the schools and the community accountable for providing high quality teaching and learning for all.

1436 U Street, Suite 401, NW, Washington, DC 20009

Phone: 202.986.8535 * Fax: 202.986.1243 * dcvoice@dcvoice.org

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Contact:

Jeff Smith
Executive Director
202-986-8535
jsmith@dcvoice.org

COUNCIL MEMBER MURIEL BOWSER AND ROOSEVELT PTA TO LEAD WARD 4 IN RELEASING READY SCHOOLS PROJECT RESEARCH RESULTS

For 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 November Series will take place in Ward 4 at Roosevelt Senior High School. This Ward 4 town hall has a diverse list of co-hosts that have proclaimed their support for community involvement in education reform. One such co-host is Councilmember Muriel Bowser, who joins DC VOICE in the release of the school data collected at over 100 schools.

“We can only achieve educational reform by working together. It is my hope that by attending this town hall, more community members will become inspired to advocate for the betterment of our schools” said Councilmember Bowser about DC VOICE’s upcoming town hall series.

In addition, Roosevelt’s PTA will be co-hosting the community event as well. The Roosevelt PTA has supported DC VOICE’s efforts to release the data from this year’s Ready Schools Project and the school will serve as a notable space to showcase the school data to the community.

Also co-hosting this event is the Ward 4 Council on Education and Ward 4 State Board of Education member Sekou Biddle. Co-hosts will join DC VOICE in the presentation of the data and participate in the community discussion of school improvement.

The 6th annual Ready Schools Project serves to ascertain whether schools were ready for students upon the beginning of the school year. This community action research project brings together parents, community members and education activists to collect information on the supports needed for quality teaching and learning as well as engages them in taking action to improve the data.

The Ward 4 Ready Schools Project 2010 Town Hall meeting will take place on Monday, November 9th at 6:30pm at Roosevelt Senior High School, 4301 13th St NW, 20011. In addition, results of the Ready Schools Project 2010 will be released across the city as part of DC VOICE’s November town hall series. To RSVP for this town hall meeting, or to find out about upcoming town hall meetings in your ward, please send an email to skashim@dcvoice.org.

Our mission is to inform and mobilize the public to hold both the schools and the community accountable for providing high quality teaching and learning for all.

1436 U Street, Suite 401, NW, Washington, DC 20009

Phone: 202.986.8535 Fax: 202.986.1243

dcvoice@dcvoice.org

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Contact:
Jeff Smith
Executive Director
202-986-8535
jsmith@dcvoice.org