Press Conference at Burroughs Elementary Today

I saw some folks setting up the equipment on the front lawn as my bus drove past a little before 9 a.m.....NBC4 has the (misspelled) details on the "small group of parents who passed out fliers and held a press conference" this morning:

Some parents are frustrated with D.C. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee's plan for John Burrows [sic] Elementary in Northeast.

Parents said Rhee's plan to change the school to a pre-K through eighth grade school is too ambitious. The school currently has students in Head Start through sixth grade.

"In less than five months, we're supposed to implement a pre-K through eight plan beginning with extending to accommodate seventh graders," said parent activist Maria Jones.

The plan is to change it to a pre-K through seventh school next year, and add eighth grade within two years. The school was slated for closure but will be kept open.

Casey Trees

Each year, the city loses a number of mature trees to disease, age, and overpruning. Last year, many of our trees suffered in the drought and many did not survive. With new construction or home addition, old trees are lost and all too often builders and new homeowners don't think to replant. Don't be daunted by the cost of new trees or the dilemma of what kind or where to put them. Take advantage of one of the best local organizations in D.C. - Casey Trees.

Casey Trees will soon be headquartered in Brookland (pdf) at 3030 12th Street NE, which is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. For those that aren't familiar with them, this is a great time to catch up on their calendar of Spring plantings. No experience necessary and the more the merrier.

Browse their Spring 2008 Tree Planting Events here.

Additionally, don't miss their homeowner workshops (pdf), "Design Your Yard with Trees." The sessions are free and attendants will receive a FREE TREE! Bring photographs or drawings and measurements of your yard and map out existing trees, buildings and powerlines.

Advanced registration is required and workshops are limited to 30 participants, so sign up now:

Tuesday March 11th (6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.)
or
Wednesday March 19th (6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.)

Casey Trees 1425 K St, NW, Suite 1050
202.349.1909
www.caseytrees.org
friends@caseytrees.org

School Closing Hearings and Links

By now you likely know about the consolidated school closure hearings on Thursday, January 17 [pdf], and "The People's Meeting" co-sponsored by Councilmembers Thomas and Barry. Whichever you choose, if you are able to make it to one of the meetings on Thursday, you will be making an impact.

- - -

Ward 5 schools to be closed (in parentheses) and their meeting locations:

· Taft Recreation Center (Burroughs ES), 1800 Perry Street NE

· Brookland ES (Bunker Hill ES), 1150 Michigan Avenue NE

· LaSalle ES (Backus MS), 501 Riggs Road NE

· Eastern SHS (M.M. Washington SHS), 1700 East Capitol Street NE

· Kelly Miller MS (Douglass and Taft CHOICE Academies and Centers), 301 49th Street NE

· Emery ES (J.F. Cook ES), 1720 1st Street NE

· Noyes ES (Slowe ES), 2725 10th Street NE

· Cleveland ES (Gage-Eckington ES), 1825 8th Street NW (Gage-Eckington is in Ward 1, just outside Ward 5)

- - -

Some links relevant to Ward 5 and DCPS:

» Save John Burroughs DC - Friends of John Burroughs Elementary

John Burroughs proudly ranks 15 out of all 81 DC Public Schools in Reading and 12 out of 81 in Math. Our enrollment is 244 and rising - we are only 7% away from full enrollment!!!....Save this model school from closure.

» "School closings plan draws opposition" - Examiner, Wednesday, January 15

“What [Burroughs Elementary School] has accomplished is incredible given the few resources it has,” said Gary Spinner, whose granddaughter is in second grade. “We were in the process to petition the mayor and chancellor for more support; in turn, we found out we would be closed.”

Spinner and other Burroughs representatives touted the fact that the school is ranked 15th out of 81 citywide in reading and that its standardized test scores last year rose by double digits. Enrollment also has been going up, they said, making it the wrong time for closure.

Chancellor Michelle Rhee has explained that the 23 schools suggested for closure were chosen mainly for building occupancy, rather than test scores or overall program quality. That numbers-driven approach was challenged Monday.

» "One DC Public School Has Fewer Than 100 Students" - WUSA9, Monday, January 14

When Principal Pat Mabry came to Slowe Elementary, the neighborhood school at 14th and Jackson Streets in Northeast had 619 students. Today, Slowe's student enrollment has plummeted to only 84 students.

There are only five classes held in the entire building for DC public school students.

DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee pointed 9NEWS NOW to Slowe Elementary as example of why up to 23 school buildings have been put on a proposed list for closing.

This has nothing to do with academic performance. It has everything to do with what the city is paying for unused space; staffing, utility and maintenance costs.

Principal Mabry isn't fighting the closing; but she and her parents don't like the plan to send Slowe students to a nearby school where students have been beefing with Slowe's young people.

» "Fixing D.C.'s Schools" - Washington Post investigative series, multiple parts posted since June 2007

GWU's DC Neighborhood College Now Accepting Applications

My experience in the DC Neighborhood College (DCNC) over the past year has been an eye-opening and extremely informative experience. I strongly urge you to apply if you have an interest in community development, activism, and leadership. The 2008-09 cohort will be a year-long commitment that includes one module per month (Thursday and Friday after work and Saturday during the day) along with an independent, community-based project that culminates in a public poster session and presentation.

George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) is the home of the DC Neighborhood College, a citywide program that trains community and civic leaders to lead, organize, and influence positive change in their communities [this program was formally a DC Agenda program).

The program’s goals include developing cross-District networks of highly skilled community and civic leaders who are:

· Active in neighborhood revitalization and working to take advantage of opportunities afforded by government and private initiatives
· Connected to local, regional, and national resources
· Informed by knowledge of best practices and successful innovations in neighborhood empowerment and revitalization
· Supported by sustained training and involvement of thought and practice leaders

The Neighborhood College seeks applicants from all eight of the District’s wards and a broad representation of ages, ethnicities, and civic organizations. Participants must be District residents and are selected through a competitive application process.

Download a DC Neighborhood College brochure (PDF/744Kb).

Applications are due Friday, January 18, 2008 by 3:00 p.m. Click here to read more about the Neighborhood College.

“I use the knowledge I've gained about economic development, project management, and leadership skills on a daily basis. I'd love to participate in other programs that DC Neighborhood College offers and encourage anyone that will listen to consider participating in the program. It was truly a great experience.”
— Neighborhood College Graduate

For more information or an application, contact:
DC Neighborhood College
(202) 994-5390
Email: dcnc@gwu.edu

» If accepted, you will receive a full scholarship to attend.
» You can view the 2008-09 schedule here.
» You can download the application here.

I've kept my independent project close to home by creating the framework for a hypothetical Woodridge Community Development Corporation (CDC) focusing initially on the Rhode Island Avenue commercial corridor running through our neighborhood. I've started building a website to coincide with the project, though it's not yet ready to go live. I hope to maintain that site in addition to this blog once my DCNC cohort finishes in March as a way of keeping the community up-to-date on development in the area. If anything, I've gained invaluable knowledge about the inner-workings of DC, community organizing, and leadership that will continue to guide me in my community engagement...do yourself - and your community - a favor and apply.

Mayor's Public Meetings on School Closing Plan - Wards 4 & 5

- December 11, 2007, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Noyes Elementary School, 2725 10th Street NE

- December 18, 2007, 6-8 p.m., Barnard Elementary School, 430 Decatur Street NW

- January 10, 2008, 6-8 p.m., Emory Elementary School, 1720 1st Street NE

Edgewood's Beacon House Falcons Headed to Pop Warner Super Bowl this Saturday

Edgewood Terrace's Beacon House Falcons have advanced to the Pop Warner Super Bowl and will play the Tustin Black Cobras for the Pee Wee Championship this Saturday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Check out the brackets - the Falcons haven't given up a point yet!

Our thanks to Fannie Mae and NBC4 for sponsoring the trip the team couldn't have otherwise afforded:

Thanks to donations from News4 and a grant from Fannie Mae, the Falcons will be able to go to Orlando.

Fannie Mae awarded a $100,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington to send the Falcons to compete in the pee wee division. The grant also allows 2006 midget division champs, the Marshall Heights Bison, to defend their title.

Last year, the Fannie Mae Foundation donated $30,000 so Marshall Heights could make the trip.

We should be extremely proud of our teams...not only for making it to the National Championships, but also considering that Pop Warner is the only youth sports organization with an academic requirement.

You can watch video of the Falcons here.

Ward 5 Emergency Education Town Hall Meeting - Monday, December 3

What: Emergency Education Town Hall Meeting to review the proposed reform plan to close 9 Ward 5 schools.

When: Monday, December 3, 2007, 7-9 p.m.

Where: Bertie Backus Middle School, 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE

For More Information: Contact the Ward 5 Council office at 202.724.8028

24 DC Schools Proposed for Closure; 9 in Ward 5

From WaPo:

Ward 5 has the most proposed closures, with nine. That section of the city has experienced a recent influx of young families moving into such neighborhoods as Brookland and LeDroit Park, but many of them are choosing charter schools or going out of boundary rather than enrolling at neighborhood schools, which have been plagued by declining enrollment and poor test scores. Ward 3 is the only one with no schools on the list.

The document says those schools on the closure list would be taken "off the list for modernization, targeted repair, or blitz work (excluding things that are necessary for basic quality of life)."

The document also raises questions about the pace of repair work needed to upgrade schools that would take students from closed facilities. According to the list, Brookland Elementary in Northeast would close next year and the students would be sent to nearby Bunker Hill Elementary. Bunker Hill, however, would close two years later.

But the document also says there are plans to "rebuild a new [pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade school] on the Brookland site. This is a high priority to move up. Can we get a design team up in early '08 and complete construction by '10?"

In Ward 5:
Bertie Backus Middle - Fort Totten
Brookland Elementary - Brookland/Michigan Park
Bunker Hill Elementary (summer 2010)- Brookland/Michigan Park
Burroughs Elementary - Woodridge
Gage-Eckington Elementary - Ledroit Park/Bloomingdale
J.F. Cook Elementary - Eckington
Mamie D. Lee (summer 2009) - Fort Totten
M. M. Washington Career High - Eckington
Slowe Elementary - Brookland

Quick Links

I'm on my way out of town for a week, so posting will be light-to-nil. I don't have the time to create posts for each of the links below, but I wanted to share them in case you missed them in the news this week (and I think this may be a good way for me to get info out quickly and more frequently):

» "1300 Rhode Island Avenue - New Name, New Birthday" - DCmud, Friday, October 19th - The "1300 Rhode Island Avenue" development is now dubbed "Brookland Square"
» "Academy Expands Facility, and Hope" - WaPo, Thursday, October 18th - Inspirational news from the Academy of Hope, now located in Edgewood Terrace
» "4 Catholic schools to fight charter conversion" - The Examiner, October 18th - St. Francis de Sales in Woodridge is one of the schools trying to escape charter conversion; St. Anthony's in Brookland will remain under the Archdiocese of Washington's umbrella
» "Owner's letter OKs crackdown" - The Washington Times, October 18th - The company managing the Rhode Island Place shopping center has authorized the MPD to crack down on crimes being committed by day laborers who go there seeking work

Eastern HS Teacher Honored with the 2007 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

Reynauld Smith, a social studies and AP American History teacher at Eastern High School, was one of three educators nationwide honored with the 2007 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. According to the Mc-Graw Hill Companies, the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education "annually recognizes outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to enhancing learning in this country and whose accomplishments are making a difference today."

Mr. Smith is being recognized as an innovative educator who took over Eastern's fledgling Model United Nations program in 1999, and introduced the program as part of his AP American History class. Smith has worked with 500 students in his Model UN program and has taken dozens of students to Ecuador, Portugal, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. He previously taught in Montgomery County, MD, where he helped start a diversity club for U.S. and international students.

First Annual Community Open House at Bunker Hill Elementary - Saturday, August 25th

From Bunker Hill ES Principal Amanda Alexander:

What: Come and tour our stunning schoolhouse, meet our outstanding teachers and staff, and enjoy free barbecue! If you haven't been in a DC public school in a while and are just a concerned citizen, please come see this wonderful neighborhood asset. If you're still deciding where to send your child to school, or if you have already enrolled your child in an area charter school, you owe it to your child to see what we have to offer. Invited guests include Chancellor Michelle Rhee, School Board Member Lisa Raymond, and Councilman Harry Thomas!

When: Saturday, August 25th, 2007, 3-5pm

Where: Bunker Hill Elementary School, 1401 Michigan Avenue, NE

Etc.: Please RSVP at amanda.alexander@k12.dc.us

Clean-up at Emery Elementary - Saturday, August 25th

In conjunction with the Annual DCPS Beautification Day, the residents of Eckington have coordinated a "Clean-up Green-up" at Emery Elementary.

When: Saturday, August 25th, 9am-2pm

Where: Emery Elementary School, 1720 1st Street, NE

Details: Demonstrate your concern for the community and our young people by helping to fix up the outside of the school and the surrounding grounds before classes begin Monday.

We will tackle the following projects:
· Paint the outside doors around the building
· Fill a 50ft x 8 ft tree box with topsoil and plant flowers in it
· Set up tree boxes for our fall planting of trees from Casey Trees
· Create a new garden bed in front of the school
· Prune and remove branches from a large tree behind the school
· Weed and edge sidewalks and sweep the parking lot.

We have the tools and supplies but what we really need is you!

Ward 5 Education Town Hall Meeting - Thursday, August 2nd

I've been out of town for a few days and am just catching up on the news....I'm aware of the shooting at Edgewood Terrace that left 7 wounded (where we seem to need "all hands on deck" at all times, not just on special occassions) and the off-duty firefighter who was shot and carjacked. Both of these incidents suck, and August is just beginning.

- - -

What: Share your thoughts and concerns about DC Public Schools with Ward 5 Councilmember Harry "Tommy" Thomas, Jr. and new Chancellor Michelle Rhee

When: Thursday, August 2nd, 2007, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Agenda: 6:30 p.m. Athletic Field Walk-Thru; 7:00-9:00 p.m. Forum

Where: McKinley Technical High School, 151 T Street, NE

For More Information Contact: Ward 5 Council Office at 202.724.8028

**In anticipation of the townhall meeting, Harry Thomas's office has created an education survey you can take here. The results will be shared at the meeting.**

KaBOOM! Prep & Build Days at Friendship Public Charter School - Volunteers Needed

The children of the Woodridge community need a safe, clean, and fun place to play and enjoy with their families!

What: KaBOOM! - Prep & Build Days/Playground Initiative

When: Prep day - Monday, July 30th, 2007, 8am-4pm (breakfast & lunch will be served); Build day - August 1st, 2007

Where: Friendship Public Charter School, 2959 Carlton Avenue, NE

Etc.: In order to provide this wonderful space for our children we will need your involvement! We are planning two fun-filled days as we create this new community-build playground. There will be food, music and activities as we put the playground together. Volunteers will help with all aspects of the playground planning, prep and build. For more information call or email Crystal Clark, Woodridge Principal, at 202.635.6500 or cclark@friendshipschools.org.

KaBOOM! believes that, together, we can achieve it by pursuing smaller common goals: a playground, skatepark or field complex, toward collective causes − the well being of children, (that results in achievable wins) a one day build, all through the small, yet courageous act of volunteering. This is how KaBOOM! activates powerful citizenship.

Byte Back Summer Classes Start Monday, June 11th

Byte Back Community Computer Training Center
815 Monroe Sreet, NE
Telephone: 202.529.3395
Fax: 202.529.4684
E-mail: info@byteback.org
Web Site: www.byteback.org

REGISTRATION HOURS:

Monday-Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday, Noon to 4:00pm

Summer 2007 Class Schedule

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

Excel 1
Wednesdays, 6:00pm-7:30pm
June 13 - July 18
$50

Introduces spreadsheets with Microsoft Excel: understanding cell
addresses, the different cursors and parts of the spreadsheet, sorting
data, using formula, simple functions, and graphing with Excel.
Prerequisite: PC Beginners.

MS Office Fast Track
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30am-noon or 6:00pm-7:30 pm
June 12 - July 31
$150

Windows XP file management, word processing with MS Office WORD, spreadsheets and graphing with EXCEL, and an intro to POWERPOINT.
Prerequisite: PC Beginners or placement test.

Hardware 1
Saturdays, 11:00am-noon
June 16 - July 7
$50

PC function, assembly, troubleshooting and upgrade

HTML 1
Wednesdays, 6:30pm-8:00pm
June 13 - August 1
$100

HyperText Markup Language is a script used to construct web pages. HTML 1 teaches bare bones construction of a web page, font, color, lists, and tables to control the placement of elements on the page.
Prerequisite: Keyboarding, File Management (PC Beginners) and Word 1.

PC BEGINNERS
AM - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 10:30am-noon
3 weeks - June 11 - June 27
$50
PM - Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00pm-7:30pm
4 weeks - June 12 - July 5
$50

Personal computing for beginners on Windows XP. Mouse basics, managing files and folders, using a typing tutorial, cut and paste, e-mail, and internet search.

WORD 1
Saturdays, 12:30pm-2:00pm
June 16 - July 21
$50

Word processing using MS Word 2003. Editing text and formatting text at the character level, paragraph level, and document level, graphics and templates.
Prerequisites: Keyboarding and PC Beginners.


Byte Back is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing high-quality computer training to low-income residents of Washington, DC and the surrounding area.

Students at Bunker Hill Elementary Among Those Who Broke World Record

Now this is a wonderful way to get students excited about reading, from WTOP:

About 80 fourth, fifth and sixth graders at Bunker Hill Elementary in Northeast made history Wednesday, as they broke a world record for reading.

The Bunker Hill schoolchildren were among the 547,826 students from 28 countries worldwide who broke the Guinness World Record for the "Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously in Multiple Locations."

Their book of choice? The students all read from the same chapter of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.

At 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the reading began. When the chapter was over, cheers erupted from the halls of Bunker Hill.

Incoming D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Howard University Assistant Vice President Raymond Archer were among the official witnesses.

The previous record was from 2004, when 155,528 students from 737 schools throughout the United Kingdom read William Wordsworth's poem "Daffodils," according to Guinness World Record.