Are school assignment boundaries about geography, social engineering, or school programming? Can redrawing school boundaries help achieve equity that has so far eluded a school system? As the District of Columbia considers proposed boundary changes, the first redrawing in over 30 years, the Education Town Hall talks continues its discussion series.
April 10: Overview of proposed alternatives for DC schools (see “Policy Examples” below) and discussion with Erich Martel, retired DCPS teacher; Peter MacPherson, DCPS parent and activist on school library issues; and Iris Toyer, education activist and former school board member.
April 17: Deputy Mayor for Education, Abigail Smith, discusses the process creating the current alternatives under consideration and plans going forward.
DME Abigail Smith, charged with DC’s first boundary redrawing since the 1970s, joins the Education Town Hall, Thursday, April 17, 11 a.m.
We Act Radio’s Education Town Hall airs Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern via TuneIn; 1480 AM in the DC area.
Submit a question or comment in advance if you cannot tune in. Full recording posted shortly after air time.
See also, August 8, 2013, “We Need This Dialogue,” and November 14, 2013, “Changing School Boundaries in DC: Process, Goal, and History.”
April 10 Edition:
Policy Example A: geographic “choice sets” plus specialized feeder patterns and high school lottery with “proximity preference.”
Policy Example B: boundaries with geographic feeder patters, early childhood schools of right; lottery set asides for out-of-boundary students.
Policy Example C: elementary boundaries, “choice sets” for middle school, and citywide lottery for high school.
Education Town Hall Forum 