Year-end review of events in DC public education in 2018 with two guests on Dec 13: Rachel Cohen and Jared Catapano.
Valerie Jablow writes:
Rachel Cohen is freelance writer who has of late tracked down many DC public education deals, snafus, and scandals, including groundbreaking reporting for the City Paper on
- the charter school turnaround org. TenSquare ;
- suspicious circumstances around the closure of Washington Mathematics, Science, and Technology high school;
- the proposed research collaborative for DC’s education data, also here;
- and the master facilities plan.
Jared Catapano is a 4th grade ELA teacher at Lafayette Elementary and WTU rep.
Thomas, Valerie, Rachel, and Jared will discuss the following, all of which have (incredibly) been in DC public education news in 2018:
- Chancellor selection process problems, also here ;
- The new chancellor, Lewis Ferebee, who comes with both education reform kudos and scandal ;
- The master facilities plan (MFP)
- The scandals plural (resignations of Antwan Wilson and former deputy mayor for education Jennie Niles; grading/attendance)
- STAR rating system;
- The RPP/Collaborative;
- Legislation to rein OSSE in/make it more independent, also here;
- Issues with charter schools (TenSquare; WMST;
- New DME, Paul Kihn
- Charter lawsuit against DC for funding inequities;
- Cross sector task force end (and member resignations);
- Teacher & principal retention;
- New schools in DCPS (Banneker, Bard);
- School board elections (articles here and here)
The Education Town Hall with Thomas Byrd
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After years of weekly broadcasts, the program now focuses one show each month on local issues and one on “the BUS,” organized by BadAss Teachers, United Opt Out, and SOS March.
Education Town Hall Forum 
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