Wash Post Education

Haiti's logistical hurdles are thwarting small nonprofits

William Wan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The school is gone, its teachers scattered. With no way into Haiti and communications still spotty, Clodette Mompoint isn't sure how her small, faith-based nonprofit group will go on.

Ellington arts school staying put for now, Rhee says

Bill Turque — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, moving Thursday to quell a storm of protest, said that the District has no immediate plans to move the Duke Ellington School of the Arts out of Georgetown but that it hopes to eventually build a new facility to replace the school's century-old home.

Foster teens ready to tell city council how to fix system

Petula Dvorak — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The room the other night was full of teenagers and their teenage habits. There was the eye-roller, the wise-cracker, the slouch-in-the-seater.

Scope of teacher's alleged inappropriate contact probed

Michael Birnbaum and Dan Morse — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Montgomery County police who have charged a teacher with sexually abusing a minor are investigating whether he had inappropriate contact with other children as well.

Sidwell Friends fires teacher, Robert A. "Pete" Peterson, accused of sex abuse

Bill Turque and Dan Morse — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Police in Montgomery and Queen Anne's counties have charged a Sidwell Friends middle school teacher with sexual abuse of a minor and other sexual offenses, according to law enforcement officials.

On day to honor King, former T.C. Williams coach recalls his 'Titans' experience

Christy Goodman — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

It has been nearly 40 years since Alexandria's high schools were combined into T.C. Williams High School, completing the integration required after the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision, but the lessons learned in 1971 live on.

Thieves target catalytic converters across the Washington area

Maria Glod — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Thieves throughout the Washington area have been swiping catalytic converters from parked cars, booty that police say can be traded for cash at a scrap yard.

Virginia college group describes surviving Haiti earthquake

by Michael Alison Chandler — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

WEYERS CAVE, VA. -- Two students from Blue Ridge Community College were driving down a rutted road in southern Haiti last Tuesday afternoon with two faculty advisers when they heard a giant clap of rocks and their van began to rock.

Yale: The musical

Jenna Johnson — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:18:57 EST

A new Yale admissions video released Friday starts as most campus tours do: an uncomfortable question-and-answer session with an over-caffeinated admissions officer. Some kid asks what year the school was founded. A dowdy mom elbows a nerdy dad.

D.C., Virginia seek $450 million in federal education funds

Bill Turque — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

District and Virginia officials formally made their case for more than $450 million in federal education funds Tuesday, asserting in sometimes glowing terms that their reform efforts to date make them deserving of money from President Obama's Race to the Top initiative to overhaul public schools.

Obama to seek $1.35 billion more for Race to the Top program

Michael A. Fletcher — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

President Obama is slated to visit a Fairfax County school Tuesday to announce plans to seek $1.35 billion in his next budget to expand his signature education initiative to improve schools.

Teresa Sullivan is the first female president to lead University of Virginia

Daniel de Vise — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The University of Virginia's first female president got an early look at how to run a school as a college senior when she won a coveted internship in the president's office at Michigan State University.

Man dies after run-in with Arlington police; Taser was used

Maria Glod — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

A 36-year-old District man died Sunday night after struggling with Arlington County police officers who used a Taser in an attempt to subdue him, authorities said.

D.C. regional task force tackling minority unemployment problem

V. Dion Haynes — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

A task force of local elected officials across the Washington region is calling on communities to band together to tackle the disproportionately high unemployment levels among African Americans and Hispanics.

Boy's science project prompts school evacuation

AP — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:31:10 EST

SAN DIEGO -- Fire officials said a San Diego middle school was evacuated when a student's science project was mistaken for a bomb. Fire-Rescue spokesman Maurice Luque said a vice principal's concerns prompted the evacuation of Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School Friday afternoon. Luque said an a...

U-Va.'s John Casteen, Virginia Tech's Charles Steger in top pay tier

Daniel DeVise — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The presidents of the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech ranked among the 10 highest-paid chief executives in public higher education in 2008-09, according to an annual compensation report released Monday.

College students rent textbooks to save money

Jenna Johnson — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

At the beginning of each semester, George Mason University Bookstore's general manager ventures into the school's mailroom and tries to figure out where everyone bought their books, because fewer and fewer students are coming into her store.

Local education reporting is alive and well

Jay Mathews — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Those of us who write about schools were supposed to rise in anger and frustration when the Brookings Institution revealed that during the first nine months of 2009 "only 1.4 percent of national news coverage from television, newspapers, news Web sites, and radio dealt with education." A headline...

Ellington arts school might be moved out of D.C.'s Ward 2

Bill Turque — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The District is studying the possibility of moving the Duke Ellington School of the Arts out of Georgetown and converting the building at 35th and R streets NW into a high school to serve Ward 2 families.

A shot at school reform fund provokes tensions, fast changes

Nick Anderson — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

To compete for a share of $4 billion in federal education funds, California lawmakers approved a major school reform plan. But in Texas, the governor chose to opt out of the competition, arguing that it would give Washington too much power over education policy.

Girls' academic hopes disrupted as family plans return to Afghanistan

Michael Alison Chandler — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

When Hussna Azamy was 5, she began her schooling in the living room of her family's apartment in Herat, Afghanistan. Her only classmate was a sister; their teachers were their parents. For up to five hours a day, they studied the Dari alphabet, fundamentals of math and science, and how to read th...

Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation under fiscal scrutiny

Susan Kinzie — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

By Friday morning, just days after the earthquake hit, Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation had raised more than $1.5 million.

Graduation rate drops at D.C. charter schools

Michael Birnbaum — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The graduation rate for D.C. charter schools dropped nearly five percentage points, to 83.3 percent, for the 2008-09 school year, officials said Friday.

U-Va. graduate student Stephanie Jean-Charles killed in Haiti earthquake

Daniel de Vise — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:37:58 EST

Stephanie Jean-Charles returned to Port-au-Prince last month from her graduate studies at the University of Virginia full of anticipation for catching up with family and friends over the long, warm winter break.

New U-Va President Teresa Sullivan more than ready for the challenge

Daniel de Vise — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:56:55 EST

The University of Virginia's first female president started down the path to leadership at 21, with a coveted fellowship that put a self-possessed college senior inside the president's office at Michigan State.

Leggett's budget preserves school construction in Montgomery

Michael Birnbaum — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

School construction will move full speed ahead in Montgomery County under a six-year, $3.9 billion capital budget that county executive Isiah Leggett will unveil Friday, officials said.

New technology speeds donations for Haiti relief efforts

Susan Kinzie — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

New and easier ways to contribute have helped propel donations for Haiti earthquake relief efforts despite a weak economy, according to officials at a number of aid organizations, some of whom marveled at the volume of donations tweeted and texted from cellphones.

U.S. unemployment rate for blacks projected to hit 25-year high

V. Dion Haynes — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Unemployment for African Americans is projected to reach a 25-year high this year, according to a study released Thursday by an economic think tank, with the national rate soaring to 17.2 percent and the rates in five states exceeding 20 percent.

In Capitol Hill hearing, bankers remain torn on their role in crisis

Brady Dennis — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

A year after the financial system nearly went over the brink, the congressional commission investigating the roots of the crisis confronted four of the world's most powerful bankers on Wednesday and challenged them to take more responsibility for their role in upending the global economy.

Washington area Haitians pray, wait for news after quake

William Wan and Carol Morello — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

For years, Elsie Delson has worried about the 10-year-old son she left behind in Haiti -- the son she couldn't afford to bring along as her family fled to the United States. Now, that decision weighs heavily on her soul.

Anxious hours for U.S. couples set to adopt Haitian children

Tara Bahrampour — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:38:02 EST

In one more month, Mandy and Matt Poulter could have flown their daughter Maya out of Haiti.

Top public universities faulted on financial aid

Jenna Johnson — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Many of the nation's top public universities are giving millions of dollars in financial aid to students from relatively wealthy families instead of to those who urgently need it, resulting in campuses that are often less diverse than those at elite private schools, a new report says.

Fairfax-based Student Symphonic Orchestra marks first year

Holly Hobbs — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Between stanzas, 18-year-old conductor Matthew Martz offers his ensemble of about 35 musicians some feedback on a recent rehearsal.

Montgomery County teachers get advanced training in science lab

Emma Brown — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

In a laboratory in Rockville one recent evening, a group of Montgomery County science teachers yanked strands of hair from their heads and slid them into vials.

Etching found at Catholic University may be a Rembrandt

Jenna Johnson — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Soon after becoming president of Catholic University, the Very Rev. David M. O'Connell went in search of paper towels in his bathroom cabinet. Something on the bottom shelf caught his eye. Under a pile of junk, he found an old frame.

Advocacy group gives D.C. high mark for charter school laws

Nick Anderson — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The District ranks high, Virginia low and Maryland last in a new ranking of charter school laws that seeks to promote growth of the independently operated public schools as well as tighter oversight of charter applicants and low performers.

Savers get a boost for college, housing and businesses

Susan Kinzie — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

When Tory Myles first heard about a program that would triple the money she was saving for college, it sounded too good to be true. She did research to make sure it wasn't just a gimmick. Even now, with more than $4,000 in savings, her first semester at Virginia Commonwealth University paid for...

Judge: Virginia Tech victims' families may pursue lawsuit

Maria Glod — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:05:01 EST

A Virginia judge ruled that the families of two victims of the April 2007 Virginia Tech massacre may pursue a lawsuit against two top university officials and employees of a counseling center.

Union president makes new proposals for teacher evaluations, discipline

Nick Anderson — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:20:06 EST

The president of the nation's second-largest teachers union on Tuesday proposed a new way to incorporate student test scores into teacher evaluations and said she has asked a well-known mediator to develop methods of expediting disciplinary cases against teachers.

Union head to propose tying test scores, teacher evaluations

Nick Anderson — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The president of the nation's second-largest teachers union is proposing a new way to incorporate student test scores into teacher evaluations and has asked a well-known mediator to develop methods of expediting disciplinary cases against teachers, according to the text of a speech made public Mo...

University of Virginia picks its first female president

Daniel de Vise — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Leaders of the University of Virginia on Monday elected Teresa A. Sullivan, provost at the University of Michigan, to succeed John T. Casteen III as president of Virginia's higher education flagship.

Teacher certification prestigious but too costly, Rhee says

Bill Turque — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Judy Leak-Bowers has 18 fidgety third-graders arrayed in a circle on the carpet of her classroom at Watkins Elementary in Southeast Washington, but each seems to have her undivided attention.

Bounty may bypass N.Va. schools if formula change is delayed

Michael Alison Chandler — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Northern Virginia lawmakers often go to Richmond with visions of repealing an unpopular education funding formula that routinely sends millions of local taxpayer dollars to schools far south of Washington's suburbs. This year, they are hoping simply to enforce it.

D.C. area jurisdictions vie to become new home of Northrop Grumman headquarters

V. Dion Haynes — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Economic development officials in the District are pitching the city's urban hipness and proximity to Capitol Hill power brokers. Maryland is touting its abundance of federal facilities and highly educated workforce. And Virginia is marketing itself as a place whose relatively low taxes have help...

What are the lessons in nonstandard teaching standards?

Jay Mathews — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

A little-noticed but detailed study of teaching practices, reported by Robert Rothman in the November-December issue of the Harvard Education Letter, delivers a depressing message to keep in mind when reading anything about raising school achievement. I don't care if it's by an education school d...

Washington area students enter robotics competition

Bill Turque — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Tyler Saunders, a sophomore at Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School, says she should really be devoting her Saturdays to the algebra that she finds so vexing.

University of Maryland gets $10.3 million grant to build advanced physics lab

Daniel de Vise — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:20:00 EST

The work of physicists at the University of Maryland's Joint Quantum Institute requires such precise environmental controls that some of the more sensitive experiments have to be run in the middle of the night, when there is less traffic and fewer vibrations outside.

Educators await Obama's mark on No Child Left Behind

Nick Anderson — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Eight years after President George W. Bush signed the bill that branded an era of school reform, the education world is wondering when President Obama will seek to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law.

High school graduation rates rise in D.C.

Bill Turque — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

District officials reported improved high school graduation rates Friday but acknowledged that the numbers could look less encouraging when a more stringent method of calculation is adopted next year.

D.C. family mourns man killed fighting off home invasion

Theola Labbé-DeBose — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Akil James Sanford had just gotten home from shopping for treats for his son on New Year's Eve when he realized he'd left them in the car. He went outside to get the bag. That's when two gunmen robbed him and followed him inside his house to rob his family.

D.C. area Jewish federation revises investment rules

Susan Kinzie — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington's endowment fund, which lost $4.35 million to financier Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, has changed its operating procedures to prevent such losses in the future, according to its leadership.

Tech firm Halifax to merge with Colorado private equity firm

V. Dion Haynes — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Alexandria-based Halifax Corp. of Virginia, which installs and maintains computer systems, plans to merge with a Boulder, Colo.-based equity firm largely to obtain the financial resources to be on a more level playing field with its larger competitors, the company said Thursday.

Fairfax County schools chief proposes dramatic budget cuts

Michael Alison Chandler and Derek Kravitz — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Fairfax County school system, the Washington area's largest, on Thursday became the latest to propose dramatic spending reductions, including scaling back programs that have made it a national model for academic excellence.

Man risks arrest, pneumonia to jog naked near White House

Megan Greenwell — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

A man created a scene -- and a Secret Service scare -- near the White House during rush hour Wednesday evening when he stripped to the buff and took off running, leaving his bag of clothes unattended on the Ellipse.

University of Maryland may cut Yiddish from course offerings

Daniel de Vise — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Yiddish might be on its way out as a language offering at the University of Maryland, and its supporters are positively farklempt.

White House announces $250M effort for science and math teachers

Nick Anderson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:33:01 EST

President Obama announced a $250 million public-private effort Wednesday to improve science and mathematics instruction, aiming to help the nation compete in key fields with global economic rivals.

Deaf Md. entrepreneur John Yeh charged in fraud probe

Maria Glod and Carrie Johnson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

John T.C. Yeh was a hero and an inspiration. He was named 2008 Deaf Person of the Year by Deaf Life magazine. And Gallaudet University, his alma mater, once honored him as Entrepreneur of the Year.

$250 million initiative for science, math teachers planned

Nick Anderson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

President Obama will announce a $250 million public-private effort Wednesday to improve science and mathematics instruction, aiming to help the nation compete in key fields with global economic rivals.

D.C. region's unemployment rate dropped to 6.1 percent in November

V. Dion Haynes — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The unemployment level in the Washington region dipped in November to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent the previous month, according to government data released Tuesday, further evidence to some economists that the area has weathered the worst of the recession.

Class Struggle: More freedom, fewer rules for gifted students?

Jay Mathews — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

My Dec. 10 column about that Washington area troublesome but gifted child, future billionaire Warren Buffett, said our schools are never going to help such kids much. I said the gifted designation was often arbitrary and should be disposed of. Instead, we ought to find ways to let all kids explor...

Duncan promotes simpler college financial aid application

Nick Anderson — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Torrin King, a college-bound senior, was racing through an online student aid questionnaire Tuesday morning in the counseling center at Banneker Senior High School. He clicked through one Web page after another, demonstrating the streamlined federal application as Education Secretary Arne Duncan ...

Office vacancies finally shrinking in D.C. area

V. Dion Haynes — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

For the first time in a year, the amount of office space leased in the Washington area is increasing instead of decreasing, according to an analysis released Monday, a harbinger to some commercial real estate experts that recovery is on its way.

Police posted to D.C. charter schools to help avert violence

Michael Birnbaum — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced Monday that the city had posted police at more than two dozen D.C. charter schools, further normalizing charters within city life and attempting to address a spate of violence that plagued some of the schools this fall.

Engineering class shows girls male-dominated field

Michael Birnbaum — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

While students at an all-girls school in Montgomery County were laboring one day last month to build bridges out of popsicle sticks, their teachers were trying to build bridges for them into the male-dominated field of engineering.

At Landover middle school, philosophy is part of lunch menu

Nelson Hernandez — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Schools these days focus mostly on preparing students for tests of reading and math, but during lunchtime at Kenmoor Middle School in Landover, the youngsters sitting in a small circle were tackling the really deep questions: Ethics. Fairness. How to split dessert.

The Answer Sheet VALERIE STRAUSS

Post — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Here are recent postings from Valerie Strauss's blog, The Answer Sheet:

In D.C. teacher assessments, details make a difference

Jay Mathews — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

I am still receiving e-mails about my Nov. 23 column on Dan Goldfarb, the first teacher to share with me the results of an evaluation under the new D.C. teacher assessment plan, IMPACT.

For 2010 economy, glass is half empty and half full

V. Dion Haynes — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The economic outlook for the Washington region in 2010 is mixed -- with continued sluggishness in convention bookings and commercial real estate but some improvement in employment and productivity projected.

Students admitted early to college network on Facebook

Jenna Johnson — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

The first 570 members of George Washington University's Class of 2014 found out they had been accepted one day in early December. Within hours, they began to network on Facebook -- making friends, debating dorms, discussing "Real World: Washington D.C." and organizing a Wiffle ball team.

Va. teenager dies in shootout after he leads police on chase

Michael Alison Chandler — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Virginia police fatally wounded a troubled Stanardsville, Va., teenager who stole a cruiser belonging to a sheriff's deputy, then led authorities on a chase for more than an hour through central Virginia on Friday afternoon, police said.

Rhee vows to shield D.C. teachers, supplies amid budget cuts

Bill Turque — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has vowed to protect funding for teachers and classroom supplies as she prepares to cut the system's overall budget by $22 million because of shrinking tax revenue and the end of one-time federal stimulus spending.

Ex-homeless student now has room to call his own

Petula Dvorak — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

When the weather is especially cold, homeless folks have some tricks to survive if they don't get to a shelter. They wrap plastic bags around their feet, before they put them in the shoes.

Crowds expected at many D.C. area New Year's events

Tara Bahrampour — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

It might have been a year marred by lost wages, shrinking businesses and soured hopes, but even so, on the last night of 2009, event planners across the region were bracing for a crush of revelers.

Virginia schools teach kids about setting, reaching goals

Michael Alison Chandler — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Cathy Murphy decided it was time to introduce her oldest son to the tradition of making resolutions this New Year's. It turned out that 8-year old Timmy was already familiar with the concept: At the beginning of third grade at Lane Elementary School, he had resolved to listen to his teacher more,...

Charities bank on last-minute gifts to make up for hard year

Susan Kinzie — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Charities and nonprofit agencies are hoping for an end-of-year surge in giving to mirror the recent increase in consumer spending and help compensate for a difficult 2009, according to charity officials.

Fairfax County may cut back full-day kindergarten

Michael Alison Chandler — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

More than a decade after the Fairfax School Board decided to bring full-day kindergarten to the county's 139 elementary schools, nearly a third of them are still waiting for the longer school day. Progress has sputtered and stalled in recent years as the economy soured, and now the board might re...

The Washington region's schools are many-splendored things

Jay Mathews — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

The end of the year is a time to count blessings. Let's start with the underappreciated fact that the Washington area is the best place in the country for children to learn the mysteries of science, math, English and history and to become comfortable with stark racial and cultural differences.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan's legacy as Chicago schools chief questioned

Nick Anderson — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

CHICAGO -- Soon after Arne Duncan left his job as schools chief here to become one of the most powerful U.S. education secretaries ever, his former students sat for federal achievement tests. This month, the mathematics report card was delivered: Chicago trailed several cities in performance and ...

As college costs rise, loans become harder to get

David Cho — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

When Daniel Ottalini entered the University of Maryland in 2004, his family had an array of choices to cover the cost -- cheap student loans, a second mortgage at low rates, credit cards with high limits and their own soaring investments.

Military helps families find care for special-needs kids

Emma Brown — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

When her husband, a Marine Corps colonel, was transferred last summer from the Pentagon to a base in southern California, Karen Driscoll was forced to confront her autistic child's new school district and the intricacies of federal special education law.

Security heightened for flights bound for United States

Susan Kinzie — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Travelers described heightened security and new restrictions at the end of the busy holiday weekend, including extensive searches before they were allowed to board flights coming from overseas and limits to their movements as the planes approached the United States.

Washington area private schools compete in green contest

Michael Birnbaum — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Norwood School started buying wind power. Potomac School converted its big yellow school buses to run on biodiesel. Sidwell Friends School kicked it up a notch with a green middle-school building that brought conversations about sewage treatment to the lips of D.C. high society. The solar panels ...

To get federal funds, schools must apply stronger measures to struggling schools

Nick Anderson — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

If a public school struggles year after year, is the solution to shut it down? Fire everyone and start over? Hand the reins to a contractor? Or help teachers and principals raise their game?

D.C. schools fitness plan fine if class time remains intact

Jay Mathews — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Sometimes it is the smartest, most concerned policymakers who do the most harm to schools. My favorite recent example is the Healthy Schools Act, a bill introduced two weeks ago by D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh and Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray.

YouthBuild drafts opportunities for dropouts

Jenna Johnson — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

In a run-down apartment building in Northeast Washington, a teenage single mother smooths a concrete mixture into large holes and cracks in the walls of a gutted kitchen. The place is drafty, the work dirty. But this makeshift classroom is also Cierra Fortune's second chance at a high school educ...

Indian, Methodist churches form melting pot of the faithful

William Wan — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

As the choir launched into the Christmas song, Betty Leach sat in her pew and stared at the words on the page, trying to make sense of them. "Puttenesudu nedu," the Indian parishioners all around her sang.

Sex offender charged with kidnapping girl in Salisbury, Md.

Maria Glod — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A registered sex offender has been charged with kidnapping an 11-year-old Salisbury, Md., girl who went missing from her bedroom Tuesday night, authorities said. She had not been found as of Thursday evening.

Man who struck D.C. pedestrian was high on PCP, police say

Maria Glod and Theola Labbé-DeBose — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A Forestville man was traveling at twice the speed limit, was high on PCP and never tried to stop his car before jumping a curb in his Cadillac on Tuesday evening and fatally striking a mother of three who was on her way to work, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

Montgomery College trustees accept president's resignation

Daniel de Vise — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Montgomery College trustees announced Tuesday they had accepted the resignation of President Brian K. Johnson, who had been on paid leave for three months after allegations of poor management and excessive spending.

D.C.'s City Collegiate Public Charter School plans to close

Michael Birnbaum — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A four-year-old D.C. charter school plans to close at the end of June because of falling enrollment and financial concerns.

Snow days pile up as more area schools get early start on winter break

Nelson Hernandez — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:42:58 EST

For hundreds of thousands of students, the snow days are snowballing.

Fewer high school students taking computer science classes

Michael Alison Chandler — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

It would be hard to find a student at Stone Bridge High School who has never used the Internet for a research assignment, socialized with Facebook or played a video game.

The Answer Sheet VALERIE STRAUSS

Post — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Posted last week on The Answer Sheet: " 'Twas the nightmare before Christmas late last month for Michael Stratechuk of Maplewood, N.J., when a federal appeals court upheld a local school district policy barring religious music from school events during the holiday season."

Homework-tracking Web sites won't work without teacher input

Jay Mathews — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

My former Post colleague Tracy Thompson has two daughters in a Washington area school district. I promised not to say which one. It doesn't matter, because the issue she raises involves all high-tech schools, of which we have many.

Colleges use meditation to cut rising stress among students

Jenna Johnson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Amid the stress-inducing madness of finals, two Georgetown University seniors kick off their shoes and settle into wooden chairs. A soft gong fills the room. They close their eyes and clear their minds of everything but a four-syllable mantra.

Carjackings alarm Capitol Hill residents in D.C.

Theola Labbé-DeBose — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

A rash of armed carjackings in an eight-block stretch in Capitol Hill has terrified residents and vexed police, who have stepped up patrols and surveillance in the area.

Montgomery College president ran up $65,000 in expenses

Daniel de Vise — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Brian K. Johnson, accused by faculty leaders of excessive spending while president of Montgomery College, reported about $65,000 in airfare, lodgings, meals and other work-related expenses in the two full fiscal years he was on the job, according to financial documents released by the school unde...

Arbitrator issues pay proposals for Calvert teachers

Christy Goodman — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

An arbitrator recently released recommendations to help end an impasse over the current school year's contract between the Calvert County Board of Education and the teachers union.

D.C. jobless rate dips; uptick in Md.

V. Dion Haynes — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Unemployment rates fell in 36 states and the District in November, according to government data released Friday that signaled a possible plateau for the highest levels of joblessness in decades.

Book review: 'Stones into Schools' by Greg Mortenson

Jay Mathews — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

From the author of "Three Cups of Tea" comes "Stones into Schools" which details all the good that has been done because of "Tea"'s success.

Washington and Lee takes law students from class to court

Daniel de Vise — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

LEXINGTON, VA. -- A tycoon was dead. Across a polished wooden conference table on a recent morning, surviving kin and their lawyers haggled over the eight-figure estate.