District schools make significant strides in math achievement
By Nick Anderson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 10:00 AM
DC school scores improving while most cities lag
National report card shows little gains in most cities.
Mathematics achievement has surged in D.C. public schools over the past six years, the federal government reported Tuesday morning, and the city schools no longer rank last in math among major urban systems.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress found the D.C school system was the only one of 11 studied in 2007 and 2009 to make …

Court defends Rhee’s layoffs – By Bill Turque – Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
AGE WAS MOTIVE, UNION CLAIMED
Budget cut necessitated action eventually, judge says
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Tuesday upheld Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee’s decision to lay off 266 public school teachers and other educators to close a budget gap, flatly rejecting union arguments that she contrived financial problems to rid the system of older instructors.
Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled that the Washington Teachers’ Union failed to prove any of its core contentions in challenging the …

School reform supporters organize to back Rhee – by Leah Fabel – Staff Writer
November 1, 2009
Local supporters of D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee have grown more organized in recent weeks, as her attempts at reform have come under sharper attack from union officials and members of the city council.
“I’ve never gotten more e-mails from people all over the city asking what they can do to help,” said Anne Martin, executive director of D.C. School Reform Now, an advocacy group in favor of systemwide changes such as entrusting principals with …

Major changes at 2 troubled D.C. schools – by Jay Mathews
Monday, October 26, 2009
After days of frantic blogging on the latest D.C. schools crisis and trading speculation with interested readers, I find it refreshing to visit three educators who are making major changes in two of the city’s lowest-performing high schools. Unlike me and many of the people I exchange comments with, they know what they are talking about.
George Leonard, 57, chief executive officer of the Friends of Bedford group from New York; Chief Financial Officer Bevon Thompson, 35; and …

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
For additional information, contact:
Anne Martin, 415-336-2564
Reform Group Demands That Ineffective Teachers Not Be Returned To Classrooms
‘Reductions In Force’ Should Be Based on Teacher Impact on Learning
Washington, DC – Oct. 16, 2009 – While the District of Columbia City Council and district school leaders tussled over a recent “Reduction In Force” that has resulted in teacher layoffs, a parent and community advocacy group today demanded that both sides commit to making sure that no child be taught by an ineffective teacher, no matter what the budgetary climate looks like.
“Grownups …