Have you ever felt cheated? Did you ever wait in a long line, hungry and thirsty, only to be told when you got to the head of the line that there was no more food or drink? Well, you might know how the D.C. charter schools feel.
Have you ever felt cheated? Did you ever wait in a long line, hungry and thirsty, only to be told when you got to the head of the line that there was no more food or drink? Well, you might know how the D.C. charter schools feel.
Is this a Redskins town or what? The ‘Skins still own the news cycle days after their devastating defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks.
Is this a Redskins town or what? The ‘Skins still own the news cycle days after their devastating defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. Front page articles, stories that lead newscasts, an explosion of comments on Twitter. The inauguration? What inauguration? I exaggerate, but not that much.
It's been one crazy political season. We have, up to now, endured an onslaught of ads from political parties, candidates, PACs and other "for and against" groups.
It's been one crazy political season. We have, up to now, endured an onslaught of ads from political parties, candidates, PACs and other "for and against" groups; we have watched as the candidates have risen or fallen in the polls as the result of debate performances. But then along came Gallaudet University.
What would you do if you had $1 billion? Start your own cable network? Buy a Hawaiian island? Or maybe buy yourself an NFL franchise?
What would you do if you had $1 billion? Start your own cable network? Buy a Hawaiian island? Or maybe buy yourself an NFL franchise? What if you decided to give back to your community, to have a decade's long impact on the quality of life.
If you are truly objective, it would be hard to argue that charter schools haven't been one of the most effective ways to elevate academic achievement.
If you are truly objective and you place the interests of the students of the District above all the politics surrounding public education, it would be hard to argue that charter schools haven't been one of the most effective ways to elevate academic achievement.
The 2012-2013 school year in the District will feature 58 schools, all with populations under 300 students, opening their doors without the compliment of a school library and librarian.
The 2012-2013 school year in the District will feature 58 schools, all with populations under 300 students, opening their doors without the compliment of a school library and librarian. We are talking about schools that serve around 17,000 students.
When reporters sought comment from D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray about the illegal shadow campaign that helped him win the election, here's what he said: "This is not the campaign that we intended to run."
When reporters sought comment from D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray about the illegal shadow campaign that helped him win the election, here's what he said: "This is not the campaign that we intended to run." I'd say that is a gross understatement.
WASHINGTON -
In recent testimony before the D.C. City Council, Attorney General Irvin Nathan laid out his concerns about the growing perception of "a pay to play" culture in the D.C. government. As a response to those concerns, the attorney general said that he and Mayor Vincent Gray will soon be proposing campaign finance reforms that will tackle the thorny problem of corporate campaign donations. The AG went on to say that he and the mayor oppose the outright ban on corporate donations. Quoting the attorney general, "We don't support the meat-ax way. We would like a more refined approach."
The "meat-ax way" that the AG is speaking of is exactly what Initiative 70 is all about. Initiative 70 is the brain-child of D.C. Public Trust. That's a non-profit community group who for the past several months has dedicated its efforts to gather slightly more than 23,000 signatures in order to get a referendum on the November ballot to ban direct corporate donations to campaigns. If passed, it would also ban corporate donations to constituent services funds, legal and defense funds and transition and inaugural funds. Such donations have contributed to creating the "pay to play" climate in D.C. politics.
D.C. Public Trust hasn't quite reached their goal yet and the deadline for collecting signatures is Monday, July 9.
Both the D.C. City Council and the mayor do not think Initiative 70 is the right way to address the "pay to play" concerns. Whether an outright ban is the way to go or not, and I think it is, it seems to me it is only right to let the voters decide. But to put the voters in that position, the last remaining steps to getting the referendum on the November ballot must be taken.
Here is a schedule for upcoming events and locations where signatures are being collected:
Friday, July 6
7 a.m. – 9 a.m. – Brookland Metro Station 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. – Fort Totten Metro Station
