If you were wondering if ethics reform in the District is on the right track, rest easy because it seems that it is. Strong indications of that are the actions taken by the nearly year-old D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.
If you were wondering if ethics reform in the District is on the right track, rest easy because it seems that it is. Strong indications of that are the actions taken by the nearly year-old D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.
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.
WASHINGTON -
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. Our heads are spinning with claims and counter-claims from all points of view. Throw in the issues of voter access and voter fraud, add the controversy over gerrymandering and your brain is close to redlining.
But then along came Gallaudet University, that in its infinite wisdom, decided it was inappropriate for the Chief Diversity Officer to have signed a petition that called for the issue of same-sex marriage to be put on the November ballot in Maryland. So inappropriate that they suspended
Angela McCaskill, associated with Gallaudet for 23 years and its first deaf African American woman to earn a PhD from the institution.
It's quite ironic that McCaskill is the university's chief diversity officer, charged with "increasing awareness, facilitating open sharing of thoughts and ideas," so says their website.
Mind you, this petition only sought to put the issue of same-sex marriage on the ballot. The petition took no side in the issue. It is unclear what McCaskill's position is on the issue. And that's perfectly fine. But to place her on leave is perfectly wrong. University President Alan Hurwitz has stated that the university wants to work with McCaskill towards a solution. A solution to a problem the university created. University officials stated that they are considering whether McCaskill's act of signing the petition impacts her ability to do her job, which as I said earlier, is to foster open sharing of thoughts and ideas.
Gallaudet's action was wrong headed from the start. And the delay in reinstating McCaskill only compounds the initial knuckleheaded misstep.
