08
Nov
The spirit of D.C.’s schools
Washington, D.C. is the capital of our country, and thus it’s important to promote the education of the next generation who will be filling our country’s most powerful positions. The goal of District of Columbia Public Schools is to provide that education to everybody, regardless of extenuating circumstances. Within the district are 168 schools (66 elementary, 13 middle, 18 high, 19 education campuses, 6 special education centers, and 7 others). You can search these schools for yourself on the “Public Schools” page.45,000 students and 4,000 teachers make up the district, with a ratio of 1:11.25 teachers-to-students. Over the 2008-2009 school year there was an 88 average daily attendance rate and a 20 truancy rate, as posted on the district’s web site (dcps.dc.gov/). This is a challenging environment, but one which both committed teachers and students thrive in. At each school, the teachers focus on providing a curriculum that prepares students for college or work, depending on their desires. These lessons are not taught in isolationeach decision is based on accurate performance information from across the district, and teachers network with parents and community figures to ensure that the resources are reaching the people who matter.The current Interim Chancellor is Kaya Henderson, installed on November 1, 2010. She taught as a middle school Spanish teacher in the South Bronx and also oversaw teacher development at the Teach for America summer institutes. Henderson became the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships in the New Teacher Project, which like TFA aims to bring well-qualified teachers to high-need areas. Her earlier work with DCPS was as Deputy Chancellor, starting in 2007.
