DC School Search

Mentoring programs in DC

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Mentors can play a very important role in the development of a child. Many children do not have a parent-figure in their lives and need someone to help show them the way. There are other children who need that extra boost to get them on the right track and a good mentor can help provide that. Mentors also can acts a big brothers or sisters and be there when a child needs help with an issue. That is why every child, regardless of his or her circumstances, could potentially benefit from having a mentor. There are many mentoring programs in the Washington DC area. One of the most popular ones in the Best Kids Mentoring Program.

The Best Kids Mentoring Program was established in 2001 and has been dedicated to molding and shaping children’s lives ever since. Their mission is to help ensure that each child has a successful future by helping them form meaningful relationships with responsible adults. The volunteers of this program dedicate hours of their time to helping the Best Kids Mentoring Program fulfill their mission. These volunteers do several activities with the children and the quality time spent really makes a difference in these youngsters’ lives.

Important figures in DC education

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Most parents have dreams of their children excelling in school. They want children that are smart, popular, and well-rounded. In Washington DC parents want the same things for their children. Who are the important figures in our child’s education? Many students may never interact with the principal, unless they are in trouble. Every child in the DC school’s has a teacher that can have either a good or negative impact. Does that mean the teacher is the most important figures in our child’s education? What about parents? How important are parents? Our children depend on us to set the example about their learning habits. Having a place to study, encouraging effective study habits, and supporting healthy homework practices are parents tasks.

Teachers versus parents, as the most important figures, has been debated for years. Children learn despite poor teachers. Having a good teacher usually assures the child and the parent a successful experience. Having a parent that does not value education can cripple the child and the school. Once children are turned off to the process it becomes a very long, hard, and arduous experience. Important figures in our child’s education means finding and supporting everyone that touches their lives.

Choosing a college in the DC region

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Deciding on the right college to attend can be a very taxing decision for many people. For those who are looking to go to school in Washington DC, that decision is even more difficult because there are so many schools to choose from. However, there are some things that need to be taken into consideration that will help make this decision a-little easier. Things to take into consideration when choosing a college in the DC region include: whether or not the school is accredited, one’s major and tuition.

The student also needs to research and see whether or not the school is accredited. This is very important because if a person graduates from a school that is not accredited, his or her degree is pretty much useless. Doing extensive research will allow a person to find out if the school is accredited. A person also needs to make sure that the school he or she is looking to attend has his or her program of study. Last, but certainly not least, one needs to look at the cost of tuition. He or she should also take into account that DC is a very expensive place to live, especially for a college student.

A Greater Feeling of Freedom

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Nobody likes to feel tethered down or restricted to free movement no matter the environment they are in. In today’s world where laptops and smart phones are the trend, people have a need to be able to communicate constantly. They expect information to literally be on the tips of their fingertips as they type or text. They also expect information to be communicated or retrieved instantaneously. Once upon a time, people used to be tethered to their desks or work cubicles because their technological devices had to be not only plugged in to an electrical source but to the cable or outlet that provided them with internet access. This was the case until wireless internet came about.With the wireless approach, where devices today are able to communicate with one another without being plugged each other, people are able to freely roam around their environments. They don’t need to stay in one spot or be near a specific device in order to use it or make it communicate with other technologies. The wireless environment now allows people to print wirelessly, make calls wirelessly, and surf the internet wirelessly. People are much more mobile than they were before, making work easier or more convenient.

School Spotlight: School Without Walls

www.dcschoolsearch.com — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:36:54 +0000

The School Without Walls represents all of the DC Public Schools’ core values. This magnet high school, located in D.C.’s Foggy Bottom district, is considered one of the best educational facilities, not just in D.C., but in the entire region.SWW (called “Walls” by its students) shares facilities with the George Washington University Campus. SWW and GWU have a special partnership in which 100 students from the 11^th and 12^th grades can take college courses for free after qualifying via a special exam. 10^th graders are eligible for the GW Early College Program, an innovative new feature which allows them to take concurrent courses during the final two years of high school. Upon graduation, they receive a high school diploma as well as an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, with the option to pursue further studies at GW or transfer to another school.Walls also partners with other academic and professional organizations in the area. Students can get special access to the University of D.C.’s science labs, work at the Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson law firm, and intern at the GW Hatchet (George Washington University’s student newspaper). Other sites which the school has partnered with include the U.S. Capitol, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the National Aquarium, the Botanical Gardens, and the National Zoo. All of these innovative experiences provide plenty of learning material for students, and their test results show it: SWW boasts the highest combined SAT scores in the district.Students are required to take part in at least one extracurricular activity per year. Some of the options include:

Drama Club: Among other performances, the club participates in the Folger Library Shakespeare Festival.
Environmental Action: Inspires environmental action in the school and community
Men of Strength (MOST): A social group formed to inspire young men to prevent violence against women
Street Law: A law course taught by a GWU School of Law senior and a practicing attorney.
SWWTech: An information technology organization which provides support to faculty and teachers, among other responsibilities

If you’re looking for a D.C. school where you or your child will be challenged and exposed to a variety of new experiences, look no further than SWW.

The spirit of D.C.’s schools

www.dcschoolsearch.com — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:49:48 +0000

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.