Join the party at Lincoln Park, then walk or bike to school with all your friends!
When: Wednesday, October 5, 7:30 AM
Where: Lincoln Park
What: Fun, safe routes education, exercise, healthy snacks and all your friends!
CHPSPO Meeting Notes – August 30, 2011
Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Montessori at Logan
215 G St., NE
August 30, 2011
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
1. Welcome, and introductions of new school representatives
2. CHPSPO By-Laws – Suggested revisions to be reflected in next version of the By-Laws. CHPSPO will vote on the by-laws on the next meeting (September 20, 2011)
3. Chairman Kwame Brown Public Oversight Roundtable on Middle Grades Education in the District: Preparing our Students for Success in High School and Beyond
- Heather Schoell (heysassy@yahoo.com) will testify on behalf of CHPSPO
- Suzanne will put CHPSPO on testimony schedule
- Suzanne will prepare draft based on: background of CHPSPO and our role in middle school plan; relationship between feeder schools and their middle school (especially within teachers); request DCPS/DC look at creative ways to make sure they are ready for middle school (summer transition, year-round school); Advocate for diversity of programs at MS level that reflect diversity of elementary schools (IB, varying school size, project-based learning, museum magnet); make sure diversity does not stop at elementary school; Want to see an investment by DC in neighborhood schools; advocate to more granular data
4. Walk-to-School Day, October 5
- Contact: George Blackmon (gblackmon@hewfcu.com) to serve as point of contact for volunteers.
- NEED volunteers to take on the following:
o Food and giveaways (contact Laura Marks and Tara Flakker???)
o Ask if Gina Arlotto can help/advise on permit for Lincoln Park
o Speaker equipment from Tommy Wells’ office (contact Anne Phelps??)
o Band (Eastern): Heather to contact Rachel S.
o Contact: Yoga (Gabriella Boston?), Elizabeth Jones? (Effervescence)
5. Race to Nowhere Screening
- Contact: Janet Brown, Maury parent
- Need for volunteers
- Timeframe: November, at Atlas
- Will need help to sell tickets; spread the word
6. DC Parent Power Organizing Meeting
- CHPSPO will have a presence. Suzanne Wells, Isabella Harris : Sherry Trafford to attend
7. Discussed DC CAS Scores.
- No decision on how they fit in to the work that CHPSPO does. Share best practices among schools? Advocate for more granular data?
- Visit http://www.greatschools.org/ for more comprehensive data.
8. Advocating for more bike lanes by CHPSPO
- Contact: Sandra Moscoso (smoscosomills@hotmail.com).
- Will send letter to DDoT.
- Will connect with Gina Arlotto, WABA.
- Please reach out if your school is also willing to advocate individually.
Next CHPSPO Meeting: September 20, 2011
Upcoming Events:
- August 31 – DC Parent Power Organizing Meeting, 1630 7th St., NW, Shaw Library, 5:30 p.m.
- September 7 – Public Oversight Roundtable on Middle Grades Education in the District: Preparing our Students for Success in High School and Beyond, Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, 10 a.m.
- October 5 – Walk-to-School Day
CHPSPO Meeting on Tuesday, August 30
The Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organization will meet on Tuesday, August 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the new Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan School at 215 G Street, NE.
We’ve got a full agenda for the meeting. We will be discussing the Public Roundtable that Chairman Kwame Brown is hold on Middle Schools on September 7, plans for Walk to School Day, approving the by-laws for CHPSPO and more.
Finally, attached is a list of the current Principals, PTA Presidents, and CHPSPO representatives for the each school. Please let me know if there are any additions and/or corrections.
See you on Tuesday.
Suzanne Wells
CHPSPO School Year 2011 2012 Representatives.docx
CHPSPO Meeting on August 30 – Location, TBD
Quick reminder that the next CHPSPO meeting is on August 30, 6:30-8PM. Stay tuned for location information and agenda.
CHPSPO Meeting Notes – July 19, 2011
Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Miner Elementary School
601 15th St., NE
July 19, 2011
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
601 15th St., NE
July 19, 2011
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
New PTA/PTSO Presidents Introductions: New Presidents from Ludlow-Taylor (Anthony Allard), Tyler (Liz Weeden), Payne (Janice Brown) attended and were introduced.
Race to Nowhere Screening: We have volunteers to coordinate this. Brainstorm session included:
- Possible Locations – Eastern, People’s Church, H St. Playhouse, Stuart-Hobson, Jefferson, Brent, Eliot-Hine
- Dates: ACTION: Schools, please share your calendars to coordinate dates.
- Cost/Childcare: Tickets will be $10.
Eliot-Hine Principal Selection: Quick discussion around the status of this. At the time of the meeting, the principal had been hired, but not announced. The Eliot-Hine principal hiring process did not include feeder school input. Since the meeting, DCPS announced Principal Tynika Young was selected. She held a feeder school meet and greet even on July 28.
Lisa Raymond meeting re: Ward 6 middle schools: Joe Weedon, Maury parent arranged for a meeting with Lisa Raymond (held on July 22).
CHPSPO By-lawsDiscussion – discussion and updates will be reflected in the next version of the bylaws.
Next CHPSPO Meeting: August 30, 2011 (NOTE: this will be the last Tuesday)
CHPSPO Meeting on Tuesday, July 19 at Miner Elementary
We will have our next Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organization meeting on Tuesday, July 19, from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. We currently don’t have a meeting location, so if your school isn’t being modernized this summer and you’d be willing to let us hold our meeting at your school, please let me know. UPDATE: Meeting will be at Miner Elementary
This meeting will be an opportunity to meet the new PTA presidents. Other items on the agenda will be a review of the draft CHPSPO by-laws and a discussion of CHPSPO hosting a screening of the movie Race to Nowhere. If you have other items you’d like to see on the agenda, please let me know.
Sherry Trafford drafted the attached by-laws. It would be much appreciated if you could compare the draft by-laws with the by-laws of your school’s PTA to see if there are things you think should be added or taken out.
Finally, if you’d like your name taken off the e-mail distribution list for CHPSPO or if there are other parents whose name you’d like me to add, please let me know.
Thanks. I will send out an agenda and the meeting location prior to July 19.
Suzanne Wells
CHPSPO Bylaws July 7 2011 draft.docx UPDATE: 071911 agenda CHPSPO
July Fourth Parade – see you there!
Hope to see our CHPSPO schools walking in the July 4th parade on Barracks Row – details here – http://fourthofjulyparade2011.eventbrite.com/
A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia’s Public Schools: From Impressions to Evidence
The National Research Council (NRC) recently completed and released a report entitled A Plan for Evaluating the District of Columbia’s Public Schools: From Impressions to Evidence. This report, which details the first phase of an evaluation of the District of Columbia’s Public Schools, recommends the establishment of a sustainable system to analyze and guide continuing improvement in the city’s public school system. The George Washington University is glad to have been asked by the Academy to plan the next phases for the development of this initiative and to plan for the development of a consortium on research and evaluation.
As a part of GW’s work this summer, we are inviting parents and community members to offer their views on the direction and related indicators that should be included in an ongoing evaluation of the education reform agenda established by the 2007 PERRA legislation. To determine this information, we are setting up a focus group to be held during the month of July.
During the focus group session, we will ask participants a number of questions, including how they currently learn about school performance in the District of Columbia. We will then seek recommendations on the types of school data that should be gathered and shared with the community as part of an evaluation system.
Our session will be held on the following date:
Focus Group:
Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Refreshments: 5:00 – 5:30
Time: 5:30 – 7:00
Location: Early Stages Center
Walker Jones Elementary School
1125 New Jersey Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
Please contact Taunya Nesin (tnesin@gmail.gwu.edu) to RSVP. Ms. Nesin can respond to related questions.
No meeting doesn’t mean no work – upcoming CHPSPO initiatives
No meeting doesn’t mean no action. Please read about what we’re up to (and how you can contribute).
- Identify the new SY2011/2012 PTA president at your school. Please send their contact information to Suzanne Wells so they can be included in communications (m.godec@att.net).
- Hosting a screening for the movie Race to Nowhere http://www.racetonowhere.com/. Know anyone who might be interested in helping to organize? Please send Suzanne the names of parent volunteers who would be interested in helping organize the screening, including finding a location to show the film and advertising the screening
- Attend a double-feature book talk and film screening about THE POWER OF PARENT ORGANIZING FOR SCHOOL REFORM. June 28, 6-8PM @ Busboys and Poets. http://www.teachingforchange.org/events/hong_fruchter
- The Capitol Hill Fourth of July parade will take place again at Barrack’s Row. Register your school or group here: http://tiberdc.com/4thofjuly/
- There will be a Save Our Schools & National Call to Action national conference and rally in Washington, DC July 28 – 31. If you are interested in attending the conference, you can register at http://www.saveourschoolsmarch.org/event_info/conference/. Consider registering for the Save Our Schools Conference and/or hosting a family.
- Bylaws are still underway.
See you in July!
Walk with DCPS in the Capital Pride Parade on June 11
Walk with DCPS in the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 11.
DCPS is working to make our schools safe and inclusive for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students, staff, and families. We are committed to engaging the community in our work, including walking in the Capital Pride Parade.
You and your school community are invited to join the DCPS community in walking together in the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 11, 2011.
The DCPS contingent will line up at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Francis-Stevens Education Campus (2425 N Street, NW, near both Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle Metro stops).
If your school is participating, here are a few suggestions
- Create a school-specific banner or sign to bring to the parade.
- Send home a letter to parents to let them know of your school’s participation in Pride.
- Have your students, families, and staff march in Pride with the Chancellor wearing your school t-shirts.
- Instruct your participants to arrive for the parade on June 11 no later than 4:30 p.m. DCPS’s contingent will line up in front of the Francis-Stevens Education Campus (2425 N Street, NW, near both Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle Metro stops).
- Post this announcement in your school and PTA newsletter/at the entrance of the school building.
- Encourage staff to announce your school’s participation to students. (LGBTQ resources for teachers)
For more information, go to http://bit.ly/ks3l7P
Hope to see you there!
