Better Buildings:
Better Schools
March – April 2008

The 21st Century School Fund Newsletter

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SHAPPE's
March 2008
Newsletter

Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals, and Educators

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District of Columbia Public Schools News

LSRT Teams Receive Sample Local School Budgets

On Saturday, May 3, DCPS distributed sample local school budgets and an explanatory outline of the budget process to LSRT members of 27 schools in restructuring and the others not in restructuring. Specific school budget allocations were not distributed but are available from individual school principals.

LSRT teams were encouraged to come to consensus and formalize their school budgets quickly to make up for transition delays. School staffing is to be finalized by May 10th and LSRT members are encouraged to work with principals at budget roundtables May 7th through 10th. School budgets are no longer derived primarily from the Weighted Student Formula and several staffing areas will now be funded centrally including general education aides. Changes in staffing allocations may be requested through instructional Superintendents.

Click here to view sample 08-09 local school budget and process explanation.

2009 DCPS Budget Lacks School Specifics

In public testimony in front of the City Council concern was voiced about the lack of detail, explanation, and rationale of the DCPS operating and capital budget within the District's FY 2009 budget. Cathy Reilly, Executive Director for SHAPPE, was concerned that the capital budget does not have project specifics for high schools. And that "we have less information than we have ever had by this date, local schools have no budgets." Nancy Huvendick DC Program Director of the 21st Century School Fund raised concern regarding the capital budget, "Basic to a good capital (facilities) program is a detailed Capital Improvement Plan (budget), and a guiding, long-term Master Facilities Plan for maintenance, renovations, modernizations and new construction. The public is lacking all of these critical components at present."

Read testimony below:

Nancy Huvendick; 21st Century School Fund

Mary Levy; Washington Lawyers Committee

Cathy Riley; SHAPPE

Margot Berkey; Parents United

21st Century School Fund News & Information

Good Buildings, Better Schools: An Economic Stimulus Opportunity

Weak economic conditions has prompted discussion of using federal stimulus spending on our nation's school buildings to spur near-term economic growth by creating high quality jobs. Mary Filardo, Executive Director for 21CSF recently released, "Good Buildings, Better Schools: An economic stimulus opportunity with long-term benefits", this paper was written for the Economic Policy Institute. Mary also presented her paper at EPI's forum on Investing in U.S. Infrastructure, exploring needed federal investments in infrastructure that can provide short-term economic stimulus while also building the foundation for long-term economic growth. Click here to read Mary's paper.

Planning for Quality Schools: Meeting the Needs of District Families

The Quality Schools Project — a joint effort of the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the 21st Century School Fund, the Brookings Institution, and the Urban Institute — creates a firm analytical basis to help the city plan for quality schools to meet the needs of the District's families. Phase One, the first of three phases, provides a comprehensive profile of the supply of public primary and secondary schools and of the students attending these schools in the 2006–07 school year. The report examines such questions as:

What types of public schools are available in the District and who is attending them?
How do students get access to various types of public schools?
Where are students attending school, and where do they live in relation to the schools they attend?

Click here to read the report.

Click here to view appendices in Excel format.

21CSF Updates School Close-Ups

21CSF has updated DCPS School Close-Ups to contain info on the current reorganization proposals of Chancellor Rhee. There are new Google interactive maps and enhanced charts.
Click here to see changes proposed for your school.

21CSF Presents at Policy Link Regional Equity Conference in New Orleans

On March 6th, Mary Filardo; Executive Director of 21CSF participated on a panel before nearly 200 people on "Quality and Equity in Education". Other panelists were john a. powell, Executive Director for the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity; Michael Rebell, Executive Director and Counsel, Campaign for Educational Equity, Teachers College, Columbia University; and Theodore M. Shaw, Director-Counsel and President, NAACP Legal Defense Fund. They explored the links between segregated schools, segregated neighborhoods, and inadequate facilities, and the possibilities for drafting an equity agenda to secure resources for quality education and buildings. To learn more about PolicyLink go to: http://www.policylink.org/.