Education and Safety - Greater Greater Washington

Education elements

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:51:00 EDT

Fairfax schools might start later to better match teens' circadian rhythms. (WAMU) ... Engineers studied sinkholes at Garrison Elementary, but DC hasn't paid them. (Borderstan) ... Arlington won't get a new law school. (ArlNow)

Comment

Young kids try to assault me while biking

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:44:00 EDT

by Geoff Hatchard

While I was riding Capital Bikeshare home through Capitol Hill last night, a 12-year-old girl and a group of other kids tried to assault me.

Photo by Elvert Barnes on Flickr.

I'm totally fine. The police caught the girl, and her mother promised to take action. Will this experience get the girl to shape up before she gets a criminal record that could impair her future?

I was taking the Green Line home from work. We arrived at the Anacostia station, and the train doors were held open for over ten minutes. I decided to leave the station and find another way home.

I hopped on a Capital Bikeshare bike at the station and headed north, across the 11th Street bridge. When I got to the corner of 11th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE, I had to wait for a red light. Four kids were standing on the corner, next to the fence that has been put up around the charred remains of Frager's Hardware Store. There were three girls and one boy, all around the same age (12 or so).

One of the girls approached me and asked for five dollars. I told her I didn't have any cash on me. She looked at the bike and said, "You need money to pay for that, right?"

I told her, "Yes, I use a credit card."

She said, "Credit cards have money on them, give me some!"

The light turned green at that point, and I said, "Sorry, no, I have to go."

As I started across Pennsylvania Avenue, she lunged at me, pushed on my backpack, and yelled, "Give me money! Give me money!" a couple times, while the other kids laughed. The events of Tuesday on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) came to mind, and I turned around to make sure the other kids weren't coming after me. I scolded them and asked if they heard about the MBT assault.

The boy in the group started yelling, "Fuck you! Fuck you! Get the fuck out of my neighborhood!" At this point, I realized I could hurry up and bike away, but I wasn't in the mood to let these kids think they could get away with threatening someone on a bicycle, so I yelled out, "These kids are trying to assault me."

I moved my bicycle to the southwest corner of the intersection (in front of the dry cleaners) and called 911.

Kids in the city have it out for cyclists. Just tried to assault me at 11th & Pennsylvania SE. Called 911. No more tolerance. This ends now.

—say 'Eye Em Gōph' (@IMGoph) June 13, 2013

A gentleman came out of the dry cleaners and told me that the kids had been causing problems in the past, throwing rocks at the store's windows.

Two officers arrived after about 3 or 4 minutes. I told them what happened, and in which direction the kids went after our encounter. A quick check on the radio and the first officer was able to confirm that a third officer had some kids a block down the street. The second officer went to bring them back.

While she was gone, I spoke with the first officer. She told me that kids in the area were apt to do things like this, and that the children doing this get younger every year. The second officer returned a couple minutes later with a woman in her cruiser. This turned out to be the mother of the girl who had shoved me. The first officer insisted that the young girl be brought back as well, so a couple more awkward minutes passed while the first officer, the girl's mother, and I stood around waiting for the other officer to bring back the girl.

When they returned, the first officer asked the girl to state what had happened. She basically gave the full story, but claimed that she had just touched the bike, and not pushed me. The officers wanted her to apologize to me, which she did, but clearly not in a sincere manner.

The police told the girl she could be charged with both aggravated panhandling and simple assault. The girl's mother quietly told her not to be stupid and to apologize.

The officers stepped aside for a moment, leaving me with the girl and her mother. We stood there awkwardly as a light rain began to fall. The officers then called me over to where they were discussing things, and asked if I wanted to press charges. They were willing to lock the girl up, and told me that there would be a few hours of paperwork, but it was up to me how to proceed.

I told the officers I wanted the girl to learn a lesson, but I wanted to do what they thought was best. They called her over, and had her stand right in front of me. The officers told the girl that I had the power to ruin her life then and there, to give her a criminal record. They told me to tell her what I thought about the whole situation.

I told the girl that I thought what she did was stupid, and there was no reason for her to have done anything more than say hello to me on the street.

I'm okay. But these kids are going to learn a lesson. MPD is here.
—say 'Eye Em Gōph' (@IMGoph) June 13, 2013

The officers jumped in and told her to look me in the eye, stand up straight, stop mumbling, and pay attention. The girl's mother, standing nearby, implored her daughter to listen. The police asked her if she had goals, wanted to go to college, and wanted to get away from the bad influences around her. They reminded her that her attitude and actions were going to damn her to a life of dead-ends.

Finally, I told the girl my name, and offered my hand to shake. She did, and apologized again (personally, it still didn't feel 100% sincere, but I remember how much of a sullen brat I could be at 12 years old myself).

Her mother said she'd be going home and would be on a short leash. I obviously don't know what happened once they got home, but I hope we got some sort of message into the girl's head.

As I got back on the Bikeshare bike to head towards home (yeah, I racked up some fees for having the bike out more than 30 minutes!), I thanked the officers and they apologized for my ruined evening. I told them it was absolutely not their place to apologize, and thanked them for doing a great job.

The officers remarked that, while the girl avoided a criminal record, they had her name and would put her on a "juvenile watch list." If she gets caught causing trouble again, there will be no mercy.

Cross-posted at The District Curmudgeon.

94 comments

Metro morsels

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:13:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

5 Metro trains ran red signals since April, all of which were due to human error. (Examiner) ... Crime at Montgomery County's Metro stations is down overall, but robberies are up. (Examiner) ... Metro outfits 1000-series cars with Kevlar to help prevent fires like the one that happened in Silver Spring in May. (Post)

Comment

MBT cameras not helpful

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:13:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The recent assault on the Metropolitan Branch Trail happened in sight of one of the trail's three cameras, but it wasn't working, and even if it were, no one actively watches them and they don't work well at night. (City Paper)

Comment

Metro bag searches aren't always optional

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:31:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

If you refuse a bag search at a WMATA subway station, Metro Transit Police may follow you if you leave and even if you board a bus. That's what happened to me Tuesday morning in Shaw.

Photo by nevermindtheend on Flickr.

I entered the Shaw Metro station with a bag containing my lunch and my laptop. An officer waved me aside on the north mezzanine and told me to put my bag on the table for inspection. Stunned that I was being stopped without cause, I asked the officer if he had a warrant. He said that if I refused, I was "welcome to use another mode of transportation."

I refused the search, which is mostly about theatrics than actual security. I didn't want to enable what critics have labeled "security theater", the symbolic show of force to give the appearance of protection. In fact, WMATA admits that since they don't search every bag, it's really more about perception, providing "an additional visible layer of protection." Putting on a show is not a good reason to rummage through people's personal items and I didn't want to enable that behavior and belief.

By agreeing to an "optional" WMATA search, I was afraid I would also be inadvertently consenting to a search of my laptop, which would be an abusive and unreasonable intrusion for a transit agency. I wasn't sure if the officers were properly trained to know the nuances of what was and wasn't an appropriate search. How would you even argue with an officer who believes random bag checks at one station actually deter terrorism, anyway? It's like arguing the plot in a fiction novel: the very premise is that facts only partly matter.

Remembering reports that Metro Transit Police only set up searches at one entrance, I pointed to the south mezzanine and said, "I can use that entrance," and the officer said nothing. I left the north entrance to walk to the south entrance a block away.

As I descended the escalators to the south mezzanine, I spotted more officers in the distance. Realizing that the answer would probably be the same at this entrance. I calmly turned around and left, deciding to catch the bus instead.

Little did I know that Metro Transit Police would follow me there. I boarded the 70 bus, which runs above the Green and Yellow lines on 7th Street NW and SW. Two officers got on behind me. Their vests were marked with the word "Terrorism" (perhaps, "Anti-Terrorism" or "Counter-Terrorism", I don't remember which), so clearly they were not there to investigate a fist fight, theft, or fare evasion.

One officer took a seat and another stood, mostly watching his phone. Neither of them said anything to me.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, I thought. Why would police follow me for refusing a supposedly "optional" search, even after I was told I was "welcome to use another mode of transportation"? I was on another mode, after all.

When the bus reached H Street, where I intended to transfer to the Red Line, I paused a moment in my seat, to see what the officers were doing. They remained on the bus. I then got up and stood in line to leave the front of the bus. As I neared the front door, I looked back and noticed that one of the officers had left the back door of the bus and was standing outside.

To test if he was following me, I then sat down in a seat at the front of the bus, and the officer re-boarded the bus through the back door. The driver closed the doors and I asked her if she could reopen it so I could leave. She pushed the door mechanism, which reopened the front and the back door and I left the bus.

As I left the bus at the front door, the officer standing at the back door, partly hanging out the bus, waved and smiled at me through the glass of the rear open door. This act was about sending me a message: if you refuse a search, you will be followed, which is itself a form of intimidation.

WMATA's stated policy allows customers to refuse the allegedly optional search. "Customers who encounter a baggage checkpoint at a station entrance may choose not to enter the station if they would prefer not to submit their carry-ons for inspection," it says.

While you may be "welcome to use another mode of transportation," bag searches aren't really optional if Metro Transit Police follow you and deliberately make it known that they're following you.

164 comments

MBT attack was a big group

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:26:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

The cyclist assaulted on the Metropolitan Branch Trail may have been attacked by as many as 15 youths. In response to the attack, WABA will hold a safety walk of the trail on Friday. (Post)

Comment

Catania's reforms, part 2: Ending "social promotion"

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:16:00 EDT

by Rahul Mereand-Sinha

Image from PERDaily.

Last week, Councilmember David Catania announced 7 proposals to restructure operations at DC Public Schools (DCPS). Yesterday we looked at a bill that would give some schools extra money, and school principals control over their budgets. Another bill would discourage the practice of "social promotion."

Who's running, leaving

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:53:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Ike Leggett will run for another term as Montgomery County Executive. (WTOP) ... DC State Superintendent of Education Hosanna Mahaley Jones is resigning because of her husband's health. (WAMU)

Comment

Catania's reforms, part 1: School funding and autonomy

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:42:00 EDT

by Rahul Mereand-Sinha

Photo by Nick Ares on Flickr.

Four days ago, Councilmember David Catania announced 7 proposals to restructure DC Public Schools' operations. I'll look at each of his proposals in turn, starting in this article with a proposal to change how much money each school receives, and who controls it.

DC schools are trying out a Common Core-aligned test

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:06:00 EDT

by Natalie Wexler

Photo by the author.

Critics predict that the introduction of the Common Core State Standards will engender a host of problems. This week, a tryout of one of the Common Core-aligned tests in 25 DC schools may provide a glimpse of things to come.

And...

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:40:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Is Howard University in trouble? One trustee says so. (Post) ... Fragers gets a pop-up space while it rebuilds. (WAMU) ... Jack Evans repeatedly talks about DC's "rich tapestry" in launching his run for mayor. (DCist)

Comment

Teachers collaborate with the help of technology

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:42:00 EDT

by Natalie Wexler

Kathleen Sheehy at Teach Fest. Photo courtesy of LearnZillion

Planning a high-quality lesson can be one of the most challenging tasks a teacher faces. Now a DC-based company called LearnZillion is using technology to help teachers share their best ideas with each other as well as with parents and students.

DCPS and charters team up to improve Chinese instruction

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:04:00 EDT

by Jessica Christy

Photo by the author.

With help from DC's Office of the State Superintendent of Education, students from 3 DCPS elementary schools are brushing up on their Chinese with help from students at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in Ward 5.

Peds get more tickets

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:28:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Montgomery County police are 5 times more likely to cite pedestrians than drivers in areas where there are many pedestrian collisions. Meanwhile, pedestrian fatalities are way up in the county. (Examiner)

Comment

In the DC Council

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:34:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Legislators approved some food truck rules and gave themselves power to amend other, more controversial ones. (DCist) ... Anti-truancy legislation passed, and it'll also be illegal for school staff to cheat on tests. (Post) ... 3 members want to let students ride the buses for free to and from school. (Examiner)

Comment

Crime: Having pot while black

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:34:00 EDT

by David Alpert

DC police arrest 8 times more black residents for marijuana possession, per capita, than they do white residents. Nationally, blacks are 3.73 times as likely as whites to be arrested for marijuana. (DCist)

Comment

DCPS shows commitment to LGBT students and families

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:32:00 EDT

by Sandra Moscoso

Photo by Andy Le for DCPS.

On Saturday, DC Public Schools will be one of many organizations walking in the Capital Pride parade, and they've invited all schools to join them. While it's a terrific show of DCPS' commitment to inclusive schools, this isn't all they're doing for LGBT students and families.

Can "restart" turn around low-performing charter schools?

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:41:00 EDT

by Natalie Wexler

Photo by Paul Downey on Flickr.

When a traditional public school is failing, officials often decide to apply a turnaround strategy rather than to close it. Is it time to apply a similar approach to failing charter schools?

OSSE releases more school data on students' neighborhoods

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:06:00 EDT

by Sandra Moscoso

Photo by Daquella manera on Flickr.

June 1 is National Day of Civic Hacking and a series of DC education projects are planned for DC's Hack for Change event. In anticipation of this event, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released some very exciting data about school populations that can potentially help families negotiate school choice.

Frumin pushes for neighborhood schools

Wed, 29 May 2013 08:57:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Matt Frumin is staying involved in civic affairs, launching a new group that wants to ensure every part of DC has a good neighborhood school as an option. (Post)

Comment

Mundo Verde, Green Ribbon schools highlight sustainability

Tue, 28 May 2013 13:40:00 EDT

by Jessica Christy

All photos by the author.

Schools in the District and Montgomery County make sustainability part of the curriculum with greener buildings and a focus on environmental stewardship. With help from the US Department of Education, they could become an example for other schools around the country.

Metro morsels

Tue, 28 May 2013 09:47:00 EDT

by David Alpert

You will be able to use SmartBenefits to buy the new short rail pass within a year. (Examiner) ... A WMATA employee stole 13 $1,400 defibrillators and sold them on eBay. (DCist) ... A Metrobus driver struck a pedestrian in Olney. (Post)

Comment

DCPS middle school tries a new way of teaching math

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:05:00 EDT

by Natalie Wexler

Students checking their schedules at a Teach to One school in Brooklyn. Photo posted with permission from New Classrooms.

Can a blend of computerized and traditional teacher-led instruction give students a better educational experience? Hart Middle School in Congress Heights is trying to find out.

Play on?

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:36:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

A driver hit a cyclist in Annandale, but the cyclist wasn't knocked over. The driver says he didn't know cyclists had a right to be in the road. Police refused to take a report because "no harm, no foul." (FABB)

Comment

MPD not interested in investigating cyclist intimidation (Aug 26, 2008)
Bus driver assaults cyclist, MPD uninterested (Mar 4, 2009)
Halsey veers from bike tragedy to ethnic generalizations (May 24, 2010)
Mendelson: "We're being too easy on drivers" who kill (Mar 22, 2010)
Share the road, because the sign is blocking the path (Jun 3, 2010)

Daycare is education, part 2: Early childhood care matters

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:45:00 EDT

by Rahul Mereand-Sinha

Image from Wikipedia.

We know daycare in the US is high-cost and low-quality. We know France and Sweden provide better services at no cost to families. But do we understand how vital daycare is to childhood development and the economic and personal growth of their parents?

School buildings to charters

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:47:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A new DC government website will help charter schools use vacant DCPS buuildings after 16 schools close this fall. All will go to charters, as the law requires, rather than some to city agencies. (City Paper)

Comment

Police ticket U turns on Penn

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:47:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Bill Walsh caught a cab driver on video making an illegal U-turn across the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes... and then an FBI police officer put on his siren and pulled over the driver for the violation.

Comment

Future of Sharpe Health School still uncertain

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:50:00 EDT

by Jessica Christy

Photo by Healthnewsnet on Flickr.

Sharpe Health School, a school for disabled students in Petworth, could close, sending students to the former River Terrace Elementary School in Ward 7. Not only is River Terrace inaccessible to disabled students, but parents fear its location could put their kids at risk.

Bike thief contronted, laughs

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:53:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A resident found her stolen bike on Craigslist and tried to confront the bike thief, but he just laughed and pedaled away; he said he's a Howard student and "career thief." The police still didn't take any action. (City Paper)

Comment

Judge denies injunction against closing schools

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:44:00 EDT

by Eboni-Rose Thompson

Still closed River Terrace School surrounded by a tall fence.

A federal judge has decided not to block DC from closing 15 public schools for next year. Yesterday, he denied a motion from grassroots organization Empower DC to grant a preliminary injunction against the closures.

Does an "equal" education promote inequality?

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:51:00 EDT

by Rahul Mereand-Sinha

Do we need more vocational schools like Thomas Edison in Wheaton? Photo courtesy of MCPS.

Could it be that preparing all children for college, as most schools do today, is worse for most students than a non-academic, practical life skills education? Academics may want to consult deceased rapper Tupac Shakur, who felt traditional education failed him.

Young people drive less

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:33:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Another new report says Americans are driving less, especially young people, who don't idolize driving so much, can have social contact online, and perhaps also are more often unemployed. (NYT)

Comment

DC's mayor can't oversee himself

Sat, 11 May 2013 09:23:00 EDT

by Ken Archer

The recent investigation into cheating in DC schools highlights a little-understood fact in the District: Our mayor has too much power. Every state-level agency charged with overseeing the mayor's activities reports to the mayor—a level of control that exists nowhere else in the country.

Photo by stallio on Flickr.

The agency that investigates cheating, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), is charged with overseeing our schools. But OSSE also reports to the mayor, the same official who runs most of the schools they are supposed to oversee.

The same conflict exists with the state-level agency charged with overseeing job training in the District. This agency, the Workforce Investment Council (WIC), reports to the same mayor who runs job training and wants voters to see his efforts to train job seekers as successful.

Continue reading Ken's latest op-ed in the Washington Post.

14 comments

DC CAS can still benefit students, like it's supposed to

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:04:00 EDT

by Jessica Christy

Photo by the author.

Like many standardized tests, the DC Comprehensive Assessment System isn't the magic bullet many had hoped it would be. But by understanding what its limits are, we can turn the DC CAS from a weapon against teachers into a tool to help students.

And...

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:50:00 EDT

by Nick Casey

Arlington and Alexandria are increasing property taxes; Alexandria's will allow the city to fund Capital Bikeshare and libraries. (WAMU) ... David Catania's truancy bill received preliminary approval, without the part about imprisoning parents. (WAMU) ... Retail at Dulles and National airports could get a lot better soon. (WBJ)

Comment