The annual croquet competition between St. John’s College and the U.S. Naval Academy brought thousands of spectators to Annapolis, Maryland.

As Jessica Forres reports… the sport acts as a bridge between the rival schools.



Lavish picnics and nearly 2000 people…many of whom are dressed like characters from the Great Gatsby… are spread out across the lawn in front of St. John’s College.

They are watching the 27th annual Annapolis cup…. a croquet match between the college's so-called Johnnies and the Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy…

JoAnn Mattson is St. John’s Director of Alumni Relations…. She says the tradition started in 1984.

SOME MIDS AND SOME JOHNIES WERE ARGUING ABOUT MAYBE THEIR MASCULINITY, I DON’T KNOW AND THE MIDS CHALLENGED THE JOHNNIES TO COME UP WITH A SPORT THAT THEY COULD BEAT THE MIDS AT. THEY SAID WE CAN BEAT YOU AT ANYTHING. AND THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID CROQUET.

Though the two schools are across the street from one another, she says ideologically they are miles apart.

UNTIL THIS EVENT STARTED, WE DIDN’T HAVE A MIDDLE MIXING GROUND. AND THERE COULD BE SOME ANIMOSITY AND OVER THE YEARS AND I KNOW THERE WAS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.

Colonel David Mollahan..clad in uniform... agrees.

THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO ST. JOHN’S THEY HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH THEY LOOK AT THE WORLD AND YET THEY COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A NICE EVENT.

Watching from the sidelines, Craig Martin, the owner of a barber shop in Baltimore, is rooting for the Midshipmen.

I GET MORE CUSTOMERS FROM THE US NAVAL ACADEMY THEN ST. JOHN’S

St. John’s won the contest yesterday for the 22nd time since the tradition started.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

(It's still a debate about whether this creek is in D.C. or Maryland, but I'm posting the story anyway. I drove by there the other day and it looks like it's split between D.C. and Maryland. Regardless, residents from D.C. and Maryland cleaned up the important estuary together).

Thousands of volunteers swept the Potomac River watershed for trash and litter. The clean up was part of a regional effort organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

Jessica Forres reports…



Near busy 16th street in Silver Spring, Maryland, Katherine Trimble and her two young children comb Fenwick Branch North-Portal Tributary for trash.

I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR DOING THIS. AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I STOPPED USING PLASTIC BAGS.

She and more than 12-thousand volunteers from Pennsylvania to Virginia are taking part in the 21st Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Ginny Harris...with the Alice Ferguson Foundation…organized the event. She calls us from another clean up site in Accoceek, Maryland.

IT EDUCATES PEOPLE WHAT IS FLOATING DOWN OUR DRINKING WATER, WHAT’S FLOATING DOWN THE POTOMAC RIVER AND HOPEFULLY YOU’LL START MAKING CHANGES.

A total of 30-thousand trash bags were distributed at 500 sites across the Mid-Atlantic region.

_______________________

Thousands of volunteers collected trash in the Washington, DC area as part of a regional effort to clean up the Potomac Watershed…

Jessica Forres reports...

Cars speed past local residents sweeping Fenwick Branch North-Portal for trash. It’s a small creek near busy 16th street that eventually flows into the Potomac River.
A local boy scout troop shows us what they’ve collected...

A BASKETBALL, SOME CIGARETTES

Boy Scout JEROME WALKER says it makes him angry.

BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST THROW THEIR TRASH OUT HERE WITHOUT THINKING TWICE.

Ginny Harris with the Alice Ferguson Foundation… is on her cell phone at another cleanup site in Accoceek, Maryland. Her group organized the2 1st annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.

HOPEFULLY YOU’LL START MAKING CHANGES . YOU’LL SEE THAT YOU CAN PICK UP A HUNDRED STRAWS IN TWO FEET OF AREA. AND THEN YOU DECIDE MAYBE NEXT TIME I WON’T GET A STRAW.
She says more than 12-thousand volunteers collected trash at nearly 500 sites throughout the Potomac Watershed.

One D-C Councilmember is turning the dream of college into a reality for some local High School students.

Jessica Forres reports…



Twenty four students from Anacostia High School are on their way to North Carolina where representatives from more than twenty Historically Black Colleges and Universities will either admit or deny them on the spot.

Madeline Foreman, an English Teacher, rides with her students on the charter bus...

I PICK THE ONES WHO HAVE THE 2.0’S , THE 1.7’S. THE KINDS OF G.P.A’S THAT NOBODY WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT.

But the students, she says, have the same potential as an IVY- Leaguer...

I SEE THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE SOME PUSH BEHIND THEM. THEY DON’T GET IT AT HOME MAYBE OR MAYBE THEIR PARENTS ARE WORKING..

Such as Joi Martin… a senior at Dunbar High School…She is one of a hundred students from 15 D-C High Schools who decided to attend the fair. She holds a transcript in one hand and five applications in the other…

MY MOTHER SHE NOT REALLY INVOLVED IN MY EDUCATION LIKE SHE SHOULD BE SO THAT’S WHAT MADE REALLY START PUSHING MYSELF.

Taunya Monroe… a senior admissions officer at North Carolina’s Bennett College for Women… looks at her transcript and likes what she sees...

CONGRATULATIONS MA’AM AND WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2013,

It's the second year D-C Councilmember Kwame Brown organized and raised money for the trip...

YOU KNOW I WAS AT THE BOTTOM AND SOME OF THESE KIDS ARE AT THE BOTTOM SOMEONE NEEDS TO SAY THEY TOO CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IF SOMEONE GIVES THEM A HAND UP AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO HERE TODAY.

More than 80 percent of the qualifed students were accepted into at least one college.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News



D-C Councilmember Kwame Brown is helping local high school students realize their dream of a college education.

Jessica Forres reports...

At a community college in Tarboro, North Carolina, Joi Martin, a senior at Dunbar Highschool, is talking with admissions officers who are accepting and denying students on the spot. She hands Chris Withers her transcript...

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS GET YOUR G-P-A UP BECAUSE OF THIS RIGHT HERE.

Martin is one of a hundred seniors and juniors from 15 D-C High Schools who traveled on charter buses for the fair of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

D-C Councilmember Kwame Brown who helped organize the trip... says most of the students have low grade point averages but great potential...

SOMEONE HELPED ME RIGHT AND I NEED TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN AND HOPEFULLY I’M HELPING THE NEXT ONE OF ME THAT’S GOING TO GO FARTHER AND BETTER.

Martin is one of those students...she received three F's her first two years of high school, but is now making A's and B's.

I WAS EXPECTING MY MOTHER TO BE WELL LIKE YOU NEED TO SEEK THAT CHANGE BUT WHEN I NOTICED IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN I'M LIKE I JUST HAVE TO DO IT FOR MYSELF.

Her dedication finally pays off. Taunya Monroe…the senior admissions officer at North Carolina’s Bennett College for Women...likes what she sees...

WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2013, YOU JUST HAVE TO CHOOSE US NOW CUZ WE’VE CHOSEN YOU.

It's too early to tell how many seniors were accepted but Councilmember Brown says last year 43 out of 44 students gained acceptance into at least one college.

KIPP DC has announced plans to expand its network of college preparatory charter schools in the city.

Jessica Forres reports…



Middle school students are cheering inside the gym at KIPP DC’s Key Academy in Southeast.
[NAT: Cheers]

They are celebrating the planned expansion of seven new charter schools…one- a new high school. Darlene Dicks, a parent, is thrilled...

WELL SHE’S IN EIGTH GRADE NOW AND THEN SHE’S GOING TO COLLEGE PREP SO THERE WAS NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I’M JUST LIKE STICKING WITH KIPP ALL THE WAY.

Three schools are planned to open in Southeast this July...Susan Schaeffler is the Executive Director. The expansion, she hopes, will mitigate D-C’s education crisis.

WE ARE OPERATING WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET KIDS IN CLASSROOMS WITH GREAT TEACHERS WITH GREAT RESULTS.

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee were on hand to show their support. Rhee says KIPP can serve as a model for D-C public schools.

I THINK THERE ARE MANY PRACTICES THAT THEY IMPLEMENT HERE AT KIPP SCHOOLS AND THAT WE HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTING AT OUR SCHOOLS.

Nationwide 80-percent of students who complete the eighth grade at KIPP go on to college.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Federal economic stimulus money will spare schools in Maryland from millions in proposed cuts.

Jessica Forres has more ....



Gov. Martin O'Malley says federal economic recovery money will enable Maryland to avoid 700 state employee layoffs and any cuts to an education fund designed to help areas where schooling costs more. The state had been facing 69 million dollars in education funding cuts...

I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE AMERICAN REINVESTMENT AND RECOVERY ACT WILL ALLOW US TO PRESENT A PLAN TO THE LEGISLATURE THAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE ALL OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS SYTEMS WHOLE IN OTHER WORDS, THE CUTS, THE MID-YEAR CUTS AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE OUT SCHOOL SYSTEM WHOLE.

The governor also says the federal money will contribute $329 million to the projected growth of teacher pension costs.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

National and local education leaders toured a local high school to show support for school modernization provisions in the economic stimulus package.

Jessica Forres reports....



Students…inside a classroom…are complaining to the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, about the poor conditions at Arlington, Virginia's Wakefield High School.

NAT:] IT'S 96 DEGREES IN THIS ROOM ALL DAY

Temperatures in the classroom are their biggest complaint. Paul Stetkluh is a sophomore. He says his teachers often switch rooms...

WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY HARD ON US BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUR TEACHERS ALL THE TIME OR GET TO THEM AT LUNCH WHEN WE NEED TO.

Inside the school's library, Secretary Duncan says he's urging Congress to fund school construction and renovation projects in the stimulus package. The provisions were passed in the House but not in the Senate...

RIGHT NOW THERE'S ZERO DOLLARS IN THE SENATE BILL. THAT TO ME IS STAGGERING. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT WE DON'T SEE THE HUGE STIMULATIVE IMPACT OF PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK NOW WITH TREMENDOUS UNMET NEED BEYOND 20 BILLION DOLLARS AND THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WE CAN DO TO CREATE FACILITIES OUR STUDENTS.

Through Gene Wilhoit…with the Council of Chief State School Officers there are shovel-ready projects in Virginia and nationwide that could benefit...

THIS BUILDING IS ONE THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT BUT ALL ACROSS VIRGINIA YOU WOULD HAVE THAT SAME SORT OF SITUATION AND WE WOULD BE PUTTING THE MONEY IN THE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE THE GREATEST NEED

Two new high schools in Arlington are scheduled to be rebuilt, but are not fully funded.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_____________________________________________________


National and local education leaders are asking Congress to add school construction projects in the economic stimulus package.

Jessica Forres reports…they toured a local high school to show their support....

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is taking a tour of Arlington, Virginia's Wakefield High School. He stops to talk with some students inside a classroom.

[NAT:]

He is using the occasion to talk about education provisions in the economic stimulus package. The provisions, which include 20 billion dollars for school construction and renovation projects, were passed in the House but not in the Senate.

SO AS THIS DISCUSSION GOES INTO CONFERENCE WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT CONFERENCE IS OF STAGGERING IMPORTANCE. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT OUR LEADERSHIP HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR PARENTS.

The students at Wakefield certainly do. Principal Doris Jackson says the school is scheduled to be renovated in 2013.

WELL THE BUILDING HAS OUTLIVED IT'S USEFULNESS. YOU CAN LOOK AROUND IT IS TRULY A 1950, 1960's SCHOOL.

But Gene Wilhoit…with the Council of Chief State School Officers…says the 20 billion will be dispersed to school districts with shovel-ready projects.

WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS AN ABILITY TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS AS SOON AS ANY MONEY WOULD FLOW WITHOUT ANY DELAY IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND IT PUTS PEOPLE IN JOBS IMMEDIATELY.

Wakefield and Yorktown High Schools in Arlington are scheduled to be rebuilt, but are not fully funded.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District has launched a new after-school initiative that offers free tennis to middle school students.

Jessica Forres reports…



George Harris, a 7th grader, is playing tennis at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. He is holding a racquet and a ball made of foam.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST TENNIS, IT'S COME TOGETHER AS A LOT OF PEOPLE. IT'S HAVING FUN AS A UNIT.

He and eighty students from seven District middle schools take part in after-school programs run by Project My Time, part of the DC Children and youth Investment Trust Corporation.

Meeta Sharma-Holt… the project director…says it's the first time the students have come together to learn...and play in teams.

ONE OF OUR LONG TERM GOALS IS TO TRY TO BRING TENNIS INTO THE DCPS ATHLETIC CURRICULUM SO THAT DURING THE SCHOOL DAY THEY ARE PRACTICING AND THEN IN THE AFTER SCHOOL PLAY AS PART OF A LEAGUE.

She says the Trust will hold three tournaments a year.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District is facing a budget shortfall well over a hundred million dollars.

But as Jessica Forres reports... Mayor Adrian Fenty remains committed to funding programs to prevent teen violence in the city.


At sixteen, Eugene Whittiesbey says he was arrested for a crime that landed him in prison for seven and a half years....

I HAD SOME TIME TO THINK. LIKE I SAID I WAS IN A FEDERAL PENETENTIONARY WHEN I TURNED THE AGE OF 18. I DIDN'T WANT THE KIDS TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT I MADE.

The twenty six year-old now works for Peaceoholics…a non-profit group that works with gangs to prevent street violence.

Peaceoholics, ROPE Inc and the Latin American Youth Center were awarded nearly 240,000 dollars by the city to mentor and reach out to at-risk teens in targeted neighborhoods. Mai Fernandez is with the Center.

GETTING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE INTO POSITIVE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES. SOMETIMES IT'S A DANCE CLASS, SOMETIMES IT'S A WORKSHOPS, SOMETIMES IT'S A FIELD TRIP. BECAUSE OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT THE BIGGEST ROOT OF GANG VIOLENCE IS AND I OFTEN SAY BOREDOM.

Mayor Fenty says these groups have had great success at combating teen violence.

THE GOVERNMENT COULD NEVER BUILD THE TRUST WITH YOUNG PEOPLE THESE ORGANIZATIONS COULD BUILD. BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO TO DO A LOT WITH VERY LITTLE.

Fenty says the At-Risk Youth Assistance Program will target teens and young adults living in five of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

--------------------------------------------------

The District is helping three local organizations tackle violence among teens and young adults living in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods…

Jessica Forres reports…

At Hart Middle School in Southeast, DC, Eugene Whittiesbey is listening as Mayor Adrian Fenty announces the city's commitment to funding the At-Risk Youth Assistance Program....

ONE OF THE GREAT NEEDS THAT CONTINUES THAT TO GO UNDERFUNDED IS WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO YOU COULD CLASSIFY AS DISCONNECTED OR REALLY JUST IN PLAIN ENGLISH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED ADULTS…

Whittiesbey was one of those disconnected teenagers…at 16 he he was arrested for a crime he prefers not to discuss....

I WAS INCARCERATED FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS. I CAME HOME IN JANUARY 24, 2007 AND THEN FROM THERE I WAS ALWAYS WANTING TO GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY.

Whittiesbey now works for Peaceoholics…one of the three non-profit groups that will share a 239-thousand dollar grant from the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. Ronald Moten, Peaceoholics co-founder says he will hire five new employees with the money...

WE HELP THE CHILDREN GET TO CLASS. WE HELP IDENTIFY PROBLEMS IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND IN THE COMMUNITY.

Though the District is facing a budget shortfall, Mayor Fenty says funding for the program should be increased and part of the annual budget...

IF WE CAN BUILD THIS IN TO AN ANNUAL BUDGET AFTER WE'VE DONE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS LIKE THIS THEN THEY HAVE MORE CERTAINTY. WE HAVE TO AS A GOVERNMENT FUND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS.

The Latin American Youth Center and ROPE Inc.will share the remaining grant money.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Some community members are urging Fairfax County Public Schools to change the grading scale . They say it puts students at a disadvantage when applying to college.

Jessica Forres reports...


Kenzie McDonald attends San Diego State University in California.

I WAS LOOKING TO GO TO A UC SCHOOL BUT I ENDED UP GOING TO A STATE SCHOOL BECAUSE I ENDED UP HAVING A 3.5 WHEN I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.

She blames the six point grading scale at Oakton High School in Vienna. When she transferred there from the Montgomery County school system in Maryland, her G-P-A dropped from a 3.66 to a 3.25...

THEY CHANGED IT I KNOW IF I HAD A HIGH B THEN THEY COULD CHANGE IT TO A C-PLUS.

Catherine Lorenze is with Fairgrade, a local group that supports a 10 point grading scale where an A requires a percentage of 90 to 1-hundred instead of 94 to 1-hundred.

She says Fairfax County Public Schools and Fairgrade conducted reasearch on how the current grading system impacts students applying to college....

THEY DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE ON THIS ABNORMAL SIX POINT SCALE. THEY COMPARE OUR KIDS TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHETHER THEY'RE ON A 10 POINT SCALE OR A NUMERIC SCALE.

Paul Regnier, a spokesperson for FCPS, says the County's Superintendent, Jack Dale, supports adding weights to advanced courses but disagrees with changing the grading scale....

THE READING OF THE REPORT INDICATED THAT THE GRADING SCALE AND THE WEIGHTING DOES NOT REALLY CLEARLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ADMISSIONS TO SELECTIVE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

Fairgrade's Lorenze says community members are also urging Loudoun County Public Schools to change their grading scale from seven to ten points.

Fairfax County School Board members will take up the issue tonight.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

__________________________________________________

Hundreds of parents and students in Virginia are asking the Fairfax County School system to change its grading system.

Jessica Forres listened last night as many of them voiced their concerns at a school board meeting....

Inside a packed auditorium at Luther Jackson Middle School, Emily Goodnight addresses the school board...

I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE MY PAINFUL AND FRUSTRATING STORY IN AN EFFORT TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE COUNTY'S GRADING POLICY ON ME.

She says her 3 point 3 Grade Point Average… would have been 3 point.5 if the county had weighted her Honors classes and used a ten point grading scale rather a six point one....

NO MATTER HOW MANY LETTERS MY GUIDANCE COUNSELOR WRITES ON MY BEHALF EXPLAINING FAIRFAX COUNTY'S GRADING SCALE IT IS UNCLEAR IF I WILL ACTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS.

Hundreds of frustrated parents and students wearing white shirts stand during her speech.

Marcy Newberger...with a local group called FairGrade..helped organize the protest against the policy that requires a grade of 94 to 100 to warrant an "A"...

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SOLIDARITY.

Much of the anger has been focused on Jack Dale...the School Superintendent...who supports weighting advanced courses but opposes changing the district's grading scale...

I THINK OUR SCALE ARTICULATES HIGH EXPECTATIONS, HIGH STANDARDS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND IF IT'S WORKING WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL WHY WOULD WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT. IF WE DID WANT TO CHANGE OUR GRADING SCALE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY OKAY WHAT IS THE BEST.

The school board is expected to vote on the superintendent's recommendation at the end of this month.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Some students in the District are "giving back" by helping refugees in the Congo ...and by raising awareness about local issues.

Jessica Forres observed their efforts at KIPP DC's Will Academy in Northwest...




[NAT: SO IF MY EXPERTS JUST WANT TO HEAD TOWARDS OUR GUESTS.

That's teacher Kate Finley. Her "experts" are the fifth graders who just gave a presentation on the civil war in the Congo...

THIS IS KIND OF THE ROOM WHERE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A TIMELINE KIND OF GIVING THE GUESTS A SUMMARY OF THE REASON WE'RE RAISING THIS MONEY TODAY.

The guests include the parents of the 250 students who spend their Saturdays serving the community...

[NAT of presentation]

Inside another classroom, seventh grader Hana Ford explains how her class collected and donated canned goods to food banks in the area…

WE WEREN'T REALLY USED TO HELPING OUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WE REALLY LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE LESS FORTUNATE THAN US AND THEY MAY NEED HELP.

Donny Tiengtum, who coordinates "Saturday School"...which is mandatory for the students... explains why the focus is on community service...

A LOT OF THESE KIDS ARE ON THE RECEIVING END AND WE ARE TRYING TO SHOW THEM WHICH END YOUR ON YOUR ABILITY TO GIVE AND HELP AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO GIVE IS TOTALLY DOABLE.

Will Academy is one of four KIPP charter schools operating in the District.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_________________________________________________

One of the District's charter middle schools is teaching students to give back to their communities.

Jessica Forres reports…

"School on Saturday" is mandatory for the students at KIPP DC's Will Academy…a charter school in Northwest.

Donny Tiengtum is the coordinator...

THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO TURN WHAT HAS TYPICALLY BEEN DAYS OF SORT OF EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES LIKE BASKETBALL AND DRAMA TO COMMUNITY FOCUSED WORK.

Principal Jessica Cunningham explains why the curriculum changed...

REGARDLESS OF THEIR PARENTS FINANCIAL SITUATION. THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW BIG OF AN EFFECT THEY CAN HAVE ON THEIR OWN COMMUNITY AND EVENT HE LARGER COMMUNITY.

More than 80 percent of the school's 250 students qualify for free or reduced lunch and are typically at the receiving end of services but these same students have collected thousands of canned goods for area food banks and many dollars for refugees in the Congo.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Mayor Adrian Fenty say the District is making progress toward meeting the needs of its special education students.

Jessica Forres reports...



Inside the library at Noyes Elementary School in Northeast, Mayor Fenty and others talk about their efforts to reform the Office of Special Education…

WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING FROM HIRING FULL-TIME CASE MANAGERS, TO HIRING MORE FULL_TIME STAFF< TO OVERSIGHT.

Two lawsuits resulted in court actions that require the District to address special education issues…

THESE CONSENT DECREES AND COURT INVOLVEMENT DON'T CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK OR FREELY MAKE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND THE QUICKER WE CAN GET OUT THEM THE MORE QUICKLY WE CAN IMPROVE PERFORMANCE.

Standing next to Fenty is Chancellor Michelle Rhee who is confident her leadership will produce high-quality special education programs located within DC's public schools…

EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IS EXATRAORDINARILY AGGRESSIVE FROM TACKLING THE BACKLOG NUMBERS. ENSURING THAT WE ARE HOLDING PRINCIPALS ACCOUNTABLE FOR TIMLINESS OF IEPS ETC. TO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE GOOD PROGRAMS IN PLACE FOR OUR STUDENTS.

The district now spends more than 82 million dollars every year to send public school special-ed students to private schools.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Some students at The George Washington University are using the National Mall as a classroom to teach local high school students about the past.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

About twenty students from Duke Ellington High School climb the steps of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

[NAT: STEPS]

BASICALLY IF YOU GUYS WANTED TO LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THOMAS JEFFERSON TODAY, YOU WOULDN'T COME HERE.

That's the voice of Ryan Hayes, a sophomore at GW. He and his classmates are using the monuments to teach the next generation of students about the basic principals America was founded on.

BASICALLY THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL REPRESENTS THE FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.

Learning and knowing about such principals is important for Ceara Crump, a student on the tour.

YOU HAVE TO STAND FOR SOMETHING IF NOT YOU'LL FALL FOR ANYTHING

Crump and her classmates will then teach younger students about what they learned.... Marta Stewart is a teacher at the High School.

OUR STUDENTS WILL ACTUALLY CONDUCT A TOUR SIMILAR TO THIS USING THE SAME STOPS AND MAYBE AUGMENTING IT AND DEVELOPING IT FOR THEIR AUDIENCE WHICH WILL BE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.

The students at GW plan to host more tours in the future to hopefully include elementary and middle school students.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

______________________________________________________

The National Mall is being used as a classroom to teach some local students about the past.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

A geography class at the George Washington University is using the monuments to teach nearly forty students at Duke Ellington High School the basic principals America was founded on.

Lisa Benton-Shorts is the professor.

THEY AREN'T TALKING SO MUCH ABOUT THE MEMORIAL IN AND OF ITSELF BUT WHAT IT REPRESENTS TO THESE THEMES OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM.

Marta Stewart is a teacher at Duke Ellington. She says her students will then create their own tours which they will give to middle school students.

I THINK THE STUDENT TEACHERS AS WELL AS THE STUDENT LEARNERS ARE CREATING SOME KIND OF SYNERGY HERE THAT IS REALLY A GREAT FERTILE GROUND FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

Benton-Shorts, the GW professor, says she hopes her class will expand the tours to include elementary and middle school students.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The Maryland State Department of Education is encouraging schools to develop character education programs.

The programs are meant to teach young people ethics and qualities like responsibility good citizenship, kindness and respect.

Jessica Forres toured Newport Mill Middle School in Kensington where character education is part of the curriculum...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Every morning, students hear Tim Rossini's voice over the PA system. He is a resource counselor at the school.

I DO WHAT'S CALLED THE WORDS OF WISDOM IT'S AN INSPIRATIONAL PROGRAM LOOKING AT DIFFERENT CONCEPTS LIKE MAYBE SELF-RESPECT.

His inspirational speaches always end in these words...

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY OR NOT, THE CHOICE IS YOURS AND REMEMBER EVERY DAY COUNTS AT NEWPORT MILL.

Maria Ortiz, a seventh grader, is inspired by his announcements.

MAKES US FEEL HAPPY AND HELP US MORE DURING THE SCHOOL DAYS AND YA WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES MORE.

In 2007, the middle school won the National School of Character. The award prompted Rossini along with other educators to write a book on character education for other schools to use as a guide.

ALMOST A HOW TO BOOK ON SETTING UP AND RUNNING A CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRM FOR AN ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT. IT STARTS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO TO GET A CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM STARTED.

Nearly 2-thousand books have been published and have been sent out to school districts across the state of Maryland.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

__________________________________________________________

The Maryland State Department of Education has unveiled a new book that will guide schools on how to implement character education programs.

Jessica Forres explains...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

In Kensington, Christopher Anderson is the president of the PTA at Newport Mill Middle School...named a National School of Character in 2007 for its character education program.

He says his daughter...who is a student...learns about values such as treating others with respect.

ONE TIME THEY HAD A WORKSHOP ON BULLYING AND SHE ACTUALLY CAME HOME AND SAID I KNOW I WAS BULLIED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The program's success at Newport Mill prompted the state's Department of Education to introduce a book about successful district and school programs in Maryland.

Paula McCoach is the character education specialist at MSDE.

IT'S ABOUT BEING INTELLIGENT ALSO ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, WHAT DECISIONS YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE. AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE YOUR LIFE.

She says every school district in Maryland will receive a copy of the book.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News.

Education leaders say the meltdown of the sub-prime mortgage market has made it more difficult for students to get private loans.

Jessica Forres reports...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO.

Lee Quinn is visiting her son...a freshman at The George Washington University. She's paid for his first semester.

WE HAVE HOME EQUITY LOANS AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL USE FOR SOME OF THIS AND I WILL WORK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE TO FIGURE THIS OUT AND NEVER RETIRE.

Some students aren't as fortunate.

Peter Warren with the Education Finance Council says federally guaranteed or private loans are some other options. He explains federally guaranteed loans have limits of just a few thousand dollars a year. That's chump change for a school like GW where it costs more than 20-thousand dollars a semester.

IF YOUR NEED IS BEYOND THOSE LIMITS THAN YOU NEED TAKE OUT ALTERNATE PRIVATE LOANS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IN THE PAST HOME EQUITY LOANS WERE A COMMON SOURCE FOR THAT ADDITIONAL BORROWING

But the mortgage crisis has caused many lenders to exit the student loan market. To get a loan now Warren says, the bar has been raised.

LET'S SAY LAST YEAR, YOU NEEDED 650 FICO SCORE TO QUALIFY FOR A PRIVATE STUDENT LOAN, NOW IT'S GOING TO BE MORE LIKE 750. AND SO THERE ARE SOME STUDENTS WHO QUALIFIED FOR A PRIVATE LOAN LAST YEAR, I THINK, ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND PRIVATE LOANS THIS YEAR. AND ALSO OF COURSE RATES HAVE GONE UP.

Warren says about 80 percent of students hold federally guaranteed loans and about 20 percent have private loans.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News.

_____________________________________________________

The credit crisis brought on by the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage industry has some students worried about their student loans.

Jessica Forres reports…

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Jared Hall is a Master's student at The George Washington University. Private and government loans help finance his education.

He says he didn't have a problem getting a private student loan this year.

I GOT IT THROUGH CITIGROUP THEY'RE ONE OF THE BANKS THAT'S STILL AROUND. THAT WAS AN ADDITION TO THE GOVERNMENT LOANS.

He is worried though...about next year.

I HOPE THAT THE CREDIT DOESN'T DRY UP BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A BIG PROBLEM FOR ME. I STILL NEED MORE MONEY TO GO TO SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY AT GW BECAUSE IT'S A PRIVATE SCHOOL.

Peter Warren with the Education Finance Council says the mortgage crisis has caused many lenders to exit the student loan market...He says the requirements for getting a loan are getting tougher and interest rates are increasing.

I THINK IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHALLENGING AS LONG AS THIS CREDIT MARKET SITUATION EXISTS.

Even if the 700-billion dollar bail out plan is passed by the house, Bill Sheibler with the United States Student Association, says it won't help student debt.

WE'RE ALL ASKING THE QUESTION, WHERE IS OUR GOLDEN PARACHUTE. WHY ARE WE ALLOWING TO BAIL OUT WALL STREET ON THE BACKS OF STUDENTS. WHERE IS THE BAIL OUT FOR THE STUDENT DEBT AND THE ECONOMIC CRISIS STUDENTS ARE FACING.

He says the average student loan debt among graduating seniors is about 20-thousand dollars.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District's Department of Health has launched a campaign to educate residents about new and controversial vaccine requirements in connection with the Human Papillomavirus.

Jessica Forres reports...

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO STORY 1 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Brochures about HPV sat on a table...untouched...inside the King Greenleaf Recreation Center...About three residents from Ward 6 showed up for the event.

Sandra Robinson with DC's Department of Health.

SO MANY PARENTS ARE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL MUCH LATER ON TO MAKE A DECISION OR TO COME TO SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHERE THEY REALLY HAVE TO KNOW.

Beginging with the 2009 school year, girls entering the sixth grade will be required to have a series of vaccinations against HPV or exercise the voluntary opt out feature.

The Department of Health will host two educational sessions in each ward about the options...

But some residents like Peter Tucker...who showed up to the event... oppose the new requirements.

I'M WITH THE PARENTS AND CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO STOP MEDICAL EXPERIMENTATION IN DC. WE ARE A GROUP OF FOLKS WHO CAME TOGETHER WHEN WEHEARD ABOUT THIS BEING REQUIRED FOR SIXTH GRADE GIRLS. 11, 12 YEAROLD GIRLS, AND IT'S BEEN APPROVED FOR GIRLS AS YOUNG AS 9. BUT AGAIN THE WORDS OF DR. DIANE HARPER, A LEADING RESEARCHER AT DARTMOUTHMEDICAL SCHOOL... SHE'S CALLED THIS USED IN GIRLS UNDER 18 A GREAT BIGPUBLIC HEALTH EXPERIEMENT.

The next information session is October 25 at Emery Recreation Center.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

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The District's Department of Health is hosting a series of informational sessions about the Human Papillomavirus vaccine.

Jessica Forres reports the city is trying to educate residents before the 2009 school year...when vaccination requirements go into effect.

Boomp3.com'>LISTEN TO STORY 2 THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Nathaniel Beers is with the District's Department of Health. He is in Ward 6 to educate local residents about a new law that will require girls…entering the sixth grade… to become vaccinated against HPV…av virus that can cause cervical cancer.

WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR RATES, THERE ARE SOME STUDIES THAT SUGGEST THE RATES ARE 3-HUNDRED TIMES WHAT THEY ARE FOR OTHER WOMEN IN THE COUNTRY SO THERE IS CERTAINLY A HUGE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS COMMUNITY IS WELL-INFORMED WHAT THE RISKS ARE.

He says the next information session is October 25th at the Emery Recreation Center.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The District has selected fourteen middle schools to test out a new incentive plan for students. The pilot program, a partnership between DC's school system and Harvard University, is meant to motivate students...with cash.

Jessica Forres reports...

LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

Linda Clarke-Spate teaches at Francis Junior High School. She is disappointed that Ward 2, where her school is located, and Ward 3 are not included in the pilot program.

A STUDENT CAME TO MY ROOM TO ASK ME A QUESTION ABOUT THE PROGRAM SO I WAS INTRIGUED THAT SHE WAS SO INTERESTED I SAID I BETTER CALL DOWNTOWNTO SEE IF THEY'LL MAKE SURE OUR SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE A PART. UNFORTUNATELY, TODAY THE PAPER INDICATES THAT THERE WAS A SELECTIONWHICH DOES NOT INCLUDES FRANCIS STEVENS. HOWEVER I HOPE THAT THEY DO EXPAND IT.

Beginning this October, nearly 3,000 middle schoolers will be able to earn a maximum of a hundred dollars every two weeks for good grades and good behavior.

Larell Ayer, a parent, isn't convinced. He talks about his daughter who attends a middle school in Prince George's County as he stands in front of Garnet-Patterson-Shaw…one of the fourteen schools.

SHE DOESN'T DO GOOD FOR MONEY. SHE DOES GOOD BECAUSE IT'S IN HER TO DOGOOD. AND THAT'S WHERE THE REWARD IS. THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION, ARE YOUDOING GOOD BECAUSE YOU'RE RECEIVING AND ONE DAY WHEN YOU'RE NOTRECEIVING FOR THE GOOD ARE YOU STILL GOING TO DO GOOD.

The District has set aside 2.7 million dollars for the program.

Some students in Beltsville, Maryland arrived for the first day of class at Prince George's County's first all-green school.

Jessica Forres toured the facility...

LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

[NAT: Toilet Flush]

Prince Georges County’s Chiqui Sanchez shows off a dual flush toilet designed to conserve water.

The new toilets, she says, are one of the many features qualifying Vansville Elementary for LEED certification, or, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

THE BENCHES WERE MADE FROM THE TREES THAT WERE CUT OFF FROM THIS SITE. THEY WERE SENT TO MILLING COMPANIES SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE BENCHES OUT OF THOSE TREES.

The school which serves nearly 800 students has waterless urinals, a geothermal heating and cooling system and a large number of windows and skylights.

WE HAD A ROOM HERE THAT WAS NOT READY. IT WAS A MUSIC ROOM…THE LIGHTS WERE NOT QUITE READY TO BE TURNED ON BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF THE NATURAL LIGHT THAT CAME IN.

Principal Tom Smith says the new building sets an example for students on how they can become environmental stewards.

IF WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE A GOOD FUTURE AND BE ABLE TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT. WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT AS ADULTS.

The total project cost is estimated to come in at nearly 30 million dollars.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News
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In Maryland, nearly 800 students have started classes in Prince George's County's first all-green school.

Jessica Forres reports…

LISTEN TO THE SECOND STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU RADIO

At Vansville Elementary School in Beltsville, sunlight beams through large windows and skylights that line the main hallway where Principal Tom Smith stands.

WHEN YOU LOOK INTO A CLASSROOM THE CEILINGS ARE SLANTED BECAUSE IT LETS IN MORE NATURAL LIGHT. THERE’S GEOTHERMAL RUNNING UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING TO THE PARK AND PLANNING. THE CHEMICALS USED TO CLEAN THE BUILDING ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

Even the toilets… [NAT: FLUSH]designed with a dual flush to conserve water… are environmentally friendly.

Brigitt Brevard with Prince George’s County Public Schools says the new school is LEED Certified…meaning it meets industry standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

WE NEED TO START WITH THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE TEACHING GOES ON.

The cost of the new school is estimated to be at 30 million dollars.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

KIPP DC…a growing network of college preparatory charter schools... is investing millions of dollars in a Southeast public school Chancellor Michelle Rhee closed this year.

Jessica Forres attended the ribbon cutting ceremony…

LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 NEWS

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[NAT: MY EIGHTH GRADERS.. WHAT YEAR DO YOU GO TO COLLEGE

CROWD: 2013]

Founder of KIPP DC Susan Schaeffler screams out to the crowd of middle school students in the gymnasium of the former Douglass Junior High School.

EVER SINCE KIPP HAS EXISTED IN THE DISTRICT I’VE BEEN EYEING THIS BUILDING AND IT’S BEEN UNDERENROLLED BY HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THAT IT WAS ON THE LIST TO BE CLOSED AND REASSIGNED TO SOMETHING THAT COULD MAKE BETTER USE OF IT.

The network of KIPP Schools serves nearly a thousand disadvantaged students in the District... the new building gives them enough space to to start a high school.

WE WILL BE INVESTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS SO THAT IT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE 1500 STUDENTS WE PLAN TO SERVE.

Schaeffler says most of the students enter KIPP two to three grade levels behind and after four years are often outperforming their peers nationwide.

IT’S GOING TO BE GREAT TO FINALLY SEE PEOPLE HAVE TO DRIVE TO SOUTHEAST FOR THE HIGHEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS.

LISTEN TO THE STORY THAT AIRED ON WAMU 88.5 NEWS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a grassroots approach to saving the environment by teaching local students about water pollution, childhood asthma and lead.

Eighth grader Zoe Haynes performs a skit she and three other girls…who call themselves Glamorously Fabulous…created about endangered species.

HAYNES:DO YOU KNOW THAT I COULD GET 1-HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR ONE TIGER PELT.

GIRL: THAT MAY BE TRUE MS HAYNES BUT THERE ARE ONLY 7, 500 TIGERS LEFT IN THE WORLD. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ENDANGERED SPECIES?

As a matter of fact Zoe knows a lot about endangered species…especially now...after she and 14 other area students spent seven weeks this summer in EPA’s Student Environmental Development Program.

HAYNES: I THINK I’M PROBABLY GONG TO TAKE NOT ONLY ENDANGERED SPECIES FACTS BUT THE MOST LEADERSHIP SKILLS BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT BEING A LEADER AND HOW HAVING TO LEAD PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND REALIZING THAT WHEN YOU ARE A LEADER YOU ARE WRONG AND NOT GOING OH NO I WASN’T WRONG.

Larry Brown is the Program Director.

BROWN: THESE ARE THE FUTURE DOCTORS, LAWYERS AND EVEN POSSIBLY PRESIDENTS AND THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPREAD THAT ON TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.

He says the DC program is in its seventh year.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

At the Beijing Olympics , The U.S. may dominate...but as Jessica Forres reports a leading think tank says American students are losing badly when it comes to academic competition....

LISTEN TO THE STORY

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SCRIPT:

Michael Petrilli is with the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. His organization is hosting an Education Olympics designed to measure and asses the test scores of students from around the world.

RIGHT NOW IN THE EDUCATION OLYMPICS WE ARE TIED FOR 19^TH WE ARE BEHIND

POWERHOUSES LIKE ESTONIA AND SLOVENIA TIED WITH COUNTRIES LIKE GHANA SO THIS IS NOT GOOD. WE ARE PERFORMING MUCH WORSE IN THE EDUCATION OLYMPICS THAN WE ARE IN THE BEIJING OLYMPICS.

He says there are 58 events, each based on test scores from a section of four international exams covering Math, Science, Reading and Civics.

OUR EDUCATION PROBLEMS ARE REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD IT’S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT’S HAPPENING IN THE INNER CITY OR IN POOR RURAL COMMUNITIES. IN THE AFFLUENT SUBURBS TOO OUR KIDS ARE SIMPLY NOT LEARNING AS MUCH AS THEIR PEERS OVERSEAS

He says Finland is leading the way with 32 medals while the U.S. is still at zero.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News