D.C. Council Passes Two New Measures

The D.C. Council Committee on Government Operations and the Environment unanimously passed two new measures during a meeting Thursday.

Committee Chairperson Mary Cheh along with committee members Kwame Brown, David Catania, and Tommy Wells first voted to pass a measure that ended a decade long debate over the riverfront area between M St. and Water St. SE.

The controversy began back in 1999 when the D.C. Redevelopment Land Agency leased the land to the IMF realty corporation. When IMF tried to then give their lease over to another company, D.C. council got in the way of the deal. This led to IMF suing D.C. government for tortuous interfering with contract and the decade long battle that followed.

This new measure was first proposed by Chairman Vincent Gray on December 11th, 2009, and would give control of this area to the Cohen Companies, a realty group that already owns land in the direct area. About this measure, Committee Member Brown says, “we’re going to bring light to one side of M street, from the fish market all the way down to SeaFair.”

The measure was discussed at length during a February 17th hearing, where the disposition was laid out and people such as Cohen Companies Vice President, Eric Siegel, gave testimony in support of the measure.

Before the measure was passed, Committee Member Brown made sure to thank Attorney General Peter Nichols for his work in helping this measure come to fruition.

The second measure voted on during the meeting was the Energy Efficiency Financing Act of 2010. This measure was also originally proposed by Chairman Gray on December 11th, 2009.

This act will authorize the Mayor to use bonds to provide funding for clean energy improvements in D.C. Seed money from the Federal Government will go towards the creation of the National Capital Energy Fund.

These funds will be invested in loans to private, commercial, and residential property owners for the purposes of making their properties more environmentally friendly. The property owners will repay the loans over the next 10-20 years in the form of additional property taxes that will be put into another newly created district fund.

Testimony for this act occurred on January 25th before being passed Thursday. During the Thursday meeting Committee member Wells said that, “this is a progressive and far-reaching bill. It’s a model that puts us at the forefront.” During the January meeting Chairperson Cheh stated that the bill was only the second clean energy loan program in the country after Berkeley, California became the first municipality to have such a program in November 2007.

The committee also voted to approve the minutes from their previous two meetings on January 21st and January 27th. After no new business was brought to discussion, the meeting was adjourned.

Councilwoman Criticizes ABC

A D.C. Councilwoman called for a formal apology from ABC to the community of Deanwood at a Deanwood Citizen’s Association meeting Monday.

In the basement of the First Baptist Church of Deanwood, Councilwoman Yvette Alexander of D.C. Ward 7 said she had drafted a letter to the network in response to their characterization of Deanwood as “one of the worst neighborhoods in the country,” on the reality show, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Alexander and residents of the community disputed that characterization at the meeting.

Each episode of the show follows ABC’s crew as they redesign a home or structure for a “deserving family,” according to ABC’s Web site.

“Extreme Makeover” came to Deanwood in August 2009 to renovate a youth center called The Fishing School, according to the DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development.

The “Extreme Makeover” team took down and rebuilt the center to include classrooms, recreation space, kitchens and offices, the DCOMPT said.

In addition to this recent expression of disapproval, Alexander criticized Sen. Jim DeWitt (R-S.C.) in March 2009 for his negative comments about D.C. public schools.

Deanwood resident Maurice Banks said he was “very disturbed” by ABC’s portrayal of his neighborhood.

At the meeting, Banks was recognized for his long-term contribution to the community. As a teen, Banks was part of The Deanwood Civic Association, one of the first such institutions in Washington, D.C.

At the start of the meeting, Officer Jason Medina of the Metropolitan Police Department stated that some crime in the area was down.

Medina told the story of one woman who reported seeing individuals coming out of a property that she knew did not belong to them. Upon responding to the call, police discovered a jeep filled with items that had been removed from the building, according to Medina.

Medina stressed the importance of community participation in fighting crime.

Though Medina said Deanwood was “in a good place” compared to the previous year’s crime statistics, he encouraged residents to take personal precautions.

“Please do not walk in a dark area by yourself,” Medina said. “Even if you have a can of mace, I do not recommend that you walk in a dark area by yourself.”

Several speakers at the meeting addressed the new Deanwood Recreation Center and Library. These facilities will open in the summer of 2010, according to Archie Williams of the Governmental Office of the D.C. Public Libraries.

Ward 7 Outreach Coordinator for the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Linda Williams said the center would offer employment for young people in the community.

Beverly Goode, a resident of Deanwood for nearly 60 years, expressed concerns about the Friends of Program, an outcropping of the DPR through which community organizations can raise funds for a park or recreation site, which Williams mentioned in her presentation.

It is the responsibility of the city to provide those services, Goode said, “so we don’t have to go out here and kill ourselves to have a book sale to open the pool for Saturday, because that’s the purpose of the rec center, is to serve the community.”

Residents also inquired about a recent press release from the D.C. Department of Public Works regarding sanitation. Normal trash-pick up had been put on hold due to the heavy snowfall that D.C. incurred in early February.

“The temperatures are melting the snow, so it’s back to your normal routine,” Alexander said, in summary of the press release.

The last presentation came from Robert King of the Deanwood Recreation and Library Committee. In honor of Black History Month, King read a fictional story about a world without “black people.” Residents who had been shifting towards the door took their places again and quieted as King’s voice filled the room.

The white characters in the story first rejoiced at the absence of African Americans. Soon they realized how many inventions the black community had contributed to society over the years, including the elevator, the automatic gearshift and the air conditioner, according to the story.

After King finished, Deanwood resident Juanity Fairchild announced that the government recently recognized her great-grandfather, Benjamin Hicks, for inventing the “pea picker.” Though Hicks had discovered the device, he could not take credit for it, according to Fairchild.

“He couldn’t patent it because he wasn’t white,” Fairchild said.

The meeting concluded without further mention of Alexander’s letter. Residents streamed through the 105-year-old church, upstairs to the back entrance. Outside, a cold rain fell over them as they piled into cars.

Three ladies began to pull out of the parking lot with Goode at the wheel. At the stop sign, she rolled down her window and invited a university student into her car. Goode said no one should have been outside alone on that night.

Citizens Association of Georgetown Hosts Monthly Meeting in Historic Black Methodist Church

The Citizen Association of Georgetown chose the appropriate Mt. Zion Methodist Church to host its Black History month meeting yesterday, which featured a speech by author and Underground Railroad enthusiast Mary Kay Ricks.
According to longtime member and chair of the church Carter Bowen, Mt. Zion has close ties with slavery and African-American history, a major theme in Ricks’ book, Escape on the Pearl: the Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad.
Bowen began the meeting with a brief introduction of the church and its correlation with the Georgetown community, citing recent newspaper articles.
"Do you all still know what a newspaper is?" asked Bowen, which gathered laughs from the audience. "I'm a newspaper man."
Mt. Zion Methodist Church was founded in Georgetown in 1816 by a group of freed, Methodist Negroes. Though it was not a direct part of the Underground Railroad, membership in Mt. Zion provided the slave population a “route to freedom in the North,” according to Bowen.
In addition to the history of the church, Bowen gave the audience a packet that described that by being a member of the church, black slaves had a “pass” to be members of society. According to Ricks, the African- American community centered in the churches, and the “natural leaders” were the ministers. They were the one place where people didn’t need a pass.
“This [church] puts you in a place,” said Ricks. “[It] gives you a feel for the history, and that history is all enveloped in the book I wrote about Washington, Georgetown, our country, and our history. This church’s history is so wrapped up in this story.”
Ricks’ book, Escape on the Pearl: the Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad, tells the story of a ship, the Pearl, which carried 77 slaves down the Potomac River in 1848 and its desperate attempt to flee slavery in Washington, DC. The Pearl was a schooner that was to set sail from a secluded spot in Washington and port in Philadelphia, where the slaves were to make their ways from the “slave territory of Maryland and go to freedom.”
Ricks read an excerpt from Pearl, one about two young slave girls who were on the Pearl and had family ties to Mt. Zion. Methodists Mary and Emily Edmondson worked for a wealthy Maryland family that owned 40 acres in what is now Silver Spring. The two girls and their brothers escaped to go to the Pearl while their master was sleeping.
According to Ricks, most of the people that went on the Pearl went because their security was in jeopardy due to the slave trade. The growing cotton industry needed labor in the southern states, so more and more slave owners in the north were selling their slaves to the south.
“With that, a domestic slave trade was developed,” said Ricks.
Due to a large storm on the east coast, the Pearl had to make anchor, which resulted in its capture the following morning. When recaptured by their masters, the slaves were marched along Pennsylvania Avenue and created a massive riot. According to Ricks, Washington citizens were so outraged by the publics’ treatment of the slaves, they formed a committee.
“Only that could happen in Washington,” said Ricks.
Despite the efforts of the Washingtonians, 80 percent of the slave fugitives on the Pearl were sold in the slave trade, including both Edmondson sisters. One slave trader bought 50 slaves and sent them to New Orleans, “where the money was,” according to Ricks.
Henry Ward Beecher, brother of author Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a lead supporter for the Edmondson girls’ freedom and campaigned to set them free.
“He said ‘these are Methodist girls. These are pure girls. You have the ability to save these girls’ souls,’” said Ricks. After that, “women were taking off their jewelry, and men were emptying their pockets.” After being set free, the Edmondson sisters ended up “standing shoulder to shoulder with Frederick Douglas at anti-war rallies in Washington.”
Ricks said she used old newspapers and letters written by Emily and Harriet Beecher Stowe as sources for telling the Pearls story.
“Like today, they aren’t always accurate, but they give you a feel for the time period,” said Ricks.
Even though the story of the Pearl is “history in a grain of sand,” it has been optioned to be made into a movie for the small screen. Ricks and an actor/ producer who worked with Star Trek are working on a two hour pilot.
“We just have to convince the moneybags that it’s worth it,” said Ricks. “We would love to see this as a series so we can really go into detail of this story.”
Before penning Pearl, Ricks was an attorney at the Department of Labor. She has written about Washington history in many publications, including the Washington Post. Ricks also founded TourDC, a company that provides walking tours of Washington.

Two Schools Receive Charter Warnings at DC Public Charter School Board Meeting

The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board issued charter warnings to both ALTA and Potomac Lighthouse Public Charter Schools on Monday for failing to meet academic and governance standards in their preliminary charter review analyses.

“It isn’t intended to be a punishment,” said Board Chair Thomas Nida. “If we don’t do something like this, you can face revocation [of your charter].”

Of the 11 schools that presented their cases to the Board, six schools were not candidates for charter warning according to the 2010 Preliminary Charter Review Analyses. Of the five remaining schools that were eligible for charter warning, ALTA and Potomac Lighthouse were the only two schools to receive a warning.

ALTA Public Charter School has been in operation for five years and serves children in preschool through sixth grade, using an arts-based teaching style. The school was given a grade of “F,” as both the reading and math scores combined are below 50 percent and have declined over the last three years.

“The review does not reflect the progress ALTA has made,” said ALTA school board President Donna Potts. The Board said that drastic changes have been implemented in the school recently, such as separating classes that previously combined two grades and installing a new tutoring program. Potts also said that communication with the staff has had a greater role in school governance.

Despite their efforts, the DCPCS Board issued the school a charter warning with a unanimous vote. “We want to see a different report this time next year,” said Nida.

Potomac Lighthouse has been in operation for four years and serves children in pre-kindergarten to sixth grade. The school was given an overall grade of “D,” due in part to declining test scores.

Potomac Lighthouse school board Treasurer Keirston Woods, attended the meeting to state why the school should not be issued a charter warning, but came up short. Although her case was very lengthy, she was unable to address academic and governance issues, instead continually addressing the fact that the school had expanded by 113 percent over the last four years, going from 216 students to 269 students in 2009 alone.

Potomac Lighthouse began its operation within a shared space at the YMCA, relocating to a permanent space and increasing enrollment in the last four years. Although the school was able to meet academic requirements in its first three years of operation, it was not able to sustain itself financially, so it was forced to expand. With that expansion, the school was able to become more financially responsible. However, the influx of new students caused test scores to go down.

Board Chair Nida said, “you’re gonna pay a price” if you take a pause on academics in order to grow. Although Potomac Lighthouse board members argued that the test scores of returning students were progressing, they had no data to support their findings and the Board decided to issue the school a charter warning with a unanimous vote.

“It’s a perfect time and a perfect reason to have this school on charter warning,” said Nida. “Use it as a tune up to make sure everyone is on the same page. It gives you a chance to really focus in on the things you’ve done.”

When asked how she felt about being issued a charter warning, Woods refrained from commenting.

Another issue the board discussed was whether or not the notice of Conditional Continuance should be lifted from the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy. In January 2009, the school was eligible for charter revocation for not fulfilling the academic standard in its five-year preliminary charter review. In 2009, it was put on Conditional Continuance in the hopes that with a little help the school would be able to fulfill the academic standard as well as retain the governance, non-academic, compliance, and financial performance standards.

Cesar Chavez operates on three campuses, Capitol Hill, Bruce Prep, and Parkside, and all three campuses have made outstanding progressing in 26 areas over the last year. Test scores have gone up in both reading and math at all three campuses, some going up by more than 30 percent. However, the school board noted that the Parkside campus was not as progressive and was in danger of undoing progress if full continuance was not granted to the school. The Board motioned to lift the Conditional Continuance unanimously, although not all parties present were happy about the decision.

Kimberly Brant, mother of three students at Parkside with six more to attend in future years, came on behalf of the Parkside PTA and had a long list of issues to take up with the school board. Some of these issues included not enough books, too many students in detention, safety and security issues, lack of permanent teachers, and mix-ups in regards to how many credits seniors need to graduate. The list consisted 16 issues in all. The Board decided not to take action with respect to these issues and told Chavez School Board Members to address the issues by the next monthly meeting. They also urged Brant to bring other PTA members to that meeting.

“Next month I’ll make sure I have 75 parents here,” said Brant, and urged the public to join the group on Facebook.

The DCPCSB also approved a request for Imagine Southeast Public Charter School to move locations unanimously and approved the agenda, January minutes, finance committee contracts, and the Strategic Plan.

For a full agenda, please go to http://www.dcpubliccharter.com/Agendas/February-22%2C-2010.aspx.

D.C. Public Charter School Board Determines Schools’ 2010 Status

The D.C. Public Charter School Board meeting held Monday evening in Columbia Heights granted the requests of two public charter schools, and later motioned that two out of the 11 schools reviewed would receive a charter warning for the 2010 academic year.
The eight members of the D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB) evaluated 13 of their public charter schools, based on feedback from the 2009 academic year and the strategic planning for the upcoming year. The PCSB meets on a monthly basis to discuss the progress of their schools, acknowledge specific requests, and to motion a charter review analysis for each school.
Board director, Tom Nida, opened the meeting and asked for a motion on the agenda, and further explained the intended goals for the evening. “You don’t score extra points for dragging this out tonight,” he said with a laugh. The objective for the evening was to compare information, depth, and content of each school’s plan.
Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy started the meeting by requesting to lift the notice of conditional continuance. The school was admitted to a year long period of conditional continuance beginning January 26, 2009 for not meeting the academic criteria. The members of the Cesar board presented PCSB with their progress over the past year, covering all 26 requirements and only have to further improve five of them. Their other campuses, Capitol Hill, Bruce Prep, and Parkside all improved their math and reading scores by a minimum of 20 percentage points.
One parent, Kimberly Bryant, approached PCSB with her concerns about non-academic issues, listing 15 problems she had with the Parkside school system. “This has been going on for the past three years, and it has not been addressed” she said. Bryant believed that the safety and care for students were just as important as academics. Cesar board member, Jeff Cooper, defended the actions of school system. “There are certain areas we need to go a bit further than we have,” Cooper said. “We just need to work harder at some.”
The board judges the schools’ progress based on the Performance Management Framework (PMF), which took effect in fall 2009. PMF is a tool that evaluates a school’s academic and non academic measures as well as each school’s unique mission. Each school must meet the five academic performance indicators -- Student Progress, Student Achievement, Gateway measures, Input measures, and Mission specific measures, and three non-academic performance indicators – Compliance, Governance, and Fiscal Management. If a school meets all of these requirements, the school is not a candidate for a charter warning.
ALTA Public Charter School and Potomac Lighthouse Public Charter School were two candidates that received charter warning. ALTA did not meet the academic or governance standards set by the PCSB. The school was offered an open forum to defend their case in order to prevent a charter warning. ALTA board chair, Donna Potts said, “Our review does not reflect the progress that ALTA has made.” The ALTA development director presented the PCSB with the improvements the school has made since the last analysis. She explained that special education needs are now being identified, whereas last year they were overlooked. But their general performance ranked ALTA 50 out of 50 with a GPA average of an F, therefore the PCSB motioned for the school to be on charter warning.
Nida wanted to clarify to the candidates that charter warnings should not hold a negative connotation. “The charter warning is to get everyone focused,” he said. “It’s not a punishment. The warning is to make sure there’s not a problem next year.”
The Potomac Lighthouse Public Charter School disagreed with Nida’s outlook after they receive a GPA of a D and discovered that 84 percent of their targets were inadequate. The school refuted the criticism of the board by claiming that their school had met the requirements of the PCSB in prior years. This past year Potomac increased the amount of new students by 75 percent, which left the majority of its students far behind the others, thus decreasing the academic performance. But with the new PMF requirements, PCSB only takes into consideration the school’s performance in the past year and not the existing accountability. The school traded quality for quantity during a tough financial situation, which ended up hurting their academics. With the evidence provided, the board motioned for Potomac to be under charter warning. When asked to comment on the PCSB’s decision, members of the Potomac board deferred the questions.
Once all the forums were closed, Nida motioned to adjourn the meeting. As a final disclaimer, Nida reminded those that were not candidates for charter warning to keep improving their schools. “This is not a get out of jail free card,” he said. “Don’t let anything go down.”

ANC 2B Meeting

Business owners, residents and representatives under the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B continued a heated discussion about what commissioner Will Stephens said police called an “oversaturation” point of businesses with late hours and liquor licenses at the ANC 2B meeting held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Brookings Institute. Approximately 43 people were in the audience when the meeting began.
When Joyce Njoroge and Eli Hurwitz, attorneys representing Rogue States, a 24-hour burger restaurant requested approval for a Full liquor license from the commission, resident Archis Parasharmi of Jefferson Condos stood to represent neighborhood concerns about noise levels, crowds and parking. Although Mr. Hurwitz claimed that the restaurant was a “similar operation” to the restaurant that had just been granted a Class “D” liquor license, Parasharmi disagreed,“ what’s very different is that this place is open until 5a.m. and that’s drastically going to affect [peace and quiet],” said Parasharmi.
In a post-meeting interview, commissioner Bhavana Patel mentioned an increasingly typical situation for Dupont residents, “they are living in a place where any given night people are pouring out on the streets drunk…police are overwhelmed,” she said. According to Patel, the commission is now more wary of granting liquor licenses to businesses due to a reported increase in crime on 17th street and late-night disruption on the P street corridor and other Dupont nightlife areas.
The commission motioned for Mr. Hurwitz, the owners of Rogue States and the concerned residents to come to a voluntary agreement about the conduct of the business before supporting a permanent license for Rogue States from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA).
Tensions escalated again when the owner of Maza 14 restaurant on 14th street and his counselor requested permission for what the meeting minutes called a “substantial change to liquor license.” The change was so that Maza 14 could serve alcohol on the new rooftop seating which was approved by commissioner Ramon Estrada, a decision independent of the commission due to schedule disruptions from the snow the week before.
14th street resident Joel Losen spoke on behalf of the 81 residents petitioning against the rooftop addition and the license. He said the “dense population” around the restaurant would be disturbed, as would the residents of the building-in-progress that stands only 110 feet away. The Commission recommended a meeting with all concerned parties, including a commissioner from the ANC, to reach a voluntary agreement.
The apparent concern about liquor licensing in the neighborhood comes in the wake of a “Nightlife Summit” held recently, in which the police, representatives and residents came together to discuss issues of “peace, order and quiet,” according to interviews commissioners Parasharmi and Stephens after the meeting. Stephens mentioned some solutions that emerged to the “uptick in public safety issues,” in the neighborhood.
Stephens explained that police officers are hired on reimbursable detail, meaning they are assigned a particular business to patrol and are technically off duty, while the business and the city split the cost of their salary. He also mentioned efforts to create designated taxi stands and more valet parking.
After the meeting, commission Chair Mike Silverstein said, “We want the neighborhood to be both lively and livable,” he continued, “Community standards make it possible for restaurants to succeed and neighborhoods to sleep…both sides have to make [compromises].”
Earlier in the meeting, Lieutenant Scott Dignan of Police Service Area 208, the area under the jurisdiction of ANC 2B, presented a public safety update. “Overall, the PSA has hit its mark,” said Dignan, referring to an overall reduction in area homicides.
When commissioner Bob Meehan voiced concern about the rise in 17th street robberies, iPhones in particular, Dignan replied robbery rates have stayed the same for some time, but that people were just more aware of the numbers. Commissioner Silverstein expressed alarm about police and emergency vehicles that regularly cause traffic in the area. “When is the police department going to take a serious look at traffic?” said Silverstein.
But the overall tone of the meeting was respectful, particularly during announcements. The commissioners and ANC 2B executive director Freddie Blicher, met all who spoke before the ANC, including a representative for the national marathon, a speaker for the mayor’s Conservation Corps summer program and the Society of Nephrology with engaging questions and offers for letters of support.
When several requests for building additions, renovations or adjustments from architects and contractors came before the ANC, the commissioners dutifully consulted the Dupont Circle Conservancy (DCC), a volunteer organization dedicated to historical preservation. Some requests were postponed for further review by the DCC.
Commissioner Mike Feldstein presented the former president of the DCC, Rick Busch, with a plaque for his dedication. A very emotional Busch thanked him, “It’s a village,” said Busch, praising the group mentality of the ANC 2B.

Meeting Story at ANC Dupont

 

At the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) of Dupont meeting Wednesday night, the recent snow crisis and local crime were discussed in detail but the surprisingly biggest issue of the night was burgers.

Two separate burger joints asked the panel of seven commissioners (usually there are eight but Commissioner Wexler is in Venice) for the ability to sell wine and beer at their restaurants. The first, Dupont BGR, on 1528 Conn., Ave. was unanimously granted a recommendation for a class D license, but the second, Rogue States: A Burger Grilling Company, on 1300 Conn., Ave. was unanimously denied.

The two seemingly similar restaurants were treated so differently because of operating hours. While Dupont BGR closes at 11:30p.m. Weekdays and 2a.m. on Weekends, Rogue States does not close until 5a.m., which worries residents about noise late at night.

A representative for the Jefferson Condos and surrounding neighbors, Archis Parasharmi, presented a petition of names pleading the ANC to deny the late-night burger joint a liquor license recommendation. Parasharmi said that unless the restaurant will agree to sign a Voluntary Agreement (VA) in which the restaurant addresses and eases citizen concerns, the community will continue to fight back. “We want peace and quiet,” he added.  

The lawyer representing Rogue States, Mr. Horowitz, claimed that the condos, which reside on 2000 N. St., are too far from the restaurant to be affected by the noise levels. This visibly upset Commissioner Meehan who raised his voice and said, “I don’t think it’s up to you [Horowitz] to decide the distance that people can and cannot speak out.”

Head Commissioner Mike Silverstein brought up another concern about safety. Silverstein said he used to think late night food restaurants were positive places in a neighborhood, helping people sober up and get home safely, but that the police warned him it is better to get clubbers home quickly. “If they have things to settle and they have a place to settle them, they will settle them there,” Silverstein said reiterating the police recommendation.

Silverstein’s concern comes from an issue brought up previously in the night by Public Safety Lieutenant Scott Dignan. According to Dignan all crimes are down five to six percent in Dupont except for assault, which is increasing. The reason, he claims, is the popularity of nightclubs where most arguments and assaults take place.

This disagreement highlights a bigger issue in Dupont, what Commissioner Will Stephens called the “oversaturation” of the area. He foresees this as the ANC’s biggest problem in the upcoming year. According to Stephens, more cases of liquor licenses have been brought to the council recently because more residents have been moving downtown and consequently South Dupont is becoming more commercial. This creates a big divide between commercial South Dupont and residential North Dupont.

When asked if she thinks Rogue States will eventually get a license, even after their set-back on Wednesday, Commissioner Bhavna Patel who’s district the restaurant resides in, said, “if they agree to a VA that is satisfactory then they will get it.” She believes that Horowitz is fighting a VA because it will put more rules and restrictions on the restaurant.

She explained, however, that though ABRA (Alcohol Beverage Regulation Authority) is the group that gives out the licenses they will not do so without ANC approval, and the restaurant cannot get ANC approval at this point without a VA with Jefferson Condos.

At the end of the discussion, Horowitz agreed to meet with Parasharmi and other residents around the area and come back to the ANC in order to seek a recommendation.

            The only other case denied a recommendation by the commissioners was another restaurant looking to change their liquor license restrictions. Masa 14 on 1825 14^th St. came before the ANC to get approval to build a rooftop summer garden. Since Dupont is an area of D.C. that takes pride in preserving its historical architecture, the owner appealed to the ANC starting with the fact that 100 years ago the same location used to have a rooftop garden where beer was served.

            Again another petition with 81 signatures from residents asked the board to deny a recommendation. The residents were worried that the seated garden could easily become club space and a noise problem to the residential high-rises next door. The board agreed with the residents and Masa 14 was denied a recommendation for a rooftop garden unanimously.

            Other issues that the ANC approved, all unanimously, were an amendment to the VA with the Palm restaurant; a letter of support for the American Society of Nephrology for tax exempt bonds to purchase space in Dupont; two inches of public space for façade renovations on L St.; letter of recommendation for L’Enfant Trust Historic Preservation to win an award of excellence as well as a few other renovation requests.

            The Dupont ANC meetings take place every second Wednesday of the month at the Brookings Institute at 1775 Mass., Ave. There are 37 ANC groups in D.C. each with approximately 2,000 residents. The next meeting with be March 10 at 7p.m. where some businesses will continue to come back or new ones will join in. 

DC State Board of Education Discusses ELP, Science Standards

By AMY DOGGETT

The DC State Board of Education held its monthly meeting last night in Judiciary Square, voting on the English Language Proficiency Standards and discussing the revised science standards.


The board started off discussing the benefits of the ELP standards which encourage those students struggling with English to learn the language through social and instructional purposes, as well as through subjects such as language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.


“We have an enormous amount of students who are still trying to master English and we are expecting them to meet mastery in English and Language Arts and in Reading and Math and that sort of imposes a higher standard on all of us to make sure that those students have the tools that they need,” said Elected Board Member Mary Lord.


According to the resolution document, the new ELP standards aim to “improve the English language proficiency standards in the District of Columbia.” They plan to do this by using a program called World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA), which is a program that uses a series of assessments to help students become English proficient.


“I was very moved by the ability of teachers to make progress with each individual student regardless of where they were starting from. They saw the end point and, to me, the biggest proof of success of the program was the fact that students scored so much higher than the typical student,” said Lord.


The board has been planning the revision of these standards for three months now, according to Vice President Laura Slover, and they are confident in the outcome.


The process of implementing this program “has really given us time and the public time to really think about the benefit of these standards and to really hear from the users of the standards,” said Slover.


The board unanimously voted to pass the ELP standards at the end of their discussion, bringing the attention to the new proposed science standards for grades five through eight and for high school Biology classes.


Two members of The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Whitney Allgood and Tamara Reavis, gave a presentation to the board, detailing what the new proposed science standards aimed to accomplish.


According to Allgood, students are strong in areas such as Categorical Concurrence, Depth of Knowledge and Balance of Representation. However, the new science standards aim to strengthen the range of knowledge of these students by having teachers focus on the concepts that students can actually be tested on, while still incorporating “hands on” lab activities.


The board expressed some concern about the lack of input from teachers in the science field used to construct these proposed standards, feeling as if OSSE needs more participation from science teachers in order to make the standards effective.


“When the rubber hits the road, even if we have great ideas, it would be important to get feedback as the process is happening, not after the process has gone through. Your experiences are not around science. Your backgrounds are not around science,” said Elected Board Member William Lockridge, addressing Allgood and Reavis.


Other board members gave praise to the presentation and its presenters, noting the thoroughness of the power point presentation.


“I think they did a nice job presenting the changes that they need to make and really down to the standard level showing what the impact of the changes will be,” said Slover.


According to Allgood, the new standards will attempt to rearticulate an aligned curriculum so the teachers know what material to focus on, especially when it comes time for students to take assessments.


A hearing for the proposed science standards is scheduled for March 3. A voting session will follow two weeks later, allotting little time for the rest of the planning of this proposal. Some board members expressed concern about the lack of time for the development of the proposal.


“Go slow, don’t rush ideas,” said Elected Board Member Dorothy Douglas. “We do this the right way so our kids won’t be confused. There’s enough confusion in their lives.”


Other board members felt confident that OSSE had enough time to develop its standards in time to implement them by the fall 2010 deadline.


“I think there are some changes that need to be made; not in a rush, but in the time it takes to pass these standards. I think there is some clean up to be done, but I think, generally speaking, the standards are in pretty good shape,” said Slover.