Volunteer Opportunities: With school starting in two weeks, we figure it’s a good time to highlight some of the ways to get involved and support local students. Most volunteer programs are actively recruiting for the fall, and there’s really something for everyone, from mentoring to coaching to sharing your inner-geek as an after-school technology teacher. A few opportunities are featured below, and feel free to make additional suggestions in the comments.

>> Not unlike last spring's Servathon, the DCPS Beautification Day is an annual “city-wide spruce-up” for all of DCPS’ school buildings and grounds in anticipation of the first day of school, and is a great way to contribute if you don’t have the time to make a regular volunteer commitment. Get some friends together, help out a school, and go for brunch afterwards! Saturday, August 23rd, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. Register here.

>> For over 30 years, the Higher Achievement Program has been providing year-round enrichment opportunities to D.C. area middle school students, raising student achievement, and placing students in college-preparatory high schools. They are in need of part-time mentors for their 2008-2009 program. Mentors commit to working with up to three middle school kids from 6:00 – 8:00 pm one evening a week, teaching math, literature, technology, or a variety of elective courses. There are locations in Columbia Heights, Capitol Hill, Petworth, Benning Road, and Alexandra, VA. Email Karen Berry at kberry (at) highachievement (dot) org or register online.

>> Looking for something more artistic? Earlier this year we interviewed Patrick Torres of The Young Playwrights Theater, a group that uses playwriting to teach local students about the power of expression, language, and conflict resolution. YPT is always in need of volunteers for a variety of projects – call (202) 387-9173 to find out about current opportunities.

Photo by Kyle Gustafson

Teachers’ Contract Holding Pattern: DCPS and Washington Teachers’ Union officials remain unable to come to an agreement concerning the voluntary merit-pay proposal at the center of the negotiations, and time’s starting to run out. A Post story last Friday reported that WTU president George Parker has “all but ruled out” acceptance of the proposal, while across the city some teachers are protesting that it’s past time to simply put the proposal before the teachers for a vote. Lately Parker, who had previously been optimistic that agreements could be reached, seems to be walking back a bit, perhaps to insulate himself from some of the accusations that he’s in Chancellor Rhee’s pocket. The WTU, for example, has started emailing Post articles to its membership that quote Parker criticizing the negotiations.

"I don't want teachers going back to school with this concept hanging over their heads,” Parker told the Post. We usually find Parker a pretty reasonable guy, but the concept here is that teachers could have voted for or against the option of higher pay and weren’t given the chance. You bet that’s something they probably don’t want over their heads.

Schools Notes: Summer graduation ceremony results in the funniest education headline we’ve seen in a while: “Councilmember Feels Snubbed, Whines Like an Emo Kid”… DCPS hires new athletic director… Parents and students upset over termination of Banneker assistant principal Bevadine Z. Terrell…Video of Councilmember Mary Cheh's (Ward 3) annual school readiness inspection.