Photo by FlipMode79

Good morning, Washington. WAMU’s Kavitha Cardoza reports that more of the D.C. public school teachers rated “highly effective” are taking bonuses available to them. This year, 670 teachers were eligible for the bonuses, and 70 percent took them, a 10 percent increase from last year. The bonuses, which were part of the reforms instituted by former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, range from under $10,000 to over $25,000, and those who take them give up some job security.

District Nears Independence on Care for Mentally Ill: At the lowest point in the District’s municipal history, entire local agencies were put under court oversight because they were doing such a bad job. But according to the Post’s Mike DeBonis, the city took a huge step towards independently operating its services for mentally ill residents yesterday, when a district judge recognized the progress that has been made in services and facilities for patients. If all goes well, the 27,000 patients in the District will be fully under the city’s care by next year, and without the court oversight that dates back to 1974. In a press release, Mayor Vincent Gray called the decision a “significant milestone,” while Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), chair of the council’s health committee, recognized the “great progress” made by the city. Earlier this year, progress was found to have been made in special education programs, which have similarly been overseen by the courts since 2006.

Police Union Head Questions 9/11 Anniversary-Related Deployment: Kris Baumann, the head of the D.C. Fraternal Order of Police, wants to know why and for how long D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier will have officers work extended 12-hour shifts, writes WJLA. In response to recent “credible but unconfirmed” threats to the city, Lanier suspended regular shifts and deployments as a means to better respond should anything occur. Baumann argues that he hasn’t seen any evidence of such a threat, and that the overtime work will cost D.C. taxpayers.

Metro Continues SmarTrip Pilot Program: Metro is expanding a pilot program that allows commuters to add money to their SmarTrip cards online, reports the Post. The program, which started in July with 250 commuters, is now up to 150,000 and will eventually kick off for everyone else later this month.

Briefly Noted: Sulaimon Brown claims he was targeted … Politics and Prose to allow customers to print their own books … Norwood may not claim insanity after all … Local jurisdictions start paying for repairs in wake of torrential rains … Metro workers to see pay raises this week.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2010, we interviewed Mayor Adrian Fenty ahead of the District’s Democratic primary, dug out some old Dismemberment Plan and made a vital endorsement. In 2009, we got some great pictures of the folks that gathered for Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project.