Photo by dcJohn The Post reports today that both D.C. and Maryland are prepared to apply for the next round of grants from President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative. The competition started last summer, with public schools across the nation applying for over $4 billion in federal funding by showing they would raise standards and would properly monitor those changes. Delaware and Tennessee came out the big winners in the first round, taking…

Good morning, Washington. We’re getting off to a late start this holiday week morning, which is really just as well, since there’s not too much local news to report anyway. But let’s get the ball rolling with a few stories … Police have shut down yet another brothel operation in Glover Park. This time, it’s the Venus Spa at 2352 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Where oh where will the guys who work at the Russian…

The D.C. Council voted 10 to 3 today to give Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee the power to fire nonunion central office employees. Council members Marion Barry, Phil Mendelson and Harry Thomas Jr. were the only votes against giving Rhee the power to fire. Thomas tried to get the council to approve an alternative bill that would have affected fewer workers, but the Council voted that alternative down 10-3 as well. The Washington Post story…

WTOP’s Mark Segraves got a hold of a partial list of the folks who’ve been receiving tickets to use the city’s free luxury box in the Verizon Center — the one that the D.C. Council is so miffed they’re being boxed out of — and there’s some fun tidbits he discovered.Most of those invited to D.C.’s Luxury Suite at the Verizon Center by Fenty either contributed the maximum $2,000 to Fenty’s campaign or worked on…

Good morning, Washington. We hope not too many of you were making your way into the city from Montgomery County this morning, as two separate water main breaks forced road closures in Takoma Park and kids to get the day off from school in Germantown. We’ll admit it — we’re pretty envious of the students at Fox Chapel Elementary School, who get to spend the day doing whatever they please while we had to show…

Good morning, Washington. Are ya ready for some embezzlement scandal news? Of course you are! This morning’s update comes not from the embattled Office of Tax and Revenue, but rather from the D.C. Public Schools front office, as the Examiner reports that Eugene Smith, the former director of internal audits for DCPS, entered a guilty plea yesterday to charges of stealing nearly $50,000 from a charter school account. Smith was fired by the school system…

Good morning, Washington. We hope you had a pleasant and restful evening despite the howling wind and bitter cold. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee had a bit of a rough night last night herself, as she was greeted by throngs of angry Ward 5 parents at the first community meeting that allowed her to present the school closures plan to the public. Ward 5 D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. had set up the separate meeting…

Last week, the Fenty administration announced an aggressive plan calling for the closure of 24 schools within the District of Columbia Public Schools system. Parents and concerned members of the community are now being invited to attend a series of public meetings where they can raise concerns directly with Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso. We’ve posted the full schedule below. Wards 1, 2 & 6: *Monday, Dec. 10 from…

Good morning, Washington. The pernicious effects of this year’s drought could continue to haunt the region during next year’s holiday season, according to WTOP. Turns out that young Christmas trees and seedlings being grown in Maryland and Virginia were especially affected by the lack of rainfall, meaning that thousands of area children could suffer the indignity of having to make due with a sub-par decorative plant with which to entice entice Santa to leave them…

Mayor Adrian Fenty, Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso announced their plans to “right-size” D.C. public school system today that will include the simultaneous closure of 24 schools. School closures have been high on the to-do list for several years now as student enrollment has dropped from 55,000 to an estimated 49,600 students this school year. The new school closure plan differs from a previous one offered by former Superintendent…