Negotiations have been at an impasse for three years.

Photo by David Clow – Maryland For once, Washington Teachers’ Union president’s George Parker’s robo-call to teachers assuring them that contract negations were nearly finished wasn’t just talk. City Paper’s Mike DeBonis first broke the news Tuesday evening that the union had at last reached a tentative contract agreement with D.C. Public Schools, ending more than two years of extremely contentious negotiations. DeBonis obtained draft internal documents detailing elements of the agreement, and they’re…

Some notable finger pointing over the past week: a list showing 90 unfilled teacher vacancies surfaced, prompting complaints of a teacher shortage caused by Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s firing 270 teachers this summer; the long-awaited schools modernization plan was criticized by the D.C. council as incomplete and lacking community input; and a Washington Teachers Union information session about the quagmired teachers’ contract negotiations descended into name-calling and shouting matches. Perhaps Post columnist Jay Mathews had the…

Earlier this month, we described a new report from a federal court monitor that placed heavy blame on the District for its inability to provide special education services for its nearly 11,000 special needs students. As Post columnist Colbert King put it somewhat dramatically at the time, “the courtroom drama I witnessed this week underscored a sad reality: The one true safeguard between the city’s most vulnerable residents and acts of governmental injustice is the…

In Denver a couple of weeks ago, D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee provoked speculation with her comment that she had a “Plan B” ready on deck should the controversial teachers’ contract fail to pass. On Friday, Rhee revealed that Plan B. Basically, Rhee will use powers already under her authority to revise the teacher evaluation process, changes she can make without seeking union or council approval. More significantly, new rules taking effect this week will…

One of the largest financial sinkholes for the D.C. government is that the city pays for approximately one quarter of its 9,400 special education (SPED) students to attend private school, to the tune of more than $200 million. Why the expense? Because the city’s public and public charter schools have thus far proved incapable of addressing those students’ learning needs. It’s a situation that doesn’t seemed to have improved over the past two years, according…

Speaking at an A-list (among education reformers at least) event in Denver on Sunday, Mayor Adrian Fenty let loose some choice words for the teachers’ unions that have been balking at D.C. public schools chancellor Michelle Rhee’s proposed contract, which centers on merit-based, rather than seniority-based, pay for teachers. When asked by News Hour reporter John Merrow about the union’s opposition, Fenty responded, “The American Federation of Teachers, which I don’t think does anything for…

WTU President George Parker speaks to the press after a small protest by teachers last week. Photo by Meaghan Gay for DCist. School starts on Monday, and even though Washington Teachers Union president George Parker recently told a group of protesting teachers that a tentative agreement could be expected within a week, it doesn’t look like we’re any closer to a contract vote for the District’s teachers. The negotiations hinge on D.C. Schools Chancellor…

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…

While it’s no secret that The American Federation of Teachers, the parent union of the local Washington Teachers’ Union, isn’t thrilled about the merit pay proposal being negotiated between the WTU and DCPS, the AFT had thus far stayed on the sidelines of the controversy. Not so much anymore. DCPS teacher and local blogger DC Teacher Chic reports today that she was called by a pollster from the Hart Research Group, who asked a series…