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It was snowing as we made our way over to J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Washington, DC’s Ward 6. Coming off of a DCPS two-hour delay, a frantic energy was in the air as we dodged students and staff on our way to the office of CIS Site Coordinator LaTroy Bailey.
Continue reading “Experiences of a Site Coordinator – J.O. Wilson Elementary School”
For many young people in the United States, a first job is not a choice but an obligation.
CIS of the Nation’s Capital site coordinator Monique Baker is working with students to combat bullying at Cardozo Educational Campus.
“I’ve been called ‘big nose’, they make fun of my curly hair, and I get bullied for my accent. They call my language stupid. I get bullied for my skin color all the time, they say my skin is too Black. I don’t know what that means, but it hurts me,” Janet, a seventh grader at Cardozo Education Campus in Washington, DC, says of her experience with bullies, an example of the persistent problem facing youth across the country.
Continue reading “Hurt Kids Hurt Kids: How One D.C. School is Attempting to Break the Bully Cycle”
Brookland Middle School’s Literacy Night featured a stunning Djembe drum performance and history lesson led by Brookland students, alongside CIS Site Coordinator Dakari Taylor-Watson.
We met up with CIS Site Coordinator Dakari Taylor-Watson at Brookland Middle School. Armed with a Masters in Public Health and a passion for education, Dakari embodies the inter-sectional approach that characterizes CIS’s work.
For Site Coordinator Appreciation Week the Coalition for Community Schools spoke with Site Coordinator Ashley Lyles about her role at Charles Hart Middle School.
Continue reading “Coalition for Community Schools Stops by Hart Middle School”
This winter DC students will spend long mornings riding public transit and slogging through rain and snow on their way to school. How does the absence of a centralized school bus system affect educational outcomes in the District and what can we do to offset this?
The slow approach of winter brings to light an issue facing many District families. As a city, DC lacks a school bus system and instead relies on public transit, parents, and the students themselves to get students to and from school.
Last week, the parents of Kramer Middle School braved traffic and 90 degree temperatures to attend the school’s Back-to-School night.
Walking down Clifton Street on the morning of August 20th, you would have noticed the sounds first. Music drifted down from the entrance of the Cardozo Education Campus, punctuated by the shouts of children and teenagers excited, and a bit nervous, for the first day of the school year. Some students may have been more anxious than others, having arrived at school without the necessary supplies, unsure of how they were going to write down their schedules or complete their assignments.
It was early on a Tuesday that CIS of the Nation’s Capital Site Coordinators came together in a conference room of the Alston & Bird law office to participate in the 2018 Summer Institute. Amid the yawns, complementary coffee, and playful banter that accompany an early-morning training, there was tension. The school year was fast approaching, and with it a rush of students and parents, each facing their own challenges and overcoming their own obstacles. The Site Coordinators are on the frontline, working with students and families daily to navigate the challenges faced in the community. They had come together from schools across the city for four days of sharing best practices and preparing to implement new programs, and the knowledge that the first day of classes was just a few weeks away weighed on the minds of most. Continue reading “Summer Institute 2018”