District of Columbia
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Contains only posts that are ID'd as local content. An explanation. Want to help improve our local content filter? Add keywords here.
It’s always hard to predict the effects of new legislation: Congress can call it a “job creation” bill, but at the end of the day, they’ve got to hope the world cooperates with their good intentions. But for the democratic process to function, legislators at least need to feel reasonably confident that they understand the [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Mon 1:41 a.m. - 3 clicks 
DC's 266 laid off teachers got a raw deal earlier last year when they were terminated in November 2009 by the Rhee administration after school began. Given that lay-offs in our public schools have historically taken place at the end of the school year in June, rif'd teachers were hit with a double whammy of having to search for new jobs during a economic down turn after school had already begun...
The Washington Teacher - Sun 5:05 p.m. - 4 clicks
I just received a poll robocall, which kindly identified itself as paid for and sponsored by the so-called "National Organization for Marriage." They describe their mission as "to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it", but if you read their website it becomes apparent that their sole action agenda is to prevent or repeal the legal recognition of same-sex marriages....
DailyKos (DC) - Sat 12:47 p.m. - 3 clicks
Cross-posted from Sum of Change Today I dropped in on the health care rally in DC. Everyone who's anyone was there (not literally, but it certainly felt that way when I was there). Howard Dean was there. We got to ask him if he thinks the Democratic leadership is prepared to move forward without Republicans and if he agrees with the statement that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made ...
DailyKos (DC) - Tue 12:47 p.m. - 5 clicks
Whether you were just a naysayer or someone who actually still works in the central office and doubted the validity of The Washington Teacher's weekend report, please be advised that DCPS has officially confirmed that the central office firings did take place as I reported. Please read Bill Turque's excerpt in the DC Schools Insider below. If you have read this blog more than once, you wi...
The Washington Teacher - Mar 8 - 4 clicks
The other shoe has dropped in D.C. Catholic Charities ongoing battle with the D.C. Council over gay marriage. Charities has dropped new spouses from health care coverage in order to avoid covering gay spouses, effective last Monday. ...
DailyKos (DC) - Mar 8 - 3 clicks
UPDATE: A second inside source confirms the central office terminations. Please read below. Given that my sources are usually pretty reliable, it wouldn't be surprising if Chancellor Michelle Rhee fired even more DC public schools staff last week. An anonymous source emailed me that over 20 employees were laid off last Friday from the central office and that even more termin...
The Washington Teacher - Mar 6 - 3 clicks
Bill Turque in his DC Schools Insider blog further examined Rhee's now infamous comments to Fast Co. magazine that she "got rid of teachers who had hit children, who had sex with children." Since it is likely that Turque's examination of this story won't make the mainstream press- I decided to post it here. Lanier: Only 1 teacher arrested for abuse "D.C. Police Chie...
The Washington Teacher - Mar 5 - 5 clicks
A DCPS special education teacher at Maury Elementary School calls it quits. Lately, I have received a number of emails and text messages from teachers and colleagues about how many DC public schools teachers are voluntarily calling it quits. Teachers that I have spoken to admit that some of their reasons for leaving are due to the IMPACT evaluation which was rolled out this ...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 28 - 8 clicks
The DC Schools Insider blog features a story about DCPS lining up support for the upcoming Council annual performance oversight hearing on March 15. Turque who writes for the Insider blog wrote "Testimony at these events tends to become an open-ended infomercial for those unhappy with Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. So Peggy O'Brien, Rhee's family and public engagement chief, is reaching out ...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 26 - 2 clicks
When it’s a carefully-worded statement from Lindy Matsko, the vice principal implicated in the Pennsylvania school webcam spying lawsuit: “At no time have I ever monitored a student via a laptop webcam,” said Matsko, who is in her 25th year working for Lower Merion School District, “nor have I ever authorized the monitoring of a student [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Feb 24 - 4 clicks
Update: Principal Patrick Pope wrote the following email to me: Dear Ms. Peterson, "While I was flattered at the adjective "revered", it was with some confusion that I have read that sources state that I am planning to leave DCPS this summer. It is simply speculation and not true. Please keep up the great work of keeping us all on our toes. But if you want to check out my status...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 21 - 5 clicks
We Can Do Better Washington City Paper writer, Mike DeBonis who features a column known as 'Loose Lips' reports this week on the Washington Teachers' Union upcoming 2010 election. Nathan Saunders', WTU General V.P's campaign for the Washington Teachers Union (WTU) top slot as union president is spotlighted in this article. DeBonis speculates in his coverage that 'yours truly' w...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 17 - 2 clicks
A surprising number of the responses to my recent video on social remix complain that the various videos of kids acting out their own versions of the Lisztomania “Brat Pack” mashup video simply don’t count as a form of creativity. To be sure, they are not timeless works of starting originality, but this sort of [...]...
Notes from the Lounge - Feb 16 - 3 clicks
While the Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) office was opened Friday for business- no WTU Executive Board meeting was scheduled this second Saturday of the month as required. Not only was a meeting not scheduled by President George Parker- there was 'NO NOTICE ' of our regularly scheduled meeting this time, not even a notice that there would be a cancellation. I checked with three other WTU E...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 13 - 3 clicks
How did your professional development day shape up ? No Child Left Behind's (NCLB) emphasis on accountability and demands for a high quality teacher in every classroom has spawned an industry of professional development opportunities. Although DC schools had been closed most of this week due to unprecedented snow accumulations - this Friday school opened on time @ 8 a.m. ( u...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 12 - 2 clicks
DC Public Schools closed Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. DC Public Schools closed Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010. At this time, administrative offices will open on time. However, administrative employees should continue to check the DCPS website and email for additional updates as the weather progresses this evening and during the early morning hours. Happy Shoveling ! Posted by The Washing...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 9
Imagine DC students walking through these untouched sidewalks and streets ? UPDATE: DC Schools closed Tuesday. Guess parents complaints made an impact as well as all those yet to be plowed DC streets . Posted by The Washington Teacher featuring Candi Peterson, blogger in residence (picture # 1 courtesy of Wash. P...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 8
Rhonda Roads said it best in 'the mail', an on-line magazine publication by Gary Imhoff about Chancellor Rhee's decision to initially open DC schools on a 2-hour delay. After many parents complained to the Mayor and TV news stations did this administration decide to reverse their decision later. Here's what Roads sent to Chancellor Rhee: "An E-mail to Chancellor Michelle Rhee: A...
The Washington Teacher - Feb 8
A new video from Planned Parenthood with some unusual suspects speaking out for women's reproductive rights. Copyright 2009 (text only). The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved. ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Feb 3 - 6 clicks
UPDATED: Wash. Post writer Bill Turque Confirms The Wash. Teacher's blog story: (click on link) " DCPS has confirmed Candi Peterson's weekend report in The Washington Teacher that Spingarn High School principal Blanca Reyes was replaced on Friday. No word yet on who will replace Washington. Lloyd Bryant will be the new assistant principal . " U...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 30 - 3 clicks
No WTU Representative Assembly Meeting For You ! On Tuesday, January 26- Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) Building Representatives went to a WTU representative assembly meeting only to find that our union meeting had been cancelled on several hours notice by WTU President George Parker. With gas at almost $3.00 per gallon- McKinley Senior High School is a long way to commute only to find ...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 29 - 3 clicks
As told by Guy Brandenburg, retired DCPS teacher. I couldn't have said it any better. Check out Guy's blog when you get a chance @ http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/ More slander, lies, and spin from Michelle Rhee by Guy Brandenburg "After strongly implying that the reason that she fired 266 teachers was that they were sexual perverts, sadists towards children, and never came ...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 28
On January 27, 2010 DC Council member Marion Barry and other council members held a press conference at 2:30 p.m. to call upon Chairman Gray to conduct a hearing immediately into Chancellor Rhee’s claims against fired DCPS teachers, to express outrage over Chancellor Rhee’s recent comments e.g. “had sex with children” hit them or had unapproved excessive absences and to demand that Chancellor R...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 27 - 2 clicks
This just in. NBC Channel 4 is hunting down Chancellor Michelle Rhee to get her statement about the remarks that she made about DC teachers molesting students, abusing students and abusing their leave. Please check them out tonight on channel 4 @ 5 and 6 pm. RHEE'S REMARKS DC Schools chancellor Michelle Rhee still hasn't explained her comments to a magazine that some of the teachers fire...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 25 - 4 clicks
As many of you may not know Mike Debonis , writer for the Washington City Paper tipped us off in his Thursday 'Loose Lips' column about Chancellor Michelle Rhee's quote on RIF'ed teachers which appeared in Fast Company magazine. I read Loose Lips weekly because Mike is a good source for local news here in Washington, DC. He often quotes The Washington Teacher education blog and gives upda...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 23 - 6 clicks
Rhee-Gate..... the plot thickens In Fast Company's February magazine issue, Chancellor Rhee is quoted as saying that DC teachers were laid off because they hit children, had sex with children and missed 78 days of work. I am starting to get a 'brain cramp' from all of Rhee's variations of the truth about the real reason why DC teachers were laid off on November 2, 2009. Hmmmm it l...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 21 - 3 clicks
Last Saturday, 120 people gathered together at the invitation of Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) General Vice President Nathan A. Saunders to celebrate his graduation from the National Labor College in Baltimore, Maryland. What was significant about this event was that Nathan announced that he would run for the WTU President seat when elections are held in May 2010. With a campaign slogan of...
The Washington Teacher - Jan 16 - 3 clicks
I gave to Oxfam during the Tsunami and I gave to the humane society for Katrina (mostly because I couldn't bring myself to give to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army, and if I couldn't give to the humans, I had to give to the animals). This morning, I gave to ShelterBox . It wasn't much, but I figure, if I gave $$ and I can inspire 5 more folks to give $$ even just a dollar, and then they insp...
Women Unions - Jan 14 - 2 clicks
We're very pleased to be co-sponsoring the online labor film database together with the DC Labor Film Fest. This extraordinary resource includes no fewer than 1,465 union films and videos. I think it's a fantastic resource for trade unionists everywhere and we should all be grateful to Chris Garlock and the Washington DC Metro Labor Council for putting this together. If you have videos to sugg...
Women Unions - Jan 4 - 3 clicks
Women’s Policy, Inc. has produced an excellent summary of legislative action affecting women and their families in the first session of the 111th Congress (2009). Read this wonderful recap for the latest substantive legislation action on the following issues: Adoption Appropriations Breast Cancer Federal budget Child Support Children’s Health Insurance Domestic violence Early childhood e...
The Zaftig Redhead - Dec 31 - 2 clicks
Crossposted on UnionReview When I heard South Carolina Republican Senator say that Collective Bargaining threatens US security, I thought I'd actually fall off my chair. We cannot allow them by unanimous consent, to move ahead with the unionization and collective bargaining of our Airport Security. And there it was, coming out of the mouth of a sitting US Senator, working Americans are a h...
Women Unions - Dec 31 - 3 clicks
Click here to watch Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) tour de force on health care. You can also read the statement of Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). Copyright 2009 (text only). The Zaftig Redhead. All Rights Reserved. ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Dec 22
Are you a fan of the multi-colored marshmallow Peeps? Well, if you are, you'll love the latest store to hit DC's National Harbor -- the first ever brick and mortar Peeps and Company store. There are more than 850 incarnations of the sticky candy in the new venture, from the standard yellow to chocolate covered, as well as novelties based on the Peeps such as spun glass Peeps. My favorite, though, ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Dec 10 - 2 clicks
Don't look now, but embattled Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) has moved out of the Family's C Street, DC enclave. Apparently he did not want to bring more attention on the Family and the C Street frat house while his ethics investigation on the horizon -- you know, where they look into whether he and his parents paid off his staffer mistress, her staffer husband, and their son. Yeah, that ethics investiga...
The Zaftig Redhead - Nov 10 - 2 clicks
The F-22 Raptor is a virtually useless paperweight of a fighter jet that can't communicate with any other American aircraft and melts in the rain. Oh yeah, they also cost $356 million EACH, and are made in 44 different states in an effort to make it program too big to fail to politicians worried about losing jobs in their districts. Well, it took a fight, but the Raptor is no more. The program i...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 29 - 3 clicks
Sen. Joe Lieberman (Whatever-CT) has announced his plans to join Republicans in filibustering a public option -- and a weak ass one at that -- in the Senate Democratic health insurance reform bill. Way to go, Joe, for showing everyone what a wanker you really are. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) let Lieberman keep his chairmanship and caucus with the Democrats because he "trusted Joe." Just another mista...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 28 - 3 clicks
Much attention has been paid to the House and its accomplishments, and its historic first-ever woman Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). But to my mind, the House is in generally good shape -- except for some pesky Blue Dogs,of course. For those of you looking for more progressive changes -- health insurance reform, energy bills, immigration reform, improving No Child Left Behind, pay equity advances ...
The Zaftig Redhead - Oct 6
ENDA is The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017), introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), would prohibit employment discrimination, preferential treatment, and retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by employers with 15 or more employees. Currently, it is legal to discriminate in the workplace based on sexual orientation in 29 states and in 38 states based ...
Women Unions - Sep 23
Alternative title: Dicke E Dauch, More Evil Day by Day Welcome to the world that has become the United States Labor market. It's filled with companies that pay CEO's hundreds of thousands of dollars and into the multimillions of dollars. From the American Red Cross' Multi-Billion dollar Blood Business to Wal-Mart's sticking it to folks like Debbie Shank (and yes, they were well within the...
Women Unions - Sep 11 - 2 clicks
Employee Free Choice Act. I kind of hate the title. I never really understand the term Free Choice when just about anyone uses it. It's not like I'm not bright, I am. I'm articulate too, wahoo for me. But the concept of a "Free Choice" always escapes me. I suppose my issue is with the seemingly obvious concept of "free" in "Free Choice." It's the concept that you can make a decision about your...
Women Unions - Sep 11
45% of the US blood supply comes from the American Red Cross. 45%, that's a huge amount from a single source. Blood is collected through donor blood drives. And the blood is then handled or transported by phlebotomists, drivers, RNs, LPNs, technicians (in the lab, product management, and apheresis departments), and one mechanic. These are front line workers for the collection and processing of...
Women Unions - Sep 11 - 2 clicks
Like many folks, I've been reading loads of reports on Union organizing. Like the recently released report No Holds Barred: The Intensification of Employer Opposition to Organizing by Columbia professor Dr. Kate Bronfenbrenner and Majority Authorizations and Union Organizing in the Public Sector: A Four-State Perspective From the AFL-CIO Now Blog : If you sign up to join a union, you won’...
Women Unions - Sep 11
Crystal Lee Sutton (AKA Norma Rae ) has been battling cancer for some time now. Helping Norma Rae: Crystal Lee Sutton – the woman whom the movie "Norma Rae" was based on – is fighting for her life. Ill with meningioma (a brain tumor), her health insurance – which initially denied her coverage – covers so little that her husband must work two jobs to help pay her medical bills. "Crystal's long ...
Women Unions - Sep 11
Okay, probably not exactly that bad, but I found a new piece in the Metro-city daily e-mail that really caught my attention. AMERICAN RED CROSS RALLY TODAY : Workers and labor allies are rallying outside the American Red Cross headquarters in downtown DC today to support workers who are “engaged in struggles across the country at facilities of the American Red Cross,” reports AFL-CIO Presiden...
Women Unions - Sep 11 - 3 clicks
I got this message today and wanted to share: Dear friend or past customer of Northland, Thank you for your support for Northland Poster Collective over the years. Northland has now officially closed its doors after thirty years of supporting organizing, movement building and educational mischief through art. It is sad to see the end of such a long-lasting and well-loved institution but the fac...
Women Unions - Sep 11 - 3 clicks
I went to the Doctor the other day. After the $30 copay, 3 new prescriptions and a Dr's request that I head to Radiology and for blood work for two new tests, I decided that maybe I needed to re-think health care. I have good health insurance. I pay way too much every two weeks, but there is just no choice for me and my family. I have to have insurance, even as inadequate as it is. Today, as I...
Women Unions - Sep 11 - 2 clicks
I’ve been covering issues related to the production of chocolate through the use of child slave labor for a few years now. In all of that time, I didn’t really have a moment to really feel like anyone was listening inside the walls of Congress. Today, however, Congress doesn’t have to act on this, the Department of Labor has and the tone is set in the opening paragraph to their List of Goods ...
Women Unions - Sep 11 - 3 clicks
