Washington City Paper: Contents for Feb. 23, 2007

DIY Charter School
How to get a good education for your children at a DCPS price

Cover Story By Arthur Delaney

Kristina and Matthew Oaks are facing a common problem for District families. They live on Capitol Hill and have a 4-year-old daughter, Merete. Merete is currently enrolled in pre-Kindergarten at AppleTree Early Learning, a public charter school in Southwest that doesn’t have a first grade.

The Oakses’ address puts Merete on a collision course with Maury Elementary School, where in 2006, 48 percent of the student body tested as “proficient” in reading and only 21 percent tested as proficient in math. The Oakses, to their chagrin, are outside the boundary for the neighborhood’s well-regarded public school—the Capitol Hill Cluster School—which has somewhat better scores and a much better reputation.

Last year, the couple entered their daughter in the lottery for the Capitol Hill Cluster School and wound up on the waiting list. They committed to AppleTree instead.

Kristina Oaks says she and her husband are “a little bit apprehensive” about Maury. They are applying to various charter schools throughout the city in hopes of landing Merete someplace better. They have a 7-month-old, Finnegan, so they’re bracing for another round of school shopping. They’re most concerned about high school. “It’s a hard decision,” Kristina Oaks says. “We’ve thought about the school districts and the long-term options, and we’re not impressed with what we see.”... Continued

Issue of Feb. 23, 2007

News and Features

DIY Charter School
How to get a good education for your children at a DCPS price
Cover Story By Arthur Delaney
TAG, You’re Not It
Federal money helps District residents pay for college. It isn’t helping them graduate.
The City By Huan Hsu
How to Fire a DCPS Teacher
What it takes to get rid of a teacher who doesn’t teach.
The City By Chris Peterson
Service Industry
Rating D.C.'s Houses of Worship
The City By Aaron Leitko
Conventional Wisdom
Taking You Behind the Scenes of America's Industry Confabs
The City By Rob Tierney
Found Art
Distractions By Tommy Noonan
Post Secret
Distractions
Government Cheese
Comics By R. Jelani
Measure for Measure
Distractions By Ben Tausig
The City
Comics By Derf
Ernie Pook's Comeek
Comics By Lynda Barry
Lulu Eightball
Comics By Emily Flake
Dirt Farm
Comics By Ben Claassen
Red Meat
Comics By Max Cannon
thingpart
Comics By Joe Sayers

Columns

Janey, We Hardly Knew Ye
Requiem for a superintendent
Loose Lips By James Jones
Lens on Me
A different sort of campus shooter roams Roosevelt’s hallways.
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Kinky and Contented
Savage Love By Dan Savage

Eats

’Hood Winking
Stoney’s and Eamonn’s attract the locals with different come-ons.
Young & Hungry By Tim Carman

Movies

Cause Célèbres
Reviewed: Days of Glory and Amazing Grace
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Riding Solo
Reviewed: Ghost Rider and An Unreasonable Man
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski
Short Subjects
Reviewed: The Lives of Others
Film Reviews By Justin Moyer
Eastern State of Mind
Though his film, The Lives of Others, is set in the ’80s, von Donnersmarck dislikes Soviet-era nostalgia.
Talking Pictures By Mark Jenkins

Music

One Track Mind
What's new in the local music scene,
a few minutes at a time
Music By Sadie Dingfelder
Spot the Drummer
(Win a T-Shirt)
InDC
The Pop Quiz: The Bourbon Dynasty
InDC

Theater

In & Out
Theater
Theater
Prince Harming
Reviewed: Shakespeare’s Rape of Lucrece
Theater Review By Bob Mondello
Faithless Companions
Reviewed: The Constant Wife
Theater Review By Trey Graham
Kid-Simple
Reviewed: Kid-Simple. At Round House Theatre Silver Spring to March 4
Theater Reviews By Glen Weldon

Arts and Events

Clubbing for Credit
Interning at a music venue has its perks. Just stay away from Coldplay’s dressing room.
Show & Tell By Jessica Gould
Shake, Rattle, and Role
Gayle Wald wrote a biography of Rosetta Tharpe that acknowledges her oft-neglected contributions to early rock ’n’ roll.
Artifacts By Mark Jenkins
Frames of Reference
The Phillips Collection’s current show, Moving Pictures: American Art and Early Film, connects the first publicly exhibited movies to traditional fine art.
Gallery By Jeffry Cudlin
Toy Stories
Sterling Ashby's African-American action figures.
Artifacts By Amanda Miller
Speed Reads
Reviewed: Finn, by Jon Clinch
Book Reviews By Mark Athitakis
In & Out: Museums
Arts

City Lights

This week's best in Arts and Entertainment.

Nightscenes by Christopher Saah
To Saturday, March 17 at Flashpoint
Arts & Events By Nick Kolakowski
Akron/Family
Friday, Feb. 23, at the Rock and Roll Hotel
Arts & Events By Aaron Leitko
Jane Smiley
Friday, Feb. 23, at Politics and Prose
Arts & Events By Mark Athitakis
Sixth Annual International Photography Competition
To March 3, at Fraser Gallery
Arts & Events By Louis Jacobson
Roland Mesnier
Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Olsson’s Books & Records
Arts & Events By Tim Carman
A Sunny Day in Glasgow
Friday, Feb. 23, at the Red & the Black
Arts & Events By Jason Cherkis
NSO: World Premiere of Mason Bates' “Liquid Interface”
Friday, Feb. 24 and Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Kennedy Center
Arts & Events By Mark Mobley
The Brothers' Quay The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
Sunday, Feb. 25, at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building Auditorium
Arts & Events By Mark Jenkins
The 2006 Academy Award Nominated Animated Shorts
To Thursday, March 8, at Landmark E Street Cinema
Arts & Events By Matthew Borlik
Eternals
Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Rock and Roll Hotel
Arts & Events By Matthew Borlik
Discussion and screening: Eloyce Gist's Hellbound Train
Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
Arts & Events By Kim Rinehimer
Cynthia Connolly's “See All Fifteen at Once”
To Saturday, March 31, at Arlington Arts Center
Arts & Events By Louis Jacobson