Michela's Blog

January 5, 2009

For several weeks in November, the nation?s eyes were watching Washington, DC to see what school the Obamas would choose for their young children. As school application deadlines approach, thousands of Washington, DC families are asking themselves the same question right now.

With one of the most robust school choice markets in the country, Washington, DC offers families of all incomes real options. Every family in Washington, DC can attend a neighborhood public school just by registering their child. In addition, families can apply to up to three out-of-boundary DCPS schools and to as many public charter schools as they see fit. And there are also 70 independent schools in Washington. In Washington, DC, you need not be wealthy to attend a private school. Low-income families can apply for an Opportunity Scholarship through the Washington Scholarship Fund to attend a private school of their choice.

With so many options available, making a decision can be daunting. Fight For Children publishes My School Chooser to help families understand the options and make this important decision. The new My School Chooser is available on our website now in English and Spanish, and printed copies will soon be available at libraries, schools, and recreation centers across the city. The guide not only provides information on all schools in Washington, DC, but also offers practical advice for figuring out if a school will be a good fit for a family. For the first time this year, we provide academic performance data on all DCPS and charter schools. We believe that all students in Washington, DC deserve a quality education. Knowing which schools are doing a good job at educating children is critical for parents to make informed decisions about which school is best for their children.

If you have ideas on how to get this resource in the hands of parents who might benefit from it, please let us know by phone or email. Also, please let us know what you think. Your feedback is important to us.

December 10, 2008

Welcome to the new www.fightforchildren.org. I hope you find our site useful not only to learn about Fight For Children, but also as a resource for issues we work on each day: promoting quality education for low-income children in Washington, DC, and making sure kids are healthy so they can be active learners in school.

I am pleased that with the launch of our website, we are unveiling two new publications. You can read about and download the new edition of My School Chooser in English or Spanish, and you can also access Strategies for Building Excellence: Lessons from the 2008 Quality Schools Initiative in the Making a Difference section of the site.

These publications are just two examples of the progress we have made at Fight For Children over the past two years in our quest to be a valuable resource for educators, parents and public officials. We want to make sure kids—especially those from low-income families—get the resources and the attention they need not just to get by, but to thrive and grow into productive members of our community. Despite the serious economic challenges facing us all, it is critical that we all keep our attention focused on these children.

I will use this space in the coming months to reflect on the issues facing low-income children, especially as they relate to education and healthcare. I will also update you on what Fight For Children is doing to address these challenges. Please let us know how we are doing and any ideas you have for how we can be more effective.

Thank you and best wishes for the holiday season.