Three Days in D.C.: Day 3
By Fritz Hahn
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, October 27, 2008 12:00 AM
Washington D.C. is known as the Capital of the Free World, and tourists come from across the country and around the globe to see the White House, Capitol and other symbols of freedom. But there's far more to Washington than marble edifices. We have a huge network of free museums, expansive outdoor spaces, some of the best restaurants in America and lively late-night clubs. There's a lot to see and do in our area -- it could take a lifetime to experience everything there is to offer. But if you give us three days, we can help you make the most of them.
Day 3
It's time to get out of Washington and head for Old Town Alexandria, the charming colonial city a few miles down the Potomac. Red-bricked Old Town is older than the nation's capital, tracing its history to 1749, and it's full of colonial buildings, antique shops, galleries and fun restaurants. Wander down cobblestone alleys and browse the artisan stores, stopping in at the recreated Gadsby's Tavern or historic Christ Church, which was attended by George Washington and Robert E. Lee. Kids and adults alike enjoy watching local artists working in their studios at the waterside Torpedo Factory. For a special lunch, we really like Restaurant Eve; no reservations are required if you eat at a table in the bar.
If you don't have a car -- or don't want to bother with parking -- the Potomac Riverboat Company runs a water taxi service from the Georgetown waterfront to Old Town. (Check the company's Web site for discount coupons.) It's not as exciting, but Metro goes there too -- take the Blue or Yellow lines to King Street, and look for the free shuttle buses that run to the historic district. (It's a 15- to 20-minute walk otherwise, and an enjoyable stroll past small boutiques if you don't have children in tow.)
Some history buffs will want to continue their exploration of the founding fathers by making a trip to Mount Vernon, George Washington's nearby estate. It's reachable by boat (the Potomac Riverboat Company again), car or public transportation; Catch the Metro from King Street to Huntington, where you can get Fairfax Connector bus 101 to the estate's front gate.
Others, though, will want to head back to Washington, and we suggest a tour of the recently renovated National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum in the revived Penn Quarter neighborhood. Both museums are open until 7 p.m. daily, so there's no need to rush back. (Note that this area includes the Verizon Center, home to the Washington Wizards basketball team and the Washington Capitals hockey team, and is likely to be crowded on game nights.) There's plenty of shopping and entertainment nearby, including the ever-popular tapas restaurant Zaytinya, modern Indian at Rasika, Spanish tapas at Jaleo and gourmet brick-oven pizzas at Matchbox. Proof is one of the city's top restaurants and wine bars, and offers a by-the-glass selection that will delight oenophiles. For cocktails, we like the attractive courtyard bar at Poste, inside the Hotel Monaco, and the huge drink list and stylish lounge seating at IndeBleu. Those preferring pubs to pomegranate martinis can check out the quiz nights at live music at Fado Irish Pub, Washington's largest selection of draft beers at R.F.D. Washington, or Rocket Bar, a fun bar that offers pool, darts, shuffleboard, Skee-ball and other amusements.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Three Days in D.C.: Day 2
Three Days in D.C.: Day 2
Monday, October 27, 2008 12:00 AM
Washington D.C. is known as the Capital of the Free World, and tourists come from across the country and around the globe to see the White House, Capitol and other symbols of freedom. But there's far more to Washington than marble edifices. We have a huge network of free museums, expansive outdoor spaces, some of the best restaurants in America and lively late-night clubs. There's a lot to see and do in our area -- it could take a lifetime to experience everything there is to offer. But if you give us three days, we can help you make the most of them.
Day 2
The second day is when Washington really begins to show its variety. We're going to break our suggestions down for three broad kinds of groups: families, those interested in history and politics, and those who'd rather engage in people-watching and culture. Feel free to pick and choose from our suggestions, though -- there's no reason thirtysomethings can't hit the Zoo.
Families: The National Zoo is the must-do. It's open early, when animals are at their most active, and the kids will have a more memorable visit if they can watch Tai Shan the panda cub romping with his mother instead of sleeping high in tree, as he's prone to do for much of the day. Other kid-pleasers include tiger and cheetah cubs; Amazonia, a walk-through rainforest ; and the children's farm, with its cows, donkeys and goats.
After lunch -- we like Open City, a modern diner in Woodley Park, more than what's on offer at the Zoo -- consider heading back to the Smithsonian, where children can check out exhibits they may have skipped the day before. Another idea is the National Cathedral, located a short bus ride away from Woodley Park. (You can catch the 96 Metrobus outside Open City, along with the private sightseeing buses.) It's the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, and half-hour tours are offered daily. Kids will love looking that the gargoyles and running around in the Bishop's Garden.
For dinner, Cleveland Park's popular 2 Amys delights adult visitors with its pizza -- voted the best in washingtonpost.com's annual reader survey -- but also welcomes neighborhood children.
History Buffs: Washington's history is intertwined with America's. As the home of government, there is no shortage of sites to visit.
The resting place of John F. Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall, two Challenger astronauts and several unknown service members, Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most hallowed sites in America. The grounds were formally part of Arlington House, the home of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. That mansion is open to the public.
Besides the Smithsonian, there are a number of history-related museums in town. The International Spy Museum traces the story of spycraft from Moses through the Cold War. Near the Mall, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum tells the story of the persecution of Jews, homosexuals and other groups by the Nazis.
(If you have a car, consider a drive out to Manassas Battlefield Park, west of Washington, which was the site of the first major battle of the Civil War in 1861, and an encore the following year.)
Time for dinner. In Georgetown, Martin's Tavern is a 1930s saloon that was frequented by John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, House Speaker Sam Rayburn and convicted Soviet spy Elizabeth Bentley, and still visited by Madeline Albright and other political figures today. Every president since Harry S Truman has visited Martin's, making it a required stop on the campaign trail. Paintings in the dining room came from the estate of President James Monroe. The kitchen's Delmonico steak remains a crowd-pleaser.
After eating, head down to U Street, known as "Black Broadway" in the 1920s and '30s. (See the Culture Vulture section below for more information.)
Culture Vultures: Start the day off right at Eastern Market, the historic farmer's market full of butchers, florists and vendors selling fruit and vegetables. The venerable Market Lunch makes the best blueberry pancakes around -- order the "buck blue," or buckwheat blueberry pancakes. On weekends, a bustling flea market and produce vendors fill the neighborhood.
Then it's off to Georgetown, Washington's best-known shopping district, where little boutiques line Wisconsin Avenue, alongside big names like Puma, Zara, Lacoste and Intermix. (Walk over to Union Station and grab the cross-town Circulator bus, which will drop you at the corner of Wisconsin and M, which is the heart of the neighborhood.) Spend some time wandering the side streets before making a pit stop. In warm weather, the waterfront bars lining Georgetown's Washington Harbour provide some of the best people-watching in the city, thanks to legions of well-dressed singles on the prowl -- some of whom tie up their boats at the dock before heading to Sequoia or Tony and Joe's for a beer on the patio. If you're looking for bold-faced names, the place to go is Cafe Milano, an expensive restaurant where you may find Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jessica Simpson, Jamie Foxx or Derek Jeter in the dining room. (Regular Placido Domingo is honored with a 15-foot mural of the opera singer.) Martini lovers can head for the Degrees bar in the tony Ritz-Carlton hotel, where celebrity guests -- including Jon Bon Jovi and Michael Jordan -- have been known to pop down for a cocktail.
Just across Rock Creek Park is Dupont Circle, a vibrant neighborhood that is the center of Washington's large gay community; a popular nightlife destination with lounges and bars and clubs catering to all stripes; home to many embassies and the city's diplomatic community; and filled with small galleries and the newly expanded Phillips Collection, America's first modern art museum.
The Phillips is known for its huge French Impressionist collection, which includes Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party." Admission to the permanent collection is free on weekdays. A short walk away, 14th Street has become an exciting corridor of independent galleries, mostly located within a block or two of the intersection with P Street. The Transformer Gallery, Irvine Contemporary, Hemphill Fine Arts and the Adamson Gallery are all worth a visit, and the latter two share a building at 1515 14th St.
To get to Dupont from Georgetown, you can catch the Georgetown Shuttle, a blue bus that runs between Georgetown's M Street and the Dupont Circle Metro Station every 10 minutes.
Dinner is easy to come by, thanks to a long list of restaurants. Pizzeria Paradiso attracts long lines for its well-made pies, topped with an array of fresh ingredients. While the Palm is pricey, the steakhouse is always filled with famous-for-Washington politicians, reporters and talking heads, and the aged New York strip wins plaudits, too. And possibly no restaurant in the neighborhood feels quite as lively as Bistrot du Coin, a buzzing French restaurant with good steak frites, a long wine list and service that some readers describe as "typically French" -- i.e. hit-or-miss -- but it's worth it just for checking out the variety of French and Francophile patrons who stroll into the bar.
The food at the Brickskeller isn't much to shout about, but that's not why folks head to the Dupont Circle institution -- they're there to explore a list of more than 1,000 different bottled beers from Argentina to Vietnam. After a drink, grab a cab for a short trip to U Street, which was known as Black Broadway in the 1920s and '30s when hometown boy Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie played clubs and concert halls on the strip. It's still a jazz hotspot today; touring musicians and local unknowns play at Twins Jazz, U-topia, Duke's City and Cafe Nema on a regular basis, while well-known rock bands perform at the nearby 9:30 Club and Black Cat. Don't forget to stop in for a late-night chili-cheese half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl, which has welcomed Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Cosby, Redd Foxx, Miles Davis and Nat "King" Cole since opening in 1958.
Monday, October 27, 2008 12:00 AM
Washington D.C. is known as the Capital of the Free World, and tourists come from across the country and around the globe to see the White House, Capitol and other symbols of freedom. But there's far more to Washington than marble edifices. We have a huge network of free museums, expansive outdoor spaces, some of the best restaurants in America and lively late-night clubs. There's a lot to see and do in our area -- it could take a lifetime to experience everything there is to offer. But if you give us three days, we can help you make the most of them.
Day 2
The second day is when Washington really begins to show its variety. We're going to break our suggestions down for three broad kinds of groups: families, those interested in history and politics, and those who'd rather engage in people-watching and culture. Feel free to pick and choose from our suggestions, though -- there's no reason thirtysomethings can't hit the Zoo.
Families: The National Zoo is the must-do. It's open early, when animals are at their most active, and the kids will have a more memorable visit if they can watch Tai Shan the panda cub romping with his mother instead of sleeping high in tree, as he's prone to do for much of the day. Other kid-pleasers include tiger and cheetah cubs; Amazonia, a walk-through rainforest ; and the children's farm, with its cows, donkeys and goats.
After lunch -- we like Open City, a modern diner in Woodley Park, more than what's on offer at the Zoo -- consider heading back to the Smithsonian, where children can check out exhibits they may have skipped the day before. Another idea is the National Cathedral, located a short bus ride away from Woodley Park. (You can catch the 96 Metrobus outside Open City, along with the private sightseeing buses.) It's the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, and half-hour tours are offered daily. Kids will love looking that the gargoyles and running around in the Bishop's Garden.
For dinner, Cleveland Park's popular 2 Amys delights adult visitors with its pizza -- voted the best in washingtonpost.com's annual reader survey -- but also welcomes neighborhood children.
History Buffs: Washington's history is intertwined with America's. As the home of government, there is no shortage of sites to visit.
The resting place of John F. Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall, two Challenger astronauts and several unknown service members, Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most hallowed sites in America. The grounds were formally part of Arlington House, the home of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. That mansion is open to the public.
Besides the Smithsonian, there are a number of history-related museums in town. The International Spy Museum traces the story of spycraft from Moses through the Cold War. Near the Mall, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum tells the story of the persecution of Jews, homosexuals and other groups by the Nazis.
(If you have a car, consider a drive out to Manassas Battlefield Park, west of Washington, which was the site of the first major battle of the Civil War in 1861, and an encore the following year.)
Time for dinner. In Georgetown, Martin's Tavern is a 1930s saloon that was frequented by John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, House Speaker Sam Rayburn and convicted Soviet spy Elizabeth Bentley, and still visited by Madeline Albright and other political figures today. Every president since Harry S Truman has visited Martin's, making it a required stop on the campaign trail. Paintings in the dining room came from the estate of President James Monroe. The kitchen's Delmonico steak remains a crowd-pleaser.
After eating, head down to U Street, known as "Black Broadway" in the 1920s and '30s. (See the Culture Vulture section below for more information.)
Culture Vultures: Start the day off right at Eastern Market, the historic farmer's market full of butchers, florists and vendors selling fruit and vegetables. The venerable Market Lunch makes the best blueberry pancakes around -- order the "buck blue," or buckwheat blueberry pancakes. On weekends, a bustling flea market and produce vendors fill the neighborhood.
Then it's off to Georgetown, Washington's best-known shopping district, where little boutiques line Wisconsin Avenue, alongside big names like Puma, Zara, Lacoste and Intermix. (Walk over to Union Station and grab the cross-town Circulator bus, which will drop you at the corner of Wisconsin and M, which is the heart of the neighborhood.) Spend some time wandering the side streets before making a pit stop. In warm weather, the waterfront bars lining Georgetown's Washington Harbour provide some of the best people-watching in the city, thanks to legions of well-dressed singles on the prowl -- some of whom tie up their boats at the dock before heading to Sequoia or Tony and Joe's for a beer on the patio. If you're looking for bold-faced names, the place to go is Cafe Milano, an expensive restaurant where you may find Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jessica Simpson, Jamie Foxx or Derek Jeter in the dining room. (Regular Placido Domingo is honored with a 15-foot mural of the opera singer.) Martini lovers can head for the Degrees bar in the tony Ritz-Carlton hotel, where celebrity guests -- including Jon Bon Jovi and Michael Jordan -- have been known to pop down for a cocktail.
Just across Rock Creek Park is Dupont Circle, a vibrant neighborhood that is the center of Washington's large gay community; a popular nightlife destination with lounges and bars and clubs catering to all stripes; home to many embassies and the city's diplomatic community; and filled with small galleries and the newly expanded Phillips Collection, America's first modern art museum.
The Phillips is known for its huge French Impressionist collection, which includes Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party." Admission to the permanent collection is free on weekdays. A short walk away, 14th Street has become an exciting corridor of independent galleries, mostly located within a block or two of the intersection with P Street. The Transformer Gallery, Irvine Contemporary, Hemphill Fine Arts and the Adamson Gallery are all worth a visit, and the latter two share a building at 1515 14th St.
To get to Dupont from Georgetown, you can catch the Georgetown Shuttle, a blue bus that runs between Georgetown's M Street and the Dupont Circle Metro Station every 10 minutes.
Dinner is easy to come by, thanks to a long list of restaurants. Pizzeria Paradiso attracts long lines for its well-made pies, topped with an array of fresh ingredients. While the Palm is pricey, the steakhouse is always filled with famous-for-Washington politicians, reporters and talking heads, and the aged New York strip wins plaudits, too. And possibly no restaurant in the neighborhood feels quite as lively as Bistrot du Coin, a buzzing French restaurant with good steak frites, a long wine list and service that some readers describe as "typically French" -- i.e. hit-or-miss -- but it's worth it just for checking out the variety of French and Francophile patrons who stroll into the bar.
The food at the Brickskeller isn't much to shout about, but that's not why folks head to the Dupont Circle institution -- they're there to explore a list of more than 1,000 different bottled beers from Argentina to Vietnam. After a drink, grab a cab for a short trip to U Street, which was known as Black Broadway in the 1920s and '30s when hometown boy Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie played clubs and concert halls on the strip. It's still a jazz hotspot today; touring musicians and local unknowns play at Twins Jazz, U-topia, Duke's City and Cafe Nema on a regular basis, while well-known rock bands perform at the nearby 9:30 Club and Black Cat. Don't forget to stop in for a late-night chili-cheese half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl, which has welcomed Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Cosby, Redd Foxx, Miles Davis and Nat "King" Cole since opening in 1958.
Three Days in D.C.: Day 1
Three Days in D.C.: Day 1
By Fritz Hahn
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, October 27, 2008 12:00 AM
Washington D.C. is known as the Capital of the Free World, and tourists come from across the country and around the globe to see the White House, Capitol and other symbols of freedom. But there's far more to Washington than marble edifices. We have a huge network of free museums, expansive outdoor spaces, some of the best restaurants in America and lively late-night clubs. There's a lot to see and do in our area -- it could take a lifetime to experience everything there is to offer. But if you give us three days, we can help you make the most of them.
Day 1
No visit to Washington would be complete with a trip to the National Mall, the broad, (somewhat) grassy expanse of lawn that runs from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
Start at the Capitol, where 45-minute tours are available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The earlier you go, the shorter the wait will be. After your tour, it's time for the truly difficult decision: Choosing which one of the Smithsonian Institution museums you want to visit. There are 15 altogether, with objects ranging from the Hope Diamond (inside theNatural History Museum) to the Wright Brothers' Flyer (Air and Space Museum) to paintings by Andy Warhol (Hirshhorn Museum). Trying to take in all the highlights is too much for one vacation, so it's better to choose one or two areas of interest and focus on those museums. Also near the Mall -- but not part of the Smithsonian -- are the National Gallery of Art, the largest art museum in Washington and home to many major exhibits, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
No matter what you choose to do, we're going to suggest having lunch at the Mitsitam Cafe inside the National Museum of the American Indian. The selection of Native American foods ranges from buffalo burgers to chicken tamales and is easily the best thing on the Mall.
After lunch, take in fantastic views of the city from the top of the Washington Monument. You don't actually have to climb the 897 steps -- an elevator gets you there in just over a minute -- but you'll save plenty of time if you reserve same-day tickets ahead of time through the National Park Service. (See our story on planning ahead for more tips on getting tickets in advance.) You'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Washington, though you'll have to wait your turn to look out of the tiny windows.
Now that you've seen the city, it's time to check out another of the museums, or perhaps wander through one of the two outdoor sculpture gardens at the Hirshhorn or National Gallery. (The latter is a destination for all seasons, with live jazz in warmer months and ice skating in the winter.)
Time for dinner. If you have a favorite cuisine, check out Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema's annual dining guide and recent reviews. For something more traditional, we'll steer you towards the Old Ebbitt Grill, a sprawling, clubby restaurant near the White House and Treasury building that boasts friendly service and an excellent raw bar -- and is a favorite with Secret Service agents and other government employees.
Daytime isn't necessarily the best time to see the monuments at the western end of the Mall. The World War II Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial are all open 24 hours a day, and are all much more dramatic in the dark. The FDR Memorial's rushing water and outdoor "rooms" especially lend itself to after-hours exploration. One note about safety: The Mall and the Tidal Basin aren't well lit at night, but all the memorials have nearby parking and park rangers on duty until 11:30 p.m.
Those who want to explore Washington's nightlife should head for the bar-heavy Adams Morgan neighborhood, where dozens of late-night spots surround the corner of 18th Street and Columbia Road. West African bars with live music, international lounges, dive bars, high-energy dance clubs, cool rooftop decks -- there's something for everyone.
For a more laidback scene, try one of the traditional grand hotel bars. The Round Robin Bar at the Willard, the Mayflower's Town and Country Lounge and the Hay-Adams's Off the Record are old-school hideaways with fantastic bartenders and strong martinis.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
© 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
By Fritz Hahn
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, October 27, 2008 12:00 AM
Washington D.C. is known as the Capital of the Free World, and tourists come from across the country and around the globe to see the White House, Capitol and other symbols of freedom. But there's far more to Washington than marble edifices. We have a huge network of free museums, expansive outdoor spaces, some of the best restaurants in America and lively late-night clubs. There's a lot to see and do in our area -- it could take a lifetime to experience everything there is to offer. But if you give us three days, we can help you make the most of them.
Day 1
No visit to Washington would be complete with a trip to the National Mall, the broad, (somewhat) grassy expanse of lawn that runs from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
Start at the Capitol, where 45-minute tours are available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The earlier you go, the shorter the wait will be. After your tour, it's time for the truly difficult decision: Choosing which one of the Smithsonian Institution museums you want to visit. There are 15 altogether, with objects ranging from the Hope Diamond (inside theNatural History Museum) to the Wright Brothers' Flyer (Air and Space Museum) to paintings by Andy Warhol (Hirshhorn Museum). Trying to take in all the highlights is too much for one vacation, so it's better to choose one or two areas of interest and focus on those museums. Also near the Mall -- but not part of the Smithsonian -- are the National Gallery of Art, the largest art museum in Washington and home to many major exhibits, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
No matter what you choose to do, we're going to suggest having lunch at the Mitsitam Cafe inside the National Museum of the American Indian. The selection of Native American foods ranges from buffalo burgers to chicken tamales and is easily the best thing on the Mall.
After lunch, take in fantastic views of the city from the top of the Washington Monument. You don't actually have to climb the 897 steps -- an elevator gets you there in just over a minute -- but you'll save plenty of time if you reserve same-day tickets ahead of time through the National Park Service. (See our story on planning ahead for more tips on getting tickets in advance.) You'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Washington, though you'll have to wait your turn to look out of the tiny windows.
Now that you've seen the city, it's time to check out another of the museums, or perhaps wander through one of the two outdoor sculpture gardens at the Hirshhorn or National Gallery. (The latter is a destination for all seasons, with live jazz in warmer months and ice skating in the winter.)
Time for dinner. If you have a favorite cuisine, check out Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema's annual dining guide and recent reviews. For something more traditional, we'll steer you towards the Old Ebbitt Grill, a sprawling, clubby restaurant near the White House and Treasury building that boasts friendly service and an excellent raw bar -- and is a favorite with Secret Service agents and other government employees.
Daytime isn't necessarily the best time to see the monuments at the western end of the Mall. The World War II Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Memorial are all open 24 hours a day, and are all much more dramatic in the dark. The FDR Memorial's rushing water and outdoor "rooms" especially lend itself to after-hours exploration. One note about safety: The Mall and the Tidal Basin aren't well lit at night, but all the memorials have nearby parking and park rangers on duty until 11:30 p.m.
Those who want to explore Washington's nightlife should head for the bar-heavy Adams Morgan neighborhood, where dozens of late-night spots surround the corner of 18th Street and Columbia Road. West African bars with live music, international lounges, dive bars, high-energy dance clubs, cool rooftop decks -- there's something for everyone.
For a more laidback scene, try one of the traditional grand hotel bars. The Round Robin Bar at the Willard, the Mayflower's Town and Country Lounge and the Hay-Adams's Off the Record are old-school hideaways with fantastic bartenders and strong martinis.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
© 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive
Saturday, October 17, 2009
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Teenager Shot in Northeast
By Clarence Williams
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 17, 2009; 12:20 AM
A teenager was shot and wounded late Friday in Northeast Washington, a little more than a mile from the scene of Tuesday's fatal shootings.
According to a preliminary report, the youth wounded Friday night, who was believed to be about 16, was conscious and breathing after the shooting, which occurred shortly before midnight near Kenilworth Avenue NE in the Deanwood area.
Authorities have attributed Tuesday's deadly outbreak of gunfire on Clay Terrace NE to rivalries between neighborhood groups. A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed and three others, about the same ages, were wounded in that incident.
There was no indication early Saturday of any connection between Tuesday's shootings and Friday night's shooting.
No motive for the Friday shooting could be immediately learned.
@livebigg follow us on Twitter for Daily Ponder. Soft launch Oct 2009. Official Launch November 3, 2009, Join us today www.twitter.com/livebigg
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 17, 2009; 12:20 AM
A teenager was shot and wounded late Friday in Northeast Washington, a little more than a mile from the scene of Tuesday's fatal shootings.
According to a preliminary report, the youth wounded Friday night, who was believed to be about 16, was conscious and breathing after the shooting, which occurred shortly before midnight near Kenilworth Avenue NE in the Deanwood area.
Authorities have attributed Tuesday's deadly outbreak of gunfire on Clay Terrace NE to rivalries between neighborhood groups. A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed and three others, about the same ages, were wounded in that incident.
There was no indication early Saturday of any connection between Tuesday's shootings and Friday night's shooting.
No motive for the Friday shooting could be immediately learned.
@livebigg follow us on Twitter for Daily Ponder. Soft launch Oct 2009. Official Launch November 3, 2009, Join us today www.twitter.com/livebigg
Washington Post Article about Discipline in Schools....
Discipline That Schools Need
John McMahon
Fredericksburg
As a veteran teacher, I read with interest about the Prince George's County school system's attempts to reduce suspensions. The article made suspension sound like merely a punitive measure that does nothing but harm to the suspended student. I would argue that it has three benefits:
-- It teaches an important lesson that many students may not learn anywhere else: If you can't follow the rules of an institution, you may have to leave. While the suspended student is at home, the parents might take the time to reinforce this lesson, which they should have imparted before school started.
-- It removes, at least temporarily, one disruptive child from the classroom so that the other 20 or so students might be able to learn something besides the fact that the teacher can't tell a 12-year-old to quietly do school work without being cursed out.
-- It gives school administrators such as Principal Jeffrey Parker of G. James Gholson Middle School the leverage to enforce the rules. I found it intriguing that the principal was pulling cafeteria duty. Is he the only person on the staff who has the authority to provide a meaningful consequence for misbehavior? And what is that consequence? Suspension.
Do you think that suspensions are the answer to discipline students? Take the poll at the bottom of the page. Results of the poll will post Nov 3rd.
John McMahon
Fredericksburg
As a veteran teacher, I read with interest about the Prince George's County school system's attempts to reduce suspensions. The article made suspension sound like merely a punitive measure that does nothing but harm to the suspended student. I would argue that it has three benefits:
-- It teaches an important lesson that many students may not learn anywhere else: If you can't follow the rules of an institution, you may have to leave. While the suspended student is at home, the parents might take the time to reinforce this lesson, which they should have imparted before school started.
-- It removes, at least temporarily, one disruptive child from the classroom so that the other 20 or so students might be able to learn something besides the fact that the teacher can't tell a 12-year-old to quietly do school work without being cursed out.
-- It gives school administrators such as Principal Jeffrey Parker of G. James Gholson Middle School the leverage to enforce the rules. I found it intriguing that the principal was pulling cafeteria duty. Is he the only person on the staff who has the authority to provide a meaningful consequence for misbehavior? And what is that consequence? Suspension.
Do you think that suspensions are the answer to discipline students? Take the poll at the bottom of the page. Results of the poll will post Nov 3rd.
Washington Post Article about DC Public Schools....
In Layoffs and Test Scores, Pain and Gain for D.C. Schools
By Katherine Bradley and John Hill
Washington
Amid the controversy over the D.C. public school system's Oct. 2 layoffs of more than 220 teachers, a novel and important fact keeps getting buried.
The District's layoffs did not follow the tradition of "last hired, first fired" common to other school district employment practices. Instead, principals made separation decisions based on which teachers and staff were contributing the most value to student learning -- not by seniority or favoritism. Some good teachers may have been let go, just as businesses all over the country have lost talent due to hard budgetary realities. And the layoffs exact a human toll. But shouldn't relative contribution be the rule -- not the exception -- if we are to build high-functioning teams in our schools? Isn't that the way we would expect to make decisions elsewhere in our economy?
The noise over the layoffs may be distracting Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and anyone with a stake in District children's education from our "true north:" staying the course to support continued academic progress for D.C. public school students. The past two years have produced a steady stream of good news. On Wednesday, the results of the biannual National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in math were released. The District was one of only five "states" in the nation -- along with Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -- to post gains at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels. The percentage of D.C. students scoring at basic competency levels or above increased by 10 percent in both grades.
While the absolute scores remain unacceptably low, these numbers show real and significant progress. Michael Casserly of the Council on Great City Schools says, "The truth is you just can't get gains of this size without reforms behind it."
And the NAEP scores are only part of the picture of improvement. Our students are also posting solid, continuing gains on the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System, or DC-CAS. Between 2006 and 2009, our D.C. public school test scores for elementary schools improved by 12 percentage points in reading and 22 percentage points in math. Secondary school gains are similar. Double-digit gains are rare in education, and the District is producing them.
Perhaps more important, the black-white student achievement gap in our city is closing rapidly. Washington has long suffered from one of the worst academic racial disparities in the country -- a 67-percentage-point gap between black and white achievement on the 2007 Grade 4 reading NAEP, for example. In access to opportunity and civic participation, a gap of that size means D.C. is in fact two cities, separate and unequal. In the past two years, however, the achievement gap has begun to close. Between 2007 and 2009, the black-white achievement gap in secondary math dropped 20 percentage points; the gap in secondary reading narrowed by 14 percentage points.
And we can see measurable progress beyond test scores. Rhee's team is providing options that will have universal appeal and bring families back into our public system by creating innovative projects, such as the "Catalyst School" programs in science, arts-integration, and world cultures. Will offering Chinese language courses, as Eaton Elementary is doing, lure parents back from private schools and from the suburbs? Maybe it stems from the recession, but parents may already be noticing progress in the public schools: D.C. public schools enrollment increased by about 1 percent this year.
This growth is modest, but it is an important inflection point, reversing a decade-long decline. Rhee has brought fierce urgency and uncompromising standards to her work. Some credit for progress is rightly shared, however, with previous superintendents and with the D.C. Council. Without the council's bold decision to give Mayor Adrian M. Fenty control over the schools, and without their support of Fenty's appointment of Rhee, none of this progress would have occurred. As the council manages the controversy over recent school layoffs, it is vital that the education reform agenda, and council members' support for it, continues.
Rhee needs to stay focused on the job she was hired to do: making D.C. the first high-performing urban school district in the nation. Just imagine what might happen if Rhee continues to erode the black-white achievement gap in Washington. If she maintains the rate of progress of the past two years, the achievement gap in secondary math will close entirely by 2012. Think what that would mean for our city: the District as a proof-point of opportunity for the nation.
Katherine Bradley is president of the CityBridge Foundation; John Hill is chief executive of the Federal City Council.
By Stephen Stromberg | October 16, 2009; 1:18 PM ET | Category: HotTopic
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By Katherine Bradley and John Hill
Washington
Amid the controversy over the D.C. public school system's Oct. 2 layoffs of more than 220 teachers, a novel and important fact keeps getting buried.
The District's layoffs did not follow the tradition of "last hired, first fired" common to other school district employment practices. Instead, principals made separation decisions based on which teachers and staff were contributing the most value to student learning -- not by seniority or favoritism. Some good teachers may have been let go, just as businesses all over the country have lost talent due to hard budgetary realities. And the layoffs exact a human toll. But shouldn't relative contribution be the rule -- not the exception -- if we are to build high-functioning teams in our schools? Isn't that the way we would expect to make decisions elsewhere in our economy?
The noise over the layoffs may be distracting Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and anyone with a stake in District children's education from our "true north:" staying the course to support continued academic progress for D.C. public school students. The past two years have produced a steady stream of good news. On Wednesday, the results of the biannual National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in math were released. The District was one of only five "states" in the nation -- along with Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -- to post gains at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels. The percentage of D.C. students scoring at basic competency levels or above increased by 10 percent in both grades.
While the absolute scores remain unacceptably low, these numbers show real and significant progress. Michael Casserly of the Council on Great City Schools says, "The truth is you just can't get gains of this size without reforms behind it."
And the NAEP scores are only part of the picture of improvement. Our students are also posting solid, continuing gains on the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System, or DC-CAS. Between 2006 and 2009, our D.C. public school test scores for elementary schools improved by 12 percentage points in reading and 22 percentage points in math. Secondary school gains are similar. Double-digit gains are rare in education, and the District is producing them.
Perhaps more important, the black-white student achievement gap in our city is closing rapidly. Washington has long suffered from one of the worst academic racial disparities in the country -- a 67-percentage-point gap between black and white achievement on the 2007 Grade 4 reading NAEP, for example. In access to opportunity and civic participation, a gap of that size means D.C. is in fact two cities, separate and unequal. In the past two years, however, the achievement gap has begun to close. Between 2007 and 2009, the black-white achievement gap in secondary math dropped 20 percentage points; the gap in secondary reading narrowed by 14 percentage points.
And we can see measurable progress beyond test scores. Rhee's team is providing options that will have universal appeal and bring families back into our public system by creating innovative projects, such as the "Catalyst School" programs in science, arts-integration, and world cultures. Will offering Chinese language courses, as Eaton Elementary is doing, lure parents back from private schools and from the suburbs? Maybe it stems from the recession, but parents may already be noticing progress in the public schools: D.C. public schools enrollment increased by about 1 percent this year.
This growth is modest, but it is an important inflection point, reversing a decade-long decline. Rhee has brought fierce urgency and uncompromising standards to her work. Some credit for progress is rightly shared, however, with previous superintendents and with the D.C. Council. Without the council's bold decision to give Mayor Adrian M. Fenty control over the schools, and without their support of Fenty's appointment of Rhee, none of this progress would have occurred. As the council manages the controversy over recent school layoffs, it is vital that the education reform agenda, and council members' support for it, continues.
Rhee needs to stay focused on the job she was hired to do: making D.C. the first high-performing urban school district in the nation. Just imagine what might happen if Rhee continues to erode the black-white achievement gap in Washington. If she maintains the rate of progress of the past two years, the achievement gap in secondary math will close entirely by 2012. Think what that would mean for our city: the District as a proof-point of opportunity for the nation.
Katherine Bradley is president of the CityBridge Foundation; John Hill is chief executive of the Federal City Council.
By Stephen Stromberg | October 16, 2009; 1:18 PM ET | Category: HotTopic
Previous: My Endorsement: The Best Choice for Virginia | Next: Marriage Equality's False Divides
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