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Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Wash Met Closing on Jan 9 Education Town Hall – Education Town Hall Forum

Wash Met Closing on Jan 9 Education Town Hall – Education Town Hall Forum

WASH MET CLOSING ON JAN 9 EDUCATION TOWN HALL


On our January 9 show, the first of 2020, Education Town Hall will be talking with four current students at DCPS’s Washington Metropolitan high school about their journey, and that of their fellow Washington Met students, since learning right before Thanksgiving that DCPS proposed closing their school.
Listen at 11 a.m. EASTERN on Thursday, January 9, via TuneIn or by visiting We Act Radio and clicking on arrow at upper left (NOTE: Not all “listen” buttons are working at present).
Guests:
  • Lyric Johnson: 16 years old and on the DCPS chancellor’s cabinet; came to Wash Met in middle school
  • Na’Asia Hawkins, 18 years old, arrived at Wash Met after 2 years out of school; has 2-year-old son
  • Travius Butler, 17 years old, arrived at Wash Met after leaving Woodson HS; hopes to enter the military
  • Angel, 19 years old, has been at Wash Met for 3 years; has 5-month-old baby
Washington Met is one of four opportunity academies within DCPS, ensuring that students who have not found academic success at other schools will have a pathway to graduation. But citing poor attendance, low enrollment, and poor test scores, the DCPS chancellor has proposed closing Washington Met. effective next school year.
For these students, and a host before them, however, the school has provided a safe and welcoming haven away from difficulties of their lives, including serious trauma. For many, the school’s small classes and personal attention have been critical in their educations, something that other schools could not provide them.
Yet, years without a gym, library, day care for students’ children, and substantive career training, Washington Met. appears to have been poorly provisioned by the city—a reality not lost on its students.
As a result, these students have begun a difficult, but brave, journey in advocating for their school in the face of incredible odds against both them and their school.
The Education Town Hall with Thomas Byrd
broadcasts from Historic Anacostia
in Washington, DC, on We Act Radio,
Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern
New programming 2nd and 4th Thursdays, alternating with classic shows.
Listen live via TuneIn.
Shows are archived for convenient listening shortly after broadcast.
After years of weekly broadcasts, the program now focuses one show each month on local CONTINUE READING: Wash Met Closing on Jan 9 Education Town Hall – Education Town Hall Forum