- Southeast D.C. middle school to teach half of courses online next year (Examiner, 5/28)

EQUITY | A new Brookings study reveals the not terribly surprising fact that, in D.C., the areas that are most walkable also have the highest average income. (WaPo, 5/27)

WORKFORCE | Hundreds in District to lose unemployment benefits (WaPo, 5/29)

HOMELESSNESS
- Lydia DePillis has an interview with David Berns, director of D.C.’s Department of Human Services, about his efforts around ending homelessness and poverty in the District. (City Paper, 5/29)

- A 150 bed shelter for homeless veterans is coming to Southeast D.C. (City Paper, 5/24)

ARTS | The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is seeking applications to create a lighting installation on Connecticut Avenue south of Dupont Circle. (Borderstan, 5/29)

ANNOUNCEMENT | In case you missed it, yesterday marked the launch of WRAG’s revised Common Grant Application and related forms. (WG Daily, 5/29)

This six-year-old can probably spell better than you. And she can definitely spell better than whoever made this.

-Rebekah

The previous versions of the Common Grant Application will remain online until August 31, 2012 in order to ensure a smooth transition.

Funders: Please be sure to update any links on your website to the new CGA when you are ready to begin accepting it. If you wish to be included in the list of funders who accept the CGA and are not currently listed, please contact Rebekah Seder.

Grantseekers: If you are interested in learning more about the changes, the Foundation Center will host informational sessions on June 11 and June 20, with Miyesha Chappell of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, who co-chaired the CGA Streamlining Committee. Register here.

“In nine and a half out of 10 cases, modifications don’t work and the homes are eventually foreclosed on,” said Vince Caropreso, a Maryland real estate agent and certified distressed property expert.

EDUCATION
- Yesterday, the District’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education announced new teacher evaluation rules for the city’s public schools (including some charters). While standardized tests previously counted for half of a teacher’s evaluation, they now can count for as little as 30 percent. (Examiner, 5/24)

- Montgomery County, schools clash over employee raises (WaPo, 5/24) “[T]he county says [the raises are] excessive and could ultimately undermine student learning.”

That argument seems overly dramatic, but out of curiosity I wanted to compare the 3.4 raise to the county’s suggested $2,000 flat bonus. According to a document on the county’s website, Montgomery teachers make an average of $73,705 – the highest in the region and about $10,000 more than Prince George’s. So a 3.4 percent bump would be about $2506, or 25% more than the flat bonus rate.

ENVIRONMENT | Arlington County is developing “bioretention areas” to fight pollution from stormwater runoff with a project it is calling “green streets.” (Connection, 5/24) Sounds like a sci-fi movie.

Young guard: Sir! The bioretention area has been infiltrated!
Grouchy commander: My god! Drawn out pause. There’s only one man who can save us now.  (And that one man would be played by either Bruce Willis or Kurt Russell.)

HEALTH | Mapping a Lifetime of Health Risks (Atlantic, 5/23)

LOCAL | The Tysons Partnership, a nonprofit that will focus on developing Tysons Corner around its new metro stop, has named an executive director. (Connection, 5/24) Actually, his parents probably named him, but he still got the job.

The Daily will be taking a long weekend. We won’t have a roundup tomorrow, and then Rebekah will have a special announcement about WRAG’s Common Grant Application on Tuesday. After that, she’ll take the reins for a week while I globetrot like Indiana Jones. Or more like the Griswolds, probably. So I’ll see you next month!

- Christian

You don’t live in the District, so why should you care?

First and foremost, you should care because you are an American. Not only a Virginian or a Marylander, but an American. It’s really that simple. In the mid-1700s, British colonists in America questioned the right of the Crown to tax them if they weren’t going to be represented in the British Parliament. “No taxation without representation” became the refrain and the energy behind the American Revolution. We all learned that in American history class. Unfortunately, many seem to have forgotten representation as a founding tenet of our country since they don’t speak up for the rights of the 600,000 citizens of the District of Columbia just because they don’t live there.

If democratic principles don’t resonate with you, what about economic vitality, gridlock, and the Chesapeake Bay?

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell recently said, “It is in both Virginia and Maryland’s best interest that the District be able to operate without interruption, resulting in the financial certainty that will enable long term planning and better regional cooperation.” Businesses thrive on certainty. Because the D.C. budget is really not its own, businesses sometimes find it hard to do business with the District government. This doesn’t just affect the city.

The long term planning and regional cooperation of which Governor McDonnell spoke is minimized by the fact that Mayor Gray is unable to act with Governor McDonnell and Governor O’Malley as an equal. He does not have comparable influence over his jurisdiction’s budget. The District’s budget is subject to Congressional oversight, oversight by individuals who may live in the jurisdiction part-time, but certainly aren’t of the community.

But that’s not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is regional clout in the halls of Congress. When the region looks for federal dollars to support the regional infrastructure or our regional assets, our power is less than that of other parts of the country. Take Amtrak and Metro, for example. A recent article in the Washington City Paper suggested that the region had lost at least $12M in federal transportation dollars for a series of Union Station access and capacity improvements specifically because the District doesn’t have adequate power in the House and no representation at all in the Senate. Some suggest that the Council of Governments lost a recent HUD grant competition that would have enabled some of the Region Forward work because there was inadequate representation for the region in Congress. And many suggest that the Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts would benefit from two more senators speaking out for our region.

The Virginia delegation has Virginia’s interests at heart. The Maryland Congressional delegation looks out for Maryland. But there is a huge gap where the District delegation should be, and because of that gap there is no opportunity for a trio of delegations to collectively represent what many are coming to call the DMV – our region.

So whether you live in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia, the District should matter to you. We are one region. Our worlds are interconnected. The DMV will stand stronger and taller when the District has voting rights in Congress.

Related: Speaking of regionalism, a new report from Brookings says that DC Water needs buy-in from other local jurisdictions in order to meet federal sewage mandates (WaPo, 5/23):

“DC Water has no authority outside of its narrow rate utility and it has no state government to protect its interest,” the study said. “It needs help to ensure that all who will benefit from this expensive and lengthy project pay for it.”

EDUCATION | New data from the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation show that participants in the District’s school voucher program have had an impressive 94 percent graduation rate and an 89 percent college enrollment rate. (AFC, 5/22)

VETERANS/HOMELESSNESS | Dozens of homeless veterans are being “fast-tracked to a roof over their heads.” D.C. Housing Authority spokesperson Dena Michaelson says “It’s a priority for the country and it’s a priority for us.” (WTOP, 5/23) Amen.

BUDGETS | Fairfax officials dismayed by social service cuts (Examiner, 5/23) Needless to say, there is a healthy dose of finger-pointing.

TRANSIT
- Montgomery County officials have unveiled a plan for a 160-mile Bus Rapid Transit system. (GGW, 5/23)

Related: The system would probably cost county residents a whole lot of money. (Examiner, 5/23)

- A WTOP poll finds out what District, Maryland, and Virginia drivers think of each other’s driving. (WTOP, 5/23)

POLITICS | As the District faces another political scandal (haven’t had one in…days?), Greater Greater Washington puts a positive spin on things and looks at what the Gray administration has accomplished so far. (GGW 5/25, WaPo 5/22)

We’re halfway to the long weekend! To help get us the rest of the way, how about some great new music? Langhorne Slim has a unique style and the music video for his new single is fittingly creative. I love it.

If you aren’t in the mood for new music, then maybe you’ll enjoy this classic from John Fred and his Playboy Band.

As jurisdictions in the District, Maryland and Virginia weigh tight budget proposals and consistently return to human services and housing for cuts, we recognize that it will take both increases in public revenues and increased investments from philanthropy to assure that all residents have access to our region’s prosperity.

While philanthropy alone cannot address income inequality, it can make a difference. We believe economic security can be achieved by investing in three key areas: education, workforce development and the safety net.

HUMAN SERVICES | The publicly-funded Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board provides critical services to thousands of Fairfax County’s vulnerable residents, but its current $8 million deficit is straining its capacity. Local advocates fear that an expected increase in the deficit next year will “jeopardize programs for at-risk children and people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse problems.” (WaPo, 5/22)

IMPACT | The impact of philanthropy is often measured broadly with data, but an obituary in the Post serves as a personal illustration of how it can shape an individual’s life. In a short recollection of Lucille Polk’s 92 years, one of the big highlights is a fellowship that the DCPS educator received from the Meyer Foundation more than a half-century ago to study education in France. (WaPo, 5/22)

PHILANTHROPY | Using Data to Inform Donor Decisions: Reflections from GuideStar President (ASF, 5/22)

EDUCATION
- Montgomery County teachers set to get 3.4-percent raise (Examiner, 5/22) “But the raises aren’t sitting well with the County Council, whose members are criticizing the decision to fund retroactive pay.”

- Feds: D.C.’s school grant management a problem (Examiner, 5/21)

CRIME | This is somewhat morbid, but it tells an important story – a website has mapped out every murder that has occurred in the District in the last six years. Not too many west of Rock Creek Park. (DCist, 5/22)

TRANSIT | WAMU surveys our region’s transportation options and finds good things and bad things. (WAMU, 5/22)

HEALTH | Fear not, Marylanders (and everyone who eats chicken from the state)! Arsenic-based chicken feed is about to be banned. (WAMU, 5/22) Yes, chickens are apparently fed the same ingredient that Cary Grant’s crazy movie aunts used to poison people.

Fair warning: the following is kind of gross. But the Atlantic answers a question that I never thought to ask – why aren’t cities littered with dead pigeons? You’ll be surprised (and disgusted) to know that turtles are part of the answer.

And, speaking of flying things, SpaceX successfully launched a private rocket containing more than 1,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station. It is set to dock on the 25th. Very cool! Hopefully they will take me with at some point. 

HEALTH
- If you’ve heard the term “medical home” and wondered what the heck it means, Grantmakers in Health has a useful primer for you – Medical Homes 101. (GIH, 5/21)

Related: In February, CareFirst announced $8.5m in local grants to support the medical home model. (WaPo, 2/27)

- Inova, Children’s discussing collaboration (WaPo, 5/18)

WORKFORCE | The Greater Washington region has been ranked second in the nation by Forbes for job growth in science, technology, engineering, and math jobs – putting us ahead of Silicon Valley (WBJ, 5/18):

“There is a broadness to the tech economy in the greater D.C. area; as the Valley has become dominated by trends in web fashion, the Washington tech complex include[s] substantial employment in such fields as computer systems design. custom programming, and private-sector research and development,” Forbes says.

DEVELOPMENT | Gray seeks eateries for Southeast as part of development at St. E site (WashTimes, 5/21) What a delicious idea!

HOUSING | Housing deal bust upsets Fairfax County supervisors (WashTimes, 5/21)

Not a ton of news today. To fill the void, how about a trailer for the next James Bond installment, Skyfall? And how about a bonus trailer for Hyde Park on the Hudson, with the esteemed Mr. Bill Murray playing Franklin Delano Roosevelt? This is really shaping up to be a great year for movies.

- Editorial: America’s changing demographics (WaPo, 5/18) “America’s complexion is changing, literally. It will be up to politicians to manage that evolution without social upheaval and to ensure that younger Americans, even if they don’t resemble their elders, get the same opportunities.”

Related: We linked to it yesterday as well, but for anyone who missed him, Dr. Jim Johnson’s recent presentation to WRAG and the nonprofit community is a must read. (WG Daily, 3/21)

HEALTH/FOOD
- Here’s a look at Mobile Market, a farmers market on wheels that sells at or below market-priced produce to under-served neighborhoods. (WTOP, 5/17)

- A new program in D.C. will allow doctors to write prescriptions for fresh produce, which can be redeemed at local farmers markets. The prescriptions will be written for 35 families who are at risk of obesity. (WAMU, 5/17)

EDUCATION
- Va. students prepare to take tougher math standards exam (WaPo, 5/17) The article’s descriptions of the new kinds of questions make me very glad to not be a high school student in Virginia.

- A third of freshmen at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, one of the most highly ranked magnet schools in the country, have been recommended for remedial training in math and science. (Examiner, 5/18)

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT | On May 29, WRAG is launching revised versions of the Common Grant Application (CGA), Common Letter of Inquiry (LOI), and Common Grant Report. The Foundation Center is hosting informational sessions on June 11 and June 20 for nonprofit organizations to learn more about the changes to the forms. Registration is now open on the Foundation Center website.

The forms are available to preview:

CGA | Common LOI | Common Grant Report
Funders who will accept the CGA

For incoming Thomas Jefferson High School students, here’s what you need to know about science, boiled down to 63 seconds.

- Rebekah

Related: A few weeks ago, demographer Dr. Jim Johnson talked about shifting demographics and their implications at WRAG’s Brightest Minds event. Here’s a recap. (WG Daily, 3/21)

WORKFORCE | Mayor Gray announced that the One City One Hire program, launched last September, has connected 3,000 residents with jobs. Forty percent of those hires come from wards 5, 7, and 8. (WaPo, 5/17)

EDUCATION | MontCo lawmakers criticize schools for using surplus on pay, not classes (Examiner, 5/17)

HOUSING | Good news! Foreclosures in our region dropped nearly 8 percent in April. (WaPo, 5/17)

REGION | The Council of Governments has released a new study that looks at how the region’s neighborhoods affect modes of transportation. Not surprisingly, people in denser areas that have stores, restaurants, et cetera are more likely to walk or bike. (WaPo, 5/17) It does seem strange that the study doesn’t include data on commuters who hang-glide to work…

PLANNING | Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan is pushing for a $2.4 billion capital spending plan for work on major projects over the next 10 years, including a streetcar line and road improvement. (WaPo, 5/17) And yet no mention of funding for teleportation studies.

NONPROFITS | IRS Urged to Reduce Paperwork Burden on Charities (Chronicle, 5/17) “The federal government is asking big nonprofits like universities and hospitals to spend too much time and money reporting on their finances and other activities, nonprofit officials told members of Congress.”

PHILANTHROPY | On the Association of Small Foundations’ blog, a recent college grad reflects on what she learned interning at a family foundation. It is an interesting perspective from somebody without previous experience in philanthropy. (ASF, 5/17)

LOCAL | Words can’t describe how uniquely important Chuck Brown was to our region’s character, but CNN’s obituary for the Godfather shows that the rest of the country doesn’t quite get it:

“Go-Go,” 40 years after its founding, remains especially popular in its hometown of Washington, D.C.

“Go-Go” with quotation marks! Can you imagine an article describing “classical” or “rock” music? Critics would cry blasphemy. But that was Chuck’s gift to us – something our region could call our very own. If you’ve never heard it before, here is a recounting of the legendary creation of go-go courtesy of the Post:

One night, in an attempt to keep the dance floor from thinning out, he told his band to fill the dead air between songs with a beat. So his drummer kept the sticks moving. His percussionist kept slapping at the conga. His audience kept their heels on the parquet. His beat connected the songs.

Then, his songs connected the city.

This is one of those rare occasions when it is appropriate to turn your speakers all the way up, yell “Wind me up, Chuck!” and jump on your desk to dance to my favorite Chuck song – his own version of Day-O.

Earl Scruggs, Levon Helm, Donald Dunn, Adam Yauch, Chuck Brown. This has been a tough couple of weeks for music lovers, but at least these artists’ music will live on.

Rebekah has the Daily tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

Related: What You Need to Know About the Budget the D.C. Council Passed Yesterday (DCist, 5/16)

- Md. faces budget gaps for next four years (Examiner, 5/16)

EDUCATION | In the past, teachers tracked students’ abilities and separated them into different classrooms to learn at corresponding levels. Recently, Montgomery County shifted its policy to be more inclusive of all students. The Post looks at how the county’s teachers are working to prepare lesson plans for classrooms filled with students of varying abilities. (WaPo, 5/16)

Glad I’m not a student there. I’d be devastated to be pulled out of Advanced Recess and put with kids of lesser abilities in the leisure department.

POLITICS | Democrat Kenyan McDuffie won yesterday’s Ward 5 special election to fill the empty council seat left by Harry Thomas. McDuffie, who has worked as an attorney for the Justice Department, said (WaPo, 5/16):

It’s a mandate — people want ethical, honest leadership…They want someone who is going to represent everyone in the ward.

BUSINESS | Interesting fact: More than half of the region’s companies featured on the Fortune 500 list are located in Fairfax County. (WBJ, 5/16)

LOCAL | Yesterday, I mentioned how much I hate snakehead fish. Today, WTOP decided to taunt me with an article about an 18-pound snakehead that was pulled out of the Potomac. (WTOP, 5/16) Somebody call Quint!

Kind of a slow news day…which gives us extra time to strategize about defending against the impending snakehead fish invasion. I’m making a run on harpoons later.

Also, have you ever seen the music video for Paul Simon’s You Can Call Me Al? It is basically a hilarious competition for attention between Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. A true classic.