According to a recent analysis my organization did of academic recovery in Washington, DC, investments in early literacy and reading instruction are producing positive results in all districts. On average, it will take DC students about a year to achieve or exceed pre-pandemic early literacy levels. But math recovery has been significantly slower, with students taking an additional four years to recoup losses. Alarmingly, the 2023 state math assessments reveal that only 22% of DC students overall and only 11% of DC’s Black students are meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations in math.
The importance of early math education cannot be overstated. Eighth-grade algebra readiness is closely related to students’ math fluency in first grade. Students who successfully complete Algebra I in middle school are more likely to take advanced math courses in high school and then go on to STEM fields in college.
Here are ways schools can help: After studying schools where students saw the fastest progress in their math skills, we identified five instructional strategies that help build students’ confidence, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency.
The DC Council’s FY 2025 budget should include a citywide strategy to support schools in adopting evidence-based programs and scaling these strategies. Such action would establish a historic precedent that would ensure DC meets or exceeds national averages in academic achievement for Black and Brown students and low-income students by the end of the decade.
The author is the founder of EmpowerK12, an education information and development nonprofit.
As reported by The Washington Post in its May 28 Metro article, “D.C. Fails to Track Young People in Justice, Welfare Systems, Report Finds,” city leadership, from Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) to the D.C. Council to D.C. Comptroller Kathleen Paterson herself, continues to miss the mark when it comes to helping struggling young people cope with the traumatic experiences that are wreaking havoc on their lives.
Hidden in Patterson’s report was the fact that, as of September 2023, about 10% of delinquency involved youth receiving mental health services, and none receiving substance abuse services. These figures are unjustified, given that many of these youth have mental health diagnoses. And it was shocking to read the bland statement that the Department of Youth Corrections Services “does not cite specific partnerships.” [D.C. Child and Family Services Agency]”Failing to provide these critical services is a dereliction of duty. Instead, what Paterson recommended, and city leaders have since promised, is better counting and coordination. Is that really our response to this grave emergency?”
Prominent education activist Jonathan Kozol once said, regarding America’s reliance on testing in schools rather than investing in its children, “We have a saying in Vermont: ‘You can weigh a lamb and it won’t get fat.’” When will our city leaders stop focusing on better strategies to “weigh” struggling youth and commit to actually helping them?
Shelley Ettleson, Washington
Much has been written in recent weeks about Blackie Wetzel and the portrait of John Two Guns White Calf that adorned the Washington Redskins helmet from 1972 to 2020. Clearly, the controversy isn’t going away anytime soon. But the team’s new owner, Josh Harris, should see the controversy as an opportunity to reinstate Washington as one of the NFL’s most successful franchises.
As a 35-year resident of Washington, DC, I have always enjoyed games at RFK Stadium and seen how football has brought this city together. On fall Monday mornings, conversations around the water cooler, in the loading dock, and even across the aisles of Congress have always centered on Sunday’s game. Football brought together a city divided, black or white, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat. Football was the common language that everyone spoke. When Daniel Snyder destroyed a profitable NFL franchise, he also destroyed the glue that held the city together. If Harris can bring this divided city back together, he and the franchise will be in a stronger position to address the controversy over the team’s name, logo, and history.
One option would be to follow the example of the successful Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League and change the team name to the Washington Americans in honor of all Native American tribes. If Harris were to do that and also restore Wetzel’s mascot design, Washington fans would be able to show their pride in both their team and the Blackfeet when they put on their burgundy jerseys every Sunday afternoon. These actions would mark the difference between adopting a derogatory name and logo and ignoring Native Americans entirely. As a member of the Chippewa Nation of Minnesota, I see this as an opportunity to honor Native Americans before their history is completely forgotten.
By rising to this moment, Harris can right many of the wrongs of the past and, in doing so, he will etch his name, along with Wetzel’s, in sports history and, as Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) aptly pointed out in a recent letter, in the hearts and minds of Washington fans who need to get excited again.
Michael Kaiser, Washington
Regarding the sports article on June 2nd “The Nationals can’t come back from a losing effort.”
The first sentence of the June 2nd sports headline states that the umpires made the correct call. However, the next few paragraphs state that the Washington Nationals are contesting the call. This is expected, since this is a local newspaper. The explanation for the correct call is actually contained in these paragraphs.
1. Dave Martinez claimed the ball hit the knob of Jacob Young’s bat. As replays showed, this was clearly false.
2. Home plate umpire Malachi Moore explained to Martinez that he didn’t hear the ball hit the bat, which is a completely different sound than the ball hitting flesh, and it travels in a completely different direction. This suggests Moore’s call that Young struck out and missed was well-founded. The article also noted that Young’s hand showed visible signs of injury after the game, which would seem to support Moore’s call, but the Nationals maintained that was irrelevant.
What losing teams do is look for excuses. The Nationals played a sloppy game with three wild pitches, one of which led to the winning run. Instead of blaming the umpires, they need to fix their own mistakes.
Colin Agee, Falls Church
The writer is a member of the Northern Virginia Baseball Umpires Association.
Take me out of baseball
Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported on the latest developments in the long-running dispute over broadcasting the Nationals and Orioles. The paper insightfully explored the contentious history and impact of the deal MASN and Comcast struck to televise this year’s Nationals-Orioles games, noting that if the two companies had not come to an agreement, “it could have disrupted the way most baseball fans in the region watch their teams play.” But what’s only now becoming clear is just how costly these new deals will be for fans.
My family has been fans of Washington’s professional baseball team for over 100 years. My father and grandfather watched the Senators win the World Series in 1924, and my son and I watched the Nationals win the series in 2019. However, since the Nationals became World Champions, it has become harder to watch our favorite team. I have been watching the Nationals on Verizon’s MASN station since 2005. But when I tried to watch the Nationals’ Memorial Day win over the Atlanta Braves, Verizon informed me that my annual MASN fee had increased by more than $400.
I vehemently disagree with the brazenness of these deals. To be sure, television rights are a vital way for teams to make money to field strong lineups. But such dramatic price hikes also risk losing longtime fans with little warning. As compensation, broadcasters might consider showing Nationals games for the remainder of the 2024 season at 2023 rates. In return, they could encourage fans to donate the money they save from baseball games to a worthy charity. I would suggest the Jesuits or Lutheran immigrant missions in Texas.
Anyone interested? Verizon? Comcast? Nationals? All I can hear are crickets, but I’m going to be rooting for the Nationals on the radio this summer.
Maurice McInerney, Bethesda
