DCentric

Good morning, DCentric readers! Here are your morning links:

D.C. schools investigating possible grade-doctoring at McKinley McKinley’s graduation rate is the second-highest in the city. Its Principal, David Pinder, was not a teacher at the high school but the Examiner found transcripts that listed him as one. More: “Current and former McKinley employees told The Washington Examiner that Pinder instructed data clerks to doctor transcripts for several years at the Northeast magnet school.” (Washington Examiner )

Biddle: Let students ride Metro for free “We in effect charge these kids who don’t have the benefit of living in a neighborhood that has a good school within walking distance,” said Biddle, a candidate in the April 26 special election to permanently fill the seat vacated by Chairman Kwame R. Brown. “There’s actually a cost to go to school and it’s disproportionately impacting many of our low income families who don’t have access to good schools.” (The Washington Post)

D.C. student brought crack cocaine to grade school, attorney says New details in this case– the Thomson Elementary school student who brought drugs to school was in possession of crack, not cocaine as originally reported. The boy found the drugs in his stepfather’s car; he and his little sister are now in foster care. His school principal recommended that the child be suspended for a year; it’s unclear why the boy was in D.C. public school, since he and his parents live in Maryland. (wtop.com)

D.C. DOES Director Rochelle Webb Had Chauffeured Ride Home “Webb spent her first two months in the District living—at taxpayer expense—at the W Hotel downtown…(her) office is located at Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road NE, and she requested a driver because she had just moved to the District and was unfamiliar with the area. Evidently, she was unfamiliar enough with the area that she didn’t realize the DOES office is a block from the Minnesota Avenue station on Metro’s Blue Line…” p.s. Webb’s son is part of the current “nepotism” controversy– he was one of the adult children of Mayoral appointees who recently resigned from his job with the city. (Washington City Paper)

Local residents happiest of country’s big-city dwellers According to Gallup, our low unemployment rate makes up for our workaholic tendencies. These two factors were also considered: “The results show that 85 percent of those who live in the D.C. metro area don’t smoke and 72 percent visit a dentist annually, two factors that increases a person’s well-being in the rankings.” Way to go, all you employed non-smokers with pearly whites! (Washington Examiner )

Juan Williams: Scared of Black Men? “Former NPR employee Juan Williams has done it again. This time while guest-hosting on The O’Reilly Factor last night, Williams said that he gets nervous when walking past black guys, while interviewing Dr. Caroline Helmand, professor at Occidental College.” Here’s what Williams said: “You think that simply saying what you think is evidence of bigotry that all of a sudden it’s as if you were walking by a black man that would mean if you were bigoted if you were somewhat nervous. Let me just tell you, with the amount of black on black crime in America, I get nervous and I’m a black man.” (The Root)