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- 🐦 Youngkin's school project
🐦 Youngkin's school project
Also: You can buy Warren Buffett's old house
Just Outside DC
November 15, 2024
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Welcome to Just Outside DC — the local newsletter that makes you the most interesting person at the water cooler.
Today’s factoid of the day is: 2% of the population has green eyes, and they’re more common in women than men.
THE BIG IDEA
Youngkin’s school ranking site — lifting the curtain or throwing shade?
Glenn Youngkin just launched a brand-new website that's got the whole state buzzing.
Introducing... drumroll, please... the Road to Readiness!
This digital playground (it’s basically just an Excel spreadsheet) promises to be a one-stop shop for all your school performance needs.
Students, parents, and community members can now access a wealth of data on how their schools are measuring up, along with a treasure trove of support resources. It's all part of Youngkin's plan to revamp how the Old Dominion evaluates academic success.
But here's where things get interesting:
Schools are now ranked into four categories: Distinguished, On Track, Off Track, or Needs Intensive Support.
Factors like SOL scores, chronic absenteeism, and graduation rates determine where each school lands.
The current data? 19% are Distinguished, 55% On Track, 21% Off Track, and 5% Needs Intensive Support.
What's the gameplan for those underperforming schools?
Youngkin's proposing in his 2025 budget to get them back on the honor roll.
Distinguished schools will share their winning strategies.
Strugglers will receive "targeted support and guidance to meaningfully improve.
Want to see how your local schools fared? Head over to the Virginia Department of Education's hub, scroll down to the yellow banner labeled "School Data and Cumulative Score," and let the report card surprises begin!
(fair warning: file it comes in is pretty big)
Together with Tailored Trivia
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With over 150 personalized trivia cards packed with fun facts about your history, ancestors, favorite trips, and more, this isn't just a board game. It's a celebration of your unique bond with your friends, family, or co-workers.
Snag your custom Tailored Trivia game today and get the perfect way to bring everyone together for laughter, nostalgia, and memory-making magic this holiday season.
Bulletin Board 📌
Reader Restaurant Recommendation: One of our readers, Tanya, recommends you guys check out Mama Tigre. It’s a Mexican/Indian fusion spot located in Oakton. Just looking at the color of the owner’s chef coat tells me everything I need to know about this place 🔥
QUICK HITS
Shotted Speciality Coffee just opened up a third location at Dulles Town Center recently ☕️
Check out this list of holiday markets coming to the Northern VA and DC area this month and in December 🎅
Warren Buffett’s childhood home just hit the DC real estate market and is listed for about $2.4M
Bobby’s Bagel Cafe is back with some beautifully done Thanksgiving themed baked goodies 🦃 🥯
41 hospitals in Virginia received an A grade for safety. You can check out the full list here 🏥
LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN
Cherrydale Holiday Market | the 4th annual market is back tomorrow in Arlington. You can check out the full list of local vendors here! 🎄
Bull Run Festival of Lights | 2.5 straight miles of holiday lights kicking off tonight in Centreville 💡
Macbeth | Washington National Opera is performing Macbeth at The Kennedy Center until later this month 👑
Astronomy Festival | stargazing, telescope viewing, hot chocolate, and more tomorrow night at Turner Farm Park Observatory in Great Falls ☄️
Chocolate and Coffee Fest | coffee from around the world and chocolate from local vendors, all this weekend at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly 🍫
The Sky Tonight | come on over to the planetarium at the National Air and Space Museum in DC for a guided tour of the night sky tomorrow 🔭
Tysons Holiday Kickoff | complimentary s’mores, fireworks, and Santa tonight at Tysons Corner Center 🎆
Mt. Vernon Flea Market + Crafts Fair | antiques, artisan crafts, fresh food, and more tomorrow in Alexandria 📦️
Ice and Lights | Cameron Run Park becomes the perfect winter wonderland and will stay that way until February ⛄️
The Shawshank Redemption | the Stephen King novella has been adapted for the stage by NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon and is playing until early December 🎭️
One of our readers, Jeff, took this funny picture of a deer that caught him by surprise (looks like the deer was surprised too!)
📍Teddy Roosevelt Island
By the way, if you’ve got any cool/funny/interesting pics or vids from around the NoVA area, feel free to send them our way via email or Instagram. We’ll show ‘em in the next newsletter!
TY!
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