Dissatisfied by the outcome of the
lengthy hearings on the DCPS school closing and consolidation plan, concerned
citizens continue to fight to have their voices heard. Last Tuesday, they
assembled at Savoy Elementary School to express their concerns to City Council
Members David Catania, Muriel Bowser and Marion Barry. Unlike a standard town
hall meeting, where individuals have free reign of the public platform, this
event was structured as a series of small group discussions. A facilitator was
provided to each group to takes notes that were later shared with the room.
This format was intended to foster clear and equitable communication among all
participants, but potentially squelched the passion that would be expressed
through unregulated individual testimony.
Another forum that DCPS has provided
for pubic input on school closings is the Idea Submission webpage, where the public is
asked to share “creative and innovative ideas for improving our school
consolidation and reorganization proposal.” The posts on this site are a
mixture of small group notes from the Savoy meeting (“Ward 8 Meeting, Table
Notes 1, Nancy Huvendick, Facilitator- NancyH13”), earnest commentary from
parents (“Just doesn’t make any sense- Tiffany G”) and inspired suggestions
from stakeholders (“Save Davis Elementary- Make it a pilot Japanese Immersion-
Diona K”).
The Idea Submission Page offers
unlimited space for citizen testimony, but is anyone actually listening to
these online appeals? Does The Council see this site as a breeding ground for
innovation, or a sound proof pen for disgruntled constituents? The actual
impact of any advocacy is unknown until it takes effect, so for now, those with
opinions on school closings should utilize all available mediums so we can
figure out the best plan for DCPS.
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