New System for Public Hearings on School Closings

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.

Moving the Discussion to Teacher Quality

Teacher quality and effectiveness have long been topics of debate among DC VOICE members and constituents. One positive aspect of the recent RIF (Reduction In Force), school equalization, and DCPS budget discrepancies is that teacher quality has once again been positioned at the forefront of discussion. Chancellor Rhee has stated that this RIF was necessitated by school budget cuts at the City Council level, while many others believed that it was an internal strategy aimed at improving teacher quality beyond the strict confines of the existing, yet outdated, Washington Teacher’s Union Contract. While the RIF will long be argued, DC VOICE believes this is an opportunity to refocus the conversation on overall teacher quality. Budget shortfalls and tenure aside, DCPS students deserve quality, experienced teachers who are continually offered enhanced development and instruction techniques.

Similar to DC VOICE practices during past important hearings and policy debates concerning DCPS, the Washington Post Editors recently posed 15 questions they hoped Chancellor Michelle Rhee would answer (Washington Post Article). On October 29th, the DC Council has the opportunity to pose these questions to Chancellor Rhee when she attends a Round Table session. In addition to Washington Post’s questions, DC VOICE urges the Council to make certain that the following questions, focused on teacher quality, are answered as well as various follow up questions arising from the October 19th City Council hearing. Aside from merely criticizing the process of this recent RIF and doing their due diligence in addressing constituent concerns at tomorrow’s hearing, we hope the City Council will also utilize this process to become more informed about the strategies and obstacles in place for ensuring high quality teaching within every classroom in the District of Columbia.

Teacher Quality:

1. During this administrations last three years, has the WTU and DCPS collaborated on any strategies/initiative to improve teacher quality?

2. What prompted DCPS to hire 936 new teachers this year, 3 times the usual number of new teacher hires?

3. Given the current focus on teacher quality as measured by student performance on standardized tests, were Principals instructed to use classroom performance data as a leading factor in their RIF decisions?

4. Nationwide, 75,000 teachers have won National Board Certification, while only 39 DC teachers have received National Board Certification. Does DCPS intend to increase its number of Nationally Board Certified teachers and why was an experienced, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certified instructor fired during the RIF process?

(For the teacher perspective on teacher quality and classroom readiness, please view the DC VOICE 2009 RCP Report)

RIF Specific Questions:

5. Is DCPS continuing to hire more new teachers after firing 229, as reported by the City Paper & Washington Post on October 20th?

6. During the October 16th hearing, witnesses claimed that DCPS does not recruit and no longer hires from HBSU’s, is this true? If so, why?

7. Were parents and LSRT’s left out of the RIF/decision making process until after the decisions were made, if so why?

8. Why was a request made to send armed police officers into a non-violent student protest, resulting in the arrest of a DCPS student and parent, and who made that decision?

9. Has emotional counseling been offered to students who watched their teachers escorted from classrooms and school building during the school day?

10. With many counselors fired, who is assisting students with college applications at the affected schools?

Reforming the Reform?

D.C. education continues to receive only a fraction of the focus, participation, and public voice necessary at the Council level to ensure student development and success. So, as asked by Council Member Michael Brown during the October 16th Council Hearing on DCPS, is it time to “Reform the reform”?

In 2007 the D.C. Council gave full oversight of DCPS issues to the Mayor and the mayoral appointed Chancellor. An education committee was eliminated and the Committee of the Whole took charge of D.C.’s most pressing issue, public education.

The intentions are understood, but the actual benefits are debatable. While the previous committee consisted of five Council Members, the Committee of the Whole is chaired by the Council Chairperson and consists of all 13 Council Members. The urgency and interest from the full Council appeared to be the first step toward a 13 person commitment for reform, but as seen during the recent Council Hearing on October 16th, only a handful of Council Members are really involved. A mere 5 Council Members were present any significant portion of time during the 18 hour hearing.

With questions about erasures, fluctuating attendance numbers, a teacher union contract in limbo, RIFs, and accountability, at no other time than the present is the need for a proper governing voice on DC education issues more apparent.

The Committee of the Whole manages over 13 issues ranging from the annual budget to relationships with local ANCs. With scheduled meetings only once per month, it is questionable how much time the Committee can allocate to public hearings on education issues.

Testimony by budget specialists and advocacy groups at the October 16th hearing identified lack of transparency in the budget.

Some Council Members suggested on Friday that Mayor Fenty’s administration, while touting accountability and transparency, is “anti-accountability and anti-transparency”. If true, the Council can only look in the mirror and take partial blame for maintaining a loose structure of oversight.

The existence of a Committee on Education would not only provide a dedicated staff monitoring oversight and accountability, but also allow District residents to know who is responsible for management of public education at the Council level. In a time with continued questioning of accountability, a designated committee providing public transparency and oversight should be a priority.

So Council Member Michael Brown, you’re right, it is time to “reform the reform”. The first step, though, should be to reform the Council. D.C. deserves a Committee on Education with a focused, dedicated, and participatory Council who listen to the public voice.