July 10, 2007
More Delays for Schools at Session's End
The D.C. Council is meeting for the final day of its summer session as we speak, and as we mentioned in this morning's roundup, a confirmation vote for deputy mayor for education Victor Reinoso has been postponed until at least September. But other key Fenty school takeover appointments are expected to be confirmed today, including Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Allen Lew, acting director of the new Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization.
Yesterday, Lew testified before the Council that the so-called $100 million "School Repair Blitz" announced by then-Superintendent Clifford Janey and School Board President Robert Bobb in February is, predictably, seriously behind schedule. Both the Post and the Examiner have stories about the hearing, in which Lew describes inadequate work orders and miscommunication associated with the "Blitz," such as a repair order for a leaking roof that did not include funding to fix gutters to prevent the leak from coming back.
Mayor Fenty himself promised the repairs associated with the "Blitz" would be completed by the time school starts in the fall, but Lew is now saying that won't happen. Backlogged repairs will now take up to six months longer, according to Lew. The Council does seem to still be drawing a distinct line between school initiatives spearheaded by Janey and Bobb and those that are part of the Fenty plan, however -- Fenty may have put his word behind Janey and Bobb's "Blitz," but Council members such as Marion Barry were quoted yesterday as being grateful that the city has "a change coming" and are expected to confirm Lew with full confidence.
UPDATE: As expected, the D.C. Council has confirmed both Michelle Rhee as Schools Chancellor and Allen Lew as director of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization.
Photo by andertho
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Victor Reinoso was a part of the problem and we can do without him.
appropriate that you should show the WWI memorial when talking about things that are in dire need of repairs. when can we get the council to spend some $$$$ on fixing that before we lose it to the ravages of time?
and thank god for mr. lew. about damn time that someone with half a brain was running something in the schools, even if this is just physical plant things for now. it's amazing that it took this long to get someone who looks at a compound fracture and doesn't think "put a band-aid on it to stop the bleeding". getting to the actual root of some of these building problems will be a breath of fresh air.
It is sortof amazing that any school official will even admit that something is behind schedule. For decades now they've denied that even when it was obvious they were lying. Or, they blamed The Man, or Mad Cow Disease, or possibly the Awesome Power of Cheese. Never, you know, their own stunning incompetence, graft, laziness, or arrogance.