January 15, 2008
School Closure Fight Heats Up
The D.C. Council held an all-day public hearing on the Fenty administration's proposal to close 23 public schools yesterday, with the highlight being three hours of testimony from Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.
The Post reports that at one point, Zein El-Amine, a member of Save Our Schools, interrupted testimony to yell expletives at Rhee, accusing her of reneging on a promise to take seriously community input into her decision-making process regarding school closures. About 50 people, including school children, also protested for an hour before the hearing began, led by Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry in chants of, "No justice, no peace."
The Examiner ran some interesting quotes from the first part of the hearing of testimony by several community leaders who argued that some particularly successful schools, like Stevens and Wilkinson Elementary Schools, should not be on the closure list. Council Chair Vincent Gray said he agreed.
“There are schools on this list that shouldn’t be on this list,” Chairman Vincent Gray said. “I’m absolutely convinced of that.”It's tough to say whether the negative reaction from parents, activists and the Council to the current school closure proposal could actually convince Fenty and Rhee, who were given direct power over the school system last year by the Council, to change course. Barry and Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) have sponsored legislation to prevent these school closings from going forward without more input. Simultaneous hearings at each of the 23 schools set for closure are still scheduled for Thursday night.
Photo by erin m
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not everyone can be made happy in this process. do what's right for the system, ms. rhee.
damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!
Don't quite understand the point of giving broad school-closing power to Rhee/Fenty and then sponsoring legislation to prevent schools from being closed. Seems to me it's either s**t or get off the pot.
And it's always good to see adults hurling expletives in front of school children. I'm sure they hear worse on Saturday night after momma's had a few Remy Martins and Cokes, but still, that's pretty classy.
Protests led by tax cheats always have such an air of legitimacy, don't they?
Seriously, this is a necessary step. Let's get on with it and stop dredging up unnecessary drama. Truth is the 'protesters' are protesting the loss of cushy do-nothing jobs and the huge contracts many have to do DC maintenance and other school-related repairs. If the school ain't there, how can you grossly overcharge for minor fixes?
The Barry-Thomas bill to give the Council the power to approve of school closings won't go anywhere. And they know it. But my guess is that Rhee and Fenty will back off one or two schools (especially since Rhee repeatedly said the closure list was just a proposal and not a done-deal). That way, Barry and Thomas can claim a moral victory, the activists can be appeased a little bit that they stopped the Fenty dictatorship, and the majority of the schools planned for closing will still be shut down.
"several community leaders who argued that some particularly successful schools, like Stevens and Wilkinson Elementary Schools, should not be on the closure list"
Is it the building that makes a school successful? I'd tend to think no. Even if these buildings remain in use, I'd imagine that there will still be significant changes in their operation. The thinking seems to be "if it aint broke, don't fix it", but they're going to be "fixed" either way.
Yelling expletives at officials is a sure-fire way to be taken seriously, I'd imagine.
I'm sure each Councilmember has told the Mayor "When I told you it was okay to close schools, I didn't mean you could close schools in my ward!"
Screw Barry. He's worthless.
why are these schools being closed?
dc wants to commercially develop these properties, because, really, what's the value of a commodity like the future of our city's youth?
Every dollar wasted on heating, cooling, and staffing unnecessary space takes a dollar away from an after-school program, a new art teacher, or fixing something. It also sends the message to the taxpayer that the city is a poor steward of our money. If DC were in the top 20% of school systems, we might argue to maintain the status quo, but we are among the worst.
Xtena:
Nonsense. This is a measure designed to actually redivert $$ to helping students. Portraying it otherwise is irresponsible and dishonest.
hillman - you're right, my last comment could be read as ignorance stoking the ignorance. my intention wasn't irresponsible dishonesty, but rather posing a conspiracy theory, albeit a bad one.
i admit i know nothing about the school system here; i went through one far away and with far different problems, under-enrollment and accompanying effects are greek to me.
that said, i think the schools here should be consolidated, special programs funded, and more children being given the opportunity to benefit. AND i think the most valuable properties are where the improved schools should be!
and arming the children with emotional complaints about the schools closing IS irresponsible and dishonest, albeit ignorant.