Schools Roundup: Not Just Polling Places Edition
Sixty-one DCPS schools are serving as polling places in the District today, in addition to following a normal academic schedule. (The Washington Teachers’ Union had asked schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee to close the schools for election day, but their request was denied.) According to a spokesperson for the District, additional security has been put in place to ensure the safety of students, and “guarantees” have been made for light and heat (although one would hope those things were in place already).
While you’re voting, don’t forget to connect those arrows for your state school board representatives. If you missed it, check out DCist’s preview of the school board races here and here.
Speaking of the elections, the WTU has made good on its promise to send a letter to Senator Barack Obama, chastising him for his “statement in the last Presidential Debate about the state of DC Public Schools.” Towards the end of the final debate on October 15, Obama, responding to a question on education and vouchers, said, “The D.C. school system is in terrible shape, and it has been for a very long time.” Somehow, the WTU found this offensive, rather than as we saw it – stating the obvious.
The full text of the letter is below the jump.
Photo by zeul
October 23, 2008Senator Barack Obama
US Senate
Washington DC Office
13 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510Senator Barack Obama:
Please know that many members of the Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU) and the
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) support your candidacy for president and have
worked very hard throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia to ensure
that you are the next president of the United States. The Washington Teachers Union
(WTU) was, however, very disappointed with your statements in this most recent
presidential debate about the state of the DC public school (DCPS) system. Your remarks about DCPS were discouraging to our teachers, their students and their families.Just this year, it was announced that DCPS students made significant gains during the
past academic year in reading and math. The number of DC public schools making
adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading and math rose from 31 schools to
47 schools – an increase of more than 30%. Thanks to the dedication of DCPS teachers, DCPS test scores are now equivalent to scores from other school systems in several major cities. Although our teachers realize that there is still much progress to be made, the steady progress of DCPS test scores is a testament to the hard work performed by teachers in spite of the many challenges they face each and every day.
The WTU wants nothing more than to turn around DC's struggling schools so that every
child who attends public school can reach his or her true potential. We invite you to join
us on a visit to a DC public school to witness first-hand the great strides that our teachers make each and every day on behalf of our students in spite of limited support and resources. We hope that you will support the efforts of our teachers in implementing the right kind of sustainable reform that will benefit all children of DCPS.Sincerely,
George Parker, President
Schools Notes: WTU president George Parker is censured by the union’s executive board… Eastern High School’s football team struggles to find a future… Parking woes for Duke Ellington teachers… Had enough Obamakins? How about a Rhee-o-lantern?