Photo by Crystal Davis.
Councilmember Muriel Bowser, the Democratic nominee for mayor, does not support a plan accepted by Mayor Vincent Gray to change school boundaries and feeder patterns in D.C.
“The Mayor’s plan on school boundary changes is not ready,” a statement from Bowser released by her Council office states. “His plan serves to exacerbate educational inequality and does little to move school reform forward faster. It lacks the necessary budgetary and leadership commitments to bring about a truly fair neighborhood school assignment policy. I cannot accept these recommendations.”
A final set of recommendations created by the Advisory Committee on Student Assignment puts an emphasis on neighborhood schools through redrawn boundaries, a change in feeder patterns and limiting students to one matter-of-right school.
Councilmember David Catania, who is also running for mayor, said yesterday he would delay the plan until at least the 2016-17 school year for several reasons, including his objection to moving students to lower performing schools.
My overarching goal has always been to build a system of high-quality schools in every neighborhood. Over the past 20 months and 144 school visits, I have heard directly from students, parents and guardians, and school leaders, as to what our students need to succeed. Together we have made great progress, resulting in transformative legislative actions to improve school quality. Among others, my Focused Student Achievement Act ended the outdated and harmful practice of social promotion. The Parent and Student Empowerment Act, which I authored, provides parents and students with an advocate and a voice within the public education system. My Comprehensive Planning and Utilization of School Facilities Act takes critical steps to improve facility planning in the future and the physical space in which students are learning. And just today, the first day of the 2014-2015 school year, over 36,000 students will benefit from my Fair Funding Act, which invested $80 million in our public schools to help close the achievement gap. I believe that developing a well-resourced boundary and student assignment plan that addresses issues of school quality will build on these achievements and serve all our students as we work towards improving public education across the city.
A member of the boundary committee, Ward 7 Education Council chair Eboni-Rose Thompson, told DCist yesterday that, while people wanted the plan to address quality, that can’t be improved solely throwing drawing lines.
“What we were able to do with this process is to start to create some of the conditions that could lead to an increase in equality system-wide,” she said.
“Only the next Mayor can address the plan’s unanswered questions, inherent inequalities across neighborhoods, and with the new Council, address significant budgetary implications,” Bowser said in a statement. “If elected Mayor, I pledge that my first budget will reflect our commitment to make every school high performing. Then, and only then, will we advance meaningful school reform.”
