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The first of three public forums on the search for a new D.C. Public Schools Chancellor is Tuesday.
DCPS has been without a chancellor since February when D.C Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson resigned amid reports that he circumvented the lottery system to transfer his daughter from one high school to another.
Mayor Muriel Bowser officially launched the search for a new chancellor at the end of June. And this week the search committee will begin one of three community engagement forums in schools around the District. The first forum will be on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Cardozo Education Campus in Northwest Washington.
During the last search, Washington Teachers Union President Elizabeth Davis — who serves on the search committee — criticized Mayor Bowser for only giving the committee Wilson’s resume to review. Davis says she hopes things will be different this time.
“I want [the committee] to be able to review the resumes of applicants that apply. I want them to be able to have conversations with them to determine if we want to narrow the search down to the top two or three applicants,” says Davis. “I want the team to have honest input.”
School officials are taking on a host of challenges for the upcoming school year, but without steady leadership, it not clear what the new vision for schools will be. For now, Interim Chancellor Amanda Alexander, who is also vying for a permanent chancellor position, is in charge.
With the community forums going into the fall, it’s unlikely that a permanent chancellor by the time school starts. Bowser told reporters in June she hopes to have someone in place by the beginning of next year.
Details on the DC Chancellor Search Engagement Forums:
- Tuesday, August 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Cardozo Education Campus (1200 Clifton Street, NW)
- Tuesday, August 28, at 6:30 p.m. at Savoy Elementary School (2400 Shannon Place, SE)
- Tuesday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Brookland Middle School (1150 Michigan Avenue, NE)
This site has more details on the search and public input process.
This story was first published at WAMU.
