D.C. mayoral candidate Adrian Fenty hints at school takeover plan
Adrian Fenty, the prohibitive favorite to become mayor of Washington, D.C. in the upcoming election, has given a hint of his school takeover plan, saying high-performing public schools would get more autonomy and failing schools could be closed and reopened with new staffs and extra resources. Mr. Fenty has said he is leaning strongly toward pursuing a takeover modeled on the one achieved by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who dissolved the school board and named a schools chancellor. His latest comments came on a visit to two schools arranged by school board member Tommy Wells, now a candidate for city council, who says he wanted to show Mr. Fenty examples of successful schools as Mr. Fenty formulates his plans. Mr. Wells says he hasn't decided about his position on a takeover, which the council would have to approve. Mr. Fenty has indicated he might eliminate the elected school board and turn it into an advisory panel. Although many parents and guardians of D.C. public school students seem united in their desire for change after what they say has been years of frustration, their reaction to a possible takeover of the schools has been mixed. Some parents say they are troubled by the idea of Mr. Fenty, who has no background as an educator, overseeing the school system and eliminating their ability to have a say in choosing its leaders. Others applaud the move, saying the elected school board hasn’t done much and makes decisions without any involvement from parents. "We've had a school board forever, and nothing has changed," says one. Darlene T. Allen, president of the city's Parent Teacher Association, says she will oppose a Fenty takeover. Eliminating the school board only further reduces residents' power to choose, she says. "It's not the structure that causes the problem, it's the people who are being elected."
Washington Post
By Theola Labbe & David Nakamura
[Full story]
Washington Post
By Keith L. Alexander
[Full story]
[Editor’s Note: Background on the plans for D.C. is provided starting with the information in the editor’s note accompanying the news summary, below, about the dispute over the Los Angeles mayoral takeover.]
[NSBA School Law pages on L.A. mayoral takeover dispute]