School Control Daze

1. From Robert Bobb, President of the D.C. Board of Education:

Emergency Student Achievement Act of 2007

Beginning on Thursday, February 8th, the D.C. Board of Education will be hosting several community meetings to discuss our proposed legislation “Emergency Student Achievement Act of 2007.” This legislation, which is an alternative to Mayor Adrian Fenty’s school takeover plan, has been presented to the DC City Council for consideration. We invite you to join us for these very important meetings. We encourage you to provide us with feedback and ideas on how we can best improve D.C. Public Schools and student achievement.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

District 3 (Wards 5 and 6)
Monday, February 12, 2007
McKinley Technology High School 151 T Street, NE, Room 150
Invitation

District 4 (Wards 7 and 8)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Randle Highlands Elementary School 1650 30th Street, SE
Invitation

The District 2 meeting (Wards 3 and 4) is being scheduled.

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Understanding the Difference between the Board of Education’s Proposal and the Mayor’s Proposal

For more information, contact: Ms. Natalie C. Williams, Director of Communications, D.C. Board of Education, (202) 442-5194

2. While he doesn't say anything I haven't been writing for quite some time, Saturday's column in the Post by Colbert King, "Fixing the Schools? Parenting Is Paramount," covers this issue in terms of focusing attention where it needs to be most focus, not on the political structure of the school system--although that matters, and why accountability has been allowed to be disconnected as it relates to the schools (by way of example, see )--but on children and families.

Last week's column, "What Never Seems to Change for D.C. Schools," started with this:

(Referring to the time of segregated schools in DC) The governance system was of little help, but we had accountability where it counted. Our principals and teachers, shortchanged on resources, still accepted responsibility for giving us the most rigorous education possible. As students, we were answerable to our parents for what we did or failed to do in school. And the black civic community and the educators in charge of "Negro" schools, even with limited clout, still tried to hold white city leaders to account for their actions or inaction.