More D.C. School Reform

Contra most of the press coverage, the group known as the Ward 8 Democrats didn't say they opposed Mayor Fenty's proposal to take control of DCPS. But they do want a referendum on it. The last time we had a major school governance change, when we established the hybrid elected-appointed school board in 2000, we voted (well, I didn't, because I had just moved here, but DC residents generally did). The previous governance change happened because the Congressionally-appointed control board took over the schools, without voter approval.

I don't fully understand why the Fenty administration didn't decide to submit their plan to the voters, thereby taking the home rule objection off the table (or significantly weakening it). The obvious reason is their proclaimed desire for immediate action, but is the difference between early May, when a referendum could occur, and April, when the council might vote on Fenty's plan, that big? As everyone needs to remember, serious school reform is a laborious, long-term process. If having a vote now could improve public support and chances of success over the long haul, wouldn't that have been worth it?

That said, I strongly believe that the primary threat to democracy here in the District is not Mayor Fenty's plan, but the fact that our long-term failure to educate significant percentages of our young people disenfranchises them socially, economically and politically.