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|
District of
Columbia Government
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty
Media Advisory
January 4, 2007 |
MEDIA CONTACT: Mafara Hobson
202-727-2320 |
Mayor
Adrian M. Fenty Announces Education Initiative
Today,
District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty unveiled his plan to provide
the city’s children with hope and opportunity through an education
reform initiative. The plan would ensure rational, streamlined education
policy by making the mayor accountable and responsible for managing DC
Public Schools. Implementation of the plan rests on City Council approval.
“We
have a crisis on our hands. Over the past two decades, study after study
has spelled out the same problems and made nearly the same
recommendations. My proposal changes one critical piece of the
puzzle—increased accountability and action. I am asking today for that
responsibility to be placed squarely on my shoulders,” said Mayor Adrian
M. Fenty.
The following objectives were identified by Fenty as
his Administration’s top priorities to address critical challenges
facing the District in the area of education. These recommendations were
developed based on input from District residents as well as local and
national experts:
- Ensure that all children start school ready to
learn
- Improve transparency of and accountability for
public education performance to ensure equal access to excellent
public education
- Centralize State Education Agency functions
- Support the implementation of the research-based
education reforms included in the Master Education Plan (MEP)
- Create an interagency, outcome-driven strategy for
delivery of youth-related services in support of education
- Improve data systems in support of coordinated
service delivery and increased transparency of program performance
- Increase responsiveness of public schools to
constituent concerns and engage the community in support of public
education
- Increase retention of quality principals and
teachers
- Ensure that all public school students have access
to appropriate facilities
- Improve access to and quality of Special Education
services
- Improve access to and quality of
Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs
- Ensure the continued success of District-based
institutions of higher education
- Ensure school, university, employer, and community
alignment in support of seamless transition from the education
environment to the workforce
- Ensure a diversity of effective lifelong learning
alternatives in the District of Columbia
Fenty
also provided copies of the executive summary of a study conducted by The
Parthenon Group, a strategic advisory firm who has studied education
issues in other jurisdictions. The study made a compelling case for a
change in structural accountability. Key advantages of Mayoral control
described in the report include accelerated pace of reform, direct
accountability for management and increased stability in leadership.
In
addition to increasing state-level functions and school board
responsibilities, interagency collaboration and increased charter school
accountability, the bill would create a Department of Education, which,
for the first time, would provide Cabinet-level facilitation, coordination
and direction for pre-kindergarten through post-secondary education
initiatives in the District under the leadership of the Deputy Mayor for
Education. In addition, the legislation achieves the following:
- Aggressive approach-It
reflects the urgency expressed by District residents and other city
leaders.
- Comprehensive plan-Like
never before in the District, this legislation puts collaboration
among child-serving agencies at the forefront. Improving
educational outcomes is linked directly with improving the public
safety, health, and well-being of our young people. This
legislation and education plan recognizes that and integrates that
concept into a comprehensive approach.
- Responsive to
citizens-The creation
of an Office of Ombudsman for Public Education reflects the priority
that this administration will give to responding to the concerns of
residents. The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education will
function as a new mechanism for communication and response.
- Emphasizes accountability-With
this legislation, the Mayor will be held accountable for the
performance of our schools.
- Based on sound policy-This
legislation reflects careful review of best practices and research of
policies across the country. And we're finally putting state
education functions where they belong -- with the District as a state.
|