Ray Avrutis, Democratic candidate for Ward 2 Councilmember
September 12, 2000, Primary
Parents United for the D.C. Public Schools Questionnaire
August 2000

I would look for people whose children have attended public schools, and who hold at least a master's or a professional degree. I would look for someone who has lived in the D.C. Metro Area for some years, and who preferably is a resident of the District. I would favor people with ideas, not mere functionaries, nominated because they, say, contributed to the Mayor's election campaign fund.

2. What is the difference between oversight and micro-management of the school system? What is the role of the Council with respect to public schools since some members of the School Board now have a relationship with the Council? How will you assure that the Superintendent is accountable to the School Board rather than pulled between the Mayor, Council and School Board?

Oversight of the schools would include general supervision. For example, how many teachers work in the schools? Micro-management would be asking how many teachers are in this school, and that school, e.g., are class sizes smaller at predominately white schools than at mainly black schools? This is an area that the School Board should address - although if the School Board neglects to ask questions that I believe are appropriate, I reserve the right to "micro-manage."

The role of the Council with respect to the public schools is to fund the schools with necessary items, not just to approve a budget for more supervisors, while neglecting the true needs of the students. If a school has no books for a class, I will ask neighboring jurisdictions to give free, their unwanted textbooks, so that D.C. would have older texts instead of no texts; resulting publicity from this action would thus shame the city.

I am unfamiliar with how the Superintendent is called to testify, and what answers (s)he gives to questions that are asked. Should the Superintendent have informed the School Board of something, and someone on the Council asks the same or a similar question, then the Superintendent would be well-advised to start his or her answer this way: "As I recently explained to the School Board..."

3. What steps would you take to see that the school system’s operating budget and capital budget are adequately funded to meet students’ needs for a high quality educational program? Please include comments on financing for new school construction and rehabilitation and funding high quality occupational training/career opportunities that do not now exist.

I have written in my 25-words "about myself" for the Washington Post that I would like a column in the paper, much as I wrote a column for the American University Eagle when I was Senior Class President. In my column, I would include photos of egregious aspects of the school system (in four or eight buildings) and would then ask people to vote for the, "Slum School of the Month." Actually, this idea is an old one; in the mid-1960's, around 1966 or 1967, a group of students at my (progressive, alternative) high school (long ago defunct), Walden, took pictures as I suggest here, but the racist Washington Post wouldn't print them. End of project.

Hopefully, there would be more money allocated by the City Council to repair school buildings, for newer) textbooks, and to build new schools and rehabilitate old ones. To fund high quality job training, I ask that every labor union in D.C. hire apprentices at age 16 to work one or two days after school, one day on the weekend, and full-time during the summer. Work experience would--and should--augment and not supplement education.

4. Our older students have such low achievement levels that will not graduate with competitive skills unless they receive additional support. What are you willing to do to help the school system raise achievement at the high school level? Would you accept differentiated diplomas so that students who do not pass requirements and tests receive a diploma that is different from the diploma for students who do not pass requirements and tests?

I would encourage black leaders to address junior and high schools, and say something like, "Being dumb and ignorant gets you jobless, homeless and in the penitentiary. Learning, reading, doing math, doing your work, as a black person in a majority white world; yes, Whitey is smart - but why can't there be a black Einstein? He (or maybe even she) is out there somewhere, possibly in this school building as I speak right now ...."

Yes, I would encourage differentiated diplomas. I would also encourage people who are held back a grade to be put together, as age-mates, and to receive semi-intensive supervision so that would they would learn more.

5. If you have children, do your children attend D.C. Public Schools? Which schools? For how long?