Arthur L. Wharton, III, candidate for
Wards 7 and 8 Representative to the Board of Education in the
November 7, 2000, General Election
Parents United for DC Public Schools Questionnaire, October 2000

1. Prepare the students of the DCPS to thrive in the information age economy by exposing them to technology integrated into their instructional programs and providing access to computer lab facilities after school hours.
2. Work to create and implement citywide professional certification programs that will enable DCPS students and graduates to transition smoothly into higher education and/or the workforce.
3. Improve academic performance through a combination of smaller class sizes, and seeking mentoring opportunities with professionals from various local federal agencies.

What is the role of parents in the DCPS at both the individual school and citywide? Should the Local School Restructuring Teams be continued and if so, how can they be made more effective?

Parents play a vital role in the educational process of their children. Their involvement at all levels is crucial to the success of the DCPS. LSRTs should be continued and can be made more effective by providing training to all involved persons in areas such as Team Building and Conflict Resolution. LSRTs can be ineffective if persons allow personal agendas and personality conflicts get in the way of the ultimate goal of providing a quality education to the students. Training in the above mentioned areas might enable persons with differing views of "how" improvements can made to work together and compromise with others to accomplish the stated goal.

What is your view of the facilities planning process now underway?

My view of the facilities planning process now underway is that it is useful and necessary. However, it needs to be done in concert with making the instructional programs system-wide and at individual schools more effective. I question some of the underlying assumptions upon which it is based. For example, it takes for granted that enrollments will fall due to the impact of charter schools etc. Charter schools are the community’s response to a school system that does not effectively educate the city’s children. If the community schools were effective in educating students, enrollments may actually rise as parents return their children to neighborhood schools. If instructional programs are not strengthened and improved, we will be left with new physical facilities that are still ineffective at educating students.

What has been your personal involvement with the DC Public Schools? Have your children been enrolled and for how long? Why are you interested in this position?

My personal involvement with the DCPS began with being educated from K-12 in the DCPS. I have worked as a Permanent Substitute for three years at H.D. Woodson SHS and Ballou SHS). I have volunteered at Hine JHS from approximately 1993-1998 helping students with The Stock Market Game. I worked with the students on company analysis, investing and stock market basics. I have spoken to students on several occasions on staying in school, personal finance, and career days.

How can you avoid the acrimonious relationships between board members, and between the School Board, Superintendent, Mayor and Council that have prevented a concerted effort to bring to our children’s schools all the resources needed to provide the high quality of public education our children need and our city needs for them.

First and foremost, everyone involved must keep the focus of all their actions on making the DCPS the best it can possibly be to meet the educational needs of our children. By maintaining this focus, we should be able to overcome personality conflicts, personal agendas and political grandstanding that divert attention, energies and resources that need to be directed at solving the problems that exist in the DCPS. With clear goals all parties can work together to make those goals a reality.