Mean

Dear Responsible and Accountable Citizens:

The meanness, the nastiness, the pettiness of the councilmembers who supported the mayor’s power grab over the schools was on full display in Tuesday’s hearing. When Councilmember Carol Schwartz simply referred honestly to the deals that councilmembers had made to support the bill, she was attacked by the worst blowhards on the council, all of whom praised themselves for their hard work and diligence and protested that they were simply working "for the children." Led by Councilmember Cheh, Councilmembers Thomas, Catania, Gray, and Barry all piled on. The nasty attitude of the majority, who knew that they would win the vote handily, was reminiscent of the nastiness and meanness of the majority of the last council who voted for the baseball stadium giveaway.

The deals had been struck. Anyone who wanted to introduce any amendment to the bill was cut off in short order. Mayor Fenty had put out the word that he wanted the bill passed with no amendments, and the council followed through, acting like a mindless rubber stamp. Jack Evans moved to cut off debate on any amendments at the first possible minute, and Vincent Gray was short and impatient with any thoughtful statements made by the two supporters of DC democracy, Councilmembers Mendelson and Schwartz, holding them to strict time limits that he didn’t impose on any other councilmember.

When they knew they were going to win, and win big, why did they have to treat their two dissenting colleagues so badly? Why were they so grouchy, so grumpy, so unhappy about what they portrayed as a big win for children? Perhaps because this was a win they could not feel good about. They knew that they were undermining several key principles of our city’s democracy -- emasculating the independent, democratically elected Board of Education in favor of strongman control by the mayor; passing an amendment to our Home Rule Charter without a citizen’s referendum; and asking Congress to act as the city’s local legislature by passing the necessary amendment to the Home Rule Charter. Perhaps it was their bad consciences that made them so mean.

Or perhaps they were so mean, nasty, and petty because they had some inkling of what they are in for. They have put the mayor in charge of the schools and put themselves in the position of the school board, being the only body that will have real and effective oversight over the mayor’s mistakes. They have made themselves the school board, and they have talked incessantly of accountability and responsibility. They don’t intend to be accountable and responsible for the schools, of course. They intend to tell citizens, parents, and students to go to the new State Board of Education or to the new schools ombudsman, whose office is designed to be powerless and ineffective. But no one should be fooled, or should be sidetracked down these dead-end streets. The city council will be the only body with any power over schools, aside from the mayor and his Deputy Mayor for Education. Mayor Fenty and Deputy Mayor Reinoso won’t be accessible to parents and citizens who have problems with the schools; they’ll slough us off. Councilmembers are the only people whom citizens and parents should go with their problems with the schools, and they should be bombarded with every complaint about the schools that we have, starting today, and held responsible for resolving them. Councilmembers have promised that there will be immediate, dramatic improvement in the education of our children. They have promised that this improvement will continue rapidly, without delay. These promises will not be met, and councilmembers know full well they will not be met; they have no intention of meeting them. Councilmembers will come up with multiple excuses and explanations for why they’re not responsible and accountable for education. We can’t let them get away with it.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Let’s See Some Action
Ed T Barron, edtb1@macdotcom

Looks like Mayor Fenty will take over the running of the DC schools. If so, then it’s time for some long delayed action to close underutilized schools and to consolidate enrollments into the best schools that remain. Then sell the properties that have been vacated and pour that money into the program to refurbish all the schools in the DCPS. That should produce some near term funding to get a genuine refurbishment program off to a running start.

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Rude E-mails from DCIndependents@gmail.com
Connie Ridgway, kaniru4 at yahoo dot com

Has anyone else encountered this situation — someone is sending me E-mails from DCIndependents@gmail.com, and when I try to unsubscribe, they send me a rude E-mail telling me I’m not on their mailing list. Then I can’t return the E-mail they sent. Does anyone know who these people are? I don’t want to log onto their web site out of concern that they’re just spamming, but it’s http://www.dcindependents.org.

Here is an example of an E-mail they sent:

ONCE AGAIN, AND FINALLY! . . . YOU ARE NOT ON OUR E-MAIL LIST. THIS E-MAIL IS A REPLY TO YOUR E-MAIL SENT TODAY 9:45 A.M. AS SHOWN BELOW. AS INSTRUCTED IN AN E-MAIL ON MARCH 9, 2007 (5:32 P.M.), YOU MUST CORRECT THIS ISSUE AT YOUR E-MAIL SOURCE, OR THE SOURCE FROM WHICH ANY E-MAIL IS FORWARDED TO [ ] CORRECT THIS ISSUE, AS WE WILL NO LONGER RESPOND TO YOU AFTER REPLYING TO TODAY’S E-MAIL. ANY FURTHER E-MAIL FROM YOU WILL REQUIRE US TO RECORD AND REPORT THIS ISSUE TO THE APPROPRIATE INTERNET, E-MAIL AND PROVIDER AUTHORITIES FOR ADJUDICATION.

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A Question for All Readers of themail
Jonathan R. Rees, jrrees2006@verizon.net

No matter where you turn, you see allegations that our mayor, city council, and school board are corrupt or at minimum dysfunctional, and these allegations have been going on ever since I came to DC in 1979. If the foregoing allegations are even half true, wouldn’t they be a good argument that DC Home Rule has been a failure and it is time to return control of the District of Columbia to the United States government?

I know that the mere suggestion of abolishing DC government as we know it and letting the United States government take back control will anger a lot of people and result in a flurry of angry and insulting E-mails. It is my sincere belief that it is time to put down this sick dog for its own good rather than see it suffer any more and make all of us sick over it.

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FOI on Paper, But Not in Reality, in DC
Aaron Lloyd, aaronlloyddc@hotmail.com

I studied the history of the DC Freedom of Information Act while in law school, and have followed its recent bastardization, and am sorry to say that Peter Craig’s experience (themail, April 1) has not been unique through the years. I believe part of the problem, along with a culture of disregard for DC FOI laws that flows from the top, is DC Code §2-537(d). As Mr. Craig mentioned, DC Code §2-537(d), declares: “Any person who commits an arbitrary or capricious violation of the provisions of this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.00.” This is not an effective deterrent, and here’s why. The most important part of that one sentence is “upon conviction.”

Imagine someone wants a public document, and an agency refuses to deliver it. No punishment will fall upon any person in that agency under DC Code §2-537(d) until they are “convicted.” That means the average citizen must go to the trouble of bringing suit, bearing the expenses of appeals and the years of litigation it might entail, before they can obtain a conviction. Even then, they may not receive any money if the official in question has some barely plausible reason for their denial of public documents, as fines are only available for “arbitrary or capricious violations” of the law.

When the law was first introduced it had more teeth. The “upon conviction” language was not there, and the fines were higher. But the real solution is more automatic dispersal of information, with a process that allows the government to hold back information upon a convincing showing of just cause. Let’s pass laws that require the government to automatically post categories of information on the web. Let’s put the burden on the government to show why it must withhold information, not on a few determined individual citizens to pry out what should be public knowledge. It’s our information. We did pay for this government, didn’t we?

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E-Filing Income Tax in DC
Ed T Barron, edtb1@macdotcom

Someone complained in last Sunday’s themail that they could not E-file their 2006 D.C. income tax file using the Turbo Tax computer program. The very last thing I’d ever do, knowing the history of the District’s computer systems, is to file my taxes with DC electronically. I’ll continue to go the old fashioned way -- a paper submittal via certified mail. Then I know exactly what they got and when they got it. Can’t trust those quirky electrons when they get downtown.

[A reader who doesn’t want to be named writes to clarify the statement in the last issue of themail that there is no electronic filing option for DC state taxes. That’s true for commercial tax programs, but the reader sends the reminder that DC offers an electronic filing option on its own web site, at http://cfo.dc.gov. — Gary Imhoff]

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Silver Spring Column
Jerry A. McCoy, sshistory@yahoo.com

The April “Silver Spring: Then & Again” column is now available on-line. This month I profile two 1930’s buildings in downtown Silver Spring that are rare (and endangered) survivors representative of our community’s early automobile heritage. The article may be accessed at these two URLs: http://www.silverspringvoice.com/archives/pdfs/SS/SSpdf_14.pdf and http://www.silverspringvoice.com/archives/pdfs/SS/SSpdf_15.pdf.

Please forward this article to anyone you know who might be able to provide additional information on the featured subjects.

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What the Trusting Board Overlooked or Wouldn’t Tell Us
Erich Martel, Wilson High School, ehmartel at starpower dot net

If Board of Education members arrived at their unanimous decision to increase the list of specifically mandated graduation requirements from 19.0 credits (only West Virginia with 21.0 requires more) to 22.5 (now the most rigid in the US) while cutting electives from 4.5 (twenty states require five or more) to 1.5 (behind twenty-eight states) on the basis of success -- from anywhere -- shouldn’t it share that good news with us? Here’s what the Board overlooked (did the superintendent tell them?): 1) the Master Education Plan asserts that more requirements will provide more time “to master the academic core,” but consider how much effective classroom time students will lose when they take the mandatory ninth grade Algebra I in a senior high school instead of in their former junior high school. On a daily junior high school schedule with six subjects, he/she would spend 50-55 minutes in each class, every day. With the proposed Wilson High School eight-period/subject schedule, the student spends eighty minutes every other day in Algebra I class. In two weeks’ time, the junior high ninth grader would get 500 minutes of class time (50 minutes times 10 days), but only 400 minutes in grade nine at Wilson H.S. (80 minutes times 5 days). But many of those 80 minutes are lost minutes, since many adolescents to remain attentive for more than 50 minutes, so that the 400 minutes results in much shorter quality learning time.

2) What about DCPS high schools on a 4x4 schedule (two semesters crammed into one with 80 minute classes every day)? The students will have 80 minutes of Algebra I every day (800 minutes, 80 minutes times 10 days) in two weeks’ time: the same four subjects, each for 80 minutes, every day, but only for a semester. But, since it’s over in one semester, they still get less time than on a yearlong junior high schedule. Did Board members ask the superintendent to provide them with evidence that student learning is improving under this schedule?

3) Assurance? Board members were reportedly told that students in seventh and eighth grades are using a new math program that should prepare students for Algebra I. That’s all they needed, Were they given evidence, data? Were they invited to classrooms to see it used? Were they encouraged to speak with teachers, both those who think it works and those who don’t? That new math program is probably the "Connected Math Project," which has drawn extensive criticism for being difficult to use, especially by students without access to parental or tutorial help (See http://www.illinoisloop.org/mathprograms.html#cmp)

4) Why did the Board mandate four math credits, but only specify Algebra I and Geometry? One Board member commented that Algebra II should be required, yet almost all who graduate from Wilson and from other DCPS high schools take Algebra II/Trigonometry, after Algebra I and Geometry. Did the Board members ask for details about the rigor of current instruction and achievement in these courses? Did they ask for data!?

5) Every DCPS senior must show proof of college acceptance in order to receive a high school diploma! That is the effect of these requirement. For years, DCPS has offered only one route to a high school diploma. Now that one route has been made more difficult for the students who are farthest behind. Why must every last DCPS student, including those who want to go into HVAC or masonry or carpentry or plumbing or cosmetology or the arts and design, etc. have to follow the same narrow and rigidly prescribed route to a high school diploma? What does the Board have in mind for students of the successful barbering program at Woodson High School or the growing construction trades program at Cardozo High School? Must they all take a rigid, college-prep curriculum on top of their vocational or trade courses?

6) In 1992, Supt. Franklin Smith increased graduation requirements by 3.0 Carnegie units promising that "The new high school course requirements . . . would require District students to take a broader range of courses and reach a significantly higher level of math achievement than their counterparts in other schools across the nation." Four years later, reality struck. Smith was out and the Control Board in.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Free Tax Preparation for Seniors and Single Parent Households, April 7
Karen James, karenl.james@yahoo.com

Tax preparation day, Saturday April 7, Emory United Methodist Church, 6100 Georgia Avenue, NW, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Are the tax laws too confusing and often times challenging to understand? Sloan & Associates are providing an opportunity to help seniors and single parent households make sense of it all free of charge! Volunteers from the IRS Income Tax Assistance Program will be on hand from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to prepare tax returns for senior citizens and single mothers who live in Ward 4. While priority will be given to registered voters in Ward 4, all seniors and single moms who live in Ward 4 are welcome.

Currently, there is significant tax relief available to seniors and lower income residents to increase their after-tax income and offset the impact of rising housing costs, both for renters and homeowners. However, getting this information to the people that need it the most remains a challenge. Help us; help the residents of Ward 4 understand the federal and state tax codes while utilizing the programs that can benefit them the most. The April 15 tax deadline is just a few short weeks away!

If you would like to volunteer your time to prepare taxes or help out in another capacity. Please contact: Reuben Canada, 315-9465.

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Citizens to Debate Council Vote and School Reform Proposal at PCDC Public Forum, April 11
Hazel Thomas, thomashazelb@aol.com

Premier Community Development Corporation (PCDC), a nonprofit community membership organization designed to improve housing, economic development, and the quality of life in Ward 5, is sponsoring a forum to discuss the school reform proposal. The forum entitled: “Standing Up for Children, Families, and Communities: The Role of Government and Stakeholders in Improving Our Schools, Our Neighborhoods,” will be held on Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the North Michigan Park Recreation Center located at 13th and Emerson Streets, NE.

The Forum will be a public discourse on school governance and will focus on critical topics such as: citizens’ involvement in the decision making process, the impact of the environment on academic achievement in the District, and possible solutions to improving schools and neighborhoods. Invited guest panelist include: representatives from the mayor’s office, School Board President, Robert Bobb and others. The panel will address questions from the moderator and the audience; for example: the mayoral schools takeover — a panacea, cure-all, current fad, or public relations attention-grabber? What is the cost of the proposed school takeover and the impact on bureaucracy? What does accountability entail? Will being in charge guarantee success and problems fixed? How can DC reduce the problems in communities and homes that affect teaching and learning? How can the DC school system improve school performance now? What are the roles and responsibilities of parents, teachers, civic leaders, business leaders, labor, faith community, and government leaders in improving education? How does the “No Child Left Behind” law impact schools? How can we make a difference in education and make DC a model for the world? Should traditional DC schools be funded like charter schools? Why are charter and traditional schools regulated differently overall? Should there be a referendum for any Home Rule charter changes? Can we wait for Wards 4 and 7 elections? The forum is free and open to the public.

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DC Public Library Events, April 10-11
Randi Blank, randi.blank@dc.gov

Tuesday, April 10, 12:00 p.m., West End Neighborhood Library, 1101 24th Street, NW. West End Library Film Club. Bring your lunch and enjoy watching a film. For more information, call 724-8707.

Tuesday, April 10, 7:00 p.m., Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Cleveland Park Book Club. We will discuss Ian McEwan’s novel Saturday. For more information, call 282-3080.

Wednesday, April 11, 1:00 p.m., Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, 7420 Georgia Avenue, NW. Shepherd Park Wednesday Afternoon Book Club. Enjoy a lively book discussion of The Kennedy Men: 1901-1963 by Lawrence Leamer. For more information, call 541-6100.

Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 307. In celebration of Emancipation Day, Mary Kay Ricks will discuss her book Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad, the story of seventy slaves who escaped captivity by ship in 1848. Her discussion will pay special attention to those slaves that were later involved in emancipation in the District of Columbia.

Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, 3660 Alabama Avenue, SE. Book discussion. For more information, call 645-4297.

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DC Voting Rights March, April 16
Kevin Kiger, kkiger@dcvote.org

March for voting rights with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DC Vote on DC Emancipation Day, Monday, April 16. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the DC city council, nearly sixty-five coalition members, and thousands of citizen activists will join Mayor Fenty at 2:30 p.m. on Freedom Plaza and march down Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, to the Capitol. At 4:00 p.m., we will rally in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool at 3rd Street, NW, where we will be joined by civil rights leaders, Secretary Jack Kemp, Congressman Tom Davis, and other members of Congress. Join the fight to end taxation without representation in the nation’s capital. This is your opportunity to be part of the largest DC voting rights demonstration in history. Pledge to march with us at http://www.VotingRightsMarch.org. To march and volunteer, sign up online or call 462-6000 x25.

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Ward Three Dems Meeting, April 17
Tom Smith, tmfsmith@starpower.net

The next meeting of the Ward Three Democratic Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17, at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle Street, NW. The meeting will begin promptly with roll call at 7:30 p.m. We will have a full agenda for this meeting.

Councilmember-at-large Kwame Brown will be the major speaker for the meeting. Councilmember Brown is expected to focus his remarks on economic development and other issues now before the DC city council. Additionally, the meeting will include a forum of candidates seeking election to the currently vacant District 2 seat on the DC Board of Education. This special election for registered voters in Wards 3 and 4 is set for Tuesday, May 1.

Prior to the beginning of the meeting, the Ward Three Democratic Committee will hold a special caucus to fill vacant precinct delegate slots in Precincts 7, 9, 10, 11, 30, 32, 50, and 138. All registered Democrats in those precincts are entitled to participate in the caucus. The caucus will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude by 7:20 p.m. Additionally, an election will be held beginning promptly at 7:20 p.m. to elect an Area Representative for Area 4. Ward Three Committee delegates in Precincts 32, 50, and 138 will be eligible to participate in the Area Rep election. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to seeing you on April 17.

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