Cover-Up

Dear Exposers:

In the last issue of themail, I quoted Valerie Strauss’ opinion of the “Report of Investigation into Cheating on the DC Comprehensive Assessment System Standardized Exams Administered by the DC Public Schools” that was done by the Office of the Inspector General, led by Charles Willoughby. Now Jay Matthews has seconded Strauss’ opinion, calling the “DC Schools Cheating Report Thin and Biased,” http://tinyurl.com/bmz8b9q. “I had hoped Willoughby’s report would be thorough and independent, since that is what people in such jobs are supposed to be. This thin, biased 14-page document fails egregiously on both counts.”

What the Inspector General’s report has exposed is not the cheating in the school system, but the more widespread and systemic corruption in the DC government as a whole. The Inspector General’s office was created by the US Congress at the same time as the Control Board and the independent Office of the Chief Financial Officer. These were the three entities that were supposed to keep the DC government honest and on the straight and narrow path. Now the IG’s office has exposed itself as part of the problem, as not just unable to investigate and expose the misdeeds in the school system, but as part of the cover-up.

To date, there has been no objection, much less any outrage, from any elected official. It’s part of business as usual as it’s done in this government, making sure that nobody has to take responsibility for doing anything wrong.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Failure of Initiative 70
Lee Aikin, gleeaikin@yahoo.com

This is indeed terrible news. I hope some clever person can figure out a solution. I know that it was recommended we collect 37,000 signatures, but had hoped that 30,000 would be enough. Keeping voter addresses up to date is a challenge. My husband died in 2005, and although I told the people at the voting desk that he was deceased on at least three occasions, it was not until 2010 that he was removed. Oh, and his death certificate was produced by the DC government.

I was also running for political office with the DC Statehood Green Party and BOEE was giving us a hard time around the primary in April. I wrote several posts about the BOEE situation in April and May at my blog: gleeaikin.blogspot.com. If you would like to be notified about future posts you can sign up for notification by E-mail in the upper left hand corner of the blog.

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InTowner August Issue Content Uploaded
P.L. Wolff, intowner@intowner.com

This month’s lead stories include the following: 1) “Possible Abandonment of Corcoran Gallery’s Historic Museum Building and Relocation to Suburbs Deplored”; 2) “Streetscape Project Completed; Adams Morgan Celebrates the New Look”; 3) “Annual Adams Morgan Day Festival Plans Complete; Set for September 9th.”

Our editorial this month addresses the issue of taming Pepco’s arrogance and urges that the DC Public Service Commission get on the ball (From the Publisher’s Desk). Your thoughts are welcome and can be sent by clicking the comment link at the bottom of the web page or by E-mail to letters@intowner.com. The next issue PDF will publish early in the morning of September 14 (the second Friday of the month as usual). For more information, either send an E-mail to newsroom@intowner.com or call 234-1717.

The August issue content is now posted at http://www.intowner.com, including the issue PDF. There will be found the primary news stories and certain features, including the popular Scenes from the Past (this month, the author’s final submission, is titled “How the Calvert Street Bridge Came to be Built”) — plus all photos & other images; other features not included in the PDF, such as Recent Real Estate Sales, Reservations Recommended and Food in the ‘Hood, can be linked directly from the web site’s home page.

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The Community Engagement Meetings Are about the IFF Report
Erich Martel, ehmartel@starpower.net

On July 31, 2012, I attended the Ward 5 Quality Schools Community Engagement Meeting, one of five ward meetings. It was initiated by the DME (Deputy Mayor of Education) to address the recommendations of the IFF (Illinois Facilities Fund) report, which recommends the closure, “turnaround” or “transfer to charter operators” of 37 DCPS schools, including five in Ward 5.

Before and during the Ward 5 meeting, the DME, DME staff and Public Agenda facilitator insisted that the meetings were not about the IFF report, but only to solicit the public’s ideas about school quality. In discussion group #3, efforts to include a statement opposing the IFF report were opposed by the DME staffer and the Public Agenda facilitator. Their response was to minimize the importance of the IFF report and to assure us that our concerns would be best addressed by describing the elements of “quality” that we want to see in our schools. The other part of their strategy was to split the participants into multiple groups, have them spend the entire time discussing, making long lists, then putting colored stickies on our preferences, and, finally, reports from each group to the whole group. No time was allotted for the whole group to vote on the recommendations it

This two-part strategy (divide participants into small groups; focus discussion on broad generalities, instead of the real issue) is designed to isolate concerned parents and community members in small groups and limit discussion to an agenda that avoids the most important issues.

The resulting lists of “qualities” will be attached to the DME’s recommendations, in his report. He will write that every quality criterion can be met by closure, turnaround, or transfer to charter operators, the IFF report’s recommendations. In the meantime, while the DME is diverting parents and residents’ concerns into make-believe discussions about school quality, the Public Charter School Board has initiated a speeded-up process for “experienced charter operators” to open new charters in DC by August 2013 and the DCPS Chancellor is seeking charter authority to cover up her and Rhee’s failed reform policies. Both charter initiatives have the full support of Mayor Gray and DME Wright. The evidence (with links) supporting this analysis is at http://www.dcpswatch.com/martel/120815.htm.