January 5, 2000
Mayor Calls for Appointed School Board
Clear Accountability in Schools is Necessary for Our Children
(Washington, D.C.) - In a room full of parents, community leaders, education activists, clergy, and business leaders, Mayor Anthony A. Williams unveiled details of his vision for school reform in the District and called for an approved board and Superintendent that reports to the Mayor, during a press conference at One Judiciary Square. The proposal emphasized the need for clear lines of accountability to improve the quality of public education in the District.
"One of the most fundamental problems in that no one is sure exactly who is responsible for our schools. In fact, responsibility is divided among the Superintendent, the Board of Education, the Board of Trustees, the Congress, the Control Board, the Mayor and the Council," said the Mayor. "Who is responsible and accountable if a school fails? Everyone and no one. That's the problem."
At the core of Mayor Williams' proposal, the Mayor shoulders the responsibility for improving schools with the school Superintendent working as a member of the Mayor's cabinet and reporting to him. Currently the school Superintendent is independent of the executive branch. Under this proposal, the Superintendent would be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council. Names for a five-member Board of Education would come from a nominating committee representative of the entire city.
"I believe this is the best system for our city at this time in our history. Putting responsibility and accountability for our schools clearly under the Mayor will enable the entire government to work together to ensure our students get the best education possible," said Mayor Williams.
The Mayor mentioned three other cities¾Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland¾ that function under an appointed school board and how it has helped boost student achievement and attract the investment of businesses and other partners. Results in Chicago under this system last year included improved test scores with 73 percent of Chicago high schools improving in reading and 95 percent improving in math. In Boston, the city has attracted $22 million in outside investment to support their efforts.
The proposal calls for the Mayor, Council, School Board and the Superintendent to come together around a shared agenda with a clear set of goals. Principals and schools will be held accountable for achievement of students, teachers and the schools based on both DCPS standards and national best practices, modernizing facilities and creating a school alliance. And improving the District's system to recruit, retain and retrain teachers and principals with:
- A school-based performance pay for teachers and principals with effective, clear evaluation processes.
- An interactive website to recruit nationwide¾share housing tax credits and other DC-wide initiatives which make this an attractive place to live.
- Incentives for top high school students to become teachers in our schools.
- Incentives for college graduates to teach¾debt relief and financial bonuses.
- Improved leadership education for principals and teachers.
- Name 30 "master" principals, both from within system and without, to train and to work closely in teacher recruitment efforts in exchange for greater autonomy in their schools and higher pay performance.
The Mayor's School Governance proposal needs support in the D.C. Council and from the citizens. The Mayor requested feedback on his proposal from parents and guardians of D.C. school children. Parents and guardians were asked to call his office at 202-727-2980 or send an e-mail to him at mayor@dcgov.org.
