Evidence that D.C. Public Schools are in crisis is not hard to come by. This school year alone, the troubled system has lost another superintendent to exasperation and frustration, several students to tragic and preventable violence, and no doubt countless more to apathy and the "soft bigotry of low expectations." In November, Paul Vance, whose three-and-a-half year tenure is the "modern record" for any D.C. schools chief, tendered his resignation saying "To be very candid with you, I just don't want to be bothered with it." Vance's resignation came a few days after a student at Anacostia High School in Southeast D.C. was shot and killed outside of the school and just before a rash of violence swept through Ballou High School. In addition to reports of violence - the Metropolitan Police Department received as many as 192 summons to Ballou between January 2003 and February 2004 - the school has also been plagued by administrative failures that have no doubt contributed to its chaotic climate. Among them, a computer virus that left about 100 kids to pass several months' time sitting idly in school in the cafeteria without any academic instruction, while waiting for their class schedule, and an investigation that began after officials found no financial records for the school and over $12,000 in previously unaccounted-for cash, uncashed checks, and money orders in its safe. Although Ballou has been in the spotlight more than any other D.C. school, we suspect its problems are not unique and should serve as a reminder that D.C. schools are in urgent need of a complete makeover. This seems farther away than ever, however, since the system's governance remains Byzantine, its teacher union has had corrupt leadership, the effort to find a successor for Vance has stumbled several times (including an extremely able prospect who withdrew when it became clear he wouldn't actually have much authority to change things), and endless debate about the proper roles of various D.C. power centers vis-??-vis the school system. From the kids' standpoint, it's good that that there are lots of charter schools (some, though not enough, of them excellent) and that the District's long-awaited voucher experiment is launching. Yesterday, we learned that it's to be run by the seasoned Washington Scholarship Fund. The District's much-abused residents should at least be able to look forward to something working in the education sphere.
"Incident No. 1113," by Jason Cherkis, Sarah Godfrey, John Metcalfe, Annys Shin, and Chris Shott, Washington City Paper, March 5, 2004
"A school in chaos," Washington Times, March 23, 2004
"Student's death left D.C. school with questions," by Justin Blum, Washington Post, March 21, 2004
"Administrator for D.C. school choice incentive plan selected," U.S. Department of Education press release, March 24, 2004