Education Reform Center: Ward 6 Speaks Out About Its Schools

At the Ward 6 Education Town Hall, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, Chancellor Michelle Rhee, and State superintendent Deborah Gist enlisted the help of over 150 parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community members to build a successful school year and support student academic achievement in the DC Public Schools (DCPS).

Ward 6 Town Hall participants discussed three questions:

What are the most important things we can so to improve student achievement?
What are the most critical issues we need to address during this school year?
What is our most pressing question for Chancellor Rhee?

Dialogue 1: What are the most important things we can do to improve student achievement?

Ward 6 wants clear communication from its schools: "Communication must be the management pledge of DCPS."

Ward 6 participants think that the most important things that can help improve student achievement are 1) to hire and retain more qualified teachers, 2) to raise our expectations of students, and 3) to increase parental involvement.

Participants noted the importance of providing professional development and mentoring for teachers in DCPS schools. They were also interested in revising human resources practices so that the most qualified teachers were hired to teach in the schools.

Participants in Ward 6 want higher expectations for students. They want to focus on the basics and rethink methods for measuring student achievement. There was a strong feeling that there needs to be a return to the basics especially improving literacy and basic math.

Finally, participants emphasized the importance of parental involvement for improving schools overall.

Ward 6 wants DCPS to act now: "We should push harder, as if we had to get through this before the bell rings."

Other top issues for Ward 6 are ensuring that schools have the resources, facilities, and principals they need to be successful schools. Participants emphasized the importance of tutors for students who were struggling as a key factor to improve student performance. They also desire more autonomy for principals so they can assemble the most qualified team to lead their schools to success.

Dialogue 2: What are the most critical issues we need to address during this school year?

The top three immediate concerns for DCPS are: facilities repairs, the recruitment and retention of good teachers, and ensuring that adequate resources and textbooks are present on the first day of school.

Participants noted the importance of clean working facilities in improving student achievement. They want air conditioning and heating units repaired before school starts.

Ward 6 wants safe, clean schools: "I am thrilled you'll be looking at facilities school by school."

Ward 6 shared their ideas of how to recruit and retain good teachers. They stressed the importance of mentors for new teachers and providing meaningful professional development opportunities from the moment that a teacher enters the system.

Town hall attendees noted the necessity of resources and textbooks being available on time. They want Ward 6 students to have the resources they need in order to start the school year right.

Other issues raised include: reducing the red tape at DCPS headquarters, recruiting motivated and effective principals, and raising the standards for all levels of DCPS.

Dialogue 3: What is our most pressing question for Chancellor Rhee?
Among the many questions posed, one summed up the meaning of the participants: In all the talk about accountability, what will you really do about low-performing teachers who have been with the system a long time?

The Chancellor’s response: "I will not allow the interest of adults to overshadow the interest of children. Ineffective teachers impact the life expectations of children. That’s too big to play around with."

Participants were also interested in the development of foreign language programs in the schools.