Marc Borbely, FixOurSchools.net
Open letter to DC Board of Education on school closing process
March 26, 2006

First Open Letter to the DC School Board

March 26, 2006

Dear School Board Members:

We are writing to express our concern about the process that is unfolding around consolidating and rightsizing school facilities. As DC residents, we understand that the regular public school enrollment has declined steadily over the past five years and that some closings and consolidations will have to take place. But we are looking for leadership that will ensure that consolidation occurs responsibly, deliberately, in rational sequence, and with public input to properly inform decision-making.

We are asking you to reevaluate the overall rightsizing process and timetable, and to consider postponing this Saturday's hearing on the Superintendent's recommended school closing criteria, which still have not been released to the public.

Closings and consolidations should be identified as part of a Facility Master Plan that will describe what kind of school facilities we will need (and where we will need them) in 10 years and, in addition, will ensure that when students move, they will be moving into schools that are in better physical shape than the schools they are moving from.

Before deciding on what schools to close or consolidate, DCPS needs a high-quality facility planning process. This will enable DCPS to

• present the public with detailed information on demographics, enrollment levels, and all the various options for rightsizing the school system
• determine how Master Education Plan proposals, such as pre-school expansion, realignment of grades and other program improvements will affect enrollment and space-utilization
• provide time for communities to discuss the information, and provide stakeholders an opportunity to offer options for rightsizing the schools in their own communities, as well as finding alternative uses for excess space such as for recreation centers, libraries, health clinics, etc.
• engage communities in dialogues about building schools up as neighborhood hubs and
• understand the kinds of green space and open space that communities need in their neighborhoods

We believe that any decisions about public disinvestments of this magnitude will be better decisions after the facts are fully considered and thoroughly discussed by all stakeholders. Doing so will minimize last-minute chaos and disruption for families, teachers and support staff that could lead to an accelerated decline in enrollment.

These concerns are symptoms of a severely flawed public and administrative process, an example of which is giving a week’s notice for a hearing on recommended school-closing criteria that still have not been released.

School consolidations are among the most consequential changes to neighborhoods. They also play a significant role in shaping the future of DCPS. We hope this schedule for closings and consolidations can be reconsidered so that facility master planning, which has just begun, is able to provide the framework for a public school system that is stronger and healthier.

Sincerely,

• Mark Andersen, on behalf of Northwest Settlement House
• Ronald Austin, president, South Manor Neighborhood Association
• Margot Berkey, director, Parents United for the DC Public Schools
• George Blackmon, president, Maury ES PTSA
• Marc Borbely, director, FixOurSchools.net
• Renee Bowser, chair, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4D
• Katherine S. Broderick, dean, David A. Clarke School of Law
• Jan C. Bufkin, Stoddert ES PTA
• Thomas K Byrd, president, Ballou SHS PTSA, class of 1973
• Sheila Carr, Parent Watch
• Gary Carleton, president, Hardy MS PTA, on behalf of the PTA
• Jenefer Ellingston, DC Statehood Green Party
• Carroll Green, president, Manor Park Citizens Association
• Susan Gushue, former PTA president, Ellington School of the Arts
• Nancy Huvendick, D.C. program director, 21st Century School Fund
• Frank Jones III, president & co-founder, Calvin Coolidge Alumni Association
• David Jordan, treasurer, Stoddert ES PTA
• Mary Filardo, executive director, 21st Century School Fund
• Kim Ford and Deean Rubin, co-presidents, Lafayette ES Home School
• Michael A. Geglia, Wilson SHS parent and former PTA president/LSRT member at Wilson, Deal and Janney
• Terry Goings, president, Coolidge SHS PTSO
• David J. Goldberg, program manager and special counsel, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights/LCCR Ed Fund
• Jose I. Guevara, former member, DCPS Joint Advisory Council (2003 -2005)
• Marie Johns, Concerned Citizen and Mayoral Candidate
• Dorothy Marschak, president, Community Help in Music Education
• Sharon McKeython, LSRT Parent Co-Chair, Adams ES
• Emily Miller, 2001 graduate, DCPS
• Vic Miller, former PTA president, Adams ES, former co-chair, Parents United.
• Sczerina Perot, Staff Attorney, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless; Janney ES parent
• Cathy Reilly, director, SHAPPE
• Sarah Johnson, vice president, Adams ES PTA, and member, Parent Resource Working Group
• Barbara Patterson, treasurer & assistant secretary, Coolidge SHS PTSO
• Lisa Schamess, co-chair, Hearst ES PTA
• Julie Schapire, 5100 block of 41st St. NW
• Wendy Sefsaf, Stoddert ES PTA
• Gail Sonnemann, Ward 6, SWW and Wilson SHS parent; Save Our Schools member
• Iris Toyer, co-chair, on behalf of Parents United for the DC Public Schools
• Suzanne Wells, Capitol Hill Cluster School parent, former PTA president
• Cherita Whiting, chair, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B, and president, McKinley Tech PTA
• Matt Wuerker, DCPS Full Funding Coalition; parent, Wilson SHS
• Association
• Julia Aymerich
• Rick Bardach, SW resident
• Ellen Bateman
• Dori Bernstein
• Raymond Blanks, Ward 6
• Eleanor Boli
• Steven Bosak, 3200 block of Morrison St. NW
• Mary Beth Bowen, former parent, Janney ES, Deal JHS and Wilson SHS
• Nicole M. Brewer, Senior Contract Auditor, WMATA
• Elizabeth Brill
• Laura Broach, parent, Eaton ES
• Janet and Norman Brown, 1700 block of Q St. NW
• Rebecca Burke, 800 block A St. SE, parent
• Bonnie Cain, Ward 1
• Joana Canedo, mom to 2-year-old Thomas
• Richard Carlson
• Eric Carr
• Kelly and Jose Ceballos
• Michael Cervino, 4400 block of Alton Pl NW
• Fantu Cheru, parent, Stoddert ES and Hardy MS
• Tammi Cioffi, Ward 6, 500 block of 13th St NE
• Molly Collins Offner, 100 block of 4th Street, N.E.
• Toni Conklin, Reading First Literacy Coach, Bancroft ES
• Leslie Conover
• Sam Daley-Harris, parent
• Christy Davis, 1300 block of F Street, NE
• Claire Dejou, Stoddert Elementary parent
• Ed Dixon, parent, Key ES
• Toni Drakeford
• Donna Fabiani, parent of kindergartener in DC Public School
• Roxanne Feldpausch
• Linda Fink, Oyster ES
• Susannah Fox, parent, Stoddert ES
• David P. Frankel
• Karen Garman
• Catherine H. Geier, Stoddert ES LSRT
• Hilda Labrada Gore, public school parent and substitute teacher
• Joe Graham
• Ken Granata
• Stephanie Greenleaf, administrative officer, NIH
• Lisa Greenman
• Denise Grimsman
• Zeynep Gur, parent, Stoddert ES
• Bertha J. Hall, Ward 6
• Elinor Hart
• Kristen Hartke, parent, Stuart-Hobson Middle School
• Marion F. Houstoun, 700 block of 10th St SE
• Jennifer Hurst
• Tony Hurst, children's librarian, DC Public Library
• Elizabeth Marsh Ide
• Joy Kassett, Ph.D., psychologist and parent of 4 children in DCPS
• Sarah Livingston
• Angela HJ Long, deputy director, Office of Contracts, Office of the Chief Financial Officer
• Dennis Jaffe, 100 block of U Street NW
• Anna Reid Jhirad, parent, Wilson SHS
• Sherry Johnson, Business/Finance Manager, Worker Rights Consortium
• Pat Kolmer
• Audra LeBlanc
• Anita Levy
• Anne Lindenfeld, parent, Lafayette ES
• Steve Longenecker and Sarah Shoenfeld, parents, Cleveland ES
• Ronnie Lowenstein, president, Lowenstein & Associates, Inc
• Wendie Lubic, parent of two DCPS students
• Annie Mahon
• Katherine Mailloux, 1100 block of C Street, S.E.
• Robbert K. Minnich, Asylum Officer, Department of Homeland Security
• Yavar Moghimi, PharmFree Coordinator, American Medical Student Association
• Margo Monroe, concerned citizen
• Marius Morgan, grants administrator, WETA, TV-26 and 90.9 FM
• Willa Morris, parent, Janney ES
• Wanda S. Morsell, parent, Kimball, Stuart-Hobson and McKinley
• Deborah A. Moss, parent, Watkins ES
• Ginger Moss
• Martha Mountain
• Daniel Nathan
• Zoe Neuberger
• Nat Katin-Borland
• Anne O'Keefe, 600 block of N Carolina Ave SE
• Leslie Phillips, mother to Stoddert Kindergartener
• Suzanna Pieslak, Ward 6
• Susan Rees, parent, Murch ES
• Karla Reid-Witt, DCPS Parent
• Shebbie Rice, teacher, DCPS
• Mary Lou and Jack Rife
• Leah Roberts, DCPS Parent
• Andrea Rosen, parent, Wilson SHS
• Shawn E. Ruffing
• JoAnn and Bob Russell, 3100 block of Patterson Pl NW
• Andrea B. Ryan, parent and long time DC resident
• Janet S. Sauser, DC resident, parent of Anthony Hyde Third Grader
• Pamella Shaw, Grade 5 Teacher, Ludlow-Taylor ES; ward 6 resident
• Robert Shaw, ward 6
• Stephanie D. Scott, parent, Shepherd ES
• Dane and Judith Smith
• Barbara C. Somson
• C. Stoessel
• Melanie Stettz
• Ronnie Streff, Ward 7
• Pat Taylor, 300 block of 17th St. SE
• John Tharakan, parent, SWW and Oyster
• Bill and Barbara Tierney
• Noel M. Tieszen, DC resident and former DCPS teacher
• Annika Tornqvist
• Wayne Turner, Ward 6
• Monica B. Vaile, Investigative Fraud Analyst, Airlines Reporting Corporation
• Susan Van Devanter, parent of a DC E.S. student
• Michael and Satu Webb, Capitol Hill
• Rebecca Weber
• Rick Weber, parent, Stuart-Hobson MS
• Leslie White, parent of 8th and 11th graders, DCPS
• Alexandra Yannias
• Mark Zeydler