Henderson calls white enrollment growth good for D.C. schools

Race figures, one way or another, into nearly every serious discussion of D.C. school reform. But seldom is it discussed publicly in such an unvarnished way by a schools leader. In an e-mail Friday, Henderson acknowledged that race relations in the city “are in­cred­ibly difficult and very politicized.” She emphasized that excellent teachers and principals are most important.

Diversity “is not a must-have in order to achieve an excellent education,” she said, “but it adds additional dimensions of exposure and engagement for students who must be able to succeed in a city and a world that is becoming more and more diverse.”

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She added that she was “committed to creating a system where neither your race, neighborhood or income level determine your educational outcomes.”

There was little response to Henderson on this subject at the meeting. At least one person who was there said later that the issue’s complexity required careful discussion in another forum.

“She has a right to her viewpoint. I’m certainly not against white enrollment growing in DCPS,” said Thomas Byrd, a member of the board of the Ward 8 council and former head of the PTA at Ballou High School. “But I’m just saying there’s a perception out there that whites get what they want.”

Henderson’s predecessor, Michelle A. Rhee, stepped into a thicket of controversy in an attempt to draw more whites into the system. In 2009, Rhee met with parents in the Palisades neighborhood of Northwest who were reluctant to send white children to majority-black Hardy Middle School in the heart of Georgetown. The parents said their issues were with the school’s principal and its arts- and music-centered program. But when Rhee told a civic group that she wanted to “turn” the school, and later removed Patrick Pope as principal, Hardy parents were outraged. Rhee later said her comments had nothing to do with trying to limit African American enrollment at the school.

Henderson defended closure of the parent centers, saying they cost $4.4 million over five years but reached only a small clientele in wards 1, 7 and 8. In the 2010-11 school year, she said, they served 157 parents.

She also said that the school system is not equipped to help adults be better parents. Henderson reiterated her intention to reopen the centers, under operation of organizations with a track record in that area.

She said money would be better spent helping schools become more welcoming for parents. That would mean, among other things, an effort to change the culture of the front office in schools. Parents often complain that staff are uncommunicative or even hostile.

Henderson said she understood the frustration. “People walk in and there’s Sad Sack, Sorry Sue and Sister Snap-at-You.” She said she was arranging a meeting with all school office staff to address the issue.

But Henderson apologized for failing to consult with the community before shutting the centers in mid-July.

“The truth of the matter is we completely jacked up communication of this decision,” she said. “I own it.”