By Yolanda Woodlee
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, August 10, 2006

Robert C. Bobb said yesterday that he will resign as city administrator to run for president of the D.C. Board of Education, a move that had been anticipated for months.

Bobb, who oversees D.C. government operations and four deputy mayors, said in an interview that he had met with Mayor Anthony A. Williams on Tuesday and would work out his transition over the next few weeks.

Bobb said that his organizers will meet this evening at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge near One Judiciary Square to begin circulating nominating petitions. He needs to collect the signatures of 1,000 registered voters by Aug. 30 to qualify for a spot on the November ballot.

"I just feel this is so critical. I am going to throw my heart, mind, soul and body into winning this race," said Bobb, 61. "I believe I can make a tremendous contribution."

The school board has struggled for decades to improve the city's public education system, which is plagued by low student test scores, a dysfunctional special-education system, high principal turnover and half-empty buildings.

Bobb described the state of public education in the city as "a major civil rights issue" and said he is "impatient when it comes to reform." If elected, he said he would not interfere with the administration of Superintendent Clifford B. Janey, who came to the District two years ago and is implementing changes to improve student performance.

Bobb said he would be a strong leader and insist that the board find better ways to use the budget to improve education.

"We haven't raised the level of outrage about the performance of our children in the school system," Bobb said. "People should be marching in the streets."

Bobb, hired by Williams (D) in 2003, has directed many of Williams's largest initiatives, including health-care reform and efforts to revitalize impoverished neighborhoods and neglected boulevards. Bobb also directed the administration's response to the discovery of elevated levels of lead in the District's drinking water.

The campaign for the two-year part-time position pits Bobb against Carolyn N. Graham, the former deputy mayor for children, youth, families and elders, who was appointed to the school board by Williams in February 2004 and serves as the board's vice president. Current President Peggy Cooper Cafritz announced in March that she is not seeking reelection.

Although board presidents normally serve a four-year term, the position is slated to be on the ballot again in 2008, as the school board undergoes a transition from a partially appointed to an entirely elected panel.

In the past year, Bobb's name has surfaced as a potential candidate for mayor and for chairman of the city council. He has talked with friends about the appeal of running for school board president.

Bobb earns $195,000 as city administrator and said he will soon begin looking for a new full-time job. He has bought a home in Ward 4, where he lives with his wife. He has three adult sons, including one who attends Howard University.

The five major candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor, including council member Adrian M. Fenty (Ward 4) and Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp, have indicated that they approve of the job Bobb is doing and would consider keeping him as part of a new administration. But Bobb said he wants a career change that could have a lasting impact on the lives of children.

He said that reforming the school system is "the most challenging issue facing the District" and that he would like to turn the board presidency into a powerful position. "I'm not there to be a pawn of politicians," he said.

Last year, Bobb was recruited to attend the Broad Superintendents Academy, a 10-month executive management program in Los Angeles designed to prepare senior business executives to become school superintendents.

Bobb is a veteran city manager who has held positions in Richmond, Kalamazoo, Mich., and Oakland, Calif. Once in Washington, he began trying to resolve complex issues, such as crime. He is the architect of the city's "hot spots" initiative, in which law enforcement efforts are concentrated in crime-ridden areas.

D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), who talked to Bobb before he made the decision, said Bobb has a management style that would lend credibility to the school board and reform the school system.

"He knows the role and relationship between the mayor and superintendent and will not micromanage the school board," Barry said. "He brings that kind of leadership and credibility. He knows what the major issues are. He's passionate about these kids."

Staff writer Debbi Wilgoren contributed to this report.