15 People Fighting to Be Part Of Board's Uncertain Future

Education experts praise the board for approving tough new standards in reading, math, science and social studies, as well as agreeing to eliminate 3 million square feet of excess space by closing and consolidating about two dozen underenrolled schools. They also credit the board for smoothing over some of the discord, both among members and between the board and the council.

But Mary Levy, director of the Public Education Reform Project for the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, criticizes the school board for failing to properly monitor charter schools under its jurisdiction as well as its charter school oversight office.

Brenda L. Belton, who headed the office, is the target of a federal investigation for allegedly misusing federal funds. The school board is considering giving up its role as a charter authorizer.

Levy blames the board for failing to properly monitor spending, which led to the U.S. Education Department's action to designate the system a "high risk" for mismanaging federal funds. The designation prompted a bill in Congress to shift the system's state powers to another agency.

No school board candidate, not even incumbents, is campaigning to stay the course.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find a candidate," said Smith, of EdAction, "who says that business as usual is the right thing."

Coming tomorrow for D.C. voters: the first in a series of profiles of candidates for president of the D.C. Board of Education.