District 3 Offers Candidates Myriad Challenges

Terri Anomnachi is the mother of four and president of the PTA at Lucy Diggs Slowe Elementary School in Northeast Washington, where her two youngest children are enrolled. Her two oldest children also went there, but when they approached middle school age, Anomnachi decided to send them to a charter school, rather than Bertie Backus Middle School.

Although she hasn't given up on the traditional schools -- "I want them to go to McKinley," said Anomnachi, referring to the state-of-the-art career and technology high school in Eckington -- she's frustrated with a school system that has few high-performing middle schools in Ward 5. She's also upset that Slowe, once a highly rated school, has suffered from budget cuts and declining enrollment and is slated to close in 2008.

"I really feel like the school board, they just cut the school off and weren't involved," Anomnachi said.

The candidate who emerges from a pack of five looking to become the next school board member from District 3, which represents Wards 5 and 6, will face these parental frustrations and more. The victor must look for ways to address those concerns and other pressing issues of student achievement, the condition of school buildings and the future of charter schools in the District.

There are almost 50 schools in economically and racially diverse District 3, in neighborhoods that include Capitol Hill, Rosedale, Riggs Park and Old City. Buildings such as Paul L. Dunbar High School and Eastern Senior High School have fallen into disrepair, and such schools as Brookland Elementary have been targeted for closure because of declining enrollment and the condition of the facilities.

There are bright spots. Parents recently celebrated the opening of new libraries at Stuart Hobson Middle School and Robert Brent and Ludlow-Taylor Elementary schools, part of an eight-school library renovation project in which the school system partnered with a private foundation to fix eight Capitol Hill school libraries.

Tommy Wells, who has represented the District for six years, won the Democratic primary last month for the Ward 6 D.C. Council seat. He said whoever replaces him on the school board must move quickly to be responsive to community concerns.

"They have so many schools, each with their own challenges," Wells said.

Three advisory neighborhood commissioners, an education consultant and a former charter school administrator are crisscrossing Wards 5 and 6 searching for votes. At community forums and in interviews, they outlined different prescriptions for fixing city schools.

Robert Brannum, an ANC commissioner in Ward 5's Bloomingdale neighborhood and substitute teacher, said he has a passion for "those without a voice," and his classroom teaching experience has given him an insight into the issues facing students and teachers.

"I have shown an ability to work for all people of all colors and sexes," Brannum said. "I have been out there working on behalf of children for a lifetime."

A native Washingtonian, Brannum, 53, said curtailing special education costs would be his top priority. He did not offer a specific proposal, saying he supported the plans outlined by D.C. School Superintendent Clifford B. Janey. Under Janey's master facilities plan, special education students in private placements would return to city classrooms after space is made available through the renovation of aging buildings and the addition of education centers.