Residents Give Possible Schools Takeover Mixed Marks

Parents Want Change, Input Picking Leaders

If Democratic nominee Adrian M. Fenty is elected mayor of Washington -- and there is a strong probability that he will -- he has indicated that he might eliminate the elected school board and turn it into an advisory panel.

Fenty has talked openly about leaning toward taking control of the city's struggling school system, which has been plagued by low student test scores and graduation rates and aging buildings.

Although many parents and guardians of D.C. public school students seem united in their desire for change after what they say has been years of frustration, their reaction to a possible takeover of the schools has been mixed.

"I like the idea because the school board hasn't done much for the past few years," said Kathy Mailloux of Capitol Hill, whose son Mason attends Watkins Elementary School. "They have to do something if they want to keep middle-class families from leaving the city and moving to the suburbs."

Lilita Ball of Capitol Hill, whose son Michel and daughter Michaela attend Maury Elementary School in Northeast Washington, said she appreciated Fenty's plan to become more aggressive with the school system and hoped he would allow parents to become more involved in individual school plans.

"The current board just makes decisions without any involvement from the parents," Ball said. "Any improvements would be greatly appreciated."

Barbara Arslan of Dupont Circle said she recently moved from what she called a much better public school system in St. Petersburg, Fla., to the District, where her daughter attends Ross Elementary in Northwest Washington.

"A change of hands would bring new insight," Arslan said.

Teksiah Brandon of Anacostia said she drives her two sons, Kamal and Kobi, across town to attend Ross because of the quality of schools in her neighborhood. She said replacing the school board was "worth a shot."

"We've had a school board forever, and nothing has changed," she said.

In recent weeks, Fenty has consulted with other mayors who have undertaken similar plans with their public school systems. During a trip to Los Angeles in October, Fenty met with Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa (D), who recently took over the city's public school system. Fenty also met with New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R), who in 2002 took over the city's public schools. Fenty has said Bloomberg's reform model, in which the schools' chancellor reports directly to the mayor, could be a template.

But some parents say they are troubled by the idea of Fenty, who has no background as an educator, overseeing the school system and eliminating their ability to have a say in choosing its leaders.

Dennis Hawkins, a substitute teacher at Maury Elementary, said he would be a little concerned about not being able to vote for school board members. Hawkins said that although he understands Fenty's desire for change, he likes the idea of the board "being a separate entity" from the mayor's office.

Jude Harris Jr. of Southeast Washington, whose daughter attends Watkins Elementary on Capitol Hill, said he would prefer that the elected school board remain but that it is "shaken up" a bit.

Loye Hawkins, whose three children attend Ross Elementary, said he voted for Fenty but is concerned that a new mayor would be stretched too thin with other responsibilities to oversee the schools.

"That's kind of much for one person to be doing," Hawkins said. "I think the board should stay in place. It just needs better supervision."

Darlene T. Allen, president of the District's Parent Teacher Association, said she would oppose a Fenty takeover. Eliminating the school board only further reduces residents' power to choose, she said. "It's not the structure that causes the problem, it's the people who are being elected," she said.