If Fenty Gets the Schools, Does He Have a Plan?

The car screeched to a halt in the driveway. The driver, flushed with excitement, jumped out, ran into the house and shouted upstairs to her husband: "Hey, I just hit the lottery jackpot. Pack your bags!"

Her husband rushed into the hallway, giddy with delight, and called: "That's great, honey. How should we pack? For the mountains or the seashore?"

She shot back: "I don't care. You just get the hell out of here!"

That, I fear, could be the gist of the exchange between Mayor Adrian Fenty and Superintendent Clifford Janey once Fenty gets control of the District's public schools.

Not that Fenty said any such thing when I met with him and his deputy mayor for education, Victor Reinoso, this week at the Petworth Library in Northwest.

Fenty was careful not to reveal his thoughts on Janey's performance; not so former school board member Reinoso. With little prompting, Reinoso was quick to provide examples of Janey's alleged shortcomings as superintendent. Janey should be glad he doesn't serve at Reinoso's pleasure. Reinoso, however, has Fenty's ear.

The meeting wasn't arranged to critique the superintendent. My purpose was to learn more about Fenty's education plan and how and when it would be implemented, should he become Janey's boss.

I left convinced that Fenty has clear school-related objectives (reconstitute failing schools, end social promotions, give principals more autonomy, create parent training academies, etc.). But despite my best efforts (which obviously weren't good enough) to find out, I still don't know how Fenty ranks his objectives or how he intends to achieve them.

Before Reinoso arrived, I asked Fenty to state the three things he would do immediately after he gained control of the schools. Fenty said he would examine the school system's structure, review its policies and assess the system's leadership and top management.

I reminded him of numerous studies of District schools already on the shelf, including one recently prepared by his own consultant, the Parthenon Group. "What's there to know," I asked, "that isn't already known?"

Fenty said he doesn't have the full picture and won't until the school system is under his control -- a point Reinoso also made in response to other questions.