Seeking Transparency From Rhee's Office

When a D.C. teacher had a staph infection diagnosed this month, Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee sent a recorded phone message to the homes of public school students.

Although the message did not directly address the teacher's case, it did tell students how to prevent staph, amid region-wide concern about the discovery of a new antibiotic-resistant strain of the infection.

Some parents complained about the Rhee administration's lack of full transparency. The D.C. State Board of Education has an even bigger gripe.

According to board members, they gathered for several hours for a routine meeting the night before Rhee's telephone message was sent but did not hear a word about the D.C. staph case.

The board is still trying to find its role in Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's public schools takeover. Although the board no longer has daily oversight of the 50,000-student school system, it is made up of some of the few remaining school officials installed directly by the public. Five members are elected; four are appointed by the mayor.

Board President Robert C. Bobb said he learned about the infected teacher from a reporter. Other board members expressed frustration.

"We're not on radar on the screen," said board member William Lockridge (District 4), whose district includes Davis Elementary School, where the infected teacher worked.

"It could have been handled better," said Mary Lord, who was elected to fill the District 1 seat in August.

Choosing Sides on Obama, Clinton

The country's Democratic electorate is divided over the race for the party's presidential nomination. Now, so is Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's inner circle.

As John A. Wilson Building watchers probably recall, Fenty (D) and his campaign co-chairman. Jim Hudson, a lawyer, announced several months ago that they would support Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Fenty formally endorsed Obama in July during a joint appearance at a community center in Ward 6, after Hudson had had a District event that raised $600,000 for the candidate.

Now, Fenty's other campaign co-chairman, former D.C. Council member William Lightfoot, is coming out in favor of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). So are several other Fenty allies, including Clark Ray, newly appointed head of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, and Peter Rosenstein, Judith Terra and David Franco, who served on Fenty's transition committees.

D.C. Digs for Bloomberg

Speaking of presidential candidates, don't look now, but New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, often rumored to be gearing up for a White House bid, is setting up shop in the District.

Bloomberg, whose switch from the Republican Party to independent status in the spring fueled talk of a third-party run for the presidency, is opening a D.C. office with a ceremony today. According to an invitation Bloomberg's staff members distributed, the space at 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., on the same block as city hall, will be Bloomberg's Office of Federal Affairs -- basically, a fancy name for a Capitol Hill lobbying shop for a mayor with national ambition.

Showstoppers

Move over, Jennifer Hudson, and take Beyonc¿ with you. There are some new "dreamgirls," at least in this town. They made their debut at Southeastern University's annual gala last week.

The D.C. Dreamgirls, led by D.C. Council member Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7), stole the show as the opening act at the scholarship fundraiser.

The performance of Alexander and her backup singers, Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), could not be matched. District movers and shakers in the audience hooted and applauded as the council members swayed in their black dresses, white gloves and feather boas, lip-syncing to the "Dreamgirls" soundtrack.

They were a tough act to follow. But there were some good lines from their male counterparts during a skit on the "Top 10 (Nine) Things That Would Happen If D.C. Became a State." Here are a few one-liners:

Jack Evans (D-Ward 2): "Can you say Sen. Marion Barry?"

Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6): "As Washington is already taken, the newest state is simply called W."

David A. Catania (I-At Large): "The state drug czar is . . . oh, no, wait. We're not even touching this one."

Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large): "We call it a top 10 list, but we only do a top nine . . . because the nation always shortchanges D.C.!"

Former mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), who was roasted at last year's event, made a guest appearance. He tried to persuade the commissioner of low-numbered license plates, Derek McGinty of WUSA-Channel 9, that he deserved that city perk. "Remember me, Tony Williams? Former mayor?"

McGinty retorted: "Only Marion Barry gets to be mayor for life and gets a low tag!"