Group Protests Proposed Firings, Closings

Parents and Teachers Rally at Wilson Building

A small group of D.C. parents, teachers and residents rallied outside the John A. Wilson Building yesterday to protest city education policies, saying Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee are not seeking advice from the public in their plans to close schools and fire administrative employees.

In the first demonstration since the mayor took over the schools June 12, about two dozen people waved placards with slogans such as "We shall not be moved!" The group included parents and teachers from Bunker Hill, John Burroughs and West elementary schools and from Cardozo High School.

Last week, Fenty and Rhee announced a list of 23 schools that could be closed to save money. Fenty and Rhee have said the closures could save $23.6 million for the 49,600-student school system, money that could go toward academic offerings such as new technology, magnet programs and early childhood centers.

"We don't really understand how this process is going to work," said Candi Pearson, a school social worker who helped organize the rally. Pearson said she represents school psychologists, therapists and other service providers.

"This list was drawn up without any input, and pretty much that's the pattern of this administration," she said.

Mafara Hobson, a Rhee spokeswoman, said the first of nine community meetings will be held Monday to explain how the schools were selected and to get reactions to the proposed closings. Hobson said getting public comments through the meetings is a "central component" of the plans.

The D.C. Council is preparing to vote next week on a request from Fenty to spend $81 million of $100 million in surplus city funds on the schools. The council also could vote on a bill that would change all nonunionized central administration workers to the status of "at will" employees. Rhee says that would give her more authority to fire underperformers. School unions have offered a counterproposal.

Other groups have raised concerns about how Fenty (D) and Rhee are keeping parents informed about the changes. Three groups -- D.C. Voice, a nonprofit school advocacy group, the D.C. Parent Teacher Association and the Washington Teachers' Union -- wrote a letter urging school officials to discuss not only school closings but other issues as well. Among them: how to address the shortcomings of schools that have repeatedly failed standardized tests.

Hobson said the administration met with representatives of groups that signed the letter and intends to address at least some of their concerns in the meetings.

Jeff Smith, executive director of D.C. Voice, questioned the sincerity of the administration's interest in what parents say.

"Instead, people will think that they're just really looking for approval of a predetermined plan," Smith said.