Midterm Grade

Mayor Fenty has made good on a promise of dramatic action, but D.C. schools still have a long way to go.

IT'S BEEN nearly a year since Mayor Adrian M. Fenty took control of the D.C. public schools, and the pace of change has been dizzying. Foremost was his unorthodox choice of a chancellor singularly unafraid to make, and carry out, hard decisions. Michelle A. Rhee has done more in months to reshape the system than her predecessors did in years. Yet, the work has barely begun, because -- for children in D.C. classrooms -- much is still the sorry same.

No doubt the anniversary of the mayoral takeover will cause some to point to the sad state of classroom instruction as evidence of failure. There are, though, no instant results when it comes to school reform. Most experts say it takes three years for test scores to even start to improve and five to seven years for the full effects to be felt. This first year has been spent laying the foundation: restructuring the central office, closing an unprecedented number of schools, reorganizing ones that are failing, getting rid of principals who don't make the grade. Time is needed before these conditions can produce results such as better student achievement or increased enrollment. Already, there is reason for cautious optimism: books and computers are being delivered; people are being paid on time; there are exciting new candidates in the principal pool; and there is the promise of music, art and physical education teachers in schools this fall.

In addition to those tangibles, changes in the culture are evident: There is a greater sense of urgency, and people know that more is expected of them. The prime example is being set by Ms. Rhee. Her energy and determination are matched only by her high standards. It's hard to recall that she was seen as a risky unknown when Mr. Fenty, to his credit, selected her. Her effectiveness is strengthened by the backing of a very popular mayor, who is just as determined as she is to do something about the disgrace that generally passes for education in the District.

There have been problems, including with the amount and quality of information provided to the public as changes are made. Continuing friction with the D.C. Council is troubling; if not for the council's leap of faith, there would be no reform effort. We also worry about the amount of money being spent. In seeking control of the schools, Mr. Fenty vowed that money was not the issue, but an extra $200 million later, it's clear that the administration was either kidding itself or the public. The system needs to show it is fixing, not just throwing money at, the problems.

The coming months present numerous hurdles. Key here is reaching agreement with the teachers on a contract that places the interests of children first. Managing expectations -- what Ms. Rhee calls a race between getting results and getting more time -- is another. The August opening of the new academic year looms large, with the extra challenge of accommodating children from 23 schools that have been closed. If Ms. Rhee and her team are able to pull that off with the same elan that marked last year's opening, it will be a further hopeful sign that perhaps, finally, the schools are on the right track.