Monday, December 22, 2008
The District's public school system must refocus if it hopes to make real and sustainable educational changes ["A Union of Interests," editorial, and "Charter Schools Make Gains on Tests," front page, Dec. 15].
To improve teaching and learning, school leaders and teachers must work together in a supportive, respectful environment. It's worked in Montgomery County, where superintendent-union collaboration has led to sustained student achievement. In the District, several charter schools are seeing progress because of basic but essential programs that the American Federation of Teachers has promoted for years, including a strong discipline policy, a rich curriculum, after-school and Saturday classes, and modernized buildings.
Real education reform in Washington should be measured by what is being done to improve teaching and learning. Is there a substantive plan for a rigorous and rich education? Do teachers receive mentoring and solid professional development? Are the adult stakeholders working collaboratively to achieve sustainable reforms? Unfortunately, the discussion has devolved into one issue: teacher tenure. Let's have that discussion, but it's not the only topic worth discussing.
RANDI WEINGARTEN
President
American Federation of Teachers
Washington
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The Dec. 14 front-page story "Public Role, Private Gain" labored to concoct a conflict-of-interest scandal at the D.C. Public Charter School Board. All it lacked was evidence of wrongdoing. As members of the Charter School Board, we regret that the target of this journalistic drive-by was our highly effective chairman, Thomas A. Nida.
Particularly offensive was the insinuation that Mr. Nida voted to shut down a charter school to benefit the bank that employs him. Every time our board has closed a charter school it has done so because that school was demonstrably failing to serve its students and D.C. taxpayers.
Members of the board are volunteers; we are paid nothing for the many hours we devote, on top of our day jobs, to ensuring that all District children have access to good public schools.
WILL MARSHALL
Arlington
DORA MARCUS
Washington
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