D.C. Public Schools

D.C. Council Approves $1B for D.C. Schools

The D.C. Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill that would devote an additional $100 million a year -- $1 billion over the next decade -- to school modernization in the District of Columbia Public School System, enough to complete a systemwide overhaul.

Thomas M. Brady, chief business operations officer at the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was online Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the bill and what its passage would mean for DCPS.

As Chief Business Operations Officer at DCPS, Brady is responsible for implementing a strategic plan for the overall operations of the District, which includes budget planning and administration, the management services of facilities management, information technology, food and nutritional services, contracts and acquisitions, realty, human resources, school security, and the federal grants program. Brady served as Chief Operating Officer in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the twelfth largest school district in the United States from 2002-2004. As Chief Operating Officer, Brady was responsible for the Departments of Human Resources, Finance, Facilities and Transportation Services, and Information Technology.

The Transcript Follows.

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Thomas M. Brady: Good Afternoon. Thanks to the Washington Post for this opportunity. On behalf of Dr. Janey, Superintendent, I am Tom Brady, Chief Business Operations Officer, DCPS and I look forward to this chat today.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you please discuss which type of oversight mechanisms would work best for this. The bill provides an oversight committee, some folks are discussing a construction trust. What do you think would work best?

Thomas M. Brady: There are many varied ways for oversight of school construction. Some states have a centralized construction authority but traditionally construction management is at the local level. The Board of Education and the Superintendent are charged with the oversight of DCPS' school construction project improvements for the education of DCPS students, and that's where the responsibility should remain.

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Washington, D.C.: I don't want to be a typical D.C. contrarian, and I know that our school are in need of serious overhauling. But more money? How can this possibly help? D.C. already leads the nation in per-student spending. More money will make no difference, whether it be spent on remodeling, renovating, or building more schools. We need to address the lowly requirements for teachers, the inordinately and inexcusably powerful D.C. teacher's union, and the waste that is already taking place without pouring more money into this wretchedly broken system.

Thomas M. Brady: Very good question. Education of children does not come from a facilities master plan. That's why the District is engaged in the development of a Master Education Plan which addresses all of the concerns that you have just outlined. All facilities related decisions will action the Master Education Plan design. The MEP will be made public on February 27, 2006, but has been development since August with significant community input. This plan plus the Declaration of Education address the education standards, the academic standards, teacher quality and some of the other concerns you expressed. You raised good issues.

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Glover Park, Washington, D.C.: I want to commend the Council for voting for this infusion of money for the schools. It's about time our priorities matched up with our budget -- schools, not stadiums!

Thanks.

Thomas M. Brady: I join with you to thank the Council, the Mayor, Council member Patterson, Evans for their leadership and support of Dr. Janey and the Board of Education on the passage of this historic legislation to benefit the children of the District of Columbia.

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Washington, D.C.: How much of this money is ACTUALLY going to be devoted to physical plant renovations and upgrades and having textbooks available on time, rather than to perpetuate the school system's bloated bureaucracy? School system motto: all children left behind!

Thomas M. Brady: All children aren't left behind. Dr. Janey and his reorganization efforts are putting the emphasis on children first. The money from this Bill will only go to enhance our capability to modernize and rebuild. There are adequate and control methods imposed by the Board of Education and the City Council to insure that this money is used for its intended purpose.

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Washington, D.C.: How will DCPS separate the management of the $600 million of deferred maintenance from the almost $3 billion of the new construction?

Thomas M. Brady: We are now in the process of conditions assessment of all of our facilities. This is the essential first step in the development of our facilities Master Plan. Based on the Master Education Plan direction, the facilities Master Plan will incorporate both deferred maintenance and new construction in the same plan.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you comment on current projects underway that are modernizing schools. Are they being managed well?

Thomas M. Brady: DCPS is transitioning from the US Army Corps of Engineers and its construction management responsibilities. Earlier this year, we completed and occupied the newly renovated Thomson Elementary school. During the month of February, we will have children return to the newly constructed Bell Lincoln Multicultural Campus. We are managing Brightwood Elementary and I am pleased to say our cost per square foot of construction has been significantly reduced by approximately $100 per square foot compared to recent construction projects not under DCPS' management.

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Washington, D.C.: Above, you wrote: "The Board of Education and the Superintendent are charged with the oversight of DCPS' school construction project improvements for the education of DCPS students, and that's where the responsibility should remain." Why does it matter who manages the modernizations? Are there educational decisions that have to be made, or is this just a bricks-and-mortar thing that anyone could do?

Thomas M. Brady: Thank you for your comment. Modernizing and building schools must incorporate educational design and educational standards and have educators as part of the planning process. Having said that, once the plans are finalized we intend to use industry best practices for the construction process which will include outsourcing construction management to prequalified construction management firms.

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Washington, D.C.: Mr. Brady, I want to thank you and Dr. Janey and the rest of his team for helping to win Council approval of this bill. You testified in favor of the bill at every Council hearing and, I think in part because of your straightforward and honest answers to questions, gave even some of the most cautious members of the Council the confidence they needed to support DCPS. Thanks to both you and Dr. Janey for your work for our children.

- Marc Borbely, D.C. School Modernization Campaign

Thomas M. Brady: Marc, we can't thank you enough. You are a citizen leader and have helped galvanize the community on this key issue and you are part of this team and the solution for DC children.

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Washington, D.C.: How will the facility master plan address the needs of public charter schools?

Thomas M. Brady: Absolutely!! As we examine how to utilize our 16.2 million square feet we will work with all DC public charter schools to identify potential space that could provide opportunities for colocation of charter schools. This would be a "win-win" situation for both DCPS and public charters who are now forced to lease space at commercial rates. We would prefer that money to be invested in our facilities.

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College Park, Md.: Is there any consideration to selling some of the school properties and consolidate the number of schools in the DCPS? It's my understanding that the student/school ratio is much lower in D.C. than in surrounding districts. Not to mention revenue from property sales, but the DCPS would also benefit from decreased maintenance costs by supporting fewer facilities.

Thomas M. Brady: Certainly. We are examining now all potential public/private partnerships that will extend our capital funding. The Board of Education recently passed a resolution charging us to reduce our inventory by 3 million square feet in two years. The consolidation and potential in closing of schools will allow our resources to be better utilized and enhance our operations and maintenance for the buildings we retain. DCPS spends $1.76 per square foot to maintain 147 buildings. The industry standard for proper maintenance is $2.30. Reallocating our current resources to maintain a reduced square footage will insure we do not allow the current situation to be repeated. We will not tolerate this.

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Washington, D.C.: How do modernized school buildings actually affect EDUCATION? Why does modernizing the buildings really matter? Can't kids learn anywhere?

Thomas M. Brady: Studies have shown a direct link between quality of facilities and student achievement. But you are correct, quality of education comes from highly qualified teachers, strong academic standards, and robust professional development, all of which will be a part of the Master Education Plan released later this month. Our facilities plan will follow from the Master Education Plan.

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Maryland: I am interested in tutoring. Do you have a tutoring program set up in D.C.?

Thomas M. Brady: Thanks very much for volunteering to help our students. We never turn away a volunteer. We have a variety of tutoring programs available. You can contact us at 202-442-5635 and we will give you the details of what is available.

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Washington, D.C.: How do you decide which schools will be consolidated? Which close and which stay open?

Thomas M. Brady: Good question and I know the community is very concerned about this issue. The Superintendent will recommend to the Board of Education a clear set of guidelines and criteria and outline the process for the decisions associated with the implementation of the facilities master plan. There will be 16 community meetings in the next three months to seek citizen input on these key issues. I hope you will attend one of the meetings in your neighborhood to share your thoughts. I expect the schedule will be published in the next two weeks.

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Washington, D.C.: In light of the Council's discussion yesterday about the need for more and better vocational education in DCPS, how is the Master Education Plan going to address this issue?

Thomas M. Brady: The Superintendent has placed great priority on career technical education(CTE). You can be assured that CTE will play a very large part in both the MEP and facilities master plan as we identify the best programs that best serve the needs of the children of DC. A great deal of work has been done on this issue in collaboration with higher education institutions, the business community and elected officials. Dr. Janey is clear on his priority to address this need.

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Monroe, Mich: I understand the need to upgrade D.C. schools, but what will the money do to curtail adolescent violence? D.C. is a crime-ridden city, with most random crimes committed by teenagers. What will be done to improve the quality of education of these individuals?

Thomas M. Brady: The money in this legislation will go to rebuild our crumbling schools. You raise a key issue however that our students deserve a safe and secure place to learn. The Superintendent in collaboration with the Chief of Police and our security division are pledged to provide that environment. It is not a school problem. It is a community problem and the Superintendent has initiated discussions with many outside agencies to address this issues.

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Washington, D.C.: Is it true that there are schools where computers can't be turned on when air conditioners are on, because it'll blow the circuits?

Thomas M. Brady: Yes. Due to that aging infrastructure of DCPS facilities, there are schools where educators have to make the choice of turning on lights or window air conditioners. Thankfully, this legislation will go a long way to allowing us to address these conditions so that educators can focus on education and not infrastructure.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm very surprised by the posters questioning the value of school maintenance. I recently moved here and was SHOCKED when I volunteered at Bell Multicultural (the old building)! I wouldn't even go to school if it was in such an unpleasant space! I'm glad the District has committed itself to fixing up these schools. Even if you can learn anywhere, there's something wrong with sending our children to buildings where bathroom stalls don't have doors, science labs have broken equipment, etc...

Thomas M. Brady: Thank you for your comments and thank you for volunteering to help our children. You re-emphasize the points that we made about maintaining the schools you modernize. "Pay me now or pay me later!"

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Washington, D.C.: How do you decide which schools get modernized first?

Thomas M. Brady: As I mentioned before, the facilities master plan's first step is to support the educational priorities and based on the conditions of the building. We will outline in the facilities master plan how we will execute our capital spending.

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Thomas M. Brady: Our time has run out. I want to thank you very much for this opportunity on behalf of the Superintendent and Board of Education. The modernization bill is a great step for DCPS and the community. This will be a collaborative effort between school officials, district government, educational community, business leaders and other stakeholders. We appreciate your help and support. Thank you for your making a long-term impact for the children of the District.

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