Janey lists achievements as mayor-elect threatens takeover
With his position threatened by an ambitious mayor-elect, the superintendent of the District of Columbia public school system defended the achievements of his administration in a major speech Tuesday.
Clifford B. Janey highlighted the improvements he has made since he was appointed two years ago in his first “State of the Schools” address to a packed auditorium at McKinley Technical High School in Northeast D.C., but also stressed the need for patience in reform efforts.
“We cannot advance the education reform agenda by patching holes, only by changing the system itself,” he said.
The speech came after several public declarations by D.C. Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty in support of a mayoral takeover of the struggling school system. Major cities such as New York and Los Angeles have seen efforts by mayors to enhance their authority. Current D.C. mayor Anthony Williams failed in a similar takeover attempt two years ago.
Janey, the seventh District superintendent in 15 years, listed—shy; among other accomplishments— an increased rate in filling teacher and principal vacancies than in previous years. This year, D.C.P.S. hired a record 85 principals, he said.
“Show me a good principal and I’ll show you the making of a good school,” he said.
One of the biggest problems facing the D.C. school system is a lack of accountability, Janey said.
Although he claimed major improvements have occurred in this field since he took over, an independent auditor reported in early November that the city had overcharged the federal government and failed to properly monitor contractors, risking $120 million in federal grants.
Despite a new testing system that Janey said was hailed as one of the best in the nation, most of the schools in the District failed to meet the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act this year.
Only eight percent of high school graduates have finished college within five years, he said. For a majority-black city, Janey offered a sobering statistic: half of all black males who do not have high school diplomas have a prison record. The 16 school lockdowns this year show the danger community violence poses, he said.
Janey claimed success in areas such as refurbishing school libraries, reaching out to parent groups, and connecting all schools to the Internet.
In particular, he highlighted the growing ties between D.C.P.S. and Washington embassies. A partnership with the Chinese government, for example, has led to Mandarin programs in seven schools.
“You’re going to feel so good to dispel the contempt people have for Washington D.C. schools,” he said to lengthy applause.
