testify to SAVE Mayoral control of DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whew, the fear in this thread. For the first time I’m optimistic that mayoral control could be on the way out. Fingers crossed.

Care to explain why you object to mayoral control? with actual facts, not slogans or hand-waving.

[Anonymous]

Here’s the study the school board proponents are scared of, showing that the period of mayoral control in DCPS led to education gains: https://www.mathematica.org/publications/impacts-of-school-reforms-in-washington-dc-on-student-achievement

It seems to me that the anti-mayoral control people are against accountability for schools and anything that limits union power. I have yet to hear a coherent, fact-based argument against running schools in the same way all government services are administered- directly by the executive.

[Anonymous]

No one mentioned the Union. Mayoral control has not helped DC students. Look at the surrounding areas in the DMV. All better schools, none with mayoral control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the study the school board proponents are scared of, showing that the period of mayoral control in DCPS led to education gains: https://www.mathematica.org/publications/impacts-of-school-reforms-in-washington-dc-on-student-achievement

It seems to me that the anti-mayoral control people are against accountability for schools and anything that limits union power. I have yet to hear a coherent, fact-based argument against running schools in the same way all government services are administered- directly by the executive.

That study was refuted here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2021/10/03/is-dc-really-an-education-reform-success-story/amp/

[Anonymous]

So, I work in the Federal government and get to watch the garbage policies that get hastily passed based on trying to appease several constituencies. I would not like to see more of this in relation to DC schools.

[Anonymous]

So I would attribute any issue your school has had with DGS to Mayoral control. Inability to respond to specific conditions in specific schools because only the Mayor is accountable and she had no one run against her. Meanwhile she hobnobs with developers and does nothing with the dchools. Mayoral control means DC is run by the DME, Chancellor, OSSE boss, Central Office and the PCSB.

I can feel that some like it that way. To me it’s profoundly undemocratic. Elites choosing for us. I get it. Some of us ARE the elites or like their choices. But I don’t like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but some things I'm pulling out as I do the reading that OP posted:

"On average, districts under mayoral control also focus on teachers: A greater percentage of their total staff is teachers, producing lower student-to-teacher ratios. Relative to the largest city districts, mayor-led districts have less central office staff and administrators as a percent of their total staff. This prioritization on teaching and learning might be an important factor in contributing to higher student achievement, as discussed below."

"Mayor-controlled districts have seen increases in student achievement
Although other factors are important, the ultimate measure of any change in our education system is whether it improves student learning and achievement. In Boston, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., and other cities, mayoral control is associated with just that. Students saw improvements—in some cases significant improvements—on both state assessments and on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a test administered nationally to fourth and eighth graders. Looking at the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, for example, the percentage of Bostonian fourth graders proficient in math went from 12 percent to 33 percent—an increase of 21 percentage points—under mayoral control. Similarly, the percentage of fourth graders in Washington, D.C. that were proficient in reading went from 10 percent to 20 percent—an increase of 10 percentage points—after the city moved to mayoral control."

"Some of the most notable gains in achievement were among minority and lower-income students."

Have you looked at the central office budget in DC? Bc you are speaking in general tones about things that are not true here. Teachers are not being given additional benefits or salary due to mayoral control

Teachers have very high salary here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but some things I'm pulling out as I do the reading that OP posted:

"On average, districts under mayoral control also focus on teachers: A greater percentage of their total staff is teachers, producing lower student-to-teacher ratios. Relative to the largest city districts, mayor-led districts have less central office staff and administrators as a percent of their total staff. This prioritization on teaching and learning might be an important factor in contributing to higher student achievement, as discussed below."

"Mayor-controlled districts have seen increases in student achievement
Although other factors are important, the ultimate measure of any change in our education system is whether it improves student learning and achievement. In Boston, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., and other cities, mayoral control is associated with just that. Students saw improvements—in some cases significant improvements—on both state assessments and on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a test administered nationally to fourth and eighth graders. Looking at the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, for example, the percentage of Bostonian fourth graders proficient in math went from 12 percent to 33 percent—an increase of 21 percentage points—under mayoral control. Similarly, the percentage of fourth graders in Washington, D.C. that were proficient in reading went from 10 percent to 20 percent—an increase of 10 percentage points—after the city moved to mayoral control."

"Some of the most notable gains in achievement were among minority and lower-income students."

Have you looked at the central office budget in DC? Bc you are speaking in general tones about things that are not true here. Teachers are not being given additional benefits or salary due to mayoral control

Teachers have very high salary here.

Many teachers also have to fight to justify their jobs each year bc of the bloated central office budgets.

[Anonymous]

The problem is for most places the question is Mayor, accountable for many things with education rarely being the voting issue, or actual school board, accountable for it’s education policies specifically. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective. But in DC it’s mayor or council, which is equally unaccountable for education, but which also can’t be replaced all at once even in the event on calamitous school policy. Mayoral control may not be ideal, but council control is even worse for many of the same reasons… but also half the council is totally entrenched, corrupt and incompetent. There is just no world in which non-corrupt voters should prefer the council to do anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the study the school board proponents are scared of, showing that the period of mayoral control in DCPS led to education gains: https://www.mathematica.org/publications/impacts-of-school-reforms-in-washington-dc-on-student-achievement

It seems to me that the anti-mayoral control people are against accountability for schools and anything that limits union power. I have yet to hear a coherent, fact-based argument against running schools in the same way all government services are administered- directly by the executive.

That study was refuted here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2021/10/03/is-dc-really-an-education-reform-success-story/amp/

also in that “refutation”: “ Before D.C.’s reforms began in 2007, the school system was a mess: textbooks languished in warehouses, paychecks went undelivered, buildings were in various states of decrepitude. As mayoral control resolved these basic administrative failings …”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one mentioned the Union. Mayoral control has not helped DC students. Look at the surrounding areas in the DMV. All better schools, none with mayoral control.

You have to look at DC before and after mayoral control. Comparing DCPS to the suburbs isn’t worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, I work in the Federal government and get to watch the garbage policies that get hastily passed based on trying to appease several constituencies. I would not like to see more of this in relation to DC schools.

exactly. even worse, this is not just a garbage policy - it’s a change in structure to allow a multiplicity of garbage policies. I’m sorry DC does not have a deep enough bench to get a slate of 5 elected officials who will be capable school board members. We got lucky to get someone with actual brains like Christina Henderson on the Council - I don’t think there are 5 of her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I would attribute any issue your school has had with DGS to Mayoral control. Inability to respond to specific conditions in specific schools because only the Mayor is accountable and she had no one run against her. Meanwhile she hobnobs with developers and does nothing with the dchools. Mayoral control means DC is run by the DME, Chancellor, OSSE boss, Central Office and the PCSB.

I can feel that some like it that way. To me it’s profoundly undemocratic. Elites choosing for us. I get it. Some of us ARE the elites or like their choices. But I don’t like it.

why in the world is an elected school board a) any less elite; b) any more responsive to electoral pressure; and c) any better equipped to handle the day-to-day tasks involved in running schools? None of what you wrote makes any sense. Just slogans and talking points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is for most places the question is Mayor, accountable for many things with education rarely being the voting issue, or actual school board, accountable for it’s education policies specifically. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective. But in DC it’s mayor or council, which is equally unaccountable for education, but which also can’t be replaced all at once even in the event on calamitous school policy. Mayoral control may not be ideal, but council control is even worse for many of the same reasons… but also half the council is totally entrenched, corrupt and incompetent. There is just no world in which non-corrupt voters should prefer the council to do anything.

help me out. so you think a third responsible organization (like an independent OSSE with a superintendent who can be dismissed for cause) would be an improvement? I can see the logic in that but only the logic, not the facts supporting the change. I just fail to see any problems with mayoral control that suggest the need for structural reform. In fact I’m quite happy at how she reopened schools and beat back the virtual option and “but the HVAC”! nonsense with a weak bill, then pivoted and got $$ out of the Council for covid coordinators to reduce admin burden at schools. I think she’s doing well.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for posting this!