If Fenty Wins...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course Michelle Rhee isn't good for DC schools. She's not Black, is breaking up the useless teachers union and forcing change. These people would rather have bad schools that educate 12th graders at a 5th grade level and get free handouts from the govt. It's much easier than having to actually work hard and pay taxes like the rest of us. Lazy. There I said it.

Right and there is absolutely no one who can do her job. Everyone else the District could possibly hire is determined to turn all the children into welfare recipients. Yeah, right.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Of course Michelle Rhee isn't good for DC schools. She's not Black, is breaking up the useless teachers union and forcing change. These people would rather have bad schools that educate 12th graders at a 5th grade level and get free handouts from the govt. It's much easier than having to actually work hard and pay taxes like the rest of us. Lazy. There I said it.

As Mark Twain said, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course Michelle Rhee isn't good for DC schools. She's not Black, is breaking up the useless teachers union and forcing change. These people would rather have bad schools that educate 12th graders at a 5th grade level and get free handouts from the govt. It's much easier than having to actually work hard and pay taxes like the rest of us. Lazy. There I said it.

As Mark Twain said, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Well said. A month after the primary, regardless of who wins this thing, my guess is that nothing substantial will change. The demographic changes the city is going through, and has gone through, will dwarf any policy impacts.

[Anonymous]

Curious, as an outsider here. (We moved out of DC to MoCo b/c of the public schools). I personally applaud Michelle Rhee and the work she has done. Both wife and I are involved in education (public school teacher and ed policy). Having been a former teacher in DCPS--the teachers union and the status quo was utterly tragic to witness. The changes Rhee is making are so necessary. So, we are watching the Fenty/Grey election playout, and we are both dumfounded why DC resdidents would vote for Grey (a longtime DC government official with a less than stellar record) or Fenty (who granted, has issues as well, perhaps just as big) but brought in the most sweepeing education reform DC has ever seen. Rhee is the longest serving chancellor in 20 years. No one wants this job. Are those that are so pro Grey sending their kids to DCPS? I'm really curious why you don't want to see major education, teachers union reforms, and move to pay for performance for teachers. Seeing what students went through while teaching in DC with terrible educators, poor principals, eroding buildings.....you need the most agressive change agent possible in this role. I don't understand why that is not issue #1 in this election. Or maybe it is and voters just like the old status quo.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Curious, as an outsider here. (We moved out of DC to MoCo b/c of the public schools). I personally applaud Michelle Rhee and the work she has done. Both wife and I are involved in education (public school teacher and ed policy). Having been a former teacher in DCPS--the teachers union and the status quo was utterly tragic to witness. The changes Rhee is making are so necessary. So, we are watching the Fenty/Grey election playout, and we are both dumfounded why DC resdidents would vote for Grey (a longtime DC government official with a less than stellar record) or Fenty (who granted, has issues as well, perhaps just as big) but brought in the most sweepeing education reform DC has ever seen. Rhee is the longest serving chancellor in 20 years. No one wants this job. Are those that are so pro Grey sending their kids to DCPS? I'm really curious why you don't want to see major education, teachers union reforms, and move to pay for performance for teachers. Seeing what students went through while teaching in DC with terrible educators, poor principals, eroding buildings.....you need the most agressive change agent possible in this role. I don't understand why that is not issue #1 in this election. Or maybe it is and voters just like the old status quo.

You seem to have a number of misconceptions. I am not a Gray supporter, but this constant refrain that Gray is opposed to school reform is getting really old. Gray is not a long-time DC government official. As reported in this very thread, Gray served for 4 years as Head of DC's HHS department. He served as a council member for 2 years and Council Chair for 3.5 years. That's 9 and a half years of the career of a 67 year old man. Fenty, served 6 years in the Council and 3.5 as Mayor, giving him 9.5 years of city government service. The same as Gray!

Clifford Janey served almost as long as Rhee has and would have served longer had Fenty not fired him.

Gray ushered the mayoral takeover of the schools through the Council (the main reason I don't support him). He did the same for Rhee's confirmation despite the Mayor breaking the law regarding her selection and the disrespect show to the Council. Rhee is not reforming and has no authority to reform the WTU. Gray has an education plan that is far from status quo.

If you are not familiar with this easily-available information, it is no surprise that you don't understand the support shown for Gray. A lot of misinformed individuals seem to be of the opinion that DC voters are idiots. That is far from the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious, as an outsider here. (We moved out of DC to MoCo b/c of the public schools). I personally applaud Michelle Rhee and the work she has done. Both wife and I are involved in education (public school teacher and ed policy). Having been a former teacher in DCPS--the teachers union and the status quo was utterly tragic to witness. The changes Rhee is making are so necessary. So, we are watching the Fenty/Grey election playout, and we are both dumfounded why DC resdidents would vote for Grey (a longtime DC government official with a less than stellar record) or Fenty (who granted, has issues as well, perhaps just as big) but brought in the most sweepeing education reform DC has ever seen. Rhee is the longest serving chancellor in 20 years. No one wants this job. Are those that are so pro Grey sending their kids to DCPS? I'm really curious why you don't want to see major education, teachers union reforms, and move to pay for performance for teachers. Seeing what students went through while teaching in DC with terrible educators, poor principals, eroding buildings.....you need the most agressive change agent possible in this role. I don't understand why that is not issue #1 in this election. Or maybe it is and voters just like the old status quo.

For the most part the African American residents of the city do not support the break up of any union. They see Michelle Rhee as the personification of gentrification and the changing face of Washington DC. They know that better schools mean more non Black residents move in to the neighborhoods (eg Capitol Hill) and soon the city will be less than 50% African American. Whether it is a subconscious reflex for many and frontal thought for few, it exists. Fenty's post racial politics and not giving the nod to old Black traditions have pissed them off. I think the whites that vote for Gray suffer from liberal white guilt.

[Anonymous]

Dorrie wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

* leadership style & corruption: Fenty seized enormous executive power in his first year after winning the Democratic primary. At the time, I supported him, thinking that drastic steps were needed (even as I remembered that I so firmly opposed moves toward further executive power by the Bush administration). We got some good out of this--and we got over $80 million in city contracts awarded without a reasonable bidding process to the Mayor's buddies, doing an end-run around the Council. Time will tell whether the facilities constructed under these contracts will actually last, or whether we'll be left with rubble a decade from now. I'm now of the opinion that we need a check on executive power, period. And the Mayor's history of sneaking around behind the Council's back disqualifies him forever after.

While I don't normally approve of awarding contracts without bidding, my BIL is with a DC-based environmental consulting firm and has said that all of those Fenty friends have done the jobs right, and on time. It's one thing to have expectations of your friends to whom you give contracts. Again, can understand why it's upsetting, but am glad to hear that the money wasn't squandered and much of it benefited our children.

BTW, I still can't get over the school board years ago taking (not returning) computers belonging to the city....blatantly stealing from DC kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious, as an outsider here. (We moved out of DC to MoCo b/c of the public schools). I personally applaud Michelle Rhee and the work she has done. Both wife and I are involved in education (public school teacher and ed policy). Having been a former teacher in DCPS--the teachers union and the status quo was utterly tragic to witness. The changes Rhee is making are so necessary. So, we are watching the Fenty/Grey election playout, and we are both dumfounded why DC resdidents would vote for Grey (a longtime DC government official with a less than stellar record) or Fenty (who granted, has issues as well, perhaps just as big) but brought in the most sweepeing education reform DC has ever seen. Rhee is the longest serving chancellor in 20 years. No one wants this job. Are those that are so pro Grey sending their kids to DCPS? I'm really curious why you don't want to see major education, teachers union reforms, and move to pay for performance for teachers. Seeing what students went through while teaching in DC with terrible educators, poor principals, eroding buildings.....you need the most agressive change agent possible in this role. I don't understand why that is not issue #1 in this election. Or maybe it is and voters just like the old status quo.

For the most part the African American residents of the city do not support the break up of any union. They see Michelle Rhee as the personification of gentrification and the changing face of Washington DC. They know that better schools mean more non Black residents move in to the neighborhoods (eg Capitol Hill) and soon the city will be less than 50% African American. Whether it is a subconscious reflex for many and frontal thought for few, it exists. Fenty's post racial politics and not giving the nod to old Black traditions have pissed them off. I think the whites that vote for Gray suffer from liberal white guilt.

The implication is that black people would willingly choose to submarine their own children's schools for the purpose of keeping white people from moving into the city. Do you realize how ridiculous this is? Do you know any parents who would do that, actually screw their children's education so more white people don't move in? What do you suspect is next, that they want the crime rate to go back up to scare white people back across the border again?

You are just plain nuts. You should stop attempting to interpret the motives of black residents of DC. It says a lot more about you than them.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
While I don't normally approve of awarding contracts without bidding, my BIL is with a DC-based environmental consulting firm and has said that all of those Fenty friends have done the jobs right, and on time. It's one thing to have expectations of your friends to whom you give contracts. Again, can understand why it's upsetting, but am glad to hear that the money wasn't squandered and much of it benefited our children.

Fenty's friends didn't actually do the work. They subcontracted it out, frequently paying a lot less than they charged the government. For instance, Banneker Ventures -- owned by Fenty frat brother Omar Karim -- paid Liberty Engineering -- owned by Fenty frat brother Sinclair Skinner -- $46,800 for a site survey of the Park View Rec Center. Skinner's firm was not licensed to do the work, but subcontracted it to Currie & Associates. Currie & Associates was paid approximately $8,000 for doing the actual work. So, Skinner got $38,000 for passing on a contract worth $8,000. Nice work if you can find it (or have it given to you by your frat brother). This pattern was repeated over and over to the tune of millions of dollars. So, I would suggest that much of the money was, in fact, squandered.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, I guess being close to the unions really do suck. I mean Jerry Weast in MoCo did a horrible job and he really supported the teachers union. So much so that MoCo has the HIGHEST GRADUATION RATES IN THE COUNTRY!! He then said, no thanks to the Race for the Top funds. His style worked great and MoCo is a very economically diverse county.

As for the union support - I've lived in places with no teachers unions at all and it's actually worse. Unions are not perfect. You can dislike unions without disrespecting their members!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious, as an outsider here. (We moved out of DC to MoCo b/c of the public schools). I personally applaud Michelle Rhee and the work she has done. Both wife and I are involved in education (public school teacher and ed policy). Having been a former teacher in DCPS--the teachers union and the status quo was utterly tragic to witness. The changes Rhee is making are so necessary. So, we are watching the Fenty/Grey election playout, and we are both dumfounded why DC resdidents would vote for Grey (a longtime DC government official with a less than stellar record) or Fenty (who granted, has issues as well, perhaps just as big) but brought in the most sweepeing education reform DC has ever seen. Rhee is the longest serving chancellor in 20 years. No one wants this job. Are those that are so pro Grey sending their kids to DCPS? I'm really curious why you don't want to see major education, teachers union reforms, and move to pay for performance for teachers. Seeing what students went through while teaching in DC with terrible educators, poor principals, eroding buildings.....you need the most agressive change agent possible in this role. I don't understand why that is not issue #1 in this election. Or maybe it is and voters just like the old status quo.

Rhee made decisions that endangered two schools that my daughter had attended with the likelihood of making them worse. I don't have time to go into details. I feel like I've done that over and over on DCUM so I suggest you do some more investigation. I'm tired of hearing how holding Rhee accountable for bad decisions means I love mediocre education. You need to look beyond the public relations campaign. FWIW, I'm white, upper-middle-class, and a long-time DC resident and my kid was in DCPS fpr 9 years.

[Anonymous]

For the most part the African American residents of the city do not support the break up of any union. They see Michelle Rhee as the personification of gentrification and the changing face of Washington DC. They know that better schools mean more non Black residents move in to the neighborhoods (eg Capitol Hill) and soon the city will be less than 50% African American. Whether it is a subconscious reflex for many and frontal thought for few, it exists. Fenty's post racial politics and not giving the nod to old Black traditions have pissed them off. I think the whites that vote for Gray suffer from liberal white guilt.

Are you speaking for all Black people, or just yourself. You certainly do not speak on behalf of my family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. You you can only speak for yourself and perhaps your Black family, if they allow you to speak in public. For surely you are an emabarrasment to them every time you put your foot in your mouth.

[Anonymous]

Fenty's friends didn't actually do the work. They subcontracted it out, frequently paying a lot less than they charged the government. For instance, Banneker Ventures -- owned by Fenty frat brother Omar Karim -- paid Liberty Engineering -- owned by Fenty frat brother Sinclair Skinner -- $46,800 for a site survey of the Park View Rec Center. Skinner's firm was not licensed to do the work, but subcontracted it to Currie & Associates. Currie & Associates was paid approximately $8,000 for doing the actual work. So, Skinner got $38,000 for passing on a contract worth $8,000. Nice work if you can find it (or have it given to you by your frat brother). This pattern was repeated over and over to the tune of millions of dollars. So, I would suggest that much of the money was, in fact, squandered.

Amen, Jeff.
Jeff has succinctly described the method of pass-through graft practiced by Skinner and Karim, neither of whom were in the least bit qualified to perform the contracts which they were awarded. Skinner created an engineering firm that had NO licensed engineers. The contracts were straight pass-through---at a tremendous markup to the DC taxpayers. Straight out of the Marion Barry playbook. With the result being that Fenty's fiscal incompetence has enriched his friends and significantly destroyed the financial strength that Tony Williams worked hard to rebuild after the dark days of Barry/Control Board.

This corruption is why my husband and I will be voting for Gray. Not out of liberal white guilt, but because we have seen how Fenty has allowed Skinner and Karim to plunder the city treasury and can only believe that four more years will bring more of the same.

[Anonymous]

...improvements in DPW, DMV, DDOT, and the school system.

to DDOT --- really?

Even if the all bicycle lanes are nice. The overall pavement quality on major routes and residential streets has declined. There are 3 traffic signals on 16th Street that have been under construction since his term began (almost 4 years). The DDOT Director at the insistence of the Mayor put speed humps EVERYWHERE even if just one person requested, not if it made sense, like if the traffic was actually exceeding the speed limit... AND no one bothered to check with fire department about slowed response times (tell the crispy critter of that was my garage that). Gabe Klein is an idiot !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to be actually happy (sad really) when Gray wins and starts rolling back all the Fenty reforms. You want the One City etc, you'll get it. 1995 here we come.

This is such a tired argument.

It is not an argument. It is merely an assertion - which the poster failed to actually prove.