what does the DC Board of Ed do, exactly?

[jsteele]

I don't know the answers to most of your questions, but I have a few things to say. Mara was only elected in November and I believe just began serving in January. So, a stepping stone is about the only thing the position has been for him. Also, in addition to Mara and Biddle, Dorothy Douglas is also an At-Large candidate and current SBOE member.

Historically, the Board of Education was the entry level elected position in DC. So, politicians used it as a stepping stone. The best example is Marion Barry. But, after the board lost much of it's power, it seemed to have lost much of its attraction. Jeff Smith up and resigned in the middle of his term and when Mary Lord ran for his seat, she was unopposed. But, given the number of candidates in both the Ward 4 and Ward 8 SBOE races, the position has become popular again. In my opinion, it's not necessarily a good thing for the SBOE to be utilized primarily as a stepping stone in this manner. I'd rather see the Board Members concentrate on improving education. But, on the other hand, if the SBOE doesn't really have much to do, who cares?

[Anonymous]

Hi Dorrie,

The former "Local" Board of Education was established as a governing body with elected representation in each Ward to address community issues surrounding education. The structure of the State Board of Education was established in conjunction with the reform of the school system initiated by Anthony Williams and continued by Adrian Fenty.

The State Board of Education (SBOE) serves as a rulemaking body for all of the DC Public Schools and serves as an advising body for the Superintendent on educational matters related to standards and policies governing the schools, objectives and regulations proposed by the Mayor's office.

In short, the SBOE determines the academic standards and requirements for the entire system including vocational, charter and other schools. There has been some discussion recently between the Board and the City Council to reinstate some of the authority that the Board had prior to the restructuring, which would give SBOE members more input on what happens in their respective Wards. I am not exactly sure where that discussion stands now.

In the past, the School Board has been used as a stepping stone for City Council because it was the first elected body established in the city. This has been a mixed bag for students and parents because sometimes you get a very energetic public servant who is interested in having a much larger say in what goes on with this great city, but I also think that our schools have suffered because of the quick turnover on the Board due to the City Council election cycle and the lack of continuity with representation.

With that said, I am not a politician and have no intention of running for city council. Although, I was surprised that none of my opponents were in attendance at the last SBOE meeting that was focusing on the Healthy Schools Act implementation. However, they could have been watching the proceedings on TV, and I am sure they are juggling just as much as I am while trying to run a campaign.

As I have stated, I am a concerned parent who wants to see his child get the same great foundation that I did when I attended DCPS. Also, I am a former DCPS teacher who has demonstrated success in the classroom and knows what is needed to reform and improve the system. Furthermore, I am a taxpayer who feels that our system is too top heavy with administrators in the central office that drain the necessary resources that could go to the local school sites.

I hope this provides you with a little better understanding of SBOE. Please tell me if you want to know more.

[Anonymous]

Sincerely,

Andrew Moss

(Sorry Dorrie. I forgot to sign the statement above.)

[Anonymous]

Dorrie,

Let me also add that if I am elected I would seek to have more inclusion of the community in the conversation of what is going on in our schools and what needs to be reformed. Also, I would like to see the expenditures of the Superintendent's Office reviewed to provide a cost analysis of what is being expended on our students and identify where the money goes when a student enrolled in a charter school is transferred back to a traditional public school.

Andrew