Secret report shows ‘special’ treatment for public officials in D.C. school lottery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the WP, Bowser did NOT apologize:

"The fallout from findings that a former schools chancellor misused her authority to place children of top city officials in coveted schools seemed clear. From city hall, where council members were inundated with calls last week, to neighborhood email groups, where parents fumed, there was outrage that well-connected people had stepped ahead of everyone else in the city’s notoriously competitive school lottery.

But the mayor doesn’t see it that way."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/after-favoritism-revealed-in-school-lottery-dc-parents-wait-on-apology/2017/05/21/8876c2da-3c25-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.0783d5fe86d5

From the article:

"[Rashad] Young, who had been the city administrator in Alexandria, Va., before Bowser announced his hire in late 2014, had not yet moved into the District when he entered the lottery in spring of 2015.

He won seats for his two sons at Murch Elementary School, a high-performing school in Northwest, but did not enroll by the May 1 deadline. The chancellor arranged for Young to claim the seats months later, after Young and his family moved to a $1.2 million house outside the Murch school zone and east of Rock Creek Park."

1.2M house, $297K annual salary, AND Murch ... hey Kaya, are you SURE that DC government officials are under-compensated???

If this is true this sucks big time

What don't you think is true? Rashad Young's salary and home price are public record. The independent IG indicated Young received special treatment in the lottery. The Mayor effectively confirmed it. What's left to doubt?

I just looked up his house--have to say, it's pretty nice. Awesome backyard.

I can see why public officials would be tempted to move ahead of the line for high-performing schools, but buy homes in areas where their money can stretch further (and, for many AAs, esp. those from the DC area, the "Gold Coast" area is very desirable place to live). The system is already in place, and they are simply operating within it. I do, however, think the rules need to be changed.

What Bowser and others are missing here is that yes, discretionary transfers existed but that the expectation is that senior government officials act ethically. Every policy in DC Government should not require special instructions to indicate that senior officials not take advantage of it. They should already know not to use their position or power to benefit themselves ahead of residents. If they don't already know that, they shouldn't be allowed in positions of power. That's why people are upset, not because the discretionary transfer policy was poorly worded.

You are turning logic on its head. If it was a published appeals application process (it was) available to all (it was) then the government employees didn't "take advantage of it". You are suggesting that they shouldn't have to be told that they are ineligible for something that is otherwise available to all other taxpayers. How far should we extend your line of thinking? Should we say as a default that employees are ineligible for everything unless legislation specifically includes them?

It's unethical. Young is the most senior appointed official in DC. He cannot ask Kaya to make an impartial decision regarding his children by virtue of his position. What if was the Deputy Mayor for Education that asked for a discretionary transfer? She's Kaya's direct supervisor. Would that be ethical? This is literally no different. Young is Kaya's boss' boss.

Young should have never asked for the transfer, and Kaya never should have considered it. That would have been the ethical course of action, recognizing the inherent conflict. You're correct that by accepting the job of city administrator (or Chancellor) and its high salary & responsibilities, you accept a higher ethical obligation than your average resident.

+1 The fact that Young can't see this basic conflict interest makes me see him as unqualified.

[Anonymous]

Or maybe Young negotiated a spot in the school of hai choice as part the package when he was recruited from Alexandria?

[Anonymous]

These people think they're entitled. Simple as that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the WP, Bowser did NOT apologize:

"The fallout from findings that a former schools chancellor misused her authority to place children of top city officials in coveted schools seemed clear. From city hall, where council members were inundated with calls last week, to neighborhood email groups, where parents fumed, there was outrage that well-connected people had stepped ahead of everyone else in the city’s notoriously competitive school lottery.

But the mayor doesn’t see it that way."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/after-favoritism-revealed-in-school-lottery-dc-parents-wait-on-apology/2017/05/21/8876c2da-3c25-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.0783d5fe86d5

From the article:

"[Rashad] Young, who had been the city administrator in Alexandria, Va., before Bowser announced his hire in late 2014, had not yet moved into the District when he entered the lottery in spring of 2015.

He won seats for his two sons at Murch Elementary School, a high-performing school in Northwest, but did not enroll by the May 1 deadline. The chancellor arranged for Young to claim the seats months later, after Young and his family moved to a $1.2 million house outside the Murch school zone and east of Rock Creek Park."

1.2M house, $297K annual salary, AND Murch ... hey Kaya, are you SURE that DC government officials are under-compensated???

If this is true this sucks big time

What don't you think is true? Rashad Young's salary and home price are public record. The independent IG indicated Young received special treatment in the lottery. The Mayor effectively confirmed it. What's left to doubt?

I just looked up his house--have to say, it's pretty nice. Awesome backyard.

I can see why public officials would be tempted to move ahead of the line for high-performing schools, but buy homes in areas where their money can stretch further (and, for many AAs, esp. those from the DC area, the "Gold Coast" area is very desirable place to live). The system is already in place, and they are simply operating within it. I do, however, think the rules need to be changed.

What Bowser and others are missing here is that yes, discretionary transfers existed but that the expectation is that senior government officials act ethically. Every policy in DC Government should not require special instructions to indicate that senior officials not take advantage of it. They should already know not to use their position or power to benefit themselves ahead of residents. If they don't already know that, they shouldn't be allowed in positions of power. That's why people are upset, not because the discretionary transfer policy was poorly worded.

You are turning logic on its head. If it was a published appeals application process (it was) available to all (it was) then the government employees didn't "take advantage of it". You are suggesting that they shouldn't have to be told that they are ineligible for something that is otherwise available to all other taxpayers. How far should we extend your line of thinking? Should we say as a default that employees are ineligible for everything unless legislation specifically includes them?

It's unethical. Young is the most senior appointed official in DC. He cannot ask Kaya to make an impartial decision regarding his children by virtue of his position. What if was the Deputy Mayor for Education that asked for a discretionary transfer? She's Kaya's direct supervisor. Would that be ethical? This is literally no different. Young is Kaya's boss' boss.

Young should have never asked for the transfer, and Kaya never should have considered it. That would have been the ethical course of action, recognizing the inherent conflict. You're correct that by accepting the job of city administrator (or Chancellor) and its high salary & responsibilities, you accept a higher ethical obligation than your average resident.

+1 The fact that Young can't see this basic conflict interest makes me see him as unqualified.

+1 Lock Him Up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These people think they're entitled. Simple as that.

These people think we're stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe Young negotiated a spot in the school of hai choice as part the package when he was recruited from Alexandria?

He could have negotiated the option to get immunity from parking tickets as well. That wouldn't make it right.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a suggestion for what an upset parent could actually do about this now? I want these officials held accountable. Should people email david Grosso supporting his plan to investigate multiple years of the lottery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a suggestion for what an upset parent could actually do about this now? I want these officials held accountable. Should people email david Grosso supporting his plan to investigate multiple years of the lottery?

Write and call the mayor's office and demand the resignation of the officials who made these asks. Fat lot of good it will do, but maybe it will make you feel better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a suggestion for what an upset parent could actually do about this now? I want these officials held accountable. Should people email david Grosso supporting his plan to investigate multiple years of the lottery?

I'm guessing this won't happen, but what I'd like to see if a class action suit against the District filed by parents, particularly parents who got shut out of the lottery. There are plenty of families WotP who are IB for excellent schools (the same ones these losers got themselves into) who get shut out for PK and don't even have PS3. All of these parents can demonstrate that they have been harmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a suggestion for what an upset parent could actually do about this now? I want these officials held accountable. Should people email david Grosso supporting his plan to investigate multiple years of the lottery?

I'm guessing this won't happen, but what I'd like to see if a class action suit against the District filed by parents, particularly parents who got shut out of the lottery. There are plenty of families WotP who are IB for excellent schools (the same ones these losers got themselves into) who get shut out for PK and don't even have PS3. All of these parents can demonstrate that they have been harmed.

What about a petition calling for Young's resignation?

[Anonymous]

I'm no Mary Cheh fan, but this is pretty funny:

https://twitter.com/WBJNeibs/status/867446017393872896

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm no Mary Cheh fan, but this is pretty funny:

https://twitter.com/WBJNeibs/status/867446017393872896

dang lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm no Mary Cheh fan, but this is pretty funny:

https://twitter.com/WBJNeibs/status/867446017393872896

Damn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks need to get over this. Kaya had the legal authority to give special treatment to some of her friends or associates for school placement. Don't like it? 1 become superintendent or 2) Push for Bowser and city counsil to change the law. Otherwise, deal with it. You would have done the same thing. Maybe worse.

It's not wrong for us to expect our government officials to act ethically. Even if she had the power, Kaya should not have used it disproportionately to help other mayoral appointees

As long as she wasn't PAID for helping place kids in schools, I see no issue with ethics. She is well within her right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks need to get over this. Kaya had the legal authority to give special treatment to some of her friends or associates for school placement. Don't like it? 1 become superintendent or 2) Push for Bowser and city counsil to change the law. Otherwise, deal with it. You would have done the same thing. Maybe worse.

Guess what—you can believe that the Chancellor should have the power to make discretionary placements in rare instances AND simultaneously believe that he/she shouldn't use them to reward their friends. It's almost like the average resident expects the schools chancellor to make ethical decisions in order to wisely use the authority given to her!

Problem is that I disagree her using that discretionary power is unethical. The expressly gives he this authority. Its there for a reason. As long as Kaya did not use it in exchange for pay or political favors, I do not see the issue here.