DCPS about to renew Chartwells contract

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard Kaya on Kojo last week and this came up. She said there is just no way to get a new vendor in this quickly. I have to admit, having worked with DC govt, she's right. The procurement rules really suck. If she brought someone in right now, Chartwell's could sue DCPS. A sole source contract would be tough also. Who can do a job this big? With weeks of notice. Seriously?

Now, if it is renewed for next year, there is a problem. They have a year to get it right.

If out-and-out fraud -- confirmed by a multi-million dollar judgment -- isn't grounds for terminating a contract then DCPS procurement is in bigger trouble than I thought. Which is saying something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chartwell MUST GO. And so too should everyone involved in firing the whistleblower.

I wish the public would also have so much faith in whistle-blowing teachers and others who try to shed light of the internal workings of DCPS, the recent attempt by DCPS to stop the public gaining access to IMPACT data is equally troubling. Sadly, the council recently voted to continue DCPS's shroud of secrecy ...

https://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/2015/06/14/dcps-says-it-is-data-driven-but-then-hides-all-the-important-data/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard Kaya on Kojo last week and this came up. She said there is just no way to get a new vendor in this quickly. I have to admit, having worked with DC govt, she's right. The procurement rules really suck. If she brought someone in right now, Chartwell's could sue DCPS. A sole source contract would be tough also. Who can do a job this big? With weeks of notice. Seriously?

Now, if it is renewed for next year, there is a problem. They have a year to get it right.

If out-and-out fraud -- confirmed by a multi-million dollar judgment -- isn't grounds for terminating a contract then DCPS procurement is in bigger trouble than I thought. Which is saying something.

I don't believe it -- there are numerous hot food-providing companies in the region that would be glad to have the business. They can move rapidly, as capitalists always do. As you point out, D.C. is full of incompetents in procurement; but if the D.C. City Council were encouraged to waive whatever procurement barriers in order to make it happen, they could. And it would happen if they did. Just blaming everything on "procurement rules" is a big cop-out. Not that I'm surprised; the same vagrants who occupy D.C. jobs were responsible for re-hiring the perpetually felonious Chartwells, cycle after cycle.

[Anonymous]

What angers me most is in the City Paper story (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47300/jeff-mills-whistleblower-suit-revealed-rotting-food-fraud-and-millions/ ):

Henderson appeared the least bothered by activity that took place under her nose. Quashing any notion of change, she declared, “Food service is a massive operation, my focus is on improving academic achievement.”

How can a schools chancellor not know how important nutrition is to learning - and then broadcast that ignorance in a public statement?

What the hell kind of nefarious deal was made that has the council repeatedly supporting it? They're putting more energy and money into covering the fraud than fixing it.

[Anonymous]

Fraud on food for schools - and fraud in the construction of new schools?!?!?! WTF is wrong with 1) DCPS 2) City Council 3) The Vendors 4) The Voters?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-auditor-school-systems-capital-program-lacks-accountability/2015/06/30/57c89056-1eda-11e5-84d5-eb37ee8eaa61_story.html
http://wamu.org/news/15/07/01/dc_auditor_says_school_modernizations_plagued_by_cost_overruns_delays

I have to believe the issues are related - general lack of oversight seems like the norm. Let's organize, spread the word, and get folks in there who can do better by our kids, and by our city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fraud on food for schools - and fraud in the construction of new schools?!?!?! WTF is wrong with 1) DCPS 2) City Council 3) The Vendors 4) The Voters?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-auditor-school-systems-capital-program-lacks-accountability/2015/06/30/57c89056-1eda-11e5-84d5-eb37ee8eaa61_story.html
http://wamu.org/news/15/07/01/dc_auditor_says_school_modernizations_plagued_by_cost_overruns_delays

I have to believe the issues are related - general lack of oversight seems like the norm. Let's organize, spread the word, and get folks in there who can do better by our kids, and by our city.

OK, let's say you do all that. Then, what decisions and actions would have to be accomplished to prevent hiring such a p.o.s. vendor as Chartwells ever again? Seriously, I can't think of any necessary changes that could even possibly be made given the politics of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What angers me most is in the City Paper story (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47300/jeff-mills-whistleblower-suit-revealed-rotting-food-fraud-and-millions/ ):

Henderson appeared the least bothered by activity that took place under her nose. Quashing any notion of change, she declared, “Food service is a massive operation, my focus is on improving academic achievement.”

How can a schools chancellor not know how important nutrition is to learning - and then broadcast that ignorance in a public statement?

What the hell kind of nefarious deal was made that has the council repeatedly supporting it? They're putting more energy and money into covering the fraud than fixing it.

The Washington City Paper article is excellent and makes Kaya look really out of touch. So apparently healthy food during the day has no impact on learning? Sure its seems small to serve Trix yogurt when the test scores are abysmal at most schools but that doesn't mean DCPS and the City can't tackle both problems at the same time. Instead of looking at other cities in the US, we need to look to other Countries that manage to serve fresh made in house meals every day to the student population. I don't expect school lunches to be gourmet but I just really pissed at what a financial mess this contract has become. What is Kaya doing exactly for DCPS? Almost half the kids are in charters now and the schools that are transitioning are bascially doing so because of committed parents/and or gentrifiers doing the heavy lift. Bring back Rhee, maybe we need to clean house once again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What angers me most is in the City Paper story (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47300/jeff-mills-whistleblower-suit-revealed-rotting-food-fraud-and-millions/ ):

Henderson appeared the least bothered by activity that took place under her nose. Quashing any notion of change, she declared, “Food service is a massive operation, my focus is on improving academic achievement.”

How can a schools chancellor not know how important nutrition is to learning - and then broadcast that ignorance in a public statement?

What the hell kind of nefarious deal was made that has the council repeatedly supporting it? They're putting more energy and money into covering the fraud than fixing it.

The Washington City Paper article is excellent and makes Kaya look really out of touch. So apparently healthy food during the day has no impact on learning? Sure its seems small to serve Trix yogurt when the test scores are abysmal at most schools but that doesn't mean DCPS and the City can't tackle both problems at the same time. Instead of looking at other cities in the US, we need to look to other Countries that manage to serve fresh made in house meals every day to the student population. I don't expect school lunches to be gourmet but I just really pissed at what a financial mess this contract has become. What is Kaya doing exactly for DCPS? Almost half the kids are in charters now and the schools that are transitioning are bascially doing so because of committed parents/and or gentrifiers doing the heavy lift. Bring back Rhee, maybe we need to clean house once again.

I am really pissed about this, but the exodus happened under Rhee. They are actually turning it around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fraud on food for schools - and fraud in the construction of new schools?!?!?! WTF is wrong with 1) DCPS 2) City Council 3) The Vendors 4) The Voters?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-auditor-school-systems-capital-program-lacks-accountability/2015/06/30/57c89056-1eda-11e5-84d5-eb37ee8eaa61_story.html
http://wamu.org/news/15/07/01/dc_auditor_says_school_modernizations_plagued_by_cost_overruns_delays

I have to believe the issues are related - general lack of oversight seems like the norm. Let's organize, spread the word, and get folks in there who can do better by our kids, and by our city.

OK, let's say you do all that. Then, what decisions and actions would have to be accomplished to prevent hiring such a p.o.s. vendor as Chartwells ever again? Seriously, I can't think of any necessary changes that could even possibly be made given the politics of the city.

Include the requirement for cook-from-scratch kitchens into every school renovation.

[Anonymous]

This story makes me sick. Email your DC councilperson too and ask why they voted to renew the Chartwells contract? I'm embarassed that Jack Evans in Ward 2 voted for this.

http://dccouncil.us/council

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47300/jeff-mills-whistleblower-suit-revealed-rotting-food-fraud-and-millions/

"(As this story was going to press on Wednesday, Cheh filed a disapproval resolution, supported by Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, and At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman, that gives the Council 14 days to review contract options before allowing a new one to go into effect.)"

[Anonymous]

Express your dissatisfaction to your Council member and tell her/him that you are making him/her accountable for their decision and spreading the word.

A lot of us parents did so with Cheh in Ward 3, and raised the issue during public meetings with her. In fact, she's the strongest opponent within the Council of the Chartwell contract because of the pressure she receives from her constituency.

Please send emails and call your Council member.

[Anonymous]

Given his pressures, I have allowed my son (just ended 7th grade at Hardy MS) to eat at the school cafeteria. After a few weeks, red pimples appeared on his nose and forehead. Must be the puberty, I thought. Odd enough, pimples disappeared during Christmas/winter break. Then re-appeared by end of January and stayed for the whole academic year. School finishes and now he is, again, pimple free.

Definetley something that has to do with fats in his food provided by Chartwell. He tells me of meals with grilled cheese , chicken nuggets..




on his nose this year, the first year whe

[Anonymous]

Wrote to jack Evans about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wrote to jack Evans about this.

Jack Evans doesn't give a crap about schools. Try Cheh Grosso Allen Silverman...even Bonds and Orange

[Anonymous]

Wrote to jack Evans about this.


Jack Evans doesn't give a crap about schools. Try Cheh Grosso Allen Silverman...even Bonds and Orange.

Not PP, but I also wrote to Jack Evans about this, so hopefully with a few other active parents, he'll start paying attention. Since only Cheh, Nadeau (Ward 1), and Allen (Ward 6) actually objected to this objectionable contract, it would be nice if we could harness the DCUM power of advocacy to get our kids some better food and make more efficient use of our tax dollars.