(Photo by Darrow Montgomery)

H.D. Woodson Senior High School, a.k.a. the nine-floor “Tower of Power,” is set to be demolished this summer. But when and how exactly?

Yesterday, Woodson’s alumni association (and surely a multitude of other D.C. listservs) received word that the groundbreaking would occur Monday July 7 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Yet, less than two weeks ago, the school was still loaded with furniture, books, equipment, trophies, and with no clear leadership in the building (Principal Gwendolyn Jones was fired by Chancellor Michelle Rhee), many staff seemed confused about deadlines and moving dates.

So, what does this little event really kick-off? Well, not much, says Tony Robinson, spokesperson for the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization Projects. Groundbreakings are the most ceremonial of ceremonies, and this one is no exception.

Immediately after the event, “We’ll start some excavation out on the football field. Then, after that, they’ll start doing asbestos abatement in the school,” says Robinson, a 1980 Woodson alumnus.

The school demolition won’t occur until at least a few weeks after July 7, and will likely last until September. And don’t expect some wild explosion to rock the calm streets of Deanwood.

“No, No,” says Robinson. “Everyone wants to see [Woodson] implode,” but the building will brought down by a plain jane wrecking ball.

The new Woodson building will cover the old school site, as well as part of the current space of the football field. One thing’s for sure: it will not be a highrise, like its innovative and extraordinarily dysfunctional predecessor. Construction won’t begin until the old building is fully demolished.

Building plans were shown at Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander’s “State of the Ward” meeting late May, says her Chief of Staff J.R. Meyers, adding that the new Woodson was designed for 1,300 students. (As of last fall, the enrollment was just over 750.)

Woodson first opened in 1972. According to a February Washington City Paper article, “Neighborhood residents fought the tower on the grounds of its imposing height, but it got rave reviews from architectural types. Charles Atherton, secretary of the federal Commission of Fine Arts, said the school would “be a good symbol and an excellent landmark.”

The new school is slated to open in 2010.

“As a Woodson graduate, I can honestly say this building is going to be the crown jewel of the District’s new school inventory,” says Robinson. “It’s going to be a very contemporary building.”

Hmmm, sounds familiar.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to announce today that Clifford Janey is his pick for the Newark School District “after months of meetings and at least a dozen interviews with prospective candidates,” according to the Star-Ledger. The district has been under state control since ‘95 and Janey will have to be approved by the New Jersey Board of Education.

The scuttle in Jersey about Janey’s time at DCPS is he received “mixed reviews” here. We’d like to say something snarky about that, but it’s about right, according to fomer LL James Jones, a close watcher of Janey’s over the years. This, from his “Requiem to a Superintendent” item:

Janey seems like a pretty nice guy. What he lacks in inspired rhetoric, he makes up for with clear-spoken luminosity. At least that’s what the city’s political class pointed out when he was hired about two years ago. Back then, you would have thought D.C. was about to get a taste of school-reform royalty, even if he wasn’t the first choice for the job.

Shortly after Janey’s hiring, the previous mayor, activists, and the D.C. Council delivered a united message: Give this guy a chance. Don’t run him out of town like other school reformers who tried to fix the city’s schools.

Just this past December, when Janey delivered the first-ever State of the D.C. Schools speech, he was greeted by a standing ovation. Even then Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty—who was already crafting a bill to take over the schools—rose to his feet.

But judging from the key defections from his inner circle and his abandonment by the city’s political leadership, Janey suddenly looks like yesterday’s hero.

Janey’s coffin nail, according to LL, was a lack of patience. Funny, that, when the oft-heard gripe about Michelle Rhee is she moves too fast. Will you people never be happy?

(photograph by Darrow Montgomery)

At 9 a.m., Hart’s graduating 8th grade class of 2008 gathered in the hallways leading to the school’s small auditorium. Wearing their Sunday best, students snapped photos of each other, hugged their favorite teachers and generally basked in the one commodity the hallways had over the auditorium: air conditioning.

If the scene was chaotic, if the ceremony blew past its 9 a.m. start time, you could forgive the students and their parents for wanting to linger in the AC. The cool hallways were the only evidence of buff-and-scrub, Michelle Rhee’s shiny optimism and blunt accountability, and Mayor Fenty’s stubborn focus. Everything else about Hart’s graduation was depressingly old school.

As parents walked into the auditorium, they were handed a program. The program’s cover bore a picture of a gold cap, a crisp rolled-up diploma, two white rosees, and a quote—”Success Is Determined by the Choices You Make.” It all suggested Hart had its act together for at least the moment it took to design and print the program. After the processional, parents and students settled into the stifling room. And several things became immediately clear:

*There were not enough seats for everyone.

*Hart’s P.A. system might have been considered high-tech in the ’60s.

*It was too damn hot.

*The scheduled program that parents were now using as a fan wasn’t exactly an indicator of how things were going to go.

*It was too damn hot.

Audience members could hear every third word. If you were inclined to be against prayer in school, it was hard to muster any anger at hearing the opening benediction rendered as sort of oral Mad Libs in which sentences ended in muffled blanks and verbs and nouns were left up to you.

Soon enough, Ward 8 Councilmember-for-Life Marion S. Barry Jr. skipped possibly six places in the program to give a quick off-the-cuff speech that swerved between confessing his own missteps and encouraging the audience to call Fenty about the busted AC. At one point, he labored through a call-and-response with the crowd— getting them to shout back the 727 number they were supposed to dial to register their beef with the heat.

The P.A. was no help to the aging politico. Only phrases could be easily heard: “Work for it,” “But I got up,” and then the rousing finale: “Respect each other. Love each other. So I can’t stay long.”

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Is D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee nuts?

That’s the question I had after reading the account in yesterday’s Washington Post about her firing of Marta Guzman, the principal of Woodley Park’s Oyster-Adams Bilingual School. Rhee’s own two children attend the school.

And based on the report by the Post’s Bill Turque, Rhee had an awfully weak explanation for parents who wondered why she’d fired Guzman. Here’s Rhee’s side of the story:

Rhee said that as a parent “in the school three days a week,” and with information from her own staff, she had a broad base of opinion to draw on. She said a major concern she had, for example, was that while the “English dominant” students, such as her daughters, were learning Spanish, they were “not truly bilingual in the way we would want.” For that to happen, bilingualism needed to be more deeply embedded into all moments of the school day.

So I’m thinking–Rhee’s daughters aren’t yet running around the house using the imperfect subjunctive to perfection, and so Rhee fires their principal. Now, I am not an Oyster parent and haven’t done a lick of reporting on this matter, nor will I. But I do want to state one thing: No new principal is going to come in, snap some fingers, and make bilingualism more deeply embedded into all moments of the school day. Kids speak their dominant language, and if that language is English, they’re going to be speaking English in the hallways, English in recess, English in the lunchroom and so on. Even some Spanish-dominant kids go through a phase when they reject the language they speak in the home and go with English.

So, Rhee: Good luck getting a principal who can reverse these tendencies.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty might be a Barack Obama supporter, but his hand-picked education czar is opting for a different approach, at least when it comes to improving schools. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, in comments on Thursday night at a gathering of the Korean-American Coalition’s D.C. chapter, endorsed the education plan of Arizona Republican John McCain “far and away” over those of either Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Rhee, in a speech at Tony Cheng’s Restaurant in Chinatown, referred to herself as a “card-carrying Democrat” (LL forgot to ask to see the card), yet endorsed McCain’s approach based on his willingness to reauthorize the controversial “No Child Left Behind” legislation. Both Clinton and Obama have been highly critical of the law and its effects.

“I think they’re pandering, quite frankly, to the teachers’ unions and other folks,” she said.

In comments after the speech, Rhee explained that her support for NCLB arose from her belief in accountability and the need for hard goals for school systems. She called herself as a “huge proponent” of the federal law and said she was “incredibly disappointed” with the lack of Democratic support for the law—though she did say she had a “laundry list” of things she would change with the statute.

Why might an urban school superintendent favor No Child Left Behind? Well, for a cynical view, look at the political cover it provides: Long-failing public schools are required to be “restructured,” a process Rhee is going through currently with several DCPS schools. Without such a federal impetus, big changes—which can extend to the brink of privatization—can be difficult to justify to parents. “Blame NCLB” certainly is a handy refrain to bring to parent meetings explaining the need for such drastic measures.

Nathan A. Saunders, general vice president of the Washington Teachers’ Union, today filed suit in federal court against leaders of his union and city administrators, alleging that he was “systematically punished and retaliated against” for speaking out on labor issues.

The lawsuit is the most explosive manifestation to date of a feud that had simmered quietly in the past year. WTU President George Parker (pictured) and Saunders were both elected in 2005 at the top of the first slate to be chosen since the 2002 Barbara Bullock scandal sent the WTU into receivership. With mayoral takeover of the D.C. Public Schools and the selection of Michelle Rhee as chancellor, friction grew between the two labor leaders, as Parker showed a willingness to work with Fenty and Rhee on possible contract reforms. Saunders, during that time, has stuck to a tough line on protecting teachers’ contractual rights.

Named in the lawsuit are Parker, WTU Chief of Staff Clay White, Al Squires and Edward J. McElroy of the American Federation of Teachers (the WTU’s parent organization), four members of the WTU executive board, and three unnamed DCPS employees. The various defendants are charged with offenses including fraud, racketeering, and breach of fiduciary duties. In the complaint, Saunders says he has been exposed to “direct intimidation and retaliation impacting employment benefits, rights and privileges” for speaking out on labor issues, including Rhee’s attempts to reclassify central-office employees as “at-will.”

“They tried to shut me up,” Saunders tells LL.

In his complaint, Saunders alleges that at a December meeting of the WTU executive board, a member attempted to pass a resolution allowing only Parker to speak for the organization; the motion failed, according to the complaint. Despite that, Parker issued a memo on “Media Policy & Guidelines” outlining that the only official WTU position can come through the union’s communications staff. Saunders’ suit also tells of a phone call that he overheard between Parker and Squires where they discuss ways to silence him by tampering with DCPS personnel records.

This isn’t the first time Saunders has sued his own union. Back in 2002, Saunders came to prominence by filing suit against Bullock, the WTU leadership, and the AFT alleging financial mismanagement, which resulted in a settlement.

The backdrop of all this are the ongoing negotiations over a new teachers’ contract; the last contract expired last October. Rhee, in the past, has advocated overhauling the processes by which teachers are reassigned to schools.

Reached by phone, Parker declined to comment. “I’m not aware of the lawsuit,” he said. “I don’t know what the content is so I have no comment”; for similar reasons, DCPS spokesperson Mafara Hobson also declined to comment.

UPDATE, 4:35 P.M.: Another interesting allegation from Saunders’ complaint: That Parker and White “embezzled, stole, or unlawfully and willfully converted WTU money and funds to their own use or the use of others.” There are related charges of fraud and money laundering. Specifically, Saunders alleges a “diversion of WTU funds, though an out of state company, to a family member over a protracted period of time,” as well as an “undecipherable $10,000 finder’s fee” attached to a rental contract.

Photo of Parker by Darrow Montgomery

In a recent broadcast of “This American Life” Burroughs Elementary School parent Maria Jones, interviewed by journalist Jon Jeter, calls Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s proposal to close down 23 district schools a “land grab.” In making her point, Jones mentions two former school buildings sold to developers and converted into swank condos: Pierce School (now Pierce School Lofts) and Lovejoy School (now Lovejoy Lofts).

She’s not crazy. Quite a few other ritzy apartment buildings have origins as DCPS properties. Bryant School Lofts, Lennox School Condos, Berret School Lofts, and Carbery School Lofts, for example.

When asked whether the District was shutting down schools in order to sell public land to hungry developers, D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s spokesperson, Mafara Hobson, responded that the claim was “absolutely not true.” “There are a number of rumors circulating, but parents and residents should know that there are no immediate plans for the school buildings.” Hobson added there would be a “separate public process to determine alternate uses for the buildings.”

Contacted on this matter, Jones counters that “immediate plans” is the key phrase. “They’ll let them[the buildings] sit there for a few years, then either sell them to developers or give them over to charters. It all points towards privatization,” she says. Jones describes the school closures as a “corporate heist” and warns that in the District, “all our public property is being threatened, period.”

Though the school her daughter attends was recently taken off of the administration’s “hit list”, Jones said that she’ll continue to work against the closures.

“Even my little daughter knows that school reform does not mean closing buildings.”

—Rend Smith

This past Sunday’s New York Times Magazine featured a conversation about education philanthropy with several education and charity experts. Among them was Joel Klein, who has been chancellor of the New York City school system since 2002. Klein also figures prominently in the D.C. education world since he recommended District chancellor Michelle Rhee for her job. Apparently, he’s still standing behind his selection because he mentioned her in the Times piece. The premise of the conversation is to discuss how an ignorant, but benevolent billionaire could properly invest his money in education.

“I would look for the most promising individuals and make heavy investments in them. Let’s say you choose Michelle Rhee, the new schools chancellor in D.C. That school system has long been one of the worst-performing in the country, and Michelle wants to really overhaul it. I think our philanthropist could make an eight-year bet on her. It’s the same kind of thing I would have wanted to have happen to us when we started six years ago in New York. To start, I’d give her a couple of million to do some planning. Then I’d ask her to sit down and show me what strategic investments she thinks a philanthropist could make in D.C. that the system itself, for whatever reason, is not going to make. And I would try to make three or four of these strategic bets around the country, on individuals who I thought had the talent, the longevity and the political support to make significant change feasible.”

Tuesday’s City Title basketball game between Gonzaga and Roosevelt drew more than 6,000 fans. Not bad for a high school game in this town, right?

Well, for these times, anyway.

But go back to the early 1960s, and nothing could pull in fans like high school sports. Not even the Redskins or the Senators.

You can look it up: The City Title football game could sell out D.C. Stadium. Some amazing (perhaps only to me) local history buried in this week’s Cheap Seats column: The 1962 gridiron matchup between St. John’s and Eastern brought in 50,033 fans to the place now called RFK, making it at the time the biggest sporting event in D.C. history.

And this is a town that by that point had hosted NFL Championships, World Series games, and even Joe Louis fighting outdoors for the heavyweight championship (against Buddy Baer at Griffith Stadium in May 1941).

But, the St. John’s/Eastern game ended horribly, with a black-on-white brawl that brought tons of attention to D.C., all of it bad. Columnist Drew Pearson told readers of his nationally syndicated “Washington Merry-Go-Round” column that the brouhaha was “the worst race riot Washington had seen” in more than 40 years. Congressional hearings were held to discuss what happened. And, all future City Title football games were put on hold. Perma-hold, really.

But, now there’s been movement to put the matchup of champions from the public school league, the DCIAA, and the Catholic league, the WCAC, back in play. And the main player in this movement is, strangely enough, the Washington Post.

Last football season, some 45 years after the brawl, David Jones, public relations manager for the Washington Post, approached WCAC and lobbied the Catholic schools league to restart the football game. Jones was backed in his discussions by D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray.

Asked why the Post would launch such an effort, Jones said, “We’re a hometown newspaper. This is a big event.”

Jones declined to answer any other questions about the City Title game or his role in its possible comeback. Despite the powerful folks behind the campaign, the leagues have yet to agree on terms.

Yesterday, I received responses to my questions regarding the resignation of Pamela Graham, former budget director for the D.C. public school system. To recap: Immediately after Graham’s resignation, D.C. Financial Chief Natwar Gandhi named Noah Wepman, an education program director with city administrator Dan Tangherlini, as a temporary replacement. According to a mid-February brief in the Post, Rhee planned to submit her budget on March 4 to Mayor Adrian Fenty. He is scheduled to submit the budget to the D.C. Council on March 20.

Below, Karyn-Siobhan Robinson, spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, responds:

“The budget director Noah [Wepman] presented the budget to the city administrator [on March 4]—I wouldn’t say it was a submission. The budget will still go in [to the D.C. Council] on March 20 as planned. Of course, Pamela Graham is still an employee of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. As you know schools can be a rough gig for everybody. We’ve gone through a few CFOs…She’s taking some time off, and everybody right now is looking at the best way to use her skills and assets. She’s been an extraordinarily valuable employee of the OCFO, and will continue to be so.”

Michelle Rhee’s central administration has thus far seemed to operate like a fortress atop a hill. It’s visible to all, but secured. Only certain people can come in and know what’s going on. Time and time again, activists have lined up to protest Rhee’s actions. Still, the inner sanctum is protected. But yesterday came news that a key figure in DCPS has left the building.

The Washington Examiner broke the story: Pamela D. Graham, head of the DCPS budget office, has resigned. D.C. Financial Chief Natwar Gandhi immediately named Noah Wepman, an education program director with city administrator Dan Tangherlini, as a temporary replacement. According to a mid-February brief in the Post, Rhee planned to submit her budget today to Mayor Adrian Fenty. He is then scheduled to submit the budget to the D.C. Council on March 20. I’m sending a request into the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to see if that’s still happening. Stay tuned.

Now’s your chance: Tune in to Channel 13 and play along.

P.S. Not included on that chart is one of the chancellor’s more annoying habits: Starting every response to a question with “So…” She already did that. On the very first question.

I caught up with Maria P. Jones, one of the chief anti-school closure activists, this morning. Jones is currently visiting family in New Orleans. But she still had some thoughts–and a lot of anger and perhaps wishful thinking–on Fenty’s revised school closure plan.

“He’s still playing games,” Jones said meaning Fenty. “That’s not doing anything for the people. You still have all of the schools that will remain open will be weakened by all the closures around them. Our stance is still the same. And that stance is: we are calling an immediate cease and desist of all the school closures. What we want to happen is to have a conversation that does not solely focus on school closures. The conversation—if it is about school reform—then all the major stakeholders should be involved. The teachers, the principals, the city council people, the parents, the students, the school board members, the chancellor. Everyone should be involved in that discussion. There are so many things we need to look at before we get to school closures.”

Among the items on Jones’ agenda:

*Equitable distribution of funds across all schools.
*To make sure the modernization money is allocated properly
*To look at the buildings, all of the vacant buildings where we could move DCPS staff and administration into those buildings.
*To put a cap or moratorium on new charter school openings.

“When we have a discussion like this, school closures may not enter into the conversation,” Jones says. “We’re going to help the Fenty Administration by changing the conversation.”

What about future protests, I asked.

“We’re always planning,” Jones said. “You are definitely going to see increased resistance.”

Stay tuned!

Still waiting for Hizzoner to show up here at Ron Brown Middle School in Northeast, but school honchos have passed out a press release detailing their school closure plans.

The skinny: Six schools will remain open. They are Bruce Monroe ES, Burroughs ES, Smothers ES, Brown JHS, Shaw JHS, and today’s host, Ron Brown Middle.

But! Four have been added to the closure list. They are Benning ES, Park View ES, Garnet-Patterson MS, and Merritt MS.

The early read is that this is a big win for Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans and a blow to Ward 1’s Jim Graham. Evans fought hard to keep Shaw open, and Graham is getting two additional schools closed.

More to come.

A week ago this evening, the D.C. Public Schools held 23 simultaneous meetings to discuss school closings. Afterward, DCPS put out a press release announcing that “more than” 411 people had attended. Here’s a breakout of those numbers, according to data provided by DCPS.

Of note: No one chose to testify at three of the meetings. Sixteen of 23 meetings were over in less than an hour. The hotspots seemed to be in Wards 1 (Bruce-Monroe ES), 2 (Shaw MS), and 5 (Young ES).