The Decided: It’s Gray’s Day
Today’s Event: Since last week, I've reached out to favorite sources and in-the-know friends. Almost all of them tell me I should vote for Mayor Adrian Fenty. One source works in the schools and has had her battles with the teacher's union. Another has done amazing detective work on Vincent Gray's ties to some convicted felon frat buddy. A former editor argues that Fenty has been just about perfect as a mayor. Then there are the drumbeat of comments from Downtown Rez and others who argue persuasively that Fenty deserves another four years. I can't help but offer a retort about Peter Nickles' latest nonsense or quote Councilmember Phil Mendelson. I spend the rest of my time debating in my head: Gray vs. Fenty.
In a way, Fenty is our Rudy Giuliani—another frustrating, sports-obsessed asshole who by-any-means-necessary cleaned up New York City. Fenty has ruled by fear, allowing himself and others in his administration to slime anyone who gets in his way. During this campaign, the shorthand for Fenty's jerkiness has been that stupid baseball tickets dustup with D.C. Council. I think it's way deeper than that.
I think about Bill Slover, or the two arson investigators turned whistleblowers whom Nickles took time out of his busy schedule to personally slam (“It’s quite an effort that these two guys are making, giving TV interviews, filing complaints. We dispute almost everything they claim, including that they are individuals of distinction"), Pershing Park, and the contempt Nickles had for the Children's Rights lawyers in the CFSA case. Fenty and Nickles even managed to turn Cora Masters Barry into a sympathetic figure.
And then there's the overall feeling that Fenty can never just shoot straight. During our interview with him, the mayor actually played up his administration's response to FOIAs. If there's any group of people that know better, it's us. Fenty also suggested that his response to homelessness had been a national model. Really? Maybe he needs to consult D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute's stats on affordable housing, or read the latest testimony from the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. Fenty also played up the Fire Department's accomplishments. He needs to talk to Mendo, stat! I could go on, but you get the point.
Still, the comparison between Fenty and that other obnoxious mayor doesn't quite hold. The mayor is far more progressive than his haters suggest. Fenty deserves credit for spending all of his four years in office on public works projects that benefit everyone—from the new rec centers to school construction to a laudable housing-first program for the city's most desperate. His undying support of Peaceoholics suggests cronyism at its worst, but it also suggests that he really cares about troubled kids. [Full disclosure: Gray came off more the prickly politician than Fenty during our interviews].
And yet. Tomorrow, we get to become our own results-oriented big city managers. By that standard, I'm voting for Vincent Gray.
Influence: Final. To be a good big-city manager, you have to win over your constituents. When the majority of District residents with children do not support Michelle Rhee, what does that say about her school reforms? Why shouldn't District parents be worried about Rhee's Teach for America fetish? When the majority of voters do not trust you, what does that say about your leadership abilities? During this campaign, Fenty had huge advantages. He declared early and attracted a huge war chest. He could have used the campaign to reach out, and get all of us to buy in. Instead, he spent too much time slamming Gray over his tenure at DHS in the early '90s. That's like blaming Gray for the crack epidemic. No one could have succeeded in that job. Not once could he answer with an ounce of empathy the questions voters had about First Source enforcement, the high unemployment number, and shrinking affordable housing stock. Fenty spent the rest of his time on stage at various go-go shows as his own hype man.
Net impact: Voting Gray.
But: A vote for Gray won't stop a Chipotle from opening up or close out DDOT's Twitter feed. What a Gray administration might do? Empower big business and the teacher's union (yikes). And empower us to start participating in city governance again. Gray promises to listen to us. Let's hope we can provide him with honest critiques and impassioned arguments. In four years, if Gray fails, we won't have Nickles to blame. This time, it's on us.
5:10 pm
It pains me to sound like drez, but I think this outcome was obvious. I don't think anyone was holding their breath.
5:17 pm
Gray was more the prickly pol than Fenty? Pshaw. Fenty's prickly in a threatening way. Gray, more in a "you kids get off my lawn" way. I ain't scared of Vincent Gray.
5:21 pm
Well it was a struggle. Both candidates aren't perfect.
5:28 pm
Someone raise their hand if they're shocked.
5:30 pm
Still reading, but O my God, why do we always have to compare ourselves to NYC? Man, there is just no comparison. We're worthy! Let's stick to DC ok?
In a way, Fenty is our Rudy Giuliani—another frustrating, sports-obsessed asshole who by-any-means-necessary cleaned up New York City. Fenty has ruled by fear, allowing himself and others in his administration to slime anyone who gets in his way. During this campaign, the shorthand for Fenty’s jerkiness has been that stupid baseball tickets dustup with D.C. Council. I think it’s way deeper than that.
5:31 pm
Vince Gray doesn't have the balls to continue school reform in DC. That's what this election is about.
School reform stops and young families that can leave, will. Annoying hipsters like the author might think that a city can be defined only by the petty progressive talking points of inclusion and a good wine bar or two, but I think you'll find that the long-term survival of this city requires not just diversity on U St on Friday night, but in DCPS as well.
Kill schools with a Gray vote and you might as well help all of your professional friends with small children pack up now.
5:33 pm
I've never been to a wine bar.
5:40 pm
Wow, shocked I tell you, shocked. I called this a month ago.
5:45 pm
You really think this was easy? I was ready to vote for Fenty last week! But the Slover shit really tipped things and made me think about the people in the city who've been slimmed. I still talked to tons of folks before making my decision.
5:56 pm
If know who would vote for fenty- Corey Booker (nj mayor) according to the annoying robocall I Just received. Too bad he can't vote and no one here cares what he thinks. Fenty has got to go!!! School reform?- what a joke.
6:04 pm
Cherkis: I told you 6 weeks ago that Gray was going to win if people like you were still "undecided". My prediction will become a reality tomorrow.
I'll remain your friend because of the mutual trust and respect we built over many years. And also because you voted true to your beliefs, despite what your close friends (including me) thought.
Still, this is the most disappointed I've been since we met.
Let's leave it at that.
6:11 pm
This has been stated elsewhere, but if you don't have children in the DC schools you may not have thought about it.
Michelle Rhee's tenure as Chancellor is the first time in DC history that the responsibility for the schools as well as the authority over them has been combined in one office. Previous to this, there was the elected DC School Board (& Superintendent) and it was famously subject to graft, patronage, special interests, poor administration, etc. It was actually Gray who pushed for the role of an appointed Chancellor answering to the Mayor (and Fenty orginally opposed it).
I think we've all seen that Chancellor of Schools is a powerful role and that was a good move. Many, MANY people support that change and still believe that Michelle Rhee wasn't the right person for the job. There's no going back to the old elected school board and that's a good thing. Let's find a Chancellor who can be a consensus builder about schools - among those of us who actually live here and send our children to the schools (as opposed to those in the national media who just chatter about them).
6:29 pm
tomorrow one way or another will be a truly interesting day. It is the first time I can remember DC really having a race for mayor. If Gray wins tomorrow, I would expect no less of *Downtown Rez* [i hope my attempt at bold worked] and others who have supported Fenty will be as critical of Gray's performance as mayor. Ultimately, we all want the city to be the best it can be. The mayor, regardless of who wins, should be expected to make that happen.
6:30 pm
darn. I need to finish the class rez. LOL
6:31 pm
What exactly is there to look forward to in a Gray administration?
A return to days when roads were not fixed?
When unions ran the city?
The district functions.
That's enough for me.
It's truly sad we're moving in this direction.
Chevy Chase, here I come.
6:34 pm
To Fred:
you are right.. Florida would be more democratic than the new DC government.
Unions, and Gray's fraternity brother developers, and Church running the city.
My family fought too long to get rights.. here they go...
back in the 20th century.
6:35 pm
I give credit to Fenty for doing some great things; but he's ultimately bad for DC because he things he can run this town with an iron fist. Bye bye King Fenty!
6:48 pm
Kill schools with a Gray vote?????
Can you PLEASE come up with something better than that? It's getting about as tiring as hearing Gray say "crony". I mean, at some point, you have GOT to realize you are not convincing people with that lie and you should move on to any of the OTHER reasons you think we should vote for Fenty... Oh, there arent any (besides JUMPING OVER AND IGNORING 2001 old man scam to get to 1991 DMH).
Gray has one up on Fenty BECAUSE there have been too many Bill Slovers over the years.
At first, people counted them out. Remember the community service lady that complained she got fired for not getting Fentys tea before he showed up? We all thought it was funny then, that was a Fenty appointed job and if he wanted his person there then so be it.
Then it was Deputy directors... still they were at will so what do you do? But THEN his office sends an email out to directors with the name of EVERY DC GOV EMPLOYEE who has more than a certain amount of time and ask the Directors for each persons date of retirement.
Uhoh.... whats happening? You cant just call people into the BOSSES office to ask WHEN are they leaving. Thats not going to work. BUT IT IS WHAT HAPPENED. Soon after, THOSE employees started getting funny ratings... and those that did not retire or take an early out... suddenly got let go. Then there were the teachers and the CFSA and the police and the.... where does it end? It hasnt yet.
Thats just Govt workers... so now we find out he is doing the same with board appointees and Im sure anywhere else he felt he should reign. THAT is why those of us who have witnessed it once arent not fast to believe the tale of the 700 teachers who molested the kids.... oh thats right, it was later revealed to be just 1 huh? Or that every social worker who ever touched the jacks case was negligent... oh thats right, the city had them handling 10 times their case load and refused to get them help when asked. They had their budget cut to raise DCPS budget.
EVERY TIME we hear about anything with Fenty, when you lose the smoke and mirrors and REALLY take a good look, its all a scam... Just like the DCPS test scores that increased this year.... OH, you mean they DECLINED? WOOOOW!
6:53 pm
Yeah, school reform is a joke to anyone who doesn't have kids or doesn't give a crap about their kid's education, but to everyone else it ain't no joke. If DCPS doesn't continue to get better you can kiss any chance this city has of being more than a sad dichotomy of uber rich and dirt poor goodbye.
And BTW, tea-totalling hipsters are -the worst-.
7:24 pm
Sorry, Jason. But this was entirely predictable.
It's not that I think you hate Fenty specifically, it's that I can't recall you ever writing a favorable story about any DC politician or, really, any person in any position of authority. Perhaps soon you'll be able to start writing poorly of Gray.
Once crime was the city's number one concern. Those days have passed. Now it's schools. Jason, DC will never grow expand the middle class so long as people can only afford to buy homes in neighborhoods with failing schools. Think about the many social and economic implications of that sad fact.
7:40 pm
Flernty, you dope! Dumb people like you need to move out of DC! You talk about school reform. You mean to tell me that you reform a public school system by turning schools over to charter when it meets Federal standard (e.g., Draper)or privatizing the management of a public school so that corporate out of town officers can get richer (e.g., Anacostia). That is Michelle Rhee's trick, off-load to try to make your numbers look better! Add to it that still few of the schools met Federal standard, when they said things were getting better. She did nothing for Murch, Lafayette, Mann, Oyster, etc. (i.e., West of the Park) since those schools already had waiting lists. She did nothing East of the River as it is evident that test scores didn't improve much and then she was resorting to closing schools or chartering them out. Please tell me what talent does that take? Not to mention that special education still has not been adequately addressed and is sucking funds that could be used for better purposes. Then Rhee tried to pump up central administration with bodies and salaries not needed (i.e., 13 superintendents in training to cost DC taxpayers $1.3 million in salary alone). Even the Examiner called her out for having the highest cost per student in the land with only a minimal return on the investment. Smoke and mirrors is the Rheee and Fenty thing! If you want real reform, she needs to be run out of town with her union busting a**. The best thing at DCPS is Allen Lew. Just think about that Hartsock broad was an assistant to Rhee, and we all know what a terrible job she did with mismanaging the summer jobs program and bringing the ax down on more DC workers by breaking the law in closing the day care centers at DPR. GRAY IN, FENTY OUT! WE CAN DO BETTER!
7:48 pm
What's funny is that Cherkis is shocked - shocked! - that no one believes him when he says he was struggling with a decision.
The only good thing about this predictable endorsement is that now we don't have to read this idiotic feature every few days. Maybe Cherkis can go back to his usual fetish about Pershing Park.
7:49 pm
Downtown Rez: If you were running Fenty's campaign, maybe that would have helped. As it stands, Fenty is spending his last night campaigning at a go-go show.
The school reform at this point is a wash. I actually hope Rhee stays. I'd like to see her continue for another four years then we will know if her reforms succeed. Her reforms still need to time to take hold. At the same, I don't think Gray is going to sink school reform. There's still the teacher's contract that has been signed. And there's still the race-to-the-top funding...
8:05 pm
@Jason:
1. You actually think VG would keep her, and allow her to continue the reform?
2. Contracts can be nullified by simply not acting on them. they don't enforce themselves. In fact, we can easily go back to 95% glowing evaluations and simply hand out a bundle in bonuses.
3. That funding can be spent in many ways. Including the latter part of #2, above. Until it gets yanked when we don't follow through.
8:15 pm
So how come AF fought hard to keep Anthony Williams from taking the schools under mayoral control? He is a cynical user who knew mayoral control of the schools was the way to go while he was still on the council. He doesn't care about kids or anyone else. He cares about power. Sweep him out with michelle rhee's broom.
8:23 pm
If only the world were as black and white as most commentators suggest. "Progress" at the cost of respect and inclusion isn't so progressive. And holding hands singing "Kumbaya" isn't going to keep DC moving in the right direction but it at least gets people on the same page.
I don't think Fenty or some of his hires know how to be pragmatic - a very basic lesson they could've learned from "The Prince" if their disdain for anything older than 45 didn't dictate their choices. You can create a great city without trampling all over people, being scornful at the idea of "collaborating", and having the sense to realize and admit that we all make mistakes.
Furthermore, I teach my children to not cave into bullies. When you cave into bullies as the price for "peace" or "progress" you simply enable bullies to become aggressive.
The Fenty administration has done some good work. If it's as good as they say it is, a new mayor can build upon it and keep moving the city along. D.C. will not vanish, all the residents threatening to move won't all move at once (unless they have lots of money and can afford those higher rents), and schools won't backslide. Too many of us have children in the system and we are not going backwards.
8:32 pm
How much reforming can you be doing when your empire is shrinking to privitization and charters? It doesn't take any special talent to do that. You would have to drag any of those top performing teachers from West of the Park over to some of those DCPS underperforming locations kicking and screaming. If these stars were so great, they would put themselves to the ultimate test. If Rhee forced those teachers to do it see how quick Rhee would be run out of town with such as move.
8:34 pm
Jason:
Perhaps the easiest way to sink school reforms is to sink school reforms is to dilute the metrics by which schools and teachers are measured.
In otherwords, to attack the systems put in place to insure reforms.
That way, the unions get to keep their big fat raise without actually needing to deliver improved performance.
And, what a shock, Gray already has expressed doubts about IMPACT.
Best wishes, Jason.
8:46 pm
Happy to Hear this! At least you didn't totally slam Fenty because he has done SOME good things but I too, think Gray will make sure government operates the way it was intended to.
8:54 pm
@ drez: You may have missed it in CP's (and many posters')mad dash to slime Mayor Fenty, but I accepted your invite to meet up post-election. Or whenever.
I agree with 90% of your comments and respect your zeal.
9:04 pm
@ LOL: I often disagree with you (and sometimes think you're a Gray plant), yet I appreciate the civility you've displayed on this site.
Just wanted to say so before it's over. Best wishes.
9:17 pm
Along with tomorrow's results will be a City Council Chair who will have the charge of maintaining the district's budget and he doesn't even pay his own credit card bills! This will be a HUGE travesty for this city! Sad, sad indeed.
9:23 pm
On the Rhee subject I think that it needs to be noted that she is the one who stated that she would leave if Fenty wasn't elected. If you really want to see reform and it's about the kids then why leave if the keadership changes? A great skill set is one in which you should be able to work with anybody.
9:25 pm
@TH-
In the coming week or so I'll be sure to reach out through one of the people you suggest.
Thanks,
Drez
9:33 pm
It was the Bill Slover thing in micorcosm and in total (all of the Bill Slovers of this Admninistration, going back to Alec Evans) that did it for me.
The rest is just noise.
9:36 pm
@really-
Rhee has been successful because Fenty supported her 100%
Gray obviously does not, and has in hearing after hearing and press release after press release tried to undermine her.
Gray has offered no hint that he would cease trying to undermine her if he becomes Mayor.
10:02 pm
People act like Gray is just this feckless hack. Does anyone dispute that he was a terrific Council Chair who lead his councilmembers through a series of historic votes on gay marriage, medical marijuana, etc.?
There are demographic shifts, and rising expectations among residents that won't let Gray undermine school reform. If test scores drop, he's going to start hearing the boos.
10:24 pm
Fenty failed because he couldn't control his attack dogs. He never told Rhee to shut up and stop alienating people by making up stories about fired teachers to Fast Company or taping little kids mouths to new hires. He never reprimanded Nickles for his vengeful petty crusades. And, he couldn't even get Moten to shut up for 2 weeks before the primary. Leadership fail. Giuliani kept his people in line.
10:38 pm
You Fentyites really slay me at how quick you are too dismiss Cherkises personal choice as an act of treachery,knowing this, I think it took a great deal of courage and soul searching to decide too face you head on,but because it doesn't coinside with your view's You've got your fangs and claws out ready to hang the poor guy. Shame on you all, I thought this was a free country. I think he made a very mindful and intelligent choice. contuary to the rhetoric that's being spread, you folk's seem to want too dance around the question posed about the institutionalization of school reform,not havivng it centered around an individual, which in this person's view would certainly destine it for failure. This unwillingness too be open minded about the issue, make's me question some of these motives. That is what's being said in general about this administration now, what's really going on cause folk's won't tolorate being shut out.Inclusion is the key,but I guess it's alright when you aren't the one's that are being excluded (huh). It's alright to over look the nastiness, until it's aimed at you. One thing that make's me wonder at some of you is, how little you really know about VG. If you knew anything at all about him, you would know that education is one of his pet peeves, and that compassion for those of us that are the most needy of us is the other. Take a minute and look at the man's back ground and you'll see where his passion is, then if you dare, take a look at AFs back ground, a good honest look then look in the mirror.
10:53 pm
Southeast Resident,
You speak the absolute truth. i work in the dc education system (not as a teacher and suffice it to say that), and Rhee is shady. She threw her old Agency Fiscal Officer right under the damned bus, then backed it over him, put the damn machine in foward and ran over him again. Thanks for the ride, lady.
All for that budget shenanigan she ran a few months back (to surplus or not to surplus). She framed Wepman because she claimed he gave her bad data, because she couldn't bear to turn up with that EGG all over her face for firing teachers under the lie of budget shortfall.
Special Education is replete with pocket stuffed experts, lawyers, administrators, and other robber barrons who suck funds from the system. They're quick to shift kids from regular DCPS into the Special Ed system because the money is there in Special Ed plus it ups the DCPS test scores, albeit that many of these kids SHOULD NOT be in Special Ed.
I hate it when I read some of the mindless drivel from the parrots and D.K.S's (don't know shits) because they go on the account of something someone told them to think. Knowing the inside, please believe me when I tell you that Fenty and Rhee have duped many of you into belieiving that Rhee has made so much progress in Education Reform. THAT'S A DAMNED LIE !
Shouldn't you think twice, when you know that she's made it clear that she (in a position that should be neutral and serve for the greater benefit of genuinely leading the progress in educating children) has made it clear that she's more committed to working for a specific individual, not having even put forth a minute of effort to work with whoever the mayor might be ?
Fenty has sooooooo many people going for the okey-doke and I know it's a new day in America when a guy like Fenty would be given the thumbs up when he's made such an ignominious pimping go-go characters and Ron Moten.
My God, if that were Gray having the likes of Moten spearhead his re-election platform, many of you would want to crucify him.
Fenty, your golden boy, has played many of you like an air guitar....all fakeness.
10:57 pm
@ Cherkis: Really wish you wouldn't have gone there. I totally dispute that Gray was a "terrific council chair".
I think he presided over one of the worst grandstanding council's in memory.
Sorry, but I can't sleep without saying that. Goodnight.
11:05 pm
I disagree. I have lived in DC since Home Rule. Gray is easily the best Council Chair this city has seen, and I thought John Wilson was fantastic.
11:40 pm
Hey Cherkis. Occasional reader here, but these comments forced me to post. I appreciate the care with which you've balanced everything. Sincerely. I worked for Fenty's election on his first mayoral run. I'm no mucky-muck, just a local guy in Northeast doing my part when I can. But what a disappointment Fenty's been in taking such an imperial air. It's clouded some of his good accomplishments as mayor. Also, his sliming of good people is awful. A vote to move Nickels out is a nice side-benefit as well to a vote for Gray.
In order for me to buy the institutional endorsements of Fenty I'd have to believe that his petty unconstructive relationship with the city council was merited -- that our present city council is dysfunctional and filled with idiots. That would be an INSANE idea. For the first time in my years in DC, this is a council filled with (on the whole) thoughtful and hard-working people. Not without blemishes but on the whole very good people. For Fenty to "flip-off" this council is insane to me and tells me all I need to know about Adrian Fenty. This kind of imperial consolidation of power is not what I campaigned for years ago and not what Fenty ran as during his first campaign.
12:39 am
Finally, someone in the press expresses that "it's way more than this". And, I am not concerned about people threatening to leave dc if Fenty loses. How much do you really care about this city if that's all it takes? Are you contributing to making this city better? Regarding Rhee - as someone said above - she's the one who all but said she's out of here w/o Fenty as mayor. I few weeks ago I listened to an event on CSPAN held here in dc on education. I was struck by something Jerry (Weiss? cannot recall his last name right now) said. He has been running montgomery co public schools and has made great improvements. He said one of the most important things he did right off the bat was survey students, parents and teachers regarding what they saw as problems, needs, etc. He did say that they did get rid of some teachers, but the inclusion of all these groups was central in his forming a plan and making positive and cohesive improvements. While I am concerned that there will be some inevitable upheaval if Rhee leaves I bid her good riddance.
12:55 am
Jason--Glad to see you stepped away from the Kool-Aid-laced punchbowl, unlike your comrades at WCP.
Part of me regrets that, if he does win, Gray is going to be stuck with cleaning up the mess resulting from the "too big too fail" mentality going on at the Wilson Bldg.
Just a little reality check from a poster on the WCP endorsement of Fenty and all the mau-mauing of Gray by Fenty supporters.
TripLBee
September 11, 2010
Does City Paper read its own stories before printing this tripe? This dude is going to get thumped because he's a f**king crook and a shameless liar. He is running against a squeaky clean guy who never ripped off 88 year old clients, and instead turned down opportunities to get rich to run community-based human service organizations. Gray is the anti-Fenty.
Fenty didn't run a lousy campaign. He's a lousy guy. Period. You folks at City Paper don't seem to get this. You report on his various crimes and then you tell us to vote for him. You speculate that he's going to lose because he ran a bad campaign, and you know him to be a serial liar and the worst kind of kleptocrat. But somehow you think that Gray---perhaps, hell, probably, because black folks like him---is just a reinvented version of Marion Barry.
You guys are pathetic. Your articles are funny and edgy. But at the end of the day, you're no different than the white boys over at the Washington Times.
7:12 am
Don't be so certain about Gray winning this. Headlines like this make me think of the "Dewey defeats Truman" headline. Just be sure to vote. Take nothing for granted.
8:05 am
Back in 2006, I was thoroughly convinced that Fenty was the olympian embodiment of John Wilson. When Adrian won every precinct, I was even more convinced. But Jason Cherkis is right: there is not an ounce of empathy in this guy. That is a fundamental problem for me as a citizen of this city. On top of that, Adrian is obsessed with photo opportunities and his own political climb. What does that say about him? His tenure as Councilmember for Ward 4 was frankly forgettable. He spent almost all of his time "running" his exploratory campaign for Mayor. When all is said and done, citizens will realize that he takes credit for alot more than he is due.
9:06 am
Larry, It's very easy for people without children to give Gray a chance but those of us who aren't able to pay $50K a year for private school and, at the same time, have the ability to move away rather easily to put children in decent schools - well, we are going to leave. Just like middle class people have historically had to leave this city until a few years ago. And it's not a matter of "caring about the city" when hipsters like Jason are deciding this election on non-issues like "jerkiness" and throwing out empty, baseless platitudes like "he's the best Chairman ever!" to paraphrase Harriet Miers.
The fact is that DCPS, finally, was making some progress. Charters, slowly, were becoming actual options for middle class families. Facts, unlike pissed-off DCPS workers, don't lie.
So now with Gray you get, at the very least, a change in leadership and a return to the bad-old-days where the job security and happiness of teachers and others on the city teat (i.e. Gray's most vocal supporters) trump all other concerns.
You might think that a city comprised of know-nuff 20-something douches and the endemically poor is a great idea, but by insisting on buying into the Gray BS this city is cutting it's own throat and it will bleed out every middle-class family it gained in the last ten years to Maryland and Virginia. It's not a matter of not "caring" enough, it's a matter of having no fucking options for school. If your middle school kid's number doesn't come up in the E.L. Haynes lottery you're sending him or her to Lincoln in Columbia Heights? With 40% basic skills passage rates and 80% on free lunches? Lincoln is getting better, now, but with Gray and his pals in the union that's not going to last. So, you've removed all options for middle income families in the District.
Congratulations.
So, while gay marriage, legal ganja, and a round of ironic PBR's for everyone sounds like urban nirvana to you and the Jason Chicklets of the world, to the rest of us RESULTS matter. The trash gets picked up, teachers who suck get fired, MPD actually answers the phone from 4D now, and there was a slight window of opportunity for progress to win out over pandering.
Window apparently closed.
See ya.
9:27 am
How come no one ever talks about Fenty's abysmal record with regard to the DC Child and Family Services. How many mayors -- other than Fenty -- have been held in contempt by a federal court for failing to comply with standards that his own administration agreed too! Fenty is NOT a "results matter" guy. He is mostly form, with guys like Peter Nickles protecting his image by denying information requested through FOIAs that would show how bad this administration really is.
9:47 am
Cherkis- Glad you decided to look into the Fiscal Policy stuff on affordable housing. The facts are there and disprove most of what Fenty’s claimed as his track record on housing for the poor.
Drez- now I have proof that you are insane- I totally dispute that Gray was a “terrific council chair
Honestly, what planet have you been living on? Give us actual data on why you think this or why you think the Council was the worst in recent times? I agree that some of them aren’t ideally who I am really proud of, but for the most part, many of them on the Council are pretty good and Gray did a fantastic job presiding over the body. I guess you’ve never seen the man in action, but he really has his stuff together. You can view any Committee of Whole hearing from the past few years and you will see what I mean. It is truly a display of good leadership.
Flernty- I’m a parent of four, three of them in public schools now. I attended public schools in DC a few decades back and in all honesty I am pissed that gentrifiers are using school reform as their platform now. For the decades when the school system was horrendous but when you had the luxury of sending you kids to private schools, you didn’t give a flying fuck what happened in the City right? But now, times are harder and paying $30k a year so that junior can learn his ABCs, just doesn’t seem to make sense, so you guys jump on the Fenty band-wagon and care so deeply about your city right. You should been there when it mattered, not offering you great insight after the fucking fact.
10:06 am
@Flernty
I'm always rather confused by people who say that they will leave the city if Gray is elected. By your take on DC Public schools, no one who has gone to, and graduated from them has been successful. There are no good teachers in DCPS and the only way for your child to be successful is to either send them to private schools or go to the suburbs.
None of those things are true. Plenty of people graduate from DCPS and go on to be successful. There are WONDERFUL teachers in DCPS. And here, I'm not saying that all of them are fantastic. But neither will they all be fantastic if you send your kids to private schools, either.
The schools are about EVERYONE. Teachers, students, parents, administrators. All of them need to be on the same page, working toward the same goal. Rhee, unfortunately, never cared about being on the same page as other people. She claimed to know all the answers without any assessment of the problems. Having poor teachers in a failing school system might be part of the problem. But it is only a part of the problem.
I guarantee that if you go to every single school in this city, you will see a great number of strong teachers. And you do not need to go to a Ward 3 school to succeed. I did not go to a Ward 3 school and went on to Ivy League schools for undergraduate and Business school.
Let's stop pretending that complex problems can be solved through simple solutions or that one person has all of the answers to our educational problems. Don't give up on DC because Fenty is not re-elected.
10:41 am
"Look, I somehow made it out of DCPS despite it sucking" isn't a convincing rally cry to keep middle class folks in the city. While I've only been in DC for a few years I did attend an urban high school in California where I was the definite minority, so I have some idea of the problems and benefits of urban public education.
Fact is Rhee is making progress. Fact is changing horses now is not likely a good idea. Fact is Gray has publically courted the union and the union's concern for students is an afterthought compared to keeping member's jobs no matter how crappy they are at their job. If teachers and other DCPS officials, including Rhee, can't be held accountable in the future, and that seems to be where Gray is leaning, that's a recipe for failure.
Look, you can be "principled" and have your kid be one of only 10% or so not on free lunch, not learning English as a second language, or not scoring an average 50% on standardized tests, but what kind of experience is that? What is the point of that experiment when Montgomery County is four Metro stops away?
More importantly, what kind of city do you want? One the panders to union teachers who shrug and say "what can I do with your dumb kids?" One that separates us up into "gentrifiers" (why not just call me "cracker" and be done with the pretense?) and "true Washingtonians"? One that looks back in pride to 40 years of dysfunction?
Hey, you can live in the past if you want to. That's the American way. Teabaggers and Gray supporters have a lot in common. A perennial debate about who screwed who might keep you happy -- but I wasn't here then -- I'm here now and I'm telling you that if Gray plays politics with the schools to make the union happy, and recent reforms cease, that's all I care about. I'm sorry you can't get beyond the tired-old blame game or the idea that for "old timers" to win the "gentrifiers" have to be put in their place. 'Cause I got news for you, PLENTY more middle-class African Americans have abandoned this city due to schools and crime than whites have over the last couple of decades. It's not just ugly me that you are pushing out.
You can fight those old battles all you want. The result is that people who can leave, will. And those that can't leave will suffer the consequences of bad schools, not the "gentrifiers" you want to stick it to. I have options, most poor residents do not. By keeping me, my taxes, and my kids in this city you get a net gain. By running me out you might feel real good about yourself, but we've seen this movie before, it don't end well.
Ultimately I hope I'm wrong about Gray because I don't want to leave -- but he doesn't give me much hope. And the fact that so many Gray supporters are so openly hostile to the idea of a truly diverse city that includes an actual middle class and white people who don't stay west of the park like they're supposed to doesn't give me much hope either.
10:43 am
Jason,
You'd probably have voted for Nader in Florida, too.
11:03 am
Flernty- The school situation here in DC is completely different from what it was 5 years ago, and even 10 years ago. It also isn't analogous really to anywhere else in the country. We have one of the strongest charter school laws in the country, and despite, or because of whatever positive or negative changes happen in DCPS, many middle class parents can stay in DC because of the parallel charter school system. I'll probably end up voting for Fenty today based on non-education related issues, but I think your linkage of Gray to poor schools and a return to the past is not logical. I've talked to Gray about schools, and he is a strong charter school supporter, and just because you are willing to LISTEN to opponents, doesn't mean you do their bidding.....
11:06 am
TL, Depends if Nader was nice to him and told him about whatever trips he'd taken. Otherwise Chicklets would pout-it-out and vote Buchanan because he was more "transparent" (and nicer to alleged journalists).
11:13 am
Charters aren't the way forward, period. Lottery results determining a kindergartener's fate may be George Bush's dream, but it ain't mine. If DC is to move forward, if it is to establish a middle class, if those on the lowest rung are to have a chance, then our kids need to go to school together. Balkanized schools like E.L. Haynes offer an option in a transitional period, but long term DCPS has to be the answer.
Further, Gray can talk all he wants about charters and about "continuing reform" but it's all a big question mark further punctuated by his very troubling statements about the union, about teacher standards (i.e. scuttling them), and about school leadership. Why go with the unknown when Fenty, despite being a bastard, has had results? It's nothing but a city-wide fit of pique because the guy doesn't pander well.
11:37 am
Flernty- what frustrating to me is that you are somehow under the assumption that Rhee will magically change all of this. The improvements made are very limited and her approach has only been successful in schools that weren't as badly off prior to her starting in the City. When a dozen of schools, who might have done as well under someone else, has shown improvement while the vast majority of them are still pretty bad, then I will be a believer. But so far, it's all smoke and mirrors and "take my word for it" because my kids use to be in private schools and now are in public schools in upper NW and are doing great.
Somehow I really doubt that Rhee would stay on even if Fenty is re-elected.
11:41 am
Correction- When a dozen of schools, who might have done as well under someone else, has shown improvement while the vast majority of them are still pretty bad, I'm not a believer.
1:10 pm
Adrian Bent-Me, you are carefully ignoring two groups of schools, those that went from 20-30% to 50%, a pretty dramatic increase, and those that came out of nowhere to compete in the top bracket of DCPS (like Barnard Elementary). I pay very close attention to this. This IS the issue to me. There are far more than "a dozen" schools doing better. You can buy into the anti-Fenty/Rhee koolaid all you want, but facts are facts, and the NAEP scores in DC outpace all other urban district in 4th and 8th grade gains, across the board - not just a "dozen" schools.
2:45 pm
Flernty- I didn't get any of the kool-aid, the Fenty camp already drank it all.
Look, you may the ability to send you kids to a well-performing DC school because you migth live in a better area than I do, but it hasn't changed much for my kids since I attended. My neighborhood isn't that bad today, but the schools in close proximity to me are still horrendous and to be try to get them into one of the few well-performing ones, requires a long wait on the lotto list or connections I do not have (remember, Fenty himself doesn't have faith in DCPS, he's sending his boys to an out of boundary school with a fantastic pre-Rhee reputation).
So why don't you go ahead and send me this magical list of great schools that populates the City in abundance now. I can auction it off to other parents like myself and fund my kids' college tuitions.
3:04 pm
@Flernty
Did I say that I succeeded despite my school? No. I succeeded because of where I went to school.
I know that everyone loves to imagine how ignorant everyone is who went to DC public Schools, but that mess is just tired. Truly tired. This portrayal of people who don't vote for Fenty and don't support Rhee as Luddites who want to go back to the days of Marion Barry smoking the crack pipe is ignorant and self-serving. It is a circular argument not based in reality. I get that you believe that Rhee has made progress. I believe that she has not. Further, I believe that she has set our schools on a collision course with mediocrity and that Fenty is the dumbest, willfully ignorant person we have ever had as mayor. He is fortunate that he has served during a boom-time, where people actually want to live and invest in the city. This man truly knows nothing. If you don't believe me, try talking to him about policy.
It is really Fenty folks who are like tea partiers. You're the true believers who think your candidate and his disciple can do no wrong and consistently use facile language to distinguish between "us" and "them."
I take it back. You should move to Montgomery County.
4:24 pm
I am a teacher who does not support Fenty. My reasons have nothing to do with the union, as I teach at a public charter school in ward 2. We put in a bid for a building property of a recently failed public school. Fenty did not give us the bid and instead uses the location for storage. Our building is slated to be torn down to make room for Condos. With schools closing all around us, where are the children of DC to go? Where in ward 9 can they live as the rental rates around them rocket? Fenty doesn't care. And I don't care how many go-go shows he makes it out to, this is a class issue for us. Walk around ward 3, see all the grass and the green and the ranger rovers parked next to Fenty signs. We don't mind. There won't be a cab driver in the district who gives him a vote either. Ask one, if you doubt me.
9:45 pm
You know that the mayor should have been a little more thoughtful about that peaceahalolic situation because they have done nothing prevent our youth from killing each other, yes he did some good for the city, yet it was for the people who has not the people who thought he would help make their life better. You can tell that stuff about his help for the homeless to someone who does not live or be in the streets of Washington dc, Washington DC has the highest unemployment then it has very had under any mayor. Remember you can not look down on those who can make or brake your career, he forgot he works for all of the district; not just a few. We will be watching mr. Gray as well we the people will not be taken for granted, by no one who wants our votes because we can think, so mr GRAY be put on notice you must stay true to your words to do for all not just your friends !!!. Bro. Ronald CooleyEL