Open Letter to Chancellor Rhee, Sent Monday, February 11, 2008

Dear Chancellor Rhee,

We urge you to submit your proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget in the next few days.

We were encouraged to read in the Washington Post your explanation for lack of parent engagement in the work and decision-making of the school system: "They don't trust the schools or the District, and I understand why. We treat them poorly, with incredible disrespect." We humbly suggest that one way to treat parents and others with greater respect is to offer them a seat at the table when major policy decisions are made.

We write because we learned on Friday from your chief of staff that you do not expect to submit your proposed budget to the mayor until the end of February or early March. We also read on Friday in the D.C. Register that the mayoral hearing on the proposed DCPS budget is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 19, at Woodson SHS. We are concerned about the prospect of the mayoral hearing taking place before you submit your proposed budget to the mayor. Our schools and children will live every day with the impact of your specific dollar proposals for items such as the base levels of per-student funding, No Child Left Behind restructuring at 27 schools, the promised "enhanced staffing" at certain schools, and the more than 40 new programs (such as high tech campuses, fine arts programs, and Montessori) to be instituted next year.

District law (the result of a citizen initiative in 1987) affords the public the right to meaningful participation by commenting on the proposed DCPS budget, at a budget hearing conducted by the mayor. The mayor must give "due consideration" to what he hears from the public. By law, the mayoral hearing must be held after the proposed budget has been submitted to the mayor, so that the public can support, oppose, or suggest changes to the budget. "In no event shall this hearing be prior to the annual submission by the Chancellor of its proposed budget to the Mayor." D.C. Code § 38-917 (2) (http://tinyurl.com/2kcebg).

Accordingly, so that the mayoral hearing can be held on February 19 as scheduled, we urge you to submit your proposed FY09 budget for the DC Public Schools well before that date. Postponing the mayoral hearing does not appear to be an option, as the mayor must conduct his hearing at least 30 days before he submits his budget to the Council, on March 20. Another provision of the law requires you to submit your proposed budget to the mayor no later than Wednesday, February 13, ninety days after your own budget hearing. The administration can continue working on the budget at the mayoral level.

We know that submitting the budget in a timely fashion has been a challenge to DCPS administrations in the past.

We look forward to a favorable response, and we thank you for your attention.

Respectfully,

Mai Abdul-Rahman, DCPS parent and chair, DC Parent Political Action Committee
Nina Abelson, Institute for Education Leadership
Jane Alexander, Ward 2, Stoddert ES
Anne Anderson, LICSW, Ward 5
Jaime Anderson, Ward 5; parent FPCS
Gina Arlotto, DCPS parent and co-founder Save Our Schools
Mary Bakota, Miner ES, State Dept. Volunteer Program
Carlos Bakota, Miner ES, State Dept. Volunteer Program
Catherine Benedict, Ward 4 resident and member, Save Our Schools
Marta Beresin, Ward 3, parent Stoddert ES
Margot Berkey, Ward 1, parent Wilson HS, Parents United Middle Grades Group
Philip Blair, Jr., DCPS parent (ret.), Ward 5
Marc Borbely, former DCPS teacher, and director, FixOurSchools.net
Renee L. Bowser, Commissioner, ANC 4D02
Robert Brannum, DCPS educator and education chair, DC Federation of Civic Associations
Kathleen Brown, parent and teacher
Patrick Brown, Ward 1, Dunbar HS class of 2006
Ashely Burris, Youth Education Alliance Youth Organizer, H.D. Woodson HS
Lance Butler III, graduate, DCPS and David A. Clarke School of Law
Thomas K Byrd, Vice Pres. Ballou PTSA, Pres. Ballou Alumni Assoc., LSRT Member
Helen R. Campbell, DCPS Math Teacher
Sheila Carr, Parent Watch Inc.
Angela Carter-Anderson, Ward 5; parent FPCS
Clarence Cherry, Ward 5, PTA President, DCPS parent
Tammi Cioffi, FCPS teacher, Ward 6 resident
Henry Clay Black, Ward 3
Deanna Cooke, Mt. Pleasant Educational Development Corporation
DC Statehood Green Party
Barbara D'Emilio, Ward 4
Tim D'Emilio, Ward 4
Derek Davis, WTU Building Rep. H.D. Woodson HS
Wesley K Davis, DCPS parent and employee
Wallace Dickson, Ward 1, Board member Chatham Court Tenant Association, and member of the Executive Board, Cleveland Park Citizen Association
Maureen Diner, LSRT Chair Ross ES
Ed Dixon, DCPS parent and teacher
Elizabeth Dixon, Ward 2 resident and DCPS grandparent
Gail Dixon, Ward 5, Ex-member At-Large of the D.C. Board of Education
Marcio C. Duffles, Wilson High School, PTA Executive Committee
Lyn Dyson, Multi-Media Training Institute
Zein El-Amine, Ward 1, Save Our Schools
Jenefer Ellingston, Ward 6, founder of DC Green Party (now Statehood Green)
Arielle Etienne, DC VOICE
Brenda A. Featherstone, President AFSCME, Local 1200
Delores Fields, Ward 4, OAG Deal MS
Joe Fiorillo, Ward 3, Stoddert ES
Debra Fried Levin, Ward 4, Lafayette ES
David P. Frankel, Parent of DCPS alum
Lee Glazer, DCPS parent and co-founder, Save Our Schools
Kristal Graber, Parent of students at School Without Wall HS & Banneker Academic HS
Janae Grant, Commissioner ANC 5A11
Sara Green, Commissioner, ANC 4B01
Dan and Cindy Gustafson, Ward 6
LeRoy Hall, Ward 5, Brookland
Debby Hanrahan, former DCPS parent, Ward 2
John Hanrahan, former DCPS parent, Ward 2
Sue Hemberger, Ward 3
Toni Hughes, DCPS parent
Jennifer Hurst, Brent ES parent
Anthony Hurst, Brent ES teacher and parent
Baruti Jahi, Ward 4
Anise Jenkins, Ward 5
Timothy Jenkins, Ward 2
Jennifer Johnson, DCPS alumna & parent of DCPS alumnus, taxpayer
LaVensus Jones, Ward 1, Former PTSA President Dunbar School
Maria P. Jones, Ward 5, DCPS parent
David King, parent, Stoddert ES
Anthony Lacey, Ward 1 resident
Erica Landberg, DC VOICE
Ed Lazere, DCPS parent and director, DC Fiscal Policy Institute
Mary Alice Levine, Ward 3, parent Wilson HS; former parent, Alice Deal JHS, School Without Walls HS, Janney ES
Mary Levy, parent of DCPS alum and longtime budget analyst
Anita Levy, parent Oyster/Adams School and School Without Walls HS
Ann Loikow, Cleveland Park
Rosalind Lyle, Spingarn HS PTSA President
Victor McKoy, Ward 6
Holly and Tarek Maassarani, Ward 6 parents
George L. Marion Jr., Executive Board Member AFSCME Local 2401
Dorothy Marschak, Ward 1
Carol Mercer, President, Leckie ES PTA
Darlene Miller, Ward 6, DCPS parent
Lori Milstein, Ward 3, parent Stoddert ES
Dennis Moore, DCPS parent and chair, DC Independents for Citizen Control Party
Manika Morgan, Stoddert ES
Ginger Moss, Ross ES
Roger Newell, DCPS alumnus and convener, DCPS Full Funding Campaign
Benita Nicholson, parent, Ward 5
Parisa Norouzi, Co-Director, Empower DC
Carlos and Noeleen Nuņez, Ward 5
Laurie O'Reilly, Ward 3 mother of two DCPS alumni and one current Wilson HS student
Chris Otten, Ward 1
Don Padou, ANC Commissioner ANC5A-07
Regina Carmen Page, Ward 4
Soyun Park, DCPS parent
Margaret Parker, Youth Education Alliance Youth Organizer, Anacostia HS
Kathryn A. Pearson-West, Ward 5
Curtis and Traci Porter
Sherilyn Pruitt, parent, West ES
Cathy Reilly, SHAPPE
Kathleen Rehwaldt, DCPS Aunt and Alum(pre-k-12th), Ward 1
Thomas and Barbara Riehle, Ward 6, parents School Without Walls HS
Shirley Rivens Smith, Commissioner, ANC 5A09
Terrance I. Robinson, DCPS parent/grandparent
Joyce Robinson-Paul, Secretary MM Washington Career HS PTSA
Barbara Rogers, Ward 4
Andrea Rosen, Ward 4
Anna Rotenberg, DC resident, DCPS Teacher
Brigette Rouson, DCPS Parent and Plymouth Board of Social Action member
Mary Pat Rowan, DCPS parent (ret.), Ward 5
David Sahr, Ward 3, parent Stoddert ES
Abeer Said, Merkle Inc., Hyattsville, MD
Josh Sarnoff, Ward 3, Janney ES and Wilson HS parent
Lisa Schamess, parent Hearst ES
Bill Scher, Ward3, parent Stoddert ES
David Schwartzman, Legislative and Tax & Budget Coordinator, DC Statehood Green Party, parent of DCPS graduate
Michael J. Sheehan, parent of two Stoddert ES students
Scott Shore, Ward 2
Elizabeth Shrader, Ward 1, parent Woodrow Wilson HS
Janis Simmons, Ward 4
Mandeep and Sumita Singh, parents, Hardy MS & School Without Walls HS
Rahsaan, Cynthia, Roosevelt, and Robert Smith, DCPS family
Jeff Smith, DC VOICE
Mr. and Mrs. Stevan Smith, Ward 5, DCPS parents
Gail Sonnemann, DCPS parent, Save our Schools member, Washington Interfaith Network member
Virginia A. Spatz, DCPS parent and freelance writer on education/community issues
Mary Spencer, DCPS grandparent and vice president, DC ACORN
Joshua Spriggs, Youth Education Alliance Youth Organizer, Eastern HS
Dr. Satira S. Streeter, Ascensions Psychological and Community Services, Inc., Ward 8
Carolyn C. Steptoe, Ward 5
Kenneth Stuckey, Ward 5
Anne C. Sullivan, Commissioner ANC 3E05
Ayanna Sutton, Youth Education Alliance Youth Organizer, Dunbar HS
Jennifer Sweeney, Ward 3, Stoddert ES
Crystal Sylvia, DCPS parent, DCPS social worker
Kerry Sylvia, Cardozo HS teacher, DC resident
Renee Thomas, PTA President, Brookland Elementary School
Iris Toyer, DCPS parent and chair, Parents United for the DC Public Schools
Todd Trafford, Ward 6, DCPS parent
Sherry Trafford, Stuart-Hobson MS
Jessica Trevelyan, DCPS parent and former DCPS teacher
Billie Tyler, Ward 1
Michelle Vanderhoff, Ward 3
Tracey Weisler, parent Hyde ES
Suzanne Wells, parent of DCPS alum
LaJuan Williams-Dickerson, DCPS parent, Stoddert ES PTA member
Sarah Whitener, parent and LSRT member, Woodrow Wilson HS
Cherita Whiting, DCPS parent and chair, Ward 4 Education Council
Melissa Williamson
Karen Wills-Henry, parent Cardozo HS
Jane Zara, Commissioner, ANC 1D01, parent of two Wilson HS graduates