Laurent Ross rose to his feet and condemned the proposal crafted by the more than 100 people sitting around him.
Merely asking to talk to the D.C. Board of Education about a school closing plan before today’s vote was not enough, the one-time D.C. Council candidate said.
“It’s too wimpy,” Ross said. “You should tell the School Board to vote no on this. … We should be voting no, not voting for dialogue.”
Parent and teacher groups and a host of school advocacy organizations voted Monday night to tell the board to kill a school closure plan released that afternoon by Superintendent Clifford Janey.
The plan calls for the closure of six elementary schools and the reformulation of the student population at several others.
The board will acknowledge receipt of Janey’s recommendations at tonight’s meeting, an action that begins the process of scheduling public hearings at each of the affected schools.
The board’s final vote is scheduled for June 28.
The parents, teachers and leaders who met for two hours at the historic Sumner School represented more than 60 D.C. schools.
They broke into small groups, reviewed the plan and created lists of the proposal’s strengths, weaknesses and questionable points.
Even after dozens spoke, the list of strengths was contained to a single flip chart page. The weaknesses and questions covered page after page.
Ross’ group acknowledged that school closings are necessary but questioned Janey’s timetable of making the changes by fall.
“Who’s there in the summer to put it in place? Nobody,” said Donna Hollis, a counselor at Ellington School for the Arts.
“This has potential to be chaos for everyone, especially the kids, come September.”
Next Steps
Both school advocates and the D.C. Board of Education will meet this afternoon at school headquarters at 825 N. Capitol St. NE:
» An assembly of school advocates will hold a news conference at 5 p.m.
» The D.C. Board of Education will acknowledge receipt of Superintendent Clifford Janey’s school closure plan at a meeting today from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
