The charred remains of what was once a playground symbolize the challenge facing Kim Ables as she takes over the job as principal of the J.C. Nalle Elementary School.

Someone burned down the playground almost two years ago, destroying the only outdoor recreation in the Marshall Heights neighborhood in Southeast D.C. The Freddie Mac Foundation stepped in and gave the school $200,000 for a brand-new two-section playground, complete with monkey bars and winding stairs.