The D.C. Council will spend its first few months consumed by school reform and focusing on ways to bridge the gap between the city’s wealthiest and poorest residents, Council Chairman Vincent Gray said during a public swearing-in ceremony Wednesday.
Gray, accompanied by his daughter, grandchild and other supporters, took the oath of office at the Washington Convention Center with the confidence of a man more than ready to step into the job. He rocketed to the top spot on the council after serving only two years as the Ward 7 Democratic council member and facing a tough primary challenge for the chairmanship from former Council Member Kathy Patterson, D-Ward 3.
“Today I ascend to a position that has been occupied by giants,” Gray said before about 1,000 District residents, dignitaries and supporters.
Education, the top priority of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s fall campaign, will also top the council’s agenda. Gray, following suit, has made the entire council accountable for the issue by dissolving the old education committee, instead giving school matters to the Committee of the Whole.
Fenty is expected to unveil his plan for a mayoral schools takeover at a news conference today — a plan that a majority of the council members have indicated early support for.
Gray said he will introduce legislation calling for universal pre-kindergarden education available in every public D.C. elementary school. The legislation would also move to diversify the District’s secondary school curriculum, including adding more vocational training to ensure that youth are prepared not just for post-secondary education but for the job market. He indicated he wants a council “that will make bold steps to ensure that our kids can read, write and do arithmetic.”
At a time of economic prosperity in the city, it is suffering the largest gap ever between the rich and poor, said Gray, who ran on a campaign promise of “one city.” He promised to push for more affordable housing and more accessible social programs for all residents.
“The quest for one city should be compelling enough to compel us to action,” Gray said.
