The pattern developing in the District isn’t just one of declining ethics and apparent lawlessness among elected officials. There also has been an incremental erosion of standards that particularly threatens low-income communities, undermining the “One City” campaign that was supposed to reduce disparities across the city. Consider DCPS decision to lower the requirements of its teacher-evaluation system. The Examiner’s Lisa Gartner recently reported Chancellor Kaya Henderson said teachers who previously were rated “highly effective,” and this year scored above average on their first two assessments, won’t be subjected to the remaining three appraisals.
At the same time, Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown has said he wants to increase bonuses for “highly effective” teachers who agree to serve in “struggling schools.” Henderson’s altered assessment process and Brown’s plan could mean that DCPS students in general, and low-income communities in particular, may not actually get the level of teaching expertise promised by the new evaluations and recruited with bonus bucks.
