Being a D.C. School Board member is a demanding job, requiring full-time effort for part-time pay to overhaul one of the most criticized school districts in the country.
Dr. Clifford Janey has put the nine School Board members are on a fast-paced schedule, holding dozens of special meetingsand hearings often with short notice, including a streak of eight in 12 days during graduation week.
“It’s like first year of law school that will never end,” said School Board Member Tommy Wells, who also works full time as the executive director for the Consortium for Child Welfare.
School Board members, who earn $15,000 a year, estimate they spend at the minimum 20 hours a week on the job and that doesn’t include the roughly 20 e-mails a day from concerned parents, angry neighbors of schools or Good Samaritans who want to volunteer.
There are three regular board meetings a month, workshops, task forces and hearings. There are ad hoc meetings on special education, charter schools, truancy, nutrition and the monthly Head Start governors board. During graduation week this month, there were eight public hearings in 12 days. Already there are three special meetings early next week.
Several School Board members were criticized two weeks ago for not attending a junior high and high school graduation.
“This is not a part-time job,” said spokeswoman Audrey Williams. “This is full-time job, plus some.”
Some are better at juggle the schedule than others. Jeff Smith, Victor Reinoso and Wells — all of whom were elected — didn’t miss any of the 18 regularly scheduled School Board and state education meetings from September to April, according to a review of the School Board minutes. Robin Martin and JoAnne Ginsberg missed one; Carolyn Graham missed three; Carrie Thornhill missed four; and William Lockridge missed five.
Board President Peggy Cooper Cafritz, who has been ill for much of the year, missed half the meetings.
The School Board was not able to provide the minutes to the May meetings.
Reinoso has visited every one of the 30 schools he represents this year. That also means 30 PTAs, 30 staffs and nearly as many neighborhood groups. He tries to schedule meetings with constituents, principals or parents at a cafe near his Metro stop before heading to work.
Staff writer Mike Rupert contributed to this report.
On the Board
» Membership of the board consists of five elected members and four at-large members who are appointed by Mayor Anthony Williams, and two student representatives. The president is elected citywide.
» Board members serve four-year terms.
