… about not telling reporters anything!
Patrick Mara, the Ward 1 member of the D.C. Board of Education and candidate for the at-large council seat, sent out a press statement congratulating Mayor Vincent Gray on promoting Interim Chancellor Kaya Henderson to the permanent post. The problem? Gray hasn’t publicly announced that (even though it’s so totally obvious).
“I am pleased to see Mayor Gray take a strong step towards continuing the education reform agenda set in motion by Chancellor Rhee,” Mara said. “I have no doubts that the children of our city will benefit from the Mayor’s selection of Kaya as Chancellor.”
Just hours before, The Washington Examiner talked with two people inside the Metropolitan Club, where Gray spoke at a luncheon. Both confirmed that Gray said he precluded a national search because of his belief in continuity and his admiration for Henderson. Gray told them he would announce Henderson as his permanent pick at his Wednesday press briefing.
But Gray wasn’t ready to go full-on public with that. The Washington Examiner asked Gray, leaving the luncheon, if he had selected Henderson. “No I said I was having a ahh, they asked me about the chancellor and I indicated – in fact the question was really about a national search and I talked about continuity and the importance about continuity and the fact
that I’ve had a chance to work with the chancellor now for three or four months and she’s somebody who I have great admiration for,” Gray thinly deflected.
Guess Mara didn’t get the hush-up memo, although Gray really isn’t doing a good job keeping mum if he’s announcing this at luncheons. Still, we can’t help but start singing: “How do you solve a problem / like / Mara-aaa?”
