EDUCATION
Heated Debates Expected over School Closures By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer A maelstrom of controversy is erupting over a list of District of Columbia Public School [DCPS] closings that made its way onto the Internet last week. As a result, pressure has been put on D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson to come clean about which schools are marked for closure or consolidation. But a spokesperson for Henderson said she has no explanation regarding how the list that cited 38 schools was published on Nov. 1, except to say it’s inaccurate. “We have no idea where this list came from, but it’s not from DCPS,” said Melissa Salmonowitz in an email to The Washington Informer. “We look forward to announcing our proposed consolidations soon.” The Chicago-based Illinois Facility Fund [IFF] which provided the recommendations earlier this year, deals in real estate acquisitions and providing loans and equipment for nonprofits such as charter schools – already has oversight over several such facilities in the Midwest. In the event IFF recommendations are approved, plans call for lower-performing city schools to be consolidated with high-performing charter schools. The majority of the city’s underperforming and under-enrolled schools are in wards 5, 7 and 8. Listed among them are Anacostia and Ballou high schools in Ward 8, Kelly Miller Middle School in Ward 7 and Charles Young Elementary School in Ward 5. Many of the parents and community leaders who are lashing out are reminded of the iron-clad will of Michelle Rhee who ordered the closings of some two dozen schools shortly after she took over as chancellor in 2008. They are looking forward to speaking during two public hearings slated for Thursday, Nov. 15 and Monday, Nov. 19 at the John A. Wilson Building in Northwest, where the testimonies are expected to be heated. Dorothy Douglas who represents Ward 7 on the D.C. School Board, said she wasn’t familiar with the bogus list, but she’s known about talks to shutter schools. www.washingtoninformer.com
“I know that the plans call for some of the schools like those in wards 7 and 8 to be closed due to low- enrollment, but I expressed [early on] to Mayor [Vincent] Gray and [Ward 7 Council member] Yvette Alexander that closing schools is not the solution without getting parents involved,” Douglas said. Annette Douglas, 43, who has a child enrolled at Howard Road Academy in Southeast, opposes combining District public schools with charter schools. “That’s not going to work,” she said, adding that “for one thing, you can’t mix students from Southwest with students from Southeast without expecting issues like violence to occur.” Northeast resident Rita Jackson who has grandchildren enrolled in District public schools, said charter schools aren’t necessarily better than DCPS facilities. “Charter schools are basically run by corporations and they’re doing these mergers, not to educate our children, but for the resources that they can get,” said Jackson. “They’re making sure that we don’t create any more Malcolm Xs or President Obamas.” Ward 8 activist Phil Pannell, 61, said it makes good sense to close schools that are under-enrolled and to merge others. “This is something that’s been decades in the making,” said Pannell. He said that in many instances, under-enrolled buildings negatively impact the ability to ensure key programs and services at other schools. “For example, the new Ballou Senior High School in Ward 8 lacks an ROTC program because the school can’t afford it,” Pannell said. While Alexander, 51, has called for a moratorium on closures in her community, Ward 5 Council member Kenyan McDuffie, 37, said in a statement that in anticipation of the two hearings, he’s been in touch with Henderson’s office to schedule a discussion on the matter. “At this juncture, DCPS has not made the closure list available to the [D.C.] Council or to the public,” McDuffie said. “Once DCPS officially releases school closure information, my office will make it available and work with the community to respond accordingly.” wi
Industrial Bank Author & Artist Spotlight Lamont Carey Author, Advocate & Activist by H.E. Palmer, Jr.
Not all art is created equal. A fact that is especially true in our community. For art to have meaning it must first have relevance and to have relevance it must move you emotionally and connect with you in a way that is significant. Such is the nature of the works of Lamont Carey. Mr. Carey is a spoken word artist, motivational speaker, activist, filmmaker, playwright and independent author. He has appeared on Russell Simmons’ “Def Poetry Jam,” HBO’s “The Wire”, BET’s “Lyric Café”, “The Michael Baisden Show” and debuted his play ‘Learning to be a Mommy’ performed live at the Kennedy Center. He has just published his new novel, ‘The Wall’ which is a sequel to his popular novel ‘The Hill.’ This series offers a very real portrayal of life behind bars in the DMV. Whereas some authors get their inspiration from some spiritual muse, Carey’s efforts are derived from his real-life experiences. Carey’s style is direct and raw. He does not mince words, nor does he make any apologies for the tone and manor of his work. In writing ‘The Hill’ and ‘The Wall’ Carey skillfully crafts words to paint vivid pictures of the daily struggles of the incarcerated. When asked about his motivation for writing these two novels Carey is very clear about what he is trying to accomplish, “I have an overwhelming need to be successful. Because of my past criminal lifestyle I am driven to; 1.) Prove to myself that I am better than I was; 2.) Attempt to repair some of the damage that I caused the residents of the District of Columbia and; 3.) Live a productive and prosperous life as a law abiding citizen, to serve as a positive role model for my son so that he can beat the statistics that say he is likely to follow in the footsteps of my criminal past.” He means what he says. For the last eleven years Carey has been a tireless advocate for Returning Citizens (a preferable term to refer to individuals who have been released after having paid their debt to society). Carey has an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the Court Services and Offender Services Agency (CSOSA) and in recognition for his support of the Returning Citizens community, he was awarded the U.S. Parole Commission’s first ever Re-Entry Award in June of this year. Carey’s advocacy for Returning Citizens is a direct result of his incarceration and the impact the experience had on him. It was while serving his sentence on a conviction for Attempted Murder and Narcotics Distribution that Carey discovered his passion for writing. “I noticed the young inmates battle rapping. In my opinion what they were putting out was not that good. I thought I could do better even though I was never an artist. So I tried. I failed miserably but I kept trying. One of the guys challenged me. He said I rapped like I was telling stories and he challenged me to write a book. I took the challenge and wrote my first book in thirty days.” The result of that first effort was a novel entitled ‘Capers’ about three friends who rob a drug dealer and are then left to deal with the consequences of their actions. Validation for the quality of his writing came from his fellow inmates. Upon completing his review of the finished product, the inmate who had challenged Carey to write Capers quickly spread the word about the quality of the work and of its high entertainment value. Soon others began flocking to Carey to request an opportunity to read his work and with that, several more novels were completed, each being written within a span of two to four weeks. It is said, “The eyes are the windows to the soul.” If that is true then perhaps, ‘The pen is the voice of the spirit.’ Through his novels and spoken word, Carey speaks truth to a critical part of our community’s urban experience. With pieces such as I Can’t Read, The Streets Keep Calling Me, and I Hate This Place, Carey turns up the volume and helps to tell our stories, good and bad, in a voice we understand, recognize and can relate to. Carey wants to be known as a writer. He wants to be remembered as an agent for change breaking through stereotypes that seek to limit advancement or the attainment of one’s full potential. To anyone who has ever been in his company, or read his work he is all that and much more. He is a complete artist whose writing and advocacy enriches and brings hope to our community. For more information email: lacareymanagement@gmail.com.
The Washington Informer
Nov. 8, 2012 - Nov. 14, 2012
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