FYI
From: Chairman Phil Mendelson <lwalton@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 5, 2021 4:20 PM
To: Holmes, Antawan (ANC 7C07) <7C07@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: April Chairman's Update: The Monthly Newsletter from Phil Mendelson
The Latest From the Desk of the Chairman
Volume 32 | April 2021
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Funding For Schools: Needless Turmoil
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Every February the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
publishes preliminary budgets for each of its 118 schools ahead of the release
of the Mayor’s proposed budget. And each year, we hear from many school
communities that their budgets are being reduced, and schools are feeling
forced to reduce critical staff and programs to accommodate the proposed budget
cuts.
And every year the Chancellor moves money around, or the Council
finds additional funds when it adopts the budget, so that many if not most of
the proposed school cuts are restored. This process is messed up. It is
needless turmoil.
This year, 46 DCPS schools have been told their budgets will be
cut. Rather than wait for the budget process to run its course, last week I
decided to hold a public
hearing<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018ST81I8_h-pmSSwwnbyHbTznJJWh9CfkIYry5gcqOqhJu1-WblbK95Ale_BiJEY3WAvOOqhUf4cGheHRh0X56o9mMzr7LDS7Ae0E-uhPDje6szENDGghoGbGAokmroSneqEwakprZ7x6L6Oz-41lV3G7hyWbgQBc8GY39KIjDX5VDsmv-znioPXjtOx4pLTWRPgHHpU62j0=&c=T2ExIj9rbR8AfbFpuiBs3Q3PwSdcXS8p05TeguJL4oGW9hzMbL7MqQ==&ch=fgOhuAB4Jn6DAk0UmbDapNf21BMaZXqvhffzdvGbiqz4NEOupRMdPQ==>
to examine why school officials force schools to consider cutting English
teachers, math teachers, librarians, social workers, etc.
I wanted to provide a public forum for school communities, through
their ward education councils, to state how the preliminary budgets would hurt
their schools. I also wanted DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee to justify this
process and explain why he thinks cutting school budgets promotes school
stability.
Two things that are important for education to be successful are:
(1) parental involvement; and (2) a good, healthy, robust school community. And
a healthy school community embodies active parents, a stable budget, and
long-term employees.
This year, once again, parents are upset and faculty are fighting
for their positions. Undoubtedly some – both parents and teachers – are
thinking “I give up! I’m leaving. I’ll go to a charter school. Or the suburbs.
I don’t need this aggravation!” Why not? Schools shouldn’t be going through
this turmoil and this threat to their community and their ability to grow and
build on their educational accomplishments from one year to the next.
Schools are not like a typical government agency where what we see
year after year, and what I believe is appropriate, is that the Mayor gives the
agency a mark – usually a mark that forces them to look at a cut or otherwise
justify their programs and workforce. But schools are not like those agencies.
And should not be treated like those agencies. Schools should instead be able
to rely on stable funding.
I just don’t understand how we can expect a business to succeed if
every year it’s forced to face budget cuts and fleeing employees. And there is
no reason why the analogy of a business doesn’t apply to a school. Each one is
its own entity; a business unto itself, offering the service of educational
success. Not only do we impose the instability of funding and staff, but we
threaten its customer base – the parents – who shouldn’t have to fight for
decent service.
Some 20 years ago the Council tried, through the budget, to
hardwire minimum funding levels for schools. In spite of this guarantee, what
we saw was that DCPS shifted some costs that it had been paying out of Central
Administration for school support, shifted those costs to the individual
schools, so that Central did not get cut.
A few years later the Council tried a different tack: we
legislated that no school could have its budget reduced by more than 5%. That
sort of sounds ok, but if you think about it, 5% of a $5 million budget
(somewhat typical for an average-size elementary school) equals $250,000 –
perhaps 3 classroom teachers. So we need to reexamine that. And regardless of
that 5% limit, we still see DCPS shift expenses – two years ago it was security.
Some will argue that enforcing per pupil funding per school is the
solution. Per Pupil funding is important to ensure equity between DCPS and
charter schools, but as long at there is a DCPS Central Administration, per
pupil funding per DCPS school will never work. Nor is it the only solution.
Guaranteeing that each school’s budget builds on last year’s budget, and then
adding to it to meet additional programming such as for at-risk students
ensures stability and growth.
A month ago Mary Levy
testified<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018ST81I8_h-pmSSwwnbyHbTznJJWh9CfkIYry5gcqOqhJu1-WblbK95Ale_BiJEY3RUfaiwbjJc5cQwZkk4uqnAcZmrefVJUtoX62MFJpkwWxrZAi3u4DZ_9rcxwQ_5j9ibObkzYCtWA6nAiW4a7OC9hNBeETUalqMOVLc-fqoTLVpLoJA_gMIQ==&c=T2ExIj9rbR8AfbFpuiBs3Q3PwSdcXS8p05TeguJL4oGW9hzMbL7MqQ==&ch=fgOhuAB4Jn6DAk0UmbDapNf21BMaZXqvhffzdvGbiqz4NEOupRMdPQ==>
before my committee: “The number of central office employees has decreased a
little recently, but is still much higher than in years much earlier when
enrollment was much higher. Surely some of that cost could go to services in
the schools. The number of central office full-time equivalent staff performing
the same functions that DCPS now performs rose from 516 in 1981, when we had
95,000 students to 626 in 2007, when we had 52,000, and as of last month to 705
for 50,000. They include 4 Executive Directors, 9 Chiefs, 24 Deputy Chiefs, 75
Directors, 165 Managers and 41 Analysts.”
I repeat: surely some of that cost could go to services in the
schools.
POLICE REFORM:
THE NEXT ROUND
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-------Last week I spoke at the Police Reform Commission’s presentation where
its members released and discussed their final report and
recommendations<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018ST81I8_h-pmSSwwnbyHbTznJJWh9CfkIYry5gcqOqhJu1-WblbK95Ale_BiJEY3PaCMQ1EX9E_9sln6m418jh-3kXG12iRzJsjwJDcsq2RkZmhaIOb8UBVO5amOhz-pErRbQ6fT9S4HxBY9cPCt3K20ogv9zBbPRRKMY4SVqR5kapVlLeRybdf3R_5MqqbyRMYrEUsJ73yyAyIKLHIG2e7MEGp4ivjRrdBGVbS09rDE6kvRlD4L47nbWOHP0hXQhb5BYyOV0L9I0IQ-AAH96Eeqo6ek6YQbBuEPldSHPfWsAX72TidzLg==&c=T2ExIj9rbR8AfbFpuiBs3Q3PwSdcXS8p05TeguJL4oGW9hzMbL7MqQ==&ch=fgOhuAB4Jn6DAk0UmbDapNf21BMaZXqvhffzdvGbiqz4NEOupRMdPQ==>
for improving policing in the District of Columbia.
I am going to begin by making three points. The first is that the
role of police in our society is something that is necessary and of value.
Second, regardless of the value, the police power is alarming, when considered
against our democratic principles because a police officer has the power to
summarily deprive liberty and even take life. Third, it is therefore incumbent
upon us to continually examine the proper balance for police authority.
What we have seen as we look across our country over the past
year, and also in our city, is that we have expanded the role of police and
increased their presence to the point that we can say there is over-policing in
America. We look to our police officers to stop the bank robber, but we also
look to the police officer to issue parking tickets, direct traffic, and
resolve mental health crises.
It is necessary that we have police, but it is also necessary that
we take a critical look at the service and find the right balance.
The Council directed me to appoint a 20-member Police Reform
Commission last summer. When I made the appointments, I looked for individuals
who, together, would represent a broad range of experience as well as
perspective with regard to law enforcement and criminal justice. I wanted
individuals who were serious, sincere, and thoughtful about public safety. I
wanted a representation of our community, because, if you think about it,
policing is about protecting us, and so “us” should be the ones designing it.
To be effective, policing must be sensitive to, and supported by,
the community it serves. One example illustrates this: whether people will call
the police or come forward as witnesses depends on whether they trust the
police. It’s not hard to see, then, that harsh or abusive policing can be
counterproductive to public safety.
Members of the Commission met as a whole and as subcommittees for
the better part of six months and interviewed numerous practitioners and
experts both here in the District and from other cities (by zoom, not travel).
They issued their report, with 90 recommendations, on April 1st.
It’s fair to characterize some of the recommendations as a bit
edgy. Because they force us to re-think what we have come to accept as
policing. But we should. A contemporaneous report issued on March 23rd by the
D.C. Auditor, The Metropolitan Police Department and the Use of Deadly Force:
Four Case Studies
2018-2019<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018ST81I8_h-pmSSwwnbyHbTznJJWh9CfkIYry5gcqOqhJu1-WblbK95Ale_BiJEY37Ulo89MXre8baJIveJ1hZtinY21UzdMui6urXNYqlv2wMpNzGoYnbFsnkRpvAz6B6EHD9jQWQuD1VVAKr-mQrMSb4EPHgfJ-grPGqeLliJh5UzJZzkRQgrKCan0RQY3lCC5R2T1eEjpPjvdwV17FG8K4qBPXst0i3-576TSXv_aEGoxvDot5fM9-uWE5lOzNnteKZ4iRCbJX3jIvDF-u4ivYMOn9YlZjsUIkXucnPC4g2Mbcdy0cMw==&c=T2ExIj9rbR8AfbFpuiBs3Q3PwSdcXS8p05TeguJL4oGW9hzMbL7MqQ==&ch=fgOhuAB4Jn6DAk0UmbDapNf21BMaZXqvhffzdvGbiqz4NEOupRMdPQ==>
found that in each of four incidents the police could have de-escalated the
situation and avoided the fatalities.
So even if the recommendations are edgy, we need to consider them
seriously. The goal is public safety, and justice, and we can do it better.
Perhaps there truly is a greater reliance on police than is necessary, and a
greater acceptance of abuses than we should accept. And perhaps there are
better strategies to reduce gun violence and homicides in our city.
I do want to note, because I have jurisdiction over schools and
education as chair of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, that the Commission
recommends eliminating police as school resource officers and makes other
recommendations regarding school security. We will have a public hearing April
21st on School
Security<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018ST81I8_h-pmSSwwnbyHbTznJJWh9CfkIYry5gcqOqhJu1-WblbK95Ale_BiJEY3GADAJGxfkw2Nh-7Pe9sCjKVNsdDNWg5xLnMzXesEfH0S3WCmVZc5By3vm1ZbXX5KshIBPDVHF_wzD8myhDv6-qK3P4-_OOeXuAT0wD2mdzXilMDsOzh72rAMyftkf2VghL8hN3mYrO6rqEEbrnwCE5rjOo8cqp2DBsqg7dTf41U=&c=T2ExIj9rbR8AfbFpuiBs3Q3PwSdcXS8p05TeguJL4oGW9hzMbL7MqQ==&ch=fgOhuAB4Jn6DAk0UmbDapNf21BMaZXqvhffzdvGbiqz4NEOupRMdPQ==>
in both DCPS and the charter schools. The hearing will not deal solely with
the recommendations of the Police Reform Commission, but also at the transition
of the school security contract – directed by the Council last summer – from
MPD to DCPS.
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---This week we learned of the tragic death of Washington Teachers Union
President Elizabeth Davis.
---My thoughts and condolences are with Liz’s family and friends. It’s always
unfortunate to lose someone. It is especially difficult when the death is an
unexpected accident.
---Liz worked extremely hard to represent the working men and women of DC
schools. Indeed, she was a fierce advocate. Her advocacy and zeal for
excellence in education will be missed.
CONSTITUENT SERVICES CORNER
---An after-school program contacted our constituent services team to find out
why they had not received the emergency grant funding that had been approved
for them by DC Government. The school had been operating virtually with
donations but was in desperate need of financial assistance. That's when our
team sprung into action.
---Our team immediately contacted the Office of the Chief Financial Officer
with the application number and approval information.
---In just two weeks, the after-school program had their $50,000 grant check in
hand and they can now continue serving children, youth, and families in need.
---If you have personal or business funds in limbo, get in touch with our team.
We'll make sure your wishes are granted!
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Upcoming Hearings
of the Committee of the Whole
Committee of the Whole Meeting
April 6, 2021
12 p.m. via Virtual Meeting Platform
Legislative Meeting
April 6, 2021
1 p.m. or Immediately Following Committee of the Whole Meeting
via Virtual Meeting Platform
Committee of the Whole Meeting
April 20, 2021
12 p.m. via Virtual Meeting Platform
School Security in District of Columbia Public & Public Charter Schools
April 21, 2021
12 p.m. via Virtual Meeting Platform
For More Information on How to 'Attend' a Virtual Public Hearing & Meeting or
to Testify for Public Hearings
email cow@xxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:cow@xxxxxxxxxxxx> or call 202.724.8196
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UPDATED PUBLIC HEALTH INFORMATION
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PHIL IN THE NEWS
The District has failed to collect hundreds of thousands and possibly millions
of dollars in property taxes.
News4 spoke to Chairman Mendelson about the issue
[Click Below]
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CHAIRMAN MENDELSON'S STAFF
The majority of the Chairman's Staff has shifted to telework during this public
health emergency. Should you need to contact them, use the following
information:
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DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson | 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 504,
Washington, DC 20004
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