Thursday, December 06, 2007
It's That Time Of Year
All,
This has been an extremely interesting year. If you have kept up with the local education reporting Mayor Fenty, in his takeover of D.C.’s traditional public schools, has spent an additional $2 million on salaries for new education bureaucrats, has provided his Chancellor with a $275,000 per year salary plus a performance bonus plan that in itself is worth more then most teachers earn in a year, and is arguing that the District’s current fiscal year $81 million surplus be turned over to DCPS.
At the same time the school system has once again demonstrated some of the worst standardized test scores in the nation.
The problem in Washington, D.C. is that we continue to support failure.
We know that the William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts has demonstrated a very different story. But what additional funding do we get for becoming a model America’s Choice Curriculum School, for being 2 of 10 charter schools making AYP under the No Child Left Behind Law, for being ranked in the top 9 of 55 charters in the city, and for reaching agreement with United Bank and The Office of the State Superintendent on a $1.6 million loan combined with a $1 million guarantee on top of the $2 million loan we have already received in order to build-out an additional 20,000 square feet in our building? Not to mention the development of a truly integrated arts program using one of the best teaching staffs in the city helping over 400 students in grades Pre-K through 10.
The answer, of course, is for all of these achievements we don’t receive an extra dime.
I believe there are special reasons for supporting WEDJ financially this year. I hope you will join me in doing so.
Tax deductable contributions made out to the school can be sent to:
Mark Lerner
The William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
705 Edgewood Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20017
Thank you. Have a great holiday season.
PermaLink | 6:21 AM |
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This has been an extremely interesting year. If you have kept up with the local education reporting Mayor Fenty, in his takeover of D.C.’s traditional public schools, has spent an additional $2 million on salaries for new education bureaucrats, has provided his Chancellor with a $275,000 per year salary plus a performance bonus plan that in itself is worth more then most teachers earn in a year, and is arguing that the District’s current fiscal year $81 million surplus be turned over to DCPS.
At the same time the school system has once again demonstrated some of the worst standardized test scores in the nation.
The problem in Washington, D.C. is that we continue to support failure.
We know that the William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts has demonstrated a very different story. But what additional funding do we get for becoming a model America’s Choice Curriculum School, for being 2 of 10 charter schools making AYP under the No Child Left Behind Law, for being ranked in the top 9 of 55 charters in the city, and for reaching agreement with United Bank and The Office of the State Superintendent on a $1.6 million loan combined with a $1 million guarantee on top of the $2 million loan we have already received in order to build-out an additional 20,000 square feet in our building? Not to mention the development of a truly integrated arts program using one of the best teaching staffs in the city helping over 400 students in grades Pre-K through 10.
The answer, of course, is for all of these achievements we don’t receive an extra dime.
I believe there are special reasons for supporting WEDJ financially this year. I hope you will join me in doing so.
Tax deductable contributions made out to the school can be sent to:
Mark Lerner
The William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
705 Edgewood Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20017
Thank you. Have a great holiday season.
PermaLink | 6:21 AM |
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