My experience with Ellington has also exposed me to the dysfunction and inefficiency of D.C. school bureaucracy, which I will work hard to reform if elected. Finally, I have experience with the schools as a parent, as several of my children have attended D.C. public schools. With the continued increase of charter schools in the District, we must know how much each school should get per student. With monies going directly to each school, we must make sure that the weighted student formula is accurate and fully funded. This formula takes into account all that is needed for a school to educate its total population.
Schools have a great opportunity to do very creative educational reform.
D.C. Public Schools, along with other city leaders, agencies, community leaders, and parents, will be building a new generation of schools. With the full collaboration of all the above parties, we must formulate options and recommendations for upgrades, modernizations, total replacements, and other dispositions of facilities. The Board of Education should be leading this coordination on behalf of all the city leadership and citizens. All experts continue to recommend that payroll and procurement should be an operation directly under the responsibility of the Superintendent and D.C. Public Schools. The management systems must be appropriate for a school system, and must be able to respond to crisis matters immediately.