Examiner.com
Chairman Gray at the FOCUS School Choice Awards
By Mark Lerner
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Last evening the weather was cool and rainy but you never would have known that inside the auditorium of the Carnegie Institution where FOCUS, and the organization's founder and board chairman Malcolm Peabody, held its ceremony honoring the city's high performing public charter schools. Thurgood Marshall Academy, Meridian, and KIPP DC AIM, KEY, and WILL were singled out among 10 finalists for the progress they have made in closing the achievement gap for those kids who qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The other nominated charters included Achievement Prep, D.C. Prep, E.W. Stokes Community Freedom, SEED, and Tree of Life.
The warmth and energy that was undeniably felt in the room was delivered by D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray. Having announced his run for mayor just a few hours earlier he looked much younger than his 67 years. In fact, his enthusiasm brought the crowd to a rapt silence, only to be regularly interrupted by bursts of applause.
"I remember one number," he said, "3109." Of course, he was referring to the facility allotment per child that Mayor Fenty sought to significantly reduce last year. But this was far from the only statistic Mr. Gray could recite from memory. "40 percent of all public students are now enrolled in charters," the Chairman reminded us, "57 of these schools are now in the District on 99 campuses."
He spoke of his fight to restore as much of the facility dollars as he could, eventually getting the allotment up to $2,800. Mr. Gray talked about the task force he put together that worked over the last year to get a handle on the true facility expenses of charters. He called it an injustice that students face inequalities in the amount of money being spent on school buildings depending upon the system in which they are enrolled.
The theme of equity is most certainly going to form the focal point of Mr. Gray's campaign for mayor. It is one to which the D.C.'s charter school movement should rejoice.