- Master facilities plan due by January [FOCUS, DC Prep and Friendship PCS mentioned]
Master facilities plan due by January [FOCUS, DC Prep and Friendship PCS mentioned]
The Examiner
By Mark Lerner
October 16, 2012
I attended the Public Charter School Board's meeting last night to hear Marc Bleyer from the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Education discuss the process for developing a master public school facilities plan for submission to the D.C. Council by this coming January. I have a feeling this date is a moving target.
Sporting a diagram that looked like a simplified value stream map of Hillary Clinton's national healthcare system, Mr. Bleyer explained how charters are for the first time being brought into the conversation over facility needs. Four charter leaders are members of the team providing input on the strategic plan and the alternative school system has been surveyed and site visited by staff.
Most concerning to me was who was not part of the decision making body. No mention of Tom Nida despite the fact that there may not be a more knowledgeable person on this topic in the country. Joe Bruno's name did not come up. FOCUS apparently does not have a seat at the table. Some of D.C.'s major charter leaders are not part of the working group such as D.C. Prep's Emily Lawson and Friendship's Donald Hense.
A holistic approach to the facility needs of our public school children is long overdue. But this issue is so sensitive and complicated that I would want as many local and even national experts on this subject to be directly involved in deliberations. Our city deserves nothing less.