Mayor Elect Fenty's New York trip

You probably know that DC Mayor elect Adrian Fenty, in his quest to takeover the city schools, is leading a significant  group of public officials on a trip to New York city, Friday, December 8^th. to see and hear how Mayor Bloomberg’s takeover of that city’s school system is fairing after five years. Nine News Now will be there. I’ll be reporting Friday evening and probably again on Saturday on the reactions of DC officials. Fenty will be accompanied by school superintendent Clifford Janey, who may or may not be part of the new administration. If he stays, he reports to Mayor Fenty, a deputy Mayor for education and a yet to be named Chancellor of DC schools. It will become Janey’s job to implement reforms; his, Fenty’s and probably some others that are going to be borrowed from New York City. Council Chairman Vincent Gray will be on the NY trip. Fenty will need his leadership in the DC Council when he asks the legislators and then the Congress to change the city’s home rule charter to reduce the elected school board to a mere advisory panel. The board includes former city administrator Robert Bobb who was just elected President. Joining Gray on this NY trip are Council members Marion Barry, Jack Evans, David Catania, Jack Evans, Carol Schwartz and Kwame Brown, and newly elected members Mary Cheh, Tommy Wells and Harry Thomas. That’s eight votes, well over the majority Fenty will need for the takeover (two Council seats are vacant until a special election in March).

We’ve learned that Fenty and the DC delegation will visit three schools…all housed in the same building in Harlem. Our New York contacts are telling us the DC delegation will be impressed with what’s going on inside The “Kappa Four” middle school, “Bread and Roses” Integrated High school, and the “Mott Hall” High school. More on the programs on Nine News Now. What Fenty and his party won’t hear are the criticisms from leaders of the parents and teachers organizations after five years of Mayor Bloomberg’s reforms. We have been talking with them; The Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council and the United Federation of Teachers have serious concerns and questions about how much or little progress has been made in NY.  Crowded classrooms and test scores are just the beginning. You’ll hear from them along with Mayor Bloomberg and his school Chancellor Klein in our reports. Unfortunately there are no plans for the DC delegation to meet with the two important groups representing New York City school parents and teachers. Let’s just hope DC leaders will also do their homework and talk to more than just the New York city Mayor and his school Chancellor before deciding what steps they’ll take here to reform the city schools.