Retired D.C. teacher G.F. Brandenburg posts a letter by a parent to the City Council asking why the leaders of the charter sector play such a large role in picking the next D.C. Chancellor, who exercises no control over the charters.
Are the charter leaders intent on picking a chancellor who will give them unfair advantages? Do they want a willing Patsy for their ambitions?
Iris J. Other, parent advocate, writes:
“As you are aware the D.C. Public School Chancellor has absolutely no authority over any charter school in this city. The Chancellor cannot make any determinations on the siting of a school, the board composition of a school, the curriculum, staff or any other matter related to a charter. Additionally, as I was recently reminded the Public Charter School Board itself pays little heed to the proximity of where a new charter is sited. Often doing so directly across from a traditional public school and/or over the objections of residents in neighborhoods.
“I raise this issue with you because as my elected representatives, it is my expectation that you take a moment to understand that it is a conflict for charter proponents to have their hands in the DCPS Chancellor selection pot. One has to wonder if Please consider the words of one of my very close friends, “Charter advocates have a stake in having a DCPS chancellor who will not compete with charters, but acquiesce in opening and siting charter schools to draw students from DCPS schools and in closing DCPS schools so the charters can have the buildings.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The current DC mayor, Muriel Bowser, has been working with developers to gentrify the city. Gentrification is generally not an accident; it is planned for. In 2014 Bowers was asked about coordinating public and charter schools. She said:
“DCPS and public charter schools make up our public education system. I believe a focused mayor can achieve voluntary coordination among our public school sector to achieve better planning in regards to school location decisions. As Mayor, I will incentivize coordination through the use of empty school buildings and revenue bonds in order to close gaps in quality seats.”
Her comments seem reasonable on the surface, but when the charter lobby backed by dark money inserts itself into the process, the mayor becomes a facilitator for closing public schools. Selective charters are essential for developers that seek a big return on their investment. They must be able to ensure that there will middle class white students in local schools to attract buyers. We have seen this same MO across so many cities including Chicago, Philly and Indianapolis. This is the resegregation of our cities.http://www.c4dcpublicschools.org/muriel-bowser-on-public-education-in-dc/
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The “reasonableness” of Mayor Bowser’s comment disguises the true nature of what it means to define a “public education system”. Charters cannot and should not be part of any “system”. It’s nothing more than gaslighting. They want to be independent and unaccountable. Until the next money grab. What she’s talking about regarding empty school buildings, revenue bonds, and quality seats is to open more charters using empty school buildings and revenue bonds to do it. “Voluntary coordination among our public school sector”? What is she smoking?
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YES: “They want to be independent and unaccountable. Until the next money grab.”
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