Rhee Blasts Gray's School Budget Cuts
D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee says the $18.1 million cut in the DCPS budget proposed by Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray would not only threaten plans to bring music, art and PE teachers to every public school in the district, it would give public charter schools an edge in spending per-pupil.
The current per-pupil allocation for both public and public charter schools is $8,770. Transferring the money to fund school modernization efforts, as proposed by Gray, would threaten that parity.
"I don't think it's anyone's intention to do that, especially at a time when we want to make sure we have all the amenities in place so we can compete with the charter schools," Rhee said yesterday evening in front of Anacostia High school after a meeting with parents and staff. "We just want to make sure that we're on equal footing."
School officials said such a cut would threaten the $15 million earmarked by DCPS for art, music and PE, but also another $2 million increase to the student athletics budget. After-school and summer school programs could also take hits, they said.
In a letter sent late yesterday to Gray, Rhee said she had "deep misgivings" about the proposed cuts.
"Given our already considerable efforts to streamline DCPS operations, the proposed $18.1 million cut would have substantially negative impacts directly on classrooms and students," she wrote.
Bill Turque
By Bill Turque |
April 30, 2008; 7:00 AM ET
| Category:
Education
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Posted by: Sue | May 7, 2008 10:33 AM
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Rhee's misrepresenting the situation -- the money isn't being taking from DC public schools -- it's being transferred from her control to Allen Lew's because responsibility for the maintenance of public schools has been transferred from her control to his.
This is typical of what's going on post-takeover. Rhee keeps fighting to increase her budget will offloading as much responsbility as possible. And for all the central office purges, the Fenty administration has multiplied the number of bureaucracies responsible for schools (Rhee/Reinoso/Lew/Gist) without establishing clear lines of authority with respect to a number of issues (especially those that involve facilities and restructuring). So we're paying more for less and it's still not clear who, if anyone, is responsible for (or even actually making) crucial decisions.