WTU President Elizabeth Davis joined the Education Town Hall on Thursday, March 10, to discuss DC Public Schools’ misuse of at-risk funds as well as achievement gaps that continue to grow under mayoral control. Denisha Jones, activist and professor of education, joined the discussion about teaching, teacher preparation, and the needs of students in heavily minority school systems.
Davis told us, for example, that Oyster Bilingual School, which has a small percentage of at-risk students received far more funding meant for at-risk students than other schools, such as Anna Beers Elementary, which has a higher percentage of at-risk students.
She also expressed WTU’s on-going frustration with the school systems refusal to hear the union’s research-based proposals, instead implementing top-down strategies — without consulting teachers and other stakeholders — doubly disheartening as they produce negative results.
DCPS justified closing 35+ schools, she said, insisting that this would help equalize resources. The system fired 5000 teachers and spent billions, she added. “We should see better results than we’re getting.”
Part of the recording is missing due to technical difficulties. Our apologies.
WTU recently held its third annual community conference, “A Shared Vision Conference for Reclaiming Public Education in the District of Columbia” (details and handouts). President Davis also shared this review of DCPS status.
For more background, see also: DC’s Dueling School Data Views
and
Racial, Income Disparities
The Education Town Hall broadcasts from Historic Anacostia
in Washington, DC, Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern
on We Act Radio.
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Shows are archived for convenient listening shortly after broadcast.
The Education Town Hall BUS is a monthly program
organized by BadAss Teachers, United Opt Out, and SOS March.
The program regularly airs on the 4th Thursday of each month.
Education Town Hall Forum 