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District school's AC bill is $28M
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Washington, D.C. (Map, News) - D.C. schools leaders have spent $28 million to ensure that all public schools are air-conditioned, officials announced Friday.
The work was done in a blitz similar to the one undertaken to give all classrooms in the District’s 142-school system heat in time for winter.
But officials said they don’t expect to have to go back and spend nearly what they did to fix the heating units in a series of emergency repairs -- $12 million or three times the budgeted amount.
Facilities head Allen Lew, standing beside Mayor Adrian Fenty, said during the briefing that it was simply unacceptable for schools to not have adequate air conditioning, which was the reason behind the big push.
“It’s ridiculously embarrassing to have kids come into classrooms that are 90 degrees and actually think we’re going to teach them anything,” Fenty said Friday.
The District has been putting increased focus on getting both remedial and high-achieving students into an expanded catalog of summer school courses.
Three contractors -- Blue Sky Construction, Turner Construction and HRGM Construction -- were hired to install, replace and set up window AC units.
Lew said workers put in nearly 2,900 units. In Ward 8, the area with the most climate control problems, 772 air conditioners were put in place.
According to Lew, beyond installation an emphasis is being placed on ensuring units had the power behind them to actually work.
“Last year there were units put in that weren’t turned on because the power has to be upgraded,” he said. “The most challenging effort for us was dealing with that.”
In the heating blitz, $10 million was spent on the front end to patch up boilers and heaters. During subsequent months $12 million more was spent to fix situations that arose at most schools, because problems turned out to be worse than expected.
Officials hope that by knocking out the air conditioning issue now, crews will be free to focus on a slate of major renovations during the summer months.
dlevitz@dcexaminer.com
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7:49 PM MST on Thu., Jun. 19, 2008 re: "22 assistant principals fired from DC schools"
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6:49 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 12, 2008
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Examiner Reader said:
This is extremely unreasonable of the Chancellor Rhee to terminate the 37 principals (24 + 12 other) and 22 assistant principals many teachers and cental staff who have worked hard with minimum resources. After reading past articles about her inexperience it is clear to me that Fenty needs to get this woman out now. Because of punitive actions on her part who would want to come and work for DCPS. "AT WIll" ??????????
34 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
At-risk children-students who are well behind their peers in DCPS schools are taught year after year by group of neophytes-Teach For America teachers-with varying degrees of preparation. They are only looking for a temporary job for a couple years. We continue put these teachers in classrooms just to fill a vacancy. Many DCPS Students enter school behind their peers. Their TFA teachers have not yet learned to be effective with DCPS students. We are doing our DCPS school system major damage every day a TFA teachers walks into a DCPS classroom. DCPS needs veteran (experienced) teachers who have demonstrated they know how to teach urban students.
28 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Those assistant principals who were fired based on the recommendation of their instructional superintendents should get a good lawyer. I'm sure Chancellor Rhee did not know ANY of those APs who received letters. Maybe those same INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS will get their letters in JULY indicating their services are not longer needed. Keep in mind those instructional superintendents had a history of giving OUTSTANDING RATINGS to most of the principals who were fired.
31 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
For the record, they placed the New Leaders so "call principals" in already PROVEN SCHOOLS so they would not fail. TFA teachers have NEVER been a asset to the DCPS. I would like to see that REAL data...from the Urban Institute. The TFA teachers are inexperienced and have very little classroom management skills. Our students deserve the BEST. Question would you want a first year doctor or a experience doctor with experience when you go in for your surgery? Our students need "real surgeons". As an CEO, I would not have a problem investing in my staff if I had a commitment from my employees. These TFA teachers leave after a couple years. During those 2 years DCPS invested many resources, training & staff develop with TFA folks and they leave the system. If DCPS wants change in their classrooms they should hire certified MASTER teachers. Finally, TFA teachers have demonstrated very little classroom management skills which would suggest how much teaching & learning took place.
34 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Firing without evaluation is not okay. A lot of what Rhee does is questionable at best. It's been a year. When will Fenty and Rhee accept accountability? However, on another note, TFA bashing is based on rumor a be individual experience, not fact. A longterm research study by the Urban Institute showed that TFA teachers were significantly more succcessful in terms of student achievement than their traditionally trained counterparts. No similar studies have been done about New Leaders (one is in rogress), but the two dcools in dcps that have the most significant achievement gains in the last three years are run by New Leaders. Plus, who knows how many of the firings were in fact New Leaders?
3 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Do we really want DCPS run by the inexperienced leaders from New Leaders New Schools & TFA teachers and a Chancellor who has NO EDUCATIONAL leadership skills based on her most recent actions. REAL CHANGE TAKES A REAL COMMITMENT and REAL EXPERIENCE. This NEW experiement has done NOTHING to enhance the Nations' Capital education system. Rhee has only increased the unemployment numbers in DC. When will Rhee get her letter telling her services are no longer needed?
44 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This (firings by Rhee)"Radical Change" as Fenty announced when he hired the neophyte - Chancellor Rhee is a guarantee DCPS will not meet the NCLB (AYP) Targets next four years as a city. What has Rhee done to improve the classrooms/instruction in her first year? By the way, when will they FIRE those Assistant Superintendents who gave these same fired principals & asst principal outstanding ratings for the last 5 years?
47 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This is extremely unreasonable of the Chancellor Rhee to terminate the 37 principals and 22 assistant principals many teachers and cental staff who have worked hard with minimum resources.….After reading past articles about her inexperience it is clear to me that Fenty needs to get this woman out now. Because of punitive actions on her part who will ever want to come and work for DCPS.DCPS students are at risk!
38 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
$9,655 per window unit! CRAZY.
7 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Dr. Janey said that it would take at least four years before we would see any progress, when he first took office. That progress started being seen this school year in academic testing scores. Fenty said Dr. Janey wasn't moving fast enough. Dr. Janey didn't have 1/4th of the resources that Michelle Rhee has at her disposal and now Rhee is saying the same thing Dr. Janey did. Fenty and Rhee boasted that citizens would see progress in 1 year?? What happened?? Seems like we just wasted a year in this Rhee experiment.
45 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
New Leader principals have less than 1 YEAR of experience and get 1 year of training (as a assistant principal) and placed in a principalship as a GREAT LEADER. The corp of Teacher for America teachers have less than three months of training and they are only looking for a temporary job for a couple years.. Chancellor Rhee has never been a principal or certified as a teacher. SHE IS OUR LEADER! DCPS will never make the AYP targets under these conditions.
32 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
When are we going to give Chancellor Rhee and her inexperienced team their letters of dismissal. Everyday the Rhee's administration team remains in place puts DCPS and our students in a very precarious position and we will have a hard time recovering over the next three or four years. Election day may be too late!
34 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The New Leader Principals, Teach For America teachers and Rhee are a group of neophytes. They have NEVER demonstrated any where in the country that they have anything to overhaul the DCPS city's schools. It's all about experimenting with our students. Firing of principals, excessing teachers and closing schools is not the answer Our students are really at risk now!
34 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The City Council made the biggest set of mistakes - 1.Fenty taking over schools 2.appointing Rhee. - I ask- Do we have the least qualified group of school leaders in this country?? City Council reverse the curse!!!!! When will it really be about children and education- When will the City Council put "REAL" money in the Public Schools? With correct funding to provide the best programs and resources for success!! PULIC SCHOOLS WITH A PUBLIC AGENDA!!! The school system was broken for lots of reasons -the main being adequate funding- now the system is being destroyed- by design- Do we really want our children taught by inexperienced teachers- the missionaries from Teach for America - New Teacher Project - or some other money making entity - Do we really want schools run by the inexperienced leaders from New Leaders New Schools- REAL CHANGE TAKES A REAL COMMITMENT and MONEY- and REAL EXPERIENCE
26 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The article in the Washington called "Battlefield at Wilson SHS" says that Chancellor Rhee wrote in a letter to parents that when Wilson students return from spring break on Monday, they will stay in their classrooms for lunch. Teachers have a duty free lunch period. Who will be monitoring/supervising the students in the classrooms during the lunch periods for the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades? it would be nice to see Chancellor Rhee and her Leadership Team take charge of the situation. I look forward to seeing them at Wilson SHS.
52 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
As principal of a DCPS school, I would accept an early retirement offer from D.C. Schools Chancellor Rhee. What's good for teachers should be good for principals.
42 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Rhee should make the same offer to all DCPS Principals.
12 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
At-risk children (students who are well behind their peers) in DCPS schools are taught year after year by group of neophytes (Teach For America teachers) with varying degrees of preparation. They are only looking for a temporary job for a couple years. We continue put these teachers in classrooms just to fill a vacancy. Many DCPS Students enter school behind their peers. Their TFA teachers have not yet learned to be effective with DCPS students. We are doing our DCPS school system major damage every day a TFA teachers walks into a DCPS classroom. DCPS needs veteran (experienced) teachers who have demonstrated they know how to teach urban students.
50 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I agree Mayor Fenty & Chancellor Rhee should go! What about a recall?
22 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Teach For America teachers have not demonstrated that they are the best solution for our classrooms in DCPS. I would ask if anybody has tracked what the percentage of Teach for America teachers in Wards 1,2, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 have made their classroom AYP targets. The other issue how many Teacher for America teachers remain after the third year with DCPS. DCPS spends a lot of resources on training and most of the teacher leave after a couple years. By the way most of the candidates are white and They have little or no classroom management skills. How many New Leaders Principals have made their schools targets. For the record, they place a majority of the New Leaders in schools that had a history of making their targets. The question how many New Leaders principals continued to meet their AYP targets over the last five years. e need the REPORTS! DCPS with all of this inexperience at the TOP and in the SCHOOLS we will never become a world class system!
46 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
When are we going to give Chancellor Rhee and her inexperienced team their letters of dismissal or their early retirement offer from the DCPS school system? Everyday the Rhee's administration team remains in place puts DCPS and our students in a very precarious position and we will have a hard time recovering over the next three or four years.
55 agree | 3 disagree
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exqweezme dc said:
Thank God!! Get rid of these bums!
1 agree | 1 disagree
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stinkeye said:
um i thought she was going to trim the bloated upper management fat.
1 agree | 1 disagree
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