Charter students outperform their DCPS peers

Re: “Study gives D.C. charter system poor marks for at-risk students,” Feb. 14

I was disappointed and disheartened by this story, which did a disservice to Examiner readers. The report cited was an academic study of national charter school laws, not a study of the actual performance of D.C.’s public charter schools, as your misleading headline led readers to believe.

Anyone interested in the academic performance of D.C. charter schools should read the recently released 2007 “Every Kid Counts” report by the D.C. Kids Count Collaborative, which confirms that D.C. charter school students significantly outperform D.C. Public Schools students on the DC-CAS, a standardized test that is used to measure annual yearly progress.

D.C. charter schools are highly accountable public schools that serve an overwhelmingly “at-risk” population. For 22,000 students and their families, these schools represent the promise of a better future. We hope that in the future, The Examiner will report on education matters in a more responsible manner.

Karen Byer

Communications manager,

Friends of Choice in Urban Schools

Publicity just encourages more potential killers

Re: “Gunman’s contradictions confound police,” Feb. 17

Well, we did it again. We transformed a deranged sociopathic killer in Illinois into a famous national figure. His picture got on the front page of every newspaper in the country, and his name is now a household word — just what he was hoping for.

When are we going to learn? As long as we sensationalize these mass murders, more will follow. Why can’t the media and local law enforcement officials voluntarily agree not to release the murderer’s name and photo. They could still cover the story for the bloodthirsty population, but without making the killer famous.

A potential mass murderer would think twice before committing a similar atrocity if he knew he would not get any credit.

William Burt

Arlington

The new transgender law includes public restrooms

Re: “Montgomery activists gather support against transgender discrimination law,” Feb. 13

Regarding Montgomery Council member Duchy Trachtenberg’s assertion that Citizens for a Responsible Government is misrepresenting the law, there are two terms used in the code: “accommodations” and “facilities.” Accommodations are places, defined as public swimming pools, parks, etc. Facilities are things like bathrooms. Both public accommodations and their facilities (bathrooms) are covered by this law.

Private accommodations and their facilities, such as your house, are exempt. For instance, the Boy Scouts use the “distinctly private and personal” clause to claim exemption from sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws to ban gay Scout leaders. The membership-based Rio Sport and Health used the clause to claim it was also exempt. Unfortunately, there is precedence in Montgomery County to classify health clubs as public accommodations.

Council President Mike Knapp has stated: “The pre-existing county law prohibiting discrimination in the use of public accommodations never applied to public bathrooms or locker rooms.” With all due respect, if you believe his statement, you also have to accept that the county’s discrimination code, written 20 years ago to enforce racial desegregation, never intended to desegregate public restrooms.

Finally, Trachtenberg and her employee, Dana Beyer, have both admitted on public blogs and interviews that the law does apply to bathrooms.

Theresa Rickman

Kensington

Lawmaker should apologize

I am writing to express my indignation over the biased remarks in the Feb. 14 Congressional Record made by Rep. Michael McNulty, D-N.Y., especially his “congratulations to the people of Nagorno Karabakh on the anniversary of the NK Freedom Movement,” and his praise for NK’s “democratically elected government” and “independent foreign policy” while “defending” itself against Azerbaijani “aggression.”

These and other cliches have long been rejected by the U.S. government and viewed as without merit by the American scholarly community and human rights groups.

There was never any “freedom movement” — it was just a smoke screen for aggression and occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenian forces, who ethnically cleansed the entire Azerbaijani population (some 800,000 people) in Armenia and occupied Azerbaijani lands such as NK. In just one night, Feb. 25-26, 1992, Armenian forces slaughtered more than 700 innocent Azerbaijani civilians in what is now called the Khojaly Massacre.

During both the Clinton and Bush administrations, the U.S. government unequivocally recognized that Armenia committed an act of aggression in its occupation of legitimate Azerbaijani territory such as Nagorno Karabakh. Some have turned a blind eye to this violation of international law and human rights, and have been helping the Armenian lobby make false and outrageous claims.

But this is unacceptable to Azerbaijan, a strategic ally of the U.S. Rep. McNulty must apologize.

Adil Baguirov

Alexandria