No education listening and learning from little DC by big DC

June 25, 11:13 PMDC Ward 5 Community ExaminerRobert Vinson Brannum

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Several weeks ago U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced he was embarking on a national education listening and learning tour.  The purpose of this education tour, according to the department's 5 May 2009 press release was to launch a national discussion on education reform.

To date, the Secretary has met with students, parents, teachers, and local community and business leaders in Bunker Hill and Martinsburg, West Virgina; Burlington and Westford, Vermont; Detroit, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; and Lame Deer, and Billings, Montana. The department's press release also had indicated this whistle stop tour also targeted Washington, DC. 

It appears now Secretary Duncan is having second thoughts about "listening and learning" from parents, teachers, and community leaders in the District of Columbia. During a recent education stakeholders' forum representing national education interests general based in the District, Mr. Massie Ritsch, Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Outreach for the Department of Education, announced a planned listening and learning tour has been scheduled this September in the District. 

However, this "listening and learning tour" stop will be held only for national education associations located in the Washington metropolitan region to discuss national issues such as reauthorization of the elementary and secondary education act and congressional appropriations, not to listen and learn from District parents, students, teachers, and community members as has been the case for all previous listening and learning tour stops by Secretary Duncan. 

Despite acknowledging there is a special federal and Congressional interest in matters relating to reforming District public education, there was not a commitment from the Secretary's spokesman to listen and to learn from parents, teachers, students, and community education stakeholders in the District.  The question to be asked if this tour in the District will be reserved and exclude District parents, teachers, students, and community education stakeholders, why wait until September?

In the past Secretary Duncan has expressed support for the public education reform efforts of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee.  His support comes despite growing vocal opposition from District parents, teachers, local District community public education advocates, and elevated complaints from members of the Council of the District of Columbia about the Mayor and Chancellor's lack of transparency, cooperation, and disrespect for the Council's oversight role of District public education.

Given the current discussion about reforming District public education and growing local resistance to the management style of Chancellor Rhee, it is hoped Secretary Duncan has not determined he should not or it would not be useful for him to listen and learn from parents, teachers, students, and community leaders in the District.  This may have left the Department with the view it had only one of two choices, don't have a listening and  learning opportunity in the District or to alter its format and have it for the lobbying benefit of Washington insiders with outside interests apart from the people of the District of Columbia. 

Regrettably, the Department of Education has chosen the latter which effectively bars listening and learning from residents of the District of Columbia with the ultimate result being not participating in Secretary Duncan's national education dialogue.

E-mail contact: rbrannum@robertbrannum.com