School & District Management News in Brief

D.C. Mayor Seeks Authority to Clean House

By Catherine Gewertz — October 23, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty of Washington has asked local lawmakers to grant his schools chancellor more authority to fire hundreds of central-office staff members, as he and Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee move aggressively to overhaul the troubled school system in the nation’s capital.

In legislation submitted to the District of Columbia Council this month, the mayor proposes that personnel rules be amended to reclassify 754 of the office’s 934 employees as “at will” workers, who would serve at the discretion of Ms. Rhee. Employees could accept the at-will classification or quit with severance pay, according to the mayor’s office.

The 180 other employees in the central office belong to unions, and would not be affected by the proposed legislation. But Ms. Rhee has said she wants expanded authority to fire union personnel as well, including ineffective teachers.

The school district’s central office has long been criticized as dysfunctional and as unfriendly to staff members and the community. Ms. Rhee, tapped by Mr. Fenty to lead the 50,000-student system four months ago, when he won control of the schools, said in a statement that improving the operations of the central office is a top priority, and that she cannot do it without the power to remove ineffective employees.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO, which includes several unions with members in the school district’s central office, is talking with the mayor and the chancellor about ways to ensure fair treatment of employees without giving the chancellor blanket authority to fire people, said Chris Garlock, the council’s coordinator.

Nathan A. Saunders, the general vice president of the Washington Teachers’ Union, said the 4,400-member American Federation of Teachers affiliate views the proposal as a threat to workers’ rights.

“Any employee in the District of Columbia public schools who is not performing or is ineffective should be dealt with on the basis of cause, and their rights to due process should always be preserved,” he said.

See Also

See other stories on education issues in the District of Columbia. See data on the District’s public school system.

A version of this article appeared in the October 24, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion Principals, Here Are 4 Simple Tips to Communicate Better
To create a positive learning environment, school leaders must master various communication strategies.
Alex Sponheim
4 min read
Photo illustration of a leader effectively communicating with the community
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion When It Comes to Leadership, Self-Awareness Matters. Here's Why
One leader learned she had a habit of shutting down others' ideas instead of inspiring them. Here's how she changed.
Robin Shrum
6 min read
Picture1 6.19.32 AM
Robin Shrum
School & District Management Opinion Don’t Bewail Summer Vacation for Students, Rethink It
Students experience summer vacation differently, depending on family resources. We should rethink the tradition with that in mind.
2 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Women in K-12 Leadership Don't Get Enough Support. Here's What Needs to Change
Fairer family-leave policies, pay transparency, better data collection, and more on-the-job support are elements of the plan.
7 min read
Illustration showing diversity with multi-colored human figures.
ajijchan/iStock/Getty