Fenty takes creditfor schools' progress
 Mayor Adrian Fenty credited Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's "leadership acumen" in finalizing the teachers union contract. (2008 Photo By James M. Thresher For The Washington Post) |
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Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, a no-show at a debate on education Monday with chief electoral opponent Vincent C. Gray, sought Tuesday to emphasize educational achievements since he took control of the city's public schools.
Fenty touted a new teachers union contract and progress in meeting court-ordered benchmarks in special education.
The mayor's news conference appeared at least in part an effort to make up for his absence at what was to be a debate between him and Gray, chairman of the D.C. Council and Fenty's challenger in the Democratic primary.
Because reform of the District's struggling school system has been the a focus of Fenty's administration, his failure to appear with Gray at the education debate raised questions.
Fenty said he never confirmed that he would appear at Monday's event, sponsored by Young Education Professionals-DC, and he said he could not appear at every forum before the Sept. 14 vote. Fenty said he has attended nine out of 12 forums and added, "We would love to make every event, but it's just not possible."
He said he had other obligations, which included attending a vigil for Steven D. Mahogany, 16, who was shot and killed Saturday in Northeast Washington. Fenty called him "a young man who had an extremely promising future."
Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) said he was at the vigil, too. He said Mahogany was a Spingar
The mayor's news conference appeared at least in part an effort to make up for his absence at what was to be a debate between him and Gray, chairman of the D.C. Council and Fenty's challenger in the Democratic primary.
Because reform of the District's struggling school system has been the a focus of Fenty's administration, his failure to appear with Gray at the education debate raised questions.
Fenty said he never confirmed that he would appear at Monday's event, sponsored by Young Education Professionals-DC, and he said he could not appear at every forum before the Sept. 14 vote. Fenty said he has attended nine out of 12 forums and added, "We would love to make every event, but it's just not possible."
He said he had other obligations, which included attending a vigil for Steven D. Mahogany, 16, who was shot and killed Saturday in Northeast Washington. Fenty called him "a young man who had an extremely promising future."
Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) said he was at the vigil, too. He said Mahogany was a Spingar
NEA names O'Malley education governor of the year
The teachers' vote was never much in doubt, but Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is certain to trumpet a new, union-designated governor-of-the-year award in seeking a few more votes heading into November.
The National Education Association has announced that it plans to honor O'Malley on Monday with its not-so-modest sounding "America's Greatest Education Governor Award."
Without naming the award, O'Malley himself has already hyped the impending announcement on his campaign Web site, Facebook, Twitter and in an e-mail to supporters, saying, "the news expected this week may be the biggest of all for ... building a strong and growing workforce in Maryland for years to come," the campaign touted. "The news could be a game changer, and it will set off a series of announcements by the O'Malley-Brown campaign."
So, if nothing else, expect an announcement later Wednesday or this weekend about how O'Malley is the best education governor, and one to follow laying out all the ways he would be a better education governor than former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (R).
The announcement comes at interesting point for O'Malley's challenger. Ehrlich has spent the last two weeks attempting to remind Marylanders that he, and not O'Malley, was the one who started the state's expansion of what have turned out to be mostly high-scoring charter schools. He's also attempted to gain traction with voters by saying he