Renee Bowser Urges Delay of DC Council Vote on Board of Education
The DC Statehood Green Party
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
Renée Bowser DC Council 2006 Exploratory Committee
http://www.reneebowser.com
Thursday, February 1, 2006
Contact: Renée Bowser, 202-882-1733 (home), 202-997-3193
(cell)
-
Ward 4 candidate Renée Bowser asks D.C. Council
to delay vote on School Board takeover until after May 1 special election
in Wards 4 and 7
-
D.C. voters, not Congress, should vote on any change to the D.C. Charter, said Renée, who
opposes Mayor Fenty's proposal to strip the School Board of its powers
-
School Board takeover is part of a scheme promoted by Federal City Council for a for-profit
grab of D.C. Public School properties and expansion of failing charter school program
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Renée Bowser, candidate for the Ward 4 seat on D.C. Council, called on
Council to delay voting on Mayor Adrian Fenty's proposal to strip the D.C. Board of Education of
its powers until after the May 1 special election, when the Wards 4 and 7 seats on Council
have been filled.
"It's an affront to the people of Ward 4, where I live, and Ward 7 for Council to vote on critical
legislation affecting the education of our children and amending the D.C. Charter without
Wards 4 and 7 having representation in the vote," said Renée. "We urge Council Chair Vincent Gray
to hold off on this and other important decisions affecting the people of our
wards until the May 1 special election. Mayor Fenty's move to the Mayor's office from the Ward 4 Council seat
should be a cause for celebration in Ward 4, not an excuse to exclude us from crucial Council
business."
The D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, D.C. Federation of Citizens Associations, Ward 4
Education Council, and Save Our Schools <http://www.saveourschoolsdc.org>
have also urged Council to delay the vote.
Renée Bowser also urged Mayor Fenty to drop his plan to have Congress authorize the amendment to
the D.C. Charter that would transfer the School Board's powers and responsibilities to D.C.
Council.
"In his January 3 inaugural speech, Mayor Fenty stood up for our democratic rights as American
citizens and called for statehood for the District of Columbia. It is inconsistent for
Mayor Fenty -- and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton [D-D.C.], wh endorsed his plan -- to ask
Congress to exercise its antidemocratic power over D.C. and impose a Charter amendment,"
said Renée. "The Charter itself provides for a voters' referendum on all amendments. This is
something for D.C. voters to decide, not for Congress to force down our throats at Mayor
Fenty's invitation."
Renée Bowser agreed with Save Our Schools and others who have opposed the Mayor's plan to
reduce the School Board's powers. Renée herself is a leader in the D.C. Statehood Green Party
<http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org>,
which has protested attempts in recent years to weaken the School Board and change it from an elected to an
appointed body.
"D.C. citizens voted for School Board candidates to deal with Public School issues. We didn't
vote for Council candidates to handle education policy," said Renée. "D.C. voters didn't get to
ask Council candidates their positions on school repairs, the closing of Public School buildings,
charter school policy, and all the other responsibilities that the School Board currently
handles."
Renée noted that the Federal City Council, an influential and secretive 'roundtable' of D.C.
business leaders, was behind the School Board takeover, in an apparent effort to weaken the
Public School system, expand the failing charter school system, and involve EdBuild, a project
promoted by the Federal City Council, in D.C. public education. Renée has opposed and
sharply criticized efforts by corporate leaders to privatize public services and resoureces in D.C.
"The D.C. School Board takeover will facilitate the for-private grab of public school properties
that's already underway," said Renée. "It's time to put a stop to schemes by the Federal City
Council and other corporate special interests to hijack our public resources, properties, and
services for their own profit. We need someone in the Ward 4 Council seat who'll be
voice for Ward 4 residents, not a rubberstamp for those trying to rob us of our democracy."
"We demand a D.C. voters' referendum on any change to the Charter -- in accord with the
Charter itself -- and we demand Ward 4 and Ward 7 participation in any Council vote related to a
change in our educational policies," added Renée. "Anything less would be an injury to our
democracy and to the right of D.C. parents to have a say in their children's
education."
For further information on local opposition to the School Board takeover, visit
<http://www.saveourschoolsdc.org>.