City education officials and analysts testified yesterday on whether the executive branch of the D.C. government should assume responsibilities now held by the struggling school system.
The hearing, which took place as Mayor-elect Adrian M. Fenty would likely propose a takeover of the District’s public schools, was held before the D.C. Council’s Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation and included testimony from schools Superintendent Clifford B. Janey.
“I think we should be considering a comprehensive look at organizational change and development, and not a piecemeal approach,” Mr. Janey said after the hearing.
Officials want a transfer of functions from the school system to the State Education Office to coincide with the mayoral takeover, if it occurs.
The council established the state-level office in 2000and is responsible for such duties as verifying enrollments, D.C. residency for students and overseeing federally sponsored child-nutrition programs.
The school system, which Mr. Janey and the Board of Education lead, oversees tasks such as administering federal grants and monitoring how each of the schools perform under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Those responsibilities typically are handled by state-level education departments elsewhere in the country.
Education advocates have criticized the system’s dual state-and-local role, pointing to its self policing and that payment of federal funds to public charter schools have been significantly delayed.
“The blurred lines present an ongoing challenge for charter schools,” said Thomas Nida, chairman of the D.C. Public Charter School Board.
Mr. Janey stopped short of objecting to the power transfer. He said his office has made changes that could help solve problems and cautioned that such a move could slow improvements.
“I encourage you to consider the progress that has been made and the impact of any new major transition on the stability of those efforts,” he said in written testimony.
Much of the school system’s state-level functions are overseen by the Board of Education. Members in recent months have said federal grants and special-education responsibilities should be transferred to the State Education Office.
Board member JoAnne Ginsberg said yesterday the dual roles often can confuse the board about its responsibilities.
“Are we really remembering as we sit in all these meetings which hat we have on?” she asked. “I’m not sure sometimes.”
Victor Reinoso, another school board member, who Mr. Fenty named Thursday as his deputy mayor of education, attended the hearing but did not testify. In Mr. Fenty’s likely model for a schools takeover, Mr. Reinoso would oversee the Department of Education and the superintendent’s office.
Mr. Reinoso said yesterday both power transfers should occur as “one giant package.”
“Even under what strategy or plan the Fenty administration would come up with, we would want to separate state functions from local functions,” he said.
Kathy Patterson, outgoing Ward 3 council member and committee chairman, said she hopes to have a report by next month recommending a course of action for the incoming committee chairman.
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