University High’s Future Challenged at City Review Meeting

uploaded to Flickr by hyryck

Neighbors who were on hand at the monthly meeting of the DC Charter School Board (DCCSB) meeting on Tuesday night are hopeful their testimony against the University High Public Charter High School (UHS) was effective, but the fate of the property at 13th & C Streets Southeast won’t be announced until mid April. There is significant concern about perceived political connections and  strange comments made about the public comment process may bode poorly for their efforts.

After a 10-minute presentation by the school and minimal questions from the DCCSB, local residents Jim Roberts, Rob Bergman, Meisha Goodhue, Diana Elliott, Mark Segraves and ANC representative Kirsten Oldenburg had two minutes each to testify about their concerns regarding the proposed charter school. Unlike the two other schools who presented their charter applications at the meeting, there were no community members present who were in support of the proposal. Roughly 30 Hill residents were in attendance, according to Mark Segraves, who was among those who testified.

While the the other speakers expressed concern about plans for the charter school to use the fields at Watkins Elementary and how the proximity of the schools could be negative for elementary schoolers, the school’s educational standards and safety, Segraves addressed the neighborhood’s experience to date and concern about the International Graduate University. Virginia Williams, mother of former DC mayor Anthony Williams, is on the board of the beleaguered university, which will appear before the Educational Licensing Commission soon in an attempt to reclaim its revoked license. Mrs. Williams is also on the board of the proposed charter school, and appeared on stage during the presentation with school administrators.

Summarizing a viewpoint some could interpret as NIMBYism, Segraves left the stage where he passed Mrs. Williams, whom he had met a number of times before. Segraves said she made eye contact with him,  and said “nice try sweetie” and “there goes the great white father” loudly.

Segraves was flabbergasted by the exchange and out of respect for the former mayor, and for “anybody’s mother,” he walked away without responding. In a phone interview he said “I was offended and take the comments as racially motivated. I believe she’s friends with [Walter] Boek (founder of the IGU), and thinks those behind the school are well intentioned people and the rest of us are NIMBYs.”

In an interview with THIH, speaker Meisha Goodhue said “Based upon the merit of arguments, things should go our way, in theory… it really just depends on what politics are being played. [Mrs. Williams] had a prominent seat during the hearing, and was sure to mention her son, the former mayor, so that everyone knew who she was. On the other hand, we had an ANC commissioner with us who made a recommendation, as well as Councilman Tommy Wells, who wrote a letter on our behalf to the charter school board.” Goodue testified about academic concerns about the proposed school.

Diana Elliott’s testimony represented the concerns of the 302 members of the Capitol Hill Cluster School community who signed a petition in opposition. She said she talked about the proximity of UHS to Watkins and, “our lack of involvement as a clear stakeholder, as well as UHS’s proposed sharing of Watkins Park with elementary aged children and the lack of a security plan in their proposal that assured safety for Watkins teachers, staff, and students.”

She later noted the stark contrast between UHS and the “overwhelming” community support that was part of the presentation by the Richard Wright Public Charter School, who was also petitioning for a charter at the meeting.  “Many students who had worked with the leadership and offered personal praise,” unlike the UHS which relied solely on the administration for positive comments.

Goodhue said she emphasized that the special education program outlined in the UHS application does not meet legal standards required by the Department of Education. “This sets up a lawsuit vulnerability for not only the charter school board, but also the DC Public School system. In essence, the UHPCS application does not set forth a quality education for students, and that should be the main concern for the board to focus on.”

The Board’s decision will be announced April 19.