D.C. Schools Superintendent
Sewell Chan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 13, 2004; 1:00 p.m. ET
Clifford B. Janey, who spent three decades educating students in Boston and Rochester, N.Y., was named superintendent of the District's public schools on Wednesday, ending an agonizing search that began in the fall and exasperated city officials, parents and teachers alike.
Addressing D.C. Board of Education members before they unanimously approved his appointment, Janey recalled growing up in a public housing complex in Boston in describing the educational aspirations he hopes to impart. "I always like to remind our students: It's not where you start but where you finish, and you never really finish with the work that you do," he said.
Washington Post staff writer Sewell Chan was online Friday, Aug. 13, at 1 p.m. ET, to discuss the appointment of Clifford B. Janey as the new superintendent of the District's public schools and reaction from city officials and fellow educators.
A transcript follows.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Sewell Chan: Hi everyone, and sorry for starting a little bit late, due to technical problems. I'm in Rochester, N.Y., working on a profile of the new D.C. schools superintendent, Dr. Clifford Janey. I'll be happy to answer as many question as I can.
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D.C.P.S. Parent:
There are many different initiatives for school improvement that have been discussed in the last year. Most of these focus on how to improve the failing schools although at least one of them from the Council of the Great City Schools mentions high achieving students.
As a parent of high achieving students in D.C.P.S. I am concerned that the focus on fixing schools that are broken will cause changes that will break the few high performing schools which are in the D.C.P.S. system.
Does the new superintendent have a track record for devoting necessary resources to retain high quality schools while improving the schools at the bottom?
Sewell Chan: Thanks for writing -- this is a great question. Dr. Janey received considerable praise in Rochester for several initiatives to help high-achieving students. He brought International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement programs into two high schools, for example. In the District, because so many of schools --- especially at the middle and high school levels -- are considered "in need of improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind law, much of the pressure facing the system is in improving the "failing" schools. Many people agree, however, that creating and maintaining opportunities for high school students is essential if parents, especially middle-class parents, are to be drawn back to and have confidence in the D.C. schools.
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Glover Park, Washington, D.C.:
Marc Fisher in his chat yesterday stated that Mr. Janey "was driven out of town after a colossal fiscal blunder that raises serious questions about what he might accomplish here." Potomac Confidential with Marc Fisher (Live Online, Aug. 12) Can you provide any more information on what that's all about? And do you agree with that assessment? Thanks very much for the chat. Sewell Chan: I plan to write more about Dr. Janey's experiences in Rochester, so please keep reading the paper. As we've reported, Dr. Janey encountered criticism in Rochester after the school system experienced a major cash-flow problem. What caused that problem is still very much dispusted, according to the sources I've talked to. His critics say he made poor hiring decisions in putting together his financial staff, and reacted too slowly to indicationg that there would not be enough revenue to cover costs. His supporters say that the deficit was caused primarily by a severe downturn in the state economy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and point out that when Dr. Janey left office, the school district still had money in its reserve funds.
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Washington, D.C.:
Sewell, what do you think will be Janey's most difficult thing to do at the Board of Education? Doe she have the Right Stuff?
Sewell Chan: I'm not an education expert, but I have observed in my reporting that the Board of Education, along with Mayor Williams and the D.C. Council, appear to have a real consensus that raising student achievement is essential. The Council of the Great City Schools, a coalition of the nation's large urban school districts, concluded in a report this year that there is really no coordinated, clear vision for instruction and learning in the DC schools. Since 1996, that report found, there have been some improvements elsewhere, such as streamlining the central office and tightening fiscal controls, but these are things that do not have a direct impact on student achievement. According to the letter by city officials who were formally responsible for recommending a candidate to the school board, their reason for endorsing Janey was his resume as an academic leader. That's what the school board will be looking at most closely, I suspect.
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Washington, D.C.:
Will the new superintendent support Wilma Durham, the principal of Walker-Jones Elementary School who falsified her emploment process by claiming that she had a Ph.D when she actually purchased the degree off-line from a company that was closed by the F.B.I.?
Sewell Chan: I am not aware of this allegation. If you have a news tip you believe we should pursue, please call me at 202-334-7300 or e-mail me at chans@washpost.com.
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Washington, D.C.:
I understand that Janey wasn't the first choice. Who was?
Sewell Chan: As we've reported, the effort to replace Paul L. Vance, the former superintendent who resigned in November, has taken many months. Rudolph F. Crew, the former New York City schools chancellor, was touted as a promising prospect -- but then he backed out in May. Then Carl A. Cohn, a highly respected former superintendent in Long Beach, Calif., was discussed. He too dropped out, in June, after dangling the possibility of a one-year appointment, an idea that city officials weren't too excited about.
The search was then reopened, and Dr. Janey applied in July.
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Washington, D.C.:
The tangled system of accountability at the top of the school system strikes me as a major problem. Who will Mr Janey report to? The Board, the mayor, or some combination? Has Mr. Janey addressed this issue?
Sewell Chan: The governance issue in D.C. has dragged on for some time.
A quick recap: With encouragement from Mayor Williams, voters in DC approved a charter amendment in 2000 that reduced the size of the school board from 11 to 9 members and changed it from an all-elected board to one with four members elected from districts consisting of two wards each; four members appointed by the mayor, and a president elected citywide. It was the first major change in school governance since the modern Board of Education was created by Congress in 1968.
In September 2003, Mayor Williams again proposed expanding his oversight over education. He suggested either abolishing the board or making it purely advisory, while taking direct control over educational policy. After months of tussling with the council, those plans were narrowly defeated.
The governance issue seems to be settled -- at least for now. The mayor has publicly committed to working with the existing system, and the school board's president, Peggy Cooper Cafritz, cited this last week in the public announcement of Dr. Janey's appointment.
So Dr. Janey will be reporting, for now, to a school board that is part-elected, part-apppointed. Congress, of course, continues to have a role in the governance of the District -- that's in the Constitution.
Democracy in the District of Columbia has always been complicated!
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Washington, D.C.:
Will Mr. Janey be in charge of the D.C. State Education Office?
Sewell Chan: No, the State Education Office is specifically separate from the District of Columbia Public Schools under the city legislation that created the office.
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Washington, D.C.:
Unlike that other D.C. principal with a fake PHD, the new super does have a Ph.D.
The impact of decentralization on the instructional role of secondary school principals.
Janey, Clifford Bernard.
(Ed. D.)--Boston University, 1984.
Sewell Chan: In addition to the doctorate you mention, Dr. Janey holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Northeastern University.
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Hyattsville, Md.:
As a DC teacher, I find it almost amusing to hear Mr. Janey say that he's in it for the long haul. Do you think he really understands the situation he has walked into? Does the term long haul mean the typical two-year stint that our most recent super-nintendos (pun intended) completed?
Sewell Chan: Many people believe that the high turnover of superintendents -- Dr. Janey will be the fifth since 1996, and the 11th since the modern school board was created in 1968, not counting temporary administrators -- is a problem. There simply hasn't been the continuity and stability of leadership to maintain a consistent course of action, particularly in instruction and academics. I think the city's officials are aware of this and many urgently hope that Dr. Janey will indeed be in Washington for the "long haul." Several of the candidates who were interviewed by the search committee told city officials that they would only come to Washington with an assurance of a five-year contract--which for D.C. would be unusual.
My sources have told me that Dr. Janey is likely to receive a three-year contract. Negotiations over that contract have only just begun.
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Washington, D.C.:
The reports touting the new school superintendent are heavy on his educational experience but light on the budget morass that led to his departure from his last superintendent position, with a hefty buyout package. I'm wondering how deeply the powers-that-be delved into that issue before hiring the new superintendent. I suspect that they were so desperate that anything short of an indictment would have been overlooked. But I guess in the end it doesn't really matter since he won't have actual control over the school budget, or much else related to the system when he takes over. I'm fairly sure there will be another search process two years from now when this candidate leaves D.C. in exasperation, like others who have come before him.
Sewell Chan: That's quite cynical, don't you think?
I plan to write more about Dr. Janey's track record in Rochester in the near future. I do know that the members of the search committee that interviewed candidates raised the issue of his fiscal management in Rochester during the interview process, and my sources tell me that they were satisfied with his response.
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Washington, D.C.:
Your response that "No, the State Education Office is specifically separate from the District of Columbia Public Schools under the city legislation that created the office" is correct.
However, the D.C.P.S. BOE is responsible for the State Education Agency (SEA). Will the responsibilities of the SEA be expanded to cover all DC Public schools -- including ALL charter schools?
Sewell Chan: That's a good question. I'm new on this beat and this is something I will add to my list of things to look in to!
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D.C. Educator:
Dr. Janey has a strong reputation for improving failing schools -- but what about the basics? School lunches? Copies that work? Heat? Parental involvement? Any plans?
Sewell Chan: I've heard that Dr. Janey has told city officials that he plans to name a leadership team quickly. Especially because his own background is in academics and instruction, it seems likely that his top aides will include people who have extensive experience in the operational areas you mention.
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Washington, D.C.:
Will there be shorter Board of Education meetings?
Sewell Chan: That is certainly one area the superintendent does not have control over.
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East End, Washington, D.C.:
Now that we have a new chief, will he take up the lead of Paul Vance in his efforts to bring the District of Columbia schools' athletic programs up to full Title IX standards for its girls?
Sewell Chan: Another great question. I will look into this question and also forward it to my colleague Judith Evans, who writes about D.C. high schools for our Sports department.
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Washington, D.C.:
Dr. Janey
As a parent of students within the D.C.P.S., I would like to know what focus area you have for D.C.P.S. school system. Have you had the opportunity to set short terms goals for the 1st year and work on long term goals throughout your tenure at D.C.P.S? I have seen superintendents come and go and none have really addressed the target areas they had plan. How are you going to handle the problem with the Board of Education and control of the school system?
Sewell Chan: Dr. Janey is not on this chat, but I hope that he will read your questions as a DCPS parent.
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Washington, D.C.:
Are you replacing Justin Blum? Good luck in your new beat!
Sewell Chan: Yes, and thanks. My colleague Justin Blum is now covering energy policy and the energy industries for our Financial section.
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Chapel Hill, N.C.:
What's your opinion on charter schools and voucher schools? It seems the parents of children in the District love them, but the teachers unions and the Democrats in Congress block them. Why is an obviously broke system resisting the only possible meaningful reform? I mean ... D.C. students have the highest spending per pupil in the nation, but the lowest test scores! More money won't work!
Sewell Chan: Urban education experts are very much interested in the two developments you mention: charter schools, which have proliferated in the District since they were first authorized in 1995, and the nation's first federally funded voucher program, which President Bush signed into law this year.
Opinion -- among the public and among experts -- is sharply divided as to the desirability or effectiveness of these two reform efforts. Research on charter schools has shown very mixed results -- with much variation depending on the type and size of the school and the qualifications of its teachers. There has been some research into the charter experiment in Milwaukee, Cleveland and other cities, but I don't think it's definitive.
The point that D.C. schools have higher per-pupil spending than do other school districts -- including Washington's suburbs -- is often made. However, it is important to note that the D.C. school district also has extraordinary expenses -- including its high proportion of disabled students who require special education, and its significantly older buildings that require repair or rehabilitation -- that suburban districts do not have.
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Washington, D.C. :
As a former employee of the D.C. school systems, I've continued to follow news updates. There is a lot of emphasis to supporting the students, but what about the teachers? Does the new CEO have a plan to support the teachers, speech therapists and occupational therapists who work on a daily basis with limited resources?
Sewell Chan: We certainly intend to closely follow Dr. Janey's relationships with teachers and other educators and the unions that represent them.
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Washingon, D.C.:
People say Janey will be here for the "long haul" but he is 58 years old and likely burnt out from his 30 years of working. He is likely to retire in four years. Why didn't the committee go with someone younger with more ambition left and more time available, such as Mr. Sanders from Toledo?
Sewell Chan: It's an interesting question, but I also must note that the "four years" you mention would be the longest superintendency since that of Franklin L. Smith, who held the job from 1991 to 1996. Four years can be a long time, especially in the taxing and tough environment in which school superintendents work.
The superintendent in Toledo, Eugene T. W. Sanders, indeed did receive a lot of support from search committee members, as did Virginia official Maurice A. Jones, a Rhodes scholar, lawyer and commissioner of the state's Department of Social Services. The committee members I've talked to liked Sanders (who's 47) and Jones (who's 39) but I think they really wanted someone with a lot of experience working with the low-performing, often poor and minority, youngsters who make up the majority of the District's children.
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Arlington, Va.:
I am sure the District is relieved to have a superintendent before the school year's start. I am wondering what Janey has said about improving test scores, his philisophy on the No Child law and what his approach will be on the No Child transfer dilemna in D.C.
Sewell Chan: To my knowledge, Dr. Janey hasn't commented directly, at least not publicly, on No Child Left Behind as it relates to the District of Columbia.
Generally, many educators appreciate the act's focus on raising student performance for all groups, including disabled, minority, and poor children, but question whether the extensive use of testing is the best way to reach that goal.
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Sewell Chan: I've enjoyed the thoughtful questions this afternoon. Thanks for reading The Washington Post and following our coverage of education in the District of Columbia.
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