My name is Valerie Jablow, and I have been a DCPS parent for the last 17 years. Both of my children were taught to read starting in preK4, their first year in DCPS. In that time, my children also had access to high-quality school libraries, which provided a rich source of materials for them to not only read, but to enjoy. Those school libraries were led by school librarians, who ensured that reading materials were up to date, appropriate, plentiful, and engaging, while also ensuring that students had regular and supportive access and guidance around those materials. Those librarians worked with my children’s teachers directly, as integral partners in student literacy.

The proposed capital plan for DCPS is both wasteful and inequitable and will result in great harm to students and families east of Rock Creek Park and to their DCPS schools.

On March 14, Jennifer Comey, director of planning and analysis with the office of the deputy mayor for education, shared a slide deck with C4DC.

It shows that DC’s birth rate as well as student enrollment are not increasing—and that kindergarten enrollment hit its peak in 2016. The kindergarten students then are now hitting middle school, so we are consequently seeing a slight increase in middle and high school enrollment. That increase will soon disappear.

Yet, days after that presentation, and with the knowledge that DC has at least 20,000 empty seats in its publicly funded schools, the mayor announced more than $100 MILLION to increase capacity of DCPS schools in the wealthiest area of the city with the some of the fewest resident kids; highest private school participation rates; and lowest births.

I am Valerie Jablow, and as a DCPS parent and taxpayer who has for years encountered secrecy regarding even the most basic aspects of our publicly funded schools, I cannot emphasize enough the need for bill 24-0554, “Fairness in use and negotiations for all recreational property”—and for extending public scrutiny around contracts, leases, agreements, and other legal ties with private entities for ALL DC’s public spaces and buildings, particularly DCPS buildings.

Consider how in less than 8 years, Mayor Bowser has repeatedly and unilaterally written the public out from its own public school assets:

--demolished more buildings for DCPS schools of right (Shaw, Marshall, now Winston) than many (possibly all) of her predecessors;

--closed Washington Met and subsequently leased it to Howard without public process;

--seized a field from a DCPS high school (Duke Ellington) to assuage public outcry over the privately executed lease of another public field to a private school;

--signed over for 15 years a public school building (Old Hardy) to a private school (Lab) without any notice to the public;