Voting isn’t over for residents of DC’s Ward 4. They will take to the polls on Tuesday to choose their representative on the State Board of Education. One month after elections for board seats in wards 1, 3, 5 and 6, this special election is a result of the resignation of former board member Lannette Woodruff, who stepped down in late July.
The four candidates — Rhonda Henderson, Elani Lawrence, Frazier O’Leary and Ryan Tauriainen — took audience questions at a packed forum Nov. 27 at the Kingsbury Center in 16th Street Heights.
“Where we’re going is a really great place,” said Henderson, showing excitement for the direction of DC schools despite past challenges. Later in the week, Henderson — who enjoys the support of Ward 4 DC Council member Brandon Todd and the pro-charter school group Democrats for Education Reform — received the endorsement of The Washington Post’s editorial board. O’Leary, meanwhile, has the backing of the Washington Teachers’ Union, the Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund and famed author George Pelecanos — the other high-profile endorsements in the race.
Although the State Board of Education seats are nonpartisan, the Ward 4 Democrats hosted the panel in an attempt to boost turnout in the special election, according to a press release. The Ward 4 Education Council hosted another candidates forum earlier in the month.
Candace Nelson, from the Ward 4 Democrats, moderated the Nov. 27 event, asking questions submitted by community members via email.
In their opening statements, candidates highlighted their own backgrounds and careers. All of them have experience teaching in DC. Henderson also spoke about her own experience attending DC schools and having noticed the equity gap between kids from different neighborhoods or attending different schools at a young age. O’Leary — who recently retired after 40 years of teaching — spoke about his extensive experience and the fact that he is a parent whose children attended DCPS
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Lawrence, too, has children who are students in DC. She highlighted her experience in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic as well as her ability to speak Spanish. Tauriainen spoke about his various experiences, as a teacher and principal, and told a story about meeting two former students now in college who told him of the long-lasting impact he had on their lives.
The first audience member asked candidates for their opinions of the new STAR rating system, which rates schools in DCPS and charter sector from one to five stars based on a combination of data points.
Henderson, Lawrence and Tauriainen support the system’s essence, although they all think it should be refined.
O’Leary, however, does not support the rating system, arguing that it relies too much on data and misses the “heart of the school.”
When asked how to respond to schools that receive a one or two rating, Henderson, Lawrence and Tauriainen all expressed support for examining and correcting contributing factors, including whether the schools in question have adequate resources and whether their students are able to get to school. O’Leary simply said he would work to fight the system altogether.
All candidates agreed to support the expansion of dual language programs and to fight for increased transparency in the charter school sector.
They also agreed that while the process of becoming a DCPS volunteer is frustrating and time-consuming — all prospective volunteers are required to undergo a rigorous background check — it is necessary for school safety. Henderson did suggest making the clearance process more accessible by considering a partnership that would allow volunteers to complete it at community recreation centers.
Some questions addressed high-profile scandals at Ward 4 schools including one about Roosevelt High School principal Aqueelha James, who was placed on leave after she was recorded mocking a student’s sexual-assault claim.
“I was absolutely disgusted,” said Tauriainen, calling the principal’s actions “deplorable.”
O’Leary said that he was disappointed that the administration had been slow to act after the event — James was put on leave in September, more than a year after the incident.
Henderson said she believes the principal’s removal was appropriate although she doesn’t think that the public has all the facts in the case. She added that school leaders are expected to set the tone for a school, and that James did a poor job of doing that in her response to the student.
Lawrence agreed that the removal was the best course of action, since it is the job of the principal and administrative staff to look out for students’ best interests.
Candidates were also asked to respond to the arrest of Shepherd Elementary School music teacher Rudy Gonzalez, who was accused of a violent rape in Montgomery County, Md., as well as DCPS’ subsequent response. Parents received a letter on the day of Gonzalez’s arrest stating that he had been placed on leave, as well as a more detailed letter a week later, according to The Washington Post.
O’Leary said he was happy that the response from DCPS was quick, unlike its response to the Roosevelt situation, but Tauriainen said he “didn’t think [the response] was well-prepared.”
The case demonstrates the “importance of training leaders to respond to things quickly,” said Henderson, especially when parents’ trust is shaken. Lawrence said she did not have enough information to answer.
Other questions focused on the candidates’ past experience working with particular populations — LGBTQ students, students with special needs and those in early childhood programs.
In her closing statement, Henderson made a general reference to past challenges in DC schools, but said “where we’re going is a great place.” She also reiterated her goals for policy change: closing the achievement gap; improving parent engagement; and ensuring quality instruction, safe passage to schools and well-equipped buildings.
Lawrence stressed her support for the community, specifically immigrant families navigating the public education system. Her goals are equity, high-quality education, parent engagement and more support for teachers “so they don’t leave us.”
In his closing statement, Tauriainen said the SBOE needs someone with on-the-ground experience and would benefit from having a principal’s voice.
“I’m more experienced than my colleagues,” said O’Leary. He also said the board is currently split between traditional and charter school supporters. “I’ll work for both,” he said. “I’ll work for your kid.”
The Ward 4 special election hasn’t drawn much media attention, but the Petworth News last week prepared a guide to the four candidates. DCist wrote an overview of the race in advance of the Ward 4 Democrats forum, as well as a more recent post highlighting Pelecanos’ support for O’Leary. The Washington Post published an article today about the race; the newspaper printed its editorial board’s endorsement of Henderson on Saturday. The DC League of Women Voters also has information on the election and the candidates on its website. In addition to The DC Line’s article on the earlier forum, there’s also a video of the event available on YouTube.
Voting will take place at the usual Ward 4 polling places — 20 in all — from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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