 My Name is Tom Donohue, I am a neighbor of Boone Elementary and a supporter of your Boone Elementary Superstar. I recently was asked by the school committee to represent my neighbors in the selection process for the new Boone Principal. I am writing this note to inform you of a process of which in my opinion left you the parents or loved ones of a Boone Elementary Student without any say in who becomes the next principal at Boone. I am submitting to you a letter I wrote in to members of DCPS, Ward 8 CM T White and every at large CM in response to a process which was never really meant to have input from the community. I stay by ready to support any effort you may wish to take regarding the selection (we still do not know who was offered the position) If I can be of any further assistance please feel free to reach out to me. Here is the letter that was sent to members of the DCPS and members of Council: District of Columbia Public Schools & Elected members of City Council accountable to Ward 8 Residents:
First Thank you CM R. White you were the ONLY Elected official THE ONLY member of council who not only responded to my email but took action. This will be something I will continue to share and inform my neighbors about as ignoring me also means you ignored them. I do not have kids, I do not have any interest in my neighbor, Boone Elementary other than that – they are my neighbor but I truly care about the success and well being of my neighbors and their children and since they could be our future DC leaders I want the best for them. Besides wondering why this school has no diversity and is over 99% black – (why is there no diversity in this school? Is this in the best interest of our community, in the best interest for the students? I just wanted to get that injustice out now so I can begin to express my frustration with EVERY SINGLE PERSON READING THIS EMAIL **YES THAT MEANS YOU** (minus my fellow committee members) A few weeks ago to my surprise I was nominated by the school community to be on a selection committee for the new principal that will be responsible for leading staff and instructors. The successful candidate will be responsible for giving my neighbors children the bedrock of knowledge that will make way for the best superstars and future leaders that can come out of ward 8. This I’m sure you can imagine is HUGE for any family wanting the best for their child. I called on a few within my community to express whether I was the best person for this. I expressed not having any kids and frankly being white that maybe someone better understanding of the challenges within the black community would be appropriate. After hearing the amount of community support I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t know that my fears of needing to reach out to my neighbors to discuss injustices in this selection process would be necessary. Who on a selection committee has 30 minutes or less to have knowledge of who the candidates are. Who writes questions for candidates you are to ask question of without knowing who the candidates are? Why are the candidates not presented to the community for questions – or is that my role because In my opinion the community had ZERO opportunity to know who the chancellor narrowed down, they had ZERO opportunity to meet or ask questions, they didn’t even have an opportunity to even communicate with me if it was my role to seek comments or input from my neighbors. Why even form a selection committee if DCPS just wanted its puppets to look as though they had community chime in? Why ARE WE EVEN LOOKING FOR A NEW PRINCIPAL to begin with? Who would like to assist me in setting up a meeting with members of my cities council, the Mayors office, DCPS to answer these questions? I can even provide the Zoom room and make it available for my neighbors so they can help me in holding you accountable for your lack of response for what I’m sure is one of these parents #1 priority. It is my role to hold my elected officials accountable each one of you received an urgent email from me asking to join me in requesting a slight delay in order for me to obtain the candidates information and to properly vet each. I also feel I should have been able to share with my neighbors who the candidates were and to provide any opportunity for my neighbors to task me to ask certain questions or express their concerns. My neighbors likely didn’t even know the selection was underway or that a selection was even needed as I do not believe they were even informed of the termination of Dr. JK (EACH CM NEEDS TO ASK WHY THIS PRINCIPAL WAS TERMINATED OTHERWISE YOU HAVE DONE AN INJUSTICE TO MY WARD 8 NEIGHBORS) Now hopefully you are all still reading, On behalf of those who I was to represent on the committee (in transparency I unfortunately served up to the moment when the committee began questioning the second candidate and had to step away to reach some family as I was informed of a death while on the call with the candidates) which one of my elected officials can take the lead into and conduct a review of this process, conduct an investigation into termination of the former principal and who can affect change that will not only notify parents of the separation of school leadership but also inform and give opportunity for parents and families to know who are being considered and allow time for families to review qualifications and ask questions. As of the writing of this note the school community nor members of the committee have been informed of any decision. I am very disappointed in the lack of response from my elected officials. Last time I addressed an injustice I had NBC4 bring attention to the matter and the public response was swift and effective. Think we can collectively come together and find an appropriate resolution without my having to go that route? I await your response, Please do not make me loose confidence in our system of governance, I ask you address this issue and prove that speaking out and holding you accountable that change can be made. Very respectfully, Tom Donohue |
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