Thank you for joining us today for the second in a series of hearings on the District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) system reforms. I know you all have been working hard and I want to commend you for the improvements thus far. I look forward to hearing more about the progress you've made and your further intentions.
As you may know, before being elected to Congress, I was a teacher and a principal in my home State of Hawaii.
I know first hand the challenges facing any educational system; the care it takes to bring about reforms; the needed investment in clear, strategic plans; and the critical importance of providing quality education to underserved populations.
You have made many tough decisions and taken noteworthy steps, but expectations are high. A number of accountability measures have been put into place including weekly meetings at all levels of the DC government, which hold senior level staff and officials accountable for their efforts.
Given how critical this issue is for DC children, I asked the Government Accountability Office to review progress of the reforms and make recommendations for improvements. The short-term study, which we will hear the results of today, confirms significant improvements in the system and fundamental changes such as management restructuring, reviewing teacher and employee standards, development of strategic plans, and addressing crumbling facilities.
To guide these reforms and build upon these efforts, one of GAO's recommendations is that a system-wide strategic plan should be developed. I agree with this finding.
For all major transformational reform efforts, it is important that there be a strategy for the future. The strategic plan should be a transparent, living document focused on the students with a clear vision for all DC agencies to understand their roles and responsibilities.
We are looking at a fast moving train. Every day new changes occur in the school system testing the hope and expectations of parents, teachers, the community, and, most importantly, the children. I hope today we can gain a better understating of the progress made and gain a greater understanding of the future plans.
