Washington Scholarship Fund

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 20, 2007
CONTACT: Elizabeth Plant
(202) 280-9785

DC Children First Launches, Announcing Support for Ambitious School Reform

Agenda includes continued investments in District's public & charter schools, and scholarships for low-income families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, local leaders announced the launch of DC Children First, a coalition of families, educators, business and community leaders dedicated to education reform in Washington, DC. The group supports an ambitious school reform agenda, which received an important boost this week when the D.C. City Council initially passed the Public Education Personnel Reform Amendment Act. In launching DC Children First, the coalition expressed its delight that Mayor Fenty supports a comprehensive reform agenda which continues the federal investments in D.C. public and charter schools, and includes the reauthorization of the Opportunity Scholarship Program for low income families. Among its activities, DC Children First will lead a public education campaign in support of comprehensive District school reform.

" Education reform efforts must put children first, and embrace all DC students," said former Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Chairman of the Board of DC Children First. "We're proud to be working with Mayor Fenty and other District leaders to give all children in Washington, DC the chance at a quality education."

" We strongly support efforts to change and reform the school system, and look forward to supporting those working on an ambitious school reform agenda," said DC Children First Board Member and former D.C. City Council Member Kevin Chavous. "The recent vote by the City Council to approve the DCPS Central Office reforms was an important first step toward giving all D.C. children what they deserve: a world class education."

A recent poll released by the Greater Washington Urban League showed education is the top issue in Washington, DC, and there is overwhelming support for educational reforms. A majority of D.C. residents with children believe that schools should be the most important priority. No other issue even comes close, with 84% of residents believing that Mayor Fenty taking over the schools will lead to improvements.

In addition, the Urban League poll indicated that D.C. residents are overwhelmingly in favor of the three-part federal funding system which includes the Opportunity Scholarship Program, with nearly 70% favoring it. The plan is popular across all areas of the city, especially east of the Anacostia. Since 2004, this three-pathway plan has provided $200 million in federal investments for public schools, charter schools and low-income scholarships.

" We understand that we need to do everything in our power to reform and improve how we educate our children," said Maudine R. Cooper, DC Children First Board Member and President of the Greater Washington Urban League. "DC Children First is committed to an ambitious and critically important school reform agenda, including Mayor Fenty's 2009 budget requests for key federal investments in charter and public schools, and the reauthorization of the scholarship program."

Inaugural members of the still forming DC Children First coalition include: Mayor Anthony A. Williams - Chief Executive Officer, Primum Public Realty Trust; Sandy Allen - Former Ward 8 Council Member; Jonetta Rose Barras - Author and Political Analyst; Kevin P. Chavous - Partner, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal; Maudine R. Cooper - President & CEO, Greater Washington Urban League; Raul Fernandez - Chairman and CEO, Object Video; Donald Hense - Founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, Friendship Public Charter School; Anthony A. Lewis - President, Verizon Washington, DC; Linda Moore – Executive Director, Elsie Whitlow Stokes, Community Freedom Public Charter School; Jerry A. Moore III - Chairman of the Board, Greater Washington Urban League; Joseph E. Robert, Jr. - Chairman and CEO, J. E. Robert Companies, Chairman of the Boards, Washington Scholarship Fund and Fight for Children; George Vradenburg - Vradenburg Foundation; and Virginia Walden Ford - President, Washington, DC Chapter of the Black Alliance for Educational Options.

###