ADVISORY: CONTACT: James Adams 202-536-7880
January 17, 2013
4100 Blk. 13th PL, NE
Students, parents, TEACHERS, community groups Protest school closures at
CHANCELLOR’S home and NEIGHBORHOOD
Henderson’s School Closure Math Doesn’t Add Up For Residents East of the Anacostia
“First Lady Michele Obama visited our school and supported our community efforts to keep kids in class. Now Chancellor Henderson wants to shut us down. All the investment from so many people is lost.”
—Shannon Smith, PTA President Ferbee–Hope Elementary
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Carrying calculators and posting pictures of school children affected by school closures, as many as 100 District residents continue their campaign to have a moratorium declared on D.C. school closures outside Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s home. After leaving calculators at Henderson’s doorstep, parents and students will urge the school’s chancellor to check her math. The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute (Mary Levy) reports unlikely substantial savings if the schools were closed next year. Studies also show that out of the 3,800 affected students only 36 are white and the highest concentrations of closures are in the some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods in Wards 5, 7 and 8.
“No real savings plus east of the river closure concentration, equals a moratorium,” says District resident Harold Foster. “My kids have gone to three different schools in the last two years. Now, they’re talking about moving them again; I’m not going to let that happen.”
Protesters will canvass Henderson’s neighborhood asking residents to flood her office with phone calls urging a moratorium. Empower DC, Ward 8 Democrats, OurDC, HICKS (Helping Inner City Kids Succeed) support and organized the rally.
What: School Closure Protest—Students, Parents, teachers and supporters post pictures and drop off calculators at school chancellor’s home.
Where and When: 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 at 4110 13th Place, NE
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Web Updates thisisourdc.org
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