D.C. Advocates Blind-sided by Media Opposition to Education Amendment

Just as an amendment to the District of Columbia’s charter requiring “free, high-quality education” for all students seemed certain to appear on this November’s ballot, opposition from the media, notably the Washington Post, undermined support and may have caused the amendment to falter. On June 20, 2006, the D.C. Council approved the amendment, 12 to 1, upon its first reading. At the second reading, however, on July 11, the Council voted 7 to 6 to table the bill, preventing it from being presented to voters later this year.

This surprising turn of events overturned several years of advocacy work, led by Parents United for the D.C. Public Schools, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. The proposal, the D.C. Education Rights Charter Amendment, would have added the following language to the District’s charter:

In the continuing recognition that the fundamental right to educational opportunities is a basic value of our society and a foundation of our democratic system of government, the District of Columbia shall provide for a system of free high-quality public schools to all children of school age in the District of Columbia; the term high-quality to be defined by local law enacted by the Council of the District of Columbia.

Every state constitution has an education provision in its state constitution. This amendment would have required the Council to enact legislation to define the rigorous standards for the quality of education every District child is entitled to and to be held accountable for providing opportunity to the District’s children.

The term “high-quality,” however, became a lightning rod for media criticism during the period between the first and second readings. A blogger at washingtonpost.com called the amendment “a dangerous, reckless adventure in lawmaking” which a later Washington Post editorial alleged “practically invites families to file lawsuits.” Apparently, fearful of lawsuits like the facilities suit of the mid-1990s against the District, the Council tabled the bill at the second reading.

Parent advocates and other leaders nevertheless plan to continue raising support for the Education Rights Amendment in the fall, when a new D.C. Council takes office.

Prepared by Katherine Lu, July 25, 2006