District of Columbia Public School Chancellor Kaya Henderson. (Courtesy Photo/dcps.dc.gov)
Speaking to some of the Washington school system’s parents and teachers, District of Columbia Public School Chancellor Kaya Henderson gave an upbeat assessment of the system in her third annual “State of Schools” address, pointing to progress in graduation rates and teacher satisfaction.
Henderson, who addressed nearly 400 parents and teachers Sept. 30 at Dunbar High School, noted reports that say graduation rates have risen to 64 percent in 2015, up from 53 percent in 2011. The system still lags behind the national average of 81 percent, but Henderson said the kind of success the District needs will not happen overnight.
“One of the challenges that comes with leading DCPS from where it was to where it is, is that people want us to have instant success,” Henderson said. “You don’t get to the goal from jumping from where you are to where you want to be. Slow and steady progress wins the race.”
She used teacher satisfaction rates as an example of success in the school system. Teacher satisfaction rates have increased from 63 percent to 80 percent between 2014 and 2015, she said. “I think we are demonstrating a commitment in how we pay our teachers to how we recognize our teachers,” she said. “We want DCPS to be where the best teachers come, but where they stay because they feel developed in their craft and respected as a part of our community.”
Henderson said she expects all students to achieve and be successful despite the huge gaps in wealth that plague the city. “In this Metro area, there are some of the largest wealth gaps,” she said. “So, it is no surprise there are some of the largest achievement gaps. School is one of the best opportunities to close that gap.
“There is this narrative that young people who are poor don’t have the resources needed to achieve. Dunbar teaches us that when we did not have textbooks that others did, we still held people to high expectations. Our young people still graduated and went out to change the world.”
Henderson also responded to questions of principal and teacher retention. Local NBC News Anchor Jim Vance – moderator for the event — noted that one in four D.C. public schools got a new principal at the beginning of the year and DCPS hired 750 new teachers, replacing 500 just this year.
“There is a paradigm where everyone works and stays where they are,” Henderson responded. “That’s not always the case. We have had a number of people who go on to other jobs, some have been promoted or we told them that DCPS was not the right fit for them.”
Henderson said the school keeps the vast majority of the teachers it wants to retain, and is working on ways to keep more principles, including the Mary J. Patterson Fellowship, an intense 18-month leadership training program specifically meant for principals.
“We tap our own high-performing principals and put them through a rigorous training program that teaches them what principal preparation programs don’t,” Henderson said. “It teaches them about teacher retention program, how to support their staff and the DCPS way to excellence. We hold principals accountable.
“The citizens can say they have a school district that if not already worthy of them, is on its way to be, and that people loved working in DCPS.”
Monica Rajan, a teacher at Stanton Elementary School in Southeast D.C, works for City Year, an education-based organization that helps at students stay on track to graduation. She said she feels DCPS appreciates her work. “Events like this shows that higher-ups care about the opinions of students, faculty, and staff,” Rajan said. “It helps me feel that we are all on the same page and just trying to help our students have a better future.”