Posted by Matt 

As Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty continues to seek a takeover of the city’s public school system, a columnist in The Examiner makes a plea to the mayor and other politicos debating the school system’s future. Harry Jaffe writes:

Listen to the adjectives we apply to D.C.’s public schools: "failing," "crumbling," "wasteful," "unsafe." Members of the business elite like to say the only way to save the schools is to "blow up" the system.

I would like the critics to listen to the Wilson (High School) kids perform (the stage play) Bat Boy. The adjective they would use is "excellent."

The message for Fenty, the City Council and well-meaning reformers is this: Don’t overlook the things that work in our schools. Keep in mind that many students and many programs excel. As you change the management system, preserve and enhance the schools, teachers and students that already make us proud.