Dear Lawrence E. Boone Parents, Friends, & Community: Our school community is under attack! The District of Columbia Public Schools has decided not to reappoint (to terminate) Boone's principal Dr. Carolyn Jackson-King due to alleged performance! Boone Elementary has thrived under Dr. Jackson-King's leadership and we will not accept this atrocity. In 2014, Dr. Jackson-King entered the school in the midst of a chaotic and unsafe environment, due to the previous principal, who was removed because of continuous parent, student and community protest. When Dr. Jackson-King arrived, she instilled, and has maintained a calm and loving culture that is highly praised by DCPS. This successful culture is evident in all the surveys (Insight and Panorama surveys) that are given to all DCPS schools. The surveys show how parents, students and staff love the school, and the dedication that Dr. Jackson-King has for our children and their families. Each year since Dr. Jackson-King has led the school, she has empowered her staff to manage, lead, and pushed her staff to be all hands-on deck. All hands-on deck means everyone, including Dr. JK ; she does everything possible to ensure that our children have everything they need to succeed. The following are some of the data points used to rate a school’s performance: CLASS, TRC, Dibels, Reading Inventory, ANET, AFFIRM, iReady, Insight Survey, Panorama Survey, Attendance, and OSSE-Star Ratings Under Dr. Jackson-King’s leadership in 2019-2020, the school has grown in each data point listed above. Clearly, the Dr. Jackson-Kings’s removal is not about performance, it's about retaliation: Dr. Jackson King’s vision to take care of Children First isn't always championed by some DCPS administration leaders. More details unfolding and news coming soon about the retaliation. Now, your action is needed immediately! Please call, text, tweet, post, and repost every hour. Please share with your friends and network. Help our children, parents and community in Ward 8 fight to save our children's principal by saying No to blatant injustice! In the words of our Ward8 council member, "Don't Just Stand There, Do Something!" 1. Phil Mendelson, DC Council Chair: pmendelson@dccouncil.us Twitter @chmnMendelson a. Christina Setlow -202.724.4865; csetlow@dccouncil.us b. Lakisha Jordon 202.,724.8137; ljordon@dccouncil.us 2. Murial Bowser, Mayor DC , eom@dc.gov ; Twitter @murielbowser@dc.gov a. Paul Kihn, Deputy Mayor Ed. , paul.,kihn@dc.gov ; dme@dc.gov 3. Robert White, At-large Councilmember, rwhite@dccouncil.us ; 202.724.8174 ; Twitter @robertwhite_dc 4. Trayon White, Councilmember,Ward 8 twhite@dccouncil.us ; 2021.270.7271; Twitter @trayonwhite 5. Elissa Silvern, At-Large Councilmember; esilverman@dccouncil.us 7. Anita Bonds, At-Large Councilmember; abonds@dccouncil.us 8. Lewis Ferebee, Chancellor, DC Public Schools ; lewis.ferebee@k12.dc.gov A.T Smith DC Parent Action Consort DC PAC
Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "The secret in education lies in respecting the student"; abolitionist Frederick Douglas said, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men"; and, finally, the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, said,
"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most valuable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
The above quotes from the works of these renown men hight light the message I convey at this writing - my observations and, indeed, my support in the reinstatement of the one
Dr. Carolyn Jackson-King.
Children do require respect, a lot of love, and…