Together we are achieving great things for Ward 4

Fixing our Schools
The most important thing the District of Columbia must do is educate young people and provide opportunities for future generations to fully participate in the city. We can, and must, do better.

In July 2009, thirteen District of Columbia Public Schools were transformed and deemed as Catalyst schools, with the purpose of promoting strategic school design and content delivery.  Whittier Education Campus was chosen as a STEM model (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and Takoma Education Campus was selected as an Arts Integration school.  The planning and design for each model took place during the 2009-2010 school year and the plans will be executed in the Fall of 2010.

Under the 2010 Master Facilities Plan, Truesdell and Whittier underwent significant modernization improvements.

Both campuses received the finishing touches of Phase 1 of the District of Columbia Public Schools modernization plan that includes new natural and artificial lighting that will create an environment conducive to successful learning; new smart boards, science labs, and bathrooms; HVAC upgrades to ensure students are learning in healthy, comfortable classrooms; improved data connections and audiovisual capacities; and classrooms outfitted with new furniture and sound-dampening walls. The improvements totaled $6.2 million and were completed during the summer months so that learning was not interrupted. At Whittier, more work will begin in the spring on a new cafeteria, and Truesdell will receive all new windows before the year is out, and a new gymnasium in the next phase.

Councilmember Bowser, Allen Lew, Director of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, and other community stakeholders visited several schools in Ward 4 to determine school needs and to monitor the progress of school modernizations that have already taken place.  In just the next two years, several other Ward 4 schools are set to receive Phase 1 Modernizations, including LaSalle, Powell, Sharpe, and Roosevelt High School.

After two and a half years of negotiations, a new contract for our public school teachers was approved by the Council in July.  The contract provides teachers with a salary increase averaging 4% per year , and explicitly lays the groundwork for professional development.

Fighting for Economic Revitalization
Two ingredients are needed to bring much-needed revitalization to Georgia Avenue, Kennedy Street and other Ward 4 corridors: consistent leadership and resources. During the last four years we have made great strides to do just that. We’ve invested in these key economic centers, provided grant money to owners of small businesses, improved our streetscapes with new tree boxes and benches, increased the number and availability of affordable housing stock, and advanced a legislative agenda that will give our seniors more money to age-in- place. Because of these efforts, Ward 4 is a better place to live now than it was just a few years ago, but there remains more that we can accomplish together. We are at a critical stage in the revitalization of our Ward and in the coming years we must remain consistent in our focus to intelligently invest, to attract jobs and businesses, to keep our streets clean, to improve our roads and sidewalks, and to reduce crime all while maintaining the very fabric that makes Ward 4 the best place to live in all of Washington, DC. Below are a few areas that I will be focusing on.

• Fund and implement Georgia Avenue and Kennedy Street revitalizations plans.

• Implement Main Street-type strategies on commercial corridors on other major
corridors in Ward 4, including 14th Street, 4th Street (Takoma), Upshur Street
(Petworth), and Riggs Road (Riggs Park).

• Engage and support existing Ward 4 businesses.

• Ensure high levels of community involvement.