As previously noted, there is a constitutional convention ongoing today about DC statehood.

There is also a draft constitution being circulated. Comments on this draft are due by midnight tonight, Saturday June 18.

You can comment on the draft constitution here, and learn more about statehood here.

This relates to DC public schools rather intimately, as pieces of the draft appear to explicitly cut out oversight of our public schools. See the letter below, from the Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals, and Educators.

(Yeah, local control of public schools: it’s a thing in 2016. One can hope that the people drafting this constitution GET that whole democracy/public oversight thing.)

“Members of the New Columbia Statehood Commission, Members of the DC City Council, John Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20004

“Dear Commissioners of the New Columbia Statehood Commission and Members of the DC City Council,

“We strongly support DC statehood. However, we cannot support Article 2 Sec. 7 (B) 2 as currently written. We recommend that the items that are in bold in italics be removed. Including these phrases will threaten the support for statehood and the constitution in the November referendum.

“b. Powers

“1. The State Board of Education shall be responsible for advising the Governor on educational matters, including state standards, state policies, including those governing special, academic, vocational, charter and other schools, state objectives and state regulations.

“2. By Act, the House of Delegates may establish which educational policies, if any, shall be subject to the approval of the State Board of Education; provided such policies shall not include policies that were not subject to the approval of the State Board of Education for the District of Columbia that existed immediately prior to the effective date of this constitution.

“Cathy Reilly, Executive Director of the Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators”