[Herein is a letter sent to the heads of the DC public charter school board, with all city education leaders copied (except for the DCPS chancellor, who was not involved). Months later, despite the letter’s simple demand for the charter board’s illegal action to be reversed, no DC government official addressed or copied here responded to any of the signatories on the letter. These are your public education leaders.]

From: Suzanne Wells
Subject: June 19 Reversal Approving DC Prep Enrollment Petition Violated the Law
Date: August 31, 2017 at 10:22:36 PM EDT
To: Scott Pearson <spearson@dcpcsb.org>, “dwoodruff@dcpcsb.org” <dwoodruff@dcpcsb.org>
Cc: “eom@dc.gov” <eom@dc.gov>, “Niles Jennifer (EOM)” <jennifer.niles@dc.gov>, Philip Mendelson <pmendelson@dccouncil.us>, “Bonds Anita (Council)” <abonds@dccouncil.us>, Councilmember David Grosso <dgrosso@dccouncil.us>, Elissa Silverman <esilverman@dccouncil.us>, Robert White <rwhite@dccouncil.us>, Brianne Nadeau <bnadeau@dccouncil.us>, “Evans Jack (COUNCIL)” <jackevans@dccouncil.us>, “Mary M. Cheh” <mcheh@dccouncil.us>, “Todd Brandon (COUNCIL)” <btodd@dccouncil.us>, “McDuffie Kenyan (Council)” <kmcduffie@dccouncil.us>, Charles Allen <callen@dccouncil.us>, “vgray@dccouncil.us” <vgray@dccouncil.us>, “White Sr. Trayon (Council)” <twhite@dccouncil.us>, Thomas Byrd, “valerie.strauss@washpost.com” <valerie.strauss@washpost.com>, “emma.brown@washpost.com” <emma.brown@washpost.com>, Alejandra Matos <alejandra.matos@washpost.com>, Allyson Criner Brown, Nancy Huvendick, Valerie Jablow, Iris Jacob, Sarah Livingston, Cathy Reilly, Becky Crouse, Martin Welles, Kent Withycombe
Reply-To: Suzanne Wells

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
Dr. Darren Woodruff
District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
3333 14th Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20010
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
Chair Scott Pearson, Ex. Dir.
District of Columbia Public Charter School Board
3333 14th Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20010

RE: June 19 Reversal Approving DC Prep Enrollment Petition Violated the Law – Office of Open Government Decision OOG-0004_7.03.17_AO

Dear Dr. Woodruff and Mr. Pearson,

We are writing to you concerning the Public Charter School Board (PCSB) vote on June 19, 2017, to approve the DC Preparatory Public Charter School (DC Prep) enrollment ceiling requests, which reversed the PCSB’s April 24, 2017, decision to deny DC Prep’s request, based in part on DC Prep’s high number of suspensions.

On August 9, 2017, the Office of Open Government (OOG) issued a binding opinion that made it abundantly clear the Public Charter School Board’s vote on June 19, 2017, approving DC Prep’s enrollment ceiling requests was in violation of the public meeting requirements of the School Reform Act (SRA), the Public Charter School Board’s (PCSB’s) custom and practice for notifying the public, and the Open Meetings Act’s (OMA’s) legislative history that the public has the statutory right to be present and offer public comment at every PCSB public meeting and hearing. The OOG concluded “[t]he DCPCSB’s failure to publically notice the June 19, 2017, meeting was an improper closure in violation of … established case law.”

Because the public was not notified the PCSB was going to revisit the vote it took on April 24, 2017, at its June 19, 2017, meeting, we respectfully request the PCSB void its June 19, 2017, vote approving DC Prep’s enrollment ceiling requests. We ask that the PCSB notify the public it is reconsidering the vote it took on April 24, 2017, taking public comment, and holding another public meeting to consider DC Prep’s enrollment ceiling request.

Sincerely,

Allyson Criner Brown, Teaching for Change, Ward 7 Parent
Nancy Huvendick, 21st Century School Fund
Valerie Jablow, Ward 6 Parent
Iris Jacob, Ward 8 Parent
Sarah Livingston, Editor, Citizen Reader
Cathy Reilly, Public School Advocate
Becky Reina, Ward 1 Parent
Martin R. Welles, Esq., Treasurer, Amidon-Bowen Elementary School PTA
Suzanne Wells, Ward 6 Parent
Kent Withycombe, Esq., Washington Lawyers’ Committee, Public Education Project Director

Cc: Mayor Muriel Bowser
Deputy Mayor for Education Jennifer Niles
Council Chairman, Phil Mendelson
Councilmember Anita Bonds
Councilmember David Grosso
Councilmember Elissa Silverman
Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr.
Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau
Councilmember Jack Evans
Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
Councilmember Brandon T. Todd
Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie
Councilmember Charles Allen
Councilmember Vincent C. Gray
Councilmember Trayon White, Sr.
Thomas Byrd, We Act Radio
Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
Emma Brown, The Washington Post
Alejandra Matos, The Washington Post