D.C. Bill On School Firings Advances
By Nikita Stewart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 19, 2007; B01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121801164_pf.html
D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee won an initial victory yesterday in her effort to shake up the school district's central office as the D.C. Council voted 10 to 3 to give her the power to fire nonunion workers without cause, an action supporters say could remove a major barrier to education reform.
The council also unanimously approved supplemental budget legislation providing $81 million to fill a gap in the schools' budget.
"Today is a momentous day for District of Columbia public schools," Rhee said at a news briefing after the vote on the personnel bill. "It marks truly an amazing first step that we are finally going to put the best interest of students above everything else."
Council members also called it a day in which they put the needs of the 50,000 children in the troubled school system first.
"This is not the time to be timid," said Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3).
posted by Whitney Tilson at 3:36 PM
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