Joe Williams with a powerful article supporting Mayor Fenty:

Next week, voters in the District of Columbia will go to the polls to pick their Democratic mayoral candidate, and nothing short of the future of D.C.'s public school system -- a major step forward or setback for reforming America's education system -- is staked on the outcome of the election.

Over the past three and a half years, the District of Columbia Public School system has undergone radical changes, and for the first time in decades, D.C. students are beginning to gain access to a high-quality education. That progress is attributable directly to the current mayor, Adrian Fenty.

However, despite the major strides forward, polls show that Fenty may be thrown out, and along with him all the progress that has been made. That would be a giant mistake.

Such a loss would condemn District students to a future filled with poor schools and ineffective teachers. Moreover it would also send a signal to the rest of the nation that voters are not willing to stand by those who push for full-scale (and sometimes unpopular) education reform, and embolden those forces that resist any change.

Since coming into office in January 2007, Fenty has made improving the DC public school system his number one priority, and over the last three and a half years his administration has made several major accomplishments that were once thought impossible.

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