A new public schools chancellor for D.C. is likely to be appointed soon as Mayor Muriel Bowser is planning to reconvene the panel advising her on a chancellor’s selection.
The résumés of finalists will be evaluated for the position during the meeting, as the district law requires the mayor to hand over the résumés to the panel.
The 49,000-student school system has been in the news and functioned without a permanent leader for nine months, after Antwan Wilson stepped down in February following a controversial year in office. Wilson reportedly violated the rules of school in order to get his child admitted to a heralded high school.
“The Mayor is reconvening the Our Schools D.C. Leadership Committee before she makes her final decision,” Bowser’s office said in a statement.
School system veteran Amanda Alexander, who was previously appointed as interim chancellor, is expected to be one of the finalists for the permanent post.
“I’ve stayed pretty true to myself and my core beliefs in this interim chancellor role. If I were to have the privilege of serving as permanent chancellor, I would definitely put more time and energy into aligning the work of central office to what schools need on the ground,” Alexander said in November.
The search for a chancellor began in May this year after parents sued Bowser claiming that her chancellor advisory panel did not have enough number of students and teachers. Bowser had to expand the board in response.
In November, Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn testified at a D.C. Council meeting, informing that the selection committee had been dispersed.
“I’m looking forward to finishing the process as quickly as possible with as much transparency as possible and to make sure that we are able to review the résumés of all applicants who are interested in the position,” said Elizabeth Davis, president of the Washington Teachers’ Union and a member of the chancellor advisory panel.
Arne Duncan, the former education secretary, who is not involved in the D.C. selection process, said that the District should consider local talent.
“There’s a tremendous amount of talent in D.C. I would strongly encourage the community to consider someone with strong ties to the city, who has roots there, knows the streets, knows the schools and knows the community,” said Duncan.