Save Sharpe and Mamie D. Lee

Recently the mayor identified 4 DCPS buildings that will be given to charter schools - Fletcher Johnson, Gibbs, MC Terrell and Mamie D. Lee.

On September 11th, the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) and the Department of General Services (DGS), held a meeting about the process of giving the Mamie D. Lee building to charter schools.  The meeting was billed as getting community input to ensure "the needs of the community" are heard in the RFO process (Request for Offers).  This RFO will be released on September 19th and interested charters will respond. 

For the mayor to do this while Mamie D. Lee is actively open is highly disrespectful, parents at the school have not been told what this "transition" will look like and now have to deal with the fact that the city is actively given their children's school away.  Although the school will be open for the remainder of the school year, this is part of the disrespect and worries that are continuously piled on to this school community. 

The meeting was full of prospective charter operators interested in the Mamie D. Lee building. The tone of the meeting changed quickly when a Mamie D. Lee parent that was present spoke honestly about how terrible it feels to not know what to expect for her child's future and now on top of that the city plans to give away their school building.

The Sharpe and Mamie D. Lee communities along with Empower DC will continue to fight and advocate for students, parents and school community to get what they need and deserve. 

To Whom It May Concern:

 My name is Tamara Gorham.  My son is George Gorham IV and he attends Sharpe Health Elementary School in N.W., Washington, DC.  This letter is to express my concerns regarding the scheduled closing of Sharpe Health Elementary School.    

 As with many other parents of Sharpe Health Elementary, I am disappointed and frustrated with the tactics used in this new development.  Speaking as a parent, I feel as though Kaya Henderson and her team in the Department of Education, under the Special Education program did not consider the concerns of the parents, students, or school staff at Sharpe Health regarding organization or strategy when implementing such a drastic change.  Although this change may be financially beneficial to others, it is very inconvenient and unaccommodating to the main operation of the school - the students, parents, and staff.  There are several aspects that have not been careful considered such as transportation, location, convenience, and overall safety.

 Transportation is a major concern.  As seventy to eighty percent of the school’s population are in a wheelchair, the possibility of getting to school timely and safely is a risk.  There is only one metro station available to accommodate these students.  Followed by a bridge that would have to be shared by both walkers and now wheelchairs (without a separate path to accommodate them) that connects from one side of the street to the next.  Concrete barriers are the only source of precaution when trying to avoid oncoming traffic.  Unfortunately school buses are not regularly accessible to our students.  They are only available to the Special Needs students during the Special Olympics, which is a seasonal event.  Metro buses run every thirty to forty minutes, and each bus can only accommodate a maximum of two wheelchairs at a time.  So how long would the other students need to wait to get on a bus?  How long would it take those students to get to and from school daily? Which leads to my concern about location.

 The location is unsafe and inconvenient because it is in a neighborhood that has been noted as having a potentially dangerous reputation regarding violence, criminal activity, and drugs.  This alone is problematic for the children that do not have school buses to transport them to and from school safely.  Aside from that, the area is without nearby hospitals or clinical facilities within proximity for the children, with the exception of Prince George’s Community Hospital - which also bares a negative reputation.  The location feels separate from the rest of the world.  There was a time when Special Needs children were separated from the rest of the schools as a form of providing special accommodations.  However, in the grand scheme of things it was segregation.  Currently, as a form of preparation for the changes to come, the school has already lost several of its classrooms and hallways which now separates them from Bridges, the new charter school. Is that not segregation?     

    Furthermore, it has been noted that teachers and staff would have to reapply for their positions.  Our children have become familiar with a staff that takes very good care of them, attends to their needs, and supports their efforts, none of which is contractual.  The staff genuinely cares about the children.  Why would you bring in a new staff that may not be as efficient?  The change in the school is a very large change to accept.  Changing the staff would be taking the children even further into unfamiliar territory and they already have enough to adjust to in life on a daily basis that they didn’t ask for. 

 The inconvenience of these new changes are infinite.  However, if the parents’, staff, and students’ concerns would have been considered BEFORE changes were made and implemented, a lot of the them could have been easily resolved.  At this point, we have been given minimum opportunity to express our concerns.  The opportunities we have had during “sit meetings” were a result of us being told what was to come, not asked what changes we would like to see take place.  We are willing to cooperate in any changes that prove to be in the best interest of our children, not the convenience and financial benefit of those with authority to make the changes.  Currently the conditions of Sharpe Health could use improvements.  Bathrooms and changing areas within the classrooms are not large enough.  However, if low enrollment is the reason behind the school closing, it has been suggested by the parents that additional funds received could be used to renovate Sharpe Health instead of closing it completely.  We have also suggested that the school is combined with Mamie Dee Lee in an effort to keep some familiarity.  However, our suggestions have been ignored.    

 It is apparent that the decision has been made and there appears to be no room for change.  However, we are asking to be taken off the chopping block and postpone any changes until the parents’, staff, and students’ concerns have been addressed.  It has been noted that both Garrison and Francis Elementary Schools have had the same accommodation.  What makes them different from us?  Hopefully stature is not the only reason. 

 Sincerely

 Tamara Gorham

Good afternoon Council members,

 My name is Brenda Williams, I am a Ward 7 resident and my child attends Sharpe Health School.  Her name is Bre-yah Dorey, she is currently in the 4th grade and has attended Sharpe Health since kindergarten. 

 As you know Sharpe Health and Mamie D. Lee will be consolidate into the River Terrace Elementary building for the next school year.  As a parent I am very concerned about several things, I have come up with the following questions that I would like for DCPS to answer:

 We have been told by Chancellor Henderson that IEP teams at both schools will determine who attends the new site.  As of today I have not heard any more on this, I am unclear if my child will be able to attend the new site

My daughter has participated in the ESY program (Extended School Year) for 4 years.  At the moment we have not been given any information as to how the ESY program will work this summer as the school will be closed?

At the new site there are plans for a Career Technical Center, we are unclear about what students will attend this program and how they will be chosen to attend?

Will the school only serve students who currently attend Sharpe and Mamie Lee or will it be open to families from around the city?

DGS has committed to finishing the new site by mid August, in the event that the project is delayed what plan does DCPS have for families if the new site does not open on time?

Overall I am concerned with the lack of information being provided to Sharpe families about the transition.  I want to know when DCPS will let us know what to expect for the coming school year?

 I am concerned that this lack of information will force families to go to another school such as St. Coletta’s or somewhere out of the District. 

February 2014 testimony of Sharpe staff member about planned closure:

Part 1: Rethinking a bad decision                                                          2/26/14

Today I am speaking about the plan to close Sharpe Health and Mamie D Lee schools. DCPS plans to move some of the students to a newly renovated River Terrace School and will also open a vocational training program there. The recent discovery of over 200 Native American artifacts on the grounds of River Terrace School has delayed the planned opening by a year. This delay is the perfect opportunity to assess whether the isolated River Terrace site is the most appropriate location for the proposed special education programs. 

My overarching concern is that there has been a policy shift within DCPS over the last several years about how to best educate students with severe disabilities. Unfortunately, the decision has not come from a collaborative effort. Special education staff members from full-time special education schools, parents of students with special needs and staff members representing neighborhood schools should have been an integral part of this process to determine if the shift to closing special education centers and sending severely disabled students to neighborhood schools serves in the best interest of the students.

The rationale of DCPS for moving more seriously disabled students to inclusion settings is to allow the students opportunities to engage with their non-disabled peers and sometimes at a school closer to their homes.  

While there are severely disabled students who can be educated in neighborhood schools many will not thrive in this type of environment. The benefits Sharpe students receive from being educated in a full-time special education setting are many.  All staff members are trained and experienced in working with students with severe disabilities. Due to the nature of our students’ disabilities, many are nonverbal and are wheelchair bound due to being partially or fully paralyzed or have other mobility issues.

The students require a wide range of support services including tube feedings, diaper changing and other medical interventions. They are able to access a wide range of services with service providers who are at Sharpe multiple days a week.  This is important because in most schools speech, OT/PT therapists are only scheduled for a day or two at the most so when the provider misses a day or has to attend IEP meetings, students are more likely to miss services. Also, when a student is absent from school and misses a physical therapy session for example, a provider who is on site more frequently can make up that session on another day much more easily. We have specialized staff members like a life skills teacher, an adaptive PE teacher, a transition coordinator/jobs coach, etc. who are trained and experienced in working with our student population.  Additionally, if a classroom or dedicated aide is absent there are trained aides to provide assistance who the students know and trust. The fact is that having full-time special education schools allows students to access many more services. 

DCPS eliminated the early childhood program (ages 3 and 4) at Sharpe for this school year without input from staff or parents and mandated that parents send their children to School Within a School a Goding. We are told that there is no real inclusion happening there. At the River Terrace School, DCPS is now saying that it will only serve students in 3rd grade and up. Even those students who are in 3rd grade or older from Sharpe and Mamie D Lee may not be allowed to attend the new school. This decision will be based on criteria developed by central office staff. If these students are not accepted at River Terrace they will be placed in a neighborhood school.

Many parents of severely disabled students want their children in a safe environment where they don’t have to worry about their children getting bullied, teased or harmed by other students. They want a school with proper staffing, where they don’t have to worry about their children sitting in a wheelchair all day in the corner of the room with minimal interaction or sitting in a dirty diaper for hours because the aide or teacher happens to be absent or busy. 

The decision as to the most appropriate learning environment-- a full-time special education school versus  a self-contained classroom at a neighborhood school--should be made at the student’s IEP meeting in collaboration with the parent and school staff. It should not be decided by DCPS policies that fail to look at the unique needs of students on an individual basis.

It is important to point out a double standard that exists. If parents get their children into St. Coletta’s charter school which serves students with similar disabilities they have more choices. They can keep their children at St. Coletta’s until they age out. They don’t have to worry about some new DCPS policy that abruptly changes their child’s school with no recourse.

Why is DCPS forcing students with severe disabilities to be educated in their neighborhood schools, especially when many of these schools are already struggling and are stretched to the limit with huge numbers of existing students in need of significant supports?  Students with severe disabilities who require a full time special education placement should be allowed to attend a full-time special education school if that is what is determined to be the most appropriate educational setting at their IEP meeting.

  Part 2: Rethinking a bad decision

The location of River Terrace School is a major concern because of its isolation and inaccessibility. It bounded by 295, Benning Road and East Capitol Street. Sharpe is easily accessible to the Petworth Metro as well as to the major bus lines along Georgia Avenue and 14th Street. This access is critical to help increase our students’ independence and travel training. The students at Sharpe and Mamie D Lee have significant intellectual disabilities and need to practice what they learn in the classroom out in the community.  At River Terrace students will have to traverse a highway or use very narrow sidewalks which are not wide enough to safely accommodate wheelchairs to travel to Minnesota Avenue Metro and nearby businesses. The isolated location of River Terrace will greatly impact the students’ ability to take advantage of community resources. Sharpe is located in a neighborhood with many community amenities including a newly renovated public library, several schools, small businesses, restaurants and a large Safeway set to open next month. The River Terrace community unfortunately is underserved and does not have the same access to these services.

DCPS has stated that the River Terrace site was chosen because over 50% of Sharpe and Mamie D Lee students reside in Wards 7 and 8, however, nearly half of our students live closer or as close to Sharpe Health School.

 St. Coletta’s Charter School is located less than 2 miles away from River Terrace School.  There will now be a void of a full-time special education school for students with severe disabilities in upper Northeast and all of Northwest.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to maintain Sharpe at its current location in light of accessibility issues mentioned above?  Also, Sharpe has two beautiful courtyards that provide a safe contained space for our students to use in addition to a new handicap accessible playground and a totally renovated indoor pool especially designed for our student population. Sharpe’s partnerships with local community groups and programs such as our Foster Grandparent program are a vital part of our school community that would be severed with the move to River Terrace.

Decreasing the time students spend travelling by bus is a worthwhile goal but it is important to take into consideration the benefits of students attending school in a revitalized community like Petworth. The many community amenities described earlier are wonderful learning opportunities our students should have access to. We know that too many of our students live in communities that are underserved and lacking basic resources.

There are also documented concerns with the pollution levels in the River Terrace Community. The air quality in the community is so poor that a device measuring pollution and contaminants has been stationed there for years. In addition, the now closed PEPCO power plant, which had several toxic spills over the years while it was open, is located just north of the school. The levels of contamination from the plant are currently being tested and results have yet to be released. Just as worrisome, the new school will have anywhere from 30 to 50 buses dropping off and picking up students every day. This will increase the levels of air pollution in the community.

The Sharpe student population is medically fragile. Just last week a student was sent by ambulance to Children’s Hospital which is just two miles  away and takes minutes to get to from Sharpe as opposed to being 3 times further away from River Terrace. Due to our students’ significant medical needs, ambulance trips to Children’s Hospital are a frequent occurrence and sadly one or more students die every year. Why would DCPS move such medically fragile students further from Children’s Hospital in an isolated community with higher pollution levels?

Finally, there are concerns about the proposed educational program that will be offered at River Terrace. Here are some concerns:

River Terrace will house a citywide vocational program for students with severe disabilities and a full-time special education school. Some teachers with experience working with our student population believe that the size of the classrooms designed in the architectural drawings will not have enough space to accommodate multiple students in wheelchairs.

The proposed staffing levels for the new River Terrace School are not enough to appropriately serve our students’ needs. Yet one a main reason cited for the consolidation was to enhance services.

The vocational program is designed so that some students will use the Metro. This is a problem due to the isolated location of River Terrace that I cited earlier as well as the fact that there is a high level of crime reported near the Minnesota Avenue Metro.

 The shuttered River Terrace School is currently be modernized and set to open for the 2015-2016 school years to educate some of the students now attending Sharpe Health and Mamie D Lee Schools.  Both Sharpe and Mamie D Lee are slated to close. Together both schools currently educate medically fragile students most of whom are in wheelchairs and those with significant intellectual disabilities. In addition, the new River Terrace School will house a Career Development Center.

 Parents and staff at both schools have expressed alarm that students will be moved to a new building in such an isolated community. River Terrace School is surrounded by highways and major thoroughfares. Benning Road is to the north, 295 to the east, East Capitol Street to the south and the Anacostia River on the west.

 Concerns with the isolated location of River Terrace:

-      Travel training is a critical need for our students. Field trips using public transportation allow teachers to teach these skills. The isolated location will make it much more difficult and unsafe for students to travel.

 -      With all students being severely intellectually disabled, it is critical that they use the community as their classroom by applying concepts learned in school to real life experiences (e.g. counting money and shopping). Grocery stores, hardware stores, restaurants, libraries and other small business are important community amenities for our students to visit that they now have easy access to at Sharpe Health School. The River Terrace community is underserved and has no comparable amenities.

 -      The newly created Career Development Center will encourage students to travel to school via public transportation yet the remote location of the program makes it challenging to access.

 -      To access community amenities in the area or travel throughout the city from River Terrace, students have three inadequate options. One is to take the U4 bus which is a very limited route only taking students to the Minnesota Ave Metro. Having to take the bus to the metro station or to get to area businesses is a barrier as it will take additional time and buses only allow 2 wheelchairs on at a time. The second option for students is to take the X2 bus on the very busy Benning Road. Although the X2 is a main bus route, students will once again be limited to riding a bus that only holds 2 wheelchairs at a time as well wait for the bus with cars speeding by on the very busy Benning Road. The last option for accessing public transportation is for students to walk along the very dangerous Benning Road to the closest metro station which is Minnesota Ave.