DEBORAH SIMMONS: Don’t close Dorothy Height charter schools

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

By week’s end, an estimated 1,600 children could be school-less because the D.C. Public Charter School Board might vote to close the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter Schools, which has three D.C. campuses.

The vote is on the calendar because the founder of the schools, Kent Amos, is accused of financial improprieties. His case is in the hands of the courts.

But the charter board and city officials should not throw the babies out with the (possibly dirty) bath water.

The council did not declare itself defunct lawmakers were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

The city didn’t give vouchers to tens of thousands of families so their kids could attend private and parochial schools when DCPS academics were in the toilet.
Don’t muddy the name of the late civil rights giant Dorothy I. Height because of what Mr. Amos or others may have done.

More important, do not block the schoolhouse doors to children because of what adults did or did not do.

Punish the offender, not the children.

Deborah Simmons can be reached at dsimmons@washingtontimes.com.