Check out Bill Turque's story on the DC Wire about Tonya Vidal Kinlow who has left her ombudsman post after a little over 1 year on the job. Who will fill her shoes remains to be seen. Here's the details: "...In a voice message on her office phone, Kinlow said her resignation was effective on Dec. 22 and she expressed thanks for the support she received.Kinlow could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Mafara Hobson, spokeswoman for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, said the mayor was satisfied with the work of the office. No word on a successor.
A former Capitol Hill staffer, lobbyist and member of the old D.C. Board of Education, Kinlow was named by Fenty to the newly created position in October 2007. The official announcement said she would be "the city's face of customer service for education," assisting parents and students with problems or questions about DCPS, public charter schools or the University of the District of Columbia.
Kinlow and her staff ran down hundreds of complaints, sometimes facilitating meetings between parents and administrators, or coaching them on how to solve the disputes themselves. The office's casework was described, on an anonymous basis, in monthly reports. Safety, along with enrollment and registration, were the issues that most frequently surfaced, Kinlow said in her November report.
She drew some criticism for falling behind on a legal requirement to file the reports. Kinlow didn't post the March, April or May reports on the District's website until June. Kinlow said at the time that the office was developing a new data management system and that she wanted to make sure the information was accurate." Picture courtesy of The WaPo. (Posted by The Washington Teacher).
8 comments:
It is so sad to see her go. Ms. Kinlow was truly an asset to DCPS! She will be missed!
For every door that closes a new one opens.Read Rhee hired a new communications team from Wesley Clark and also he worked as a consultant when Gore was running for president.Forgot the man's name she hired but it was covered with the media.Kinda think employees for Rhee and Fenty are working under disorderly circumstances.Kinlow was probably a good muli-tasker but was slammed in issues and disorganized circumstances created by the inexperience of Rhee's leadership strategic planning and approach.Hand her a silver medal and she was there trying in the middle of a mess. Blame Kinlow for not sending the reports in on time with a new system being implemented ?
Was Kinlow also responsible for the millions due, paid back to the Federal Gov.because of medicaid paper work not filled out correctly with a new system being implemented ?
If I had to venture a guess, I do not believe that Medicaid reimbursement was under Kinlow's purview.
Typically this is handled by the DCPS Medicaid office. There is a new computerized data system. Unfortunately there are still many glitches with this system. DC perhaps should have kept the old system (Encore) up and running to ensure that all of our data was merged properly into the new system. It has been a nightmare- just ask the Sped. Coordinators.
Anonymous #2... where can we read that Rhee hired a communications team? Is it in the Post? Thanks.
One correction: After I filed the complaint about the law not being followed, the reports for March, April, May & June were not done and posted until July 10th. I hope that her replacement can actually do the job this time. Many of us know fellow education activists that have done more and got more results for parents, students & staff.
Here is my response to Anon #3's question in which the following question was raised: "where can we read that Rhee hired a communications team? Is it in the Post? Thanks."
In the September 9, 2008 WaPo article titled : No Job Too Small for Fenty-Rhee Team Hands On Schools Approach Excites Some, Worries Others by David Nakamura
it stated that "...Rhee has hired New Future Communications, a consulting group, on a three-month contract to develop a strategy for how her office will disseminate information to the public. The company's founders worked on the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and Wesley Clark but had never before worked with a school system."
You may have to google for updated details on what happened after the 3 month term ended.
On March 10, 2005 Wellington Wilder (Former Assistant Principal at Dunbar Senior High School (1301 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C.) arrived at our First Book signing / Luncheon at the First Baptist Senior Center / First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. "un-invited" and "un-expected", almost killed himself getting to the Podium during the closing remarks at the affair, and made the announcement to over 200 News Media, Resident and Guest Attendees that he was there to purchase books for Dunbar Senior Highs’ library with a check given to him by then Principal Harriet Karqbo.
Wilder in fact remained at the First Baptist Senior Center long enough to STEAL the ONLY copy of our book on display and leave the building with it. He was Audio and Video taped throughout his stay. It took the promise of a lawsuit for theft to get him to return the book at a designated time and place. When he failed to meet the "time" deadline for returning it, the entire Metropolitan Area was notified of his actions as a D.C. Public School Representative, via our Public Communication System. When this incident was reported to Harriet Karqbo, she did NOTHING about it, and didn't even care that he had LIED about bringing a check to the affair from Dunbar, signed by Harriet Karqbo, then Principal.
Wellington Wilder, a Former Member of Metropolitan Baptist Church (formerly located at 1225 R Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C.), has earned himself a lifetime spot here on our website as our very first PREDATOR.
WWW.CJ-BROOKS.COM
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