Councilmember Silverman Statement on Resignation of DCPS Chancellor Antwan Wilson

D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) released the following statement after Mayor Bowser announced the resignation, effective today, of DC Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson:

“I am glad Chancellor Wilson decided to step aside, because our focus needs to be on how we make DC public schools a great option for every school-age family in our city. His resignation is in the best interests of the District and the thousands of students who attend DC public schools.

I had concerns about the chancellor’s leadership over these last few months, and his missteps over the handling of his daughter’s placement was a final indicator to me that he was not the right person for this job. I am glad Mayor Bowser accepted his resignation, and I hope the mayor will work collaboratively with the Council to find a schools leader with the integrity, vision, and sense of urgency needed to tackle our biggest challenges.

These challenges are significant. Our next chancellor needs to work with our teachers, administrators, and parents to make sure the focus is on actual learning--not just showing good results through paperwork and test scores. That’s how we will start to close the achievement gap between black and white students. We cannot have a central office that encourages cheating and fudging the numbers. I also believe we need to have a real conversation about our public education system, given that half of our students are in DC public schools and half are in DC public charter schools. We can’t treat these as two separate education silos.

It is a big task, and I look forward to working with the mayor to find the right person for this very important job. I thank Chancellor Wilson for his service, and I wish the best for the chancellor and his family, especially his children. I also want to thank the many parents, teachers, and residents who reached out to me to discuss how to move forward.”