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Native Intelligence
	Can politicians learn from kids? (Published February 7, 2005) By DIANA WINTHROP

I am in love with Daniel Gohl, the tireless principal at McKinley Technology High School. I also am madly in love with the nearly 400 students attending the school, and especially 10th grade student government president Morgan Caton-Murphy.

I have never met any of them. But all of these people have given me something I have been lacking the last few months: hope. I have been battle-scared by the Iraq war, the election, the selfishness and cruelty of people, and then I was overwhelmed by the incomprehensible agony South Asia is now experiencing because of the Dec. 26 tsunami. But just when I was ready to crawl under the covers, the McKinley community has made me feel terrific.

The 10th grade student government president is 15 years old. Morgan is quick to list the things she likes about the school: "The teachers make you want to learn and encourage you to make a difference in the world, we haven't had a single fight yet on the school (which opened last September with 400 students in the 9th and 10th grades), the administrators listen to our concerns and the academics are challenging."

When the tsunami hit South Asia, the video that Morgan saw of whole communities devastated and thousands of people missing made an impact. "I started crying – it was horrible," she said. "I couldn't imagine something like this happening and not try to do anything. I talked to my mother, who said I needed to do something right away. On New Year's Day, I sent an e-mail to our student government adviser, Mr. (John) Seelke."

Seelke, who teaches math at McKinley, picks up the story: "Morgan e-mailed me on New Year's Day, asking about doing a fund-raiser for the victims. The Student Government Association met and adopted Morgan's plan of a ‘Give a Dollar' campaign – where the goal is the students will give $1 per week for three weeks, for a total of $1,200" – though the goal was upped to $1,500 and the campaign extended beyond three weeks.

Seelke said McKinley teachers "agreed to contribute matching funds to this program. Some students in media arts classes produced a DVD explaining what has happened in South Asia and the human impact. Rick Kelsey, instructional coordinator, helped us in creating an in-house PSA with the goal of capturing the students' attention, as well encouraging them to give money. We collect money at lunch every afternoon and then count it every two days and give a running total. The fund-raising has been a struggle because, for these young people, a dollar means so much."

Morgan said they often receive dimes, nickels and even pennies. So far, they have raised roughly $250.

Gohl said he is proud of his students for initiating the effort and echoed Silkee's understanding of the sacrifice many McKinley students are making by sharing their resources.

"A dollar means much more to our students than to those in private schools such as Stone Ridge, who reportedly gave up $40 or $50 a week allowances for tsunami relief," Gohl said. "Most of our kids [who come from every ward in the city] don't have that kind of money. They have reduced financial capabilities but understand the impact of this human tragedy on the world."

If these students can follow through on their fund-raising commitment to help the South Asian victims, do you think the mayor and the school's biggest advocate on the city council, Vincent B. Orange, might be moved enough to follow through on their commitments to McKinley?

The school was closed in 1997 during one of the many controversial rounds of school closings. In March 2001, Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced, with great fanfare, the construction of McKinley Technology High School that would begin in the spring for opening in the fall of 2002. The public-private partnership was touted as a joint initiative with Suzanne Peck, the District's chief technology officer, as the point person who would work with school officials. Alumni also were involved in raising private money. But, by 2002, the Williams administration had pulled out of the project. The mayor had failed big time and his attention (as usual) had been diverted elsewhere.

The original plan included a promise that all students attending McKinley would be given laptop computers. The reasoning was that, as a citywide technology high school, many of the students did not have computers in their homes. Sources within the McKinley community complain that Ward 5's Councilman Orange, who represents the area in which McKinley is located, routinely takes credit for McKinley's success but has "yet to deliver." Some say Orange, who was prominent during the ground-breaking ceremony and the school's grand opening last fall, has done little to deliver any tangible items for the school. Many people involved with the high-tech high school's creation give most of the credit for ultimately getting the school opened to two people who served as chiefs of staff under former Superintendent Paul L. Vance: Elfreda Massie, who stepped into the superintendent's job briefly after Vance resigned in November 2003, and Steven G. Seleznow, who was Vance's original chief of staff.

Orange is currently exploring a bid for mayor and reportedly raised about $125,000 toward that effort during a recent breakfast at an upscale downtown hotel. If he is so capable of raising money for himself, why can't he roll up his sleeves and find the funds for those laptops?

Gohl said the school was able to open last fall, even though it lacked the laptops for the students, because "the American Institute for Peace donated 100 slightly old iMACs for video editing and creation of DVDs." The school system's Office of Instructional Technology also reallocated money to allow purchase of desktop computers, Gohl said. Computer labs at McKinley open early and remain open late hours to allow students who do not have computers at home to complete their work at the school.

Mayor Williams, who spent the last six months working on his legacy and touting all of the public-private partnerships he has created, should be ashamed of himself. Is there no one within his administration who will pick up a phone and make some of the mayor's buddies at law firms, foundations or other businesses cough up the needed money? In the world of fund-raising, the laptops are not a big-ticket item. And just think how much hope McKinley students would have if the mayor or Councilman Orange actually followed through on their promises to the students?

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Diana Winthrop is a native Washingtonian. Contact her at diana@thecommondenominator.com.

Copyright 2005 The Common Denominator