Louisiana Senator Puts Hold on DC School Plan

Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty is in a bad spot. He wants to reform the city's dilapidated schools, a move that most parents in the city if not support, don't actively oppose. Here is a man who wants to be held accountable for the education of the city's kids. But Fenty's real problem is Congress. DC still has to get approval to do a lot of things from Congress, despite the City's home rule.

Fenty's latest headache is Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) from Louisiana. Landrieu has put a "hold" on the bill allowing Fenty to move forward with his plan. She wants, or more accurately, the City School Board wants who has connections with Senator wants, concession regarding control from Fenty.

The Washington Post asks some really good questions:

YOU MIGHT think that Sen. Mary M. Landrieu (D-La.) would be too busy with her own state's problems to meddle in the District's affairs. Or that as a Democrat who holds herself out as a friend to the city, she would respect home rule. Or that as someone who cares about education, she wouldn't hold up a bill affecting 55,000 schoolchildren. If so, you'd be wrong, wrong and wrong.

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Ms. Landrieu confirmed to us yesterday that last Tuesday, she told the Senate clerk she wanted to review the bill because of concerns over how the state and local education functions were set up. Ms. Landrieu professes to support the District and its overhaul. She said she was acting on concerns brought to her by School Board President Robert C. Bobb, who has opposed the takeover. It's curious that she kept city officials in the dark. If she had questions, why not get in touch with Mr. Fenty? In any event, why is it Ms. Landrieu's business how Washington chooses to govern its public schools? Her interference may result in school repairs going undone and positions going unfilled -- or, as Ms. Norton put it, children being caught in the middle.

Given that Lousiana has education problems and governmental problems of its own, not to mention that Sen. Landrieu certainly has more pressing needs to attend to as a United State Senator, I would think her attention would be better spent elsewhere. If I were a constituent of Sen. Landrieu, I would certainly expect so.