Gray says Council not cause of DCPS RIF
September 17, 2009. Today, council chair Vincent Gray charged schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and Mayor Adrian Fenty of using budget negotiations to shield their extensive reduction in force (RIF) of DCPS teachers and staff. Gray, reminding voters that the Council has “found a way to fully fund the public education budget at last year’s levels while effectively closing a budget gap of nearly $140 million,” challenged Rhee’s and Fenty’s statements that Council cuts are forcing them to fire teachers and staff. “The Mayor and Chancellor’s attempts to characterize the Council’s action as a reduction are disingenuous and simply not accurate,” stated Gray in a press release. “Clearly, the Chancellor wanted to fire these “excessed” teachers and is seeking to scapegoat the Council for her policy decision.”
