SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT 8B04 ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 8B 1809 Savannah Street SE, Suite A, Washington, DC 20020
October 20, 2014
DC Public Charter School Board 3333 14th Street NW Suite 210 Washington, DC 20010 Dear DC Public Charter School Board: I am Anthony Lorenzo Green and I serve as the current Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC 8B04. I am writing to express my full support for Rocketship coming to the Woodland and Fort Stanton Communities in Ward 8. Currently the proposed location of the school is set to be constructed within feet of a public housing development and a halfway house. While I initially had reservations about the proposed location, as I expressed in my letter to the board dated 09/05/2014, I no longer have a concern about the school being built so close to Hope Village Halfway House. Hope Village has been a part of the Woodland community for over 20 years with very little issues. Many families have been raising their children in Woodland Terrace Public Housing Development for many years throughout the time Hope Village has been here. If it hasnt been an issue for 20 years, why would it be an issue now? It baffles me when representatives on the same commission I sit on have been protesting and complaining about the outreach to the community. As I testified at DCPCSBs board meeting on October 14, 2014, a representative from Rocketship has been attending our ANC meetings for over a year, making every attempt to build relationships with myself and fellow commissioners. Chairman Watson refused to meet with them. Commissioner Gaston was absent from our meetings from April 2014 through July 2014 and only became active when we invited Rocketship to our public meeting in July. I have personally called for our ANC to hold a public town hall/hearing on the Rocketship project and have been shot down every time. It became very clear to me that the opposition to Rocketship has nothing to do with the school itself but has everything to do with the fact that its a charter school. I am and will forever be a proponent of quality education coming into Ward 8, especially with Rocketships blended learning model. I strongly encourage the board to approve Rocketships charter agreement. Sincerely,