The D.C. Board of Education has hired a veteran District official to run its chaotic charter school system — a job that won’t exist in a matter of months.
Cheryl Edwards started her $81,000-plus job last week. Until last week, she served as chief of staff of the D.C. Department of Health. She once was a top aide to D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi.
She now oversees 18 charter schools that enroll some 4,000 students. The last charter school executive, Brenda Belton, was fired in October after being accused of using companies to take money for herself, her friends and her family.
“There’s still work that needs to be done,” school board spokeswoman Natalie Williams told
The Examiner. “She’s absolutely qualified.”
Edwards didn’t return calls seeking comment.
But she is not likely to be in the job long: Stung by the Belton scandal, the school board voted to cede its charter authority last year.
While the city decides which agency will take over, the board’s charter school program has been rudderless for almost a year. Two aides were put on administrative leave in the wake of the Belton scandal, including whistle-blower Steve Kapani, whose allegations sparked an investigation into Belton.
That’s made it hard on the charter schools, said Linda Moore, executive director of the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School in Northwest. The vacancies at headquarters have affected the school’s efforts to finance major projects, Moore said.
“The folks who are doing the financing want to know you’re in good standing with your authorizer,” Moore told The Examiner. “We aren’t able to provide that kind of evidence.”
Edwards’ appointment did not sit well with Mona Lyons, Kapani’s lawyer.
“I’m surprised to learn this,” Lyons said.
Kapani has been on paid leave since June. He was told that he couldn’t come back because the board eliminated the office, Lyons said.
Anyone with information on the D.C. schools can call Bill Myers at 202-459-4956.
Cheryl Edwards
Executive director, charter schools, D.C. Board of Education
Career: former chief of staff, D.C. chief financial officer; former chief of staff, D.C. Department of Health.
Education: Boston University, bachelor’s in political science, 1976; Syracuse College of Law, juris doctorate, 1980.
