who is 17 years old and only has the credits of a ninth grader – to tell that 17 year old to just go back and do ninth grade again – it didn’t work for you the first time, but just try it again – is obviously not the right approach. To have the right programs that are targeted at those individuals to really help them recover the credits that they are behind. Some of these programs would need to be on the weekends, some of them in the evenings. I do think we need to do a better job at our existing schools of targeting those students who are at risk, many of which who are over age and under credited.

Secondly, what we are trying to do as well with welcoming new students is by welcoming new schools that can offer alternative programs for at risk students. Some of those programs need to have a stronger component in dealing with some of the older students who don’t speak English that well or students who are amazing English speakers, but for whatever reason are 16 or 17 years old and have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out.

I think again, we need to start with the 4 and 5 year olds; we need to do better in the elementary schools, particularly with differentiated needs, particularly with English Language Learners; in the secondary schools we need to offer more alternatives.

CMF: Because last year was about closing schools, how do you plan on reestablishing schools? What are the plans for the growth of DPS for the coming years?

Boasberg: I think the core of it rests on two things: the first is changing the way we ...