“but what shocked me to no end was what I heard about the current conditions at McFarland for Roosevelt students”

Photo from Roosevelt HS renovation via Department of General Services

From an email:

“Good Morning Neighbors,

Last night I attended the meeting at McFarland regarding Roosevelt’s delayed opening. They delays didn’t surprise me, but what shocked me to no end was what I heard about the current conditions at McFarland for Roosevelt students.

Our teens are being taught in an environment that no one should be expected to learn in, or teach in. According to the parents, students and staff present, the bathrooms don’t work, nor does the HVAC, there are not ample facilities for the athletics teams, and most shocking there is a rat infestation bad enough that the students have named the rats – Bigboy and Hunchback. I wrote an article about it that goes into more detail this morning that you can read here if you are so inclined.

In the meantime, I have also written to Mayor Bowser, Councilman Todd and Chancellor Henderson, imploring one simple thing: if you’re going to keep these kids in the McFarland building for another year, make the building habitable.

There is no reason these problems can’t be addressed over the summer, and our children deserve that. Please take a minute to lend your voice to this! I don’t have a current Roosevelt student, and I’m not sure at this point if my children will go there or not – it’s not about me or MY kids. We all, as a community, have a duty to ensure EVERY child receives a wonderful, quality education in a safe environment. It doesn’t matter if they are your children or not. There is power in numbers and we must use our power to help these kids.

I am asking you to reach out to the Mayor, the Council, DCPS, the media (if you have contacts) and anyone else that can help. Below is the letter I sent. Feel free to use it in part or whole or as a reference. I have zero pride of authorship here. I just want to see these kids treated right.

Thanks in advance, and please spread the word.

Lisa Jackson”