D.C. Public School Partnerships Project P a r t n e r s of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee U n l i m i t e d for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs B u l l e t i n Fall 2006 B o a r d High School Inventors Supported by Holland & Knight Banneker students, with the help of some dedicated teachers and support from Holland & Knight, proved that necessity is indeed the mother of invention during the 2005/06 school year. Their creative endeavor was inspired by the need for a secure and convenient way to store their cell phones, which are not allowed in Banneker’s classrooms. In September 2005, a group of about 30 students were determined to come up with a better Robert Blakey and his associate coaches--Elizabeth Sauer, left, and Anita Khushalani, right--review his debate presentation. place for their phones during the day than the nearby delicatessen. That method of storage resulted in too Arent Fox Hosts Debate many students being late to class and too many expensive cell phones getting lost. Math and science For Randle Highlands teachers John Mahoney and Mark Hannum helped the students form an InvenTeam to secure a grant Robert Blakey from Randle Highlands Elemen- from a Massachusetts Institute of Technology tary School made an impassioned plea for District of program created to foster innovation and invention Columbia statehood during a June debate at Arent among high school students. Fox. Elizabeth Sauer and Anita Khushalani, the associates who had coached him, felt very proud as he (Continued on page 4) spoke movingly of an uncle and a grandfather who defended their country in combat, but who were not CCCCCHHHHHEEEEECCCCCKKKKK TTTTTHHHHHEEEEE BBBBBOOOOOAAAAARRRRRDDDDD represented in the Congress that sent them to war. Iris’ Intro.................................................2 While Robert’s presentation impressed the firm’s Fannie Mae’s Story .................................3 chairman, Marc Fleischaker, and other Arent Fox Newsworthy Events.................................4 senior partners who judged the debate, so did the Alumni Achieve........................................6 argument put forth by his opponent and fellow class- Debating D.C. Issues...............................8 mate Nneka Azikiwe. Brian Schneider, Nneka’s coach More News...........................................10 and an associate at the firm, was pleased with the 6th School Partnership List..........................11 grader’s presentation. Contributors..........................................12 (Continued on page 8) 1 I R I S ’ N How do these developments affect our School Partnerships Project? Firm volunteers will be vital allies at their partner schools in making sure that their students make the most T of the changes at their schools. They will be a stabilizing force, particularly for those schools in the first few rounds of modernization. Of course, firms participating in our R educational partnerships are not waiting for the system to improve the performance of their young school friends. For example, Holland and Knight assisted students and teachers at Banneker Senior High School in their quest to O become young inventors! Arent Fox helped the students at Randle Highlands Elementary School debate the weighty topic of D.C. Statehood. During the summer, when most volun- teers and students take time off to renew for the coming school year, Akin, Gump, IRIS J. TOYER Strauss, Hauer & Feld volunteers went to Project Director, D.C. Public School Partnerships summer school to tutor their second graders at Project, Washington Lawyers’ Committee Tyler Elementary School. So much has happened related to our Our guest columnist Christine R. Ladd, schools since my last column, I hardly know Associate General Counsel at Fannie Mae where to begin. and coordinator of the firm’s partnership with First, the Superintendent of D.C. Public Marie Reed Learning Center, writes about the Schools released the much anticipated Master rewards of working with the children at Marie Facility Plan. Over the next 15 years, every Reed and how it has benefited Fannie Mae. public school in the system will be affected. Our participating firms are doing so many There will be some school closings, fully great things that impact the lives of D.C. public modernized buildings and new construction. school children in a positive way. Need more As the plan unfolds, the children of this city are proof? Read the stories of former students in for a great deal of change! who trace much of their success to their Next, new curriculum standards in social involvement in our educational partnerships. studies and science will join the language arts Be encouraged! Be inspired! Start a and math standards already being implemented school partnership! in our classrooms. I r i s Also, teachers are receiving an excep- tional amount of professional development that will prepare them to provide a higher level of Iris J. Toyer, Director instruction in every DCPS classroom. D.C. Public School Partnerships Project 2 F A N N I E M A E ’ S T Flexibility in our partnership arrange- ment allows us to respond quickly to the school’s requests for assistance. For example, at the end of the last school year, Marie Reed Principal Dayo Akinsheye O wanted to give the children required summer reading, a first in Marie Reed history. She called on us to help. In response, our employees donated funds and helped the R school to purchase books so that every child in every grade had a new book to take home over the summer to meet the required reading assignment. Y The principal, staff, and students at Marie Reed are so appreciative of our efforts to help that they make everything we do seem like the greatest success. If you ever feel unappreciated, just drop by the Christine R. Ladd school for a great pick-me-up! My personal Associate General Counsel favorite experience is attending Sixth Grade Fannie Mae Legal Department Graduation. The school is justifiably proud of its students, and on graduation day there is Fannie Mae’s Legal Department rarely a dry eye in the house. began its school partnership with Marie Reed Our partnership has given us opportu- Learning Center eight years ago. As coordina- nities to serve the school and teach the tor for the partnership over the last two years, I children the value of service, and it has have enjoyed working with Marie Reed admin- taught us to make time in our busy schedules istrators, teachers, and students to increase and to address the needs of others. The partner- strengthen Fannie Mae’s efforts to benefit the ship has also given us joy in seeing our school and students. efforts make a difference; recognition of our Our partnership with Marie Reed pro- communal responsibility for the education of vides an opportunity for our staff to work our country’s children; and respect for together to meet school and student needs educators preparing tomorrow’s workforce. through book and clothing drives; purchases of From our perspective, we have received much more than we have given. uniforms, test preparation materials, school supplies, furniture and equipment; sponsorship We are grateful to the Washington of school programs and activities; school Lawyers’ Committee for helping us make grounds beautification and clean-ups; and this vital connection and recommend that employee contributions for other unmet school every legal department and firm establish a and student needs. school partnership. 3 N E W S E W S W O [caption] Caroline Jackson (at left with her hand on the Cell-Mate) and Mariela Castillo (second from left) explain R the Cell-Mate to Smithsonian Museum visitors. Holland & Knight Supports Student Inventors at Banneker Senior High School (cont’d) T By April 2006, the team had designed Moran, an Intellectual Property lawyer at and built a prototype of their Cell-Mate. The Holland & Knight. “We have a foundation Cell-Mate consists of three rows of four connected with the school, and it’s my inten- H metal containers similar to post office boxes tion that the foundation would own the with Plexiglas doors connected to a Radio patent,” says the math teacher. “Ideally, we Frequency Identification Reader. When the would like to sell the patent and use the Reader scans a student’s personal card, the royalties for other activities and scholarships.” student can open his or her box and deposit The school foundation was created by Hol- Y the cell phone in the box. The door then land & Knight. Alan Vollmann, another closes; it will not open until the same card is Holland & Knight attorney, contributed the scanned again. The students presented their initial funds for the foundation. Other early Cell-Mate invention at MIT and at the contributors were Alan’s mother’s estate, Invention on the Mall Festival sponsored by family friends and the law firm. the National Museum of American History in Banneker students envision many uses August 2006. for their invention. Aside from schools, which John Mahoney, a recent USA Today have an increasing need as more school Teacher of the Year, is applying for a patent districts ban cell phones, health clubs and for the Cell-Mate with the help of John movie theaters could use the Cell-Mate. 4 Fannie Mae Plans Book Fairs for Marie Reed Library by Katherine Coles For the past several years, books and reading have been a major focus of the partnership between Fannie Mae’s Legal Department and the Marie Reed Learn- ing Center. A couple of years ago, we held several book drives to help furnish classroom libraries for the teachers. Last year, we continued our book drives to supply the children with personal summer reading materials, and we donated funds to purchase school assigned books for their first required summer reading assignments. For school year 2006-2007, Marie Reed’s princi- pal, Dayo Akinsheye, has asked us to help rebuild their central library. Marie Reed has been without a school librarian for more than five years. This year, Principal Akinsheye was able to secure a part-time librarian to serve the students. So, the push is on to rebuild the long neglected central library. Fannie Mae intends to meet this need through a Akin Gump summer associate Stacey Moore, holding chalk on the left, helps students with their writing exercises. series of book drives and book fairs. We are planning two book fairs at Washington area bookstores. The first fair will take place at Politics & Prose on Connecticut Akin Gump Sends Tutors Avenue, NW, on October 13 and 14. The second fair To Tyler Summer School will be held at Barnes & Noble in Georgetown and Bethesda on December 8 and 9. Anyone who mentions This past summer, Akin Gump, Strauss, Marie Reed School to the sales clerk on these dates will Hauer & Feld proved that its partnership with have an amount equal to 20% of their purchase price Tyler Elementary School is a year-round relation- donated to the Marie Reed Library fund. Also, Marie ship. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, some Reed will supply the bookstores with a wish list. Anyone 20 associates, summer associates and staff employ- willing to help in this cause can purchase a book specifi- ees went to the school to tutor second-grade cally for the library shelves. These two events are the summer school students for an hour in reading, cornerstone to rebuilding Marie Reed’s school library writing, and math. and meeting a fundamental need for the school. One of the Akin Gump tutors who made many We have also been supporting Marie Reed’s peer trips to Tyler was summer associate Stacey Moore, mediation program, which teaches children how to who is attending Harvard Law School. While she address conflict positively and productively. Another worked with her student on the reading and writing important activity was incorporating a nonprofit organiza- exercises assigned by the teacher, she took the tion, The School Partnership Fund, to multiply financial opportunity to provide guidance by encouraging the resources through a matching program offered to Fannie kind of behavior that leads to success. Mae employees using the Fannie Mae Foundation and “I really enjoyed this,” recalls Stacey. “I through charitable tax deductions. worked with the same student each time I went to Other projects we undertake change from year to the school. Being a person of color myself, it meant year, depending upon priority and need. In the past, we a lot to help him succeed. Both his reading and his behavior improved while he was in summer school.” (Continued on page 10) 5 A L U M N I C H I E V Hattie Blackshire (left), who coordinates Covington & Burling’s Saturday Academy at Cardozo High School, and Stacy King, an accounting coordinator at the firm, discuss plans for the 2006/07 school year. Covington & Burling Taps Cardozo Alum E To Teach at Saturday Academy Stacy King, an accounting coordinator coordinator, with the Cardozo program. For at Covington & Burling, has two special example, she will be involved in planning and reasons for looking forward to being part of directing the students’ budgeting workshop. the firm’s Saturday Academy that helps Hattie is also looking forward to Stacy’s help Cardozo High School students prepare for with the Saturday Academy. “It will be a great their future. “It is very important for students benefit for the students to identify with a to experience the work environment, to Cardozo graduate. She will be the perfect role learn what they have to do to prepare model. She is very professional. Her peers themselves for the future—how to prepare a look up to her.” resume, how to be professional, the impor- Covington & Burling has over a half- tance of getting to work on time,” Stacy dozen employees who are Cardozo graduates. explains. When she was in high school, her They have been working at the firm for an part-time job at the Pentagon taught her average of ten years. how important it was to understand the world of work. Her second reason is that she is a Help Identify More Alumni Cardozo alumna. She graduated in 1981, years before students at the school had the What happens to students after they opportunity to participate in Saturday participate in partnership activities is of interest Academy. Stacy, however, recognizes how to the Washington Lawyers’ Committee and valuable the experience can be for today’s everyone in the school partnership network. If students. your firm is in touch with students who have This year, Stacy will be helping Hattie graduated from your partner school, contact Blackshire, the firm’s Saturday Academy Iris Toyer. 6 From Power Luncher To Debate Champion When Victor Mwimanzi came to the United States from Tanzania in the summer of 1996, he spoke almost no English, but headed for Park View Elementary School in the fall. Early the next year, he had an experience that he considers to be very important in his life. He attended a Power Lunch at Reed Smith and was paired with partner Eugene Tillman. Because his English was so limited, Victor had to really work at communicating with Eugene. But by the end of the lunch, he was amazed by how much they had learned about each other. “He gave me his card,” Victor recalls. “And when I was a student at Park View, we often talked on the phone.” By the time Victor got to Roosevelt High School, his English had improved so much that he participated in national debate competitions and was awarded a full debate scholarship to the University of Louisville where he is now a junior majoring in Amina Copeland, former mock trial prosecutor and intern at Fried, philosophy. During his college years, he spends Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, in her kindergarten classroom at Peabody Elementary School. summers working in the record department at Reed Smith. His supervisor is Bill Newborough. Victor is From Mock Trial absolutely delightful,” says Bill. “He is dependable To Kindergarten Class and thorough and was quick to learn our various There is a lot going on in Amina Copeland’s (Continued on page 12) kindergarten class at Peabody Elementary School. She is also a wife and the mother of two young children. Yet she can clearly remember working with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson attorneys on her mock trial presentation nearly ten years ago. “For several weeks, we would practice when Karen Grisez and Tommy Beaudreau came to the School Without Walls to teach the Street Law class,” she recalls. “Then, when we got closer to the competition, we got to practice at the law firm. It made me take my role on the prosecu- tion team very seriously. Tommy, a long-time Street Law teacher and now a partner at the firm, remembers Amina: “She was bright and confident, and I knew she would master a complex fact pattern and do a good job of preparing witnesses. She also had a great presenta- tion style. “After the mock trial, she worked as an intern at the firm. People here enjoyed working with her.” “I worked there for several summers and Christ- mas breaks,” Amina said. “It was a great experience.” Victor Mwimanzi’s official Reed Smith picture. 7 D E B A T I N G C I S Summer associates help students prepare for their debate. L/R: 6th grader Kahlil Edley, Michele Gutrick (summer associate), Jocelyn Womack (summer associate), 5th grader Shayla Bonner, and 5th grader Tameisha Thorpe. S Randle Highlands Debaters Impress Arent Fox Partners (cont’d) Arent Fox partner Alan Fishel, who and potential minuses of the District of Columbia U organized and moderated the debate, chose becoming a state. It was a pleasure to see the this activity because he wanted to maximize students speak publicly with confidence and participation by the firm, while requiring a style.” modest time commitment from attorneys and This partnership activity was so successful staff at the firm. A coaching team of 25 E that it was featured in a July 19, 2006, Washing- associates and summer associates helped the ton Post KidsPost news article entitled “The students prepare from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Great Debate.” Eight senior partners judged six pairs of students who presented opposing arguments from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. At noon, the S young debaters and the associates who coached them enjoyed lunch together. “We chose D.C. statehood as the topic because we wanted our first debate to concern a local issue that would be of signifi- cant interest to the children and the commu- nity,” explains Alan. “We also wanted to select an issue that we believed the students would be excited to learn more about.” The students were indeed excited and engaged. In fact, Alan thought they marshaled their arguments “a lot better than some lawyers I see in court.” Managing partner Marc Fleischaker recalls how impressed he was: “They did a fantastic job of presenting both the plusses Kaylin Carter argues that D.C. should become the 51st state. 8 Top: Arent Fox partners judge the debate. L/R Michael Anderson, Debate Topics Can Engage Marc Fleischaker (Chairman), Wayne Matelski, Melissa Bailey, Deborah Froling, and Michele Williams. Students of All Ages Although debating is usually thought of as an activity for adults and young adults, the presentation by Randle Highlands elementary students of the pros and cons of D.C. statehood shows that it is an activity for all ages. From the broad participation of Arent Fox attorneys in the event, it is clear that it is also a very successful intergenerational activity. The prospect of never having a voice in national affairs while living in our nation’s capital evokes strong arguments. Dr. Donna Graham, school coordinator for the partnership between MacFarland Middle School and Fulbright & Jaworski, believes that middle-school students can successfully debate this issue, which is timely because of developments on Capitol Hill, including a recent debate by Constitu- tional scholars on giving the District of Columbia a voting member in the House of Representatives. This debate took place on September 14 when the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing on the D.C. Voting Rights Act sponsored by Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The point of controversy during the hearing was whether Congress has the authority to give the District voting representation in the House. DC VOTE (202- 462-6000) is a good source for talking points assert- ing that Congress does have this authority, and the American Enterprise Institute (202-659-4464) is a good source for talking points to support the argu- Tameisha Thorpe makes the case for statehood as 5th grader Robert Blakey and summer associate Michele Gutrick listen intently. ment that Congress does not have such authority. 9 • What is the candidate’s personal involve- 2006/07 Partnership Dates ment with the D.C. Public Schools? Are or have his/ her children been enrolled, and for how long? Thursday, November 30, 2006 Geoplunge 2 Volunteer work? PTA or Home and School Asso- ciation (HSA) membership? Thursday, January 25, 2007 Partnership Luncheon • What is the candidate’s involvement in the Monday, February 12, 2007 Cooking For Kids Bake community? Has he/she ever done volunteer work? Sale and Taste-Off What, specifically? Thursday, April 19, 2007 Partnership Luncheon • What is the candidate’s experience working Partnership Luncheons will be held at in organized groups? Has he/she served on another Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld multi-member board? Has he/she come to meetings faithfully and well-prepared? • What is the candidate’s idea of how a board Coats For Kids Can Help member should carry out his/her responsibilities? Keep Your Students Warm The source of these questions is a research paper prepared by the Washington Lawyers’ If your firm is planning a winter clothing drive for Committee’s Public Education Reform Project students at your partner school, consider following entitled “Choosing Effective School Board Mem- Verizon’s example and work with Coats for Kids bers: District of Columbia Elections, November 7, Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Alexandria, 2000.” Virginia. Last year, instead of purchasing coats for children Fannie Mae’s School Projects at Adams Elementary, its partner school, Verizon made (cont’d) a donation to Coats For Kids. The nonprofit organiza- tion then provided coats for the children at Adams. have helped Marie Reed Learning Center purchase Working with Coats for Kids makes money for coats, school uniforms for students who could not afford hats, and gloves go much farther because the organiza- them. We have helped improve the school grounds tion has established relationships to obtain discounts with flowers supplied and planted by Fannie Mae’s from retailers and wholesalers. For more information, Grounds Services, and purchased and stuffed 600+ call Paul Darby at 703-567-2628. pencil bags to welcome students back to school. We also collected $17,000+ for computers and related equipment through Giant’s Grocery Apples for Key Questions To Ask Students Program, and provided new children’s About School Board Candidates books for incentive awards. We have obtained school desks, chairs, tables, bookcases, and lamps; On November 7, D.C. voters who work for law sponsored a year-end Fun Day event; and sponsored firms and who have children in our partner schools will a year-end recognition awards ceremony for the help select a new Board of Education President as well students participating in Marie Reed’s tutoring as Board Members to represent Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8. program. In anticipation of this election, it is a good idea to keep We also work with Marie Reed to present their in mind the kind of information that is important to annual career development week. In another depart- know about the candidates. ment-wide drive, we were able to provide the school • What makes the candidate qualified to deal with enough calculators for the entire fifth- and sixth- with the board roles and responsibilities? grade classes to use during the school year. 10