The Post is right to insist that divided governance is a recipe for disaster for the District's schools

Giving the mayor some appointment powers over the education system - whether for school boards or even superintendents - would represent true accountability. A mayoral appointee would fall under the watchful eye of the entire city, and the high profile of the mayor would put a face on what was once and anonymous blob of bureaucrats.

Cities such as Chicago and Cleveland have done just that, giving the mayor appointment powers over the school board. Although these are still young initiatives, the results have been swift, as a recent Alexis de Tocqueville Institution report, "Clear Lines of Accountability," highlights. In Chicago, for example, standardized test scores and graduation rates are up, as well as overall school attendance since the reform. And as district CEO Paul Vallas notes, if they go badly, voters know whom to blame.

This issue is vital not only to D.C., but to the country. Recently, for example, the Oakland City Council agreed to allow voters to determine (in a March referendum) whether Mayor Jerry Brown can appoint three additional school board members to Oakland's seven-member board. Truly reform-minded mayors are beginning to accept responsibility for answering their big-city education problems. D.C, should do the same.