dr. amanda alexander. thank you so much for being here with us th morning. >> thanks for having me. >> this is an exciting time.tu congtions on getting through your first full week of the school year. i'm sure you've beenyo making rounds trying to get to as many campuses as possible. >> i have visited tons of schools this past week. f >> i thi some people you may be a new face but really you are not. d.c. is -- these are your stomping grounds and youte st-- you've risen through the ranks and started as an elementary schoolteache can you tell our viewers about where you come from and why d.cs so much of your heart? >> yeah, well, i've been here the past 25 yeaif of my actually, my entire adulthood has been spent in washington, d.c. so i beganmy career as kindergarten teacher at walker jones elementary school in 1998. >> the little ones. >> it was a wonderful experience and i learned a lot at that school. i later became an assistant principal, and i actually did that role in new york city. >> okay. >> i was

dr. amanda alexander's first full year.he prey served as the head of elementary education in the system. herdecessor left under a cloufd controversy. high schoolers were graduating with more absences than allowed and many were not prepared. this year begins with t own issues, a news 4 i team investigation un00vered teachers that have not been officially licensed to teach. >> all of the teachers have passed background checks. all of our teachers are regularly evaluated by their administrators often formally and informally. all of our teachers engage in gorous professional development opportunities and then in those ways were able to ensure quality. >> they were supposed to have at least apply by this month. >> august 1st. a vast majority ofhe teachers met the deadline. >> they're working with the union and state school authority on those that haven't. derrick ward news 4. >>> student in several other counties in our region are heading back to class tomorrow and tonight news 4 is getting you ready for school. >> school is abo

dr. amanda alexander's first full year. she previouslyerved as the head of elementary education in the system. her predecessor left under a cloud of controversy. high schoolers were graduating with more absences than allowey and mere not prepared. this year begins with its own issues. a news 4 i-team investigation uncovered nearly 1,000 teachers who have not been officiay licensed to teach. >> all of our teachers have passedackground checks all of our teachers are regularly evaluated by their administrators, often formally and informally. nalot of our teachers engage in rigorous profess development opportunities, and in those ways, we're able to ensure teality. >> rep they were supposed to have at least applied byr earliehis month. >> by august 1st, and the vast majority of our teachers have met that deadline. >> reporter: she says they're working with t union and the state school authority on those who haven't. derrick ward, news4. >>> news4 today has you covered on everything back to schoolti st at 4:00 a.m. we'll be keep

dr. amanda she takes under a school system that is under fire from a grading and graduation scandals that at least 90eaers lack their certifications. on news 4 on saturday alexander tells erica gonzalez d.c. school systems will learn from their mistakes. >> one thing we learned through the past yr is grading and graduation scandal is there was a need to better connect with milies. our students and their parents, their caregivers. >> a lotif ofrent dynamics going on. everybody has a different situation at >>home. it's our charge to understand those dynamics so we can help some of the students overcome some of the challenges they face. >> you can watch that interview on sunday right here nbc 4. by the way, dr. alexander said she would like to see the word interim taken away fm her title. she would like to keep thatso j. >> students already celebrating the start of the school year. last year the kids in langum elementary had perfect attendance and now sharing their next challenge with molette green. >> check this out. we've got a whole bunch of students, staff, teachers, everybody here sring on a successful year. we're at the home of langdon elementary school under