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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
19-310
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
October 2, 2012
To honor and recognize Dr. Dorothy Goodman as the visionary for international education in the District of Columbia and the initiative to establish the Washington International School.
WHEREAS, the genesis for an international school where children from different nations could study together and break down divisions to promote peace first occurred to Dr. Goodman while working in an Austrian refugee camp after World War II;
WHEREAS, her vision took root in January 1966, when Dr. Goodman opened a bilingual nursery school for 4 students in the basement of her Macomb Street home;
WHEREAS, Dr. Goodman, and co-founder Cathya Wing (now Stephenson), modeled the Washington International School after a feasibility study for an international school by a committee from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Development Bank;
WHEREAS, Dr. Goodman, in preparation for the expansion of the school, and with assistance from Elaine Greenstone, collected and analyzed educational material from around the world, which ultimately resulted in the adoption of the International Baccalaureate diploma at the school in 1975;
WHEREAS, unlike the American educational model, the curriculum of the Washington International School exposes children at the earliest age to both English and another world language and requires students to complete a wide range of subjects within a common curriculum, enabling them to enter universities anywhere in the world;
WHEREAS, the central mission of the school, where Dr. Goodman served as headmistress for 20 years, remains unchanged: “to provide a demanding international education that will challenge students to become responsible and effective world citizens.”; and
WHEREAS, today the Washington International School, located on 2 campuses, enrolls 900 students from over 90 countries, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Dr. Dorothy Goodman Recognition Resolution of 2012”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Dr. Goodman for her leadership in promoting international education for students living in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
