Kevin P. Chavous facts for kids

Kevin Pernell Chavous (born May 17, 1956) is an American lawyer, author, and activist for better education. He was also a politician for the Democratic Party in Washington, D.C.. He served on the Council of the District of Columbia from January 1993 to January 2005. In 1998, he tried to become the Mayor of the District of Columbia but was not successful.

In 2017, Kevin Chavous became the President of Stride K12, Inc.. This company uses technology to provide online school programs for students from pre-kindergarten through high school. He helps oversee services for about 200,000 students across the country.

Early Life and Education

Kevin Chavous was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His mother was a civil rights activist, and his father was a pharmacist. Kevin was the oldest of four children. His first job was helping out at his father's drug store, where he swept floors and stocked shelves.

He went to Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. Later, he studied at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and earned a degree in political science. While at Wabash, he was a talented basketball player, earning an award as an All-American. Kevin also earned a law degree from the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He was the president of his law school class.

Community Work and Activism

After finishing law school, Kevin Chavous worked as a lawyer specializing in personal injury cases. He and his family lived in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Southeast Washington.

In 1988, he was chosen to be part of the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee. A power company, Pepco, wanted to expand its power plant near the River Terrace neighborhood. Kevin Chavous agreed to represent the community group against the expansion for free. Because of his work, Pepco stopped its plans in 1991, and Kevin became well-known in the community.

He also joined the national board of directors for Handgun Control, Inc.. This group works to create stronger laws about gun control.

Joining the City Council (1992-1996)

1992 Council Election

The fight against Pepco helped Kevin Chavous start his political career. He had a radio show about legal issues. In 1992, he decided to run for the Ward 7 Council seat against the person already in office, H. R. Crawford. Kevin worked very hard, visiting almost every home in Ward 7 to talk to voters or leave information. On September 15, 1992, he won the election. He then easily won the main election in November.

First Term on the Council

Kevin Chavous officially started his work on the City Council on January 2, 1993. During his first term, he joined with other younger council members to form a group called the "Young Turks." They worked together to oppose tax increases that the mayor wanted.

He was seen as an important leader in dealing with violence in the city. He helped create a task force to improve public safety. He also encouraged people in Ward 7 to help police their own neighborhoods and report crimes.

Some of his important achievements included a law in 1993 that allowed the city to take abandoned cars. He also supported a temporary ban in 1994 on new liquor licenses for stores selling single cans of beer. Kevin also supported creating a District of Columbia Financial Control Board. This board was set up to help the city avoid going bankrupt.

Reelection and Second Term (1996-2000)

1996 Council Election

Kevin Chavous ran for reelection in 1996. He faced a challenger named Terry Hairston. Hairston tried to remove Chavous from the ballot, saying one of his campaign workers didn't live in D.C. However, the election board ruled in Chavous's favor. In the primary election, Kevin Chavous easily won with 68 percent of the votes. He then won the general election with 90 percent of the votes.

Second Term on the Council

In December 1996, Kevin Chavous was chosen to lead the Council's Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation. He said that improving education was the most important issue for the city.

During his term, there were problems with a $50 million project to fix school roofs. This project was managed poorly and caused schools to open late. Kevin Chavous held a hearing about it, but some parents felt he didn't act soon enough. He also opposed building a new convention center, saying it would be too small.

After he ran for mayor (which he lost), Kevin Chavous often disagreed with the new mayor, Anthony A. Williams. He helped pass a tax cut package in 1999. He also worked for nine months to change the D.C. Board of Education. The Council approved his plan to make the board smaller and allow the mayor to appoint some members. Voters approved this change in 2000.

Working in the Private Sector

In late 1998, Kevin Chavous joined a law firm called Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin & Kahn. He later became Vice President of Communications for Covad Communications Group, a company that provides internet services. He left this job after a year to focus more on his Council work.

In 2001, he rejoined Arent Fox as a part-time lawyer. He also taught education law at the Washington College of Law. In 2002, he became a partner at another law firm, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, where he worked on education and government law.

1998 Mayoral Campaign

By early 1997, it was clear Kevin Chavous was planning to run for mayor. He officially announced his campaign on February 10, 1998. He raised a good amount of money, though other candidates had more. He said that if elected, he would focus on improving education. He promised to fire principals and teachers who didn't meet standards. He also wanted to cut some city taxes and improve services for Latino residents.

In May 1998, the current mayor, Marion Barry, announced he would not seek reelection. This was good news for Chavous, as many of Barry's supporters might vote for him. However, on May 30, Anthony A. Williams, the city's Chief Financial Officer, joined the race. Williams was very popular because he had helped the city's finances.

Kevin Chavous's campaign faced some challenges. His campaign manager quit due to disagreements. A powerful teachers union also supported Williams instead of Chavous. In the end, Anthony Williams won the Democratic primary election on September 15, 1998, with 50 percent of the vote. Kevin Chavous came in second with 35 percent.

Reelection and Third Term (2000-2005)

2000 Council Election

Kevin Chavous decided to run for a third term on the City Council in June 2000. His campaign had some difficulties. A group of neighborhood organizations voted "no-confidence" in him, saying he missed too many community meetings. The teachers union also did not endorse him. Despite these issues, Kevin Chavous won the Democratic primary election on September 12 with 53 percent of the vote. He then won the general election in November with 87 percent of the vote.

Third Term on the Council

Kevin Chavous continued to have a difficult relationship with Mayor Williams during his third term. He spoke out on several issues. He opposed ending term limits for council members. He also supported a plan to change Ward 7's boundaries.

A big issue during this term was school vouchers. Kevin Chavous had opposed them before, but by 2003, he became more open to the idea. He supported using federal money to help low-income students attend private schools. This program was approved by Congress in 2004.

Another major education issue was reforming the D.C. Board of Education. Mayor Williams wanted to take away most of the Board's power and give control of the school system to the mayor. Kevin Chavous initially supported this plan but later changed his mind. He then introduced his own bill to change the school board, which was approved by the Council.

The last major issue of his third term was funding for Nationals Park, the new baseball stadium. Kevin Chavous was initially undecided but eventually voted to approve the stadium deal. His term ended on January 2, 2005.

2004 Reelection Attempt

In 2004, Kevin Chavous faced a strong challenger for reelection: Vincent C. Gray. Many people felt that Chavous was out of touch with the ward. Gray's campaign said Chavous rarely attended neighborhood events. Chavous argued that his legislative work took up most of his time. He pointed to the school voucher program and new charter schools as major successes.

However, the D.C. Democratic State Committee voted to support Gray, which was a big setback for Chavous. Voters were also unhappy with the city schools and blamed Chavous for long debates about school reform. Kevin Chavous lost his bid for reelection in the Democratic primary on September 14, 2004, to Vincent Gray.

National Education Reform Work

In 2004, Kevin Chavous wrote a book called Serving Our Children: Charter Schools and the Reform of American Public Education. The next year, he became a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Education Reform.

He worked on the education policy committee for Barack Obama's 2008 election campaign. In the same year, he helped start and became chairman of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER). This group supports Democratic politicians who want school choice, including vouchers. He also co-founded a nonprofit organization called Serving Our Children, which helps teachers buy classroom supplies. He joined the board of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, another group that supports school vouchers and charter schools, and became its chairman in 2010.

In 2010, Kevin Chavous helped the Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, create a school voucher program for New Orleans. He also joined the boards of the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice. In 2017, he became President of Academics, Policy and Schools at K12 Inc., where he had previously served on the board.

Personal Life

In 1982, Kevin Chavous married Beverly Bass, who was also a lawyer. They divorced in 2009. They have two sons, Kevin and Eric. Kevin Chavous now lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife Amber and his stepson, Kalijah Mayfield.

Author

In 2012, Kevin Chavous published his second book, Voices of Determination: Children that Defy the Odds. This book shares stories of ten young people who overcame challenges to get an education. In 2016, he released his third book, Building A Learning Culture in America. This book talks about how America used to value learning, how it changed, and what needs to be done to bring that culture back.

In 2017, he released his first fiction book, The Plan. This is a political thriller. He published two sequels, The Fund and The Shipment, in 2019.

Awards

In 2016, Kevin Chavous received an Outstanding Alumni Award from his high school, Brebeuf Preparatory High School. His college, Wabash College, also honored his basketball achievements by adding him to the Wabash College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Election Results

1992 Elections

1996 Elections

1998 Mayoral Election

2000 Elections

2004 Election