Washington, DC - The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its monthly public meeting on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at 5:30 pm in the Old Council Chambers at 441 Fourth St. NW. The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education and the Office of the Student Advocate will release annual reports summarizing their work with District families, providing recommendations for the District’s education system. All meeting documents can be accessed on the SBOE information-sharing site. The public meeting will air live on District Knowledge Network (DKN) and will be streamed live via Periscope for those community members who are unable to attend in person.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education is eager to present its Annual Report for School Year 2017–18. In this report, the office highlights the impact over the last year, offers an analysis of the data collected over the last year, and provides a review of the last five years. This year’s report provides data, analysis, and recommendations related to the work in mediation and conflict resolution to resolve complaints and concerns for parents and families regarding public education in the District of Columbia.
Led by Chief Student Advocate Faith Gibson Hubbard, the Office of the Student Advocate (OSA) works in partnership to equalize the balance of power between families and schools by increasing family voice, access, and power. In the office’s day-to-day work, OSA supports students and families in their advocacy through parent education, one-on-one coaching, resource supports, and trainings. In school year 2017–18, its third year of operation, the office focused on partnering more intentionally and scaling impact by touching over 3500 families through its Request for Assistance (RFA) line and outreach efforts.
The draft agenda of the meeting is below. Please note that the agenda may be altered, modified, or updated without notice.
I. Call to Order
II. Announcement of a Quorum
III. Approval of the Agenda
IV. Approval of the Minutes
V. Comments from the President of the DC State Board of Education
VI. Comments from the State Superintendent of Education
VII. Public Comment
VIII. Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education Annual Report
IX. Office of the Student Advocate Annual Report
X. Adjournment
All students, parents, educators, and community members are invited to provide testimony at public meetings. Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to comment at a public meeting are asked to notify Board staff in advance by phone at (202) 741-0888 or by email at [email protected] no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. An electronic copy of testimony must be received no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting. Individuals are asked to furnish their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation, if any. Individuals must also bring at least fifteen (15) copies of their written statements with them to the meeting.
Additionally, the SBOE will hold its next Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Task Force meeting on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, at 6 pm in Room 1117 at 441 Fourth St. NW. During this meeting, the task force will hear a report card progress update from representatives from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Members of the public may attend and observe all task force meetings, but are not permitted to speak or participate during these sessions. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony or information for consideration by the task force by emailing [email protected]. The task force meeting will be streamed live via Periscope for those community members who are unable to attend in person. For the latest updates on the task force’s work, please visit sboe.dc.gov/essa.
About the SBOE
The DC State Board of Education is an independent agency within the Government of the District of Columbia that advises the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the District’s state education agency. The State Board is comprised of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, and two appointed student representatives. The State Board approves statewide education policies and sets academic standards, while OSSE oversees education within the District and manages federal education funding. More information about the SBOE can be found at sboe.dc.gov.