Washington, DC – Yesterday, September 5, kindergarten teachers from across the District gathered for the first-ever Back-to-School Literacy Mixer. The soirée, which took place in the rooftop pavilion atop the MLK Jr. Memorial Library, afforded attendees an opportunity to engage education officials and leaders about new literacy training investments and requirements.
The new requirements were legislated earlier this year through the Implementation of The Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendations Act, an amendment funded by DC Council in the 2024-2025 budget. The requirements call for:
- All kindergarten teachers to complete literacy training by the start of the 2026 school year.
- Local Education Agencies to grant teachers at least 10 hours of professional development to complete training.
- Teachers to be compensated for training completed outside work hours.
- A pilot program to couple teachers with a literacy coach to support implementation.
These measures were informed by recommendations given in late 2023 by the Early Literacy Education Task Force. Entrusted to the Office of the State Superintendent’s leadership, the task force was formed to bolster District students’ literacy proficiency. “Ensuring our kids all learn how to read is a vital responsibility of our education system: for the success of our young people, for thriving families, and in building a population ready to succeed over the long term,” said Brooke Pinto, councilmember representing Ward 2, one of the new literacy amendment’s principal architects. “I am proud of the investments I secured in this year’s budget to provide much needed literacy training for our kindergarten teachers, and I’ll continue fighting for additional funding to implement all of the Task Force recommendations, including to provide mandated training for all recommended educators. I am so grateful for all of our dedicated educators and partners who are committed to our mission to improve literacy outcomes in DC for our young scholars.”
READ THE TASK FORCE’S FULL RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT.
The State Board, along with event partners, used last night’s mixer to raise awareness among District kindergarten teachers about new structured literacy training requirements, as well as create space for teachers to share their thoughts regarding implementation.
“It’s important to proactively engage the educators that the new legislation affects,” said Allister Chang, Ward 2 representative on the State Board of Education, who spearheaded coordination of the Back-to-School mixer on behalf of the Board. “Only 26% of fourth-grade students in DC performed at or above the NAEP proficient literacy level,” he continued, adding that “This legislation and the associated funding provide D.C. with an incredible opportunity to equip students with the essential skills to read proficiently. The Board and I are committed to working closely with educators and all District agencies in order to make the most of this opportunity.”
The State Board’s partners in producing the Back-to-School mixer included D.C. Public Schools, the Washington Teachers Union and the D.C. Public Charter School Alliance. In addition to support for the event, each sent docents, as did the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, for attendees to engage with their questions.
“Improving literacy has been a major focus of the WTU’s work over the past three years. It is truly the building block to everything else,” said Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, president of the Washington Teachers’ Union. “The Washington Teachers’ Union is committed to promoting literacy as a real solution to improving academic achievement, so that children can thrive and be productive citizens. Our teachers have persevered on this and other classroom issues to make sure our kids excel, despite serious challenges such as lingering learning loss and emotional effects of the pandemic.”
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About the State Board of Education
The D.C. State Board of Education is an independent agency within the Government of the District of Columbia. The State Board is made up of nine elected representatives, one representing each of the district's wards, and one representing D.C. at large. There are also four appointed student representatives. The State Board advises the Office of the State Superintendent on education matters, sets academic standards and graduation requirements, and oversees the Office of Ombudsman and the Office of the Student Advocate.