Got a Minute or Two?
It's February '22 in Review!
Table of Contents
- Highlights
- Summary of Meetings
- Up Next: March Meetings
- Constituent Feedback Form
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- About the D.C. State Board of Education
Highlights
We're excited to announce our new video series, in which we'll give you the highlights of our work from the past month!
Summary of Meetings
Working Session (2/2/22)
At the February working session, the State Board heard from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) on the 2022 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability Addendum. State Board leadership discussed and provided clarity on the 2022 State Board Priorities and Committees, and members provided updates on the State Board’s internal committees (i.e., Student Advisory, Administrative, Board Governance, Education Standards, Outreach and Advocacy, Teacher Practice).
Full minutes of the Working Session can be found here and the full recording can be found here.
Public Meeting (2/16/22)
At the February public meeting, the State Board first welcomed and swore in a new student representative, Nevaeh Bright, a junior within the Early College Academy at Calvin Coolidge High School. Following that, members heard from a panel of expert witnesses on school budgets, which featured:
- Mary Levy, Education Finance Analyst
- Chelsea Coffin, Director, Education Policy Initiative, DC Policy Center
- Jennifer Budoff, Director, DC Council Office of the Budget Director
- Antawan Holmes, Chair, ANC 7C
We also heard from several members of the public, who shared testimony on topics ranging from needed improvements in COVID and lice notification protocols, alternatives to the PARCC assessment, the lack of mental health resources in schools, and proposed budget priorities in education.
Afterwards, the State Board moved to the administrative portion of the public meeting. The items up for consideration were:
1. CR22-2 Recognizing National School Counseling Week
2. CR22-3 Honoring Black History Month & Black Lives Matter at School
3. CR22-4 Celebrating Digital Learning Day
4. CR22-5 Recognizing Career & Technical Education Month
5. CR22-6 Celebrating Outgoing Dr. Louise Jones of McKinley Technical Middle and High School
6. Proposed Bylaw Revisions to Articles II and V
- The changes allow student representatives to sit on the State Board’s internal committees and have their votes count in all votes taken in committee.
- Further, the Teacher Practice Committee expanded its scope to also focus on statewide structures of support for improvement for LEAs and schools, and so it has been renamed to the Teacher Practice and School Supports Committee.
- The State Board’s bylaws can be viewed here.
7. SR22-2 Amendment to Establishment of Committees
- SR22-2 updated the State Board’s committee assignments. Some of the changes include:
- The Education Standards Committee welcomed Representative Allister Chang as its new chair and Representative Liv Birnstad as its newest member.
- The Outreach and Advocacy Committee welcomed Representative Skye-Ali Johnson as its newest member.
- The Assessment and Accountability Committee welcomed Representative Emily Gasoi to serve as the committee’s co-chair alongside Representative Jacque Patterson.
- See the full set of committee responsibilities and assignments on our website here.
All resolutions were adopted. You can find all of the State Board’s signed resolutions on our website here. You can watch the public meeting (with timestamps in the description of the video) on our YouTube channel here.
Committee Meetings
In February, the following committees convened: Student Advisory, Administrative, Teacher Practice and School Supports, Outreach and Advocacy, Accountability and Assessment, and Education Standards.
Student Advisory (2/7/22 and 2/28/22)
The Student Advisory Committee met on February 7 to finalize their city-wide survey, which will be issued to high school students in D.C. to capture their thoughts on topics like mental health, safe passage, and COVID-19 safety in schools. We are pleased to report that their survey went live on the 24th, so please help share this survey widely! The survey is available in English and Spanish. The Committee met on the 28th as well to discuss potentially leading a session on student voice at the 2022 Aurora Symposium and their plans for a youth vaccination initiative.
Survey in English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SACCITYWIDESURVEY
Survey in Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SACSPANISH
Teacher Practice and School Support (2/3/22 and 2/11/22)
The Teacher Practice and School Support Committee met twice in February to hear from four educator preparation providers (EPPs)—UDC, Georgetown, Howard, and American—about their respective versions of grow-your-own programs and diversifying the teacher pipeline initiatives.
The minutes from 2/3 can be found here and the recording can be found here. The minutes from 2/11 can be found here and the recording can be found here.
Outreach and Advocacy (2/18/22)
The Outreach and Advocacy Committee met to review testimony from the February public meeting and to discuss plans for the committee’s work plan, which includes planning for the State Board’s future Family and Parent Advisory Council.
Watch the full committee meeting here.
Accountability and Assessment (2/22/22)
The Accountability and Assessment Committee met to discuss the State Board’s public comment letter on the 2022 ESSA Accountability Addendum, the use of and additions to an accountability research chart, which provides members with examples of how other states and school districts implement their respective school accountability systems and frameworks, and strategies for keeping stakeholders engaged with updates and work related to the STAR Framework.
Read the full set of minutes here. Watch the full committee meeting here.
Education Standards (2/23/22)
The Education Standards Committee met to discuss updates to the social studies standards revision process and literacy standards, and plans for developing a formalized process for reviewing and revising state academic standards.
Regarding the social studies standards updates, the work is currently with OSSE’s Technical Writing Committee (TWC) and the new contractor, Opportunity Consulting. A final draft of the standards will be transmitted from the TWC to OSSE by March 16. The public release and comment period would follow by the end of March, and then approval would likely occur at the State Board’s July Public Meeting before the socialization of the new standards later this year with LEAs. Jessica said it is her understanding that OSSE will use a 2-year rollout with the new standards officially in place by school year 2023–24. Regarding standardizing a process for statewide standards review and revision, the Committee agreed to have Representative Birnstad lead this work to place student voice at the forefront. Representative Birnstad and Senior Policy Analyst Alex Jue will work on convening a 90-minute panel for the Committee on how student voice can be incorporated into the standard revision process.
Read the full set of minutes here. Watch the full committee meeting here.
Administrative (2/23/22)
The Administrative Committee met to hear updates from the State Board’s sister offices, the Office of the Student Advocate and the Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education, and to discuss plans for an equity audit tool, the agency’s budget, and resuming in-person meetings for future working sessions.
Up Next: March Meetings
Here is our current set of scheduled meetings for March:
-
3/2 Working Session at 5 pm
-
3/14 Student Advisory at 6 pm
-
3/16 Public Meeting at 5:30 pm
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3/17 Accountability and Assessment at 4:30 pm
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3/18 Outreach and Advocacy at 10 am
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3/23 Education Standards at 5pm
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3/28 Student Advisory at 6pm
Be sure to check out our meeting calendar for the most up-to-date information about our meetings and each meeting's Zoom or YouTube livestream link.
Constituent Feedback Form
It is our goal to advocate for resources and solutions related to issues that are important to students, educators, and families. The State Board will collect data on a regular basis to help inform our advocacy.
We invite you to describe your experience in as much detail as you are willing to share. Your responses will not be shared publicly without your permission, and you also have the option of responding anonymously. Your responses will help the State Board craft practical and tactical recommendations to council members and education decision makers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where can I find the State Board's meeting materials?
Agendas, meeting documents, testimony, reports and resolutions to be considered for all working sessions and public meetings after April 1, 2015 can be on our information sharing website, Simbli. We publish our official documents, like adopted resolutions and reports, letters, and statements, on our website here.
How do I sign up for a public meeting?
There are 3 ways you can sign up: 1) Online form 2) Email ([email protected]) 3) Phone (202-741-0888)
We ask that you provide us with your name, email address, and subject of your testimony. You must sign up no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Written testimony may be submitted at any time to [email protected]. Learn more about our meetings here.
Who is my representative and how do I get in contact with them?
Your representative is based on the ward you live in. If you are unsure which ward you live in, you can use this tool from the Office of Planning to find out! We list each representative and their contact information on our website. Click on your representative's bio to find their email, phone number, and Twitter handle.
How do I join the Student Advisory Committee (SAC)?
If you are a rising sophomore, junior, or senior and are interested in joining the Student Advisory Committee, contact us at [email protected]. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis! You can learn more about the SAC's work here.
About the D.C. State Board of Education
The D.C. 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 made up of nine elected representatives, each representing their respective wards, with one member representing DC at large, and four 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 State Board can be found at sboe.dc.gov.
The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education serves as an external, impartial resource for current and prospective public-school students and their parents or guardians in the resolution of complaints and concerns regarding public education in a way that furthers the students’ best interest. The Ombudsman’s Office uses conflict resolution strategies, including coaching, facilitation, and mediation, to assist families and schools experiencing disagreement or conflict. More information about the Office of the Ombudsman can be found at educationombudsman.dc.gov.
The Office of the Student Advocate supports students, parents, and families in their advocacy through parent education, one-on-one coaching, resource supports, and trainings in order to amplify the voices of families and communities in processes and decision-making; to provide avenues for access to resources and understanding systems; and to support power families and communities already possess. Contact the Office of the Student Advocate Monday through Friday at (202) 741-4692 for questions or support with charter and neighborhood schools. More information about the Office of the Student Advocate can be found at studentadvocate.dc.gov.
For the latest information on the District Government’s response to COVID-19, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.