Contact:
Paul Negron, Public Affairs Specialist
(202) 741-0888
Washington, DC - The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its monthly public meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, at 5:30 pm in the Old Council Chambers at 441 Fourth St. NW. During this meeting, SBOE members will consider a staff report summarizing public recommendations related to teacher and principal retention. The SBOE will vote to appoint Ms. Serena Hayes as the new Ombudsman for Public Education. The SBOE will also recognize Maisha Riddlesprigger as the DCPS Principal of the Year and honor National School Choice Week, held January 20 through 26, 2019. 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.
State Board members will consider prospective recommendations related to its work on teacher and principal retention. The public forum held this past November identified potential solutions to issues that both the traditional and public charter sectors are facing. After synthesizing community feedback and input, the State Board staff has consolidated the recommendations into a report. If adopted by the State Board, it will serve as a foundation for further work in the coming months.
The State Board will appoint Serena Hayes as the next Ombudsman for Public Education after a national search. Ms. Hayes, a graduate of Washington and Lee University and Howard University School of Law, is a certified mediator who has extensive experience in the District of Columbia. State Board President Karen Williams (Ward 7) noted that Hayes’ expertise would serve well in Ombudsman’s vital role in highlighting trends that affect thousands of families. “Ms. Hayes brings a wealth of direct experience with families in crisis,” said Williams. “Her work as a neutral third-party to find resolutions will be of great benefit to our students.”
The State Board will also vote on adoption of its annual report. In 2018, the SBOE continued to expand its footprint in education policy development here in the District by building stronger partnerships with families and students, providing unvarnished and vital research on education issues, and by expanding the breadth and depth of community involvement in state-level education policy.
Additionally, State Board members will hear an expert panel highlight ways to develop a District student profile and methods for identifying basic skills and knowledge needed to succeed in school. The SBOE welcomes Dr. Erin Bibo, Deputy Chief, College & Career Programs at DC Public Schools (DCPS); Sanjay Mitchell, Director of College & Alumni Programs, Thurgood Marshall Academy; Kim R. Ford, Consultant, Jobs For the Future; and Don Long, an education policy advocate.
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. Leadership Elections
IV. Approval of the Agenda
V. Approval of the Minutes
VI. Comments from the President of the DC State Board of Education
VII. Comments from the State Superintendent of Education
VIII. Public Comment
IX. Administrative Items (VOTE)
i. Annual Report
ii. Bylaws Update
iii. Teacher & Principal Retention Report
X. Ceremonial Resolutions (VOTE)
XI. Resolutions (VOTE)
XII. Portrait of a Student
XIII. 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.
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.