Washington, DC—The DC State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its monthly public working session on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at 5:00 pm. As the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak continues to spread globally, the State Board is taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our members, staff, and public. Therefore, this meeting will be held as a video web conference.
The State Board will provide updated information on the District’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. On April 15, 2020, Mayor Bowser extended the state of emergency and public health emergency for Washington, DC through May 15, 2020, as the District continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). DCPS schools end the 2019–20 school year on May 29, 2020, and DC public charter schools have been encouraged to end on or around this date, as well. For the most up-to-date information on the District’s COVID-19 response, please visit https://coronavirus.dc.gov.
The State Board committees will also provide updates on their work during the Working Session. The State Board uses committees to streamline its work so that all members have an opportunity to participate in the various workflows of the State Board.
The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) provides the State Board with direct input of students from high schools across the District. Students also prepare a report each year for the State Board on important issues they see in the District’s education system. The next meeting of the Student Advisory Committee will be on May 4 from 4:30-6:00pm.
The Teacher Retention Committee submitted to the State Board a report compiled from a survey of departed teachers in March 2020. The State Board adopted the report on April 20, 2020 at its public meeting. The report shows that of the teachers surveyed, a majority left classrooms before they intended to due to concerns about teacher evaluations and the quality of the school environment. The Teacher Retention Committee will next meet onMay 5 from 11:00am-noon.
The Social Studies Standards Committee is the coordinating group for the State Board’s portion of the review and revision of the District’s statewide social studies standards. The standards were last reviewed over a decade ago. The State Board has partnered with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) for this substantive work. The Social Studies Standards Committee will next meet on May 13 from 11:00am-12:30pm.
The Well-Rounded Education Committee is tasked with exploring the depth and breadth of education that students receive in the District, especially in science, social studies, and the arts. They will be meeting on Friday, May 1 at 9:30-11:00am to discuss revisions to the State Board’s Equity Statement and discuss next steps for the committee’s work.
The Research Committee’s focus is on developing new and innovative research related to the District’s education landscape. This includes working with external research partners and other District agencies to delve into data to help inform decision making. The Research Committee will next meet on May 13 from 2:00-3:30pm.
While working sessions are open to the public, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate. Individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony for consideration by the State Board at any time. Written testimony must be submitted by email ([email protected]) at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting, in order to be included in the official record. Materials received after that time will be included in the next official meeting record. To review the agenda, submitted testimony, and presentations, please visit the SBOE meeting documents site.
Working Session Agenda
Please note that the agenda may be altered, modified, or updated without notice.
I. Call to Order
II. Announcement of a Quorum
III. Leadership Report
IV. Executive Director's Report
V. COVID-19 Response and Recovery
VI. Environmental Learning Plan
VII. Committee Reports
i. Student Advisory
ii. Teacher Retention
iii. Social Studies Standards
iv. Well Rounded Education
v. Research
vi. Administrative
VII. New Business and Other Discussion
VIII. Adjournment
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.
For the latest information on the District Government’s response to COVID-19, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.
Contact: Milayo Olufemi
202-710-4641