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sboe

SBOE
 

Meeting Information

Directory

 

Types of State Board Meetings

Meeting Date and Time Location Details
Working Sessions First Wednesday of every month at 5 p.m. Live streamed at https://youtube.com/DCSBOE While working sessions are open to the public, individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate. However, individuals and representatives of organizations may submit written testimony for consideration by the Board. Written testimony must be submitted by email at [email protected] at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
Public Meetings Third Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.

441 4th St. NW, Old Council Chambers, Washington, DC 20001
Televised on the District Knowledge Network.

 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 email ([email protected]) or by form no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Written testimony may be submitted at any time to [email protected]. 
Committee Meetings See the State Board's Events Calendar for dates and times.

Virtual; See the State Board's Events Calendar for each meeting's log-in information.

 Committee meetings are an opportunity for members to discuss key issues and focus areas that the State Board has identified as priorities for the year. Learn more about Committee Assignments here. Committee meetings are open to the public, but individuals and representatives of organizations are not permitted to speak or participate.

Sign up to testify at upcoming public meetings

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 form no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. We also accept sign-ups via phone at (202) 741-0888.

Written testimony may be submitted at any time to [email protected]. Individuals are asked to furnish their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation, if any. 

NOTE: If you are having trouble accessing the form below, it can be opened here.

 

Find SBOE Meeting Materials

The State Board publicly shares all materials that are considered at its meetings, such as agendas, testimony, presentations, and resolutions. They can be found in the following locations:

  • From January 2023 and onwards, meeting documents can be found on the State Board's Dropbox page, which can be opened here, or accessed below. 
  • All officially adopted materials (those that receive a majority vote at a State Board public meeting) can be found on the State Board's website.

 

test

 

How to Testify at a Public Meeting and What to Expect

What is the purpose of testifying at a State Board public meeting?

Is there an education-related issue that you would like to elevate? What changes would you like to see in the District’s education system? As a body of elected representatives, we are here to listen to your thoughts and concerns. At our monthly public meetings, we dedicate a portion of our meeting to receiving testimony and engaging with the public.

How do I testify?

There are four (4) steps to testify before the State Board: 1) Sign up, 2) Prepare your testimony, 3) Send us your testimony, 4) Attend and testify. Continue reading below for more information on each step.

Sign up

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 State Board staff in advance by phone at (202) 741-0888, email ([email protected]), or by our online form no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

Written testimony may be submitted at any time to [email protected]. Individuals are asked to furnish their names, email addresses, organizational affiliation if any, and subject of testimony.

Tips for Writing Your Testimony

Time limit: If you plan on testifying live at a State Board public meeting, there is a strict time limit of three (3) minutes per witness. However, there is no length limit for written testimony, so you may plan to have a shorter live testimony and a longer, more detailed written statement. You may also submit supplemental materials in the form of PDFs, slide decks, and more. It can be helpful to practice your testimony and time yourself to see whether your prepared statement falls under three minutes.

Content: Testifying can be a nerve-wracking experience and it can be difficult to know where to start! However, we have listed a few tips to help you begin to craft your testimony:

  • Beginning your testimony can be as simple as stating your name and the ward you live in. You can provide more information such as whether you are a student, parent, teacher, researcher, community member, etc., the school you or your child attends, whether you are testifying on behalf of a group or organization, and more. Example: Good evening, my name is Isabella Johnson and I am a Ward 5 resident. My children go to school at Brookland Middle School.

  • What are you testifying about? Is it an issue at your or your child’s school? Is it a system-level and/or policy issue? Your testimony can be about anything education-related, from extracurriculars to school budgets. Example: I am here tonight to testify about school-based mental health resources.

  • Now that you have established what you are testifying about, you can use the remainder of your time to provide details and discuss what changes you would like to see.

Submitting Your Testimony

Email us a copy of your testimony to [email protected]. Regarding file type, we prefer to receive .pdf files, but we also accept .doc, .docx, and .ppt file types. If possible, we request that you name your file using the following format: Year-Month-Day of Public Meeting-TESTIMONY-First Name Last Name-Subject

  • Example: 2022-01-19-TESTIMONY-Isabella Johnson-School Accountability

In Sum: What to Expect 

  • After Signing Up: You can expect a confirmation email no later than 24 business hours after signing up. 

  • 48-hours before (the Monday before the public meeting at 5:30 pm): The sign-up period will close. If you sign up after the deadline, you will receive an email stating that you did not meet the deadline and will not be able to testify live. Again, we invite you to submit written testimony instead if you do not make the deadline.

  • 24-hours before (the Tuesday before the public meeting): You will receive an email from us with the meeting logistics.

  • Day-Of: Once the meeting has reached the public comment section of the agenda, confirmed public witnesses will be called in the order of the agenda. Witnesses are usually grouped together in panels of 3–4. As noted earlier, each witness will have three (3) minutes for their testimony. After each person on the panel has spoken, the State Board members will have two minutes each for any questions or comments they might have.

Meeting Recordings and Archives

Archived Transcripts from Public Meetings

*After September 2017, SBOE stopped the transcription of public meetings.