11 minute read
Education
Newly Elected State Board Officials Set Out to Better Represent Teachers and Families
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
In the recent election, four State Board seats were up for grabs. The victors in those electoral contests garnered the support of teachers and parents who felt left out in conversations about their neighborhood schools.
In Wards 1 and 6, community members who flocked to the polls were concerned about improving the quality of their middle and high schools. They also expressed a desire for more permanent safety and mental health resources that parents and students demanded during the pandemic.
For Ward 6 State Board of Education (SBOE) Member-Elect Brandon Best, forming an SBOE parent-and-teacher council is the ideal means of accomplishing that goal. He said he would do that within the first few months of his term.
“In order for us to get a holistic and well-rounded understanding of what’s going on, we need to connect with our teachers and parents. This will help us make more informed decisions based on the experiences of our communities,” said Best, an educator and administrator of nearly 20 years.
On November 8, Best defeated Joshua Wiley, a vice principal at Whittier Education Campus in Northwest. Wiley announced his candidacy after the passage of D.C. Council legislation allowing public school teachers to serve on the State Board.
On the campaign trail, Best touted his experience shaping Safe Passage legislation, securing meals for families during the pandemic, and increasing schools’ communication with parents and community members.
When he enters his seat in the new year, Best will succeed Jessica Sutter, current Ward 6 SBOE representative and president.
As a State Board member, Best wants to ensure that the Office of the State Superintendent moves forward with adjustments to the STAR rating system his colleagues proposed. Other priorities include upgrades to facilities. Accomplishing these goals, he said, requires authentic parent and teacher engagement.
“I want to make sure the decisions we make are rooted in firsthand experiences from teachers, parents and students,” Best said.
“A lot of schools realized [during the pandemic] that when families are engaged, our students do better. The challenge is not going back to the status quo and [figuring out] how we meet parents where they are instead of going to business as usual.”
SBOE, an independent agency, consists of three separate offices: the State Board, the Office of the Student Advocate, and the D.C. Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education.
In the era of mayoral control, SBOE no longer has control over the daily management of D.C. Public Schools. Instead, State Board members collaborate with community members to advise State Superintendent Christina Grant on education policies and standards. They do so, in part, by hosting monthly meetings, developing resolutions and testifying before the D.C. Council.
Ben Williams has advocated for measures to retain District teachers in his role as an educator and policy fellow with the local nonprofit EmpowerEd. He also counted among many people in the Dis-
5 State Board of Education (SBOE) Member-Elect Brandon Best trict who’ve called for more mental health investments and an expansion of Safe Passage programs.
On November 8, Williams garnered 98.25 percent of the vote to become Ward 1 SBOE representative-elect. This milestone comes on the cusp of a more-than-a-decade career in education. During his campaign, William tapped into his experiences at Two Rivers Public Charter School in Northeast and Capital City Public Charter School in Northwest, where he currently teaches A.P. Government and D.C. History.
When he enters his seat in the new year, Williams will succeed Emily Gasoi.
As he looks forward to a new chapter in his activism, Williams wants to amplify parents’ voices on the State Board. He revealed plans to collaborate with other District agencies and groups to not only attract grassroots support for resolutions that he and his colleagues shape but develop policies that truly reflect a wide range of perspectives within the community.
“We need to empower and listen to PTAs and Local School Advisory Teams to make sure we’re acting on the ideas that will be best for parents and families,” Williams said.
“In particular, we need to craft partnerships to make sure we’re intentionally trying to listen to all parents, and not just those who are active, including parents with language barriers, to make sure their needs are being addressed as well.”
Part II of this article will feature Eric Goulet and Robert Henderson, who were recently elected to represent Ward 3 and Ward 5 on the State Board, respectively.
WI @SamPKCollins
EDUCATION
Bowser and Grant Celebrate Record D.C. School Enrollment
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
Enrollment in District public and public charter schools has reached record levels, according to preliminary, unaudited figures collected by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
On Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) celebrated this milestone at Trinity Washington University in Northeast, where nearly 100 public and public charter school students are currently taking college-level courses in the Advanced Technical Center.
A headcount conducted earlier in the school year showed that 96,000 students had been enrolled in District schools. That number included nearly 50,000 District public school students. Bowser described these figures as the highest recorded since the audit started 15 years ago.
“We’re proud that families are sending kids to our public schools. We’re proud of DC Public Schools for posting this number,” Bowser said.
“Give a round of applause to our public education members [who] talk to our families and educate our families about what’s happening in our buildings, and all the adults that are there and the challenging programs they’re delivering each and every day.”
OSSE will release the audited numbers in early 2023.
The DC Policy Center released a study earlier this year that highlighted declining pre-school and elementary school enrollment in the pre-pandemic years. This had especially been the case among Black families living east of the Anacostia River, supposedly because of gaps in access to early childhood education centers.
When schools opened in August, Bowser hinted at the uptick in enrollment. She and State Superintendent Christina Grant also made the rounds promoting its advanced internship program where high school students can earn a stipend and college credit exploring various careers.
Within that same time, the duo announced the launch of the Advanced Technical Center, where 96 students from high schools across the city currently take courses in cybersecurity, healthcare information technology, and nursing.
Five days a week throughout the school year, these public and public charter school students leave their high schools, either in the morning or afternoon, and take classes at Trinity Washington University. After class, taxis take students to school or home.
Within two years, they can earn four high school credits and up to 20 college credits.
Next year, the Advanced Technical Center will move to its new home at the Penn Center in Northeast. For the time being, students continue to immerse themselves in an authentic college experience -- for free.
“My classmates and I all have different paths but we have the same objective,” said Teresa Jimenez, an 11th grader at Jackson-Reed High School in Northwest.
Teresa is currently taking healthcare IT classes at the Advanced Technical Center.
“This program fits into my career goals with networking [opportunities] and support. I feel like a university student. I have more responsibilities. It’s not childlike here. I have matured as a young adult.” WI @SamPKCollins
5Zaicoria McLean, a 9th grader at Bell Multicultural High School presents a project she worked on with Laylah Malloy and Teresa Jimenez, 11th graders at Jackson Reed High School to Mayor Bowser and Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Christina Grant, at the District’s Advanced Technical Center at Trinity Washington University in Northeast on Nov. 14. (Shevry Lassiter/The Washington Informer)
Vacuum Leaf Collection Program
How to Prepare for Leaf Vacuum Collection:
• Check the DPW website to confirm your area’s leaf collection dates;
• Move vehicles from curb lanes to help ease the leaf vacuum collection process;
• Rake leaves to the curbside or tree box at the front of the residence the Sunday before the scheduled leaf collection date;
• Remove all cans, bottles, sticks, toys and debris from your piles of leaves—these items can damage equipment and prevent safe and proper collection
For more information, please visit dpw.dc.gov/service/leaf-collection.
5Lee Montessori Public Charter School
Sam P.K. Collins WI Staff Writer
For months, residents of Randle Heights in Southeast have appealed to the D.C. Office of Zoning to reclassify public charter schools as private schools in its regulations.
This endeavor comes at a time when residents continue to speak out against Lee Montessori Public Charter School's plans to expand its East End campus, portions of which neighbors charge have already encroached on their properties.
Residents said that because of its zoning classification as a public school, Lee Montessori leased the plot of land at 2345 R Street SE from Eagle Academy Public Charter School and proceeded to enhance the building without properly consulting with them.
In October, the D.C. Office of Zoning denied Randle Heights residents’ appeal to reclassify public charter schools as private schools. The zoning board’s rationale centered on the assertion that charter schools functioned as public institutions.
Key organizers have since countered that ruling, saying that the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) and District's public charter schools have independent boards that allow them to function as private institutions, and should be designated as such. "I see all the time when people talk about charter schools like they’re not public schools, and even the charter schools try to distance themselves from DC Public Schools when it’s convenient," said Camille Joyner, a Randle Heights resident of eight years.
If the zoning board reclassifies Lee Montessori as a private school, it along with Eagle Academy and other public charter schools would be required to engage residents in surrounding communities about ongoing construction projects taking place on private property.
While Joyner acknowledged that Lee Montessori hosted engagement meetings last fall, she said leadership hasn't been explicit about their plans to expand the school, nor have they rectified the fallout from a change Eagle Academy made to the neighborhood.
Shortly after occupying 2345 R Street SE, Eagle Academy removed a tree line. Joyner said that Lee Montessori didn’t follow through on assurances that they would erect a fence in place of the tree line so that a border clearly divided the property and surrounding homes.
What residents saw instead were walls of gabion -- steel and mesh boxes filled with rocks and concrete. That scenario, Joyner said, further highlighted the need for community involvement in the construction and expansion of Lee Montessori. "We want them to follow the same rules private schools would when they’re building in our community," Joyner said.
Over the last few years, residents in Wards 7 and 8 have pointed out the increasing presence of charter schools, and other neighborhood schools, in their communities. When DCPCSB released its strategic roadmap last year, officials announced that new District public charter schools wouldn’t open until 2024.
The East End campus of Lee Montessori opened in the fall of 2020. This happened after the charter board and other agencies approved its lease with
ZONING Page 52
EDUCATION
Faith And Health Leaders Working to Protect The Health Of Our Community During This Holiday Season
Submitted by LCHC
The Leadership Council for Healthy Communities (LCHC) invites you to a superb faith and holiday health event—The Hope and Wellness Summit!
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 1PM - 6PM Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church 4611 Sheriff Rd NE Washington, DC 20019
Along with Choose Healthy Life, the co-sponsor of this wonderful event, we will give away turkeys; teach healthy holiday meal preparation; provide health screenings; and offer free COVID vaccinations. Local health experts will bring you a phenomenal educational session focusing on diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and COVID. What’s more, we will provide a rich spiritual menu for your soul with gospel performances. All of this at no cost to our community!
LCHC is made up of a group of more than 40 DC churches. We are dedicated to transforming the health of our community through the power of faith and engagement. To bring this spectacular event to the community, we also are partnering with the Black 5 There will be a Covid Friendly Turkey Giveaway Coalition Against COVID and other health providers.
As pastors and leaders of LCHC, we recognize and accept our responsibility to protect the spiritual and physical health of our community. We are motivated in this event by our understanding of the serious consequences of increasing levels of diabetes and obesity in our congregations and in the larger DC community. We are also especially concerned with the predictions of another COVID winter surge as new variants of the virus make their way to our city and as people begin to congregate together indoors in response to the colder weather. We urge everyone, but especially our seniors and those who are immunocompromised, to take advantage of the free vaccinations provided at our event. We want our congregations to be able to gather in church safely and have safe home holiday gatherings during this celebratory season. Let us be sure not to give the gift of COVID this holiday season! We look forward to seeing you on November 22nd and we pray that each one of you has a healthy and spiritually uplifting holiday season! For more information, visit hopeandwellness.eventbrite.com.
5 Special performance by the stellar, award-winning gospel artist, Y’Anna Crawley
