It is that time of year where school communities are marching to the end of this year and planning for all they need next year.

Last year, many schools started to tackle COVID response with pre-pandemic budgets. This year, now that more dollars are available through the American Rescue Plan, we have the opportunity to resource our schools to serve all kids. If you agree we should fully fund our futures. Please sign the petition below.

Another end of the school year practice we have gotten used to (kinda), is taking the PARCC exam. PARCC is not canceled…yet and may not be canceled at all. That is up to the US Department of Education. OSSE is submitting a waiver to request students not take the PARCC and that it not be used for accountability for this year. They want and need your feedback. The deadline to submit comments for the PARCC Waiver is April 2nd.

As always, please reach out and share your experiences, concerns, and solutions with me. I can be reached at eboni-rose.thompson@dc.gov.

Yours In Service,

Fully Fund Our Futures

Our students and schools need and deserve MORE resources (not fewer) to recover from the pandemic. I join the Ward 7 Education Council along with school communities across DC to demand that DC maintain current staffing levels at all DCPS schools and increase funding in schools serving students most impacted by COVID-19.

Sign to Support Schools

SBOE March Public Meeting Recap

Board Unanimously Approves Ceremonial Resolutions Recognizing:

*CR21-3 National Women’s History Month
*CR21-4 Music in Schools Month
*CR21-5 Social Workers Month
*CR21-6 Nannie Helen Burroughs

To testify at our next public meeting or see past meetings visit here.

In January 2020, the DCSBOE surveyed over 1,000 public-school teachers in an effort to understand their thoughts & experiences during virtual teaching, their perceptions of their student’s success in virtual learning.

Some Highlights

Over 43% of teachers reported that they have considered leaving the profession as a result of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A majority of teachers surveyed reported that they do not believe in the fairness and credibility of teacher evaluations for the 2020-21 school year.
Over 75% of teachers reported that they are either slightly or very concerned about returning to in-person teaching.

Full Report

Letter to the DC Public Charter School Board on New Charter Applications

I joined my Ward 8 colleague, Dr. Carlene Reid, in responding to the two new charter applications looking to locate in Ward 7. Our planning-opening, closing, & siting of schools-must be driven by community needs & priorities if we want success for all DC students.

As a Ward 7 community, we have consistently outlined the following priorities for school planning:

Addressing the opening, closing, and siting of schools: Providing a citywide, cross-sector process that is meaningful, transparent, and responsible that governs the opening, closing and siting of schools. Every challenge we face as a city flows from this source.
The continued investment in and improvement of our existing schools.
Building toward a logical and predictable education path from preschool through high school. That requires investment in our feeder pathways.

At this time, I cannot recommend the approval of these applications as they do not meet our community priorities for school planning, nor are they additive or complimentary to the education landscape of Ward 7.

Full Letter

Education Testimony @ DC Council

My Testimony at the March 9th Education Performance Oversight Hearing

Stop AAPI Hate

“All of us have a role to step up. And it’s not just about this one particular kind of discrimination. It’s any injustice,” -Allister Chang, Ward 2 State Board Representative

The just released Stop Asian American and Pacific Islanders Hate report – which collected data from March of 2020 to late February 2021 – recorded 3795 incidents of hate directed at Asian Americans.

What’s Happening in Ward 7

Ward 7 Education Council Elections

Elections are coming!
During the virtual April General Body Meeting (April 1st @ 6:30p), W7EC will be hosting a conversation on school budgets & holding elections via the electronic platform Election Buddy. Candidate statements are available here.

For more information on how to participate in elections visit here.

Contact ward7ed@yahoo.com for meeting login information.

Fletcher Johnson Taskforce Community Clean Up

Spring Break Camps

Resources

COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Registration

To pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccination, please fill in the required questionnaire so that DC Health can gather information regarding your readiness for a COVID-19 vaccination. Once you have registered, DC Health will contact you when it is time for you to book your vaccination appointment. You will need to provide the following details:

For Vaccination Registration, Click here.
For more information on the COVID-19 Vaccine, click here.
For frequently asked question and answer (Q&A) about the vaccine, click here.
COVID-19 Fact Sheet, click here.
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19): Guidance for Pet Owners, click here.
For general COVID-19 updates, click here.
For Ward 7 Specific Resources follow Ward 7 COVID Response Team, click here.