It’s hard to believe that my time with the State Board is coming to a close – it feels like yesterday I was meeting the team for the first time as we reorganized the office, which had been closed for over a year due to Covid-19. Since then, the Board has undergone many changes, from personnel to the 5th floor’s makeover. I have enjoyed each day working at the State Board, whether it be in-person or communicating over Slack-mojis and GIFs. As I reflect on my favorite moments, I am also excited for all the great work that lies ahead. 3. Attending Local Events During my year as a policy fellow in ..read more

It has been an incredible honor and an incredible learning experience to have served on the D.C. State Board of Education over these past four years—three of them through the pandemic. I appreciate the opportunity to share some highlights in this farewell. In my first year on the State Board, I helped start the Ward 1 Education Council. The timing couldn’t have been more pressing, as 2019 was bookended by contentious fights around the closure of two Ward 1 schools, as well as the struggle over the Mayor’s decision to move Banneker High School to a space that was in the City Comprehensive Plan ..read more

When I joined the State Board eight years ago, the State Board itself was just eight years old! It had been rightly and urgently focused on initial tasks, like getting the city’s first academic standards written and approved. It was not really an arena for elevating issues and voices. Under our rules at the time, if public witnesses testified at State Board meetings, members couldn’t engage with questions or comments! State Board business was almost entirely limited to areas in which it had explicit statutory authority to approve new Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) propo ..read more

As my time ends on the D.C. State Board of Education, I am proud to reflect on the tremendous impact the State Board has had on the D.C. education landscape in recent years. In my first year on the State Board, I authored a resolution calling on more robust support for students with learning disabilities, and since, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) launched a virtual resource hub and is now preparing a brick-and-mortar location. I was proud to serve as a member of the Social Studies Committee and support the State Board’s work updating our social studies standards for ..read more

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve my neighbors, the students, and the schools of Ward 6 for the past four years. Being trusted by my colleagues to serve as State Board President for the last year of the term was the icing on the cake of a wonderful experience of public service. As a member, I am deeply proud of our work as a State Board and with our partners at OSSE to revise the D.C. Social Studies Standards to ensure that all students in the District have access to knowledge and skills that are up-to-date and can serve as windows and mirrors for them to learn about the world and t ..read more

By Lauren Dunphy-Kinne, Policy Fellow The National Education Association (NEA) hosted a panel discussion to examine the influence that advocacy efforts can have on policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and how they play out for students and teachers in the classroom. The panelists included: Murshed Zaheed (moderator), Founder, Pacifica Strategies Ronnie Lau, Federal Lobbyist, National Education Association Dr. Heather Shotton, Vice President of Diversity Affairs, Fort Lewis College Amanda Meyer, Director of Improvement, CORE Districts and Independent Contractor Desiree C ..read more

A year ago I was gearing up to start my Policy Fellowship at the D.C. State Board of Education. As with most new opportunities I felt waves of excitement followed by small pits of nervousness. Today is my last day with the State Board, and similar feelings are coming up as I think about the transition to my new position as an Instructional Aide for a moderate/severe special education classroom. This blog is a reflection of my one year at the State Board, but it’s also a letter to incoming Policy Fellows who may be wondering what to expect.  This fellowship was one of my most transformativ ..read more

It has been an incredible honor and an incredible learning experience to have served on the D.C. State Board of Education over these past four years—three of them through the pandemic. I appreciate the opportunity to share some highlights in this farewell. In my first year on the State Board, I helped start the Ward 1 Education Council. The timing couldn’t have been more pressing, as 2019 was bookended by contentious fights around the closure of two Ward 1 schools, as well as the struggle over the Mayor’s decision to move Banneker High School to a space that was in the City Comprehensive Plan ..read more

By John-Paul Hayworth, Executive Director Residents of the District of Columbia: I have been honored to serve you as the Executive Director of the D.C. State Board of Education for the past seven years. Today, I am announcing my departure from the agency, effective on Friday, June 10, 2022. Over the past seven years, I have been challenged to do more, be better and work harder every day on your behalf. I am deeply grateful for the trust put in me by the State Board of Education and, by extension, you. Thank you very much. I am very proud of the work the State Board has accomplished in my tenur ..read more

When I joined the State Board eight years ago, the State Board itself was just eight years old! It had been rightly and urgently focused on initial tasks, like getting the city’s first academic standards written and approved. It was not really an arena for elevating issues and voices. Under our rules at the time, if public witnesses testified at State Board meetings, members couldn’t engage with questions or comments! State Board business was almost entirely limited to areas in which it had explicit statutory authority to approve new Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) propo ..read more