Jessica Giles
Executive Director
D.C. Chapter of ERN affiliate Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Hearing on:
B26-0062 – Board of Trustees Training Amendment Act of 2025

Greetings, Chairman Mendelson, Councilmembers, and staff. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a resident of ward seven and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), a non-profit organization advocating for a just and equitable public education system for all D.C. students. Although the perspective expressed in this testimony is within my professional capacity at ERNA, I am also on the board of trustees of a public charter school in the District of Columbia. I am pleased to testify in support of B26-0062, the Board of Trustees Training Amendment Act of 2025.

Since their inception nearly 30 years ago, public charter schools in D.C. have expanded educational opportunities for families, providing a high-quality alternative to the traditional public school system. In the 2023-24 school year, public charter schools educated 46,358 students, nearly half of all public school students in the District. These 134 schools managed by 68 independently run nonprofit organizations are tuition-free, open to all, public, and operate with increased autonomy in exchange for rigorous accountability. As such, we must ensure that all public schools—both charter and traditional—are held to the highest standards of excellence.

Public charter school board members play an essential role in ensuring the academic, financial, and operational health of their schools. A board that is engaged, informed, and well-structured is best positioned to uphold the commitments outlined in a school’s charter and ensure that all students receive a high-quality education.

An effective board starts with selecting the right members—individuals who bring the necessary expertise and a deep commitment to the school’s mission. As board members cycle off, it is critical to quickly replace them with members who are committed to strengthening governance and oversight. Given that board members have diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, it is imperative that they are trained in the following:

Serving on a public charter school board requires significant time, dedication, and a commitment to continuous learning. Board members must be knowledgeable about the academic, financial, and organizational history of their school(s), responsibilities, and actions they should take when certain situations occur. They also must be proactive in setting strategic goals and ensuring that the schools they oversee remain focused on student success. This work is demanding and requires a deep sense of responsibility, yet board members serve as volunteers.

Any legislation that the D.C. Council moves forward should give board members the flexibility to take advantage of high-quality and relevant trainings at any time and to avoid creating barriers that might discourage dedicated and capable leaders from stepping up to serve.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I welcome any questions you may have.

[1] Board on Track. Recommended Charter Board Policies.

https://bot-support.transact.com/hc/en-us/articles/29931982645787-Recommended-Charter-Board-Policies

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy


Good evening, Executive Director Butler, State Board Representatives, Student Representatives, and staff. My name is Jessica Giles. I am a resident of Ward 7 and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization advocating for a just and equitable public education system for all students. Today, I am urging the State Board to vote no on SR25-6, Recommendations for Expanding State Board Authority.

Over the past few years, the State Board has been a powerful advocate for student-first policies. It has secured investments in structured literacy training, passed Seizure Safe Schools legislation, and approved menstrual health, financial literacy, and social-emotional learning standards. The Board also took the lead in addressing math instruction, calling for a math task force to strengthen student learning. This progress should be applauded and continued.

However, SR25-6 is the wrong approach. We oppose this proposal for three key reasons:

  1. Misplaced Priorities Amid a Financial Crisis

The District is facing an unprecedented financial crisis. The Department of Education’s budget has been cut in half, FY2025 spending has been reduced by $1.1 billion, and revenue has fallen by a billion dollars. Further, there are ongoing federal threats to DC TAG funding and the District’s Home Rule Act.

At a time when urgent student needs remain unmet, the State Board should not focus on expanding its own authority but rather on protecting and expanding policies that directly impact student learning and success.

  1. The Board Already Has the Necessary Authority

In its performance oversight responses, the State Board acknowledged that its operations face “no statutory or regulatory impediments.” If the Board can already fulfill its responsibilities, why expand its authority? The focus should remain on ensuring state policies and academic standards prepare students for success, not on bureaucratic restructuring.

  1. Governance structures with clear lines of authority and accountability yield better outcomes for students

Effective education governance relies on clear lines of authority and accountability. Under the current structure, the State Superintendent and the Mayor’s office have executive authority, allowing for nimble, student-centered policymaking. Expanding the Board’s authority risks slowing decision-making and introducing political uncertainty, given its shifting leadership every year.

Position on Proposed Recommendations

We oppose the majority of these recommendations:

Expanding the Board’s authority would not improve student outcomes; it would only introduce more bureaucracy, uncertainty, and delays. We urge the State Board to remain focused on advancing student-first policymaking and reject SR25-6.

Thank you for your time.

Understanding the Relationship Between Funding and Educational Outcomes

Money-Matters-Fact-Sheet-V1Download

On March 11, 2025, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it had “initiated a reduction in force impacting nearly 50% of the Department’s workforce.” Put more plainly, the Secretary of Education notified 1,315 of her employees that they “will be placed on administrative leave” next week, which will likely lead to their termination, on top of the nearly 600 employees who resigned in the past two months.

Those public servants are experiencing the most immediate impact and harm from this action, but the effects of this drastic reduction in the size of the department will be felt by students, families, and educators across the country. Thanks to a now-former ED employee who shared a list of union employees who were notified yesterday, we have a fairly clear picture of the Trump administration’s target. You can see the list of positions that were eliminated here (n.b., errors on the list are possible. At least one person on it has identified themself as having not been notified. We will monitor this carefully.)

This chart shows a breakdown of the programs where the cuts occurred.

Federal Student Aid saw the biggest cuts in terms of numbers, but as a share of total full time employees in 2024, however, the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences took the biggest hits.

Finally, here’s a list of the 10 most eliminated roles at ED. Lawyers and analysts were heavily targeted.

Little was spared by the Secretary of Education, but the largest targets were financial aid, the science of education, and civil rights. It is very difficult to see how these cuts won’t, at the very least, lead to a significant degradation of the services provided by the Department of Education. Recall what the Government Accountability Office found last year when it looked at the launch of the so-called “Better FAFSA.” The use of outside vendors, mismanagement, and understaffing led to the late launch of the federal financial aid application, severe technical problems, and nearly 75% of customer calls to the service center went unanswered. The good news is that the FAFSA got back on its feet this fall and was running much better, but it is hard to imagine that that will continue with hundreds fewer employees.

The radical cuts to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) may not be as noticeable to ordinary Americans, but the impact will be severe if these employees are not returned to their jobs. IES is the home of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which collects and publishes invaluable data used by education researchers, policymakers, civil rights groups, advocates and others to understand the condition of education in America and how to make it better. NCES is also the home of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), sometimes called the Nation’s Report Card, because it is the most reliable assessment to track and compare academic progress across the country. This data has been vital to monitoring and scaling some of the biggest movements in education, such as Mississippi’s Science of Reading initiatives. Without the data—or the staff to collect and disseminate it—policymakers will struggle to understand what is working for students and where to demand improvements.

The elimination of nearly half the workforce at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) means that the safety and rights of students from kindergarten to graduate school are less protected. For example, families with children who have special needs will likely face even greater challenges and delays in accessing special education services and interventions for which they are legally entitled. Investigations into alleged discrimination based on race or ancestry or harassment experienced by women will be slower, if investigated at all. OCR lawyers have long been overworked and moved slowly through huge workloads. Eliminating these employees will make that situation worse. It is important to say that these cuts, as with so much else from the past two months, will likely end up in courtrooms.

Congress created the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the Office for Civil Rights with the expectation that the agency and its programs would carry out their responsibilities. These cuts and the loss of so much expertise will make that much more difficult. There may well be a positive resolution to this latest crisis, but not before real harm will have been done to the employees who served American education and to American education itself.

Victor Horton
Deputy Director, DC
Education Reform Now Advocacy

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Performance Oversight Hearing on:
Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, Members, and Staff of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Victor Horton. I am a ward seven resident and the Deputy Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), an organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students. At ERNA, we always put the needs of students first and we’re steadfastly focused on improving literacy, math, secondary pathways to college and career, and attendance, which is what I am here to talk about with you all today.

Literacy is the foundation for learning as it is the key to accessing all subjects, from science to history, and is essential for lifelong learning. ERNA’s deepest desire is for every child to read on grade level by third grade regardless of where in the city they live and what school they attend. I would like to applaud the work that the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has done in terms of providing DC educators with training in structured literacy instruction. Investments like these are why we have seen remarkable results in reading with D.C. posting the highest gains from 2022 to 2024.[1] In fact, DC is ranked number five in the country for reading recovery in the full period between 2019-2024. DCPS deserves a ton of credit for the tremendous effort they’ve made in training their educators via the DC Reading Clinic, so does KIPP DC and Friendship for their efforts in adopting the science of reading.

However, not every student is receiving excellent instruction. 66% of D.C. students are not meeting grade-level expectations in English Language Arts per the latest DC CAPE exam. While we have seen remarkable progress we will not meet our full potential until the Early Literacy Education Taskforce recommendations are fully implemented. Recently:

We urge the Mayor and the DC Council to fully implement the Taskforce’s recommendations at approximately $9M over the financial plan – the cost of first through fifth grade educators, first through 12th grade special education educators, and administrators of all of these educators to be trained in structured literacy training.

Math

According to the 2024 NAEP report, only 21% of DC’s eighth graders scored proficient or above in math, while 33% of our fourth graders reached proficiency[3]. While this marks the biggest improvement in the country on any NAEP assessment, we still have much more work to do to ensure every student can do math on grade level.

OSSE is currently convening the Math Taskforce, for which I am an advisory member of, to develop a set of strong recommendations to build a statewide comprehensive plan. Still, those recommendations won’t come out until later this year with implementation beginning next year. Our students cannot wait. We are urging the Mayor and DC Council to invest $9 million in evidence-based practices that we know works. These practices are the following:

  1. High-Quality Instructional Materials and Professional Development: Fund a pilot program in six DCPS and six public charter schools, each receiving a math coach ($2M total).
  2. High-Impact Tutoring (HIT): Support evidence-based HIT programs – small-group, intensive tutoring tailored to individual student needs – for students across ($4.8M).
  3. Math Teacher Pipeline: Strengthen the pipeline of math teachers trained by local D.C. universities and sustain funding for current programs (ie. OSSE’s Apprenticeship in Teaching ($565K)).
  4. Parent and Caregiver Support: Implement Power My Learning math family engagement playlists for all elementary school students. (($1.5M in FY26, $700K in FY27).

These strategic investments will help accelerate progress and ensure that DC’s students—especially those furthest from opportunity—excel in math.

Dual enrollment

Dual enrollment programs offer invaluable college exposure. However,  many students—particularly those in under-resourced schools—face barriers to participation. We were delighted to see that in the 2023-24 school year, 458 students took 612 college courses worth $616,093.79 in tuition at 13 IHEs through OSSE’s DC Dual Enrollment Consortium program[4]. However, It was very alarming to see that only 8.2% and 4.8% of the participants reside in Ward 7 and Ward 8 respectively.[5]

OSSE must ensure that all high schools offer robust college and career services. Schools should integrate career exposure opportunities, such as internships, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships, to better prepare students for postsecondary success. We, also, need data to track our programs which lead to economic mobility.

OSSE has also made strides in improving postsecondary enrollment within 6 months of graduation, which has risen by 3 percentage points to 56.[6]  This increase brings postsecondary enrollment back to pre-pandemic levels. This is something to applaud. However, OSSE needs to make a better effort of tracking and reporting postsecondary completion–not just enrollment. This will provide a clearer picture of access vs success.

Given such, we are urging OSSE to expand dual enrollment and early college opportunities; and council to fund the Education Through Employment Data System to enable the publication of essential data dashboards at $2.1M in FY26, and $1.5M in FY27.

Attendance

OSSE’s commitment to improving student attendance in the District of Columbia is evident in its increased transparency around attendance data. The decision to publish attendance data three times a school year allows stakeholders to make improvements while the school year is still in progress. Additionally, the inclusion of chronic absenteeism data in the biennial Youth Risk Behavioral Survey report further increases public access and awareness, demonstrating OSSE’s dedication to addressing this critical issue.

The most recent OSSE attendance report shows a 3.9 percentage point decline in chronic absenteeism and a 6.6 percentage point decline in truancy, signaling progress.[7] The report also highlights a direct link between attendance and academic growth: a 10-percentage point increase in in-seat attendance was associated with an average increase of 2.8 percentiles in ELA growth and 3.2 percentiles in math growth.[8] Research shows that postsecondary enrollment for high school graduates with profound chronic absenteeism (missing 30% or more of the school year) is only 28%, compared to 74% for students with satisfactory attendance (missing less than 5% of the school year)[9].  Simply put, when students attend school consistently, they learn more.

Chronic absenteeism and truancy are still up pre-pandemic with nearly 40% of students still chronically absent[10]. We must continue addressing the root causes of absenteeism with urgency.

We must continue to measure and improve student attendance through targeted interventions that bring rates below pre-pandemic levels, including by providing an update on the Department of Human Service’s (DHS) truancy

reduction pilot. Attendance is not just about showing up—it is a direct driver of student success.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to continued collaboration to improve outcomes for all DC students.

[1] https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org/states/district-of-columbia/

[2] Mayor Bowser Announces Nearly $50 Million Grant to Continue Accelerating Literacy Outcomes for DC Students

https://osse.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-announces-nearly-50-million-grant-continue-accelerating-literacy-outcomes-dc

[3] ibid

[4] https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/PostSec_DualEnrollment_Handout_Feb2025.pdf

[5]  ibid

[6]  https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/State-of-D.C.-Schools-2023-24.pdf

[7] https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2023-24%20Attendance%20Report%20%28Final%29.pdf

[8]  ibid

[9] https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/State-of-D.C.-Schools-2023-24.pdf

[10] https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/state-of-d-c-schools-2023-24/

Jessica Giles
Executive Directo
Education Reform Now Advocacy DC

DC Council’s Committee of the Whole performance oversight hearing on:

Greetings Chairman Mendelson, Councilmembers, and staff of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Jessica Giles, and I am a proud Ward 7 resident and the Executive Director of the D.C. Chapter of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA). ERNA is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for a just and equitable public education system. Our north star is ensuring that all students—regardless of background or circumstance—receive an excellent education. But that begs the question: Are students in the District of Columbia receiving an excellent education?

Deputy Mayor for Education

The data shows both progress and persistent challenges. D.C. students have made significant gains, outpacing national trends in reading and math recovery.[1] Chronic absenteeism and truancy have decreased,[2] and college enrollment is up.[3] These are achievements worth recognizing.

But the gaps remain stark. Chronic absenteeism and truancy are still up pre-pandemic. Only 1 in 3 students met grade level expectations in reading.[4] 1 in 5 students in math.[5] That is not the definition of an excellent education.

To truly accelerate learning, the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) must:

University of the District of Columbia

The University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) goal is to raise its six-year graduation rate to 65 percent by 2029. But in 2023, that rate dropped by 14 percentage points to 40 percent at the flagship campus – lower than in 2022. Why? The Student Success Center is slated to open in fall of 2025, but students need urgent support now.[11]

Public Charter School Board

The mismanagement leading to Eagle Academy’s closure must not happen again. The PCSB must strengthen its oversight by:

This year, PCSB is set to review 20 public charter schools this spring. It is critical that these reviews prioritize student and family interests, ensuring stability and excellence in the charter sector.

State Board of Education

The SBOE took on critical issues last year, from financial literacy to attendance and math proficiency. Moving forward, it must stay focused on its statutory role—ensuring that state academic standards and policies prepare students for success and providing the necessary oversight of education.[12]

FY26 Budget Considerations As the Mayor and D.C. Council navigate the FY26 budget amid financial challenges, cutting education funding may seem like an option—but ensuring students remain a top priority is essential to sustaining progress. Over the next several weeks, as critical budget decisions are made, we must ask ourselves: Are students in the District of Columbia receiving an excellent education?The only acceptable answer is yes—and that depends on the choices made today. Thank you.

[1] D.C. ranked first in the nation for academic recovery in math and reading from 2022 to 2024. D.C. is ranked 5th in the country in reading recovery in the full period between 2019-2024 and 32nd in math during the same period. Source: https://educationrecoveryscorecard.org/states/district-of-columbia/

[2] Chronic absenteeism and truancy both decreased by 4 percentage points and 7 percentage points respectively compared to the previous year. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/attendancesy202324

[3] Postsecondary college enrollment within six months of high school has increased by 3 percentage points Source: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/state/report#measure-109

[4] 2024 Statewide Assessment Results Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/2024-08-22-DCCAPE_MSAA_2324_PublicDeck_with_appendix.pdf

[5] Ibid

[6] Source: Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia prepared by the Early Literacy Education Taskforce

https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Official%20Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf

[7] Math Task Force Source: https://osse.dc.gov/page/math-task-force

[8] Math 4 All DC Coalition was launched to advocate for a statewide strategy for math proficiency Source: math4alldc.org

[9] OSSE’s dual enrollment consortium, in school year 2023-24,  it shows that wards 1 (8.3 percent), 7 (DS – number is too low to be reported), and ward 8 (8.1 percent) have fewer students enrolled. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/PostSec_DualEnrollment_Handout_Feb7.pdf

[10] Only 18% of students in high school, alternative, and adult programs are taking CTE. “Of the four schools that offer CTE leading to lower median salaries, three are in wards 7 and 8.” Source: https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/page_content/attachments/CTE%20Access%20Brief.pdf

[11] The stated intent of the Student Success Center is to hire up to 10 additional academic advisors dedicated to increasing student success rates, support the acquisition of early-alert and predictive analytics software to proactively address student needs and improve retention and graduation rates.

[12] “State academic standards that standards meet the following qualifications: specify what children are expected to know and be able to do; contain coherent and rigorous content, encourage the teaching of advanced skills; and are updated on a regular basis;

High school graduation requirements;

Standards for high school equivalence credentials;

State definitions of “adequate yearly progress” and “proficiency” that will be applied consistently to all local education agencies;

State definition and standards for “highly qualified teachers,” pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act;

Standards for accreditation and certification of teacher preparation programs of colleges and universities;

The state accountability plan for the District of Columbia developed by the Chief State School Officer, pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act ensuring that: (A) the plan includes a single statewide accountability system that establishes ambitious long-term student achievement goals, which include measurements of interim progress toward meeting those goal; and (B) the statewide accountability system included in the plan is based on, but is not limited to, challenging state academic standards, academic assessments, and a standardized system of accountability across all local education agencies;

State policies for parental involvement;

State policies for supplemental education service providers operating in the District to ensure that providers have a demonstrated record of effectiveness and offer services that promote challenging academic achievement standards and that improve student achievement;

The rules for residency verification;

The list of charter school accreditation organizations;

The categories and format of the annual report card, pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act;

The list of private placement accreditation organizations, pursuant to Uniform Per Student Funding Formula for Public Schools and Public Charter Schools and Tax Conformity Clarification Amendment Act of 1998;

Approve state rules for enforcing school attendance requirements; and

Approve state standards for home schooling.” Source: https://sboe.dc.gov/page/roles