Kenya Johnson
Civic Leader, Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C.
Budget Oversight Hearing
Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, members, and staff of the Committee of the Whole;
My name is Kenya Johnson, and I am a Career Pathways Educator in Ward 4 and an advocate for Education Reform Now Advocacy D.C. In the fight for just and equitable education for all students in D.C., even in a fiscally challenging year, we must consider how our budget will yield a return on investments in the years to come. Today, I come before you, to add on to Jessica Giles and Andre Aina’s testimony by offering a glimpse into our youth’s future and advocating for a budget that champions career pathways and dual enrollment programs as paths to success.
When I think about the students I serve, their brilliance shines not simply through their grades but through their dreams to serve their community. Yet, in a city where opportunity and inequality walk side by side, my students’ dreams risk remaining unfulfilled. This is not just their story; it reflects the reality of many students in D.C., where only 7% have access to dual enrollment—a critical step toward higher education and career readiness.
With only 18% of the 2011-12 9th grade cohort completing their postsecondary degree within six years of high school graduation and D.C. residents between 18 and 34 only making half of what transplants do ($31,658 versus $58,547), it is a necessity for our city’s economic revival to invest in our young adults earning to move beyond a whisper of survival to a promise of prosperity.
We have a proven path illuminated by programs like the Advanced Technical Center (ATC) at Trinity Washington University that we commend OSSE for helping to establish. A program that students like mine can use to ensure their dreams come true if we expand those opportunities to them.
In the Mayor’s FY2025 proposed budget, there are many worthwhile investments in secondary college and career pathways, including the following:
- $668,000 investment in establishing the Office of Education through Employment Pathways
- $17 million investment to expand ATC at Penn Center
- $600,000 to support the opening of a new ATC at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center in Ward 8
- $5 million to Reimagine High School, support the ATC in Ward 5, Career Ready Internship, Advanced Technical Internship, and dual enrollment seats
Still, there are remaining challenges with dual enrollment opportunities, such as the following:
- Enhancing marketing efforts for dual enrollment to reach more students like mine.
- Collecting and analyzing data to continuously improve and tailor the programs to our students’ needs.
- Expanding in-person, cohort-based dual enrollment opportunities at local education agencies will help build these worthwhile opportunities into the school day.
- Continuing to work to incentivize employers to hire students in high-demand, high-wage careers.
Our call to action is clear: By investing in dual enrollment, we are investing in our students’ futures and the economic vitality of our community. We must seize this opportunity to transform the educational and economic landscape of D.C.
Thank you for your time, and I am available for further discussion and collaboration on this critical matter.