The days of summer are drawing to a close and back-to-school season is here. As our DC Public Schools students and educators get ready to return to the classroom on Monday – and many DC Public Charter Schools students are already enjoying their first weeks of learning – I want to share resources to help you and your family prepare for success and tell you about some of the things I and other Councilmembers have been doing to ensure our schools are ready to serve as the stable, secure, and productive environment our kids need to grow and shine.
The District’s Back to School Hub has all the information you need on enrollment, health record and vaccine requirements, and more.
Students can travel to school and school-related activities for free on Metrobus or Metrorail through the Kids Ride Free program. Students can continue to use their Kids Ride Free SmarTrip card from last school year through September 30. Distribution of new cards will take place at schools in the coming weeks.
Parents and community members are again welcomed to #ClapThemBack on Monday morning at schools in Ward 1 and across all eight wards as we wish our students a happy first day of school. This is a great way for friends and neighbors to help kick the year off with positive energy and encourage our students.
The first step toward helping our kids reach their potential is making sure they are in school. And we know that without investments in the mental, emotional, and financial well-being of our educational community, our kids will struggle to succeed.
That’s why in this year’s budget process, I worked with my Council colleagues to secure meaningful investments in the people who teach our children and the schools where our students learn.
When our kids don’t have working water fountains or bathrooms or are learning in an environment with rats and roaches, they don’t want to be in school. When safety issues like non-working cameras, broken locks and doors, and broken railings or bleachers aren’t addressed, it undermines student morale, educator effectiveness, and student and educator safety.
Our investment in the District government’s school readiness and HVAC repair funds will go toward making sure our schools are clean, well-maintained, safe environments so our students can focus fully on learning and being kids.
I firmly believe that every family in D.C. should have the necessary resources to ensure their children can achieve their full potential. And part of that means giving our teachers and other educators the support they need to help students achieve.
This year my Council colleagues and I once again restored cuts the Mayor made to the Pay Equity Fund for early childhood educators, which supports childcare providers to increase compensation for their staff and creates stability for a traditionally underpaid workforce. As one of the original authors of the legislation that established the fund, this was a top priority for me.
And it’s not just what happens inside the classroom that plays a pivotal role in the overall development and well-being of our students. As a mother of two young girls, I know and value the importance of engaging and enriching activities for youth.
That is why in 2016, I introduced the legislation that established the current Out-of-School-Time program and have fought to protect and expand it since then. My aim was to ensure access to high-quality learning opportunities beyond the traditional school day, preparing our children and youth for success in education, careers, and life. And now, parents and families can find all the options for before-and-after-school programming and enrichment activities in a centralized portal (MOST-DC).
In my final months on the Council, I will continue to advocate for community voices and experiences to inform how we move toward real, workable solutions to the problems that keep kids out of the classroom and see teachers walk out the door year after year. Chronic absenteeism and teacher retention are not issues we will solve overnight. It will take collaboration. It will take courage. We have more work to do as a Council and as a District to give our students the tools they need to succeed and our teachers the support they need to help them thrive.
I look forward to cheering on our students and educators as the school year begins.