schools

The state of disruption wherein the maintenance of order is the major problem, and quality education is a forgotten objective. Our educational leaders and administrators are discouraged and dismayed by the continuing attacks upon, and erosion of, their duties and authority by agents of the federal bureaucracy, and members of the federal judiciary.

Local educational officials have been stripped of their authority to administer the affairs of their school systems. Harassing directives and requirements of an unreasonable, and unrealistic nature are constantly being imposed upon them. Parents, students, and educators alike are distressed, confused, and at a loss as to where to turn for relief.

Many of our institutions of higher learning have been completely disrupted by a small band of revolutionaries, encouraged by the permissive attitude of executive and judicial officials of government, and the activities of other anarchists throughout the nation.

Our educational systems and institutions must once again be given the opportunity to resume their rightful duty of preparing the youth of America for entry into our highly competitive society.

As a first and immediate step we must absolutely prohibit the agencies and agents of the District government from intruding into and seeking to control the affairs of the local school systems of the District of Columbia. Control of these schools must be returned to the local officials, and representatives of the people, who have the rightful duty and authority to administer such schools.

Once returned to proper control, order must be restored, and education of our children must become the primary matter of concern in all schools. Sociological experiments must cease. The people of the District of Columbia and communities must be given the right to administer the affairs of their schools as they see fit without fear or threat or reprisal, economic, or punitive impositions from the federal government.

The complexities of education are many. Local officials are faced with tremendous pressures to provide early childhood education, increased teacher salaries, provide vocational technical education, improved elementary, secondary education, provide adult education, continuing education, urban, rural education, special educational needs, as well as provide for adequate mental health resources, and higher education, to include graduate and professional education.

The goals of the Rhonda Hamilton administration are to improve the educational opportunity for all Washingtonians from early childhood through the graduate level regardless of the existence of diagnosed health, medical, or socioeconomic challenges. We believe that the improvement of educational opportunities can best be accomplished at the local level with adequate support from the federal level.

A Rhonda Hamilton Administration pledges to heavily invest in educational programs that support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics (STEAM).

Our children are our most precious, and important assets. My administration intends to equip them with all of the necessary, and “advanced” educational resources, as well as access to help ensure that yesterday’s stain of racism, and today’s discriminatory realities don’t hinder their abilities to surpass the cycles, and repetition of exposures to systemic, and “pre-determined” outcomes. Many minority families and people of color continue to navigate deficits created by intentional agendas to leave them behind.

A Rhonda Hamilton Administration supports a “children now” agenda because innocent of historical “baggage”, our children deserve a government that supports equal progression for all, regardless of ethnic, cultural, privileged, understandings. Our children shall be equipped with opportunities to shed the “labels”, “rhetoric”, and “stigma” in order that they can become responsible, sensitive, aware, intentional leaders, and accountable stewards to the same democracy that has threatened to keep them pitted against one another because of their “inherited” differences and otherwise.

I advocate for educational opportunities to be made available for all people regardless of race, creed, color, economic, or social status.

A Rhonda Hamilton Administration pledges to heavily invest in educational programs that support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics (STEAM).

Our children are our most precious, and important assets. My administration intends to equip them with all of the necessary, and “advanced” educational resources, as well as access to help ensure that yesterday’s stain of racism, and today’s discriminatory realities don’t hinder their abilities to surpass the cycles, and repetition of exposures to systemic, and “pre-determined” outcomes. Many minority families and people of color continue to navigate deficits created by intentional agendas to leave them behind.

I advocate for less categorical aid, and for more general aid to states with funding provided well in advance.

I advocate for educational opportunities to be made available for all people regardless of race, creed, color, economic, or social status.

A Rhonda Hamilton Administration pledges to heavily invest in educational programs that support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics (STEAM).

I advocate for the return of our school systems to the states and to local, county, and city officials.

I advocate for support of administrators that oversee our educational institutions in their efforts to restore order to these institutions.

I advocate for fewer federal guidelines, regulations, administrative procedures, greater simplification, and consolidation of programs and procedures.

I advocate for a greater role of the states in administering federal aid and in determining national policy.

I advocate for the return of our school systems to the states and to local, county, and city officials.

I advocate for support of administrators that oversee our educational institutions in their efforts to restore order to these institutions.

America is a nation “Under God” and we must see that it remains as such a nation.

We must assure that the federal government assists in all phases of the educational processes of the nation without attempting to control these processes.

I advocate for a greater role of the states in administering federal aid and in determining national policy.

Many of our primary and secondary school systems have become centers for social experimentation rather than centers of learning.

Our educational systems and institutions must once again be given the opportunity to resume their rightful duty of preparing the youth of America for entry into our highly competitive society.

As a first and immediate step we must absolutely prohibit the agencies and agents of the District government from intruding into and seeking to control the affairs of the local school systems of the District of Columbia. Control of these schools must be returned to the local officials, and representatives of the people, who have the rightful duty and authority to administer such schools.

Many of our institutions of higher learning have been completely disrupted by a small band of revolutionaries, encouraged by the permissive attitude of executive and judicial officials of government, and the activities of other anarchists throughout the nation.

Many of our primary and secondary school systems have become centers for social experimentation rather than centers of learning.

Our educational systems and institutions must once again be given the opportunity to resume their rightful duty of preparing the youth of America for entry into our highly competitive society.

Without question education offers the answer to many of the nation’s social and economic problems. It is tragic that during the past two decades, while governed alternately by the Republican and Democratic parties, we have witnessed the deterioration of our public-school systems.

The state of disruption wherein the maintenance of order is the major problem, and quality education is a forgotten objective. Our educational leaders and administrators are discouraged and dismayed by the continuing attacks upon, and erosion of, their duties and authority by agents of the federal bureaucracy, and members of the federal judiciary.

Local educational officials have been stripped of their authority to administer the affairs of their school systems. Harassing directives and requirements of an unreasonable, and unrealistic nature are constantly being imposed upon them. Parents, students, and educators alike are distressed, confused, and at a loss as to where to turn for relief.

A Rhonda Hamilton Policy Position Statement on Education:

Without question education offers the answer to many of the nation’s social and economic problems. It is tragic that during the past two decades, while governed alternately by the Republican and Democratic parties, we have witnessed the deterioration of our public-school systems.

The state of disruption wherein the maintenance of order is the major problem, and quality education is a forgotten objective. Our educational leaders and administrators are discouraged and dismayed by the continuing attacks upon, and erosion of, their duties and authority by agents of the federal bureaucracy, and members of the federal judiciary.

Include community-based programs and family childcare homes in DC funding systems for early childhood education. Ensure that these systems equitably support community-based programs and engage community members and families in activism, and leadership roles. Support the educators who work in community-based programs so that they can meet high-quality standards while allowing families to choose the best setting for their needs.

Ensure sufficient funding for, access to, and supports for children, teachers, and administrators to respond to children’s behaviors that others find challenging. Mental health supports and prevention-oriented interventions can help meet each child’s needs, including mental health challenges, without stigmatization, and eliminate the use of suspensions and expulsions across all early childhood settings.

Establish comparable compensation (including benefits) across settings for early childhood educators with comparable qualifications, experience, and responsibilities. Focusing only on comparable compensation for those working in pre-K settings will deepen disparities felt by educators working with infants and toddlers, who are disproportionately women of color. Including educators working with infants and toddlers in compensation policies is a fundamental matter of equity.

Increase opportunities for families to choose early childhood programs that serve diverse populations of children. Incentivize these choices and seek to provide supports such as transportation. These supports will help to reduce the segregation of programs (primarily by race, language, ability, and class), which reflects segregated housing patterns and fuels persistent discrimination and inequities.

Include community-based programs and family childcare homes in DC funding systems for early childhood education. Ensure that these systems equitably support community-based programs and engage community members and families in activism, and leadership roles. Support the educators who work in community-based programs so that they can meet high-quality standards while allowing families to choose the best setting for their needs.

Ensure sufficient funding for, access to, and supports for children, teachers, and administrators to respond to children’s behaviors that others find challenging. Mental health supports and prevention-oriented interventions can help meet each child’s needs, including mental health challenges, without stigmatization, and eliminate the use of suspensions and expulsions across all early childhood settings.

Increase financing for high-quality early learning services. Ensure that there are sufficient resources to make high-quality early childhood education universally accessible. Every setting should have the resources it requires to meet the needs of its children and families. This includes ensuring equitable access to high-quality higher education and compensation for a qualified workforce.

Revise early learning standards to ensure that they reflect the culturally diverse settings in which educators practice. Provide ongoing, in-depth staff development on how to use standards in diverse classrooms. Quality rating and improvement systems should further the principles of equity across all aspects of education, including curriculum, instruction, full inclusion, family engagement, program design, and delivery.

Make sure policies promote the use of authentic assessments that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children being assessed and use valid and reliable tools designed for a purpose consistent with the intent of the assessment. Assessments should be tied to children’s daily activities, supported by professional development, and inclusive of families; they should be purposefully used to make sound decisions about teaching and learning, to identify significant concerns that may require focused intervention for individual children, and to help programs improve…

Under the Hamilton administration we promise to use an equity lens to consider policy impacts on all children and on the bonds between them and their families. Work to change any policy that either directly or through unintended negative consequences undermines children’s physical and emotional well-being or weakens the bonds between children and their families.

Increase financing for high-quality early learning services. Ensure that there are sufficient resources to make high-quality early childhood education universally accessible. Every setting should have the resources it requires to meet the needs of its children and families. This includes ensuring equitable access to high-quality higher education and compensation for a qualified workforce.

Revise early learning standards to ensure that they reflect the culturally diverse settings in which educators practice. Provide ongoing, in-depth staff development on how to use standards in diverse classrooms. Quality rating and improvement systems should further the principles of equity across all aspects of education, including curriculum, instruction, full inclusion, family engagement, program design, and delivery.

Peace abroad and domestic tranquility at home.

An enlightened and advancing educational program, assisted but not controlled by the District of Columbia nor the Federal government.

Job training and opportunity for all DC residents willing, and able to seek and hold gainful employment.

Once returned to proper control, order must be restored, and education of our children must become the primary matter of concern in all schools. Sociological experiments must cease. The people of the District of Columbia and communities must be given the right to administer the affairs of their schools as they see fit without fear or threat or reprisal, economic, or punitive impositions from the federal government.

We must empower, as well as support the administrators of our institutions of higher learning to ensure that standards of academic measure, and accountability are properly maintained and adhered to. We must support these officials in the restoration of order on their campuses, and we must always assure that no assistance, financial or otherwise, from the federal level be given to those seeking to disrupt and to destroy these great institutions.

America is a nation “Under God” and we must see that it remains as such a nation.

Local educational officials have been stripped of their authority to administer the affairs of their school systems. Harassing directives and requirements of an unreasonable, and unrealistic nature are constantly being imposed upon them. Parents, students, and educators alike are distressed, confused, and at a loss as to where to turn for relief.

Many of our institutions of higher learning have been completely disrupted by a small band of revolutionaries, encouraged by the permissive attitude of executive and judicial officials of government, and the activities of other anarchists throughout the nation.

Many of our primary and secondary school systems have become centers for social experimentation rather than centers of learning.

Recognize that the professional knowledge base is changing. There is growing awareness of the limitations of child development theories and research based primarily on a normative perspective of White, middle-class children without disabilities educated in predominantly English-language schools.

Keep up to date professionally as more strengths-based approaches to research and practice are articulated and as narrowly defined normative approaches to child development and learning are questioned. Be willing to challenge the use of outdated or narrowly defined approaches—for example, in curriculum, assessment policies and practices, or early learning standards. Seek information from families and communities about their social and cultural beliefs and practices to supplement your knowledge.

We’re Investing Into Our Communities. Do you want change or more of the same?

Take responsibility for biased actions, even if unintended, and actively work to repair the harm. When you commit a biased action, be ready and willing to be held accountable. Resist the urge to become defensive, especially as a member of a privileged group. Before making judgments, take responsibility for recognizing what you don’t know or understand and use the opportunity to learn and reflect. Be willing to constructively share feedback and discuss alternative approaches when observing potentially biased actions by others.

Acknowledge and seek to understand structural inequities and their impact over time. Take action when outcomes vary significantly by social identities (e.g., lopsided achievement test scores, number and frequency of suspensions or expulsions that disproportionately target African American and Latino boys, or engagement with certain materials and activities by gender). Look deeper at how your expectations, practices, curriculum, and/or policies may contribute (perhaps unwittingly) to inequitable outcomes for children and take steps to change them.

View your commitment to cultural responsiveness as an ongoing process. It is not a one-time matter of mastering knowledge of customs and practices, but an enduring responsibility to learn and reflect based on direct experiences with children, their families, and others.

Incorporate the science of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) into DC state policies and programs. Trauma-informed care and healing-centered approaches can support resilience and help mitigate the effects of toxic stress and ACEs, which affect children of all social groups but disproportionately affect children of marginalized groups.

Promote, and establish DC policies that promote and support multilingualism for all children. This can include funding for early learning dual-language immersion programs, early childhood educator professional development for teaching and supporting emergent bilinguals, and the inclusion of multi/dual language promotion in quality rating and improvement systems.

The Hamilton administration will work with council members to set a goal of reducing DC child poverty rate, and will continue to seek policies that benefits our communities

Ensure sufficient funding for, access to, and supports for children, teachers, and administrators to respond to children’s behaviors that others find challenging. Mental health supports and prevention-oriented interventions can help meet each child’s needs, including mental health challenges, without stigmatization, and eliminate the use of suspensions and expulsions across all early childhood settings.

Establish comparable compensation (including benefits) across settings for early childhood educators with comparable qualifications, experience, and responsibilities. Focusing only on comparable compensation for those working in pre-K settings will deepen disparities felt by educators working with infants and toddlers, who are disproportionately women of color. Including educators working with infants and toddlers in compensation policies is a fundamental matter of equity.

Incorporate the science of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) into DC state policies and programs. Trauma-informed care and healing-centered approaches can support resilience and help mitigate the effects of toxic stress and ACEs, which affect children of all social groups but disproportionately affect children of marginalized groups.

…that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children being assessed and use valid and reliable tools designed for a purpose consistent with the intent of the assessment. Assessments should be tied to children’s daily activities, supported by professional development, and inclusive of families; they should be purposefully used to make sound decisions about teaching and learning, to identify significant concerns that may require focused intervention for individual children, and to help programs improve their educational and developmental interventions.

Increase opportunities for families to choose early childhood programs that serve diverse populations of children. Incentivize these choices and seek to provide supports such as transportation. These supports will help to reduce the segregation of programs (primarily by race, language, ability, and class), which reflects segregated housing patterns and fuels persistent discrimination and inequities.

Include community-based programs and family childcare homes in DC funding systems for early childhood education. Ensure that these systems equitably support community-based programs and engage community members and families in activism, and leadership roles. Support the educators who work in community-based programs so that they can meet high-quality standards while allowing families to choose the best setting for their needs.

All children have the right to equitable learning opportunities that will help them to achieve their full potential as engaged learners and valued members of society. Thus, all early childhood educators have a professional obligation to advance equity. They can do this best when they are effectively supported by the early learning settings in which they work and when they and their wider communities embrace diversity and full inclusion as strengths, uphold fundamental principles of fairness and justice, and work to eliminate structural inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities.

Advancing the right to equitable learning opportunities requires recognizing and dismantling the systems of bias that accord privilege to some and are unjust to others. Advancing the full inclusion of all individuals across all social identities will take sustained efforts far beyond those of early childhood educators alone. Early childhood educators, however, have a unique opportunity and obligation to advance equity.

With the support of the early education system as a whole, they can create early learning environments that equitably distribute learning opportunities by helping all children experience responsive interactions that nurture their full range of social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and linguistic abilities; that reflect and model fundamental principles of fairness and justice; and that help them accomplish the goals of anti-bias education. Each child will:

Transparency | Accountability | Integrity | Service

All children have the right to equitable learning opportunities that will help them to achieve their full potential as engaged learners and valued members of society. Thus, all early childhood educators have a professional obligation to advance equity. They can do this best when they are effectively supported by the early learning settings in which they work and when they and their wider communities embrace diversity and full inclusion as strengths, uphold fundamental principles of fairness and justice, and work to eliminate structural inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities.

Advancing the right to equitable learning opportunities requires recognizing and dismantling the systems of bias that accord privilege to some and are unjust to others. Advancing the full inclusion of all individuals across all social identities will take sustained efforts far beyond those of early childhood educators alone. Early childhood educators, however, have a unique opportunity and obligation to advance equity.

Revise early learning standards to ensure that they reflect the culturally diverse settings in which educators practice. Provide ongoing, in-depth staff development on how to use standards in diverse classrooms. Quality rating and improvement systems should further the principles of equity across all aspects of education, including curriculum, instruction, full inclusion, family engagement, program design, and delivery.

Make sure policies promote the use of authentic assessments that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for the children being assessed and use valid and reliable tools designed for a purpose consistent with the intent of the assessment. Assessments should be tied to children’s daily activities, supported by professional development, and inclusive of families; they should be purposefully used to make sound decisions about teaching and learning, to identify significant concerns that may require focused intervention for individual children, and to help programs improve their educational and developmental interventions.

Increase opportunities for families to choose early childhood programs that serve diverse populations of children. Incentivize these choices and seek to provide supports such as transportation. These supports will help to reduce the segregation of programs (primarily by race, language, ability, and class), which reflects segregated housing patterns and fuels persistent discrimination and inequities.

The HLS demands equal access, to early childhood programs, to strong public schools, to mentorship, to apprenticeships, and to youth employment that opens doors rather than closes them.

We will expand after-school programming, restore vocational pipelines, and create partnerships that lift youth toward purpose, not peril.Our young people should not have to leave the city to find opportunity.

Safety must never be rooted in fear it must be rooted in trust.

DC is facing an education system where families pay unsustainable costs for early care because reimbursement rates fail to reflect the real cost of providing quality child care, even though early learning is foundational to long-term success. Early educators rely on unstable grants rather than guaranteed, recurring support. Child care remains in high demand, centers operate on razor-thin margins, and educators are not paid a fair living wage.

Across pre-K through grade 12, DC’s fragmented system—spread across more than 60 local education agencies, including DCPS and charter organizations—lacks coordination on facilities, school openings and closings, resource allocation, and best practices. This fragmentation creates inefficiencies, redundancy, and opportunities for financial mismanagement, while resources fail to consistently reach classrooms and students.

Governance structures further weaken accountability. The Mayor appoints leadership across key education agencies, including DCPS, the Public Charter School Board, the Deputy Mayor for Education, and OSSE, limiting independent oversight. At the same time, the elected State Board of Education lacks meaningful authority, leaving families and educators without a real voice in decision-making.

DC deserves an arts and cultural ecosystem that strengthens the social fabric of the city. Art creates shared spaces, shared stories, and shared identity, conditions that make collective action possible and allow public policy to work. Cultural equity must guide arts policy so funding, leadership, and access reflect the full diversity of the District.

Residents deserve fully funded schools where arts education supports learning, well being, and civic engagement. Neighborhoods deserve cultural investment that activates public space, supports small businesses, and builds trust across differences. Seniors deserve access to cultural spaces that support mental and physical health. Artists deserve fair compensation, affordable workspaces, and protection from displacement.

DC’s cultural heritage must be actively preserved, including Go-Go and the many traditions that define the District. As the home of the Smithsonian and major national cultural institutions, DC should lead in building partnerships that expand access and opportunity for local artists and communities.

Art and culture shape how communities connect, solve problems, and act together. In DC, the creative economy generates nearly $16 billion a year and supports thousands of jobs, yet access to funding, space, and decision making power remains unequal. Artists and cultural workers rooted in Black, brown, immigrant, disabled, and low income communities face persistent barriers to fair pay, stable venues, and long term sustainability.

Arts education and cultural programming are under-resourced in public schools, transit systems, and neighborhood spaces, especially in communities facing the greatest disinvestment. At the same time, federal attacks on arts funding and cultural institutions threaten creative freedom and economic stability.

DC’s cultural heritage, including Go-Go music and neighborhood based traditions, is often celebrated in name while being displaced in practice. Despite strong evidence that arts participation improves mental health, reduces isolation, strengthens civic engagement, and supports longer, healthier lives, public investment still treats art as optional instead of essential to public health, education, and community safety.

Safety also means democracy. DC residents deserve full self-government, because living under federal occupation without representation is not safety, it’s vulnerability. A safe DC is a DC where public safety is accountable to the people who live here, with clear oversight, transparent rules, and agencies that answer to residents.

People deserve crisis responses that actually help, including mental health professionals, trained de-escalators, youth workers, and violence interrupters. Young people deserve counselors, teachers, and nurses not a school-to-prison pipeline. Families deserve a District that invests in well-being, creates real opportunity, and ensures every student can attend UDC tuition-free so they can build a stable future.

Oye fights for a community-first approach to safety that invests in people before punishment. As a pharmacist and elected neighborhood official, he understands that violence is closely tied to trauma, untreated mental illness, housing instability, and lack of opportunity. As a Councilmember, he will expand violence interruption programs, youth employment, and community-based prevention, and ensure mental health emergencies are handled by trained responders rather than armed officers whenever possible.

Students experience the consequences every day. Chronic absenteeism is at crisis levels, tutoring and academic supports are scattered without clear accountability, and many students feel unsafe getting to and from school due to unreliable transportation. Too often, policy responses—like youth curfews without meaningful investments in programming—take a punitive approach that contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline rather than supporting young people.

At the same time, too many youth and adults lack access to strong literacy, numeracy, and workforce training programs, limiting opportunity in school, work, and daily life. While DC offers adult education, UDC is not tuition-free, and residents carry some of the highest student debt in the country—even as the District holds billions in reserve.

DC residents deserve an education system that supports every learner from birth through career and recognizes that adult and continuing education are essential to opportunity in the District. They also deserve leadership that works across agencies, breaks down silos, and holds systems accountable for results.

Across pre-K through grade 12, DC’s fragmented system—spread across more than 60 local education agencies, including DCPS and charter organizations—lacks coordination on facilities, school openings and closings, resource allocation, and best practices. This fragmentation creates inefficiencies, redundancy, and opportunities for financial mismanagement, while resources fail to consistently reach classrooms and students.

Governance structures further weaken accountability. The Mayor appoints leadership across key education agencies, including DCPS, the Public Charter School Board, the Deputy Mayor for Education, and OSSE, limiting independent oversight. At the same time, the elected State Board of Education lacks meaningful authority, leaving families and educators without a real voice in decision-making.

Students experience the consequences every day. Chronic absenteeism is at crisis levels, tutoring and academic supports are scattered without clear accountability, and many students feel unsafe getting to and from school due to unreliable transportation. Too often, policy responses—like youth curfews without meaningful investments in programming—take a punitive approach that contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline rather than supporting young people.

Educators deserve fair pay, respect, and stable funding. Families deserve affordable, high-quality early childhood and preschool funded as a core part of public education. Students deserve strong neighborhood schools with enough teachers, counselors, nurses, and mental health staff to meet their needs and address long-standing inequities. They also deserve safe, reliable ways to get to school and consistent access to high-quality academic support.

Our youth deserve a holistic approach to development, with access to afterschool and summer programming, enrichment opportunities, and safe spaces through schools, libraries, recreation centers, and community organizations. They deserve investment, not punishment.

Youth and adults also deserve access to high-quality literacy, STEM, and workforce training so everyone can read, write, build numeracy skills, and participate fully in civic and economic life. And every young person deserves to know they can attend UDC tuition-free and start their future without student debt.

Governance structures further weaken accountability. The Mayor appoints leadership across key education agencies, including DCPS, the Public Charter School Board, the Deputy Mayor for Education, and OSSE, limiting independent oversight. At the same time, the elected State Board of Education lacks meaningful authority, leaving families and educators without a real voice in decision-making.

Students experience the consequences every day. Chronic absenteeism is at crisis levels, tutoring and academic supports are scattered without clear accountability, and many students feel unsafe getting to and from school due to unreliable transportation. Too often, policy responses—like youth curfews without meaningful investments in programming—take a punitive approach that contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline rather than supporting young people.

At the same time, too many youth and adults lack access to strong literacy, numeracy, and workforce training programs, limiting opportunity in school, work, and daily life. While DC offers adult education, UDC is not tuition-free, and residents carry some of the highest student debt in the country—even as the District holds billions in reserve.

Our youth deserve a holistic approach to development, with access to afterschool and summer programming, enrichment opportunities, and safe spaces through schools, libraries, recreation centers, and community organizations. They deserve investment, not punishment.

Youth and adults also deserve access to high-quality literacy, STEM, and workforce training so everyone can read, write, build numeracy skills, and participate fully in civic and economic life. And every young person deserves to know they can attend UDC tuition-free and start their future without student debt.

Oye will fight to treat early childhood education as essential public infrastructure. He will fund early care and learning from birth through pre-K with stable, predictable public investment. He will fully fund and permanently protect the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund. He will raise child care reimbursement rates so providers can meet the real cost of care and ensure families do not spend more than ten percent of their income on child care when the Birth-to-Three Act is fully implemented. He will also expand access to public pre-K and ensure equitable enrollment so every family who…

At the same time, too many youth and adults lack access to strong literacy, numeracy, and workforce training programs, limiting opportunity in school, work, and daily life. While DC offers adult education, UDC is not tuition-free, and residents carry some of the highest student debt in the country—even as the District holds billions in reserve.

DC residents deserve an education system that supports every learner from birth through career and recognizes that adult and continuing education are essential to opportunity in the District. They also deserve leadership that works across agencies, breaks down silos, and holds systems accountable for results.

Educators deserve fair pay, respect, and stable funding. Families deserve affordable, high-quality early childhood and preschool funded as a core part of public education. Students deserve strong neighborhood schools with enough teachers, counselors, nurses, and mental health staff to meet their needs and address long-standing inequities. They also deserve safe, reliable ways to get to school and consistent access to high-quality academic support.

Oye will enforce the Sanctuary Values Act, end cooperation between District agencies and ICE, and hold agencies accountable when they violate the law. He will expand language access, fund immigrant legal defense, and organize in coalition with labor, civil rights groups, and leaders nationwide to push back against authoritarian interference. For Oye, the fight for home rule is about survival, dignity, and real democracy for the people of the District.

DC is facing an education system where families pay unsustainable costs for early care because reimbursement rates fail to reflect the real cost of providing quality child care, even though early learning is foundational to long-term success. Early educators rely on unstable grants rather than guaranteed, recurring support. Child care remains in high demand, centers operate on razor-thin margins, and educators are not paid a fair living wage.

Across pre-K through grade 12, DC’s fragmented system—spread across more than 60 local education agencies, including DCPS and charter organizations—lacks coordination on facilities, school openings and closings, resource allocation, and best practices. This fragmentation creates inefficiencies, redundancy, and opportunities for financial mismanagement, while resources fail to consistently reach classrooms and students.

…remains limited or uneven. Foster youth are frequently moved between placements, disconnected from schools, and pushed toward adulthood without stable housing or transition support. Immigrant youth live with fear as ICE activity near schools and neighborhoods separates families and disrupts learning. Young people face barriers to reproductive and sexual health care and accurate education, while national attacks on youth autonomy continue. Climate decisions made without youth input threaten their health and safety, especially in communities already exposed to pollution and extreme heat.

DC youth deserve stability, dignity, and opportunity. They deserve safe places to gather, learn, and build community, including accessible afterschool and late night spaces. Youth deserve timely access to mental health care without stigma or punishment. Schools should support students as whole people, not rely on policing or surveillance to manage behavior. Youth deserve access to reproductive and sexual health care, including contraception, abortion care, and HIV prevention, regardless of income, immigration status, or age. Foster youth deserve stable housing, continuity in education, trauma informed care, and real transition support so aging out does not lead to homelessness or incarceration. Young people deserve paid work opportunities, internships, and pathways into union careers. They deserve a future protected from climate harm and a voice in decisions that affect their lives.

Oye believes youth safety comes from care and opportunity, not punishment. He will oppose youth curfews, school policing, and expanded surveillance that criminalize young people. He will fight to expand afterschool and late night youth spaces, invest in violence interruption rooted in community trust, and fully fund youth development programs that offer paid work, career exploration, and pathways into union jobs.

The post it quotes, by @FeverPotomac

@aparnafordc This is just laughable. You grew up in a wealthy Philadelphia suburb. You attended an elite private college.

Developing students’ social and emotional skills and fostering strong relationships with trusted adults.

Teachers are the number one in-school resource that determines student outcomes. DC public schools need to retain and value effective educators to ensure students’ success.

> Develop and implement strong mentorship and coaching programs for early career educators.

> Build partnerships with local institutions and organizations (including museums, galleries, theaters, community organizations, labs, and businesses) to provide diverse learning opportunities, including etracurriculars like sports, civics, and art.

> Strengthen and expand career and technical education programs for adult and secondary school students.

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As a DCPS teacher with more than a decade of experience in our public schools, Ben understands the challenges facing our students, educators, and families. He brings that experience to the Board every day. I’m excited to support Ben’s continued leadership on the State Board." -Brianne Nadeau

As the only current teacher on the DC State Board of Education, it is an incredible honor to use my experience as a Washington Teachers Union member to serve Ward 1 students and families. I remain committed to standing with my fellow WTU teachers in the fight for a more equitable and accountable education system. -Ben

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My name is Ben Williams, Ward 1 State Board of Education representative. I am a teacher in the DC public school system, a nationally board-certified educator, and passionate public school advocate.

I am committed to working with residents to strengthen our public schools and improve educational accountability.

I have lived in Ward 1 and taught middle and high school social studies in DC for the past 13 years. When I first ran for office, I did so because I recognized the vital need for a representative on the board who is closest to the impact of policy decisions and understands the day-to-day realities of our classrooms.

I have lived in Ward 1 and taught middle and high school social studies in DC for the past 13 years. When I first ran for office, I did so because I recognized the vital need for a representative on the board who is closest to the impact of policy decisions and understands the day-to-day realities of our classrooms.

Over the last four years, I have brought that educator’s perspective to the State Board of Education every single day. Together, we have navigated complex challenges to support our students' physical and mental health, elevate student voices in policy decisions, and fight for the retention of our dedicated educators, particularly our Latino/a teachers and teachers of color.

During my first term, the State Board initiated vital work to improve school accountability, including providing families with richer, more comprehensive information about their schools beyond just standardized test scores. I am running for reelection to continue this essential work, ensuring that citywide education policy always aligns with the needs of our families and the realities of our classrooms. Together, we can continue to solve our public schools' most pressing problems by collaboratively elevating the perspectives of those who have the most at stake.

Over the last four years, I have brought that educator’s perspective to the State Board of Education every single day. Together, we have navigated complex challenges to support our students' physical and mental health, elevate student voices in policy decisions, and fight for the retention of our dedicated educators, particularly our Latino/a teachers and teachers of color.

During my first term, the State Board initiated vital work to improve school accountability, including providing families with richer, more comprehensive information about their schools beyond just standardized test scores. I am running for reelection to continue this essential work, ensuring that citywide education policy always aligns with the needs of our families and the realities of our classrooms. Together, we can continue to solve our public schools' most pressing problems by collaboratively elevating the perspectives of those who have the most at stake.

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Educating the ‘whole child’ means ensuring that education equips children with all the tools they need to thrive, from cognitive development to social and emotional growth. It also requires diverse learning opportunities and a curriculum that is empowering and relevant to students’ lives.

> Curriculums and school programs that are challenging, connect to students’ lives, are accessible and empowering.

> Increase our support for our dual language, Emergent Bilingual (EB), and adult education programs.

Engagement and Opportunities for the Whole Child

Educating the ‘whole child’ means ensuring that education equips children with all the tools they need to thrive, from cognitive development to social and emotional growth. It also requires diverse learning opportunities and a curriculum that is empowering and relevant to students’ lives.

> Curriculums and school programs that are challenging, connect to students’ lives, are accessible and empowering.

As a teacher with over a decade of experience in DC public schools, and now after 4 years of leadership experience on the State Board of Education, I understand the issues impacting our schools and how to achieve an ambitious vision for education in our city.

We’re asking kids to do difficult and challenging things, and in order for kids to succeed and thrive in school, we need to ensure that they feel safe and supported. This forms the solid foundation of a good education that we can build on. Safe, welcoming, and supportive school environments improve both attendance and outcomes.

> Modern, well-maintained, and well-resourced classrooms and school buildings.

> Modern, well-maintained, and well-resourced classrooms and school buildings.

> Increase resources and coordination to ensure every child can get to and from school safely.

> Increase the number of schools in the Safe Passage Program.

> Curriculums and school programs that are challenging, connect to students’ lives, are accessible and empowering.

> Increase our support for our dual language, Emergent Bilingual (EB), and adult education programs.

> Build partnerships with local institutions and organizations (including museums, galleries, theaters, community organizations, labs, and businesses) to provide diverse learning opportunities, including etracurriculars like sports, civics, and art.

Increasing student access to mental health and counseling resources.

Developing students’ social and emotional skills and fostering strong relationships with trusted adults.

Teachers are the number one in-school resource that determines student outcomes. DC public schools need to retain and value effective educators to ensure students’ success.

> Reform IMPACT Evaluation system to promote growth over punitive measures.

> Push DCPS to approve visa renewals for over 200 teachers and educators whose legal and work eligibility status has been in limbo.

Engagement and Opportunities for the Whole Child

Teachers are the number one in-school resource that determines student outcomes. DC public schools need to retain and value effective educators to ensure students’ success.

> Develop and implement strong mentorship and coaching programs for early career educators.

> Provide effective and useful professional development.

> Increase our support for our dual language, Emergent Bilingual (EB), and adult education programs.

> Build partnerships with local institutions and organizations (including museums, galleries, theaters, community organizations, labs, and businesses) to provide diverse learning opportunities, including etracurriculars like sports, civics, and art.

> Strengthen and expand career and technical education programs for adult and secondary school students.