C4DC Resolution in Support of DC Council Research Advisory Board and Collaborative

Whereas DC Councilmembers Mary Cheh, Robert White Jr, Charles Allen, Vincent Gray, Phil Mendelson, Brianne Nadeau, Elissa Silverman, Anita Bonds, and Trayon White, Sr. have co-sponsored the “District of Columbia Education Research Advisory Board and Collaborative Establishment Amendment Act of 2018,” and,

Whereas the Council included $500,000 in the FY 2019 budget and budget support act considered on first reading on May 15, 2018 to pilot such a program and,

Whereas C4DC believes independent research is critical to continuous improvement of public education; and,

Whereas the Act calls for creating a sixteen-person advisory board including representatives from DCPS, the DME, OSSE, PCSB, SBOE, parent organizations, DC education non-profits, the WTU, the principals’ union, and DC community representatives; and,

Whereas the Advisory Board, staff and DC Auditor will be charged with proposing to the DC Council the design for a long-term structure for an independent research entity; and

Whereas the collaborative will prepare “state of public education” reports each July; and

Whereas the Advisory Board and DC Auditor will hire an executive director and staff but also contract out independent research projects;

Be it therefore resolved, that the C4DC supports the principle of independent research and a representative advisory board, and the bill titled “The District of Columbia Education Research Advisory Board and Collaborative Establishment Amendment Act of 2018” and urges the Council to include its proposed $500,000 funding for FY19 to pilot such an initiative and to hold hearings on and enact a law based on the proposed bill before the start of FY19. 

Signed By the Following Groups:

Ward 1 Education Collaborative
Ward 3/Wilson Feeder Education Network
Ward 4 Education Alliance
Ward 5 Council on Education
Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Ward 7 Education Council
Ward 8 Education Council
Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators
Teaching for Change
EDUCATIONDC.NET
EmpowerEd
Washington Teachers Union
Washington Lawyers Committee
WeAct Radio