I am a fifth generation Washingtonian. Twenty years ago, most of my family lived in Washington, DC. Escalating housing costs and the lack of economic opportunities has pushed the majority of my family into Maryland. I also am the only college graduate in my family, and I have seen first-hand how education can serve as an avenue out of poverty. It is with this understanding that I want DC Public Schools (DCPS) to not just settle for becoming better but to be the best that it can be for our students.
Our students, families, and teachers deserve an education system that works no matter which neighborhood you live in. As a member of the DC Council, I have seen no accountability within the DCPS central office. With a persistent achievement gap, high teacher turnover, and mounting education scandals, the cornerstones for rebuilding our schools must be honesty and transparency. Without these, the future of our public schools is in jeopardy.
An internal DCPS investigation revealed a widespread culture of passing students who had not met the DCPS requirements, which led to 34% of students graduating with the assistance of policy violations.
With low proficiency rates for Black and Latino students in both reading and math, the achievement gap virtually unchanged over the past ten years, a decline in growth, and falsified graduation data, i
t is clear that our current education strategy needs work.
So where do we go from here?
I believe that we need accurate data to determine DCPS’s needs and the type of permanent Chancellor that can meet those needs, so that we can rebuild the confidence of parents, students, and teachers. Honesty and transparency requires a deep dive into our education strategy to understand why so many minority students are not excelling.
With a balanced diagnosis of where we are, we can select a leader with the skills to address our challenges. It is important that we have an education strategy that works for all students, regardless of race or income. I will always stand on the side of our students.
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I was able to bring one guest to the unveiling of Marion Barry’s statue, so I Invited Brittney. Brittney spent part of her young adulthood incarcerated for a non-violent offense. Not to be defeated, she later helped lobby to increase the age of the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program to include young people up to 24 years old.
Brittney participated in the program and was able to get an internship in a DC government agency, which lead to a permanent job in that agency. Brittney is a clear example of Marion Barry’s legacy and what is possible when we invest in second chances.
Opposite: Councilmember Robert White and guest Brittney at the official unveiling of the Marion S. Barry statue outside the John Wilson Building.
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AROUND THE WILSON BUILDING
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Clockwise from top left corner: Councilmember Robert White meeting with members of local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. to discuss legislation; providing a legislative update to members of local chapters of the Links, Inc.; speaking to DC Statehood advocates Evanna Powell and Anise Jenkins; greeting law students from his alma mater American University Washington College of Law.
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Every year, from early February to late March, the Council conducts oversight hearings over the nearly 100 District agencies to better understand their work and evaluate their performance before the Mayor releases her budget recommendations. My staff and I spent many late nights and weekends digging through responses from agencies that fall under the six committees I sit on.
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During the Office of Planning’s Oversight Hearing, I raised my concern about the Comprehensive Plan and its silence on displacement. We need to be deliberate about how we grow. It is not sufficient just to grow for the sake of growing. The Office of Planning must chart this course to ensure that we have a plan to protect low- and moderate-income residents. Read more
here
or watch the video by clicking on the photo.
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My bill the “Office to Affordable Housing Task Force Establishment Act,” which would
create the plan to convert old office buildings into affordable housing in the District,
just unanimously passed the full Council and is now law. However, it must be funded. Please call the Mayor’s Office at (202) 727-2643 and ask for Mayor Bowser to fully fund B22-0289: The Office to Affordable Housing Task Force Establishment Act of 2017.
We know that conversions of office buildings to apartment buildings work because it’s already happening in DC. An example of such projects is the conversion of 1255 22nd Street, NW into a mixed-use building. Our task force will help expand the number of conversions and ensure any housing built is available to people with low- and moderate-income residents.
Above: Example of an office to mixed use conversion project at 1255 22nd Street, NW.
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NEXT MONTH: CITY BUDGET HEARINGS
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As Mayor Bowser develops her Fiscal Year 2019 budget recommendations, I sent a letter asking her to fund legal representation for seniors being exploited by criminals, invest in my plan to quickly create thousands of affordable housing units through office conversions, reinvest in adult literacy programs that have been defunded, and fill the bare shelves of our public school libraries. These requests represent priorities that Mayor and I share. Read my entire letter
here
.
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Councilmember Robert White reading to third graders at Murch Elementary.
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Tim Brady and his third grade class
at
Murch Elementary School
welcomed me for
Read Across America
. I read “Lillian’s Right to Vote,” a book about an elderly African American woman remembering her family’s struggle for the right to vote.
The students let me know that there are still rights that we need to fight for in this country.
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WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH EVENTS IN DC
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“In Conversation with the Librarian of Congress: Hidden Figures” featuring Margot Lee Shetterly and Donna Gigliotti
Wednesday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Coolidge Auditorium, Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First Street, SE
Margot Lee Shetterly is the author of “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” Donna Gigliotti was a producer of the Academy Award nominated film “Hidden Figures,” based on Shetterly’s book. Gigliotti is one of only nine women to win an Academy Award for best picture. Free tickets
here
.
Amelia Earhart with History Alive
Sunday, March 18 at 3:30 p.m.
Tenley-Friendship Library at 4450 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Watch award-winning actress Mary Ann Jung bring history to life. Mary Ann will tell the tale of pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart to help us celebrate Women's History Month. Suitable for all ages.
The Female Re-Enactors of Distinction
Saturday, March 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Anacostia Library at 1800 Good Hope Road, SE
Learn about the past to commemorate Women's History Month. The Female Re-Enactors of Distinction will tell the story of women from another time. All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult guardian.
The Battle of Fort Stevens and Elizabeth Thomas
Saturday, March 31 at 2:00 p.m.
Takoma Park Library at 416 Cedar Street, NW
For Women's History Month, come learn from rangers from the National Park Service Civil War Defenses of Washington. Rangers will tell the story of Elizabeth Thomas and the Battle of Fort Stevens.
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I value meeting residents in their own neighborhoods. This year, I will be working with many of you to host Meet and Greets across the city, so I can connect with you in quiet spaces where your voice will be heard. If you are interested in being on your ward’s host committee to help get the word out about these events, please contact my Director of Constituent Services, Andre Strickland, at astrickland@dccouncil.us or call (202) 724-8174. My second Meet and Greet will be in Ward 5 next month, more details to follow.
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Pictures from Councilmember Robert White's Ward 4 Meet & Greet at Culture Coffee Too located at 300 Riggs Rd, NE.
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Saturday, March 24
Ward 7 Democrats | 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Dorothy I. Height/Benning Neighborhood Library | 3935 Benning Road, NE
Monday, March 26
Ward 5 Democrats | 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | University of the District of Columbia Bertie Backus Campus | 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE
Tuesday, March 27
Anacostia Coordinating Council | 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. | Anacostia Community Museum | 1901 Fort Place, SE
*Dates, times, and locations are subject to change.
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PLEASE CONTACT ME OR ANYONE ON MY TEAM
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I hope you enjoyed this month's edition of my newsletter. If you have any questions or need to bring an issue to my attention, please call my office at 202-724-8174 or reach out to my team.
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Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember, At-Large | Council of the District of Columbia
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