Local Funding for Local Opportunity: The Role & Vision of the DC Trust in Expanded Learning

The District of Columbia surpasses any state in its broad, unmet demand for afterschool and summer learning opportunities. More than 70% of our kids in grades K through 8 would participate in a program if one were available after school, compared to a national average of only 40% for all kids.*

The greatest gains from expanded learning programs are shown to be for youth who are considered at risk of academic failure due to poverty**, and in DC, that means close to 40,000 students in DC Public Schools (DCPS) and our public charter schools. Yet at last report for this school year, the DC Trust’s FY2016 budget had only allocated for 2,465 total out-of-school time (OST) program slots for youth. Alarmingly, the same report indicated that there is no current FY2016 budget allocation at all for summer learning.

With recent changes in the organization’s leadership and internal staffing structures, there has been lingering uncertainty about the DC Trust’s future as the grantmaking intermediary for local OST funding - uncertainty we strove to resolve at their recent performance hearing on February 23, 2016.

Community Providers Weigh In
The DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) and several of our community-based partners testified at the performance oversight hearing for the DC Trust before the DC Council’s Committee on Health and Human Services. Several clear themes emerged from across partner testimonies:

Leaving "No Child Left Behind" Behind

Last week, the House passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (S.1177) by a vote of 369 to 64. This week, the Senate followed suit and passed the bill by a 85-12 vote. Once it is signed into law by the President, this bill will replace the 14 year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 through FY 2020.

The compromise legislation, drawn up in conference from both the House and Senate versions, shows promise of final enactment thanks to bipartisan provisions addressing the key goals of both Republicans and Democrats. The bill appeals to Republicans for its limitations on the role of the federal government and to Democrats for its efforts to protect low-income and minority students. At a time when all things political feel divisive, efforts to collaborate and compromise are refreshing.

Congress approves rewrite of No Child Left Behind via @ajc https://t.co/Oo17PUOiqI #NCLB

— Youth Today (@YouthToday) December 9, 2015

So what does this mean for the state of education nationally; and how will this affect the education landscape of the District? 

Education Public Hearing to Discuss the Assessment on Children of Incarcerated Parents Act of 2015

Last Tuesday, October 27, the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Education held a public hearing on:

• B21-0361, "Youth Suicide Prevention and School Climate Survey Act of 2015"
• B21-0319, "Assessment on Children of Incarcerated Parents Act of 2015

Most of the witness present were there to discuss B21-0361, so they recessed the hearing until it continues on November 12 at 2pm in Rm 123, to allow for more time to get public witnesses for a more robust conversation on the issues of the Assessment on Children of Incarcerated Parents Act of 2015.

This is where you come in! They need witnesses, either organizations, parents/guardians, or children to testify about the unique academic needs facing children of incarcerated parents and why an assessment is necessary.

The stated purposed of B21-319 is to require the Mayor to comprehensively assess the impact on children who have at least one parent that is incarcerated. The bill specifies that the assessment must:
(1) evaluate the impact of parental incarceration on the child’s academics; and
(2) recommend policies to meet the needs of children who are struggling academically while a parent in incarcerated.

Councilmember Grosso said in his opening statement, on October 27:

Often in D.C. we talk about the needs of returning citizens, but we have not fully explored the impact of incarceration on our children, nor taken specific steps to meet the needs of those children. B21-319 attempts to change that. Taken together, these measures will help save students’ lives and put them in the best position to learn, succeed, and overcome whatever adversity is thrown their way.

We appreciate the attention children of incarcerated parents are receiving, and the adverse effects those circumstances can have on their education. We look forward to seeing what policy recommendations result from the assessment, in just a little over a year. And we wanted to share information on this public hearing on November 12, for anyone who would be interested in attending, and maybe even testifying.