How does the school reform act change DCPS?
The Mayor, not the DC Board of Education, is in control of the District’s public schools. The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is a cabinet-level agency that will be directed by a Chancellor who will be directly accountable to the Mayor.

What is the role of the DC Board of Education?
The members of the DC Board of Education continue to serve, but as members of the new State Board of Education. The Board approves state standards, policies and regulations.

How does the public have input into decisions of their public schools?
All District public schools will increase parent and community involvement. All DCPS schools will have governing bodies, like the Local School Restructuring Team (LSRT), that will guide decisions at the local school. The Mayor will hold frequent public meetings. The State Board of Education will convene monthly public meetings to receive citizen input.

What is the role of the new Office of the State Superintendent of Education?
The State Superintendent of Education requests, distributes and monitors the use of federal grant monies, sets state policy and regulations and supports and advises the State Board of Education.

How does the bill impact the services that your children receive at the school level?
Services to schools will not be directly affected. However, schools will improve as principals, staff and administrators become more accountable and DCPS becomes a more responsive system to parent concerns.

How does the school reform bill impact charter schools?
The bill reduces the number of chartering authorities to one and transfers jurisdiction over the 18 Board of Education charter schools to the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB). Also, the bill permits PCSB to intervene earlier than five years if a charter school is not making academic progress.

What is the Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education?
The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education provides District residents with professional assistance in problem resolution and accurate, timely communication regarding public education issues. The Office also identifies trends and potential problems and makes frequent reports to the Mayor and other appropriate officials.

How will the school reform bill improve school facilities?
The bill will improve facilities by establishing a new Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization (OFM) that has independent procurement and personnel authority.

How can I be sure my child is not physically threatened or harassed in any way in school or traveling to and from school?
The Mayor is determined to eliminate physical threat and harassment in our public schools by working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to improve its operation within district middle schools and senior high schools. The Mayor also has initiated the Safe Schools Initiative, the Safe Routes Project and the CNE Violence-Free Zone Program.

What will be done to increase parent and community involvement?
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has established a Student Services and Parent Engagement department to ensure high-quality services and support for District students and families. In particular, OSSE will support (1) the dissemination and implementation of effective parent involvement policies and practices across all District LEAS and schools; (2) the broad publication and distribution of information for parents about the performance and quality of District schools; and (3) the creation of community-based Parent Academies, to help parents participate more effectively in their children’s education.  The OSSE will regularly enlist the input of parents, educators and community members in the development of policies and services for children, families and community members provided through this agency.