Every child in DC deserves more than a seat in a classroom. They deserve a school that is safe, modern, and staffed by educators who are supported and equipped to do their jobs well.
What I hear most from parents, students, and educators is a need for stronger mental health support and more out-of-school time programming. Too many students are navigating real challenges, anxiety, trauma, unstable home situations, and they need schools prepared to meet them there. I will protect the School-Based Behavioral Health Program, which places clinicians in DC public and charter schools, from budget cuts. Removing that support is not a savings. It is a cost we will pay in other ways. I also support expanding out-of-school time funding so that more students have safe, structured places to be after school and on weekends.
Additionally, chronic absenteeism and students struggling with reading are connected challenges that deserve the same urgency. Students miss school for real reasons - unstable housing, transportation barriers, and feeling unsafe getting there - and when they fall behind academically it compounds quickly. I support stronger coordination between schools, families, and social service agencies to intervene early, and I support expanding evidence-based reading instruction so students build foundational skills before the gap becomes impossible to close. As AI use increases, DC also needs a clear district-wide policy that reinforces literacy rather than replacing it.