Opening Statement of Councilmember David Grosso, Chairperson

Committee on Education Performance Oversight Hearing on

State Board of Education, Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education,
and the Office of the Student Advocate
February 12, 2019

I am David Grosso the Chairperson of the Committee on Education and I am calling to order
this Fiscal Year 2018 Performance Oversight Hearing for the State Board of Education, the
Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education, and the Office of the Student Advocate.

The State Board of Education advises the State Superintendent of Education on educational
matters, including: state standards; state policies, including those governing special, academic,
vocational, charter and other schools; state objectives; and state regulations proposed by the
Mayor or the State Superintendent of Education.

The State Board of Education also approves a number of state-level policies involving
attendance and absenteeism; high school graduation requirements; parental involvement;
residency verification; and state accountability standards, among many others.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education is an independent agency housed at the
State Board. The Ombudsman is responsible for helping students and parents resolve
problems as they engage with the District of Columbia Public Schools and public charter
schools. The Office offers conflict resolution services to parents, families, and students and is
committed to resolving school related complaints, disputes and problems quickly and
efficiently in all areas that affect student learning.

The Office of the Student Advocate is also an independent agency housed at the State Board.
The Office’s mission is to support and empower D.C. residents to achieve equal access to
public education through advocacy, outreach, and information services.

Performance Oversight hearings are an opportunity for the Council and the public to hear
about the successes, challenges, and performance of our government agencies. These
hearings help inform the work we put into the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Committee sent the agencies a number of questions before this hearing to help us
prepare. Those responses are available online on the Council website and my website. My

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questions today will be mainly follow-ups to those responses.

Please note that the Youth Bullying Prevention Taskforce will not be testifying at this hearing
because it was sunset last August. However, the Committee will send a letter seeking a final
update on its accomplishments.

I look forward to hearing the testimony of our government and public witnesses and engaging
in a meaningful discussion. First, however, I would like to recognize my colleagues for any
opening statements.

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