SBOE submits student-focused recommendations on DCPS chancellor search

Calls on mayor to ensure pick is ready on day one

Washington, D.C. – The DC State Board of Education (SBOE), including the Student Representatives and Student Advisory Committee, today urged Mayor Muriel Bowser to make certain that any candidate for chancellor of DC Public Schools (DCPS) possess at least six qualities. Many of the SBOE recommended qualities have been echoed in community forums and meetings across the District. The SBOE wants every student to be valued and have the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to become informed, competent, and contributing global citizens.

“The State Board is committed to ensuring that the next chancellor is ready to lead from day one. The next chancellor must be transparent and communicative, demonstrate a strong commitment to ethics, and work towards inclusivity and equity alongside a diverse group of stakeholders in our city, with students at the center of their decision-making,” wrote State Board members in a letter to Bowser.

The State Board summarized its list of recommended qualities for the mayor to consider when selecting the next chancellor. The selected candidate must be insightful and proactive, committed to analyzing and sharing data with the public, committed to incorporating public trust from families, willing to innovate, capable and committed to championing DCPS, and focused on building relationships and rebuilding trust.

The State Board is fully committed to working alongside the Interim Deputy Mayor for Education and the Our Schools Leadership Committee as they work on synthesizing findings and recommendations prior to the selection.