Allen to introduce bill shifting control of DCPS at-risk student funds to principals from Central Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 8, 2019

Contact: Erik Salmi

Allen to introduce bill shifting control of DCPS at-risk student funds to principals from Central Office

Will also re-introduce bills protecting tenants, expanding sexual assault survivors’ rights, and banning non-disclosure agreements for sexual misconduct

At the first legislative meeting in Council Period 23, Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6) will introduce the At-Risk School Funding Transparency Amendment Act of 2019, which would shift the spending decisions for at-risk funding from DC Public Schools’ Central Office to principals and school communities. The bill also adds new reporting requirements for all public schools receiving at-risk funds so parents, the public, and the Council can better track them and gauge their effectiveness.

“At-risk funds should be an important tool for closing the District’s achievement gap and ensuring the students most in need have additional evidence-based supports to help them succeed. But I keep hearing from parents and teachers that the money doesn’t make it to the classroom. Instead, staff positions are cut, and students already on the edge are falling through the cracks,” said Councilmember Allen. “Adding insult to injury, schools are now subject to a five-star rating system that will exacerbate the challenges and raise the stakes for schools serving high numbers of at-risk students. The least we can do is ensure schools serving these children actually get the extra funding we promised them.”

At-risk funds were created in 2013 to ensure all public schools – both DCPS and Public Charter Schools — serving students who needed more support academically or socially would receive additional resources on top of the standard per-pupil funding. But in 2015, the Council moved spending authority for those dollars in DC Public Schools to the Chancellor’s office, rather than principals, at DCPS’ request. Since then, parents and lawmakers alike have been frustrated in trying to track at-risk spending, ensure it is truly supplemental rather than covering core staffing needs, and to assess its effectiveness.

Councilmember Allen said, “Right now, we’re not doing enough to evaluate if that extra money is making a difference or even being used as intended. Increased transparency will help us make the right decisions and ensure it’s getting to the students who need it most.”

Re-Introductions from Council Period 22

• Sexual Assault Victims’ Rights Amendment Act of 2019 (introduced at the Office of the Secretary): Councilmember Allen re-introduced legislation, commonly known as “SAVRAA 2.0”, to expand the right to a sexual assault advocate for young victims, clarify a victim’s right to information about their case, and establish updated timelines for the Department of Forensic Sciences to process sexual assault kits. The bill also would establish a review committee to receive and investigate complaints from sexual assault victims, among other provisions. “This is important legislation, and it’s critical to make sure we get it right by working closely with victim-survivors and advocates,” said Councilmember Allen. “For too long, DC did not treat victim-survivors of sexual assault with the dignity and urgency needed as they process a traumatic event and seek justice. While we’ve seen many improvements in the past five years, more should be done. I intend to move the bill early in the new Council Period.”
• Housing Conversation and Eviction Clarification Amendment Act of 2019: Councilmember Allen will re-introduce a bill that makes it costlier to downsize multi-unit rental buildings by adding a fee when developers submit plans that reduce the total number of units. The bill also adds a penalty to an existing law that forbids landlords from evicting a tenant under the premise of living in or selling the home, but then returning the unit to the rental market in less than a year. More here from the original introduction.
• Sexual Misconduct Sunshine Amendment Act of 2019: Introduced in July 2018, this bill would build on the progress made by the #MeToo movement by limiting most non-disclosure agreements designed to hide sexual misconduct. More here from the original introduction. “Building on decades of work by innumerable women, the #MeToo movement has heightened public attention to the prevalence of sexual misconduct and discrimination in and out of the workplace. Non-disclosure agreements are often coercive and allow predators to hide their behavior from accountability and liability,” Councilmember Allen said. “By passing this bill, we can protect employees and shift some of the power back to workers.”