T. Michelle Colson: Young DC natives face unique challenges accessing workforce opportunities in their home city. We can change that.

Washington, DC, is one of the most opportunity-dense cities in the country. It is home to federal agencies, global employers, research institutions and fast-growing industries. But along with opportunity density comes a high degree of competitiveness in the labor market. If we want our young people to be competitive in their home city, we must take action in key areas where our current public education system falls short.

In recent years, DC has made measurable progress in education attainment. According to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the four-year high school graduation rate has steadily increased over the past decade, reaching its highest level since the current accountability framework was adopted. 

But graduation alone does not equal readiness. Data from the DC deputy mayor for education and the National Center for Education Statistics show that many DC graduates enroll in postsecondary education without being academically prepared to persist, particularly in reading and math. Nationally and locally, remediation rates and college non-completion remain disproportionately high for students from historically underserved communities.

There are economic consequences to under-preparedness. Analysis by the D.C. Policy Center, drawing on U.S. Census data, has shown that young adults living in the District who were born here earn $37,000 less per year, on average, than similarly aged DC residents who were born elsewhere. This reflects gaps in degree attainment, credentials, and access to early career opportunities. In a city where high-wage jobs are plentiful but competitive, it is preparation, not proximity, that determines who benefits.

If our native DC young people are going to have a shot at all the wonderful opportunities available in our city, we must start gearing our public education system to prepare students for workforce competitiveness. Three priorities would help us advance our aims.

First, we must begin treating poor attendance as an early warning system. Research consistently shows that attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic success, persistence and later earnings. Data collected by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education confirms that chronic absenteeism rises sharply in high school, but we know that attendance patterns linked to disengagement often emerge in middle school.

Instead of waiting for ninth-grade failure, DC should strengthen procedures in middle school to flag attendance, course performance and engagement concerns early. Because data without capacity is ineffective, the systems for early identification must be paired with counselors, social workers, deans and transition supports that respond quickly and consistently. Students remain engaged when adults intervene early and remove barriers, not when systems act punitively after disengagement has set in.

Second, we must make reading proficiency a citywide, non-negotiable priority. The national conversation on literacy offers an instructive case study. Recent reporting by The New York Times documented how Mississippi, long ranked near the bottom on educational outcomes, made sustained gains in early-grade reading over time. Those gains were attributed not to a single program or funding increase, but to long-term alignment around evidence-based reading instruction, educator training, and accountability structures that rewarded progress toward proficiency, particularly for students who started furthest behind.

DC does not need to replicate another state’s policies wholesale. But we do need coherence. A shared commitment to evidence-based literacy instruction across sectors — supported by aligned materials, professional learning, and accountability that values growth toward proficiency — would strengthen the foundation for all subsequent learning.

Reading proficiency is not only an academic issue. It is a workforce issue and an equity issue.

Third, we must recognize that in a city where national talent competes daily for opportunity, DC students need more than aspiration. They need tangible career assets: early exposure, paid experience, mentorship, and professional networks that translate education into economic mobility.

DC has a distinct and underused advantage. As the nation’s Sports Capital, Washington is home to major professional teams, large venues, and a year-round sports and entertainment economy. Each entity requires talent across dozens of fields, including finance, marketing, media production, data analytics, event operations, facilities management, cybersecurity, hospitality and public safety.

Rather than treating sports solely as entertainment, DC should intentionally partner with professional teams, venues and its public schools to create internships, fellowships, apprenticeships and early employment pathways for local students. These experiences build résumés, references and real-world skills — advantages that students moving to DC often already possess.

If DC students must compete against the nation in their own hometown, then the city should ensure they enter that competition with a home-field advantage.

T. Michelle Colson is dean of students at a DC Public School and the Ward 4 representative on the DC State Board of Education. She holds a doctorate in education policy from Howard University.

About commentaries

The DC Line welcomes commentaries representing various viewpoints on local issues of concern, but the opinions expressed do not represent those of The DC Line. Submissions of up to 850 words may be sent to editor Chris Kain at chriskain@thedcline.org.