Opinion

When the DC Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) touts its supposed success in reducing the number of children in foster care, it fails to mention that it has accomplished this through a practice that jeopardizes the safety of DC’s…

When Mayor Muriel Bowser announced earlier this month the kickoff of a “citywide disparity study to examine the availability and utilization of minority- and women-owned business under DC procurement and contracting,” cheering could be…

Let’s all shout “Hallelujah!” Earlier this week, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the lifting of most public health emergency restrictions at facilities across the city on May 21, providing the road map to recovery that business…

Last year, I had an unexpected immersion into DC politics that exponentially increased my knowledge of the issues facing the District. When I contacted the DC Statehood Green Party (whose nominees I have always voted for) to inquire about…

As new federal money comes to DC to reverse pandemic-related learning losses and to improve literacy outcomes, the District has a unique opportunity to fix a structural problem that has plagued us for decades: insufficient teacher training…

When Black comedian Flip Wilson performed some outlandish, wholly funny routine on his television show in the 1970s, he ordinarily punctuated the laugh line with “The devil made me do it.” He may be dead, but DC Council members have been…

Educators in DC Public Schools and across the country are formulating plans to address so-called “learning loss.” As a DCPS teacher, I see every day the losses that students, families and teachers face due to COVID-19. But I also see how…

In a January opinion piece, Matthew Frumin rightly argues for additional resources for DC Public Schools — but wrongly claims that the government-run school system is underfunded compared to DC public charter schools. Public education…

What happens when DC’s deputy mayor for health and human services seems determined to steer parts of a multibillion-dollar contract to a specific company? The answer to that question has been playing out for months in the city, as the DC…

Our city — our entire society — has reached a decision point. As we begin to emerge from the worst public health crisis in a century and we grapple with the undeniable epidemic of racial injustice, we must choose how to move forward. Our…

Patrick Mara seems determined that the DC Republican Party and its members will be part of the local political mix this election cycle. “We’ve cast a wide net. We have a dozen persons interested in running for office,” he told me last week…

Under current DC zoning regulations, advisory neighborhood commissions have the right to negotiate community benefit agreements with developers with the aim of providing a financial investment into the community. These agreements, widely…

In his inaugural address, President Joe Biden emphasized unity and a commitment to justice. He spoke of the constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the realities that have long torn us apart. More…

Since last year, many families have been grappling with COVID-related challenges from illness, death, job loss and social isolation. Our educators and school leaders have pushed forward, providing students with virtual and in-person…

Responding last week to a question asked during WAMU’s Politics Hour about her political intentions, Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to indicate definitively whether she will run for a third term: "I usually get into a campaign when I know I…

As Mayor Muriel Bowser, the city and our schools prepare for the upcoming budget deliberations and schools embark on an equitable recovery from a disjointed year of learning, the city must ensure students with the greatest needs get the…

A confluence of timely reports and pending personnel appointments could impact the future of law enforcement in the city. If elected officials constrain their base political ambitions and instincts, District residents may ultimately…

The DC Council roundtable held last week to examine the findings and recommendations of the recently released audit on education data — “Measuring What Matters: More and Better Data Needed to Improve DC Public Schools” — was a case of…

There are unquestionable and discernible signs, in my view, that DC’s political season has already begun — although the next election isn’t until 2022. Consider, as evidence, the fact that many politicians and wannabes have been engaged in…

A year ago, school leaders across the District and the country began to grapple with the looming public health crisis that was threatening to upend all our lives. There’s no question that the last year has been the most difficult year on…