Opinion

In 2019, only 30% of fourth grade students in DC performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam in reading, ranking us 47th nationally. This does not even account for subsequent COVID-19…

Life for more than three dozen low- to moderate-income Ward 8 homeowners just went from bad to worse — much, much worse. The engineering consulting firm they hired, The Falcon Group, is recommending a complete evacuation of all units at…

“When I go to sleep at night, I kind of sleep with one eye open, so I’m never really sleeping, because I don't want building to collapse and not be able to get myself and my baby out,” LaDonna May, a condo owner at River East at Grandview…

There was Ward 4 DC Council member Janeese Lewis George, during last week’s public roundtable on gun violence and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Building Blocks initiative, reiterating a statement made by former DC Metropolitan Police Department…

In recent weeks, the world watched as pop star Britney Spears recounted her story of living under a court-mandated conservatorship that, for the past 13 years, has removed most, if not all, autonomy from her personal and professional life.…

It is very hard to raise a family in the District — as a single mom of a beautiful 1-year-old boy, trust me, I know the struggle. Yet I have gained so much hope these last few days with actions taken by President Joe Biden and members of…

In presenting his recommended Fiscal Year 2022 Budget and Financial Plan to colleagues, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called the $17,962,963,587 spending proposal and the attached Budget Support Act (BSA) “transformative.”  (Photo…

The DC Council has an unprecedented opportunity to address long-standing inequities in the District for residents of color and families with children that were inadequately addressed in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for fiscal year…

Mayor Muriel Bowser has decided not to extend the public health emergency past July 25. As a result, the DC Council had to scramble to phase out or extend many of the legal protections that were tied to the public health emergency,…

That’s probably the question many landlords and utility companies asked as the DC Council took action this week that confirmed the public health emergency will end July 25. However, legislators extended Mayor Muriel Bowser’s authority…

James Dunn spent 29 years in prison without a disciplinary infraction. He completed every program in which he could enroll, taught classes for fellow prisoners, and mentored those younger than him. Yet Dunn was refused parole…

Ward 6 DC Council member Charles Allen touted in a press release last week that his Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety voted to recommend to the full legislature a 172% increase in spending for violence prevention programs as…

It’s disappointing that some DC advocates will use almost any means, including deliberate manipulation of the public and withholding of critical information, in order to achieve their agenda. That was my reaction after reading a poll…

District children are hurting. The social isolation from friends, the strain of the pandemic on their families, and the stress of making distance learning work for more than a year have all taken a toll. DC’s health care…

To successfully accelerate learning and to address learning loss, DC should not excise any of its school librarians. Yet, that unfortunate cut may well occur at some DC Public Schools, to the detriment of students who need their help. …

As the pandemic school year comes to a close and summer vacation gets underway, it’s clear that students and educators have shown remarkable ingenuity and resiliency throughout the crisis. Yet, for DC’s most vulnerable students,…

Now is the time to reimagine how we prioritize child care and compensate early educators in the District. As some parents begin to return to work after more than a year at home, many child care program directors are scrambling to rehire or…

Judith Sandalow sat inside the square — the virtual infrastructure made ubiquitous by the coronavirus pandemic as we’ve sought to remain both publicly active and socially distanced, hoping to halt COVID-19’s indiscriminate killing…

Ward 1 DC Council member Brianne Nadeau will conduct a public hearing next week on Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fiscal year 2022 budget and financial plan for the Department of Human Services. If past is prologue, she likely will scope out…

This week, the DC Council begins scrutinizing Mayor Muriel Bowser’s $17.5 billion Fiscal Year 2022 Budget and Financial Plan, holding a series of public hearings slated to continue throughout June. One of the areas expected to receive much…