Tell DC Council: DC students need unprecedented support in the wake of COVID-19

Mayor Bowser has announced that her budget proposal will include a 3.6 percent increase in the uniform per student funding formula and makes positive increases for our students furthest from opportunity.

This is a strong start, but setting our students up for their #StrongestYearYet calls for an increase of at least 4 percent per student and equitable funding to our at-risk students and English Language Learners by increasing funding dedicated to those groups.

We need the Council to go further. Use the link to the right to urge your councilmembers to build on the mayor’s initial proposed education investments so that our schools have the resources they need to provide an equitable recovery.

And make sure you've added your name to the SYY petition!

The Power of Tutoring

by Jax Chaudhry, DC Regional Director, Literacy Lab

The pandemic has widened savage inequalities and increased academic loss. DC’s students who read at grade level have fallen behind by three months, while at-risk students have suffered learning loss in reading at four times the rate of their peers this school year, according to research from EmpowerK12. But equitable gains for our students is possible, and it starts with high-dosage tutoring. Check out the latest on the SYY Blog.

Five Things We Learned About Supporting Adult Students in the Pandemic

by Nicole Hanrahan, Co-Founder & Executive Director, LAYC Career Academy

At Career Academy — an alternative public school that provides students aged 16-24 with literacy skills, college preparatory skills, college-credit classes, a GED pathway, and career preparation in health care and information technology — we have learned a lot about supporting older students during the pandemic and as we reopened our doors.