Opening Statement of Councilmember David Grosso

Chairperson of the Committee on Education

Committee of the Whole
Joint Performance Oversight Hearing on D.C. Public Charter School Board and
Deputy Mayor for Education
February 12, 2020

I am At-Large Councilmember David Grosso, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, and

I am calling to order this Fiscal Year 2019 Performance Oversight Hearing for the DC Public
Charter School Board and Deputy Mayor for Education.

I want to start by acknowledging that this meeting is taking place on the traditional land of the
Anacostan People of the Piscataway Tribe.

The Public Charter School Board is the authorizing and main oversight body of the 123 public
charter schools in DC, and the 62 local education agencies that operate them. These schools
serve more than 43,000 students from preschool through adult education – approximately 46%
of the overall student body in DC.

Public charter schools serve as an important part of our public education system, and although
they are subject to less direct oversight from the Council and Mayor, the Public Charter School
Board and its staff – under the leadership of Executive Director Scott Pearson – conduct
rigorous oversight activities with these local education agencies.

In order for our public charter schools to be a success, it is vital that they are held to the same
high standards as our traditional public schools. In doing so, we ensure that all of our students
have access to the high-quality instruction and care that any family should be able to expect
when sending their kids to school each day.

The second agency to testify will be the Deputy Mayor for Education. The Deputy Mayor is
responsible for developing and implementing the Mayor's academic agenda and for creating a
high-quality education continuum from birth to 24 years of age.

The three major responsibilities of the Deputy Mayor are to oversee a District-wide education
strategy, manage interagency and cross-sector education coordination, and provide oversight
and support for the DC Public Schools, the Office of the State Superintendent for Education,
the Department of Parks and Recreation, the DC Public Library, the Public Charter School
Board, the University of the District of Columbia, the Department of Employment Services,
and the Workforce Investment Council.

Performance oversight hearings are an opportunity for the Council and the public to hear
about the successes, challenges, and performance of our government agencies. These
hearings help inform the work we put into the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

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The Committee sent PCSB and the DME a number of questions before this hearing to help us
prepare. Those questions and the agency responses are available online, on both the Council
website and my website. My questions today will largely build off of those responses.
I look forward to hearing the testimony of our public and government witnesses and engaging
in a meaningful discussion. First, however, I will turn to my colleagues for any opening
statements.

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