OSSE Wire: February 2024

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Team OSSE – 

With the release of our 2023 Annual Report: From Recovery to Restoration: Leading With Momentum, we are emphasizing the strides we've taken on the path to restoration and outlining how we plan to leverage this progress for continued advancement in the months and years ahead. I wish to express my deep appreciation for your steadfast commitment to students, families and your fellow colleagues. Each milestone outlined in this report, and beyond, has been attainable due to your hard work and determination.

Please take some time to the 2023 Annual Report: From Recovery to Restoration – Leading With Momentum.

I am excited about the work that lies ahead in 2024. OSSE is in a strong position heading into performance hearing season thanks to your hard work and determination. We have accomplished so much together, and I am confident that we can continue to build on our successes. I look forward to engaging in this work with you and supporting your efforts to improve education in the District of Columbia.

In service,  
Christina Grant, Ed.D. 

Discover Black Heritage Feature on DC Social Studies Standards

With inclusive histories and a focus on inquiry-driven education, students say DC’s updated social studies standards have created more engaging and inclusive classrooms where they feel represented and heard.

Check out NBC4’s Discover Black Heritage spotlight featuring Inspired Teaching Demonstration Schools’ efforts to implement the pilot of our updated social studies standards. 

Pictured: U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant during tour of the Advanced Technical Center

OSSE Awarded $4.1 Million Grant to Expand ATC

OSSE received a $4.1 million Career Connected High School Grant from the Biden-Harris Administration to expand access to the District’s Advanced Technical Center (ATC). The grant funds were awarded by the U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona during a visit to the Advanced Technical Center in January. 

Additional Media Coverage on the ATC:

D.C.'s career prep program offers a solution to its attendance problem
Jan. 7 | Lauren Lumpkin//Washington Post

7News looks at DC program achieving success when it comes to school attendance
Jan. 9 | Kellye Lynn//WJLA

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $25M in Grant Awards to Advance Career Connected High Schools
Jan. 24 | Press Office//United States Department of Education

Cardona encourages CTE expansion during DC school visit
Jan . 31 | Kara Arundel//K12 Dive

Unlocking Education Choices: Inside My School DC

Chelsey Christensen, the Director of Partnerships and Engagement at My School DC, was recently interviewed on an episode of WEC Connects. During the podcast, she discussed the layers of education and community engagement in the District and the common application and public school lottery process.

DC Unveils Social-Emotional Learning Standards

Elizabeth Ross, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, was recently interviewed about the launch of K-12 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards. In the coming months, OSSE will be working closely with stakeholders and SEL experts to develop a well-informed implementation plan that considers the voices and needs of educators, students and parents.  

Beyond the Audit, OER Staff Perform a Variety of Functions  

Pictured: Veita Clark, a management analyst in the Office of Enrollment and Residency, collects tuition payments from non-residents enrolled in public schools in DC.

Every year, colleagues in OSSE’s Office of Enrollment and Residency (OER) engage in one of the agency’s most important functions: the annual enrollment count and residency verification audit.

While a lot of activity the public sees around the enrollment process happens in the spring at the beginning of enrollment season, in early October for the annual student enrollment count and in the late winter when OSSE releases its annual enrollment report, OER staff work throughout the year to prepare for enrollment season and successfully execute the enrollment count and residency verification audit.   

“Every day is different, which is what I like,” said OER staffer Veita Clark.

Veita came on board seven years ago, when enrollment in DC Public Schools and our public charter schools hovered between the upper 80,000s and lower 90,000s. This year’s unofficial enrollment number, released after the Oct. 5 count, is pushing closer to 100,000 students, making OER’s job busier and even more important.  

“We want to make sure the enrollment and residency guidelines are met and carried out with fidelity,” Clark said. 

OER oversees a variety of functions related to enrollment and residency: ensuring an accurate count of all students; enforcing compliance with enrollment and residency policies; conducting the enrollment and residency audit; training LEA points of contact on policies and procedures; and collecting tuition payments from non-residents who wish to enroll their children in DC schools. 

Shout out to the Special Education Performance report Team From Chandi Wagner (DAR) I would like to shout out Setareh Mahmoudi, Karen Morgan-Donaldson, and Allison Young who delivered a stellar presentation on OSSE’s new Special Education Performance Report at the 2023 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) STATS-DC Conference. Their teamwork in both creating these reports and then sharing them with a national audience is a great example of OSSE's core value of teamwork & collaboration.

Shout Out to Tangee Dingle, Network IT Specialist 
From Chelsey Christensen (OPS)

Tangee is always responsive, helpful and kind. I am *not* an iPhone person and Tangee never judges me (too harshly) when I have questions about navigating my work phone. Tangee has been especially helpful recently during the InTune iPhone migration. I know she was a HUGE help for me and have seen in the InTune Migration chat that she's been a huge help for many others as well. 

Welcome to OSSE!

• Abigail Johnson: Flexible Scheduling Pilot Grant Administrator, TAL 
• Mekedes Minas: Program Analyst, OPS 
• Jacob Arnott: Supervisory HR Specialist, HR 
• Jane Clark: Project Director, DAR 
• Tahitia Coleman: Management Analyst, DEL 
• Megan Dho: MSDC Executive Director, OPS 
• Jarrett Haynes: Management Analyst, DEL 
• Jeanetta Johnson: HR Specialist, HR 
• Elena Rowe: Education Services Specialist, PCE 
• Theo Pippins: Education Research Analyst, DAR
• Ivana Thornton: Management Analyst, H&W
• Benjamin Scott: Program Analyst, K12
• Kristen Thompson: Program Analyst, K12
• Ronica Milledge: Child Care Program Specialist, DEL
• Skylar Wyche: Educaton Program Specialist, DEL

Congratulations on the Promotion!

• Julia Banks: Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist, DEL
• Chiatali Damani: Management Analyst, CIO 
• Jessica Duncan: Program Manager H&W 
• Dorion Golback: Early Intervention Specialist, DEL 
• Melissa Lyte: Early Intervention Specialist, DEL 
• Kennedy Smith: Management Analyst, HR 
• Trinika Snowden: HR Specialist, HR 
• Sean Elliot: Program Manager, TAL
• Angela Awonaike: Program Manager, TAL
• Eric Block: Investigator, OPS
• Tenika Murphy: Supervisory Terminal Mgmt Specialist, DOT

Feb. 15 | OSSE Brown Bag: Telework Policy Updates

Join us from 12-1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15 for a virtual brown bag with the team from Human Resources on the new telework policy updates.

View past Brown Bag recordings here. 

Feb. 22 | AP African American History Presentation

On Thursday, Feb. 22 in the afternoon, we hope you can join us for a special Black History Month presentation. We are fortunate to welcome Mr. Johnson’s AP African American History class from BASIS DC here at OSSE Main. During this discussion, you will hear from current and former students about the impact of being some of the first students in the nation to take this course. Stay tuned for more details and a calendar invite later this week. 

Please feel free to contact Angie Kirk at Angie.Kirk@dc.gov with any questions. 

Holiday Closures

All DC Government offices are closed on Monday, Feb.19 in observance of President's Day.

Vehicle Safety

While OSSE does not operate the garage in the building at OSSE Main or any other parking structure, staff who drive to work are reminded to practice caution to help reduce the risk of vehicle break-ins and theft. Additionally, as a result of recent property damage and theft, building management has implemented additional security in the garage, and a guard will be policing the garage in the building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.   

The Metropolitan Police Department also offers a list of vehicle safety tips, including:  

• Secure your vehicle, even if parking for just a minute. Remove your keys, lock all your doors, and close your windows.   
• NEVER leave your engine running and vehicle unlocked while you run into your home, a convenience store, or anywhere else.  
• If you must leave [items] in your car, lock them in your trunk or glove compartment. In a pinch, hiding items under seats is better than leaving them in plain view.  
• See the complete list of safety tips here. 

While OSSE does not operate the garage in the building at OSSE Main or any other parking structure, staff who drive to work are reminded to practice caution to help reduce the risk of vehicle break-ins and theft. Additionally, as a result of recent property damage and theft, building management has implemented additional security in the garage, and a guard will be policing the garage in the building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.   

The Metropolitan Police Department also offers a list of vehicle safety tips, including:  

• Secure your vehicle, even if parking for just a minute. Remove your keys, lock all your doors, and close your windows.   
• NEVER leave your engine running and vehicle unlocked while you run into your home, a convenience store, or anywhere else.  
• If you must leave [items] in your car, lock them in your trunk or glove compartment. In a pinch, hiding items under seats is better than leaving them in plain view.  
• See the complete list of safety tips here.