JON ALFUTH’S POLICY PRIORITIES
My policy priorities are informed by my deep knowledge and experience as a K-12 education policy expert, my practical experiences as a teacher, parent, and DCPS volunteer, and the thousands of doors I’ve knocked on while running for state board of education. I know that each of these priorities are vital to making sure DC’s public schools are preparing our children for a successful future.
CREATING SAFE & HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
I know from my many conversations with community members that student safety is a critical issue for our ward. This is true for both DCPS and charter schools. Many families face challenging commutes getting to and from school, buildings often have deferred maintenance or are going through modernization, and too many students don’t feel safe and supported in their school environments. I commute several miles a day taking my child to and from school, and she’s also struggled in the past with school conditions that made it difficult to learn. I also know from my time in the classroom that teachers need to feel safe and valued themselves to create a positive learning environment for students.
As your state board member, I will work towards the following:
Elevate the voices of both DCPS and charter schools across Ward 5 in funding conversations to make sure that all schools, both DCPS and DC Charter Schools, have the financial resources to create safe and healthy learning environments for all students and prepare them for the future.
Support increased safety getting to and from schools by ensuring access to safe passage programs for Ward 5 schools and for the many students who travel outside of Ward 5.
Work with communities to address the dangerous traffic conditions that exist near many of our buildings.
Advocate for Ward 5 student, family, and teacher needs during the modernization efforts taking place in our ward.
Fight to see that preventative maintenance requests are addressed in a timely manner.
Work to see that Ward 5 students who receive special education services are getting access to the supports they need and are entitled to under state and federal law.
Listen to our teachers to better understand what they need to be successful and elevate these needs to the appropriate policy makers.
Build opportunities for cross Ward community engagement so that parents, students, teachers, and advocates have a collective voice in advocating for safe and healthy learning environments as well as other issues.
Updates from the Campaign Trail
Federal Law Enforcement: My team and I have knocked on thousands of doors across Ward 5 and we’ve heard time and time again that federal law enforcement actions are making students and families feel less safe. Students in Trinidad have been intimidated by National Guard troops since the beginning of the school year. Students at some of our Hispanic-serving charter schools have had to find creative ways just to make sure students can get safely to and from the building due to the presence of ICE. If elected, Jon will continue closely monitoring federal law enforcement’s interactions with our schools and work with both our communities and elected officials to do everything in our collective power to minimize federal law enforcement’s footprint in Ward 5.
Special Education: We also have heard that students with special needs are being poorly served by our current education system. Reports from the US Department of Education and conversations with neighbors speak to the failures of our current system, including both classroom services and transportation. And too often, when services are delivered they come after severe delays. Students need to have access to the services to which they are entitled in a timely manner. If elected, I would support adding metrics to our state accountability system that track how well schools are serving students with special needs, advocate to the council during budget season for the resources our students with special needs require, and above all be in continuous contact with our communities to understand where the system is serving our students with special needs well and where it continues to fail them.
Facilities: We hear over and over again when engaging with communities across Ward 5 that too often our physical buildings aren’t safe and healthy learning environments. I’ve heard stories of air conditioners that don’t work, doors that won’t latch, and basements that flood during major storms. When it comes to DCPS, we know that the city often doesn’t provide timely service and that many of our buildings will be undergoing major renovations in the years ahead. And this past year DC’s public charter schools had to fight just to get the baseline facilities increase that they are entitled to under law. If elected to the state board, I’m committed to listening to our school leaders and parent teacher organizations to understand the current state of their facilities, hearing what they need, and advocating to the appropriate policymakers with authority to address those challenges.
FUTURE READINESS
We must fight to make sure that our students are exposed to the knowledge and experiences they need to prepare them for what comes next. My work with schools and states across the country have shown me the importance of putting academic and career readiness experiences on equal footing. This means students need to have access to both rigorous academic instruction and actively participate in meaningful college and career experiences.
As your state board member, I will work towards the following:
Advocate for our school accountability system to give schools credit when students complete meaningful career readiness experiences that can lead to meaningful credentials.
Champion career exposure in the early grades and college and career readiness experiences like work-based learning, apprenticeships, career and technical education, and dual enrollment in high school. This includes supporting the growth of advanced technical centers like the one in ward 5.
Advocate for continued financial support of valuable data collection efforts so that we can better understand what our students need while they’re in school and how our alumni are doing once they graduate.
Re-imagine the way our high schools are structured by learning from best practices in existing DC initiatives and from around the country. This includes exploring whether and how we can safely and equitably integrate emerging technologies into learning experiences.
Make sure that academic standards encourage mastery of the rigorous academic knowledge and skills students need to be successful in life.
Work to make sure schools are implementing evidence based practices like the science of reading to support student’s academic development.
Updates from the Campaign Trail
Out of School Time: I believe that out of school time is one of the most important resources that our schools can offer young people, and many of my neighbors have been telling me as much when I’ve knocked on their doors. As an award-winning debate coach with over a decade of experience I know first hand the impact it can make on their lives. Yet I know from conversations with after school providers that some of our funding programs like Learn 24 are difficult to navigate for our after school providers. We’re also entering a difficult budget period and will need strong advocates committed to preserving after school funding to engage with the DC council. While the state board does not have direct authority over funding for out of school time, I am committed to fighting for these programs if elected.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Too many DC students are missing too many days of school. As a classroom teacher and debate coach in DCPS schools, I know how critical attendance is to making sure that each and every student is present and engaged every day. As we create safe and healthy learning environments and expand future ready opportunities, we must also take deliberate steps to support our students in attending school regularly.
As your state board member, I will work towards the following:
Fight to bring DC’s successful chronic absenteeism pilot to Ward 5 high schools, including both DCPS and charter schools.
Advocate for continual expansion of high-impact tutoring services so that all students feel ready and able to succeed in school every day.
Elevate strategies to improve attendance rates in the crucial years of 8th and 9th grade to prevent higher rates of high school absenteeism.
Identify bright spots across DC to uncover what is working in reducing chronic absenteeism and spread it to more schools.
Engage with national experts to bring best practices to the attention of our policy makers.
Support access to a diverse range of after school programs that engage students and encourage participation in school.
Updates from the Campaign Trail
Achievement Gaps: DC has been recognized as one of the fastest improving urban school districts in the country, and this past year we saw continued improvements in math and reading scores across much of the city. Yet we know that dramatic and unacceptable disparities in outcomes remain across geography, family income level, and race. Conversations with my neighbors tell me that the number one thing that we can do to improve student outcomes is to tackle our persistently high chronic absentee numbers. As a state board member I’ll work with schools across Ward 5 who show improved rates of attendance to identify what is working and elevate those strategies to the city level. I’ll also work with my fellow board members to bring together experts from across the country who can help us develop DC-specific strategies to address our absenteeism. Lastly, I’ll continue to advocate for increased learning experiences that make school meaningful and encourage attendance such as college and career pathways and out of school time experiences.