AAPI Heritage Month & Literacy Update

Dear Neighbor,
 
As the first Asian-American elected to the DC State Board of Education (DCSBOE), I have had an amazing time this AAPI Heritage Month reading Chinese/English bilingual books with students across the city. Please message me if you’d like to organize a storytime with me!

Pride Prom

I had the privilege of helping two DC high school seniors organize DC’s first city-wide Pride Prom. The event received unanimous support from my colleagues on the DCSOBE and was organized in partnership with Whitman Walker, the Association of American Medical Colleges, Human Rights Campaign, Equality Chamber, and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The event was a huge success! Please message me if you’d like to get involved to help plan next year’s.

OSSE's Literacy Task Force & Literacy Convening

Once a month, I convene a group of reading instructors, school leaders, and literacy experts to advise me in this work. Our next meeting will be on June 7th. Please reach out if you’d like to join this group or have recommendations for whom I may invite.

I’m honored to be entrusted by my DCSBOE colleagues to be re-appointed as the Board’s representative to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)’s Literacy Task Force. I also had the opportunity to introduce DC’s State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant at OSSE’s first in-person literacy convening. As I said in an OSSE press release, “I am proud of how DC is coming together to align our collective efforts to improve reading instruction and skills.”

Social Studies Standards

OSSE is preparing to present the final social studies standards draft at the DCSBOE’s June Working Session. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns as we prepare to finalize DC’s first refresh of our social studies standards since 2006. 

Student Application to the DCSBOE

The DCSBOE is accepting applications for Student Representatives and members of the Student Advisory Committee! Please help get the word out by sharing this link to apply. All applicants must be a DC resident and a sophomore, junior, or senior at a public or public charter high school. The application deadline is June 15, 2023.

The next DC SBOE public meeting is at 5:30 p.m. on 6/21 at 441 4th St. NW. Please sign up here by 6/19 to testify.

All the best,

Allister Chang