Beginning My Second Term on the DC State Board of Ed
Good afternoon neighbors,
On January 2nd, I had the honor of taking the oath of office to serve a second term on the DC State Board of Education. In this term, I recommit to ensuring every child in our city can succeed. At the core of that success lies literacy.
Reading is not just one of many skills - it's the foundation for every opportunity in life. Yet, too many of our students are falling behind. In 2022, only 26% of students performed at or above the Proficient level in reading. This must change.
OSSE's Early Literacy Education Task Force has outlined evidence-based recommendations for improving literacy: robust training and coaching for teachers and administrators, paired with high-quality curricula.
The path to literacy is clear – it’s evidence-based, it’s tested in contexts urban, suburban, and rural… but it takes consistent coordinated effort. The path to literacy is clear, but we have to keep walking it together.
Mississippi's success story shows us what's possible when science-of-reading reforms are fully implemented. It took them six years, but their literacy outcomes rose dramatically - leapfrogging DC’s. We must learn from their example and stay the course.
Thank you, Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson, and Councilmembers – particularly Councilmember Pinto – for championing critical science-of-reading investments in this year's budget. We've made a significant step forward.
In my second term, my top priority is to shepherd forward a full implementation of OSSE's Early Literacy Education Task Force recommendations.
The path to literacy is clear, and we have to walk it together.
In the months ahead, we must expand science-of-reading reforms beyond kindergarten, invest in dynamic, in-person teacher training, and ensure coaching becomes a sustained practice. Abandoning this work prematurely would undermine our progress. Decades of research have shown us what works: evidence-based investments that deliver real results, time and time again, across our nation.
The path to literacy is clear, but there are no proven shortcuts.
I’m honored to have walked this path with many of you during my first term – thank you to…
The Charter Alliance
CitiBridge
Decoding Dyslexia
Democrats for Education Reform
EmpowerED
EmpowerK12
Parents Amplifying Voices in Education
The Public Charter School Board
The Washington Teachers' Union; and‚
My colleagues on the DC State Board of Education - I'm proud to stand alongside you.
Thank you to my parents, who immigrated from Taipei to DC to provide me with educational opportunities they did not have. Their sacrifices made my journey possible, and I am committed to ensuring every DC student has access to those same opportunities.
We can and we will propel DC to the top of state rankings for reading outcomes, because we know the most effective path to literacy, and I'm honored I get the opportunity to continue walking down this path, together with each of you.
Read more details about my specific policy recommendations in my latest op-ed in the DC Line, co-authored with local literacy expert Andrea Kleinbard.
Thank you for your support, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if I may ever be of help.
- Allister