I'm going to order this hearing.

This is a public hearing of the Committee of the Whole of the Council of the District of Columbia.

I'm Phil Mendelssohn, Chair of the Council, Chair of the Committee of the Whole.

Today is Thursday, May 7, 2026.

The time is 9.57 in the morning.

We are in room 412 of the Johnny Wilson building.

This is another one of I think nine hearings that the committee of the whole is having on aspects of the mayor's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027.

There may also be testimony today with regard to her proposed changes to the current fiscal year 2026 budget.

Today's subject is the Office of State Superintendent of Education.

It's our practice to re generally usually we'll hear from public witnesses before we hear from the agency.

So the agency will be testifying at the end of today's hearing.

We have 251 individuals who signed up to testify.

And so I'm going to try to adhere to the clock and ask that witnesses adhere to the clock.

There are clocks everywhere, so nobody can like not see it if they look.

And I probably will not be asking a lot of questions of witnesses.

I suspect the reason why we have so many witnesses is because there are several proposals in the mayor's budget that are unpopular.

And if I had to guess what they are, I would say they're unpopular with council members as well.

The um uh committee of the whole will have a hearing next Wednesday, May 13th, which will be uh the last hearing that we have on the budget, and next week's hearing will be on the overall budget legislation.

So that would be the revised budget proposed for the current fiscal year 2026, the proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, the budget support act, and the federal portion budget request act.

Uh, all the issues, whatever they are, um, if folks want to testify, that'll be next Wednesday.

I expect that that will be a long hearing just as today is.

Uh sometimes we start that hearing uh hearing first from the government, first from the government, but um it's not the kind of hearing where we get a lot of detailed testimony from the government regarding the mayor's proposed budget.

It's primarily to hear from the public.

The council is scheduled to vote first reading on June 9th on the budget.

We have to act within 70 days on the budget according to the Home Rule Act.

If we act on June 9th, the second reading will be on June 23rd.

That would be on the budget and the revised budget on June 23rd.

The Budget Support Act, the second vote will probably be a week or two after that.

The mayor transmitted the budget on April 14th, and uh the committees are wrapping up this week uh the hearings that they're having on the agencies under their purview.

Uh with that, uh, my practice is to call witnesses.

Uh there are some who are online.

Um there are many who are in person, which I always appreciate.

So I will either call witnesses until we fill up the table, or I feel like we've had enough folks to go through for that panel.

So let me begin with uh Danielle Robinet, senior policy attorney with the Children's Law Center, Scott Goldstein, executive director in Power Head, whom I'm guessing is online, uh Ann Gunderson, who is senior policy analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute.

Audrey Kesselman.

Lauren Johnson.

All right, so we'll stop there.

If you don't see a clock, I will question how you can read your testimony because there are clocks all over the place.

Ms.

Robert Nett, when you're ready.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and staff.

My name is Danielle Robinett.

I'm a senior policy attorney at Children's Law Center.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony regarding the mayor's proposed FY27 budget for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

My testimony today will focus on the budget for special education transportation.

Children's Law Center has repeatedly testified about the experiences of our clients who have suffered unreliable service from Aussie DOT for more than a decade.

Alongside co-counsel, we represent parents and guardians of DC students with disabilities who have filed a class action lawsuit against Aussie for failure to provide safe, reliable, and effective transportation to and from school.

While the proposed operating budget for Aussie DOT is flat funded, it includes significant movement of funds between programs and activities.

However, the public-facing budget documents provide only limited insight into how these changes will affect the provision of transportation for DC students.

For example, the Aussie dot tables show an $11.5 million cut from the communications line and a $17.6 million cut from the performance and strategic management line in the agency management program.

Within terminal operations, cuts are made to three of four terminals while a new fleet activity is created and funded at 17.6 million.

We urge the committee to use today's hearing to seek clarity about how these changes will ensure eligible students receive safe and reliable school transportation.

At Aussie's budget hearing last year, I testified that the special education transportation budget seemed to indicate that Aussie DOT was not seeking to improve their service delivery or address their staffing concerns, but instead plan to rely on private transportation vendors and paying parents to self-transport.

The same can be said for the proposed FY27 budget.

This year, Aussie DOT's proposed budget would eliminate 190 presumably vacant FTEs from terminal operations while investing 13.7 million to fund private bus routes, four million to support the parent stipend program, and another four million to cover projected overtime costs.

Yet again, these allocations seem to indicate that Aussie plans to continue relying on private vendors and parents to fill the gaps in their own service provision.

If Aussie's intention is to gradually privatize DC's provision of special education transportation, it should be clear about their planning so that this committee can provide appropriate oversight and budget allocations.

If privatization is not the long-term plan, then we remain concerned that the agency is continuing to make significant investments in stopgap measures that do not address the underlying systemic issues that have long plagued Aussie DOT.

We appreciate the committee's recent oversight of Aussie DOT, particularly as it relates to the long-awaited contract for a GPS app that would allow families to monitor their students' bus.

We urge you to continue this valuable oversight and follow up on the progress of that project today.

Thank you for this opportunity to testify.

I welcome any questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Robinette.

Uh Scott Goldstein, who I believe is online.

Good morning.

Aussie has one of the largest and most important portfolios of any agency in the DC government.

As we consider the most critical investments in a tight budget year, I suggest we apply a two-part test in evaluating our priorities.

First, does the investment address one of the three main obstacles to student success in school?

Non-academic factors, including poverty and lack of resource access that prevent a student from being able to focus on education.

Two, students not being in school, absenteeism, and three, having a great educator in front of them with pedagogical expertise and experience to deliver the highest quality learning.

The second part of our test in pre-K to 12, especially when budgets are tight, is whether the investment is targeted at the schools and students who need the support the most.

Through that lens, let's walk through the Aussie investments that matter most.

First, it's clear that the most evidence-based way to do all of this is to bring all of our non-academic interventions under one roof using the holistic model of community schools.

There is no substitute in a school with high needs to having a full-time coordinator whose job it is to diagnose factors that get in the way of full engagement and student success and families and coordinate the programming to address it, whether it's food access, clothing, medical, dental care, transportation support, or after school clubs.

The model works.

Community schools also have approved track record of reducing absenteeism.

We must invest $4 million to restore funding for community schools grants and BCPS Connected Schools managers and central support and make policy changes to bring coherence and equity to the program in this budget.

And to ensure students can focus on learning, we should also restore the 186,000 dollar cut to the alternative school breakfast program.

Second, what ensures students come to school?

We need a great school climate, great case management, and learning experiences that engage in relevant to students.

In the last two years, Bridge the Gap Fund has proven to be one of the best dollar-for-dollar investments that D.C.

government makes and also perhaps the single most transparent one.

This year alone, the program has brought 130 rich projects to over 10,000 students at 69 schools, programs that increase attendance, engagement, and learning done quickly and efficiently and at low cost.

We must invest 700,000 to continue this remarkable program.

Third, how can we ensure every classroom is excellent educators with the expertise and experience to deliver great instruction?

Pre-K to 12 educators stand shoulder to shoulder with early childhood educators.

Despite the mayor's insinuation otherwise, early childhood educators are real teachers, and their equitable pay does not enhance the quality of early childhood education and helps bring down the cost for families.

Restoring the pay equity fund and enhancing the subsidies is non-negotiable in this budget.

We know what works to retain pre-K to 12 educators.

In the past five years, Aussie educator wellness grants have demonstrated remarkable success in improving educator well-being and retention in schools we worked with under this grant with programming from establishing peer mentorship to enhancing staff lounges to bridging racial divides among educators.

We've seen an 8% reduction in turnover in one year average 17% reduction in two years.

This means the program has saved the DC government millions in turnover cost.

Given that we also know what strategies research shows matter to teacher retention and give her higher turnover in the charter sector, valid concerns from them about difficulties for small LEAs competing with VCPS, an educative retention fund that provides 200,000 per school to the highest turnover small charter LEAs to implement strategies like flexible scheduling, mentorship, wellness, co-teaching, and more would be a smart investment.

And how can we ensure educators have the pedagogical expertise to be effective?

We hear too often that educator PED isn't differentiated, and programs like iReady are ineffective.

So we need you to capture the revenue from programs like iReady and use it to establish a teacher professional growth fund of 500,000 to reimburse educators for effective PD.

These represent a set of investments that save the district money and meaningfully improve the lives of students and families.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Goldstein.

Anne Gunderson.

Chairman Mendelssohn, thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Ann Gunderson.

I'm a senior policy analyst with DCFPI and a member of Under 3DC.

My testimony today calls for a significant increase in funding to support the pay equity funds.

The PEF has made significant strides in increasing the number of qualified educators in district child care facilities serving district families, despite lawmakers making reductions to the program over the past two years.

Thanks to this council, we have not lost the program entirely, but these cuts undermine the efficacy of the program and send a message to early educators that their pay and benefits are not secure unless they show up here every year to beg for the compensation they deserve.

I'm here on behalf of Under 3DC to ask for past and present cuts to be restored and for consistent annual funding that increases until we have true pay parity with public school teachers.

For FY27, that means restoring the salary supplement component of the program at 61 million dollars to ensure that teachers continue to see pay increases when they achieve higher credentials and to cover new teachers when currently rolled facilities expand.

Reverting to the higher FY25 salary scale at a cost of 13.6 million, providing a 2% COLA at a cost of 5.6 million to re-established pay parity with DCPS and to maintain healthcare for child care at 12 million and ASCII set aside at 2.

In total, the PEF needs 94.2 million dollars in FY27 just to return to the central purpose of the program to establish pay parity with DCPS.

This ask is not indicative of a program with costs growing out of control, but rather a program in which costs grow when it is successful.

Even with a wait list in place for new facilities seeking entry into PEF and after making cuts, the number of educators is increasing because participating facilities are retaining their educators at a higher rate, and they are attracting new educators to their facilities, which means they serve more children.

PEF educators are also increasingly attaining higher credentials, which cost the program more, but also means that the children they're serving are receiving higher quality care and education.

These are good things and intended outcomes when the council created the program.

Importantly, the PEF is yielding a real return on investment year after year, 23% under the direct payments model and 21% in FY24.

We continue to pour millions of dollars into police overtime and tax abatements for developers without ever asking if these investments return anything to the district's economy.

And yet the pay equity fund is on the chopping block.

What we do know is that affordable, accessible, high-quality child care is foundational to local economies because when families have safe, supportive environments to place their children, parents can work, they have more money to spend at district businesses, and child care providers can overcome tight margins, hire more staff, and improve their facilities.

Despite recent statements by the mayor, the PEF helps keep child care costs down by absorbing the cost of fair compensation and helping facilities retain their staff, which reduces the cost of recruiting and training new educators.

Without it, facilities will be forced to raise tuition and reduce educator pay.

The council has shown their commitment to delivering high quality child care to our district residents.

I'm asking you to maintain that commitment and fund our early childhood system.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Gunderson.

Audrey Castleman.

Good morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify and for your support of early childhood programs in the district.

My name is Audrey Castleman, and I'm a senior policy analyst at DC Action and with the Under 3 DC coalition.

I'm also a mom to a 10-month-old who is enrolled in an incredible child care center in Ward 1 with wonderful educators that we trust.

While my written testimony details the importance of fully funding both the Pay Equity Fund and the Childcare Subsidy Program, I want to focus my remarks on the subsidy program and why the council must take a systems level approach to funding early childhood education.

I thank my colleague Anne for speaking to the Pay Equity Fund because these programs are deeply connected.

The subsidy program helps families afford care.

The Pay Equity Fund helps programs recruit and retain educators who provide that care.

Without both, the system does not work.

The mayor's budget proposes to weaken both sides of that system at the same time.

In less than a week, the district will implement a wait list for families seeking child care subsidies, effectively removing access for new families.

The proposed budget also reduces funding for the program to a level that would serve only about 6,000 children, a 20% reduction from the at least 7,600 children who are currently enrolled.

And it cuts provider reimbursement rates, which are already far below the true cost of providing care.

If implemented, these choices will have immediate and dire consequences.

When families lose access to subsidies, providers lose enrollment and revenue.

When providers lose revenue, classrooms close.

When educator compensation becomes unstable or too low, educators leave the field.

The result?

Fewer child care slots, families unable to afford or find care, and an early learning system that becomes increasingly unstable for everyone who depends on it.

For families, that instability is devastating.

It means parents unable to work and children losing access to their stable learning environments and trusted educators.

Without additional investment, the district risks undermining both the supply of child care and families' ability to access it.

We cannot solve a supply problem without stabilizing the workforce that makes child care possible.

And we cannot solve an affordability problem without ensuring families can actually access and pay for early education.

The question before the council should not be which program to fully fund, it is whether the district will maintain a functioning early childhood system at all.

So I close with our two asks.

One, please fully fund the child care subsidy program at 177.1 million dollars in FY27.

This will maintain enrollment for current families, eliminate the wait list, and allow new families to enter the program, and maintain current provider reimbursement rates.

Number two, restore the salary component of the pay equity fund and fund the program at 94.2 million in FY27.

This will reverse the pay cuts that took effect earlier this year, reestablish pay parity with DCPS wages, accommodate modest workforce and credential growth, and sustain health care for child care.

Thank you.

Lauren Johnson.

Hi, my name is Lauren Johnson and I'm a fifth grader at Amadon Bowen Elementary School in Ward 6.

I'm here to talk about the Fresh Farm Food Prince Program.

I have been doing food print in my school since first grade.

In March, I was a part of Food Prince 20th anniversary celebration along with my classmate Chesber French.

On stage, we shared some of our excitement for the program.

Here's some of what we said.

Food prints has taught me how to plant, grow, and harvest vegetables.

I learned that seeds have to be plants is different.

Wait, my bad.

Uh and that picking the vegetables for different plants is different.

Wait, so you really have to know the right way to do it.

Food prints expands our palates.

Did you know pancakes could be delicious, but also nutritious?

In fourth grade, we made pancakes that were delicious, and they were nutritious because they were whole grain pancakes, and we ate them with sauteed apples.

And food prints, we love the food, we love the teachers.

We plant, we plant the seeds, and we asked for seconds and thirds, please.

One of the food prints classes I remember the most was a third-grade lesson called Taking Care of the Planet.

We learn about conservation using the five R's reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse, and rot.

My friends and I made a made a skit teaching everyone about reusing bags instead of getting more plastic bags at the store.

Our teacher sent a video of this kit to our parents, and my dad still has a video.

In that class, we made pasta with seasonal green pesto.

My dad and I made that recipe at home because it was so good.

And one time the basil came from the school garden.

Next year, when I'm in middle school, I will miss the experience of planting my own vegetables and eating something fresh that I grew with my friends.

Thank you to all of the city leaders who helped make who helped make it possible for me and many other students to participate in food prints at this school.

So apparently, Miss Johnson, you had the best testimony because you're the only one who got applause.

Thank you for your testimony.

And I'm uh familiar with food prints, but it's great to hear from one of the students about it.

So thank you for that.

Um I am probably not going to ask questions about pay equity or child care because we're very familiar with it.

Uh, but I do want to ask um Scott Goldstein uh two questions.

One, um, you advocate for four million dollars to restore funding for community schools, but my understanding is that um that's actually more than what is in the budget was in the budget for the current year for community schools.

Uh 2.4 million was in the budget for Aussie community schools grants, so that's what needs to be restored on the Aussie side, but DCPS has also stopped paying centrally for any connected schools managers, which means they're leaving it entirely up to schools.

Uh there are at least six schools who are not gonna be able to afford that on their own budget, so wouldn't continue next year.

So that's also a reduction of communities uh schools on the DCPS side.

Uh plus there is reduced budget for support for schools overall, um, meaning DCPS provides a connected schools coordinator or did, and then also provides an additional budget for that connected schools coordinator to be able to do anything to hire partners to be able to effectuate the program.

And so our four million dollar ask is for restoring both DCPS and Aussie programming.

And um, you suggest that we eliminate the funding for iReady.

Uh yes, and that that is more tied to the asks around a teacher PD and retention.

Um, but that is a million-dollar contract.

Um, there was just a nationwide analysis done that shows over 13 years that it has shown zero effectiveness data.

Um, we I believe sent to you and your staff um uh messages.

We asked uh all DCPS teachers to submit um and charter teachers to submit uh testimony to us or feedback on the program.

Overwhelmingly, we got that it was not effective, that minutes were mandated, etc.

Um, and that the money would be better used investing in teacher professional development um that they could pursue.

Uh so we think that would be a better redirection of those funds.

Uh the um did you um let me see?

So you did a survey of teachers and uh or you asked for feedback, and the feedback you're saying overwhelming of teachers was critical of IR was critical of IRED.

Overwhelmingly, the feedback said two things.

One that we're mandated to do a certain amount of minutes of it, um, that and that it was not a particularly effective program, and two, that it was being used incorrectly and not um as it was meant to be used.

There's also an additional concern, and there's a nationwide class action lawsuit that I already has sold student data on a massive scale nationally, which we're concerned about, but but in the immediate here, we're really concerned that this is an ineffective program, it cost the district a million dollars, and this is a year where we have to look for things that are not working and fund things that work instead.

Thank you.

What is your understanding of where things are with the GPS tracking?

Well, if you had asked me yesterday, I would say I don't know.

But this morning there were at least two news stories that I've seen so far that says they are testing that app now.

So I would encourage you to ask them what that testing looks like and how many routes are covered under that testing.

Um but there were two stories.

Uh, I'm happy to share those with you.

Um, I don't have a sense that they're privatizing.

I have a sense that they are pursuing multiple strategies.

Do you but you think that they're privatizing?

I think that they are that last year and this year's budget indicates that they are choosing to invest in private routes and uh the parent stipend, which is having parents opt out and drive themselves and receive a stipend instead, um, understand those investments as a kind of short-term stopgap while they address some of the systemic issues.

But I think that the cuts that they've made to terminal operations, um, especially with FTEs, is indicative that once you've eliminated those FTEs, it's going to be really difficult to restore them at some point in the future.

Um, and it means that for now, at least for the were that cut to go through, at least for the current budget year, their ability to hire more drivers or attendance, and address some of their own internal kind of process issues is going to be limited because they've cut all the vacant, or I don't know if it's all of them, but they've cut 190 FTEs.

Yeah, um, my sense is a lot of that is vacant positions, they've had difficulty hiring.

Which is the problem we would like to see them address, but unfortunately they're rather than address those hiring concerns, they're just cutting the FTEs.

Well, it may be more complicated to address the hiring concerns.

Um I mean, I I hate to put it this way, but do you have a problem with the parents' self-driving or the private uh the private um bus routes?

I think it's at least for us, it's been a very case-by-case basis.

For some students, having the private routes is helpful.

Um, sometimes it's a smaller vehicle or it's just them on that route, so that is helpful for them to support their disability accommodations.

Um, um, it does indicate that they are shifting the burden away from the agency and onto well, the parents stipend shifts that burden off the agency and on to parents in a way that I think is concerning if that's the long-term plan.

Well, but I don't know if there's anything wrong with it, which is why I'm having this exchange with you.

Um for one thing, it gives parents choice.

For another thing, if I'm a parent.

Is it a choice though?

Sorry, I shouldn't interrupt you.

Well, if I'm frustrated, if I'm deeply frustrated with the buses, um, and we've heard a lot of complaints about the buses, then empowering me by uh reimbursing me, um, yeah, I take things into my own hands.

I kind of like that.

If you have the means and the opportunity and the schedule that allows you to self-transfer, right?

So you're choosing between unreliable or unsafe buses, or trying to figure it out on your own.

I think the stipend helps with that, but for families that don't have access to private vehicles.

I don't think the choice should be.

I mean, I did the way I phrased it to you was a choice between unreliable bus service and taking it in my own hands.

I don't think the bus service should be unreliable.

Um, but uh as was explained to me by the previous superintendent, uh, this takes some of the burden off of their trying to do hundreds and hundreds of routes, um, and shifts that burden to the parents.

If they're willing to do it.

So let's have quality.

I think I what I'm hearing from you is you're deeply skeptical that they will improve the bus service.

And so this is just an excuse to get away from improving the bus service.

So I don't um that that should not be the policy.

Um I started out my question though, asking if you were if you objected to the privatization.

I think I sort of have your answer.

Um, I think that it provide it, it does provide a helpful kind of short-term stop gap for certain student circumstances, but as a long-term plan, we are concerned that it's going to be more expensive and harder for the council and the public and families to ensure accountability.

So we see the IC dot budget is being, I think, flat funded.

We have some questions about that.

Um I don't know why I said that other than whether it would um you have a comment on that.

Oh, I know you in your testimony you talk about the moving money around, and we're gonna ask about some of that.

Uh give me a second here.

Do you have any questions for her?

Okay, I think I'm actually good.

Thank you.

Thank you each of you for your testimony.

Uh continuing, uh Jamal Berry, who's President CEO of EduCare.

Adam Bergen Smith, Director of Public Affairs at EduCare.

Lauren, I have a number of parents with educare.

Uh Lauren Hooper.

Dominique Williams.

Mr.

Berry, why don't you start?

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn.

My name is Jamal Barry, and I'm a member of the under-three DC Executive Committee and President and CEO of Educare Washington, DC.

As an early childhood school serving over 375 children and their families in War 7, I'm here to urge you to fully fund the pay equity fund and the child care subsidy program.

I want to begin by acknowledging candidly that it is frustrating to be back here again.

Over the past several years, these programs have been cut routinely.

Every year these programs are on the chopping block, and each year they are chipped away to the point of breaking.

We're in the middle of budgeting for fiscal year 27 without clarity on this funding.

We are developing multiple budget scenarios, including one that assumes that the DC council will cut funding for these programs, which would force us to make cuts to staff.

I fear this would set off a mass exodus of teachers and ultimately classroom closures.

Before the pay equity fund, educator DC had three classrooms closed because we cannot recruit and retain enough teachers.

Thanks to your investment in this program, those classrooms are open, and our workforce is more stable.

A recent report from Mathematica found that the pay equity fund has a remarkable 21% return on investment and increased the number of early childhood educators in the workforce by 11%.

Our experience at Educator DC is similar, with a 24% increase in teacher retention since the implementation of the pay equity fund, cutting this funding would reverse that progress.

It would mean lower pay, increased turnover, fewer classrooms, and program closures.

The child care subsidy program is equally critical.

It allows us to provide before and aftercare for families so that they can work or attend school.

This is particularly important in War 7, where we operate and where the employment rate is more than double the district's average.

When child care is unaffordable, it doesn't cover the hours you need to work, workforce participation stops making economic sense.

I was also outraged to learn that the mayor's proposed, the mayor proposed a uniform reimbursement rate for subsidy regardless of the program's quality.

If implemented as a high quality program, Educare DC would lose over a hundred thousand annually that would force us to cut to full-time positions and reduce before and after care slots for families.

I urge the council to fully fund both programs.

We are trying to build something strong, but every year we are asked to build a foundation that keeps getting chipped away.

At some point, the council has to stop chipping away at this investment and fully stand by its commitment to teachers and families.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Berry.

Mr.

Bergen Smith.

Yes, good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and staff of the committee.

My name is Adam Berrigan Smith and I'm the Director of Public Affairs at Educare D.C.

I want to begin with a simple point.

Early childhood education is too often treated as something separate from education itself.

It is most often described as child care or as a workforce support rather than as teaching and learning.

That distinction matters because it shapes how we value the work and how we invest in it.

And while early childhood programs absolutely enable parents to work and to go to school, they're also educating children during the most critical period of their development.

We heard that distinction clearly in the mayor's recent remarks at her media briefing on April 10th, suggesting that early childhood educators are not, quote, real teachers in real schools, end quote.

It shows up in the words we use like child care worker instead of early childhood teacher.

And most importantly, you see it in the value we assign to this work.

Most clearly in the ways these systems are underfunded year after year.

It happens to be National Teacher Appreciation Week, a moment when we collectively say that we value educators.

The question is whether that value is also reflected in their compensation and respect for their work.

This is highly skilled and highly consequential work.

We know that 80% of brain development happens by age three.

If we can agree that learning begins at birth, we must also agree that these are professional teachers worthy of pay or fair pay.

You will hear from many teachers today about what the pay equity fund has meant in their lives.

Consider this.

If you were asked to continue doing the same work but for less pay, would you remain in that role?

For many, that answer will be no.

And if they leave, the consequences will be immediate.

Classrooms and programs will close, parents will be forced out of the workforce, and most importantly, our children will have less access to quality early childhood education.

The district made a commitment to early educators through the pay equity fund.

Further your education to raise the quality of our children's early learning experiences, and the district will compensate you for that expertise.

Now is the time to uphold that commitment.

Because if we are not here for this workforce, they will not be here for our children and families.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you, Mr.

Bergen Smith.

Lauren Hoop, Lauren Hooper.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the council.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify and for your continued commitment to supporting families across the district.

My name is Lauren Hooper.

I am a lifelong Washingtonian, a Ward 5 resident, and the mother of a three-year-old son enrolled in Educare DC.

Through his school, I rely on the child care subsidy program to access consistent before and after care, which allows me to work and continue my education.

I am here today to urge you to restore funding to the pay equity fund and to strengthen investment in the child care subsidy program.

For families like mine, the subsidy program is not optional.

It is essential.

It provides the stability parents need to remain in the workforce while ensuring children have access to safe, high quality learning environments.

Before receiving this support, I did not have reliable child care.

During that period, I faced constant uncertainty.

Without reliable child care, I had to withdraw from school and struggle to maintain consistent employment.

It was difficult to plan, difficult to earn, and difficult to move forward.

The lack of access did not just affect my schedule.

It put my family's financial stability on hold.

Today, my son is in a structured and nurturing environment where he is learning and growing every day.

He benefits from caring, experienced educators, and a consistent routine that supports his development.

At the same time, I have been able to return to work and continue my education.

This progress is directly tied to having reliable, affordable child care.

The pay equity fund plays a critical role in making this possible.

When educators are fairly compensated, programs can keep qualified staff and uphold the level of care that families depend on.

My son's teachers are a key part of his growth and their stability matters.

I am concerned about what will happen if funding is cut.

If subsidy reimbursement rates are cut or access becomes more limited, families like mine will be forced to make impossible decisions.

I could be pushed to reduce my hours or risk losing my job altogether.

That would mean less stability for my family and setbacks that are hard to recover from.

These impacts extend beyond individual household.

When parents are able to work, the district's economy benefits.

When children have consistent care, they are better prepared for school and long-term success.

I respectfully urge the council to fully restore funding to the pay equity fund and to increase investment in the child care subsidy program.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Ms.

Hooper.

Dominique Williams.

Yes, good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the council.

My name is Dominique Williams, and I'm a proud mother of three boys from Ward A.

I'm here today to speak on the importance of highly skilled early childhood educators and a life-changing impact that they have on my family.

For the past two years, my youngest son, Malakai, has been enrolled at the National Children's Center where he receives top of the nine care from his teachers.

Malakai was enrolled in child care at just 10 months old.

As he spent his time in the classroom, his teachers through their training and knowledge started to recognize early signs of a developmental delay.

In that moment, those teachers changed the course of our lives.

With their help and support of his school, I took him to be evaluated and received his autism diagnosis.

Because of this, because of that early identification, Malakai was able to receive the intervention he needed during the important time in his development.

When he first started, he was nonverbal and struggling to communicate his needs.

But today, thanks to the collaborative support from his intervention specialists and teachers, he is expressing himself verbally and engaging with others.

This progress is not by accident.

It is because of his intentional skill teaching.

Malakai's teachers use structured strategies every day like visual support, consistent routines, and positive reinforcements to help him build social, emotional, and developmental skills.

Today, at three years old, his teachers are helping him reach benchmarked milestones like party training using step-by-step methods that support his learning and independence.

This amount of care requires more than compassion.

It needs training, expertise, and experience.

Highly skilled educators know what to look for and how to respond and how to teller their approach to each child.

We cannot cut a program like the Pay Equity Fund that ensures that teachers like Malikas are compensated and can afford to stay in the classroom.

Without these educators, children like my son risk the risk risk being overlooked during critical developments and windows.

Because of them, my child was not only seen but was supported, guided, got it and given the tools to thrive.

I asked the council to continue funding, the pay equity and protecting investments in early childhood education.

Our children's futures depend on it.

Thank you for your opportunity to share my story.

And thank you for having the courage to testify.

And that was at some point the council has to stop chipping away at this investment and fully stand by its commitment to teachers.

So I just want everybody to understand this situation.

The council enacted legislation in 2021 to establish the pay equity fund.

That was a council initiative.

There actually was a tax increase that was associated with that.

We had funding, recurring funding through the financial plan, in fact, well into the future.

That's what the council did.

It was a matter of a couple years, and the mayor proposed cutting it.

The council restored the funding.

In fact, two years ago, we restored the funding throughout the financial plan.

Last year the mayor cut it, and we only restored it one time because it was to restore it to the financial plan is four times the annual investment.

So I think I heard somebody say 90 million, 90 times 4 is 280 million.

We'd have to find 280 million rather than 90 million.

Maybe the mayor gets the message that there are a lot of people who think that pay equity program is important, and actually there are a lot of good reasons why the pay equity program is important.

So the it's not the council that cuts it.

So the council sends us a proposed budget.

It is the council that adopts the budget.

We make changes.

So you could say that we're responsible.

So the budget's like a pie, and the pie is cut up into slices, and the slices are different programs.

The mayor sends us a balanced budget.

The only way that we can restore funding to something is to cut from somewhere else.

To make one slice larger, you have to make another slice smaller, maybe many slices smaller.

Now I know that there's some who've testified maybe not yet today, that well, we should just do tax increases.

That's a little bit more complicated.

Um, not only is that controversial, but like some of the proposals could not be implemented next year.

The CFO has made that clear, and uh other approaches like if we were to increase um the property tax, uh, we to get uh 90 million is a significant increase in property tax.

Um I made a quick list here, it's not a complete list, but if we want 70 million added to the pay equity fund, if we want 20 million added to child care subsidy, if we want 25 million added to the access to justice program, just to keep it where it is this year.

I hope somebody's doing the math.

50 million to restore equity to the charter sector sectors, the mayor's budget cheats them.

10 million to fund the office of the attorney general, who does a lot of consumer protection, the mayor, not only reduced their funding, but would require that they have to lay off over 50 people.

Um five to ten million to DYRS, for instance, to implement the Road Act so that juveniles are not just kept over at the YSA without any treatment or an exit plan.

Roughly 200 million dollars to fund uh collective bargaining agreements that uh have to be negotiated, 100 million dollars uh if we wanted to restore the child tax credit, which the mayor eliminates.

The list goes on.

That's a lot of money.

So when you say the council has to stop chipping away at this investment and fully stand by its commitment to teachers, I know that every council member wants to see pay equity fund restored and wants to see the child tax credit adequately funded.

Um that's what council members want.

I know that, but the mayor's one who gives us the pizza pie, sliced up the way it is, and uh to cut 500 million dollars to find 500 million dollars just for the list that I had is really difficult.

Just context.

So I kind of read blame in of the council in this.

We're struggling.

We're trying to figure out how in 56 days we can fix what the mayor sent us.

On my way in, I was stopped by a number of advocates for TANF because TANF is cut.

That's millions of dollars.

I think that's tens of millions of dollars.

It's a big challenge.

So the I would say the council doesn't like what we were handed, and the councils trying to figure out how to fix it.

But there's only so much we can do.

Yeah, can I say we truly appreciate everything the council has done, and we acknowledge that in all of our testimonies.

I think what we're asking is that the council just stands up for for early childhood educators and for um for families, right?

Because the child care subsidy, the chipped away statement is that the past, if I'm not mistaken, four years, there's been 20 million each year that's been taken away from it, and now we're addressing it.

And so we're just asking, we appreciate everything, and we know it's a tough budget year, like the last couple of years have been.

We're just asking that you know there's an opportunity and that we seize the opportunity, and that it's not just the early childhood sector that takes this hit, but even there's some even distribution across industries or something.

I fully understand all of that, and most of the programs I mentioned are also for uh kids.

Thank you all for your testimony, uh Jovi Polious.

Uh Cecily Jenkins.

Uh Lawanda White.

So Ray Johnson.

I believe you're all with educare.

Um Chovy Polius, please proceed.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the council.

My name is Jovi Polis, and I'm here today to urge you to fully fund early childhood education programs.

As a father of two children in the district, I have seen firsthand the transformative power of high quality early childhood education.

My youngest, Io, has been enrolled in educare for over two years.

Today, at four years old, she loves her teachers and thrives in her daily routine from morning meetings to free play and structured learning activities, but this stability did not come easily.

Aya was born extremely premature, 23 weeks, and from the very beginning, she required intensive ongoing support to her health and development.

She spent her first six months in the NICU at the hospital, and was followed by months at home relying on medical equipment to keep her to help her breathe and grow stronger.

Okay, okay.

As she grew and the time came to consider education and child care, I was extremely hesitant.

As her father, I could not imagine placing her in an environment where her medical history and developmental needs might not be fully understood.

That changed when we found educare.

From the very start, the educators partnered closely with my family.

They took the time to understand Aya's unique needs, built a plan to support her development, and created a safer nurturing environment where she could learn and grow.

That level of care made all of the difference.

Because of the pay equity fund and childish child care subsidy program, families like mine can access high quality care.

These programs ensure that teachers are supported and more importantly, retained, which recreates which creates the consistently children like my daughter needs and depend on.

Today, Iowa's reaching key developmental milestones.

It's a relief, it's fantastic.

She's building social, emotional, and behavioral skills that will carry her into kindergarten and beyond.

At the same time, I've been able to continue my education and provide stability for my family.

Her progress is the direct result of skilled educators who are supported in their work and committed to her success.

But these gains are at risk.

If funding for these programs is reduced, we will lose teachers.

Without them, classrooms will close.

Fewer children will have access to the kind of care that has made such a huge difference in my daughter's life.

I urge the council to restore and protect funding for the pay equity fund and the child care subsidy program.

Please stand with parents, educators, and children in building a stronger future for the Discord.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Mr.

Polyus.

Cecily Jenkins.

Good morning, Chairman Middleton and members of the council.

My name is Cecily Jenkins, and I am a proud grandmother of a five-year-old in Ward 7.

I am here today to urge you to continue funding the pay equity fund and to support the early childhood educators our families depend on.

My granddaughter Charlie is currently enrolled in precare at EduCare DC, and she is truly thriving.

Every day she is supported by dedicated, high-quality teachers who are helping her learn, grow, and build a strong foundation for the future.

I have seen a difference in her confidence, her curiosity, and her ability to connect with others.

Before she enrolled, I cared for her while her mother balanced work in the mornings and class in the evenings.

That experience gave me a deep appreciation for how important the early years are.

Even at just two years old, Charlie kept me on my toes.

She quickly learned how to navigate my iPod touch to play games and find her favorite songs.

As her primary caregiver, I had to put my goals on hold.

It was difficult to balance caring for her full time while trying to manage my design business.

When Charlie started at EduCare DC, everything changed for our family.

Her teachers welcomed her with open arms and helped her adjust to a new environment.

With that support, I was able to return to work with peace of mind, knowing she was in a safe and nurturing place.

Her teachers put in crucial work, helping her gain resilience, confidence, and critical long-term skills.

It requires knowledgeable, well-prepared educators who are supported and valued for what they do.

This is why the pay equity fund is so critical to families in the district.

It helps ensure that early childhood educators are fairly compensated for their work.

When teachers are paid what they deserve, they are more likely to stay in the classroom, build strong relationships with children, and provide the consistency that families rely on.

Without this funding, we risk losing these educators, these educators.

Low wages will push them out of the field.

Classrooms will face more turnover, and families like mine will have a harder time accessing the quality care our children need.

So today I ask no strongly urge the council to restore funding towards the pay equity fund and to stand with the educators who make a difference in our children's lives every single day.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Ms.

Jenkins.

Lawrence White.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the council.

My name is Lawanda White.

I'm a Ward 4 resident.

I'm a mother, I'm a business owner, and I'm here before the council today to ask if the council will stand with families like mine and ensure that we have the stability we need to work and raise our children.

The Childcare Subsidy Program and the Early Childhood Educator Fund shape the daily realities of families across the district.

My son attends EduCare DC, where he received before and aftercare through the subsidy program.

Because of this support, he has a safe and consistent place to learn each day.

Just as importantly, his teachers are experienced and committed.

The pay equity fund makes that possible.

When educators are paid fairly, programs can retain strong staff and maintain high quality care.

Without that stability, everything begins to unravel.

Without these teachers, children can quickly fall behind.

My son is thriving socially and emotionally.

He's building confidence, he's forming relationships and learning routines.

That progress depends on consistency, and that consistency depends on teachers.

As a business owner, I depend on reliable child care to do my job.

If I cannot count on care, I cannot fully show up for my clients.

Even small disruptions can lead to missed opportunities, lost income, and damage my credibility.

Before my son enrolled at EduCare DC, I faced that instability.

I constantly adjusted my schedule and delayed work.

During important commitments, I had to bring my son with me to work because care fell through.

I remember trying to answer emails, take calls, and keep him occupied all at the same time.

It's stressful, it's distracting, and at the end of the day, it means I cannot fully show up for my work, which hurts my reputation.

Now things are different though.

My son is in a structured and nurturing environment.

I can plan my days with confidence and focus on my work.

I'm able to grow my business and contribute to the district's economy.

If funding is cut, programs may be forced to reduce services.

Families like mine will be pushed back into uncertainty.

I would be left to make tough decisions about my career and my ability to support my family.

I urge you to fully restore the pay equity fund and increase funding for the child care subsidy program so that DC families can access and maintain reliable care.

So I ask again: will you stand with us and protect the stability and opportunity that district families depend on?

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

White.

Zarae Johnson.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee of the whole.

My name is Jare Johnson and I am a lead teacher at Educare DC.

I want to begin by sharing what I experience every day in my classroom.

Early childhood education is where children begin to learn how to speak, relate to others, and understand the world around them.

The work we do in these early years shapes everything that comes next in the child's life.

It is teaching, not simply child care or babysitting.

This work is meaningful, skilled, and demanding, and it deserves fair pay.

Early childhood education is the work I have dedicated my career to.

Before the pay equity fund, I struggled financially.

I was working full-time but couldn't make ends meet.

There were times when I had to make very basic decisions like whether I could afford a hot meal or hot showers.

At points when I could not afford utilities, I would shower at the gym just so I could buy groceries.

Even with full-time work, housing in DC was not affordable.

When the pay equity fund was implemented, that reality changed for me.

For the first time, I felt financial stability in this profession.

I was finally able to build my life with a sense of predictability.

That stability matters.

Children need consistency.

Families need consistency, and so do teachers.

But over the past several years, that stability has been shaken with repeated cuts and ongoing uncertainty around the pay equity fund.

Teachers are once again being forced to question whether this field can provide a sustainable future.

I have seen colleagues make the decision to step out of the classroom, not because they do not care about the children, but because they cannot continue to build their lives on unpredictable and unstable compensation in an increasingly expensive city.

If the pay equity fund is cut or worse, eliminated, I will not be able to afford remaining in this field.

I will leave, and I will likely have to leave D.C.

altogether because the cost of living here is no longer sustainable without the pay equity fund.

That is not a decision I would make lightly, but it is reality.

I am asking you to stand with teachers like me, fully fund the pay equity fund so that teachers can continue to afford to do this work.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Ms.

Johnson.

Thank you, each of you, for your testimony.

I'm going to go to the next witnesses.

Nisha Kibler, lead teacher to educare, Erica Brewer, assistant teacher to educator, Dominique Moore.

Community organizer with Empower Edmaine Stewart, an assistant teacher with educare.

Here, Miss Brown.

Okay.

Ms.

Kibler.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and the members of the committee.

My name is Nisha Kibler and I'm a lead teacher at Educare DC.

I am here today to ask you to fully restore the pay equity fund in the FY27 budget.

Before the pay equity fund, I was really struggling to get by financially.

Even getting to work was hard because I could not always afford transportation.

I was splitting bills just to be able to buy groceries and sometimes even basic necessities were out of reach.

I took out loans just to make it through, which left me in debt and constantly stressed.

It got so bad and unsustainable and unsustainable that I had to leave the classroom because I needed a higher paying job to survive.

But the pay equity fund changed that for me.

Because of this program, coming back to the pro coming back to the classroom became possible.

Today I am back in the classroom as a lead teacher doing the work I care about and bringing my experience and expertise back into DC's early childhood system.

I am also back in school working to continue my education and grow in this field.

At a time when DC needs experienced educators, the pay equity fund is rebuilding the early childhood workforce, and I am proud to be a part of that.

It has also made a difference for my family.

I can afford housing for me and my daughter.

I can finally get health care we need when we need it.

I no longer have to worry about skipping medical appointments or going without prescriptions because I can't afford it.

Knowing we are covered gives me peace of mind and allows me to focus on my work and my daughter's future.

I am proud to be able to support my daughter in college without her having to take out loans.

If the pay equity fund is eliminated, all that would change.

I would likely have to stop furthering my education because I can't ask my daughter to stop doing hers.

I would also have to leave the field again and find a different job just to make ends meet.

I would not be able to afford to stay in DC.

If the pay equity fund is cut, I would have to leave the classroom again and I would have to leave D.C.

Those are the stakes for teachers like me in this budget.

We have come too far to turn back now.

I urge you to fully restore funding for the pay equity fund in the fiscal year 27 budget.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you, Miss Kibler.

Erica Brewer.

Good morning, Chairman Menderson and members of that committee.

My name is Erica Brewer, and I'm an assistant teacher at Educate DC.

I am here today to urge you to project Mayor Browse's proposed elimination of the pay equity fund in the fiscal year 27 budget.

Before pay equity fund, I was living paycheck to paycheck.

There were times I had to borrow money just to get back because my salary wasn't enough to cover my basic needs.

As a mother, that reality was even harder.

I couldn't afford before optical for my daughter, which means constantly scrambling to find different people to pick her up from school.

Some days I had to leave work early and use my limited leave because I simply had no one to help.

At the same time, I was struggling to keep up with the tuition payments for my son who attends Archbishop Curl High School.

I was doing everything I could, but it felt like I was always falling behind.

Since the pay equity Fund, my life has changed in real and meaningful ways.

My daughter is now in the road and before not the kid, giving her stability and allowing me to fully focus on my work.

My son's school payments are current.

I am no longer forced to choose between showing up for my job and meeting my family's needs.

The pay equity fund has also allowed me to invest in my own future.

I started as a temporary employee.

Since then, I have earned my CDA and now enrolled in an associate's degree program.

For the first time, I can see a clear pathway to grow in this field that I love.

Early childhood education is not just a job for me.

It's my passion.

Because of the pay equity fund, I don't have to choose between doing the work I love and working just to survive.

Eliminating the pay equity fund would take us backwards.

It will put educators like me right back into instability and making it harder for programs like Educate DC to recruit and retain committed, high-quality teachers.

We deserve better.

Our students deserve better.

We have come too far to turn back now.

I urge you fully to restore funding for the pay equity fund in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Thank you, Ms.

Brewer.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the committee.

My name is Shermaine Stewart and I am an assistant teacher at Educare DC.

I am here today to urge you to fully restore the pay equity fund in the fiscal year 27 budget.

Before the pay equity fund, I was living in Florida, working at an early center and a dead-end job at a grocery store to make ends meet.

I was making more money making sandwiches at a deli than I was teaching.

Even with that grocery store job, I could not pay my bills without taking out loans.

Eventually I could not afford my rent and I had to give up my apartment.

For a period of time, I was homeless and I was forced to stay at a coworker's home because I had nowhere else to go.

I loved being a teacher, but it simply was not financially possible in Florida.

That all changed when I learned about the Pay Equity Fund.

It was the reason I moved my family from Orlando to Washington, DC.

Because of the commitment that DC made to early edu early childhood educators, I was able to come here and finally pursue the career I had always dreamed of.

Thanks to the Pay Equity Fund, I am finally able to afford rent for a home for myself and my family, purchase a reliable car, and return to school to complete my bachelor's degree in education.

I did not just find a job in DC.

I found a career.

I build a life here.

I'm contributing to DC's early childhood education system and supporting young children and families every day.

When you hear about the Pay Equities Fund's impressive return on investment and growing the workforce, that is my story.

The Pay Equity Fund does not just support educators who are already here.

It attracts people from across the country like me to build their career and raise their families here in DC.

It grows the workforce, strengthens programs, and bring in new residents who are committed to staying and building their future here in the city.

My story is a full testimony of how the pay equity fund is a pro-growth investment.

If the pay equity fund is not restored, everything I have worked for will be at risk.

I would have to leave teaching and I'll have to move back to Florida, which means leaving DC.

We have come way too far to turn back now.

I urge you to fully restore funding for the pay equity fund in the fiscal year 27 budget.

Thank you for your opportunity to testify.

Thank you, Ms.

Stewart.

Artia Brown.

Good morning, Chairman Middleton and members of the committee of the whole.

My name is Artia Brown and I'm an instructional coach at EduCare DC.

Thank you for the opportunity to once again testify about the pay equity fund and what it has meant for me and my family.

I've worked in early educare, childhood education for over 15 years.

As a single mother, supporting a son in college, caring for an elderly parent, and raising my niece, I carry many responsibilities.

Before the pay equity fund, it was difficult to stretch my paycheck to meet everyone's needs.

When the pay equity fund was implemented, it was the first time in my career that I felt financially stable.

Over the past few years, the future of the program has become increasingly uncertain.

Each year, teachers are left wondering what will happen to our pay, and that uncertainty makes it very difficult to build a career in this field and a life in DC.

For me, it led to a difficult decision.

I left my role as an assistant teacher, even though my passion is being in the classroom.

I made that choice because I could not continue building my life around a salary that felt unstable.

In my current role as an instructional coach, my compensation is more predictable.

That stability allows me to plan my expenses and support my family with peace of mind.

But it also means that I'm no longer in the classroom in the way that I want to be.

And I know I'm not the only one making decisions like this.

When compensation is uncertain, teachers do not wait for programs to disappear.

We make decisions in real time about whether we can stay.

When experienced teachers leave the classroom, it affects the quality and stability of care for children.

The pay equity fund has strengthened the early childhood workforce across the district.

It has helped educators stay in the field and build sustainable careers, but that progress is fragile.

If the instability continues or even worse, if it's eliminated, more educators will leave and fewer will enter the field.

That means fewer classrooms, reduced access for families, and a less stable system overall.

I urge the council to fully restore funding for the pay equity fund so that teachers who want to be in the classroom can afford to stay there.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yes, thank you, Ms.

Brown.

Thank you, each of you for your testimony.

As I said earlier, we're very familiar with the issues around pay equity and the child care subsidy, which is a reason why I'm not asking any questions.

So, but thank you all for your testimony.

Continuing Dominique Moore, community organizer with Empower Ed, Shakira Johnson, the lead teacher at Educator, Charnetta Myers, lead teacher at Educator, Shelby Ward, a lead teacher at Educator.

Christina Chapman, Community Kids Preschool and Children's Language Center.

Whitney Martin, parent at St.

Alban's Early Childhood Center.

Donna Mason, Executive Director at St.

Albans Really Childhood Center.

Is that you?

I'm gonna stop there.

Shakira John, uh no, Dominique Moore.

Umhow Empower Ed got stuck in the middle of all these educare folks, but go for it.

Good morning, Chairman.

Um, I am Dominic Moore, an educator and a community organizer for Empower Ed, amongst all the other things that I do.

Um, but I am supported.

I am committed to supporting educators and young people across the district.

Um, first, I want to thank the council and your staff for your continued leadership and protecting critical educator investments in previous budget cycles.

I do understand that this is a budget that you all were handed.

Your commitment to maintaining funding for children, families, and educators in the past has mattered.

I also want to acknowledge and thank you for the cancellation of some of the testing contracts prior to.

I know that we've continued to do some work around that, including the acts for iReady, uh, this year.

And I want to also acknowledge the wins under Dr.

Mitchell and continue to build on that this year, right?

So I'm here today to strongly advocate for the continuation and expansion of the investment in community schools for both sectors, the Aussie funded model and the DCPS model, the pay equity Fund and the educator Professional development Fund.

I'm also in support of the Breakfast Program, which has an $186,000 ask attached to that initiative.

Um, for many budget cycles, many of us across sectors, education, youth development, and family serving sectors have consistently identified the ecosystem that directly impacts student success and family stability.

These funding initiatives directly address the ecosystem surrounding our children.

Truancy prevention out of school time, access to meals, educator retention, child care, affordability, family engagement, wraparound services.

We want to invest in community schools.

When we invest in community schools, we invest in safe spaces, attendance interventions, mental health supports, family coordination.

When we fund out of school time, we reduce idle hours.

When we fund the breakfast program, we ensure that students can arrive nourished and prepared to learn.

Something as basic as food security should never be a barrier for to educational access.

Funding some of these things allows a backstop to a lot of those things.

The pay equity fund remains essential because early educators are the found are the foundation to our economy and workforce.

As a K-12 educator, I stand with them in solidarity.

The Educator Professional Development, Professional Development Fund are investments in retention, quality, and sustainability.

Oh, I saw your teacher appreciation week video.

Thank you.

It was cute.

Ah, thank you.

Um working families need relief in order to thrive.

They need affordable child care, quality school, stable educators, access to meal, and strong community infrastructure.

These are not luxuries, these are conditions required for thriving families and successful students.

As we know, budgets are moral documents.

They are the clearest reflection of what we care about as a city.

I urge this council to maintain and expand these investments and continue building a budget that reflects our collective values.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Moore.

Thank you for the comment on the uh video.

Uh Jacira Johnson, who's online.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee.

My name is Jakara Johnson, and I'm a lead teacher at Educare DC.

I'm here today to ask you to fully restore the pay equity fund in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Before the pay equity fund, my life was a struggle.

I worked at a beautiful store, only making $200 every two weeks, so I could barely afford necessities like food, clothes, hygiene products.

At that time, I was also suffering from depression and anxiety, constantly worrying about my future as well as my mom's.

She has physical disabilities and she's unable to work.

So it was uh up to me to help her with rent and anything else that she needed.

So I truly felt powerless and struggled to support the one who raised me and gave me everything.

I always wanted to work with infants and toddlers, but I never pursued it because I knew the pay for teachers was low and the treatment was even worse.

I could not imagine surviving in a career that I loved.

Then I found educare DC and everything changed.

When I heard about the pay equity fund, learning I could make a good salary for doing the work that I love was a blessing.

I was able to get my first apartment and help my mom with her rent and anything else that she needed.

I was able to get a car and afford the payments.

I'm the first person in my family to graduate college and to have a career instead of just a job.

It's hard to find your passion and to get paid for it.

And the pay equity fund made that possible.

Without it, I would have to leave this field.

I'm currently going back to school for a different major because of the instability in DC funding, but I do want to stay in education.

I do not want to go back to feeling depressed every day.

Without the pay equity fund, I will have to move outside of DC to afford rent.

And the pay equity fund allows me to live, support my family, and to continue building my career.

So I urge you to fully restore it in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Johnson.

Sharnetta Myers, who I believe is online.

Good morning.

Please proceed.

My name is Shanetta Myers, and I am a lead teacher here at EduCare DC.

Today I want to speak from a very personal space.

Alright.

I'm from a very personal space.

Because of the pay equity, I was able to buy my first car.

It changed everything for me.

I am both a caregiver of my mom and my grandmother.

My mom has dementia and was diagnosed with lung cancer and breast cancer.

My grandmother's also fighting lung cancer.

Before I had a car, getting for medical appointments was extremely difficult.

We rely on friends, ride shares, and long trips of public transportation.

Every appointment came with stress.

How we would get there, how long it would take, and even if we would get there on time.

Now I can get them from their doctor's appointments on time.

They can go to the appointments to chemotherapy and pick up prescriptions, and without the constant worry.

I can focus on caring for them instead of transportational trying to figure things out.

This is not, I just want to stress like this is not about convenience.

This is about me showing up for the people who show up for me, for them being in my family.

With the pay equity has made it possible because the pay equity fund has made things possible.

I earn a salary that allows me to stay in the field and support my family.

I no longer have to choose between staying in the field, being at work, or the people I love.

Right now, that stability is shaking.

With the proposed cuts to the pay equity, teachers like me are facing the possibility of a significant pay cut.

This is not something that we can absorb.

There's no small adjustments.

There are kinds of these are the kinds of changes that make big differences and make it difficult in the field.

I love my job.

Because I also have responsibilities outside the classroom without stable, fair compensation.

I do not know where I would be without the pay equity fund.

I am asking that you continue to restore the pay equity fund on behalf of teachers like me.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Good morning, Chairman Middleton and members of the committee.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

My name is Shelly Ward, and I'm a Ward 7 resident and a lead teacher at EduCare DC.

I'm also a mother of six and a grandmother of five.

My days are filled not only with teaching, but also supporting my children and grandchildren, helping with school, managing bills, and making sure everyone in my family has what they need to thrive.

Raising a large family in DC is expensive, and the cost of housing, child care, and education and the daily necessities add up quickly.

Before pay equity fund, life felt like a constant survival.

I would lie awake at night tossing and turning, trying to figure out which bills I could pay and which would have to wait.

The stress kept me from sleeping, which left me fatigued and burnt out at work.

I was skipping meals, putting off taking care of myself and stretching every dollar just to make sure my family had what they needed.

When my daughter became sick, the hospital business and medical bills added even more weight.

I remember trying to stay strong for her while quietly worrying how I would keep everything together.

That kind of stress follows you.

It shows up everywhere.

The pay equity fund changed my life.

Not in a way that made everything perfect, but in a way that made it possible to breathe again.

I was able to move my family into a safe stable home in DC.

I could help support my children with college tuition and be there for my family when they needed me.

It also gave me the freedom to pay off some debt, face unexpected expenses, like medical bills without living in constant fear.

That piece of mind matters.

It allowed me also to walk into my classroom fully present, more patient, and focused on my students.

If the pay equity fund is cut, I know exactly what that would mean for me.

More sleepless nights, impossible choices, and carrying the weight of everything alone.

It will force me to leave DC to survive and leave the field that I love.

This is my work's passion, and but without pay equity fund, it would not financially be sustainable.

So I'm asking you to see us, to see parents, grandparents, caregivers, who are doing everything we can to be able to stabilize while shaping the future of the city.

Please protect the pay equity fund.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Ward.

Raul Shaveria.

Thank you, Chairman Mendelson.

My name is Raure Chavarria, and I am the co-founder of Communicates Preschool, a multilingual early childhood education organization serving families across the district.

I come before you as a child care provider and an employer and someone who sees every day how deeply child care is tied to workforce stability, family well-being, and our local economy.

Over the past several years, the district has made significant thoughtful investments in early childhood education.

Programs like PKEP, the pay equity fund, and the child care subsidy program are not new.

They are now essential systems that families, educators, and providers rely on every day.

And at this point, the priority must be stability and protection.

I often describe this system as a three-legged stool.

PKEP expands access, the child care subsidy programs ensure affordability, and the pay equity fund sustains the workforce.

These programs are designed to work together, and they are working, but they only work if they are stable.

When there is uncertainty about funding, the impact is immediate.

Providers pause hiring, expansion plan stalls, and educators begin to look for work elsewhere for more stable opportunities.

And once that stability enters the system, it is extraordinarily difficult to reverse.

The pay equity fund is a clear example.

It has allowed providers like us to offer more competitive compensation and access to health care, which are critical to recruiting and retaining qualified educators.

Without it, we will struggle to hire retain staff and ultimately maybe forced to close classrooms.

Not because the demand is gone, but because staffing becomes unsustainable.

And at the same time, families are stretched already.

Infant care in the district costs about $31,000 per student per year.

When classrooms close and supply tightens, costs rise further, pushing care out of reach.

For context, if the pay equity fund were to be eliminated fully, our budget for next year would show a gap of $2,500 per student.

That gap would definitely affect the pocketbooks of families in the district because tuition would have to increase, at least to some level to be able to cover that.

And when families cannot access child care, the impact extends beyond the household because parents reduce work hours, they leave their jobs, and employers struggle to hire.

So the economic growth of the entire system and the district slows.

This is why it is so important that these programs are protected because they're not just about child care, it is about economic stability.

We have here in DC built a framework.

Now it's not the time to destabilize it.

It is the time to protect it, sustain it, and allow it to deliver on its promise.

So I urge the council to maintain strong, consistent support for P-Keep, the Pay Equity Fund, and the childcare Subsidy Program.

Thank you for your leadership and thank you for your commitment to early childhood and families, educators, and the businesses of the district.

Thank you very much.

I love to have you.

Christina Chapman.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the committee.

My name is Christina Chapman, and I am the academic director at Communicates Preschool.

I work closely with early childhood educators whose lives and careers have been transformed by the pay equity fund.

I am here today to urge you to preserve it.

The Pay Equity Fund is working.

It has strengthened our workforce and improved the quality of care.

Before this investment, early childhood educators were doing deeply important work for wages that did not reflect their education, their skill, or their impact.

Talented teachers were leaving, and classrooms were becoming increasingly unstable.

But now we are seeing the opposite.

The stability provided by pay equity means educators are now able to stay in the classroom and build meaningful careers.

They are earning degrees, gaining certifications, and deepening their expertise.

This growth strengthens our ability to support all learners, including students with special needs, ensuring better outcomes for all DC students.

And here's the reality that we cannot ignore.

If you asked any professional to do the same job for less pay, most would walk away.

Early educators are no different.

If funding is cut, they will leave.

Not because they want to, but because they have to.

When this happens, programs will be forced to cut salaries, reduce staff, close classrooms, and raise tuition.

As classrooms close and costs rise, families will be pushed out of care and ultimately out of the workforce and the district.

This workforce is made up largely of women and disproportionately women of color.

For too long, their work has been undervalued.

The pay equity fund has begun to correct that.

Rolling it back sends a clear and harmful message.

The pay equity fund is essential, not only because it stabilizes the workforce, supports families, and protects our economy, but more importantly, because it ensures that our youngest students have access to high-quality educators during the most critical years of their development.

The district made a promise.

If you do that, we will compensate you fairly.

Now is the time to keep that promise.

I urge you to protect the progress we have made because going backwards would be devastating for educators, destabilizing for providers, and harmful for families who depend on this system every day.

Thank you for your commitment to early childhood education.

Thank you, Miss Chapman.

Whitney Martin.

Good morning, Council members.

My name is Whitney Martin, and I am a D.C.

native and currently live in Ward 4.

I'm here today as a parent of a toddler enrolled at St.

Albans Early Childhood Center and as someone who believes that what this council does with the fiscal year 27 budget in the next few weeks will shape the future of early childhood education in DC for years to come.

I'm asking you to do two specific things.

Add $63.2 million to fully fund the child care subsidy program and add $82.2 million to restore the pay equity fund.

Without more funding, on May 12th, there will be a freeze on new enrollment in the child care subsidy program.

Currently, over 7600 children rely on that program so their parents can go to work, finish school, and take care of their families.

Under the mayor's proposal, thousands of new families, mostly those welcoming new babies will be locked out entirely.

On the pay equity fund, the educators caring for our youngest children have already taken pay cuts of up to $25,000 since January.

These are 4,000 skilled, trained professionals doing some of the hardest and most important work in our city.

The pay equity fund was built to bring their salaries in line with that of DC public school teachers and the current budget that guts it.

The teachers at St.

Albans know every child by name, by temperament, by what lights them up.

And they show up every day with a kind of patience and creativity that most people couldn't sustain for an hour, myself included.

My child comes home every day having learned something new and more importantly, feeling safe and loved.

That doesn't happen by accident.

It happens because of the skill and dedication of these teachers.

These are people who hold crying infants, teach three-year-olds to share, and track the development of a dozen children at once.

And they do it with genuine joy.

That takes professional training and real commitment.

It deserves professional pay.

When we slash educator pay, we lose educators.

When we lose educators, classrooms close.

When classrooms close, children lose access to care and parents lose the ability to work.

I also want to name who bears the weight of these cuts.

And the families losing access to affordable care are predominantly black, brown, and immigrant families.

The educators losing their wages are predominantly black, brown and immigrant women.

This isn't a budget decision.

It's a choice about who in the city deserves support and who gets left behind.

All children, regardless of what their family earn, deserves access to high quality early learning during the years it matters most.

The subsidy program and the pay equity fund are what make that possible in DC.

Without them, early education becomes a luxury, and that is a failure the city cannot afford.

Please add $63.2 million for the subsidy program and $82.2 million for the pay equity fund to Aussie's fiscal year 27 budget.

Our educators, our children, and working families across the city are counting on you.

Thank you.

My name is Donna Mason.

I'm the executive director at St.

Albans Early Childhood Center located on Wisconsin Avenue and adjacent to Janny Elementary School.

I've been with St.

Albans for 19 years.

We started out at 50 with 50 children at the cathedral, and we have grown to 250 children at the space that was formerly known as St.

Anne's Academy.

In other words, we've gone from four classrooms to 15 classrooms, 10 staff to 75 staff, and 50 children to 250 children.

I've submitted my written testimony for your review, but because my speaking time is limited, I want to talk about pipeline legacy and why investment in early childhood education makes sense.

I'm the granddaughter of a former maid, and my other grandmother was a maternal infant maternal nurse.

I'm the secondborn to six children of my parents who were both teenage parents.

They'll be married 64 years in October.

Because of funding and early childhood education, my mother was able to earn a GED, a CDA, and then an associate degree and enjoy the 32-year career in early childhood education.

I am a 50-year veteran of early childhood education, and I've worked in every role imaginable, from babysitter to aide to trainer to administrators to CDA instructor and executive director for over 30 years and now an advocate for early education.

I chose this profession because it makes sense to invest in children, support families, and strengthen the ECE workforce.

Because of funding, 67 children and their families at St.

Albans Early Childhood Center have the benefit of P-Keep three and four-year-old programming.

All of my teachers hold early childhood credentials, receive salaries equivalent to public school educators through the pay equity funding.

Because of that funding, teachers have been able to purchase reliable cars and and um secure safe housing, continue their education, and stabilize their family.

Some have been able to bring their children to work because the subsidy funding made that possible.

I'm a mother to Adam, a beloved PK for teacher of 17 years.

He's scheduled to graduate from Catholic University in the fall with a bachelor's degree in human development because that funding was made possible.

I am also the grandmother to Phoenix, who will be graduating May 29th from St.

Melbourne's early childhood center and going to St.

Patrick's Episcopal Day School.

That is because of the pipeline.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how our program can survive these cuts.

If we're not funded, I will have to raise tuition by 20%.

Some of my staff will not be able to bring their children to work.

That looks like $500 extra in tuition, which is difficult.

Failure to fund will be devastated across the board.

And so I'm asking, and I appreciate, and I did hear you when you said where you all stand on pay equity.

I appreciate that, but I just want the record to reflect that I am an example.

Because you're over your time and I have to cover it.

Okay.

Well, thank you for letting me speak.

And thank you for being here, and thank you for your commitment to our industry.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, each of you, for your testimony.

Uh, Miss Martin, who's online.

Uh, if you're still there, um, you started out your testimony mentioning a couple of figures, like 90 million, 70 million, something like that.

I'd like to know where you got those numbers from.

Are you there?

I am here.

Um, those were the cuts that we understood them to be.

So I have 63.2 as the cut that we needed for the subsidy program, and 82.2 for the pay equity fund.

Where did I get them?

That's been something that we've been discussing in the internal group of early childhood parents, educators, and administrators in terms of the deficit.

Okay.

At least that answers that question.

Thank you.

Uh, I'm gonna thank all of you for your testimony and keep moving on.

Um, Megan Rothman, parent, St.

Albans Really Childhood Center.

Um, that was Megan Rothman, parent of St.

Albans Early Childhood Center, Leah Getzinger, a parent at St.

Albans, Emma Kelly, a PKEP parent.

Uh Marcia St.

Hillier Finn, founder and CEO of Bright Start Early Care Preschool.

Ruth Roman, Kitty Academy, West End.

Min Lee, lead teacher, TD Academy, West End.

Gracie Abushewitz, uh Director of Educator Wellness at Empower Ed.

Christina Encinas from Astroitis School.

Caroline Pryor, Director of Policy and Power Building at Empowered.

Changli Hernandez, pre-K manager at Central NIA.

Alejandro Crusade Troy at Central NIA.

So I called Megan Rothman, a parent, I don't believe that she is here or online.

Uh Leah Getzinger who's virtual.

Yes, hi, I'm here.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the commute uh committee.

My name is Leah Getzinger, and I'm a D.C.

resident and the mother of a three-year-old enrolled in a PKEP program at St.

Albans Early Childhood here in the district.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

Like many, many families in DC, our situation is a bit complex.

We're a two-parent, two household family, deeply committed to creating consistency and stability in our son's life.

That consistency is not just important, it is essential.

And quite simply, we couldn't afford the cost of living in DC without access to PKEP.

Because of that, our son's teachers are not just part of his day.

They're part of his foundation.

They provide the steady, familiar presence that allow him to feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

Over time, these teachers have become extensions of our family.

They're trusted adults in our son's life, reinforcing the same values we teach at home.

That consistency can only exist when teachers are able to stay.

And yet, yet, despite how essential they are, early childhood educators remain among the lowest paid professionals in our economy.

The people doing this deeply important relationship-driven work should be able to afford to live and work in the communities that they serve.

Research from the Urban Institute shows that when educators can afford to live in the communities where they work, programs see stronger teacher retention and deeper family engagement, both of which directly support better outcomes for our children.

The Pay Equity Fund has been a meaningful step towards making that possible.

It supports teachers staying in the profession and it supports families like mine who rely on that consistency every day.

But without full funding, we risk losing the very thing that makes these programs work.

If teachers are forced to leave because they cannot afford to stay, children lose trusted relationships, families lose stability, and programs lose the continuity to make that makes high quality early education possible.

Under the mayor's proposal, some educators could face salary cuts of 10 to 25,000.

We cannot ask educators to absorb cuts of that magnitude.

Programs will be forced into impossible choices, raising tuition, lowering teacher pay, or closing classrooms.

Any of these outcomes would directly impact my family, which depends both, which depends on both access and consistency.

At the same time, underfunding the child care subsidy program will limit access even further.

A wait list or enrollment freeze means fewer families will be able to access affordable high-quality care at all.

When we fail to invest in early childhood education as a public good, families ultimately pay the price through higher tuition, reduced access to care, and less stability for our children.

Early childhood is not education is not just a service, it's essential infrastructure built on relationships.

I urge the council to fully fund the child care subsidy program, restore the salary component of the pay equity fund, and reject harmful measures.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Getzinger.

Emma Kelly, who is at the table.

Hey, good morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today at the FY27 budget hearing for Aussie.

I bet you can guess when I'm going to testify on.

Specifically on early childhood education initiatives, specifically PKEP, Child Care Subsidy Program, and the Pay Equity Fund.

I'm asking the council to robustly fund the child care subsidy program at the needed amount of 177.1 million and to reject the mayor's cut of the pay equity fund and restore the salary component at 94.2 million.

I'm award one resident and a parent of a first grader at a DCPS and a three-year-old who is currently in pre-K3 at Barbara Chambers Child Care Center, a CBO that is part of the PKEP program.

As a parent of young children, I am acutely aware of the high cost of child care and the importance of the availability of child care so both my spouse and I can work.

I find it meaningful that I'm testifying today to preserve early childhood educators' livelihoods to the pay equity fund during teacher appreciation week of all weeks.

The best way I know how to show my appreciation is by coming here today to advocate for them.

Cutting funding to early childhood education is pennywise and pound foolish.

A recent study shows that economic impact of lack of child care to district residents is one billion dollars.

Studies have shown that private sector employment increases and parents' earnings increase with parents' access to early childhood education.

Decreasing access makes it tougher for parents to find stable employment and contribute to the economy.

DC's ECE programs, PKEP, the Child Care Subsidy Program, and Pay Equity Fund all form a delicate balance propping up our early child care system.

The child care subsidy program reduces child care costs for working families who need it most.

The subsidy program helps every parent in DC, even those who don't use subsidies by spurring the creation of new child care spots by providing guaranteed funding for those spots.

In Maryland, where they have an institute out of wait list on subsidies, they have seen child care program administrators cutting teachers' hours, considering closing classrooms, and increasing tuition and private pay families.

Without fully funding the child care subsidy program, I fear that will be DC's fate, and more families will not have access to high-quality child care.

The pay equity fund allows centers to pay early educators higher salaries by providing funding for increased compensation.

Teachers in DC are highly educated and have specific educational requirements other jurisdictions do not have.

A recent study has shown that pay equity fund has increased the number of teachers by about 7% in its first two years, translating to nearly 1,500 additional child care slots in the district.

Another recent study shows in ROI, 21% of DC's investment in pay equity fund to both families and educators.

Without the pay equity fund, centers would have to choose between raising child care rates to pay teachers or risk having teachers leave the field for more lucrative fields, causing classrooms to close.

That would be a lose-lose situation for working parents.

Even with DC's investment in early childhood education, we still have the highest average annual cost for infant care in the country.

I shudder to think what the astronomical cost of child care would be in DC without these programs.

When I had my first child, many colleagues and friends looked at me like I had three heads when I said I was staying in DC and wasn't moving to the suburbs.

The district is a great place to raise a family, but if it becomes even more unaffordable, other working parents would make a different decision.

I'm incredibly grateful that PKEP has been cast safe in the fiscal 27 budget, but for early childhood education to be available and affordable in DC, the child care subsidy program and the pay equity fund need to be fully funded.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Kelly.

I believe Marcia St.

Hillier Finn is not here, not online.

Ruth Roman, who is, I believe, virtual.

I'm the executive director of Kitty Academy of DC West End.

I am here to express my strong support for the continuation of the early childhood educator pay equity fund.

This fund has brought much needed stability to the early childhood educational workforce in DC.

For the first time, many educators who have long been underpaid, despite their critical role in the child's development, have been able to plan for their futures with greater confidence.

Teachers now rely on this funding not only to manage everyday expenses, but to make life-changing decisions, such as buying homes and putting down roots in the communities they serve.

The continuation of this fund is essential.

Without it, we risk losing committed and skilled early educators.

Public school systems in DC and neighboring Maryland and Virginia offer more competitive compensation without sustained compensation and without sustained pay equity in DC, many of our educators may feel compelled to leave for those higher paying opportunities.

Moreover, because Virginia and Maryland did not offer universal pre-K, their larger private child care centers often have greater financial capacity to offer higher wages, creating a competitive market that DC providers cannot easily match.

If educators leave DC for these positions, they are unlikely to return, especially once they've brought, they relocate and purchase homes in those jurisdictions.

The impact of that loss would be severe.

It would undermine the stability and progress DC has made in expanding access to high quality early learning, and it would be deeply felt by children, families, and providers alike.

The pay equity fund is helping us keep talented educators in the classroom, maintain high quality learning environments, and provide the consistency and care that our youngest learners deserve.

Sustaining this fund means honoring the essential role of early childhood educators and continuing to build a strong, stable foundation for the district's future.

Thank you for your continued leadership and for your commitment to DC's children, families, and early learning professionals.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Roman.

Min Lee, who I believe is online.

May I just use this same Emra?

Thank you.

Good morning, Chairman Menderson and the Council members.

My name is Ming Lee.

I'm a lead teacher in Infant Room at a Kid Academy within in DC, pursuing my bachelor's degree in early childhood education.

And are accepted to begin my graduate study this fall.

Every morning, I carry many roles, educator, parent, student, and immigrant.

I show up because I believe in this work.

I believe in the children in my classroom and I believe in what this city can become if we make the right choices.

Today I want to see something I tell families when they feel uncertain.

When a parent worries that their child is too difficult, I look them in the eye and say every child deserves our best.

Samson shifts when they hear that.

They feel safe.

They trust that their child will be well cared for.

I believe that the same principle must guide our policy decisions today.

I'm deeply concerned about proposals to cost funding for specific age groups in early childhood education.

I understand the budget decisions are hard, but I want this council to understand what it looks like from inside the classroom.

I'm deeply concerned about early childhood education is not a collection of separate programs.

This is one system.

Infantal resident and preschoolers are connected by the same staff, the same building and the same families moving through over time.

When you cut funding for one age group, you do not simply shrink one room.

You destabilize the whole system, you force staff reductions, you closed classroom, you push families out.

So I come to where I started.

Every child deserves our best, not just the ones who are age three or four, not just the ones in the right age group for the ECR's budget.

Every child from zero to five.

I urge this council to maintain stable and equitable funding across all age groups to continue supporting the early childhood education pay equity fund, PCAP, and the child care subsidy program.

Because if we truly believe every child deserves our best, then we must build the system that can deliver it consistently across every age for every family.

Thank you.

And I submitted the whole testimony online.

Thank you.

Yes, I have a copy of your statement.

Thank you, Miss Lee.

Gracie Obushowitz, who's online.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn, members of the council and staff.

My name is Gracia Bahovich.

I'm the director of educator wellness for Empower Ed.

I've testified over the years on the impact of educator wellness and retention programming in our schools.

Today I want to shine a light on the power of whole school educator wellness grants administered by Aussie and urge the council to fund other programs that offer systemic educator wellness in Washington, DC.

Since 2021, Empowered has been a four-time recipient of Aussie's whole school educator wellness grants.

Through this funding, we've been able to work with over 20 DC schools and early childhood centers to create and implement systems that care for and retain their educators.

Through these opportunities, here are some of the most important things we have done.

Created a wellness staff wellness space for teachers to relax and regroup during the school day, ensuring quality mentorship programs, especially in schools where retaining new teachers has been an issue.

Help schools reestablish a regular staff meeting time, something we have found essential for building strong staff culture.

Coached and built capacity in school leaders to listen to and apply teacher feedback regarding their own wellness.

Improved teacher attention by an average of 17% in schools that we have partnered with for two years.

For each school, for each partner, I could share many examples, but I want to highlight one in particular.

We are working with an elementary school that has experienced a difficult combination of leadership transitions, programmatic difficulties related to dual language, changing neighborhood dynamics, and cultural and relational racial tensions among staff.

As a result, a significant number of their longtime staff left the year before.

Through this grant opportunity, Empowered was able to survey staff and host a series of listening sessions to understand the complicated challenges they face.

We also work with leaders to hear their experiences.

From there, we enlisted the support of School Talk DC and other grant recipient to host a series of restorative circles.

The school has begun a much-needed process of healing, one that we believe will help them rebuild the kind of positive staff culture that retains great teachers and serves our students as they deserve.

It is hard to see how the school would have moved forward without a partnership like ours.

It has been documented that the cost of teacher turnover is more than $20,000 per teacher.

We are serving six schools with our $150,000 grant for $25,000 per school.

In other words, if we retain just one educator, it approaches the cost.

But on average, we help retain eight to ten teachers, meaning we end up saving the district hundreds of thousands of dollars in turnover costs per school.

Therefore, I asked the council to fully fund Aussie School School Educator Wellness Grants with at least $300 in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Further, educator wellness has not begun in K 12.

It must start with our earliest caregivers.

This is why I urge the council to restore the pay equity fund for early childhood educators.

We know that early childhood is a vital time for brain and social development with much of that development happening through co-regulation with caregivers.

By continuing to keep early childhood educators in a state of stress, we are not only devaluing them as hardworking professionals, but also putting our youngest learners at a disadvantage that can follow them through their learning in DC schools.

I do this work because I believe the most important way to serve students is to ensure they are served by educators who feel cared for valued and able to sustain the work they truly love.

I urge the council to see that investing in educator wellness is investing in student success.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Oh, thank you, Ms.

Abushawoods.

Christina Encinas.

Hi, good morning.

Thank you for uh hearing us.

Um, my name is um Cristina Encinas and I'm the board president of the Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association and also an operation director of State of Montessori School.

I also served as a member of the Pay Equity Fund Advisory Board and a dedicated early childhood education profession here in the District of Columbia.

I'm here today to express my deep concern and frankly heartbreak over the proposed elimination of the pay equity fund.

The pay equity fund is not an abstract policy, it is a lifeline.

It has a stabilized workforce that too long has been undervalued and underpaid, despite doing some of the most important work in our society, educating and nurturing our young children during their most critical developmental years.

Now we now have clear, independent evidence that this program is working.

New research for Mathematica confirms that the pay equity fund delivers a 21% resort and return on investment and has grown the early childhood workforce by 11%.

These are not just numbers, they represent real educators staying in their jobs, real classroom is staying open, and real families being supported.

And in this fund will be devastating.

Without a child care providers across the district, we'll be forced to raise tuition to an unsustainable levels.

Families, especially working families, will be pushed out of care at the same time.

We will close educators who simply, we will lose educators who simply cannot afford to stay in the field without equitable compensation.

The results will be widespread programs closure, both in child care centers and home base, which will be the most hit, home-based settings.

And a significant blow in the district war for an economy.

We have worked tirelessly to build that what has become a national model for early childhood compensation.

As a member of the advisor board and an educator on the ground, we feel deeply disheartened.

The social successful evident-based program is being considered for elimination.

The district made a commitment for this work, funding mechanisms were put in place, including free taxes and households earn uh earning over $200,000 to ensure this program could succeed.

That commitment should be honor.

This is not a time to speak, to step back.

It is time to double down.

I urge you to find a solution to sustain the pay equity fund.

The cost of losing it will far overweigh the investment requires to keep it.

Or children, our educators, our families and our economy depend on it.

Thank you very much for the work you do.

Thank you for your testimony.

Caroline Pryor.

Good morning, Chairman and staff.

My name is Caroline Pryor.

Each year Empower Ed holds our first meeting the Saturday before the school year begins.

We start this meeting with a few fundamental questions.

What do all our students deserve?

What do all our educators deserve?

And what do all our communities deserve?

We use these questions to guide our work, and they are a North Star even in lean years like this.

Each year, our social safety net is enfeebled, our communities are injured, and at best, it's naive to think that has no ripple effect on our schools.

Because when all other social services fail, our students still arrive at school to learn, whether they're hungry, unhoused, struggling, over pleased, need a winter coat, or arrive with critical learning gaps, trauma, and behavioral health needs.

A school's job is to teach, and if a student can't learn in their current conditions, a school's job is to meet them where they are.

The fact is, when we cut social services, schools are expected to pick up the slack.

Schools become overburdened, educators burnt out, and quality experiences for children are harder to come by.

So when we come to advocate here for our children and the educators and families who care for them, we do so in coalition and not asking for extras.

The Bridge the Gap Fund, which the mayor proposed eliminating, has given joyful applied experiential learning and field trips to 10,740 students who would otherwise have gone without.

Almost two in three participating schools are in wards 7 and 8.

We're asking for 700,000 to replace and expand this funding.

Next, research nationwide shows that community schools are one of the best ways to increase belonging, decrease absenteeism, and ensure students and families have basic resources they need to thrive.

Three years in a row, the mayor has ripped these investments away from schools.

So rather than DC building a sustainable infrastructure for expansion and ensuring the programming meets necessary components for successful implementation, we've just been on defense.

We urge council to replace the 2.4 million cut to Aussie's program and to put an additional two million towards DCPS with explicit BSA language and oversight, requiring it to be used to rehire connected schools managers who were let go when the position was moved on to school budgets and increase programmatic funding.

We also urge you to reverse the proposed BSA language, eliminating the $2 per student per school subsidy under the Healthy Schools Act, which would directly undermine schools' ability to implement proven alternative breakfast models like breakfast in the classroom and grab and go that boost attendance behavior and academic performance.

To put it plainly, our students need their basic needs met.

Same is true for our educators.

Pay Equity ensures that our sibling educators in ECE environments make a livable wage.

It would be unconscionable not only to eliminate the salary portion of pay equity, but to boot the families of 1,300 babies off the child care subsidy program as proposed by the mayor.

For educators in PK-12, empowered has asked for years to implement an educator retention fund to give targeted funding and solutions to schools with the highest teacher turnover.

A net loss of 25,000 each time a teacher leaves the DC school.

Highest turnover schools are bleeding funds and destabilizing school culture.

Our teachers' proposal is actually a cost-saving measure.

In years like this, our city can decide to invest in people over property.

That is how we attract families to our city, how we embed anti-racism in our policy, how we keep one another safe, and how we build a community that leads by example.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Pryor.

Changoese Hernandez, who I believe is online.

Good morning.

Please proceed.

Good morning, all council members.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to participate today.

And also thank you for the context you provided earlier regarding the position of the council with this budget situation.

My name is Joanne Hernandez, and I'm the pre keep manager at Centronia for the last almost six years.

I'm here to insist you protect our early childhood education system and the families and educators who rely on it.

I want to start by addressing the proposed elimination of the pay equity fund.

Early childhood educators are some of the most underpaid professionals, despite the critical role they play in supporting children's early learning and their most formative years.

Eliminating this fund will create greater financial instability and push experienced educators out of the field, out of center.

For example, we already had about three teachers that have notified they will leave as a precaution due to uncertainty about the upcoming school year.

When educators leave the classroom, programs sometimes have to shut down due to classroom closures, and children lose stable and nurturing environments and families are left without a reliable care.

At the same time, the child care subsidy program remains underfunded.

Families who depend on this support are already struggling to access affordable child care.

Without adequate funding, more families will be placed on wait lists, or they will be left without options entirely.

When families cannot access child care, they're unable to work, and the brother economy is affected.

Especially during teacher appreciation week, we should be recognizing and investing in this workforce, not undermining it.

Competitive stable wages are essential to retaining qualified educators and ensuring that children receive the high quality early education they're deserved.

In closing, we ask that you act in foresight.

We have to protect the pay equity fund.

We have to fully fund the child care subsidy program.

We must safeguard educator compensation and reject policies that would limit access to high quality care.

Our children, families, and educators will be counting on all of us.

Thank you for this opportunity.

We're open for questions.

Alejandro Crusade Choi.

Yes.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee of the whole.

My name is Alejandro Cruset Choi.

My role at Centronia is Senior Special Education and Disability Coordinator.

Today I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are living through a time of harm.

Our communities are living in a state of emergency, and the district is facing impossible budget cuts.

Santronia serves over 800 families.

We provide professional development for over 250 current early childhood educators, and we have trained thousands of prospective members of the workforce through our multilingual child development associate CDA program, the first program in the nation to receive the Council for Recognition's CDA gold standard training certification.

According to the United States Government Accountability Office, families of children with disabilities and parents with disabilities have reported various barriers to finding and using child care programs.

These greatly affect their well-being.

In other words, we know that wait lists are already affecting service provision and the development of children.

Funding for early childhood programs supports critical infrastructure for our city, our economy, and our future.

The council must raise revenue to fund child care.

The mayor's proposed FY27 budget will significantly destabilize DC's child care system.

If unchanged, it will cut early educators' salaries.

It will limit affordable child care for thousands of working families.

It will push providers toward classroom closures and reduce the number of children able to access high quality early learning.

The council must robustly fund the child care subsidy program at 177.1 million.

The council must add 63.2 to the mayor's proposed budget.

Full funding is essential to prevent a subsidy enrollment freeze or wait list, protect reimbursement rates, and ensure families can continue accessing affordable care.

The council must restore the salary component of the pay equity fund at 94.2 million.

The council must add 82.2 million to the mayor's proposal while preserving health care for child care.

This funding would help restort educator pay, prevent salary cuts of 10,000 to 25,000, retain experienced teachers, and maintain quality and stability for teachers.

The council must reject harmful cost-cutting measures.

The council must reject any further erosion of educator compensation.

These policies do not solve the problem.

They shift costs onto families, providers, and educators.

Thank you for your time and for continuing to guide the district as a national leader on early childhood education and happy teacher appreciation week.

Thank you.

I believe that's all the testimony from this group.

So you all are excused.

Thank you very much.

Mary Ellen Wiggins.

The next group appears to be all PKE parents.

Mary Ellen Wiggins.

Joanna Schwartz.

Daniel Smith.

What'd you say?

Brent Yasmin Reyes, I believe, is online.

Florencia Paz.

Online.

Mikhaila Rodkin.

Amori Saban.

Might be Emory Saban.

That's you.

Molly Scalise.

Christina Valentiner.

Valentiner.

Jordan Clark.

Shar Caesar Douglas.

Jessica Sariat.

Nora Toiv.

Tyrell Holcomb.

I think I'll stop right there.

Mary Ellen Wiggins.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson.

Good morning.

And also to your staff who I know from personal experience are great.

I am Mary Ellen Wiggins, and I am the parent of a four-year-old in Ward 2 and a member of the Under 3 DC coalition, even though my daughter aged out last year.

They are really great.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

I've lived in DC since 2008 and was excited to grow my family here.

I'm also a small business owner, and child care is a cornerstone in making that possible.

Since 2024, my daughter has gone to two birds in the West End.

It's a PKEP partner school that also participates in the Pay Equity Fund.

This means that this year and last, the PKEP subsidy dramatically lowered our costs, which helps make it possible to shift more hours to building the business that my family relies on.

For many low and moderate income families, the child care subsidy program does the same thing.

These are important programs that work together.

In addition, the pay equity fund plays a major role in making sure that these subsidized care environments are high quality.

You already know that these early years are critical to lifelong development and outcomes.

And safe, stable, nurturing relationships are one of the most important factors.

The pay equity fund enables hardworking staff to afford to stay in their jobs.

When we don't fully fund all of the programs that must work together to make the child care and early education landscape accessible and high quality, we are asking the littlest children to pay a lifelong price for our short-term funding stress.

That's exactly what the mayor's proposed budget does.

Families will lose access to care and be pushed out of the workforce.

Providers will face financial instability and possible closures, strong educators will leave the field due to pay cuts.

Children will lose stable, high quality early learning during critical years.

And I'll just say my child also has received a lot of special developmental supports through strong starts and other programs, and these are expert teachers who know how to incorporate those and care for the children into their work.

So in my experience, this would mean parents having to make hard choices about how much they can afford to work when that work is what will help sustain them and their families long term.

So I urge the council to fully fund the child care subsidy program.

And thankfully the PKEP program is already funded in the mayor's budget, so please do keep that.

Restore the salary component of the pay equity fund, and to avoid cost-cutting measures that keep programs from really working.

So that means no subsidy wait list or enrollment freeze, no cuts to reimbursement rates, and no cutting back on educator compensation.

These policies do not solve the problem.

They shift costs onto families and providers and create long-term damage that will be far more expensive to fix later.

It takes money to fund child care, and raising that revenue through other means is worth it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Wiggins.

I believe Joanna Schwartz is not here.

Daniel Smith is online.

Yes, I'm here.

Thank you, Chairman.

My name is Daniel Smith.

I'm a professor of environmental engineering, and I was born right here in DC.

I grew up on Irving Street in Mount Pleasant, and then near Lafayette Pointer Park.

And I've lived all over the world since, but when it came time to find a forever home for my family, I knew I wanted to be here.

I wanted my children, a boy who's now two and a girl who's now three, to enjoy the vibrancy, the multiculturalism, the opportunities, and the sense of place and community that we have here.

But even with my wife and I working full-time in professional jobs, we knew we might not be able to afford to live right in DC.

So when we were deciding to make a home in this area, we had to choose to either renovate my childhood home and live in DC or sell it and live far out in the suburbs.

So the deciding factor for us was knowing that DC had the subsidized child care program as well as bilingual schools and preschools for our children.

So we decided to rebuild my parents' old house.

We invested in our property, we moved our family across the country, and we found the perfect daycare and preschool for our kids.

But now with the child care subsidy program in question, I can say that if it's lost, we'll almost certainly have to move out of DC.

And it's just that simple.

I'd lose a lifetime of identity with my hometown, and my children would lose the chance to be multi-generational Washingtonians.

So I'm specifically urging the council to fully fund the child care subsidy program at 177.1 million dollars, to restore the salary component of the pay equity fund, and to reject harmful cost-cutting measures such as subsidy wait lists or reimbursement rate cuts.

So from one lifelong Washingtonian to my fellows, thank you for your time and leadership on this issue that has so much at stake for the well-being, the competitiveness of our city and that of my family.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Yasmin Reyes, who I believe is online.

Yes, I am on the line.

Thank you, and good afternoon, Chairman and Council members.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

My name is Yasmin Reyes.

I am a Ward 4 resident and a mother of a two and a three-year-old, the last of whom is currently in pre-K3 at a State It's Montesory School, which is a CBO and a spark of the pre-Keep PKE program.

So when my family and I moved to DC, the childcare subsidy program made it possible for us to afford care for our children.

Unfortunately, both my husband and I were affected by the federal budget cuts, and we both lost our jobs last year.

And without this program, we will need to leave DC.

I am here to urge you to fully fund child care in the FY27 budget.

Early childhood education is not optional, it's essential.

It allows parents to work support children's development, keeps our local economy running.

I asked that you fully funded child care subsidy program.

Without this investment, parents may be forced to leave their jobs.

Childcare children will lose access to safe, stable care.

I also urge it to restore the salary component of the pay equity fund.

Early childhood educators are the backbone of this system.

I also urge you to get harmful cost-cutting measures such as subsidy wages, reimbursement rate cuts, or reductions in education compensations.

These are no real solutions.

They seem to shift the burning.

I understand that it's hard to for you to fix the budget that you've received.

You could potentially consider some alternative funding mechanisms like redirecting funds from vacant positions, redirecting funds from overtime spending within police departments, freeze planned police expansion, provide a one-time stabilizing fund, provide rainy day fund transfers, and primary bridge funding while longer term revenue is identified.

Early childcare education is a part of economic infrastructure.

It affects parental employment, business productivity, school readiness, long-term educational attainment, and future tax revenue.

This is a workforce emergency and an economic stabilization necessity.

It is also an opportunity to identify dedicated funding sources for these critical programs.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Thank you, Ms.

Reyes.

Florence Paz, I believe is online.

Hello, Mr.

Councilman.

Good morning.

I am testifying today to ask you to revise the budget and restitute fully the budget for the different initiatives to support early childhood education, namely PKIP, the child care subsidy program and the pay equity fund.

Specifically, I'm asking the council to reject the major's proposed cuts and fund the child care subsidy program at 177.1 million dollars and restore the salary component of the pay equity fund at 92.94.2 million.

I have a daughter currently enrolled in pre-K3 in Bruce Monroe Park View Elementary School, and a one-year-old son, currently at Barbara Chambers Childcare Center, who I'm gonna refer as BCC.

This is a CBO that is also part of the PKIP program.

Previous to the pre-K3, my daughter attended two different acres, a small neighborhood Day Carey Mount Pleasant and BCCC.

Over time, and between both of my kids, we have interacted with at least 20 providers.

All these providers were women of color and either they were immigrants or black women born and raised in DC.

The pay equity fund has allowed these women to perceive a fair salary and let them live in the city they work at, while also promoting the professionalization of childcare, which in turn keeps our children safer.

In my short three years interacting with the system, I have witnessed at least two of these teachers get their certification thanks to the support that the pay equity fund brings.

My son is one of the only two white children, albeit both are Latino, of the eight babies in his class.

BCCC has a heavy share of their clients who afford care through the child care subsidy.

I fear that without the pay equity fund, they will need to raise tuition to pay a fair wage, and without the clients paid by the child care subsidy, they will have they will not have enough enrollment, which will also push them to raise tuition in order to keep the doors open.

Childcare right now is over half my net income.

Higher tuition will push me into having to consider quitting my job instead and taking care of my children.

I've seen countless of my acquaintances lose their jobs in the last 15 months and have and having barely affordable child care as well as free pre-K3 and four has provided a lifeline while they figure out their next steps.

The early years of our kids are when we are most likely to root and build our community.

Without enticing programs that facilitate people to stay by supporting their family choices, people will flee to less expensive places, taking their skills with them.

From an equity perspective, one of the things that I appreciate about both Bruce Monroe and BCC is that my children are around peers who come from a vast diverse background, exposing them to the different realities that their neighbors live beyond people of their same socioeconomic status.

This builds empathy and a sense of community.

Without PKIP, the childcare subsidy and the pay equity fund, we will be undermining our efforts of social integration, deepening a divide among those who can afford childcare and those who cannot, and segregate further our society.

Word one is lucky that within it, many different realities coexist, and we have a bred a sense of community and mutual aid that is rooted from early childhood.

Ms.

Paz, I'm going to cut you off because you're over your time, but I do have your written statement.

So thank you very much.

Amory Sibon.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, members of the committee of the whole.

My name is Amoy Sibon, and I'm both a parent and a proud resident of Ward 1.

I hope to emphasize to you the critical importance of fully funding the child care subsidy program and the pay equity fund.

These programs are essential to a stable, high quality early childhood system in DC.

They're simply too much at risk.

Eliminating these programs would mean substantial wage losses for early educators, layoffs, and fewer child care slots this fall.

And when families can't find stable affordable care, they can't work.

And DC's economy can't grow.

Childcare shouldn't be a luxury.

It shouldn't be a source of financial anxiety for families and educators.

It shouldn't be a decision about whether a parent can go back to work, and it shouldn't be a political bargaining chip by the mayor.

Early education should be a public good.

This is personal for my family.

My two children attend Barbara Chambers Children's Center.

My son, Olivier is three, and my daughter, Juliette, is 17 months old.

They've been there since they were six months old.

Barbara Chambers is just a few blocks from our house and is essentially their second home.

It's where they learn to walk, to talk, to regulate their emotions, and build friendships.

What makes Barbara Chambers work is the educators.

The teachers are loving, caring, and dedicate their entire selves to the children.

At Pickup, Judith and her friends blow kisses to their teachers, Miss Fanny and Miss Housta, and Olivia and his friends run back to Miss Ander Elise, Miss Yancy, and Miss Kenzie for one last hug goodbye.

That's what stability stability looks like for children.

It's the foundation of secure attachment.

And it's also what allows my wife and I to go to work knowing that our kids are safe and learning.

If these programs are cut, centers will be forced to raise tuition that put care out of reach for many families in our community.

Cut staff or worse, shut their doors, leaving even more families without child care.

I respectfully ask the council to commit to fully funding the child care subsidy program and restoring the salary component of the pay equity fund.

DC has made remarkable strides towards building a high quality, equitable early child care system.

Eliminating these programs would erase the progress we've painstakingly achieved.

I'm asking you not to let that happen.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn, members of the committee.

My name is Molly Scalise, and I'm a parent in Ward 6 and a member of the Under 3 DC coalition.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

I have a 15-month-old daughter who has also attended Barbara Chambers' Children's Center, which is a wonderful child development center here in DC since she was nine months old.

I work for a local nonprofit here in DC, and my husband is a public school teacher.

Having access to quality child care is absolutely critical to our ability to work, provide for our family, and save for our future.

My daughter is truly thriving at her daycare.

She plays outside, reads books and sings songs, shares with her classmates, and enjoys delicious meals.

It is so reassuring to know that she is not only being cared for by loving educators for eight to nine hours a day, but that she is developing and meeting her milestones.

I'm amazed every day by all she is learning from her teachers.

As a 20-year resident of DC, I'm deeply committed to this city and my community.

My husband and I are in the process of buying our first home and would love to establish more permanent roots here.

However, the cost of child care is a primary factor that could force us to leave the city we so dearly love.

Our budget is already tight, and we want to have a second child and need to know that there will be affordable child care options in the city that we can rely on.

Under the mayor's proposed budget, DC childcare providers and families face real risks.

Families will lose access to necessary care, child care centers may close, decreasing supply in an already high demand industry, and quality educators will leave the field.

Together, these spell disaster for families and children at every income level.

I urge the council to take the following actions.

Number one, robustly fund the child care subsidy program at 177.1 million dollars to ensure all families can continue accessing quality, affordable child care.

Number two, restore the salary component of the pay equity fund at $94.2 million dollars to provide educators a fair salary for the incredible and essential work they do and keep experienced teachers in the classroom.

And number three, reject harmful cost-cutting measures such as a subsidy wait list or enrollment freeze, reimbursement rate cuts, and cuts to educator compensation.

Child care must be a priority in the budget, and the council must raise revenue to sufficiently fund early education by closing loopholes and taxing wealth rather than shifting the burden of cost onto families, providers, and educators.

I want to be able to afford to raise my daughter in the city that I have lived in and loved for my entire adult life.

I want her to have access to quality child care with wonderful dedicated teachers who nurture and care for her.

And I want all families in DC to be able to afford quality child care so they can work, provide for their families, and plan for their futures.

Please fully fund child care, restore educator pay, and invest in DC's families and children.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Miss Colise.

Christina Valentiner.

I was told she's online.

I'm going to keep moving.

I'll come back to her.

Keyshan Puta, I believe is not here.

Jordan Kishan Puta Europe.

Alright, thank you, Chair Mendelson.

Kishan putta ANC commissioner in 2E.

Here to testify on behalf of my constituents who are telling me what I am hearing from the other advocates.

That they know they understand it's a tight, it's a it's a tight budget, they understand there's lot uh there's lots of things to fund and a limited amount of funding.

They nevertheless uh believe this to be one of the top priorities for our city uh and and and and are asking me to ask you to find the money to find a way to keep this going to reverse these cuts.

Uh and um we are in a uh a neighborhood which does not have many uh uh DCPS uh pre-K options, and so the PKE program has been great.

The pay equity program uh has been so uh so important to many of these centers, like Communicids, which is walking distance from our neighborhood and has provided uh excellent bilingual education for our our youngsters who become fluent by by kindergarten.

It's an amazing thing to see.

Um, and I work for D in my day job, I work with DC Health Link, and they have the pay equity program for um for their health care insurance for for uh educators, and that has been a godsend to make sure that they uh they can be healthy enough to uh work in our city and and uh thrive in our city.

Um, and uh we need to we need to do our our our part on wages as well, uh, so that working parents can continue to work and contribute to our economy.

This is what I'm hearing from my constituents, the working families of my neighborhood, and I wanted to make sure you heard it too.

Um, and uh thank you for um rising to the occasion in the past.

We need you to do it again.

Uh thank you, Commissioner.

Yes, um, let me see.

Jordan Clark, who I believe is virtual.

Hi there.

Um, I am award one parent of two young children.

They also attend Barbara Chambers.

Um, I'm here today to talk about the three interdependent programs that make our early childhood education system a national model and a crown jewel policy for the city, our families, and our economy.

For me and many other working parents, PKEP is indispensable, but it depends on two other critical and interrelated programs, the pay equity fund and the child care subsidy program.

None of these three is effective for our city without the others, and cuts to any harm them all.

These three programs form a delicate balance that keeps the city thriving, keeps children keeps parents working, and keeps our economy healthy.

We need this budget to restore the salary component of the pay equity fund, fund the child care subsidy program, and reject cuts to these and PKEP to protect the integrity of the whole system.

When any of these is at risk, the whole system is threatened, and families can't afford that kind of uncertainty.

This suite of programs attracts, retains, and enables residents to work and earn more and fuel the DC economy.

This is a win-win and supports tax revenues in the city, and cuts here would lead directly to falling tax revenues as families whose jobs in this region are already not as secure as they once were, leave the city altogether.

The mayor has suggested that people don't care about the pay equity fund and they want more spots, but her proposed budget fails on both and will fail DC families across the board.

Proposed funding levels would reduce the number of subsidy recipients and increase costs for all families in the system.

Similarly, the pay equity fund is integral to the success story.

Early childhood educators in DC are accomplished, credentialed, and wildly undervalued.

As a direct result of the pay equity fund, they have been able to commit more deeply to this career because the career was finally investing in them.

By rolling it back, we're destabilizing the very systems that the program initially sought to reinforce, as well as countless personal lives.

These educators are truly so talented that they could find much more lucrative opportunity doing almost anything else, but the pay equity fund helped them to responsibly take on student loans, invest in living in the communities where they teach, start or grow their own families, and make other long-term decisions based on these promises we made.

As we weaken the pay equity fund, teachers will be forced from their profession by uncertainty.

Centers like Barbara Chambers will face impossible decisions between staffing fewer educators or paying more to try to retain them, both of which diminish student capacity and increase cost to families and to the subsidy program.

I have to point out that we're here pleading for funding for a safety net beneath a leap we have already taken.

The 2627 lottery and enrollment for matched spots have already taken place, so families who depend on these programs will again deal with paralyzing uncertainty because we don't know where or how our kids are going to school this fall, despite that we responsibly and timely participated in that program as designed.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Clark.

Christina Valentiner, who's online.

Good morning.

Thank you.

Please proceed.

Yes.

My name is Christina Valentiner.

I'm a Ward 1 resident.

I have two small children, ages two and five.

My five-year-old son Malik has been at PKE participant at Estrellitas Montessori School for two years now.

This incredible program has allowed me to stay at home to take care of my younger child without the worry of added child care costs.

It's a big reason we haven't left this magnificent magnificent city.

We've called home the last 11 years.

I'm here because the mayor's proposed 27 budget puts DC's entire early childhood education system at risk, and the consequences will fall hardest on the families, educators, and children who can least afford it.

Thousands of infants and toddlers will be locked out of affordable care.

Their parents won't be able to go back to work or have to work more to cover care costs.

They won't be able to pursue education or job training.

The pay equity fund was a promise to the 4,000 educators who power the system, that their work which shapes the minds of our youngest children would be valued.

And slashing that fund breaks that promise and will drive experienced teachers out of the classrooms in DC or permanently into other industries.

I'm asking the DC council to add 63.2 million to fully fund the child care subsidy program and 82.2 million to restore the pay equity fund salary component.

A total investment of 145.4 million in DC's children and families.

This is not optional.

High quality early education is a public good.

Please funded.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Ms.

Valentina.

Char Caesar Douglas, who I believe is online.

Yes, I'm here.

I'm Cher Douglas.

I'm a proud Ward 4 resident and the mother of Camden, now a five-year old black boy preparing to graduate from Estorita's Montessori's pre-K4.

Last year I stood before you advocating for permanent funding for PKEP, the pay equity fund, and child care subsidy, and here we are again, another year, and we are still fighting for basic access to high quality early education and fair compensation for the educators who are quite literally building our future.

This is also the third consecutive year this program has been up for elimination or deep cuts, and that pattern of proposing cuts to key foundation building initiatives for our children is a big problem.

Since my last testimony, and because of the dedication of his teachers who rely on the pay equity fund, my son can now write his name.

He's starting to read.

He speaks Spanish confidently.

Soon he won't need me to advocate on his behalf.

He'll be able to stand before you and tell him tell you himself what it takes to build a best-in-class city and education system.

Mathematica's independent research of a 21% ROI further confirms the impact that the U.S.

Council of Economic Advisors reported back in 2014.

In addition, Ready Nation's 2026 report, backed by business leaders estimates that child care failures cost the U.S.

economy 172 billion a year, and in DC alone, that cost is one billion annually in lost earnings and productivity.

We need to preserve what we've known works for over a decade.

Other states are building programs modeled on ours, and we're talking about cutting the blueprint.

These cuts don't just affect budgets, it reverses the livelihoods of the people who are doing the most essential work in our city.

Our educators deserve professional dignity and financial stability.

Without the pay equity fund, over 4,000 early child educators, the vast majority of whom are black and brown women like myself, face salary cuts of 10 to 25,000.

As my son Camden graduates from PKEP, my hope is that no other parent has to use their time this way.

Here is what I expect from the council and the government that we've elected to work for our community.

Maintain and strengthen PKEP, restore the salary component of the pay equity fund, fully fund the child care subsidy program, protecting paid family leave, reject harmful cost-cutting measures that only shift the cost back onto the families, providers, and the educators, and truly we need to move beyond one-year patches to a multi-year durable funding that reflects long-term commitment.

Our children, including mine, are growing up in the gap between what this city promises and what it delivers, and I believe DC families are ready to continue to fight for what our children, families, and DC educators deserve.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Douglas.

Jessica Sariot, who I believe is online.

Yes, thank you.

Good morning, Councilmember.

My name is Jessica Sardo.

I live in Ward 1 near Columbia Heights, and I'm expecting my first child in just a few weeks.

I'm here asking you to fully fund the child care subsidy program, restore the pay equity fund, reject the subsidy enrollment freeze, and pass progressive revenue measures like the business activity tax to make this funding sustainable.

My husband works for the United Church of Christ DC Advocacy Office, and I organize in Virginia around housing and economic justice.

I grew up in the church raised by a teacher with the belief that children deserve care and investment simply because they are human.

But right now, it sounds like DC is debating whether child care should be a luxury good and framing a cut to educator pay and subsidies as acceptable in contrast to other possible cuts like cutting law enforcement over time or pausing hiring for vacant positions until new revenue streams catch up.

That's not okay.

Kids and families need to come first.

My husband and I both work full-time.

We're renters sharing a townhouse with four other adults to afford life in the city.

And even for us, people with stable jobs and relative privilege, child care feels financially overwhelming.

We can make it work for one kid, probably not for two, and if families like mine are struggling, then the system is already failing.

I'm also a French American, and I personally benefited from subsidized daycare and public pre-K growing up in France.

So I know another model is possible.

Other wealthy countries decided long ago that early childhood education is public infrastructure, not an individual burden left for families to somehow survive on their own.

And when we fail to invest in it, the burden falls overwhelmingly on women, especially black and brown and immigrant women.

This burden falls on parents trying to stay afloat and the educators caring for the city's children while being underpaid and undervalued.

Please do not balance this budget on the backs of families with newborns and workers holding the system together.

Cut vacant positions, pass a bond measure, stop supporting police overtime for federal events until the federal government stops harming our city budget.

Get creative.

But if sacrifices are needed, don't ask those teaching our babies and our most vulnerable families to make those sacrifices.

Fully fund the subsidy program, reject the enrollment freeze, restore the pay equity fund, close corporate tax loopholes, and do what it takes to make this possible.

Budgets are moral documents.

They reveal who matters and who is expected to struggle alone.

I'm asking you to choose families, children, and caregivers.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Sario.

Nora Toy.

Hi, my name is Nora Toy, and I'm the parent of a P-Keep pre-K3 student and a first grade P-Keep pre-K graduate.

We live in Mount Pleasant and our daycare and our PKE provider is also Barbara Chambers.

We are beyond fortunate that our kids attend and attended Barbara Chambers.

They learned how to do everything from writing their letters to using the bathroom.

Their teachers are caring, creative, and dedicated.

We have been consistently blown away by the effort the teachers put into their jobs and just how much they love our kids.

A bilingual, racially and economically diverse school was essential for us in choosing where our kids would go.

Paying our daycare workforce adequately is the bare minimum of what our city budget can do for the city's daycares.

Subsidizing child care for those without the funds to pay is the bare minimum of what the city can do to improve early childhood outcomes.

During the pandemic, the city deemed daycare workers essential, and our daycare teachers stepped up to the plate to take care of young children during a very challenging time.

They worked creatively to keep everything running and everyone as safe as they could.

Parents with kids our age who sent their kids to daycare.

Thank their lucky stars.

They did not have their kids home from school for almost two years, and the subsequent learning loss that older kids experienced.

We are asking that you restore the salary component of the pay equity fund at 94.2 million, robustly fund the child care subsidy program at 177.1 million.

Lastly, reject harmful cost-cutting measures such as subsidy wait list or enrollment freeze, reimbursement rate cuts, and any further erosion of educator compensation.

These policies do not solve the problem, they shift the costs onto families, providers, and educators.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you each of you for your testimony.

Um I don't have any questions for you.

I really appreciate everyone who's come in to testify the time you're spending waiting to testify.

As I said earlier, I'll say this from time to time.

So we're very familiar, which is a reason why I'm not asking any questions.

So I don't want you to feel underappreciated or unappreciated.

But thank you very much, especially those of you who are here in person.

So let me proceed to the next group.

Tyrell Holcomb, who's vice president of external affairs at Julia Housing, Kirsten Witkowski, adult education manager, BRIA Public Charter School.

Ingrid Anderson, who's medical assistant advisor at BREA Public Charter School.

Santiago Sanchez, Principal Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School.

You are, yeah, I'm at the table, you are.

Um ISIS or Isis Ramirez, post-secondary workforce advisor, the next to public charter school.

I think I heard you say ISIS.

Yeah, ISIS.

Vivian Robledo, executive director next to Public Charter School.

Nicole Hanrahan, co-founder and executive director at LAYC Career Academy.

Dimitri Futiev.

Okay, well then I will stop right here.

Um I believe Tyrol Holcomb is not here.

Um Kirsten Witkowski is online.

Please proceed.

Hi, good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson.

Um, my name is Kirsten Witkowski, and I am an adult education manager and former ESL teacher at BREA Public Charter School.

DC's first two-generation school serving parents and children together.

I've been with BREA since 2016, and over the past decade, I've had the privilege of teaching and supporting adult learners across a range of English levels.

Today I also supervise teachers and work closely with students to make sure that they have the academic and personal support that they need to succeed.

So I'm here today to urge you to strengthen your investment in adult education in the fiscal year 27 budget.

First, I ask that you increase the adult learner weight in the uniform per student funding formula from one to 1.3.

Adult learners often have needs that mirror those of K-12 students who do get that additional funding.

Many are English learners, they have experienced interrupted formal education and are navigating significant life challenges.

Yet adult schools do not receive comparable weighted funding.

In our classrooms, we see firsthand how these unmet needs impact learning, and with additional funding, we could expand small group instruction, provide more individualized support, and better serve students with diverse learning needs.

Second, I urge you to increase the adult learner transit subsidy from 70 to 100 dollars a month.

I remember when my students first advocated for this subsidy nearly a decade ago.

They were so proud to have their voices heard, and the program has made a real difference.

But today, $70 is no longer enough.

Our students often travel long distances across the city, dropping off their children, going to work, and then coming to class.

When transportation costs become a barrier, attendance suffers and increasing the subsidy would directly support persistence in completion.

Third, I ask you to restore funding for adult and family education grants, which have been reduced by more than 2.5 million over the past three years.

At BREA, these funds are critical to sustaining workforce programming and the wraparound supports that make our model successful.

Finally, I urge you to maintain a strong social safety net for DC families, including the DC Healthcare Alliance, SNAP, and TANF.

As an educator, I see every day how unmet basic needs affect learning.

Students miss class because of untreated health issues or long waits for appointments.

When individuals have access to health care, food and stable housing, they're better able to focus in class, attend consistently, and succeed in their education.

I also want to emphasize the importance of English language education itself.

ESL is not often categorized as workforce training, but it's foundational to economic mobility.

I've seen students gain the confidence to speak directly with their child's teacher or their doctor for the first time.

I've seen students move from entry-level roles into management positions because they were able to build their English skills.

And I've seen former students return to BREA as staff continuing the cycle of opportunity in our community.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify and for your continued support of adult learners in our city.

And I do have your written statement, Ingrid Anderson.

Good morning, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee.

My name is Ingrid Anderson, and I'm a Ward 4 resident and a medical assistant program advisor at BREA Public Charter School.

In my role, I help to design and oversee BREA's medical Assistant Training Program.

I work closely with instructors to ensure that our curriculum aligns with national certification standards and reflects the real world skills that medical assistants need in community health settings.

I also bring my experience as a former nurse at Mary Center, where I saw firsthand the need for highly trained culturally responsive medical assistants who can effectively serve DC residents.

I'm here today to urge you to restore funding to for the adult and family education or AFE grants, which have been reduced by more than 2.5 million dollars since fiscal year 25.

These grants are essential to programs like ours.

While public charter schools receive per pupil funding, those funds are not designed to support the high cost technical training required for workforce programs like medical assisting.

AFB funding allows us to provide hands-on instruction, purchase clinical supplies, and recruit instructors with specialized medical expertise.

And that last point is crucial.

It is extremely difficult to find instructors who have both the clinical knowledge and the teaching skills needed to support adult learners.

Many qualified healthcare professionals can earn significantly higher salaries in clinical settings.

Without adequate funding, it becomes even harder to recruit and retain the talent needed to deliver high quality programs.

But just as important as what we teach is who we serve.

Many of our students struggled in traditional school settings.

Some were not eligible for career and technical education opportunities in high school due to academic challenges.

Others are working adults who are trying to build more stable careers after years in low-wage jobs.

At BRIA, we provide not only technical training but also the academic and socio-emotional support that adult learners need to succeed.

We help students learn to learn, build confidence, and develop professionalism required to enter and persist in the workforce.

Our program is grounded in community health.

We emphasize communication, cultural competence, trauma informed care, and the social drivers of health.

Many of our students share lived experiences with the patients they go on to serve, which strengthens trust and improves care in our communities.

I want to be clear.

Investments in workforce development for high school students are important, but they cannot come at the expense of adult learners.

Workforce development is not a one-time opportunity at age 16 or 17.

It's a lifelong need.

Adults need pathways to enter new careers, especially in high demand fields like healthcare.

Without programs like ours, many DC residents will simply not have access to these opportunities.

I'm also a parent of a teenager, and I can tell you firsthand that most young people are still exploring their interests.

We cannot expect them to make permanent career decisions in high school.

And so we need a system that allows people to find their path over time and change it when needed.

That's why adult workforce programs are so crucial.

I urge you to restore the funding for the AFE grants and ensure that DC continues to invest in high quality workforce pathways for residents of all ages.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Anderson.

Good afternoon, Chairman and members of the committee.

My name is Antious Sanchez, and I step as a principal of Harvard Student Campus of Carlosayo School.

I also a proud War 5 resident.

I am first generation American from Mexican family, changed by our language, culture, and traditions.

Living between two worlds, I develop a deep appreciation for both Spanish and English and the opportunities that comes with the bilingualism.

I understand firsthand what it means to navigate learning and using English in academic and professional spaces.

The vulnerability, determination, and urgency that many of our students experience every day as they work to build their future.

Through DC's public charter framework, Carlosario provides integrated English language instruction and workforce training that help adult learners build English proficiency while learning industry recognized credentials.

This model is stranded as a district workforce pipeline, preparing residents for high demand careers and contributing to Washington's DC's economy and community.

I'm going to add a little experience here.

I already shared my testimony, but this morning I have my dental appointment and the dental assistant, so my teacher, and again, oh, I went to Carlos Aro and I learned English there.

Then I continue learning and I want to become a dentist, and I'm working now here as a dental assistant, and I would like to continue improving my career.

That's another example of why I'm here advocating and asking for more support for adult education.

Through the SPIRE framework and CASAS assessments data, we monitor students' progress throughout each term and provide targeted support when needed.

The accountability and reinforce our outcomes.

Our North SAP program is has increased in a lot, and we have like a 30 student certifying the school year 2324 and improve it to 75 students in 24-25.

And this maintained 100% certification pass rate for the past two years, and we are expecting more this coming year.

At the same time, students are building essential digital skills and AI literacy through responsible and secure technology uses.

Our hybrid model, in-person and virtual classes, expand access to adult learners while strengthening the digital competencies needed for today's workforce.

As you review the fiscal budget for 27, I would like to urge you to support first increase the adult learner and UPSA formula from 1.0 to 1.3 as recommended by the deputy majors of education school technologies study.

Second, includes the adult education transit subsidy from $70 to $100 per month.

And third, maintain a strong social safety net for DC families, including the DC Healthcare Alliance, SNAP, and TENF.

Fourth, found public charter schools equitable for the fiscal year 27 budget, but ensuring that all schools costs including that staff and compensation are fixed costs and utilities for the fully supported through the USBS.

Adult public charter schools are delivering essential public work.

And in DC, adult education is public education.

It is workforce development, family stability and economics.

Cut you off, I'm sorry, but you're over your time.

Thank you.

I do have your written statement.

Um ISIS Ramirez.

Good morning, Charles Chairperson Mendelson and members of the D.C.

Council.

My name is Isis Alexa Armeez, and I'm a workforce post-secondary advisor at the Next Public Charter School, a poet and MSW student at Howard University.

I'm here to urge you to strengthen funding for adult and alternative public charter schools that serve some of the most overlooked students in our city.

Next step serves young people ages 16 to 30, many of whom are immigrants and primarily Spanish speakers.

These students are working toward a GED diploma and also learning English, supporting themselves and building new lives in this country.

I want to share why this matters to me.

My parents immigrated to New York City, not because it was easy, but it because it was possible.

My mother held tightly to the education she had.

My father had to leave his behind obtaining his GED.

And a city full of millions, they started nowhere to go and began again.

No ESL classes waiting, no clear path to a GED.

No one should translate the system itself.

So they learned the city instead, through long shifts through paperwork that felt like a second language, through quiet moments of knowing they have more to give.

But they had will.

But will without access can only take you so far.

And I carry that with me as I walk into the next step.

The difference is that next step exists, but even the most dedicated schools cannot run on dedication alone.

Language access service, bilingual educators, mental health support, and wraparound services are essential.

They are not extras.

They are what makes education possible for these students.

When funding falls short, students are actually carrying more than they should, waiting for support, navigating systems alone, and sometimes stepping away before they reach the finish line.

But when we invest, we see what is possible.

Students persist, they graduate, they enter the workforce.

They contribute to communities they are already building.

When systems are not designed with attention, they recreate the same barriers generation after generation.

I respectfully ask the councils to act when attention.

Increase the adult learning weigh-in, the uniform for student funding formula from 1.0 to 1.3.

So respect the needs of adults who are also English learners.

Have special education needs or learners who are at risk.

Increasing a donor learner transit subsidy from $70 to $100 per month.

So students can reliably get to school and work.

Maintain a strong social safety net for DC families, including DC Healthcare Alliance, SNAP, and TANF.

So students can stay healthy and continue their education.

And fund public charter schools equitably by ensuring that all school costs are included within the uniform for student funding formula.

We have an opportunity to build a system where access is not something you have to be robbed for.

My students and parents build a life with limited access and increased will.

This generation deserves a system that meets them with access and will.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Mr.

Amir's Vivian Robledo, who I believe is online.

I am please proceed.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee.

My name is Doctor Ravien Robledo, and I'm the executive director of the Next Step Public Charter School, the hidden gem in Columbia Heights.

Thank you for this opportunity.

The next step, the first charter school to reach the 30-year renewal mark, serve students ages 16 to 30 whose needs have gone unmet by traditional schools, but who remain committed to earning their high school credential and building a path to college and career.

Many students arrive with interrupted education, significant literacy gaps, and complex responsibilities, including full-time work and parenting.

We offer English and Spanish GED prep, ESL instruction, and bridge programming aligned to post-secondary success.

We pair rigorous academics with comprehensive wraparound supports, including case management, mental health services, post-secondary advising like ECIs, and on site child care, which are essential to student persistence and success.

Our outcomes demonstrate what is possible when adult learners are properly supported.

Each year we serve over 400 students, and in the last two years, over 85% of eligible GED test takers have passed the exam.

And students demonstrate gains in reading and math, often more than two grade levels in one year.

Our English learners consistently exceed national benchmarks for educational functioning level growth.

Furthermore, our partnerships with BARD Early College and Catholic charities provide students with college credit and industry recognized credentials, which are opportunities for economic mobility.

We know that student success depends on stable, aligned public investment.

Therefore, I respectfully urge the council to take four key actions this in this budget.

First, increase the adult learner weight in the UPSFF from 1.0 to 1.3.

The DME's funding study indicated that adjusting that base weight is necessary since this population is not eligible for the add-on weight available to K-12.

Second, increase the adult learner transity subsidy from $70 to $100 per month.

The current subsidy has not kept pace with rising transportation costs.

Third, maintain a strong social safety net.

The DC Healthcare Alliance, SNAP and TANF, provide the stability our students need to stay enrolled and succeed.

Fourth, fund charter schools equitably by ensuring that all school costs, including staff compensation and fixed costs, are fully funded through the UPSFF.

Adult public charter schools are delivering strong outcomes, and we must be resourced to sustain that performance.

Our success is what happens when your investment supports students in taking their next steps.

Thank you for your continued leadership and your commitment to DC's adult learners.

Nicole Henry.

LAYC Career Academy serves young adults ages 16 to 30, providing a bridge to the middle class through literacy, ESL, and high growth career pathways in healthcare and IT.

Our results speak for themselves.

We're one of only 14 schools in the city to earn a level one rating on ASPIR two years in a row, an honor we've had for four years.

And more importantly, 95% of our graduates are employed or enrolled in post-secondary education within six months.

And our alumni see an average wage increase of $13.63 per hour within just 12 months.

To sustain this level of economic mobility, our adult learners need your direct backing in three critical areas.

First, we urge you to restore the $2.5 million in adult and education family funding, or AFE, from the cuts that have been made since 2025.

Adults and high school students both need career training, and it shouldn't be an either or.

AFE is our school's second largest revenue source.

It funds our student support specialists who maintain small caseloads to help students navigate housing, child care, and mental health services.

Without this funding, we use the wrap, we lose the wraparound support that actually makes that 13 hour and dollar an hour gains possible.

Second, we urge the council to increase the adult learner UPSF level from one to 1.3.

As the DME's recent school funding study makes clear, adult learners have specialized needs, yet adult charters are not eligible for targeted funding rates like at-risk or English learner.

Increasing the base rate to 1.3 is an evidence-based solution to a structurally aligned funding with need.

Third, we need you to increase the adult learner transit subsidy from 70 to 100 dollars per month.

This subsidy hasn't increased since 2019.

Our students balance school, work, and child care across many daily trips.

Without a realistic subsidy, they're forced to choose between paying for a bus ride to class or meeting basic needs.

My written testimony covers other crucial priorities, including ensuring the UPSF funding equity across sectors, maintaining a 3.1% charters facility increase, which is currently flat in the mayor's budget, and protecting vital safety nets like SNAP and TANF.

Cutting adult education is counterproductive to our city's economic recovery.

And I urge you to make this investment.

Thank you, and I look forward to any questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Henry and Dmitri Foitiev.

Good day, Chairperson Mendelssohn and DC Council members.

My name is Dmitry Fodiev, and I'm award two parent of a four-year-old in the communicates PQ program.

I'm here today because DC's budget is not something abstract to my family.

It'll affect the very people who care for my child every single day.

When we talk about childhood education, it's not just a budget item line item.

It's human relationships.

It's whether a four-year-old gets to see the same trusted teacher every morning or whether that teacher one day disappears because DC decided they no longer afford to stay in the profession.

Young children do not experience teacher turnover the same way adults do.

To a preschooler, losing a teacher is not just staff restructuring.

It's a loss, it's confusion, it's anxiety during the most important developmental years of their lives.

DC's pay equity fund created something rare in early childhood education.

It created stability.

Talented educators stayed in the classroom, and without it, many providers would not be able to maintain the level of compensation necessary to keep them there.

Experienced teachers will leave, and recruiting qualified ones will be harder.

The message to teachers thus would become painfully clear.

Sure, your work matters, but not enough for us to pay you fairly for it.

And that's unacceptable.

You know, this is not how you build an education system, and it's also not something that'll affect just staffing levels.

It'll also affect quality.

Why would educators upskill with certifications, degrees, professional development if the system no longer rewards it?

Families like mine choose to live in DC in part because the actual quality of education here is much better than people outside the city think it is.

Yet, these cuts put it at risk and incentivize working families to potentially move to the suburbs, lowering our city's tax base.

Providers already operate under intense financial pressures, and if these cuts move forward, the costs will be passed down to families like mine.

Aftercare, for example, could increase by at least $1,000 per year, and for many families, this will be a very significant financial hit.

DC can't claim to support working families while simultaneously making child care less stable, less accessible, and more expensive.

I respectfully ask the council to remember the following key thoughts.

Early childhood educators are professionals critical to developing our city's youngest citizens.

And unfortunately, children don't have the ability to defend their own rights, so it's our duty as parents and adults to do so.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I do not have any questions for you all, but thank you very much for your testimony.

Continuing, Lorena Flores.

Andrea Tobin.

Sarah Pascolini, Director of Elementary Programs Kid Power.

Noah Doherty, Director of School Talent.

Gabriella Silva, Senior Program Manager with PAVE.

Brandy Reese, parent leader with PAVE.

I think I'll stop right there.

Lorena Flores, Europe.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and staff.

My name is Lorena Flores, and I am here to speak about accountability gaps within our public charter school system.

I am not here raising a new issue.

I have spent over two years engaging in good faith initially with Washington Union Public Charter School to resolve serious concerns affecting children.

I escalated these concerns to the public charter school board and other agencies, still with no meaningful resolution.

Unfortunately, action is rarely taken until a crisis compels the community to act.

What I experienced and what many experience is not a proactive or accountable system.

Under federal and local law, Aussie is responsible for ensuring that all public schools, including charters, comply with student safety, civil rights, and education standards.

The current grievance process is characterized by informal education, delays, and non-transparent agency responses.

This is exasperated by our jurisdictional gap, where authorizes like authorizers like the DC Public Charter School Board decline to exercise corrective action, asserting that such intervention will infringe upon the legal autonomy granted under the charter agreement.

The current framework provides negligible insight into the procedural verification of charter school operations.

That gap shifts the burden onto the public, onto caregivers, educators, staff, and even students.

This leaves children in harmful environments or environments that without proper oversight easily transform into harmful environment.

What I experienced at Washington Uying Public Charter School is not isolated.

This school also feeds into another top charter school, DC International, where we are now seeing a full-scale governance crisis.

And at another top charter school, Mundo Verde, there are also ongoing concerns around turnover and accountability.

These are not isolated incidents.

They are a continuation of patterns that point to a systemic issue.

And charter autonomy cannot mean lack of accountability.

Charter's claims on innovation cannot come at the expense of student safety.

Transparency, or truth in reporting.

Right now, oversight relies heavily on self-reported data and questionable internal processes.

This is not sustainable for a publicly funded system that should work in the realm of having public interests at heart.

So I respectfully ask for a few clear actions from Aussie.

So to strengthen independent verification mechanisms, establish a clear response timelines, incorporate complaint patterns into oversight, increase transparency requirements, and clarify interagency enforcement pathways, and expand parent access to their information and their rights.

That includes like the rights retained and limitations within charter school systems, complaint and escalation pathways, available advocacy, and legal support resources.

Public funding should require public accountability.

Right now, families are being asked to trust passive system that too often responds only after irreparable harm has already occurred.

Reliant on reactive compliance after a breach has occurred is not a failure of administrative awareness, but a targeted exercise and loss mitigation.

I believe we should strive for a preventative maintenance compliance culture moving forward.

Thank you for your time, and I'm available to provide any documentation for the record.

Thank you, Ms.

Flores.

Andrea Tobin, who I believe is online.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee of whole.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

I'm Andrew Tobin, Executive Director of Kid Power, a nonprofit rooted in sustainable community focused youth development since 2002.

Today I'm here to urge the council to protect funding for high impact tutoring.

What makes high impact tutoring so powerful is that it provides students with targeted support they need before learning gaps become barriers to long-term success.

We often ask students to do the thing they struggle with the most.

Many times they arrive hesitant to engage and afraid of failure, but through care, consistency, and strong relationships, they build confidence and see tutoring as a place where they can belong and succeed.

They feel safe enough to struggle, persist, and grow.

Skills that extend far behind to beyond tutoring sessions and into their broader educational journey.

Our recent data reflects this.

98% of students said they learn enjoy learning from their tutor.

87% reported that tutoring makes classwork easier.

These outcomes underscore both the effectiveness of high-impact tutoring and the continued need for targeted investments in students and communities that continue to face barriers to educational opportunity.

Earlier this week, we met with a principal at Stanton Elementary School in Ward 8, where 88% of students are classified as at risk.

A longtime partner, Stanton became our first hit site following the pandemic.

As we expanded the program each year, unfortunately, last year, funding limitations forced us to end services.

As we began planning for the next year, I asked him, do you want the program back?

His response was immediate.

Absolutely.

Whatever he could do to secure funding.

Why?

Because they saw the difference.

Students who participated in Kid Power programming saw market gains in their ELA cake scores.

And those gains were sustainable into the following school year.

This is the impact of sustained relationship-driven intervention.

Community-based nonprofits are uniquely positioned to deliver high-impact tutoring because we provide targeted intervention that meets schools' unique needs.

For example, Barnard Elementary School asked for support for multilingual learners.

For the last three years, our bilingual tutor showed up consistently for students.

And this year, 93% of English language learners who received Kid Power Tutoring met their class growth goals, outperforming the citywide average by 15 percentage points.

Thank you to the mayor for her $3 million investment in HIT.

In prior years, as we understand it, Aussie was able to supplement these local investments with federal and philanthropic funding to support providers like Kid Power.

These funding streams are no longer available.

Therefore, we believe it's critical that the current investment of HIT be protected.

High impact tutoring matters because it ensures that students are not defined by unfinished learning or unmet needs.

Instead, they are given support, relationships, and opportunities they need to succeed.

Thank you for your continued commitment to district youth.

I welcome any questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Tobin.

Sarah Pascolini, who I believe is online.

Yes.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the council.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and thank you for your commitment to students in schools in DC.

My name is Sarah Pasqualini, and I'm the director of elementary programs for Kid Power, a nonprofit here in DC.

I'm here to urge the council to retain and protect the $3 million investment in the high impact tutoring included in the mayor's proposed budget.

This funding is critical because high impact tutoring is not just another intervention.

It has become a fixture of DC's educational landscape and fills a deeply important gap for students, teachers, and schools.

At a time when educators are being asked to do more than ever, tutoring provides targeted relationship-based academic support that schools simply cannot provide alone during the regular school day.

What makes high impact tutoring successful is that it's intentionally designed around what students and schools actually want and need.

At Kid Power, we use evidence-based curriculum that is carefully selected to align with DC instructional priorities and existing school curriculum.

This alignment matters because tutoring works best when it reinforces and strengthens what students are already learning in the classroom.

These interventions have evidence to show that they work.

It also works because of the strong partnerships between providers and schools.

We begin every partnership by building a shared vision rooted in each school's specific student data priorities and goals.

We adapt our approach to reflect the communities we serve, and we understand that listening to our schools is the foundation for strong partnerships and instructional practices for our youth.

We know this works because we see the results year after year.

For the past four years of high impact tutoring in DC, Kid Power students have demonstrated over 80% mastery of curricular skills on our biweekly assessments.

We have seen students who've been consistently behind grade level, growing over one year in literacy skills over 22 weeks of instruction.

Without continued investment in high impact tutoring, many of our students will fall even further behind because this level of individualized relationship-based intervention simply does not exist anywhere in the school day.

But beyond the data, we also hear from our students.

They consistently tell us that tutoring helps them feel more confident, more connected, and more capable as learners.

They describe tutoring as a place where they can learn at their own pace, ask questions freely, and they feel like they belong.

Something I think we can all agree on that students need more of.

Protecting this investment means protecting one of the most effective evidence-based strategies we have to support youth in DC.

Reducing or eliminating this funding would not simply cut a program.

It would remove a critical layer of support for students in schools.

I urge the council to preserve this funding and continue investing in what we know makes a difference for youth.

Thank you again for your leadership and your commitment to our youth.

Thank you, Ms.

Pasqualini.

Noah Doherty.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and staff of the committee.

My name is Noah Doherty.

I'm the director of school talent and academic strategy at the DC Tarter School Alliance.

Under Dr.

Mitchell's strong leadership, Aussie has launched programs that are helping accelerate our students' academic achievement, prepare them for post-secondary success, and strengthen our city's pipeline to public school teachers.

In the proposed budget for Aussie, we're particularly excited about the ongoing investment in high impact tutoring, the creation of a dedicated per people funding mechanism for the advanced technical centers, and funding for the apprenticeship and teaching program.

We also urge the council to address the chronic underfunding of St.

Coletta, which serves students with the most complex learning needs and restore matching funds for the adult and family education grant, which supports workforce training programs vital to our adult students.

DC is the fastest improving urban school system in the country, and it is our priority that our city remain at the forefront of improving educational outcomes for all public school students.

And in order to do this, we must equitably fund all public schools.

The mayor's proposal to direct nearly 100 million dollars less to public charter schools than to DCPS is the equivalent of almost $2,000 less per student.

And as a 20-year resident DC resident and someone who's taught in DC public charter schools, it's devastating to think that my city values our students less simply because they chose a different public school.

Public charter schools care just as much as our friends at DCPS and our leaders at Aussie about improving academic achievement, lowering chronic absenteeism, and retaining our best teachers and principals.

Our schools are already doing more with less, and in many cases are developing innovative strategies that can benefit all of our city's public schools.

At DC Prep Betting Elementary, their third graders leapt 16 points in reading proficiency last year.

Of the 20 schools with the greatest reduction in chronic absenteeism, the first 19 are charter schools, with IDEA PCS leading the city with a 25-point positive change.

And over the last four years, the public charter sector's teacher stayer rate has increased 19% and our lever rate has decreased 30% in the same period.

Were the additional large-scale funding inequities to be passed, it would not only negatively impact our public charter school students and schools, but it would unnecessarily complicate the work of Aussie.

Every one of Aussie's top priorities require investments from schools.

And in a two-tiered public education system, those investments from public charter schools aren't just more challenging, they'll come at the expense of its existing program, service, or staff member.

We want to work in even greater partnership with Aussie so that we can continue to focus on improving academic outcomes for students in a city that equally values all of its public school students.

And that is why we're asking the council to restore the structural integrity of the UPSFF and equitably fund all of our city's public schools.

Thank you for your time and I welcome your questions.

Thank you, Mr.

Doherty.

Gabriela Silva.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and committee staff.

My name is Gabriela Silva, and I'm the senior program manager at PAVE and Award II resident.

Today you'll hear from PAVE parent leaders about three key investments that have been proposed to help our students succeed, all of which have either been funded in the mayor's proposed FY27 budget or could be implemented at no additional cost.

High quality instructional materials, the advanced technical center, and high impact tutoring.

First, we must demonstrate our commitment to ensuring strong curriculum is used in every classroom by increasing transparency around where high-quality instructional materials are being used across the district.

The addressing dyslexia and other reading difficulties amendment act of 2020 requires LEAs to adopt literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading and to report their compliance to Aussie each school year, which Aussie is then required to make public.

Additionally, the implementation of the Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendations Act requires Aussie to publish an approved list of HQIM for literacy and to publish a list of literacy curriculum used by each LEA in a conspicuous location on its website.

While Aussie has published a list of core literacy programs used by each K-5-serving LEA, and whether these programs use high-quality science-based curriculum, this information is difficult to find on their website and is not available for other subjects or grade levels.

Parent leaders are asking the council to update the implementation of the Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendations Act to require Aussie to collect and publish data on literacy curriculum used by each LEA for all grades K through 12, indicating which curriculum meet their standards for high quality instructional materials.

They are also asking the council to create similar legislation to implement the math task force's recommendations that all LEAs adopt HQIM for math courses in all grades K through 12, requiring Aussie to collect and publish data on the curricula used by LEAs and whether they meet the standards for HQIM.

Aussie's reporting should be easily accessible to the public so families can use this information as they decide which schools to choose for their children.

This is a no-cost ask that will make a big difference for our kids as we work to ensure that all students are being taught with high quality evidence-based curriculum.

Other states that have seen significant gains in literacy and math have already deepened their focus on ensuring schools are using HQIM and focusing on transparency.

My written testimony includes information on states that are leading the way.

Second, we must continue to provide our students with opportunities that set them up for college and career by protecting our investments in the ATC.

Maintaining both the FLAP funding and the UPSFF wait for the ATC will help ensure that students across the district, no matter where they live or go to school, can continue to receive high-quality CTE, which will help drive better outcomes and strong features for our kids and our city that should be a state.

Later today, you'll hear from a member of PAVE's Citywide Board on the positive impact the ATC has had on her 11th grade son who's on the autism spectrum.

Finally, I mean we must continue supporting students' reading and math growth and their attendance through HIT.

Research shows HIT is one of the most effective ways to improve student achievement, improve DC students' math and reading proficiency, as well as their attendance.

We're grateful to see that the mayor's proposed FY27 budget includes $3 million for HIT, and we're asking the council to maintain this investment.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

I hope that we can count on your leadership.

Thank you, Ms.

Silva.

Uh, Brandy Reese with PAVE.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and members of the committee.

My name is Brandy Reese, and I am a proud parent of two children at Garfield Elementary and the Great Ward 8, where I serve as the president of the parent teacher organization.

I'm also a parent leader at PAVE, Parents Amplifying Voices in Education as a citywide and ward 8 PLE board member.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

I'm here with two requests.

The first is to urge the council and the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education to maintain the $3 million investment in high impact tutoring, also known as HIT, and expand it.

DC has already invested $33 million over three years, reaching more than 10,000 students, and the results are clear.

It works.

From test scores to attendance to building our children's confidence in learning, it works.

In math, students receiving over 900 minutes of tutoring gain the equivalent of 59 additional school days.

In ELA, students gain 20 additional school days and outperform their peers.

Students most in need, middle schoolers, students with IEPs and those furthest behind outperformed their peers by 6%.

Attendance improved improvement resulted in students attending two to five more days each year and absences dropping by 7% on tutoring days.

The 2025 CAPE results show broad gains across the city in both math and ELA across all grade bands and priority student groups at roughly 4.2%.

Ward 8, our most economically disadvantaged ward, posted the largest gains at about 7%.

Yet we still fall 20 to 30% behind the other wards.

The gap is not a failure, but it is proof of what is possible when students have access to quality instructional time like HIT.

Now we must ensure that that access is expanded so that children in every ward benefit equitably.

Families must be informed about tutoring opportunities both in and out of school, and schools and providers should be encouraged to share best practices to scale what works.

HIT is not just helping students catch up, it's helping them move forward.

Secondly, I urge the council to update the implementation of the Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendation Act to require Aussie to collect and publish data on literacy curriculum used by each LEA for all grades K through 12, indicating which curriculum meet their standards for high quality instructional material, also known as HQIM.

We are also asking the council to create similar legislation to implement the Mass Task Force recommendations surrounding HQIM and requiring Aussie to collect and publish data on the curricula used by LEAs and whether they meet the standards for HQIM.

This is a no cost ask that will help parents and families have a clear understanding of what curriculum is being used for in their students' classrooms.

Let's continue investing in what we know works.

Let's protect funding for HIT and update legislation to make information on HQIM more accessible.

Thank you very much and look forward to you all providing this for us.

You testified a week or so ago before us, I think when we had the public charter school board testimony.

And I don't know if you followed, but uh after your testimony, after all the public testimony, I pressed the executive director of the public chartered school board about uh the complaints that you had raised.

I've also talked with my staff, um member of my staff who's not here today uh with regard to following up.

You may have talked with her.

Yes, we spoke briefly over the phone.

Uh so I do take your um concerns seriously, and uh I am gonna follow up with my staff member where we are with that, and uh that includes following up with the public school board and where they are.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Yes, thank you.

I'm sorry you've gone through this, and I'm sorry you've uh had to come here to testify about it.

Um, so we'll see what we can do.

Thank you.

I have no other questions for uh you all.

Thank you for your testimony.

Uh Christine Miller, who is uh parent leader with PAVE.

To Sean Jones, a parent leader with PAVE.

Catrice Turner, a parent leader with PAVE.

Laura Fitzgerald, a parent leader with PAVE.

Hulashima Burnett, a parent leader with PAVE.

Shanna Shani Harwalow.

Which is good that she's not coming because I butchered her name.

Simone Scott.

Ty Andrews, apparently with PAVE.

Yolanda Corbett, parent leader with PAVE.

Sherry McDaniel Thomas.

Nope, I don't have a seat for you.

I was hoping you were going to be virtual.

Ms.

Miller, before you begin, one or more of us is going to show up at the next debate.

Excellent.

I need coaching.

Great.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Christine Miller.

I am a Ward 1 PAVE parent leader and citywide board member.

I am also an ANC commissioner in Columbia Heights and chair our education youth and family committee.

These roles are deeply connected and with PAVE, I have been part of an effort led by parents from across our city who know firsthand that our children are struggling with reading and math long before we see that data.

As a commissioner, I also see how these academic struggles are shaped by the realities that our families are navigating every day.

We've heard from some of our charter schools already and many of our other residents about that.

This is why I am testifying in support of Aussie's high impact tutoring investment and urging that this be paired with stable and equitable funding for DCPS public charter schools, our adult public charter schools, and Aussie's adult and family education grants.

So students and families are supported across the full education to workforce continuum.

The FY27 budget has some important investments, but they're limited given the scale of need.

Only 30% of award one students were proficient in ELA and 18% in math.

As you will see in attachment A of my testimony, this impact hits our ward hard, where our schools serve large numbers of Latino immigrant English learners and adult learner families.

These gaps are what should be facing shaping Aussie's budget priorities.

High impact tutoring is one of the clearest evidence-based tools that Aussie has to close the reading and math gaps.

Analysis also shows that it supports attendance.

Absenteeism rates are high again in my attachment B.

These numbers are even higher across ward one schools for many Latino and immigrant families.

Fear of ICE is creating another disruption layered on the effects we are still recovering from with COVID, which also hit our ward at some of the highest rates.

Students are again being disconnected from schools.

We should not wait for future assessments to confirm what we already know.

Students missing school will leave them further behind.

Now is the time when we can be proactive and not have to sit here again in our next budget cycle, citing numbers that will have dropped even further.

Targeted academic support can't wait.

Aussie's investments also need to work together.

High impact tutoring, stable and equitable funding, the adult and family education grant funding, all support the same education to opportunity continuum.

In Ward 1, our adult public charters are part of a core family infrastructure.

Many adult learners are also parents.

When they gain the skills, when they gain credentials, when they have job pathways, this benefit extends to our children's learning, it extends to school engagement, and it provides long-term stability for our families, for our neighborhoods, and for our communities.

And I just want to tag on because I know that we're hearing a lot about child care.

These adult charters are providing early child care education, but they are also providing free CDA certification.

So when we talk about what it looks like to provide affordable child care, making sure that we are maintaining that opportunity for free certification for our educators is part of that conversation.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms.

Miller.

Deshaun Jones.

Microphone.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and committee at a whole.

My name is Deshaun Jones.

I'm a native Washingtonian, born and raised in Southeast DC.

I have four children who have graduated and will be graduating from DC public schools and public charter schools.

I'm also a graduate of Anna Costia Senior High School and University of the District of Columbia.

It is great to be here today to testify in front of the council.

As the district navigates challenges in the FY27 year, where there's a 1.1 million dollar budget gap, $700 million, fewer and resources and $450 million on new and rising costs, information provided by the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Education.

We must prioritize education so that our kids are not negatively affected by it.

I was pleased to see investments in high impact tutoring, career and technical training, dual enrollment, and a 2.55% increase in uh purple per pupil student funding.

I am here to advocate to the council to push for high quality instructional material and to push for innovation and ways to engage children and families.

We have the highest per pupil student funding in the nation at just above $28,000.

And in the nation, there is a $15,000 per pupil funding for students.

DC leads the nation in academic gains according to NAPE scores from 24.

However, we currently have a little more than one-third of our students reading proficiently.

We know that reading is important, especially by the third grade because that is a great predictor of long-term appet long-term term academic success, increasing likelihood of our students graduating from high school and attending and completing college.

Reading proficiencies and levels need to be routinely placed on students' report cards.

My third grader gets A's and math, reading, and dance, but I don't see her reading grading level on her for proficiency on a report card.

High quality instructional material in addition to literacy resources are tools that family can use with their children at home.

I've often had to search for resources online, such as spellcity.com, PVSKids.org, and Scholastic.com.

Having those high quality instructional materials are important.

This is why PAVE parent leaders are asking the council to update legislation to require Aussie to publish which curriculum LEAs are using for literacy and math, and to indicate which materials are meeting the benchmark for HQIM.

Parents want to make informed decisions and transparency around HQIM will help parents do that.

Thank you so much for allowing me to testify.

It's about to cut you off.

Thank you.

Catrice Turner, who is online.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelsen and Council members and fellow staff.

My name is Catrice Turner.

I'm a native Washingtonian, a current Ward 5 resident and a citywide board member of PAID.

I'm also the proud mom of four boys within both sectors of the DC public school system.

And I currently serve as the Chief of Family and Community Engagement and Monument Academy Public Charter School in Ward 7.

I thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today.

I'm here today to speak about three interconnected priorities that I believe are critical to improvement outcomes for DC students.

High impact tutoring, advanced technical center funding, and access to high quality instructional materials.

You've heard me say this before, high impact tutoring works when implemented with fidelity during the school day in small groups and aligns of curriculum.

It accelerates learning and builds confidence.

For many of our students, especially those who enter middle school below grade level, this kind of targeted support is not optional, it's essential.

I will say a monument is something that we did with our whole fifth grade cohort, and because of that, specifically in MAV, all of our fifth grade cohort exceeded their writ goals this school year.

But tutoring alone is not enough if students don't see where their learning is taking them.

This is why it's equally critical that we protect funding for the advanced technical centers or ATCs.

As DC continues to reimagine graduation requirements, our young people need clear, engaging, and accessible career pathways.

ATCs provide that bridge connecting academic learning to real world application and future opportunity.

This is personal for me as well.

My son TJ, who is currently in 10th grade, recently secured his first summer youth employment program placement, excuse me.

He is truly excited to explore pathways in medical and veterinary sciences.

That's Bark Matters and programs like ATCs help sustain and deepen that kind of curiosity and purpose for students across the city.

We should be investing in more of these moments, not scaling them back.

Lastly, I want to offer a no-cost recommendation that could have a significant impact.

I urge the council to update legislation to require Aussie to publish all LEA's math and literacy curricula and to designate whether those materials meet the standards for high quality instructional materials.

Families deserve transparency, educators deserve clarity, and students deserve access to materials that are aligned, rigorous, culturally responsive, and proven to work.

When we think about these three areas together, HIIT, ATC funding, and HQIM, we begin to create a more coherent and engaging educational experience for our middle and high school students.

And if we get this right, we may also begin addressing one of our most pressing challenges, student attendance.

Let's face it, students are more likely to show up when they feel successful, when they see relevance in what they are learning, and when schools feel connected to their future.

We cannot continue asking students to invest in systems that do not feel invested in them.

So by protecting ATC funding, expanding meaningful academic supports, and ensuring instructional quality are not separate conversations, we can achieve that goal.

Together, they represent a real opportunity to rebuild student engagement, confidence, and long-term outcomes within the district.

I thank you so much for your time and commitment to our students, and I'm available for any further questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Turner.

Laura Fitzgerald.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and members of the committee.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding high-quality instructional materials.

My name is Laura Fitzgerald.

I am a charter school parent here in the district.

On a professional level, I am also here as a certified school administrator, having served as a principal in New York City and also as an administrator here in the DMV with Fairfax County Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools, and also at a charter school in Ward 5.

I've also previously served as a board member of a charter school in Ward 7, and I'm a citywide PLE board member with PAVE.

Now in private practice as an educational consultant and special education advocate, I have visited more than 175 classrooms and I've observed consistent trends.

Students have limited access to hands-on learning materials, and educators are primarily relying upon worksheets and Chromebooks to deliver instruction.

Upon further investigation, the worksheets are often pulled haphazardly from third-party websites such as Teachers Pay Teachers or are generated by AI.

These materials are of varying quality and often include elements of pop culture and inaccurate information, which is inappropriate for the learning environment.

As a parent, I have observed that my child was assigned worksheets meant for preschoolers when she was in the second grade.

Now that she's older, her classwork is assigned through Google Classroom, but it remains trapped in the cloud.

I haven't been able to track her progress as I have been in previous years now that the work is digitized.

As a trained school administrator and educator, I know how to support my child's learning needs, but today I'm speaking up for the parents who aren't as well positioned and need further guidance to support in the home setting.

Ultimately, when we fail to ensure children's access to high quality instructional materials, we are making it more difficult for children to learn, for teachers to provide engaging instruction, and for parents to support their children in the home setting.

Paid parent leaders are asking that the council update the implementation of Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendations Act to require Aussie to publish a list of which curricula LEAs are using for both literacy and math and indicate if those curricula meet the benchmarks to be high quality instructional materials.

We ask that Aussie publish this list and make it easy to access so parents and families can make an informed choice.

And I'd like to echo my other parent leaders and remind you that this is a no-cost solution.

From a parent and constituent, please consider this need to equip our students with high quality instructional materials in order to improve chronic absenteeism, improve student engagement and academic achievement, and ultimately improve students' curiosity and joy for learning.

Thank you for your anticipated support.

Thank you, Ms.

Jerome.

Lashima Burnett, who's online.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn, members of the committee of the whole.

My name is Lashima Burnett.

I'm awarded resident and proud mother to two amazing children at Lovell Taylor and McKinley Tech High School.

I would like to begin with thanking you for funding, thanking the committee for funding HIT in the FY27 budget.

This program has been a game changer for my daughter, and I'm thrilled to see that funding continued.

I know we have talked about HIT a lot, so today I'll be focused on the importance of high-quality instructional materials and access to career connected learning for our students.

In the budget year, paid parent leaders are here today to discuss a no-cost ask.

Who doesn't love free?

Paid parent leaders are asking that the council update the implementation of the Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendations Act to require Aussie to collect and publish data on literacy curriculum used by each LEA for all grades K through 12, indicating which curriculum meet their standards for high quality instructional materials and to create similar legislation for math.

HQIM ensures that our children are being supported with the research-based curriculum focused on best practices.

As I continue to make decisions about where my kids go to school, having a deeper understanding of what curriculum is being used in classrooms is critical.

Now let's talk about career connected learning.

Aussie is currently in a process of reimagining high school graduation requirements.

We want to make sure that our students are prepared in the ever-changing world that they enter.

That is why it's critical to support the career technical education and the advanced technical centers.

When I was in high school, I had the chance to participate in a CTE program at Citibank.

This gave me the opportunity to grow my skills and graduate prepared to enter the workforce.

I even ended up with a job offer.

I decided to go to college instead of entering the workforce.

However, I still carry the lessons that I learned from that program today.

I want my son and daughter to have the same opportunities.

My son Landon is a sophomore at McKinley Tech House High School.

As he explores his STEM passions, I want to ensure that he has access to the programs that will help him excel like cybersecurity at the ATC.

If we want our students to thrive in the world post-graduation, we must invest in things that get them there.

This includes HQIM and the ATC.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

I look forward to answering any questions you may have.

Thank you, Ms.

Burnett.

Sherry McDaniel Thomas.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and committee and staff.

My name is Sherry McDaniel Thomas.

I'm a native Washingtonian who is a resident of Ward 4.

I'm the mother of four adults and a Nana of one grandson, graduated from Dorothy Heights Elementary School, Washington Global Public Charter Middle, and who eagerly awaits graduating from high school in California this June.

This summer he'll return to DC to commence transitional services in the fall, as noted on his IEP.

I am a parent leader with PAVE Parents Amplifying Voices in Education, and today I'm here to discuss high impact tutoring and high quality instructional materials.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and to lend my voice to say thank you for supporting the continued funding of $3 million for high impact tutoring programs in the city for fiscal year 27.

You have reviewed data showing that hit tutoring has helped to increase student performance outcomes in literacy and math, and you understand the value of keeping such proven services.

Like a growing number of districts throughout the country, OSI has created a model for schools to deliver HIT services that has elements of proven success.

Hit services delivered by confidently vetted tutors for a prescribed length of time throughout the week in a small group setting has aided in the development of trusted relationships between students and teachers.

It is a proven tool to help combat absenteeism for data has shown that students who receive HIT are 7% less likely to miss school instruction.

Rounded in how a student learns and steered by evidence-based and data-driven curriculum that is aligned with academic standards for each ray level.

Equitable and accessible hit services for all students is cost effective, empowers teachers, and creates an infrastructure of success.

It is noted in a John Hopkins report on HQIM that successful teaching and engaged learning happens in an effective classroom in an effective classroom.

One thing that remained constant during my 33 plus years as an educator in special education was the unending search for high-quality instructional materials.

HQIM empowers teachers by providing ready to use materials, eliminating additional time spent on creating content and planning.

Research has shown that a teacher can spend up to seven hours a week searching for and another five hours designing and creating materials that meet the needs of their students, and this time is increased even more for uh special educators who address specific accommodations for their students.

HQIM, our standards align to each grade and offer formative assessments for students.

This sets continuity across the district for delivery of academic content and provides consistent learning opportunities for students.

Because my time is running out, I'm going to get to my time is actually up.

Oh.

And I don't have a copy of your statement.

Oh, but you will get it, and you will see my ask.

Okay.

Thank you for your testimony.

All right.

But I want to thank you for your testimony.

DeVinia Say, who's a parent leader with PAVE.

Tiffany Randall, a parent leader with PAVE.

Renee Davis, a parent leader with PAVE.

She's online.

Mikalia Deming, Policy Director, DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Hanusha Imran with the DC Policy Center.

Heather Jenkins, President CEO of the Literacy Lab.

Alessandra Pinha, Impact Director with Literacy Lab.

Laura Maestis, who's CEO of DC Prep Public Charter School.

Michael Rodriguez, the chief executive officer with St.

Coletta of Greater Washington.

Pamela McKinney.

Rachel Feinstein, who's director of DC government and community relations with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.

Jessica Champaign.

Jennifer Zwilling.

Beth Bacon.

Aaron Alexander, co-senior rabbi at Addis Israel Congregation.

Noah Hickenberg, School Director.

Gan Hayel Preschool, Cadet of Susreal Online.

Ben Wax.

I'm going to stop right there.

Divinia say.

The floor is yours.

Great.

Good afternoon, Council.

Council Chair Mendelson and members of your staff.

My name is Devinia C.

I'm a Wart 7 resident and with a child attending a language immersion charter school in Ward 7 and headed to a Ward 7 DCPS middle school in the fall with a small side note that unfortunately there is no language immersion school middle school across the river yet.

So I'm not anticipating it the next two years, but just a little note we're still waiting.

I have two requests.

First, that the council update implementation of the Early Literacy Education Task Force Recommendations Act and create similar similar legislation for math to require Aussie to publish the curriculum used for literacy and math in K through 12 schools and indicate whether it meets the benchmark for high quality instructional material.

This is information as my colleagues have noted.

This is information the schools already have and not a requirement that requires additional man hours.

To be specific, I'm asking that they release the list of curriculum, again information they already have in a way that is easily accessible for parents and caregivers.

Currently the information is hard to find.

Why is this important?

As a parent researching middle school options this school year, this information would have been extremely useful.

As much as I toured schools, met with staff, saw the grounds, learned about after-school programming, which all provided a good basis for making my school choices, all those things can change.

Teachers leave, staff leave, school sometimes move, and after-school programs definitely change.

But school curriculum is generally here to stay.

So knowing that would have made a good foundation, a firm foundation for knowing and ranking my choices in the My School DC system.

And beyond those asks, I also urge the council to protect the 3 million funding and funding for high impact tutoring in the proposed budget.

As someone who had to hire a private tutor for my child, I know the financial and the time cost in pursuing tutoring outside of the school.

To ensure that we have as many students as possible, get the extra educational boost they need so they can be grade ready in math and reading.

It's imperative that HIT funding remains.

Thank you for your time and your commitment to DC students.

Is it C?

Thank you.

Tiffany Randall's not here.

Renee.

Yes, Renee Davis is virtual.

Good afternoon, Chairman Emerson.

Please proceed.

Okay.

Good afternoon, Chairman Menderson and Committee staff.

My name is Renee Davis, and I'm a ward 1 resident and a member of Pay Citywide Board and Ward 1 PLE board.

I'm also the mother of two talented autistic young folks.

And supporting special education is important to me.

I'm also here today to talk about the importance of protecting the funding that the district's advanced technical centers.

My friend Michael is an 11th grader at Capital City Public Charter School.

He's also on the autism spectrum.

But this year, Michael was selected through a lottery to participate in the Ward 5 cybersecurity program at the ATC.

This has been a game changer for Michael.

The ATC allows them to explore his passions for technology, and it really sets him up for success as he has not only transitioned from having full IUP supports as a younger DCPS and then charter student, but as he also plans to transition out of the classroom when he graduates next year.

I want my son to have the chance to excel in his career path, and that's exactly the opportunity that the ATC provides because the ATC team can work harder to ensure that his needs are going to be supported, and they can also help provide a living world experience and strengthening his executive functioning skills.

But not only is ATC providing opportunities to build skills, they also provide wraparound support.

The transportation occurs from this morning's required classes at his public charter school is provided through the ATC.

Late afternoon, when the students arrive, meals are provided for all ATC campuses.

Michael and other students can still complete tutoring and other out-of-school commitments because not only do they have what they need to be able to show up in the classrooms as did themselves, the ATC provides a further incentives for them to even stay in seat and stay attending and to continue to improve their attendance.

So today I urge the council to protect the funding for the ATC so that all students, regardless regardless of whether or not they have an IEP, have a chance to explore their passions and they can be able to graduate ready to excel in the workforce.

One additional key component of that is that the ATCs also give children who have who have the ability to attend a chance to earn dual enrollment credits, with Trinity College being the guarantor of the dual enrollment credits that Michael will receive, whether he will have a associate's degree as well as a high school diploma when he exits to Capital City Public Charter School.

Again, I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and I look forward to answering any questions you may have as to why these funding requests are so important to all learners as they graduate and pursue towards his pursuits.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Davis.

Michaela Deming, who's online.

Thank you, Chair Mendelson and staff.

My name's Teresa Poor, and I'm the policy and assistance engagement coordinator for the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and I'm testifying on behalf of Michaela Deming, our policy director.

DCCADV is the federally recognized statewide coalition of domestic violence or DV service providers in DC, and our dedicated service providers serve upwards of 1,000 victims of DV on a given day across all the awards of the district.

Economic abuse and domestic violence relationships is rampant, and survivors in DC will be unable to access affordable child care starting next week due to the wait list.

DV survivors in college say their partner disrupted child care as a primary tactic used to disrupt their schooling.

Among working parents, one-third of survivors report that abusive partners used child care as a means to make survivors late to work or force them to leave work early.

One in four report that they could not work at all because of child care responsibilities.

Even if a survivor leaves the relationship, abusers may still use child care as a tactic to retain control over their former partner.

67% of survivors report they have stayed longer in or returned to an abusive relationship because of financial concerns.

50% of survivors report that being unable to afford child care affected their decision to stay or return to an abusive partner.

Access to safe, affordable, and reliable child care options allow survivors to go to school and find and maintain employment, leave their abusive relationships, and care for themselves and their children.

The mayor's proposed cuts across the social support network, including to child care, will directly impact safety options for survivors.

Cuts to early childhood educator's pay means less child care workers and less child care spots.

Families in DC will lose their options to high quality affordable options.

We are less than a week away from Aussie's wait list for new child care subsidy enrollments.

For many survivors, child care is simply unaffordable without assistance.

To be clear, fleeing violence and experiencing domestic violence are not exceptions, exemptions to the child care wait list.

We must sustain core programming and services for DB survivors and fill critical funding gaps.

Survivors need more resources and not less.

Instead, proposed cuts to domestic violence and victim services reduces survivors' access to life-saving services and housing.

At a time when DV homicides have spiked, despite violent crime and homicides dropping across DC, the district cannot afford to abandon survivors and their families.

Their lives depend on these essential services.

We urge the council to restore the $6.3 million cut to DV and victim services in OVSGG and DHS to sustain current services and to fill critical gaps for survivors in targeted communities.

We also urge the council to preserve and strengthen the broader social safety net to prioritize the lives, safety, and stability of survivors and their families.

Restore funding to the pay equity fund and increase funding to child care subsidies to remove the wait list.

Supporting survivors and communities is community safety and must be funded.

We stand in solidarity with the Van, the Fair Budget Coalition, the DC LGBTQ budget coalition, and the DC Justice Lab and their platforms.

Thank you for your testimony.

Can you give me your name again?

Teresa.

Teresa Poor, P-U-H-R.

Sure.

And will you provide a copy of your statement, please?

We will upload it.

Great.

Thank you.

Anusha Imran.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee of the whole.

My name is Anusha Amran.

I'm a data analyst at the DC Policy Center.

My focus today is on the need for stable, affordable child care and why that investment is not only a matter of family support, but of economic survival of our city.

Fewer people are choosing DC as their place of residence.

Although the district has been recovering from the population losses brought on by the pandemic, DC's population growth has slowed down since from 1.3% in 2024 to 0.3% in 2025.

We also saw domestic outmigration rise sharply from 0.6 to 6 per thousand residents, while international migration, a key driver of the district's recent population growth declined from 9.2 to 5.6.7 per thousand residents.

Natural change has also witnessed a slight decrease.

This, coupled with a decrease in the number of births, has direct and immeasurable impacts on the future of school enrollment.

It signals a fundamental demographic shift.

Fewer young families are putting down roots in DC.

Affordable, accessible child care is one of the most powerful signals we can send to support the next cohort of young families to save.

At the same time, weakening finances is putting a strain on childcare subsidies.

The program currently supports 7,500 families to afford child care.

DC Action estimates that the proposed budget, which only invests 114 million in the subsidy program, will leave out around 1,300 families without the subsidy.

That is, 1,300 families may have to make the choice between work and child care or between staying in DC or moving somewhere more affordable.

Subsidies are necessary but must be preserved and must be preserved, but subsidies alone cannot create affordable and widely available childcare.

As highlighted, in a city that works by DC Policy Center, subsidies are essential but must be paired with policies that increase supply.

The Budget Support Act could consider including a regulatory review of childcare facilities to identify potential opportunities to reduce costs and increase availability without sacrificing quality.

This might include reviewing licensing and permitting requirements that may place unnecessary burdens on providers, as well as exploring ways to make underutilized government-owned buildings available for child care use.

The intent would be to better align public spending with efforts that expand system capacity rather than primarily offsetting underlying constraints and supply.

Affordable childcare is more than a social service.

It is an economic infrastructure.

The district's own competitive competitiveness depends on it.

Many working parents continue to face barriers in finding affordable high-quality child care, a challenge that significantly costs the state's economy.

When families can access affordable quality childcare, parents can remain or return to the workforce.

This means more workers filling jobs across DC's economy, more income or an end tax in the district, and more spending circulating through local businesses.

Childcare access is one of the most direct levers available to increase labor force participation.

Between Jan 23 and March 24, the district of employment growth has lagged, both the national and regional average.

I would urge the council to fully fund child care subsidies to eliminate the waiting list and protect approximately 1300 families at risk of losing support.

Parasubsidy funding with supply side reforms that does periodic regulatory review and expanded access to public spaces.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify and I welcome any questions.

Thank you, Ms.

Imran.

Heather Jenkins, who I believe was online.

Please proceed.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Chairman, Council members, and staff.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Heather Jenkins, and it is my honor and privilege to be the president and CEO for the Literacy Lab.

I'm going to take a little bit of a detour from my prepared testimony because there are some really important items that I heard about today while I was listening, that are just really, really important for the district.

And our work literally can't exist without them.

One of the main ones is the pay equity fund.

As an organization that works with a lot of early child care professionals and as an organization that is responsible for bringing more talent into the early child care realm.

That pay equity is really, really critical.

And so I just wanted to take one ish minute of my time to just really strongly support the testimony that I heard from some folks who I know, some folks who I don't earlier today.

So we at the Literacy Lab work to ensure that all students have access to evidence-based literacy instruction by preparing and supporting community-based educators who understand that literacy is a fundamental human right.

Today I want to talk a little bit about a workforce challenge, namely what is and is not happening with paraprofessionals in the district.

Across district public schools and public charter schools, there are about 3,000 paraprofessionals.

These folks are really essential to classroom functioning.

Despite this importance, the system is not set up to really honor and invest in these roles.

Training is inconsistent, professional development is limited.

This results in a lot of high turnover.

In addition to making sure that they're equitably paid, we need to really invest in these roles as number one, a pathway to the teaching profession, but also as really profound and important professional roles in their own right.

And as the district is really working to build its kind of grow your own teacher pipeline, we already have thousands of folks in classrooms building relationships with students and families who really need and deserve our investment.

The literacy lab stands ready to really be a partner in this.

We have built a proven model that prepares folks before they go into the classroom and provides ongoing coaching in the classroom.

We're experimenting with this work in Cincinnati Public Schools, where we're going to be working with their paraprofessionals, and we stand ready to work with the District of Columbia with all of our paraprofessionals as well.

I've emailed you all in terms of council members several times on this matter, and I will continue to do so.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms.

Jenkins.

Alessandra Pinha, I believe is not here.

Laura Maestis, she's who is Laura Maestis online.

Yes, I see.

Please proceed.

Hi, good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee.

But it should now be through the online system.

My name is Laura Mayestis, and I'm proud to be the CEO of DC Prep, a public charter school network serving students and families across wards five, seven, and eight.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding Aussie's fiscal year 27 budget.

I want to begin by recognizing the important work that Aussie is pursuing under Superintendent Mitchell's leadership.

At DC Prep, our students have benefited tremendously from HIT funding, which we have used to fund our junior teacher program, which pairs a new to teaching teacher with a veteran teacher.

The junior teacher spends a year apprenticing with a f with a veteran teacher, observing what great teachers do to establish strong classroom culture and drive academic outcomes.

The junior teacher builds their instructional chops in part by delivering small group instruction.

This has been very impactful at growing students at strengthening DC Prep's teacher pipeline and at retaining some of our strongest veteran teachers.

Any way you look at it, the junior teacher program is a huge win for students.

The success that we've had in designing and launching the junior teacher program is one of the reasons that I'm here to testify today.

In the mayor's fiscal year 27 budget, it would direct an estimated $2,000 less per student to charter schools than to DCPS.

That number, while large, doesn't even paint a full picture.

If we were to take into account the money that the council spends to renovate DCPS facilities, the difference between what charter school students and DCPS students receive would balloon.

That is disheartening.

DC PrEP has played an important role in DC education for the last 23 years.

This school year we reduced our chronic absenteeism rates at five of six schools.

And while it's too early to know, I'm cautiously optimistic that our student outcomes measured by CAPE and NWA will be even stronger than they were a year ago.

That is something to be proud of and something that is important to DC.

DC Prep regularly boasts some of the strongest student outcomes, especially for at-risk students in DC.

As we look to the future, we are excited about the ambitious priorities that Aussie has named.

We want to be the best school in DC.

Next year, we are launching a new ELA curriculum, which our students and leaders help to select, which we believe will help to accelerate student learning.

To support implementation, we will be offering even more professional development to our ELA teachers so that they can go into this school year with confidence.

One of the ways that we hope to do that is through extra summer training, which would be aligned to the science of reading.

We would like to pay teachers extra to attend since they would be otherwise on summer break.

That is a small example of the many ways in which more funding would help us to continue to invest in our staff to do their best work for students.

As we planned our budget for the next year, we know that our funding would more or less be flat.

The 2.55% UPSFF increase basically gets us back to even with this year's workforce development grants.

I recognize the broader budget picture.

Dollars are tight, and I am grateful for that increase that has been proposed.

But I'm upset too, because the proposed budget treats public school students differently depending on the sign on their school.

And that's not right.

Nearly half of all families in DC choose a charter school for their child.

When Aussie outlines new strategic priorities, the new S back assessment, structured literacy training, math instructional reforms, and more, they apply to all public schools.

But as of now, DC's proposed budget doesn't acknowledge that we ask all public schools to implement the same big changes.

I'm going to have to cut your time.

Sorry.

That's okay.

Thank you.

Michael Rodriguez with St.

Coletta.

Yep.

Good afternoon, Mr.

Chairman.

My name is Mike Rodericks, and I'm testifying briefly today on behalf of St.

Coletta Special Education Public Charter School.

We thank Aussie staff for their engagement with our school community and for the efforts made over the past year to better understand the realities of serving our city's students with the most significant support needs.

We appreciate the ongoing conversations around special education funding and implementation challenges.

The structural underfunding of St.

Coletta has now been studied extensively and publicly, and it's been acknowledged multiple times by and before this council.

The name is clear, the affected student population is identifiable, and the current funding structure certainly does not adequately reflect the actual cost of serving students with the most intensive needs.

By now, everyone knows this.

This has been a nine-year challenge, and it's past time to implement the solution.

So we're asking as council considers the FY27 budget and begins planning for future fiscal years.

We urge you to direct both the DME and Aussie to proceed with the infrastructure and implementation work necessary to support implementing a new level five in the UPSFF beginning in FY28.

The operation and operational and policy work required to stand up the new funding category cannot wait until the next administration takes office.

Delaying that work now risks taking implementation off the table for at least another year, making it a decade-long injustice.

With all due respect, our students cannot continue to wait.

For schools like St.

Coletta, continued delays have real consequences for staffing, therapies, nursing support, and other services that our students rely on every day.

There's also the cumulative burden and impacts of having to repeatedly make the same case through testimony, outreach, and engagement on a critical issue that has already been studied and acknowledged, thus draining our already limited capacity.

We appreciate the council's continued attention to ensuring the district's special education funding system fully supports students with the highest levels of need by immediately beginning the legwork necessary to fully implement level five funding in FY28.

Let's return to good governance.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Rodriguez.

Pamela McKinney, who I believe is uh online.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and Council staff.

My name is Pamela McKinney, and I'm a resident of Ward 6, a DCPS parent, staff member at Capital City Public Charter School, and a former parent at HHS Ed Children's Center Daycare.

The DC Fiscal Policy Institute recently found that the top fifth of earners in DC have nearly 55% of aggregate household income, while the lowest fifth percent of earners have less than two percent of aggregate income.

And yet, here we are again asking the same group of people, low-income black and brown residents, to make the most sacrifices.

This budget tells black and brown women that the care they provide for our city's children in their most vulnerable years is not important or valued.

So the budget cuts the pay equity fund, a lifeline for our early childhood educators and working families who can depend on reliable care when staff are paid equably.

This budget tells families who find themselves suddenly not able to make ends meet that they don't deserve child care subsidies.

It freezes funding for any new family who finds themselves unable to afford child care.

It's a pipe dream to think that cutting the pay equity fund as if these women and men don't deser themselves have children won't lead to more families needing affordable care.

It's a pipe dream to think that babies won't be born after May whose families will need affordable child care.

This budget tells our charter families that their children are worth $2,000 less than a DCPS student, but yet charters must meet the same rigorous standards as DCPS and show significant growth in order to teach nearly 50% of our city's children.

We are putting the hardships of this budget on those who are the furthest from opportunity and the most likely to live paycheck to paycheck.

How can anyone justify this?

If we are all supposed to work together and all make sacrifices, then this budget needs to reflect that.

I'd love to know what sacrifices the wealthiest in the city with the largest safety nets are making to help DC protect its most vulnerable.

Where are the tax increases on the wealthiest households in DC?

Increased revenue is possible if the council and the mayor can be bold enough to tax the wealthy.

I'm asking the council to be bold and just tax the wealthy, fully fund the pay equity fund, fund the child care subsidy program, fund all schools through the UPSFF.

I'm asking this not because it would be nice to do, but because it's the right thing to do to create a prosperous city for all of our residents.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Miss McKinney.

Uh Rachel Feinstein.

Hi, good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn.

Good to see you.

Council members, staff.

I'm a Ward 6 resident and director of DC Government and Community Relations with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.

We work with over a hundred synagogues, community centers, schools, and social service agencies throughout the region, including nearly two dozen in the district alone.

I'm here today advocating for a restoration of the pay equity fund and child care subsidy program.

There are at least four Jewish preschools in D.C.

receiving support from the pay equity fund, including Odysse Israel and Washington Hebrew in Ward 3, Temple Sinai in Ward 4, and the Edlovich DC Jewish Community Center in Board 2.

In FY25, the fund allocated about 1.3 million dollars to DC Jewish preschools to support over 60 teachers receiving these funds who teach about 350 children.

For most, the money from the pay equity fund represents over 25% of their budgets.

At the JCRC, we've heard from Jewish parents, teachers, school leaders who have faced economic hardships related to federal workforce reductions and federal grant policy changes.

It's important now more than ever to retain city funding for programs such as the Pay Equity Fund and the Childcare Subsidy Program to support our local workforce.

If these programs are eliminated, many schools will be forced to significantly reduce the number of teachers they could employ and number of students they can enroll.

Private preschools, both religious and secular, provide an essential supplement to public preschool slots available each year.

They offer smaller classroom sizes, which is especially important with for children with learning and behavioral differences.

I myself attended a Jewish preschool and still remember making Kala on Fridays.

I learned to be proud of being Jewish while also receiving an education that prepared me for kindergarten and beyond.

I cannot imagine children in the district not having the same opportunity to access culturally relevant education.

I know that you are facing many difficult budget decisions this year.

Cuts must be made somewhere.

The pay equity fund as well as the child care subsidy program have been transformational for the district and for families in need of this assistance.

Cutting these programs may be one cut too deep, too many for our city to sustain itself.

For all these reasons, we urge the DC Council to continue funding the pay equity fund and the child care subsidy program.

And thank you, Chairman Mendelson, for your leadership during this very difficult time.

Thank you, Ms.

Feinstein.

Jessica Champaign, I believe, is not here.

Jennifer Zwilling is not here.

I am here.

I am here.

Ah, you came online.

Good.

Go for it.

Yes.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, staff.

My name is Jennifer Zwilling.

I'm the proud CEO of the Edlawitz, DC Jewish Community Center in Ward 2 and a resident of Ward 4.

I am grateful to live in this wonderful city, and I'm proud of the ways that the Edlovich DC Jewish Community Center enriches the social fabric of our community through our educational programs for children and families, our rich cultural arts programs, and by mobilizing volunteers to serve across the city.

We are grateful to be partners with this city in so much of what we do.

I understand that it is a tight time financially for our city.

And as a committee committed community institution who operates a preschool, I'm here today with an urgent request, like so many others who have spoken today, that we not compromise the well-being of children and the hardworking educators devoted to their education and care each day.

I ask you to please reject the mayor's planned cut subsidy enrollment freeze and the elimination of the pay equity fund.

The funding is essential to maintaining DC's early childhood education ecosystem.

The Adlo HJCC specifically has been a beneficiary of the pay equity fund for the past several years, and it has truly been instrumental in allowing us to attract and retain talented early childhood educators who would otherwise not afford to live in Washington or to teach at our school.

While our preschool is open to all children in the city, as a Jewish community center, our school provides meaningful cultural education through the celebration of Jewish holidays that help foster pride and identity and that is deeply valued by our community and simply not possible in public education settings.

Because of this fund, our teachers have bought homes, paid off debt, and seven teachers over the past three years from our school have received higher education credentials.

If this fund is fully eliminated, the JCC's preschool faces a loss of $135,000 that all goes towards preschool teachers' salaries.

Losing this subsidy could force us to reduce teacher salaries or require us to find other ways to keep them whole at a time when it is more expensive to run the JCC and for families to live here in Washington.

And if I imagine multiplying this impact across the city to all of the early childhood centers who are testifying today and who benefit from these funds, DC really risks losing talented and devoted teachers, and it's a true loss for our city and a disservice to all of our children.

I urge us to find a way to reinstate this funding in the 2027 budget.

Thank you for everything you're doing.

Thank you, Ms.

Swilling.

Uh Aaron Alexandra, I believe, is not here.

Noah Hichenberg.

Is on the present.

Yes.

Please please proceed.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and members of the council.

My name is Noah Hickenberg.

I'm the director of Gonha Yellow Preschool at Addis Israel Congregation.

One of the schools referenced just moments earlier by my colleague Rachel Feinstein.

We have 90 students, and we are the city's only Jewish preschool serving children as young as 12 months.

I am here today to urge the council to restore the salary component of the pay equity fund to the full cost.

In the years since the fund was established, I have seen firsthand how it has fundamentally transformed the quality of early childhood education, both at my school as well as throughout the district.

At our school, the impact of these salary supplements has been substantial.

It hasn't just been a bonus, it has served as a catalyst for professional growth.

We have seen this on the ground with over a dozen of our educators who now see their job as a viable long-term career path in early childhood education, which it was not before.

Because of this, they are reinvesting in themselves.

We have seen staff return to school to up their credentials, pursue higher degrees, knowing that their expertise will be met with equitable compensation.

This is what it all hinges on.

This professionalization has then directly led to the elevation of the quality of our classrooms, leading to more sophisticated pedagogy and curriculum, along with better developmental outcomes for the children we serve, which is the goal that we are all united around, creating a more just and fair world for children so that they can push the benefits forward for the next generation.

However, the mayor's proposed cuts of 10 to 25,000 per teacher would immediately undo this progress.

We are not just talking about a budget line, we are talking about a child care cliff.

I think we all know that that will happen if this proceeds.

If the funds are stripped away, the very teachers who have just recently upped their credentials because of the promised funds will be forced to leave the field to survive.

We know that classrooms will close, wait lists will grow, and the quality we've worked so hard to build will vanish.

The pay equity fund has worked exactly as intended.

It stabilized the workforce, it improved education for DC's youngest learners.

We cannot allow our city to move backwards.

I ask the council to identify the necessary revenue to fully restore the pay equity fund and to protect the educators who are the backbone of our city.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Ben Wax.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson and members of the committee.

It's good to be back here again.

My name is Ben Wax.

I'm an early childhood educator.

I just recently earned my master's of arts in teaching at Trinity Washington University.

I am an educator at Addis Israel Congregation's Gone Hayelid in Ward 3, and also a DC resident of Ward 6.

The impact of our work in early childhood education reaches beyond the classroom.

It shapes families.

It strengthens our strengthens our communities, and it builds the future of our city.

My goal every day is to cultivate social and emotional development through intentional documentation.

I often think about a child that I worked with two years ago named Marshall.

My co-educators and I noticed he had challenges with transitions at the beginning of the year.

Then we noticed his communication skills were developing as he continued to integrate his imagined play with his friends.

And as the year went on, he began stepping into leadership roles.