Opening Statement of Councilmember David Grosso

Chairperson, Committee on Education

Performance Oversight Hearing for the State Board of Education, Office of the
Ombudsman, and Office of the Student Advocate
January 29, 2020

I am David Grosso, the Chairperson of the Committee on Education and I am calling to

order this Fiscal Year 2019 Performance Oversight Hearing for the State Board of
Education, the Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education, and the Office of the
Student Advocate.
First, I want to acknowledge that this meeting is taking place on the traditional land of the
Anacostan People of the Piscataway Tribe.
The State Board of Education advises the State Superintendent of Education on
educational matters, including state standards; state policies, including those governing
special, academic, vocational, charter and other schools; state objectives; and state
regulations proposed by the Mayor or the State Superintendent of Education.

The State Board of Education also approves a number of state-level policies involving
attendance and absenteeism; high school graduation requirements; parental involvement;
residency verification; and state accountability standards, among many others.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education is an independent agency housed at
the State Board. The Ombudsman is responsible for helping students and parents resolve
problems as they engage with the District of Columbia Public Schools and public charter
schools. The Office offers conflict resolution services to parents, families, and students and
is committed to resolving school related complaints, disputes and problems quickly and
efficiently in all areas that affect student learning.

The Office of the Student Advocate is also an independent agency housed at the State
Board. The Office’s mission is to support and empower D.C. residents to achieve equal
access to public education through advocacy, outreach, and information services.

Performance Oversight hearings are an opportunity for the Council and the public to hear
about the successes, challenges, and performance of our government agencies. These
hearings help inform the work we put into the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Committee sent the agencies a number of questions before this hearing to help us
prepare. Those responses are available online on the Council website and my website. My
questions today will be mainly follow-ups to those responses.

I look forward to hearing the testimony of our government and public witnesses and
engaging in a meaningful discussion.
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