Blog

From a Public School Teacher to a Budding Policy Buff and the Road that’s Paved with PAVE.   The classroom is where my heart is but my adventure cup was bottomlessly empty so I moved from America to the Middle East. After about a year, I landed myself right back in America but I still had […]

Ward 6

As quiet as it’s kept, I hate public speaking.  Well, it is not really kept quiet, I tell people all the time. Some people are blessed with the gift of gab but not me. I’ve been an education advocate for about 20 years and if I had my way, I would always lead from behind.  […]

Ward 7

NOTE: This blog is translated in both Spanish and English. Scroll down to read the blog in English.  Tengo tres hijos con personalidades, aspiraciones y mentalidades muy diferentes. Además de estas diferencias, mis hijos también tienen necesidades muy específicas para apoyar su educación. Creo firmemente que la educación puede impartirse más allá del horario escolar.  […]

Ward 4

As parents, we are responsible for raising the next generation of citizens.  To do this, we take on the role as caregivers. We provide our children with a safe environment. We make sure they are nourished and healthy. And we do not hesitate to protect our children from harm.  Through all this provision, we are […]

Ward 8

I loved my neighborhood growing up. Walking around, it felt like a block party was happening on every corner. Everyone knew each other and we were always coming together.  The neighborhoods don’t feel like this now. As a native Washingtonian, I’ve seen my city change in more ways than one, but it’s the loss of […]

Ward 8

This blog piece includes two narratives, one of DaSean Jones (Advocacy Captain and Ward 8 PLE Board member) and one of Christine Miller (Advocacy Captain and Ward 1 PLE Board member).  DaSean There is no easier way to build a strong sense of community than by getting to know your neighbors.  I had the chance […]

Ward 1Ward 8

I am a parent of three DC public school graduates, a grandmother of five current DC public school and public charter school scholars – two of whom have graduated. I’ve always been involved with the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs) my children attended.   As the PTA President of SEED Public Charter School of […]

Ward 7

For almost two years, I have had the privilege of serving as a PAVE Community Organizer.  Through this role, I’ve listened to powerful words and stories from parent leaders, learned about the rich history of DC and her influence on our nation, and walked the culture-filled streets of every ward.  It is through my time […]

Trigger Warning: This blog piece mentions multiple attempts of suicide.  My daughter almost died three times before I even knew that there was a problem.  To think that she attempted suicide three times before I could get her help is the reason why I lie awake at night.  I can’t help but reflect on all […]

Ward 8

Trigger Warning: This blog piece mentions multiple forms of trauma, including drug and alcohol addiction and abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse. My entire life I’ve been given the same three tips when it comes to supporting my mental health.  First, there’s “I’m sure you’re feeling just fine! Maybe you should go take a nap.” […]

Ward 6

Sometimes sharing my story feels like stumbling down a flight of stairs.  I start at the top, sharing all the good parts – like my spiritual growth and relationship with God, building my interests in the pre-med and public health field, and my deep family ties that have strengthened over time.  But then I share […]

Ward 7

As a native Washingtonian, I grew up attending schools in DC. To my teachers and school leaders, I was deemed gifted because I did well academically and had a higher-than-average IQ score.  It wasn’t until my early 30s that I realized that my teachers and school leaders did not recognize my true title. I wasn’t […]

Ward 1

As the city works to recover from COVID-19, PAVE parent leaders are calling for increased mental-health support funding with $6.4 million for expanded programming to at least 80 public schools, $4 million for community providers, and $10.8 million for social-emotional learning and trauma-informed training. Mental health needs among children and families were present before COVID-19. […]

Ward 8

Living in close quarters for the last year means that my 10-year-old, for the first time in his life, has unfiltered access to his parents’ very adult feelings and emotions. He experiences first-hand our disagreements when tensions are high, our gripes about work issues, our tears as we mourn loved ones lost, our anxiety over […]

Ward 5

My family is lucky because virtual learning is okay. But it’s just that: okay. My daughter likes her teacher and participates in class often. We have stable internet and her school provided her with an iPad. My daughter’s teacher also gave us a tote bag filled with supplies that we can dig through during class, […]

Ward 5

What should a parent do when school opening may be around the corner and your child is doing better with remote learning?  That’s where I find myself with my 1st grader. Even before the pandemic, my daughter did not like going to school. She has never been a fan of classrooms or school, and while […]

Ward 7

For two years, I worked with youth exiting DC’s child welfare system. Reliable information on the child welfare system is purposely made scarce by DC leaders in an effort to avoid accountability, but in my experience, most young people left care without safe or stable housing, many had at least one child, and nearly all […]

Ward 7

There is a very distinct air that surrounds you when you live in financial stress. I grew up in a household with a single mother and three kids, and the anxiety over money was ever-present. When my oldest daughter entered the DC public school system in 2011, I recognized that distinction in the air: That […]

Ward 4

The stark racial divide among parents on who is comfortable sending their children to school for in-person or hybrid learning is just another, entirely predictable result of the prominent divide between white and Black America. And here in DC is no different. As DC Public Schools opened this month for about 8,500 students — and […]

Ward 8

My children’s schooling has always been one of my top priorities, and I work hard to build a rapport with their teachers each new year by visiting their Washington, D.C., schools regularly. Forging those relationships is no small task for my family: I co-parent my four children, in grades high school down to prekindergarten, with […]

Ward 8