At PAVE, our mission, vision, values, and work align around a single principle: DC is stronger when communities, schools, kids, and families make their voices heard in our education system.

To create great schools in every Ward and community in DC, we convene a network of over 6,000 parent leaders from across DC to amplify the voices that represent the diverse needs, interests, and perspectives of our families and communities.We believe that all parents, regardless of their Ward, community, socioeconomic status, or educational background, when given the space, access, and tools, can be great parent leaders for their kids and all kids. Our parent leaders reflect our city and the majority of her public school students – their children attend DCPS and DC charter schools, most are from East of the Anacostia River, the super majority are Black, many are native Washingtonians, a plurality receive some form of benefit to make ends meet for their family, and they are all committed to creating equitable policies that support every child in our city.

And our model WORKS.

In just eight years — and through a pandemic that changed education nationwide — our network’s advocacy efforts have meant DC has been on the forefront of policies that are student-centered and focused on innovation and outcomes. Since our founding in 2016, because of the deep policy expertise, organizing focus, and advocacy strength of PAVE and our network of parent leaders who work closely together with our coalition of partner schools and organizations, DC’s budget has reflected parent priorities including:

• increases in the number of seats in Out-of-School-Time (before-school, after-school, and summer) programs;
• historic funding for schools and their students, including those most “at-risk;”
• facilities funding for all of DC’s schools; and
• a fully-funded School-Based Mental Health expansion to ensure at least one clinician in every DC school.

It has also meant that the voices of parents are in every room where it happens, making decisions about and sharing their experiences with public education in the District on everything from state report cards to statewide assessments to school boundaries. PAVE parent leaders have created new schools in both DCPS and the charter sector through Bard HS Early College in Ward 8, the first selective DCPS high school East of the Anacostia River in over 40 years, and LEARN DC, the first parent-selected charter school on Joint Base Anacostia Bolling. PAVE parent leaders are a nationally and locally recognized squad for kids and when the purple wave enters a room, you know a change is gonna come. PAVE has proven what’s possible when parents are co-creators of our education policymaking and co-imagineers of the future of our education system – KIDS WIN.

This year, the Parent Power Awards are BACK to honor our parent leaders who give so much of themselves to make our city and her schools stronger. Last year’s award winners include 17 parent leaders who were honored for over 75 hours of service in 2022-2023, including finalist Kisha Clark, a Ward 6 parent leader with 147 hours.

And because we do not do this work alone, we also honor our school leaders, policy partners, and policymakers who go the extra mile to ensure every child in DC has access to the education they deserve. Last year, we also honored Thurgood Marshall Academy for their work with PAVE on creating a parent-, teacher-, and student-centered return to school plan and work on school-based mental health implementation, DC Policy Center for including parent voice in all of their education work including their State of DC Schools and OST reports, and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson for his prioritization of equitable school funding for DCPS and DC charter schools.

We are excited to honor the parent leaders, school leader, policy partner, and policymaker who have gone above and beyond for kids this year at our celebration of #ParentPower in June and we can’t wait to announce this year’s award winners.

DC’s education system has a critical road to recovery in the upcoming post-pandemic years but we know that without the voices of PAVE’s parent leaders, we would not be where we are today. Your sponsorship of the Parent Power Awards allows us to continue our important work developing our powerful parent leaders and building a powerful parent-centered coalition that supports all of our kids and all of their schools.

We invite you to join us for our PAVE Parent Power Awards at one of DC’s hottest venues:

District Winery (385 Water St SE)

Monday, June 24, 2024

6:00-9:30 pm

Join us to celebrate Parent Power in our city!