A February 14, 2024, article in the Washington Informer highlighted the Education Policy Initiative’s report on the impending fiscal cliff for D.C. schools:
As outlined in a D.C. Policy Center study titled “The fiscal future of public education in the District of Columbia,” ESSER funded DCPS’ summer programming, teacher training, support for English language learners and their families, high-impact tutoring, special education, and support for Science of Reading and multi-tiered support systems.
On Tuesday, hours before DCPS released the FY 2025 budget, D.C. Policy Center hosted a virtual presentation of the study. Solutions touted in the study include using remaining ESSER funds to meet future needs and sharing resources between local education agencies.
While Maya Martin Cadogan, founding executive director of Parents Amplifying Voices in Education, acknowledged D.C.’s precarious economic situation in her remarks at D.C. Policy Center’s event, she pressed for continued investment in District students who are still reeling from the academic and socioemotional effects of the pandemic.
“None of what they put into it is wrong, it’s finite,” Martin Cadogan said. “That’s why we’re here. As we examine the fiscal cliff, we can center what matters most and give [young people] the attention in our budgets to be loved.”
Additional reading: The fiscal future of public education in the District of Columbia