Committee of the Whole Public Roundtable:
Re-Opening District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Columbia Public Charter Schools for School Year 2021-2022
Nikki D’Angelo
Community Organizer
Democrats for Education Reform DC
Good morning Chairman Mendelson and the Committee of the Whole:
My name is Nikki D’Angelo and I am a Ward 5 resident, DCPS parent and former DC charter school teacher. I am testifying on behalf of Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC) and I am pleased to offer testimony in support of school reopenings. It is my hope that this testimony will provide a critical perspective for keeping our students IN schools.
Since March 2020, our education community in DC has been stunned and traumatized by the impact of COVID-19. So many DCPS and DC charter school parents work full-time jobs that require them to be in-person and/or not work between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. In these cases, school reopenings have helped us breathe a sigh of relief. While virtual learning helped many of our students continue their education and stay connected with our education community, it did not offer the kind of educational experience and support that students and families deserve.
For individuals working full time, in-person, and especially those deemed “essential workers”, adding “at-home teacher” to their growing list of priorities and family responsibilities in a global pandemic was a massive and unexpected undertaking. For 13 months, I worked for $15.00 per hour, 5:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. shifts when I didn’t have my son, picked him up directly after work, and survived full-time single motherhood with minimal support from the education community to which I was accustomed. If I couldn’t work in-person, I couldn’t put food on the table.
About 47% of public school students are considered “at-risk” – we know that means that many of their parents can identify with one or multiple of the following communities: under-represented, low-income, full-time working, single parents or guardians. Not to mention the families, like
mine, who might not be captured by an at-risk designation but who still struggle. Additionally, Washington, DC continues to be in the top 5 most expensive cities in the country.[1]
In July of 2021, when I began working with DFER DC, I was able to work from home which has afforded me a different ability to support my son’s education through the tail end of the pandemic. I no longer work three jobs to support my son and can focus on my work while he is in person, at school, where he thrives and learns things I can’t teach him on my own despite my being a former teacher.
Many parents in general struggle with the concept of whether or not they feel entirely safe sending their children back to school. As published in the NY Times article in July of this year, “In the Covid-19 Economy, You Can Have a Kid or a Job. You Can’t Have Both” parents I’ve been speaking to are making that decision: sending their children back because they cannot afford to miss work.[2] Other concerns I’ve heard range from whether or not our facilities are up-to-date enough to keep students as safe as possible and what the long-term logistical plan is to keep our kids in and safe in all our different schools and communities.
It is my hope that as the school year continues and new information unfolds, the DC Council will focus its efforts on how to maintain in-person learning while also ensuring COVID does not spread within our schools.
Thank you for allowing me to testify.
[1] June 9, 2021. Quicken Loans. “The 15 Most Expensive Cities In The US And What They Really Cost.” source: https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/15-most-expensive-cities-in-the-us
[2] July 2, 202. The New York Times. “In the Covid-19 Economy, You Can Have a Kid or a Job. You Can’t Have Both.” source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/02/business/covid-economy-parents-kids-career-homeschooling.html