As we near Election Day, it is vital for DC voters to know what’s at stake. Donald Trump has said he would “take over” DC if elected and would take the capital “away from the mayor.” This raises significant concerns about the autonomy of the District’s local affairs and the direct management of DC’s educational system.

Unlike the 50 states, Washington, DC is under the direct jurisdiction of Congress. This means a future Trump administration could reshape DC’s public education system without considering the wishes of local residents.

One way this takeover could manifest is through the reinstatement of the Financial Control Board, an authority appointed by the president that took control of local DC matters from 1995 to 2001. Some DC voters might recall what happened eighteen years ago. In 1996, the financial control board fired the leadership of DC public schools and instated a retired Army general and a new board of trustees. The Control Board lies dormant right now, but a new Congress with the support of a new president could amend the law to reinstate a five-member authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the DC government, undermining the Mayor and DC Council at every chance. The new Congress also could seek to repeal the District’s home rule outright.  Bills already have been introduced in the House and Senate to do just that.

The renewed debate surrounding the role of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is also cause for concern, with some voices calling for its dismantling under a conservative agenda known as Project 2025. In the past few weeks, Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he will shut down the agency if he returns to the White House. This idea has serious implications for the residents of Washington, DC.

The DOE has invested more than $3.6 billion to strengthen education across the District under the Biden-Harris administration. This includes $629 million to support students with disabilities, $386 million to address the impacts of COVID-19 on students and schools, $192 million for high-need students, and $38 million in Pell Grants to support higher education.

For DC, these federal funds are a lifeline. DC public schools rely on Title I funding, IDEA funds, and Pell Grants to ensure equitable access to quality education for all students. If the DOE is dismantled, DC would lose this critical support, threatening the progress the city has made and limiting educational opportunities for low-income families.

The DOE also serves as the nation’s protector of civil rights in education. Its Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is crucial in addressing complaints of discrimination and harassment in schools. The DOE’s oversight is essential to protect DC’s students from discrimination. Under Project 2025, these protections would be weakened or eliminated.

Additionally, the DOE produces the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or the Nation’s Report Card, which offers insights into student achievement across the country. For DC, losing access to this data would hinder the ability of local policymakers to track student outcomes and make evidence-based decisions to strengthen the city’s schools. It would become much harder to close achievement gaps that persist.

Kamala Harris’ agenda offers a stark contrast to the Republican platform’s priorities. Her education policy recognizes that a strong public education system is essential for upward mobility. Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is the first former educator in decades to join a major party ticket. Their approach to education reform includes promoting multiple pathways for students through higher education and work-based learning opportunities. Their plan centers on coalition-building, and in DC, this means empowering parents, local leaders, and community advocates to make decisions about their schools, while ensuring that federal support is available to help all students succeed.

The stakes for this election could not be higher for DC Instead of federal overreach and ideological meddling, DC needs partners who are committed to creating a brighter future for all students. Instead of dismantling the DOE, DC needs to push for evidence-based, student-centered policies that directly address voters’ concerns and enhance our public education system.

While DC is not a battleground state, every DC voter should understand that this election is critical for our students—federally and locally. We owe it to our community to know that on November 5, we did everything possible to protect their future.

Earlier this month, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation held its 53rd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) in Washington, DC, during an exciting time when we might see the first Black woman president elected. The Conference gathered a dynamic mix of politicians, business leaders, and policy experts to tackle pivotal issues such as advancing Black economic opportunities, expanding voting access, and addressing health disparities.

While the ALC covered a broad spectrum of topics, there were focused discussions on the foundational education challenges facing Black students of all ages. These discussions are essential as they highlight the differing approaches to education policy and the severe difficulties that younger Black and brown students face to succeed in school. 

A key focus was on educational equity, mainly through sessions like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s (D-MA-7)  “Books Save Lives: The Power of Black Storytellers.” This discussion underscored the detrimental effects of censorship on students’ access to Black literature, emphasizing the need for increased advocacy in local education politics. Similarly, Congressman Bobby Scott’s (D-VA-3) session, “Brown v. Board of Education at 70,” revisited ongoing struggles for educational access, highlighting the persistent inequities that demand urgent attention.

Education policies are increasingly polarized along party lines, with Republicans opposing diversity equity and inclusion efforts, banning books, and making plans to dismantle the Department of Education. Conversely, Democrats seek ways to support Black students and those from less affluent backgrounds by providing student loan debt relief, increasing the maximum Pell Grant award for low-income students, and investing in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, for example. These policies significantly improve access to education for Black students.

Still, more attention needs to be focused on strengthening public education for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. For far too long, many Black students have not received a high-quality education at their public schools. My organization – Democrats for Education Reform DC, is committed to supporting public school choice, promoting literacy by third grade, ensuring ninth-grade algebra proficiency, and preparing students for high-wage jobs through college and career pathways.

Lastly, the ALC emphasized that Black voices must be present in elections and actively shape policy afterward. It’s essential for voters to hold elected officials accountable to their values and to work collaboratively towards improving educational opportunities for Black students. We invite anyone interested in advocating for students to receive a high-quality public education, electing education reform champions to public office, and influencing the education debate in the District to contact us at dferdc@dfer.org. Together, we can move from a vision of education equity to victory!

In 2023, Republican dominated states vigorously championed universal school vouchers and education savings accounts. In fact, EdChoice called 2023 the year of universal choice, as 19 states either created or expanded private school choice. However, what garnered less attention was a smaller parallel surge in public school choice.

Last year, according to an analysis by Jude Schwalbach, five states passed strong open-enrollment laws, allowing families to attend public schools outside of the school they were assigned to. Currently, 21 states allow within-district choice, across-district choice, or both, substantially increasing the number of states allowing open-enrollment from 2022. Eight states now allow school within-district and across-district choice, eight others allow only across-district choice, and five others allow within-district choice.^[i]

Notably, many of the state legislatures that expanded open-enrollment in 2023 did so on a bipartisan basis and without much controversy. For example, both Montana’s and West Virginia’s open enrollment bills passed unanimously and Idaho’s bill passed 98-5.

Unfortunately, none of these were in blue states and none were led by Democratic governors.

In fact, not one of the 18 states where Democrats control both the legislature and the Governor’s office had any substantial measure enacted to expand public school choice. Only two traditional democratic states have strong provisions for students to transfer to a school district beyond their assigned school district^[ii].

This is not only a moral failure, but also a political one.

The vast majority of students go to public schools based on where they live. This system is not only antiquated but also perpetuates injustice, actively reinforcing pre-existing inequities instead of embodying the equitable playing field it purports to represent. This is due to the fact that school assignments are primarily determined by where you live, and where you live is decided by how much wealth you have. Wealthy neighborhoods and impoverished neighborhoods didn’t emerge from chance, they resulted from intentional design.

For decades, the federal government rated neighborhoods based on how stable they were. Neighborhoods where black and other people of color lived were marked in red, barring them from being insured or receiving government subsidies. 

This insidious policy denied generations of families of color the opportunity to own a home,  and even if they did, housing prices appreciated much less for black neighborhoods than non-black neighborhoods.

These “redlined” neighborhoods are the antecedent of today’s school districts, as numerous scholars like Tim DeRoche have pointed out. While redlining was made illegal in 1968, forms of inequity perpetuate housing policy today.

Currently, neighborhoods frequently enforce zoning restrictions that outright prohibit the construction of multi-family homes or apartments, effectively barricading the prospect for low-income families to reside in wealthier communities.

Democratic leaders have spoken eloquently about the long, pernicious history and current reality of housing segregation in our county. The Democratic Party Platform in 2020 states:

Decades of red-lining, rising income inequality, and predatory lending practices targeting low-income families and people of color have made homeownership all but impossible for millions of working families.

If the Democratic Party acknowledges the deep and intractable issues within our housing policy, wouldn’t it be prudent for the party to proactively work towards disentangling the intricate connection between schooling and housing?

Embracing open-enrollment is not only a moral imperative, it’s also a political winner.

Public school choice enjoys widespread popularity among crucial demographics in swing states, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Independent voters. In an upcoming election that shows indications of the traditional Democratic base lacking enthusiasm (including a poll released this week that showed Biden losing Hispanic voters to likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, something unthinkable just a few years ago), embracing public school choice could serve as a pivotal issue to rally support for traditional Democrats.

Morally and politically, the evidence is clear: Democrats should support public school choice through open-enrollment.

2023 was the year of private school choice across many Republican states. Democrats need to make 2024 the year of public school choice by embracing open-enrollment. Because let’s face it: a public education system where you need to obtain a large mortgage to get quality education is not a real public education system at all.

^[i] Reason Foundation has been a leader in tracking open enrollment policies. For further analysis, read their full report here.

^[ii] Majority of states have policies in the books for students to transfer to another district, but it is either voluntary for districts to participate or both districts have to agree on the transfer, or the policy is unclear (for example, Washington state).