DC’s Public Ed Ombudsman: Responding, Educating, Advocating

Joyanna Smith began serving as DC’s Ombudsman for Public Education in early 2014, after years in which the office was not filled. The office just released its annual report for the past school year, providing an interesting snapshot of both the Ombudsman’s work and the state of DC’s traditional and charter public schools. Click here to download the 2014 and 2015 reports.

Ms. Smith joined We Act Radio’s Education Town Hall to share her experiences in the office. She relates, for example, how homeless students are sometimes initially denied the right to enroll in a local school and how her office advocates for individuals and pushes for better education of office staff.

Responding to individual situations across the District, the Ombudsman is also in a position to notice patterns and advocate for broader changes, where possible. Ms. Smith describes her office’s work, implications of the office’s findings, and the successes and struggles of this resource for students and their families.

Full discussion on Track 4 below —

The Education Town Hall broadcasts from Historic Anacostia in Washington, DC, Thursdays
at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on We Act Radio.
Listen live via TuneIn.
Shows are archived for convenient listening shortly after broadcast.

The Education Town Hall BUS is a monthly program
organized by BadAss Teachers, United Opt Out, and SOS March.
The program regularly airs on the 4th Thursday of each month.
SPECIAL DATE — OCTOBER 1, 2015 (no show, September 24, due to Papal Visit to DC)

Submit a complaint or via email or telephone

To reach the Ombudsman directly, call (202) 724-0886 or email ombudsman@dc.gov.

Twitter @DC_Ombuds.