2022 Annual Report Now Available

The Annual Report highlights the efforts of the DC Public Charter School Board over the past 12 months to support schools and students.

Today, DC PCSB has released its 2022 Annual Report which highlights the organization’s efforts over the past year to support students, families and schools in Washington, DC. The 2022 Annual Report includes our academic, financial and non-academic oversight, list of currently operating schools, progress towards Strategic Roadmap priorities, and more.

The report is available now for download on our website HERE. Spanish and Amharic versions will be available for download in early August. We invite you to take a look at the progress we are making to ensure every student receives a quality education.  

In addition, DC PCSB Executive Director, Dr. Michelle J. Walker-Davis offers a special message to the education community. Check it out below.

DC PCSB Executive Director

Dear Education Community:

We are now in our third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a simple statement to make, but it alone does not begin to tell the real story.

Yes, over a million Americans died from the disease (about 1,300 in Washington, DC, alone), but we as parents, caretakers, school leaders, teachers, and others responded to it in dramatically different ways. Some embraced vaccination and masks; others did not. Some families lost loved ones while others did not. And some of us stayed employed throughout the pandemic; others lost their jobs and struggled to make ends meet.

And while many students successfully moved to virtual learning, others did not. And this makes the story of education during a pandemic much more complex.

In DC, the overall number of public school students dropped slightly overall during the pandemic, while the number of those who attended public charter schools went up by about three percent (source: DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education).

Even though these are small numbers, they suggest important points.

First, public charter schools are their own school districts, which allows them to be uniquely responsive to their students, families, and teachers. For example, some families wanted their students to wear a mask and, for that reason, many schools kept the mask mandate even after it had been lifted. Or, in the first year of the pandemic, some public charter schools kept classrooms open because that is what their families requested.

Second, the pandemic taught us that schools are more than just places to learn. They are the centers of our community—where hungry students get a meal, receive health care, have access to the Internet, and feel nurtured and appreciated—and so much more.

While the pandemic is not over, our schools are taking these lessons and making changes to better serve their students. For example, some have expanded their kitchens and included public health support to ensure their students have healthy meals and better health care. I'm extremely proud to know our LEAs have also ensured that our students receive the tools and other interventions they need, like tutoring, to remain academically equipped for their futures. And others are bringing in outside assistance to help with teacher satisfaction and retention.

This Annual Report, highlights the efforts of the DC Public Charter School Board over the past 12 months to support schools and students.

Sincerely,

Michelle J. Walker-Davis, Ed.D.