Operations

December Board Meeting Wraps Up the Year & Powers Forward

During the December Board Meeting, DC PCSB is building on the momentum established over the past several months. As we shared earlier this school year, the Board will focus each meeting around a central theme that highlights the impact of public charter schools and our work. 

This month’s theme is “Looking Back, Planning Ahead”.  It has been a season of deep learning, an intentional opportunity to understand the essential elements of our work, from academic accountability to financial oversight, governance, and day-to-day operations. Oversight is at the heart of what we do, and the insights we’ve gathered are shaping the way we refine that work moving forward.

 

As DC prepares to launch the new DC CAPE 2.0 assessment in SY 2026–27, DC PCSB has proposed a Grace and Acclimation Period for PK–8 and high schools to ease the transition. After thoughtful internal review and meaningful engagement with the ASPIRE Technical Advisory Group, the LEA Advisory Group, ASPIRE PK–8 and High School Working Groups, and other partners, the proposal recommends publishing ASPIRE outcomes only and excluding SY 2026–27 results from goal determinations, charter reviews, and renewals at this time. This gives school leaders space to focus on strong implementation and student support without high-stakes pressure. FAQs and recent ASPIRE Working Group materials are available for more details on our website. 

 

“We’ve been closely examining trends, patterns, and emerging needs across our schools. That learning will guide our next steps, helping us identify areas for improvement and position the sector for a strong finish to the year,” said Executive Director Dr. Michelle Walker-Davis.

 

This Board Meeting also featured a roundtable discussion with experts to discuss the proposed policy on Mergers & Acquisitions policy.  With the public comment period now closed, DC PCSB is moving forward with creating thoughtful policies for public charter school oversight. The new policy aims to define mergers and acquisitions, set guiding principles to drive its evaluation of sector planning-related requests, and establish minimum eligibility criteria and a review process for mergers, standard acquisitions, and emergency acquisitions. 

 

As we wrap up the first half of the year and power forward into the next, our commitment remains clear: learn deeply, oversee wisely, and support our schools in becoming stronger than ever.

 

You can find a list of board actions and watch a video of the December meeting on our website. For recordings of all previous board meetings, visit our YouTube page.