Testimony of Michelle Walker-Davis, Executive Director DC Public Charter School Board
Testimony of Dr. Michelle J. Walker-Davis, Executive Director
DC Public Charter School Board
2024 Performance Oversight Hearing Committee of the Whole
March 5, 2025
Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee of the Whole. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on DC PCSB’s performance in fiscal year 2024. I am Dr. Michelle Walker-Davis, Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board.
DC PCSB is the sole authorizer of public charter schools in the District. We open new public charter schools, negotiate and monitor their academic goals, close schools that fail to meet these goals and ensure compliance with DC PCSB policies. To hold schools accountable, we rely on five key tools:
● ASPIRE, our academic accountability system
● charter review and renewal process
● Qualitative Site Reviews
● Financial Analysis Reports
● Compliance Reviews
Together, these tools provide us with a comprehensive view of school performance. Excellence and equity is the foundation of our work. The public charter sector serves more than 45,000 students, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, with 46% identified as at-risk. Nearly 8,000 of our students receive special education services and more than 4,000 are emerging multilingual learners. It is our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has equitable access to the quality education they deserve to succeed and reach their full potential.
Over the past few years, we have focused on recovery from the disruptions caused by COVID-19, designing and launching an updated academic accountability system, and setting the stage for stronger school performance and oversight in the years to come. In 2024, we made significant strides in addressing the challenges and making adjustments that position us to move forward with this important work. As we move forward, we remain committed to improving academic outcomes, supporting strong financial sustainability, and strengthening governance.
First, we are taking a stronger approach to academic accountability through ASPIRE, our revised system designed to measure growth and proficiency, set rigorous benchmarks, and analyze outcomes at a more granular level. ASPIRE is critical to our strategy of improving performance in lower-performing LEAs and aims to drive higher student achievement across all our schools. We expect to see consistent progress in these schools, and we are prepared to take stronger actions, including recommending closure, if necessary, to ensure all schools meet their academic and financial targets. This school year has been a test run, and we hope to release ASPIRE outcomes publicly in the upcoming school year. By holding schools to higher standards, we are creating stronger educational opportunities for students and ensuring that every child has access to the quality education they deserve.
Second, we are committed to strengthening our financial oversight. Reflecting on the past year, I regret the way circumstances unfolded with Eagle Academy Public Charter School, ultimately leading to its closure and leaving families and staff in a difficult position as they sought new schools and employment. We can and have to do better. We were already on a path to improve our financial oversight and have made adjustments in our financial analysis and oversight tools. These efforts will provide more clarity for the public and LEAs, ensuring that financial stability is prioritized. Our financial monitoring list, which was historically an internal document used to identify schools that needed an extra layer of attention, is now publicly accessible on our website. Starting next month, we will have a recurring financial oversight item on every board meeting agenda. By making financial oversight more transparent, accessible, and consistent, there will be greater accountability and it will provide a stronger baseline of public awareness across public charter schools.
Lastly, we recognize the importance of effective organizational governance. The most critical decisions involving an LEA often happen within the LEA itself at the board level. We know that the quality of leadership within LEAs is crucial to the success of our schools. To that end, we will provide training and resources to help each LEA board exert a higher quality of governance. Training will provide boards with essential knowledge, including but not limited to finances, academic accountability, legal matters, and key roles and responsibilities, to support their success in effectively governing their schools. Recently, we hired a Sector Planning and Compliance Specialist, who has begun to deepen engagement with LEA boards by attending LEA board meetings and meeting 1:1 with board members to learn more about their experience serving on an LEA board. Creating this new role will allow us to better understand what’s happening at the LEA board level and strengthen interactions between LEA leadership, LEA board members, and DC PCSB. By equipping boards with the information and tools they need to govern school operations, we strengthen the overall effectiveness of the charter school sector, ultimately benefiting students, schools, and families.
The review of each LEA’s contract, or charter, is a critical part of our oversight process. It ensures high standards across DC's public charter schools, and is mandated by the School Reform Act (or SRA). Every LEA undergoes a review at least once every five years, with renewals required after 15 years. These reviews focus on whether the school meets the terms of its contract in three main areas: the goals and academic standards, legal and regulatory compliance, and fiscal health and economic viability. Our board will need to make tough decisions in the coming years to ensure schools are meeting the benchmarks set for them. As we move forward with our reviews and renewals, we are working closely with our agency partners to support and drive better outcomes. Through the Every Day Counts! taskforce, led by the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME), we are actively addressing attendance and truancy challenges to keep students engaged in their learning. We actively participated in DME’s boundary study advisory group and collaborated on recommendations from their boundary study, which will shape student assignment policies to promote equitable access to educational opportunities. We also want to spotlight OSSE’s High Impact Tutoring (HIT) initiative, which has already yielded positive outcomes for DC students by addressing long-standing opportunity gaps. Additionally, OSSE’s implementation of the Advanced Technical Center has been a valuable resource for our students and families, providing access to quality Career and Technical Education courses that expand the opportunities available for our students to succeed. These collaborations directly support student success by offering targeted interventions, removing barriers to learning, and preparing students for academic and professional advancement. By working together with our partners, we ensure that students have the resources and support they need to thrive.
We are not yet where we want to be, but we are actively taking the steps necessary to get there. By strengthening academic accountability, ensuring financial stability, and enhancing LEA governance, we are creating a stronger foundation for students to thrive. For DC students, this means access to quality schools that prioritize their learning and well-being, close opportunity gaps, and provide the support they need to excel. It also means greater transparency, ensuring families have the information they need to make informed decisions about their student’s education. Ultimately, these efforts create a charter sector that is not just stronger but more equitable, sustainable, and centered on student success.
Thank you again, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee, for your continued commitment to equity and education. We are happy to address any questions you may have.