CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

&

COUNCILMEMBER DAVID GROSSO

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

ANNOUNCE A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING

on

B23-0199, the “Public School Transparency Amendment Act of 2019” 

And 

B23-0281, the “Public Charter School Closure Amendment Act of 2019” 

on

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

10:00 A.M., Hearing Room 412, John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004 

            Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmember David Grosso announce the scheduling of a joint public hearing of the Committee of the Whole and the Committee on Education on B23-0199, the “Public School Transparency Amendment Act of 2019,” and B23-0281, the “Public Charter School Closure Amendment Act of 2019.” The hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 10:00 A.M in room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building.

            The stated purpose of B23-0199 is to requires greater transparency in charter school administration regarding contracts greater than $25,000. It requires specific information in charter school annual reports. It also requires that the Public Charter School Board deliver a report to the Council describing the number and cost of requests for information made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. The Office of Open Government must provide training regarding obligations of employees of public charter schools and members of the Board of Trustees.

The stated purpose of B23-0281 is to allow the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board to impose interim conditions upon revocation or non-renewal of a charter during a closing school’s final months of operation.

Those who wish to testify may sign-up online at bit.do/EducationHearings or call the Committee on Education at (202) 724-8061 by 5:00pm on Monday September 30, 2019. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 10-15 copies of written testimony. Witnesses appearing on his or her own behalf should limit their testimony to three minutes; witnesses representing organizations should limit their testimony to five minutes. 

If you are unable to testify at the hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Statements should be submitted by email to Ashley Strange, Committee Assistant, at astrange@dccouncil.us, or by post to the Committee on Education, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 116 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday October 16, 2019.