Grosso raises concerns over police militarization with MPD

Councilmember Grosso is deeply concerned that we are not doing enough to prevent the militarization of law enforcement in the District of Columbia. To that end, he sent two letters to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham last month asking him about two separate programs.

The first letter asked Chief Newsham to reject changes made by the Trump administration to Obama era guidelines that placed critical safeguards on the transfer of military-grade equipment to local law enforcement agencies under the 1033 Program.  Councilmember Grosso believes that continuous improvement of police-community relations requires both good practices and projecting the right image.  A militarized police force is not the right one for our city.

The second letter expressed Councilmember Grosso's concerns over the planned participation an MPD leader in a training with military forces and intelligence services in Israel. While he believes strongly in cross-cultural exchanges and the importance of training for our law enforcement officers, learning from military advisors is not what local law enforcement needs.

Chief Newsham responded to both of Councilmember Grosso's letters.  His responses, and Councilmember Grosso's original letters, can be found below.

Councilmember Grosso Letter to Chief Newsham on Military Equipment by Team_Grosso on Scribd

MPD Response to CM Gross on 1033 Program by Team_Grosso on Scribd

09072017 CM Grosso Letter to Newsham on Training by Team_Grosso on Scribd

MPD Response to CM Grosso on Military Training Practices by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Grosso requests update from DCPS on changes to Early Stages

Earlier in August, Councilmember Grosso, chairperson of the Committee on Education, wrote a letter to District of Columbia Public Schools' Chancellor Antwan Wilson requesting an update from him on planned changes to the Early Stages' role with Child Find.  

His request, and the Chancellor's response, are below.

CM Grosso Letter to Chancellor Wilson Re Early Stages by Team_Grosso on Scribd

DCPS Response to CM Grosso letter to Chancellor Wilson Re Early Stages by Team_Grosso on Scribd

DHS responds to Councilmember Grosso's concerns over D.C. Healthcare Alliance

Earlier this month, Councilmember Grosso wrote to the Department of Human Services raising concerns that individuals were being denied eligibility to the D.C. Healthcare Alliance program based on their immigration status, which he believes should not be relevant to the determination of their eligibility for the program.

For the particular issue that the councilmember raised, DHS informs him that they are in the process of considering precisely how an asylum seeker on a tourist visa may prove thier intent to reside in D.C. to make eligibility for the program.

You can read the full letter from Councilmember Grosso, and DHS's response, below.

CM Grosso Letter to DHS DC Healthcare Alliance Program Letter by Team_Grosso on Scribd

DHS RESPONSE to CM Grosso DC Healthcare Alliance Program Letter by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Grosso calls for removal of Confederate statue

Councilmember David Grosso, along with Attorney General Karl Racine and Councilmembers Kenyan McDuffie, Anita Bonds, Charles Allen, Brianne K. Nadeau, Elissa Silverman, and Robert White, Jr. sent the below letter to the National Park Service calling for the removal of the statue of Confederate General Albert Pike from Judiciary Square.

Council Letter to National Park Service Calling for Removal of Confederate General Statue by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Exploring Cuisine and its Role in D.C.’s Creative Economy

By Zoe Fredrickson*

For as long as I can remember, cooking has been my passion. Early mornings were spent poaching eggs for breakfast, afternoons planning elaborate tea parties for my friends, and evenings decorating the dining room for family dinner parties. When I couldn’t sleep at night, I’d close my eyes and envision how I would one day open a world famous restaurant featuring my star dish. I would dream about what table cloths the restaurant would have and what my logo would look like, all at the age of 7.

Growing up in an urban metropolis like D.C., my love for the culinary arts was fostered everywhere I went. Going out to dinner was more than just a nice family outing-- it was a culinary expedition; sampling and critiquing, studying and assessing what I liked and meticulously picking it apart to see how I could recreate it. In my junior year of high school I began to work at Craft Kombucha at Union Market, the conflicting smells of sweet pastries, spicy Korean barbeque and salty salami greeting me whenever I stepped through the door. Since its restoration and reopening in 2012, Union Market has embodied D.C.’s commitment to culinary innovation and accessibility. Home to 40 vendors, including a mix of informal restaurants, fast-casual cuisine, and pop-up stalls, Union Market provides a place for chefs to experiment and flourish. Cutting out the need to buy restaurant space, it makes starting in the food industry far more attainable, and it reinvigorated my love of the D.C. food scene. 

The District of Columbia’s gastronomic character has become a blend of its roots in southern soul food, a distinct French backbone, seafood from the Chesapeake Bay and flairs from the many immigrant cultures prevalent across the city, all of which provide endless culinary possibilities. But the world of cuisine is an underappreciated and overlooked profession and is often thought of as a pit stop to other careers. By valuing the food industry for the true art that it is and incorporating it into the city's creative economy, we can provide meaningful jobs in cooking, catering, mixology, management, and serving to our young people.

With nearly 60% of the District's workers employed in the creative class, D.C. is one of the most creative cities in the United States. A recent study also shows the District is a top five "most inspiring city" for young artists. Councilmember Grosso has worked to support the creative economy through his ArtsActionDC initiative, which allows the creative communities of D.C. a space for open dialogue among themselves and with the government. Investing in our city’s creative economy-- the industries based on human innovation and creativity-- is about more than supporting the arts, it opens up pathways for job expansion, creative expression, cultural inclusion, and a general increase in quality of life for all.

Walking down the aisles of Union Market, I can’t help but think of an art gallery; vendors proudly displaying products they spent hours, maybe even years, working to perfect; each stall a rainbow of colors and smells. Just like WeWork provides a space for entrepreneurs to bounce ideas off each other and network, Union Market is a collaborative home to culinary creatives, promoting and building upon each other's work. And like the art world, the culinary one is a complex mix of culinary school professionals along with self-taught talents.

As an alternative to a four year college experience for students, the culinary industry provides many entry-level jobs that can lead to lifelong careers. Although as young people we are constantly told that college is the only successful way forward in life, for some, going to college is simply not their reality. This could be for many reasons to include: lack of support at home or in school, the exorbitant costs, or lack of interest. By showing these young people that there are other options for them and supporting them in school with cooking programs, we can provide more opportunities to succeed. In 2015, the culinary arts accounted for over 40,000 jobs District wide. With new restaurants popping up every day this is only increasing.

Shared kitchens and farmers markets are another option for entry points into the food world without much prior experience. MessHall, Taste Lab and Union Kitchen all provide communal commercial kitchens to small businesses who, without health department licensed kitchens, could not legally produce their food. Not only does this decrease the price for these businesses, but it also allows for collaboration and diffusion of ideas. In addition, this space encourages local employment, diminishing the possibility that these small businesses will be bought out by larger national food producers. Instead of the revenue going to businesses like Safeway or Giant, money stays in the hands of the community. Farmer’s markets also offer local entrepreneurial opportunities and in the Washington region, we enjoy more than 174 farmer’s markets. Although these goods are not as cost effective as those from national chains, by providing food stamps and other subsidies for low-income families to be able to take advantage of them, we can create a culture of local-minded conscious consumerism.

I’d consider myself a fairly academic person -- I’ve taken multiple APs in high school, I get pretty good grades -- but one of my favorite parts of cooking was being able to let loose and fully explore my more artistic side. Designing menus, elaborate plating, and coming up with new recipes were all ways I could use my imagination, without the threat of grades looming over me. I like to joke with my friends that “su cocina es mi cocina” (your kitchen is my kitchen) because whenever I visit their homes, I rummage through all the cabinets -- whipping up a quick stir fry, finding seven different ways to use ramen noodles and maybe even cooking their parents’ dinner. It is through my love of cooking and my exposure to the culinary arts that I’ve come to realize and fully appreciate one universal truth:  food has the powerful ability to bring everyone together.

Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize this power.  Across the District of Columbia there are distinct ethnic groups and yet, we often do not highlight them.  I think about this regularly because D.C. has the largest community of Ethiopians outside of Africa; in Columbia Heights, you cannot turn a corner without passing at least a dozen pupuserias.  The U Street corridor is littered with incredible soul food joints serving half smokes and mumbo sauce.  All of these communities, with rich histories and vast cuisines, are here in the District of Columbia for a reason, so why are we not highlighting them?  How is it that for the majority of D.C.’s culinary past, it has been known for mediocre steak houses and sandwich shops, when the potential for exciting and flavorful food is simply brushed away? By encouraging and educating young immigrants on entering the culinary workforce or how to start their own businesses, we as a city can foster a more diverse and accepting community. When it comes to employing young people, who better to hire than a person who grew up cooking certain food?

In addition to creating a new workforce and establishing a pipeline of jobs, helping students and youth to cook and appreciate food can provide other benefits as well. America's obesity problem and food deserts are issues facing our children. In the last few years DCPS has introduced programs to provide school gardens and nutrition support. When I was in middle school I remember joining one of these classes. It had amazed me that one of my fellow students went from refusing to eat anything remotely green and leafy, to becoming a full-fledged vegetarian, even to this day. By educating students on how to prepare cost-efficient and nutritious food, while also encouraging them to pursue a career later in life, we can inspire them to do more and teach their families. Although home economics classes were taken out of school curriculum to provide more productive instructional time, we are doing our children no favors when the alternative is malnutrition and lifelong health problems. Making an initiative to provide every DCPS school with their own plot of land to nurture and funding for a teacher to educate on health literacy, we can help end this cycle.

When I think of who I’d be without my love of cooking, I can’t separate the two. My organized and meticulous nature can only be explained from a childhood of meal prepping, double and triple checking recipes, and filling pages of notes from cooking shows I’d watch. Even my love of science and how things work comes from the countless failed baking attempts, and books I read on the science of food. Education, exposure and ensuring every child is in the best position to succeed are crucial to expanding and strengthening our city’s creative economy and I hope that others are afforded the opportunity to fall in love with food the way I have on this incredible culinary journey.

 *This post is part of an ongoing series of posts by Councilmember Grosso’s staff to support professional development. All posts are approved and endorsed by Councilmember Grosso. Zoe is a rising senior at School Without Walls and will be interning with the Office of Councilmember Grosso for 3-weeks.*

Supporting Immigrant Students and Their Families

By Eli Moraru*

In the Trump era, immigration has become a hot topic across the country. With a new push for deportations and the “Muslim ban” taking effect, immigrants across the nation fear for their safety and rights. The District of Columbia has promised to be a sanctuary city for all, but for many immigrant students and their families, these policies and laws are not enough to help them feel at home in our city.

For immigrant students, the new Trump policies are affecting their ability to succeed in school and feel safe in their communities. Supporting these young people and their families is key to making D.C. a better city. With around 23% of all D.C. residents being foreign born, it is important that immigrants and immigrant students are able to thrive in our communities.

As a member of the Woodrow Wilson Senior High School community and leader of the student group Estudiante 2 Estudiante (a student run group that pairs new immigrant students with accustomed students to create a sense of community for immigrant students through discussions, soccer, tutoring, mentoring, and fostering friendships between these students), I am able to talk to the students who are most affected by the Trump administration’s policies. I have met Angel (name has been changed for privacy), a rising junior and an undocumented immigrant. Angel and I have been able to develop a friendship through E2E and because of this, I have become more aware of the issues he faces as an immigrant student in D.C. during the time of the Trump administration. He has told me of his fear of getting deported like his brother, of spending another birthday in a detention center, and his frustration at not being able to understand what his art teacher is assigning. Every day he must face the obstacles of school, his limited English, and the fear of deportation in a city that is new to him.

Angel is just one of thousands of local immigrant students who are affected by the Trump administration's policies. Like Angel, these students are often unable to communicate with their faculty, don’t know their rights, and feel isolated in their school communities. To make D.C. better for these students and their families, they must be supported in and out of school.

Councilmember David Grosso has been a key leader in pushing for legislation supporting immigrant students and their families. In 2015, Grosso introduced the Language Access for Education Act, and reintroduced it in 2017, to increase the standards of language access for all education and government services for D.C. residents without proficiency in English. It would require all schools to have translations of all essential information, which would be key for enabling immigrant families to be involved in their school communities. This act would help immigrant students and their families to communicate with their schools and would create interactions between students and faculty that would lead to greater success for immigrant students in school.

The success of immigrant students heavily relies upon them feeling safe in their academic and local environments. These learners should be able to focus on school and not worry about their immigration status and the status of their family members. To protect these immigrants and help keep peace of mind, Councilmembers Grosso, Jack Evans, and Brianne Nadeau introduced the One License for One DC Amendment Act of 2017. This act would make all IDs produced by the DMV look identical, regardless of immigration status. This would prevent ICE agents from using government-issued IDs as a means of targeting undocumented immigrants. By having one less fear, immigrant students can focus more on school and pursue their academic dreams.

The Access to Justice for Immigrants Amendment Act of 2017 is another extremely important bill, currently under Council consideration.  This bill will help to further defend the rights of immigrants, by supporting nonprofit organizations that provide civil legal assistance to low-income residents as well as civil immigration legal services.  With the passage of this bill, the District will have more lawyers capable of protecting the rights of all residents.

At the Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC), announcements are made about ICE raids to ensure that students are aware of safe routes home after school. Staff members at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School have posted papers of what to do when approached by an ICE agent and the DCPS policies regarding ICE raids. An annual resource fair for non-English speaking students is held at CHEC to help all D.C. students find the resources they need. DCPS has also released statements of their policies to ensure students know their rights and access their education. The actions taken by these schools have supported immigrant students and has made their school communities safer.

The D.C. Council has promised to “defend the safety, dignity, and liberty of all our residents.” While they have passed a lot of legislation that helps immigrant students feel safe, protected, and aware of their rights, our city still has a long way to go to guarantee this during the Trump era. It is necessary to promote diversity and cross-cultural interactions in our schools and our city, help immigrant students and their families feel safe, make sure all D.C. residents know their rights, and create a greater sense of community.

School staff should be encouraged to be bilingual and our city should attempt to campaign for more people to learn another language. All messages (phone calls, emails, etc.) sent out by D.C. schools, not just essential information, should be sent out with translations to help immigrant families of young learners have a better understanding of their school community.  Monthly legal meetings should be held at all schools so immigrants can know their rights and feel safer in their communities. School staff should obtain basic legal training to be able to educate immigrant students and their families. These changes help support immigrant students and their families and will make D.C. a better city for all residents.

As a sanctuary city, D.C. is a community for all. For Angel and the thousands of immigrant student like him, D.C. is their new home. To resist the divisive policies and rhetoric introduced by the Trump administration such as the “Muslim Ban” and the “border wall”, the District of Columbia must support immigrants in every way possible. Helping immigrant students become a part of our city’s community is necessary to make our city, and our country, stronger.

*This post is part of an ongoing series of posts by Councilmember Grosso’s staff to support professional development. All posts are approved and endorsed by Councilmember Grosso. Eli Moraru is an intern with the Office of Councilmember Grosso and a rising senior at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School.*

DCPS responds to Grosso's request for information on discretionary school placements

D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson sent a letter to Councilmember David Grosso, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, in response to Grosso's June 1 request for all documentation related to the discretionary placements made by the Chancellor for the school lottery process from 2014 to the present. 

The letter and supporting documentation is below.

DCPS Response to Chairperson Grosso June 1 Letter on Discretionary Placements by Team_Grosso on Scribd

National Children's Awareness Month highlights domestic violence's impact on children

By Ismail Lapp-Kamara*

Domestic violence is prevalent in all communities across the United States. It exists across religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, race, gender, educational level, and nationality. Victims include spouses, intimate partners, family members and people co-habiting with one another.  However, it is important to note that a higher percentage of victims of domestic violence are women and domestic violence disproportionately affects people of lower income based on their inability to leave their abuser due to financial reasons.

The District of Columbia is not exempt from the prevalence of domestic violence.  In 2015, 34,966 domestic violence related calls were made to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Additionally, 5,867 people sought assistance at the D.C. court’s domestic violence intake center.  While it is unacceptable for anyone to experience violence of any form, it is particularly detrimental to children. In the United States alone, over 3 million children live in fear through their exposure to domestic violence each year. As a result, the month of June has been established as National Children’s Awareness Month to increase the awareness of the vulnerability of children exposed to violence.

Domestic violence impacts children differently than adults given their developmental differences. At the early years of their cognitive development, children are still learning how to conceptualize the world around them. Whether that is learning what is right and what is wrong or learning what is healthy or unhealthy, it becomes very dangerous for children to live in an environment where there is domestic violence. The number one risk factor in the continuance of domestic violence generationally, is whether an individual witnessed violence between their parents or caretakers.

A child’s framework of the family is powerful. It is where many children look for role models, meaning and guidance in their lives. For children, relationships that are violent and abusive aren’t easily identifiable as unhealthy or wrong.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) defines domestic violence as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another”. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, domestic violence can constitute being physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, threats, stalking, and cyberstalking.

It is hard for children to conceptualize family members as perpetrators of any wrongdoing, especially when it is their parents or guardians. Often children have no concept of what domestic violence is or looks like. What happens in the home at a young age is often seen as normal and is not questioned until they are presented with alternative frames of reference. This highlights the importance of education in helping kids to identify domestic violence.

Domestic violence destroys the home as a sanctuary for a child; a space normally associated with safety and comfort. Domestic violence threatens how children conceptualize the home, love and family. Further, it can result in trauma, physical injury and death.  It is something that damages the fabric of the family and can potentially become a cycle, reoccurring generationally, if not addressed through preventative measures.

In D.C. schools today there are preventative programs targeted to reduce domestic violence. Programs such as rape prevention education for students, bullying and violence prevention, and Good Touch/ Bad Touch programs help to teach children what abuse is and give them resources if they need help. Additionally, there are education sessions designed to aid teachers in identifying and preventing unhealthy relationships among their students. A critique I have however is it appears that these are only assigned to public and charter schools within Wards 7 & 8, and not throughout the whole city.

The D.C. Council has done much work to address the issue of domestic violence that occurs across the city through proposed legislation and laws to strengthen the protections and resources available to children and the public. In 2015 and 2016 the D.C council proposed legislation Postsecondary Sexual Assault Prevention Act of 2015 and Campus Sexual Assault Victims Assistance Act of 2016 to require postsecondary institutions to require incoming students to participate in a sexual assault prevention program within the first six weeks of enrollment; in-person trauma-related training for campus safety officials; and required schools to have a sexual assault worker on campus. Additionally, the bill required the registrar to be held responsible for recording information of students who are under investigation for violation of the institutions’ rules on sexual misconduct.

In January of 2017, Councilmember Grosso, along with three of his colleagues, introduced the Childhood Protection Against Sexual Abuse Amendment Act of 2017. This act seeks to eliminate the statute of limitations in civil court for child sex abuse claims. It also provides a two year period for individuals to bring forward claims that previously were disallowed due to the statute of limitations.  A hearing on this bill was held on June 15, 2017.

Additionally, Chairman Mendelson at the request of the Mayor introduced the Sexual Assault Victims' Rights Amendment Act of 2017 to expand the rights of victims of sexual assault with sexual assault advocates, and to make clear what communications are deemed confidential. Most recently, the Chairman also introduced the Child Neglect and Sex Trafficking Amendment Act of 2017, which was unanimously approved on an emergency and temporary basis.  The purpose of the legislation is to expand on the definition of “neglected child and abused” to include a victim of sex trafficking. It also demanded mandatory reporting by physicians and institutions of the physical abuse identified.

Though much as been done to strengthen protections for victims of domestic abuse, there are areas that need to be improved upon.  For example, the city should explore increasing funding for domestic violence shelters. In 2015, a report by the National Network to End Domestic Violence showed that in one day, 35% of unmet requests were for housing. We should have enough resources as a society to allocate for people fleeing from violence with nowhere else to turn for safety, comfort, and peace of mind. This is a public safety concern given the danger people face when fleeing from their abuser(s). With nowhere to turn, we as a society shouldn’t make people decide between living on the streets or living in a dangerous home.

Another area for continued improvement is to establish a program to make it mandatory to educate not only teachers about healthy and unhealthy relationships, but youth in schools. It is important to teach our youth how to develop healthy relationships so they can help prevent abuse from happening in their own relationships and prevent domestic violence from occurring in the future. This is an investment in their future to help them identify what is healthy and unhealthy in the relationships they have with family, friends, and romantic partners. It would help to prevent the cycle of domestic violence in our communities.

I find it important and essential to conclude by thanking the amazing local domestic violence shelters and organizations that provide shelter and resources to those escaping from domestic violence. These organizations include, but are not limited to: Break the Cycle, House of Ruth, My Sisters Place, The Center for Child Protection and Family Support, and The Family Place. I am personally thankful for their work and tireless commitment to aiding individuals seeking safety from violence and abuse. Without them, I do not know where the thousands of children, individuals, and families (including my own) would be today.

*This post is part of an ongoing series of posts by Councilmember Grosso’s staff to support professional development. All posts are approved and endorsed by Councilmember Grosso. Ismail is a rising senior at Earlham College and will be interning with the Office of Councilmember Grosso for 7-weeks.*

Councilmember Grosso supports rainbow crosswalks to celebrate LGBTQ community

Councilmember Grosso in April sent a letter to the District Department of Transportation supporting the idea of painting crosswalks on 17th Street, NW rainbow to commemorate the important place of the LGBTQ community in the District of Columbia and to further celebrate D.C.'s welcoming and inclusive values. The idea originated with ANC Commissioner Randy Downs (2B05).

Yesterday, Councilmember Grosso received a response from DDOT.  Although the painting cannot be made permanent, he is excited to hear that temporary rainbow crosswalks will be painted in time for the Capital Pride Parade.  Councilmember Grosso plans to volunteer to get them painted this Saturday morning. He appreciates the work of DDOT, Commissioner Downs, and Ms. Sheila Alexander-Reid, the Director of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs, to come up with this compromise solution.

Additionally, DDOT has informed Councilmember Grosso that DDOT has coordinated with the Department of Energy and the Environment on their Storm Drain Mural Project, operated in partnership with the Anacostia Watershed Society.  They are currently seeking artists to create designs for storm drain murals along 17th Street, NW.  The goal of these murals is to raise awareness of storm drains as a connection to our local waterways, as well as to promote the neighborhood's LGBTQ identity. Learn more about the program here.

You can read Councilmember Grosso's letter below, followed by DDOT's response.

CM Grosso Letter to DDOT - Rainbow Crosswalks by Team_Grosso on Scribd

DDOT Letter to CM Grosso - 17th Street NW Rainbow Crosswalk Request by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Grosso requests data on discretionary school transfers since 2014

Today, Councilmember Grosso, chairperson of the Committee on Education, sent the attached letter to D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson requesting all documentation related to discretionary placements made by the chancellor for the school lottery processes from 2014-present.

Chairperson Grosso letter to Chancellor Wilson on School Lottery by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Grosso Budget Victories

Grosso Budget Victories

Education

As chairperson of the Committee on Education, Councilmember Grosso’s number one priority during the budget process was ensuring that our schools have the resources they need to improve learning for all residents across the District of Columbia. 

The Council largely endorsed the work of the Committee on Education that increased per student funding, invested in early childhood learning, and improved the resources of our public libraries, while also accelerating modernizations for many schools to provide a better learning environment.

Highlights of the education budget include:

• An increase in the uniform per student funding formula of 3.0%, doubling the mayor’s proposed 1.5% increase, with a special thanks to Councilmembers Cheh, Gray, and Chairman Mendelson in particular for making that possible.
• Investing in the successful early literacy intervention program that gets students at or above reading level by third grade.
• Accelerating the modernization of schools, including West Education Campus, Jefferson Middle, Eaton Elementary, Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan, School Within a School at Goding, and planning for the now-vacant Shaw Middle School.
• A commitment to alternative approaches to school discipline with an enhancement in the Restorative Justice program funding.
• Additional investment in the Community Schools program to improve student outcomes.
• Funding to set up the Office and Commission of Out Of School Time Grants, which was established in legislation introduced by Councilmember Grosso.
• Enhancing the learning opportunities of all D.C. residents with investment in expanding D.C. Public Libraries’ collections.
• Preserving local history with ongoing funding for the D.C. Public Libraries’ D.C. Oral History Project, through partnerships with D.C. Historical Society, and Humanities D.C.

In addition to his work on the Education Committee, Councilmember Grosso secured or supported changes to the budget in other areas.

Judiciary and Public Safety

• Commit D.C. to a new approach to public safety by investing in the NEAR Act which the Council passed unanimously last year.
•  Funded a grant for organizations working with incarcerated young adults utilizing literacy-based interventions to improve their success while incarcerated and upon transition back to the community.

Health

• Supported a rate increase for behavioral health providers.
• Increased funding for in-home delivery programs for D.C. residents living with chronic health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and diabetes.

Human Services 

• Supported Councilmember Nadeau’s changes to strengthen Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for District residents by reducing penalties and eliminating time limits.
• Supported further investment toward meeting the goals of the Homeward D.C. plan to end homelessness, and implementing the new plan on youth homelessness.
• Supported additional funding to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) Rapid Housing program to help youth emancipating from and aging out of foster care achieve housing stability.

Housing

• Supported strong investment for the Housing Preservation Fund to preserve affordable housing units across the city.
• Supported reducing the waiting list for tenant-based Local Rent Supplement Program vouchers with the allocation of the additional funds.
• Funding for Grosso’s First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit to lower the barrier to home ownership in the District of Columbia.

Business and Economic Development

• With monies provided by the Committee on Education, funded a study of the feasibility of establishing a public bank in D.C.
• Supported the inclusion of a study of certified business enterprises’ capacity to better understand why so many waivers are granted in government-assisted projects.

Labor and Workforce

• Supported investment for adult transit subsidies for adult learners, removing a barrier to educational attainment for non-traditional students. Grosso appreciates Councilmember Silverman's efforts on this issue.

Committee of the Whole

• Supported funding to establish the administrative infrastructure for paid family leave, which will provide a competitive advantage to businesses and relieve families of the difficult choice between paying their bills and caring for their loved ones.

Transportation and the Environment

• Supported allocation of funds to the Department of Health to waive the fee for birth certificates for D.C. residents experiencing homelessness.
• Working with Councilmembers Evans and Cheh, included language to qualify rooftop farms for tax incentives.

Stop The Cuts

On Tuesday, May 30, 2017, the Council of the District of Columbia will consider Mayor Bowser’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget. I’ve said many times on the record that this is the worst education budget I’ve seen in my five years on the Council. It’s not only the education portion of the budget, but the entire city budget that needed improvements. The Council has worked together to improve this budget, but there is still more to be done. In particular, I have yet to understand why we are continuing to give tax cuts to the wealthy while we are underfunding education, social services, and the arts and humanities.

Just in the Education budget, the Committee on Education worked to restore cuts to early childhood literacy programs, increased the Universal Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF) to 2.38% over last year’s approved budget (the Mayor’s increase was 1.5%), expanded the number of pre-K enhanced slots, and increased the book budget for the D.C. Public Library. You can find out more about the Committee’s work here. However, we still have so much more to do not only in education but throughout the entire government.

This is why I support stopping the estate tax cut, which will only benefit approximately 150 families in the District of Columbia, and cost the District $12 million in annual revenue. I also support a new proposal by the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute of stopping the implementation of the business franchise tax reduction for businesses earning $5 million or more in annual revenue. This would save the District approximately $21 million per year that we could put right back into education, social services, and the arts and humanities. We can also use this money to plan for potential federal funding losses due to Trump’s reckless policies and heartless budget proposal.

Let the Council know that the wealthy should not benefit while our education system, social services, and arts and humanities communities suffer. E-mail and call your Councilmembers and let them know that you support stopping the estate tax cut permanently, and only allowing the business franchise tax cut to be implemented for businesses earning under $5 million in annual revenue. This will provide much needed investments across the District of Columbia.

Surviving CFSA

By Ashley Strange*

Six years is more than enough time to learn how foster care operates. Surviving it is another thing. I entered the foster care system at the age of 15, one month before my 16th birthday, and was emancipated six years later. Year one in the system left me confused. Who were these strangers I am being told to live with? Year two was when I lost hope of living with my family. Separation and unintentional isolation will change anyone’s behavior. Year three is when things started to look hopeful because I had finally settled into a loving home. Year four I found my voice. I started demanding my clothing and transportation stipends, and advocated for the Youth Bill of Rights to be provided to every foster home. Year five is when the fear of emancipation struck hard. With no immediate family support, I became depressed and worried about homelessness. Year six, I finally cracked. I was aging out of foster care and I was afraid of what adulthood would bring. The struggle to maintain grades, travel across town to school, have enough money, and find housing in an overpopulated and expensive city is enough to drive anyone crazy, but I survived. It is because of my story that any significant changes that deal with child welfare concern me.

Child and Family Services Agency

Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) is the District of Columbia’s child welfare agency that protects child victims and children and youth at risk of abuse and neglect, and assist their families. Overall, CFSA currently serves 2,675 children and youth: 951 (36%) youth are in foster care and 1,724 (64%) youth are served in their homes. [1] CFSA is responsible for investigating allegations of abuse and neglect of children and youth under the age of 18 that are residents of the District of Columbia. When victims of child abuse and neglect are identified, CFSA’s trained social workers work to keep children safe by assisting families and connecting them to services to prevent future endangerment. The agency also provide safe out of home care which involves the temporary removal of a child from a dangerous home with the hope of reestablishing permanent homes.

Youth in care are people too, and they deserve what is owed to them. To ensure that youth are aware of their rights, by law CFSA must provide all youth in care a copy of the Bill of Rights.

Safe Haven Redesign

CFSA’s goal is to continue to reduce the number of children in foster care by increasing placement in homes, reunification with the child’s family, guardianship, and adoption. Recently, CFSA’s Director Brenda Donald announced significant changes to the agency. She proposed a Safe Haven Redesign which will reduce foster care providers from seven to one, eliminate the traditional and therapeutic designation, bring all D.C. foster homes under direct care of CFSA, and ensure that the entire system is trauma-informed. In early March 2017, CFSA released a Request for Proposals (RFP), which solicited applications for services of a contractor to provide foster care placement and case management services for approximately four-hundred (400) children and youth in foster care who will be placed in Maryland only. For more information, please view Safe Haven Redesign Request For Proposal (RFP). The RFP closed on last Friday. A few providers have applied.

Safe and Stable Families Redesign

Additionally, CFSA plans to leverage the fiscal flexibility of the Title IV-E Waiver to spend more funding on community-based prevention and family-strengthening services rather than foster care resources due to the reduced number of children and youth in foster care. CFSA hopes to revamp their prevention and in-home services for families to stay together in a safe environment.

Concerns about the changes

On April 7, 2017, Mayor Bowser released her proposed fiscal year 2018 budget for CFSA. The Mayor’s proposal allocates $226,485,929 for CFSA’s budget in fiscal year 2018, which is a $6,143,893 reduction from fiscal year 2017. Though these redesigns could bring about some benefits, I am concerned that the current proposed budget does not provide CFSA with adequate funding to properly implement these changes or to respond to unanticipated challenges. CFSA has maintained that the reductions in the budget corresponds with the decrease in the number of youth involved in the foster care system. However, this theory may backfire on them.

I am also concerned about the timing of these changes. In 2015, CFSA experienced a shortage of foster care placements when the agency terminated two contracts that placed children in homes. In CFSA’s FY2016-2017 pre-performance oversight responses, CFSA alluded to the fact that the agency is still experiencing difficulty when it stated it “continues to refine the process of matching children entering care to available foster care homes.”[2] 11 children in out-of-home care slept overnight at CFSA’s offices while awaiting a licensed placement in fiscal year 2016.[3] In fiscal year 2017, 6 children slept overnight in an office. Although some of these instances were exceptional cases, they still underscore the difficulties that the agency experiences placing children, especially youth in certain sub-populations: teens, pregnant and or parenting youth, or youth with special needs. Only 25 % of foster children are expected to be placed with kin by the end of this year.[4] I experienced this shortage first hand.

In 2015, my second foster home allowed me to stay there as long as I needed while completing school. However, CFSA began pressuring my foster parent to take in another child immediately. My foster parent became overwhelmed with the number of calls she received. I began to receive calls asking about my housing plan and was provided a list of shelters. I made the decision to leave and entered a transitional living home, named Wayne’s Place.

Wayne’s Place

Two years ago, Mayor Bowser and Director Donald announced the opening of a new transitional home for youth between the ages of 18 and 24. The Wayne’s Place Project is a partnership between CFSA and the Department of Behavioral Health that is managed by the Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative. Wayne Place is a complex of six buildings with 22 two-bedroom apartments that can house up to 44 youth. It receives an annual funding of $1,015,250. The program was designed to help young adults who need support to live independently and succeed.

I lived in Wayne’s Place in my sixth year, from September 2015 to March 2017. When I first entered the transitional home at the age of 21, the security guards consistently made inappropriate comments to me. Additionally, some of security guards were engaging in inappropriate relationships with some of the young women there. Both issues were more or less taken care of after I testified before the Committee on Health and Human Services on March 3 2016. Still, Transitioned Aged Youth (TAYs) complain about unprofessional staff. Many of the female TAYs continue to express to me that they feel uncomfortable, and several have left the program. Additionally, TAYs voice frustration that their caseworkers did not provide enough housing and employment support. Thankfully, I had great caseworkers who supported me. The idea of Wayne’s Place is good idea in theory, but there still remains a lot of unresolved issues that need to be addressed. Their goal to transition youth to middle-class, for the most part, is proving more difficult than they had hoped.

Tutoring Services

The Mayor’s FY18 proposed budget insufficiently provides tutoring services for youth in care. In a letter to Director Donald, Councilmember Grosso asked about the agency’s budget plans, and funding for tutoring services for youth. Director Donald responded that the “proposed budget is sufficient to improve the educational progress” of their children. However, I disagree.

Just a few years ago when I requested tutoring services for a college course, I was denied and told to used my school’s services. When I explained that the process to request a tutor at the school would take time, and that I desperately needed one now, I was provided a tutor who could not help me.

Similarly, when I first entered foster care my foster family grew impatient with waiting for the agency to respond to tutoring requests and eventually paid for outside tutoring services. My math and reading tutors came three times a week for two hours each. These tutoring sessions allowed me to make up what I missed in elementary and middle school. Eventually, the cost became too much for them to pay. My foster family was very frustrated that they were never reimbursed for services the agency were supposed to provide. 

I am grateful that the Committee on Human Services added $250,000 for increased tutoring services when they unanimously voted on the budget on Wednesday, May 17, 2017. I believe this additional funding is sorely needed. I am also pleased that the Committee provided $500,000 additional dollars for rapid housing. I would have liked to take advantage of this program but I was told by an officer at the Office of Youth and Empowerment that 23 years olds could not receive these vouchers, which is unfair.

In closing, my time in care was not all horrible. Without services like the Education Training Voucher (ETV), a college scholarship for youth foster care, and Capital Area Asset Builder, a match savings program, I would not have been able to graduate debt-free or pay my first month’s rent. Now I am a college graduate with full time employment. No system or organization is perfect, but if CFSA wants to reach their goal of protecting and serving all youth under their care they need to do three things: improve, improve, and improve!

*This post is part of an ongoing series of posts by Councilmember Grosso’s staff to support professional development. All posts are approved and endorsed by Councilmember Grosso.

[1] Pg. 3. March 1, 2017. Fiscal Year 2016 CFSA Performance Oversight Hearing: Testimony of Brenda Donald, Acting Director of CFSA

[2] February 21, 2017. CFSA Performance Oversight Hearing FY2016 2017 (First Quarter) p. 113

[3] Ibid p. 117

[4] Ibid p. 111

Grosso concerned over implementation of student loan ombudsman

Councilmember Grosso sent a letter to the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking (DISB) raising concerns over the dual-expertise qualification needed for the District of Columbia's Student Loan Ombudsman that could delay hiring of the vital position.

Legislation introduced by Councilmember Grosso and passed by the Council last year created an ombudsman in DISB empowered to establish licensing requirements for student loan servicers in the city.  They are also charged with informing D.C. residents about their options when seeking student loans and when working to repay them.

DISB advertised the position as a "Student Loan and Foreclosure Ombudsman", requiring applicants to have qualifications in both fields, a move that Councilmember Grosso feels will yield no qualified candidates and thus delay the hiring of a student loan ombudsman.

"The District of Columbia, one of the most educated cities in the U.S., is the most indebted jurisdiction when it comes to average federal student loan debt," wrote Grosso. "The 140,000 student loan borrowers residing in D.C. owe an average of $40,885, about 40 percent higher than the national average."

Recent actions by the Trump Administration to halt a planned overhaul to student loan management initiated under President Barack Obama have cast the system into doubt and made the need fir a dedicated student loan ombudsman in D.C. even more important.

"Now more than ever, a dedicated Student Loan Ombudsman is necessary to ensure that our residents will be able to lodge complaints and receive vital educational information as it relates to their student loans.  Further, this role will enable the District of Columbia to take a critical step in protecting student loan borrowers by creating servicer accountability and providing stringent oversight of this industry," Grosso wrote.

Read the councilmember's full letter below.

CM Grosso Letter to DISB re: Student Loan Ombudsman by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Budget Responses from Agencies

The responses to questions posed to the agencies under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Education, chaired by Councilmember Grosso, as part of the annual budget process are now available.

Grosso calls on chief financial officer to consider Wells Fargo divestment

Councilmember Grosso sent a letter last week to Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey DeWitt calling on his office to reassess the District of Columbia's relationship with Wells Fargo, in light of its questionable and discriminatory business practices and financing of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the private prison industry.

"As Wells Fargo is the District of Columbia’s bank of record, I believe we have an obligation to reassess our relationship with this entity and join countless other cities in strongly considering divestment," Grosso wrote.

Grosso had previously introduced a Sense of the Council resolution urging divestment from Wells Fargo.

"I understand and can appreciate that state and local governments, in selecting institutions that will meet their needs for depository services, are subject to specific statutory and constitutional restrictions; however we should endeavor to prioritize partnering with business entities and financial institutions that are committed to engaging in fair and responsible business practices and we should always seek to reinvest in local banks to further support community growth.," he wrote.

Read the full letter below.

CM Grosso Letter to CFO on DC divestment from Wells Fargo by Team_Grosso on Scribd

D.C. in the age of Trump

The first month and a half under President Trump has been dizzying, to put it mildly.  He’s taken actions promising a range of harms to include: withholding federal money from “sanctuary” cities, a travel ban aimed at seven Muslim-majority countries, and even rescinding the student protections based on their gender identity.  In addition to the stress-inducing actions of the president, congressional Republicans are still committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act, a move that would have massive implications for millions of Americans.

We are living in incredibly uncertain times, which has given rise to the #resistance movement. Millions have joined marches to protest the disheartening steps taken by the Trump administration and states across the country are developing strategies to protect themselves against potentially sweeping federal policy changes.  Unfortunately, here in the District of Columbia, our circumstances are more precarious. 

Statehood confers certain protections, though those protections are not without limits.  By virtue of having it, states are afforded more avenues through which they can act to thwart ill-conceived federal action.  Similarly, states have at their disposal clear defenses and certain recourse. 

As D.C. is not a state, it begs the question—what can we do to protect ourselves?

The District of Columbia has long been a pawn in the political meddling of Congress.  Congressional leadership has wrongly interfered with the city’s ability to govern itself by attacking the rights of women and families to make their own reproductive health decisions, blocking the city from using local funds to legalize marijuana and, most recently, attempting to block D.C. physicians from prescribing medication to terminally ill residents.  

While most attempts fail, we are faced with an unpredictable executive administration and an emboldened Congress.  The current climate requires us to be more diligent, defiant, and creative.

As the city is currently enjoying a $2.4 billion General Fund Balance and our cash reserves have reached $1.165 billion, we need to be prepared to establish a new, non-lapsing special fund to help us continue to provide services to our residents in the event of something catastrophic, like the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

The resources to establish a new fund are ample and could be available now. 

I have stated repeatedly that the time is ripe to reassess our reserves, how they are currently spent and how they should be spent in the future.  Continuing to pursue 60 days of cash on hand may not be the best approach, particularly if we are unwilling to exhaust all of those funds to ensure that our residents have access to needed services in the event of federal changes.

Nevertheless while our cash reserves, the contingency cash reserve in particular, could be used to help residents in need due to “unexpected obligations created by federal law,” any money taken from our reserves must be paid back within 2 years.

Last month, I introduced the Reserve Fund Improvement Amendment Act of 2017, which standardizes the reserve fund calculations to allow the city to meet its reserve requirements this year, freeing up $89.7 million of the reserve funding surplus to be used immediately for other investments. Though legislative amendments would be required, this money is a perfect example of available funding to establish a new fund.

Similarly, the city’s Chief Financial Officer recently revised the local fund revenue forecast upward by $128.1 million in FY17 alone.  Pursuant to recommendations of the Tax Revision Commission, current law requires that all recurring revenue above the prior year’s February forecast be allocated to tax policy changes.  This year, the current law should be amended and the Council should move the additional revenue into a new, non-lapsing fund. Combined with the $89.7M of potential reserve fund surplus, the city should be able to immediately deposit $217.8M into the new non-lapsing fund.

As a city, it is time we stand ready to fight.  We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency.  Though we have yet to see the full scope of what could happen at the federal level, we know with certainty that we have an obligation to our residents.  We need to act decisively and with a sense of urgency to pursue all strategies to ensure that our residents are protected and our coffers are properly resourced.

Letter from Councilmember Grosso on New York Avenue Streetscape

On February 24, Councilmember Grosso sent a letter to Mayor Bowser opposing Virginia Railway Express' request to build portions of their rail yard within the New York Avenue right of way, and to expedite the planning and construction process for the trail and greenspace in this land along with other pedestrian and bicycle connections to serve the Ivy City neighborhood.

Letter to Mayor Bowser on New York Ave NE Streetscape by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Former Mayor Williams should be removed as co-chair of D.C. education taskforce

Councilmember David Grosso, Chairperson of the Committee on Education, today sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser requesting that former Mayor Anthony "Tony" Williams be removed as co-chair of the District of Columbia Cross-Sector Collaboration Task Force over his vocal support and endorsement of Betsy DeVos as she sought Senate confirmation as the U.S. Secretary of Education in the Trump Administration.

The task force's mission is to produce "clear and fair recommendations on how to improve the coherence of public education in D.C. for parents and increase the collaboration across and among public schools...".  Williams endorsement of a nominee who lacks a basic understanding of the laws that protect and who supports voucher programs, and his vocal support in a video recorded for DeVos of such a program that would undermine public education, is in conflict with that mission.

Historically in D.C., voucher programs have undermined the oversight, transparency, and accountability of our school choice system.  As recently as five years ago, voucher dollars for charter schools paid for private tuition funded schools that were low-performing and not subject to quality controls.

Previously, Grosso had sent a letter to Deputy Mayor Niles urging a re-examination of Williams' fitness to serve on the task force given his endorsement.  Deputy Mayor Niles responded stating that the concerns have been brought to the mayor.  All three letters can be found below.

Read the letter to Mayor Bowser here:

Correspondence From CM Grosso to Mayor Bowser RE CSCTF Feb 9 2017 by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Response letter from Deputy Mayor Niles to Councilmember Grosso:

Response to CM Grosso from DME Niles regarding Anthony Williams by Team_Grosso on Scribd

Councilmember Grosso's original letter to Deputy Mayor for Education Niles:

Grosso Letter to DME Niles RE Cross Sector Collaboration Task Force Leadership by Team_Grosso on Scribd

No evidence that more police officers will reduce violent crime in D.C.

Today, Councilmember Grosso sent a letter to his colleagues on the Council of the District of Columbia regarding a proposal introduced that would increase the number of officers serving in the Metropolitan Police Department.

"It is my belief that while we must act urgently to stop violent crime in the District of Columbia, there is no evidence that increasing the number of officers to 4,200 would achieve that result," Grosso wrote.

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, D.C. had approximately twice the number of sworn officers per 10,000 residents in 2015 as similarly sized cities.  Despite more officers, D.C. did not have a corresponding low-level of violent crime when compared to these other cities.

Instead of increasing the number of officers, the city should continue to embrace the public health approach to ending violence in our neighborhoods.

"The public health paradigm, with programs focused on violence interruption and preventing its spread, has proven successful in many other cities, with evaluations showing reductions of shootigns and killings by as much as 50% in targeted neighborhoods," Grosso wrote.

Councilmember Grosso Letter to Colleagues on MPD by Team_Grosso on Scribd