October 2022

AJE news, events, and resources to keep you stay informed!

AJE hopes that all our readers are safe and well. This newsletter has information about AJE programs, transportation, and vaccinations.

Register for TUESDAY here   and    Register for SATURDAY here

AJE's School Based Advocacy Program

Protect Your Family: Vaccines and Immunizations, COVID, Flu, Monkeypox, Vaccines, What you need to know

WORRIED ABOUT COVID, FLU, MONKEYPOX?

Under 3 DC is planning with DC's Department of Health, OSSE and the Health Benefit Exchange

Learn how you can protect your family’s health with the most

current information on vaccines and immunization. Join us for

a virtual town hall.

October 2022 Mental Health Learning Series

Join the U.S. Department of Education for a 3-part webinar series on promoting promising practices, resources and understanding existing barriers to mental health services for students. This webinar series will tackle pressing issues facing the field and will highlight ways to support student mental health, increase access to services, and support the whole child. 

Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at 4:00pm: 

Evidence in Action: How States and Districts can Promote Mental Health

Register here: https://ed-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_pGC8FuIzSoq4I6f_mb9TyQ

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 4:00pm: 

The Importance of Trauma Informed Pedagogy and Student Identity in Mental Health

Register here: https://ed-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_u2Bu961dSDKLwt5HtdDgbA

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 4:00pm:

Reducing Stigma and Improving Access to Mental Health Services

Register here: https://ed-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_A6VzFzoFQBuX1Ttwn941BA

State Board Announces SY2022–23 Student Representatives

Student Advisory Committee (SAC) Seeks Members

Washington, D.C.—The D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) is pleased to announce the selection of its SY2022–23 Student Representatives. The Student Representatives co-chaired the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) and serve as the voice of students in the State Board’s work. They are consulted on issues of policy before the State Board and lend their perspectives to the work of the State Board, especially around issues that are prominent in D.C. public schools. Students interested in joining in this work can find out more information about the SAC here. 

Téa Washington is a sophomore at BASIS DC PCS. Growing up in Capitol Hill, she was surrounded by politicians and change makers. She has always loved participating in community events like  Everybody Wins, a non-profit organization that allows students in schools to read with Senate employees, touring the Capitol and other government-buildings, or running into a senator at a Starbucks near her school. Washington is truly a product of her environment when it comes to her passion for advocacy and devotion to change. Washington said, “There is nothing I love more than being able to serve my community and assist those around me in any way possible. I am so excited for this opportunity, and can’t wait to work with my fellow representatives and members of our Student Advisory Committee!”

Anthony Wages is a sophomore at H.D. Woodson. He serves as Class President and on the Color Guard. As a Student Representative of the State Board, Wages wants students to feel that they are in a safe space to share their opinions freely without being judged. “Sometimes, all voices are not represented in the District. All voices include students from disadvantaged backgrounds, troubled youth, and those of different sexual orientation. I find that these voices aren’t represented in every space. My goal is to ensure that every voice, every person, and every community member feels safe enough to step out of their houses into a community they feel safe and protected in,” Wages said. Wages, who aspires to be a lawyer, is striving to increase awareness and knowledge of issues that impact the life of everyday students.

Liv Birnstad is a senior at Capital City PCS and is beginning her second term as Student Representative. Liv currently sits on the State Board’s Education Standards Committee, in addition to co-chairing the Student Advisory Committee (SAC). Outside of her time on the State Board, Liv is a member of her schools Queer and Trans Student Alliance, which hosts and creates annual school-wide professional development sessions for teachers and staff. “I would like to continue to engage with education issues in the District, including communicating with students and adults on what issues exist and how they can most effectively be addressed. I have enjoyed being able to engage with all of the work brought in front of the board and pushing for student voices in all spaces related to education,” Birnstad said.

China Jones-Burgess is a junior at Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts. She serves on their student government association and served on the Student Advisory Committee for two years. Jones-Burgess loves being a voice for her peers and expressing their opinions on how to improve their experiences through D.C. public schools. “I want to be a leader who other students can trust with their concerns,” Jones-Burgess said.

Contact: Milayo Olufemi

202-710-4641

Milayo.Olufemi@dc.gov

Free Legal Clinic for SSI/SSDI Applications

AJE is Hiring!!! 

TO APPLY: E-mail your resume, cover letter and three references to information@aje-dc.org with the subject line: Parent Support Specialist Application – [your last name]. We will accept applications until the position is filled.

Advocates for Justice and Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly encourage women, persons of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply.

What You Need To Know: OSSE- DOT

Department of Transportation Update: SY2022/23

We understand that transportation has been a major problem this school year. Delayed picks-ups, no pickups and even incorrect drop-offs, parents are having a difficult time with reliable transportation.

I hope this information can give families some suggestions and contacts that make transportation easier.

If your child qualifies for transportation services, your child’s school or LEA must submit a Transportation Request Form (TRF) to the OSSE Department of Transportation (OSSE-DOT) so OSSE can include your child when they plan transportation routes for the upcoming school year. If your child’s school does not submit a TRF to OSSE-DOT, your child will not have a bus routed to them!

AJE is happy to talk to parents about all kinds of transportation issues; from students with IEPs or 504 plans who ride OSSE-DOT buses to students who need to navigate WMATA buses and the Metro system to get to school.  

For further information please see the OSSE Transportation Handbook for Parents and Guardians of Special Education Students and Questions and Answers about Transportation regarding transportation services your child is entitled to under federal law. Remember OSSE-DOT can not make changes to pick-up or drop-off, all that must come from your child's school.  

Additionally, we encourage you to contact the OSSE-DOT Parent Resource Center for parents and guardians of students with disabilities at (202)-576-5000 if you have any concerns about your child’s transportation, and regularly check our website for future updates to make your child’s transportation to and from school as seamless as possible.

You can also email these contacts for complaints and concerns about OSSE-DOT  We suggest that parents specifically ask that OSSE-DOT consider the email a complaint to osse.dot@dc.gov and ask for a case number. 

OSSE-DOT and your child's school have the ability to offer a variety of remedies to families when they have failed to fulfill their obligation to provide timely transportation. They can offer Parental reimbursement, short or long-term Private Transportation and compensatory education.

Don't be afraid to ask them to make things right and minimize the harm of missing school, and/or cover the expense of parents having to provide transportation when OSSE-DOT is supposed to. The parent reimbursement forms are here - Parent Certification, OSSE-DOT Guidelines, and W9. Directions to upload those forms are here.  

AJE would love to hear from DC families about your experiences with transportation! Please consider completing this very short google form and sharing your transportation story today! You can also share this newsletter and link with other DC families!

OSSE DOT – New and Returning Families Info Sheet

SPED HUB – Family-facing Flyer for Schools (ENGLISH)BW

What You Need To Know: OSSE Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine Requirements for Students in the 2022-23 School Year

In accordance with the Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Amendment Act of 2021, beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the COVID-19 vaccine is required for all students who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination that is fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their age. As of May 4, 2022, the FDA has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 12 and older and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 16 and older. If additional approvals occur, OSSE will communicate those updates as soon as possible.

Previously any student age 12 or older at the start of the 2022-23 school year were required to have received their primary COVID-19 vaccination series— or have started the vaccination series — or they will risk being removed from school. However,The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) along with other D.C. offices is delaying the enforcement date for the COVID-19 vaccine policy. The DME released a letter extending the "enforcement timeline of the Immunization Attendance Policy for routine pediatric immunizations and the COVID-19 vaccine during the 2022-23 school year.

Families now have until the start of the new year to come into compliance with the COVID vaccination requirements. It's important to note that these new compliance deadlines also apply to students who receive at home virtual instruction.

Shown below are the new deadlines for immunization compliance. To view the full letter click here.

What You Need To Know: Vaccine Exemptions 

Information about Vaccine Exemptions for SY 2022/23

Back to school can be a stressful time for families, especially now when there are new laws and guidance around immunizations. The No Shot No School law requires full immunization for children 12 and older with the only acceptable exception to the law being medical and religious exemptions.

Linked is information about medical and religious exemptions. The first link is the current form you need to document a medical exception https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/service_content/attachments/DOH%20Universal%20Health%20Certificate_2019_0.pdf – alternative documentation (physician statement, for example) is acceptable.

However, to request a religious exemption there is a new process for that. In order to obtain the form for religious exemption it must be requested directly from DC Department of Health. This link will have all the information you need to know about the process and the other forms that are required in order to obtain a religious exemption.