Press Releases

“Over the past year, the Council has heard from teachers, prospective volunteers, community-based organizations, parents, and school leaders about the detrimental impacts arising from backlogs in the District’s processing of prospective teachers’ and volunteers’ applications. The intent of this legislation is to increase the efficiency of the educator and volunteer hiring process while ensuring the safety of our students. While a typical background check should take about 3 weeks, our current turnaround time is upwards of 3 months. This has affected our schools’ ability to recruit and hire critical staff such as substitute teachers, tutors, and programmatic staff,” said Councilmember Henderson.

Earlier this summer, I sent a letter to Director Lott regarding the automated traffic enforcement program. DDOT responded, detailing their rationale behind the program and its technology. See my letter and their presentation below.

Washington DC – Today, Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced the Commission on Public Compensation Establishment Amendment Act of 2022. This legislation would establish a Commission on Public Compensation to review and make recommendations on the compensation and stipend levels for the members of Council of the District Columbia, the Mayor, the Attorney General, the members of the State Board of Education, and several public commissions and boards.

“Every individual who has served their time deserves a fair chance to thrive in the District of Columbia once they return home. We know that women experience incarceration differently than men, and our re-entry services should reflect this reality,” said Councilmember Christina Henderson. “This legislation would establish a group to think critically about and advise DC government on the unique needs facing women who are returning citizens.”

The Task Force is currently working through a series of subcommittee meetings, workshops, field trips and stakeholder engagement sessions designed to provide enough background to formulate the best recommendations on projects funded through BIL formula funding and competitive grants. One of those projects, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, is top of mind for Mayor Bowser, Deputy Mayor Babers, Director Lott and members of the Transportation Innovation subcommittee. On May 18, Mayor Bowser led a community walk to highlight the importance of reconnecting communities once divided by highways.

Final redistricting map approved by the Council.