The District of Columbia Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) is examining access to special education and transportation services in D.C. for students with disabilities. It has been reported that the Office of the State Superintendent of Education may overly rely on administrative complaints and lawsuits when apportioning such services in D.C. public schools. The Committee will examine if policies, practices, and procedures limit access to these services on the basis of color, race, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin, including in the administration of justice.
The Committee will conduct a series of panel briefings to take testimony, inviting a broad range of subject-matter experts (stakeholders), including academics and researchers; advocates representing civil rights, community-based, and think tank organizations; appointed and/or elected federal and D.C. government officials; impacted individuals.
On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the Committee will host the first virtual panel briefing. The invited experts will offer national and D.C. specific data on this topic. More details about this and future panel briefings will be shared on the information page here.
Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Meeting Link: http://bit.ly/46S4uyX
Telephone Access (Audio Only): 1-833-435-1820, Webinar ID: 160 065 4861#
Chairperson Wayne Heard said, “The District of Columbia Advisory Committee looks forward to hearing diverse perspectives on the efficacy of current policies, practices and procedures that affect access to special education and transportation services for students with disabilities in the District of Columbia. The Committee’s report will advise the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about an important civil rights issue in support of the Commission’s mission to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws.”
After the Chairperson announces that the panel briefing has concluded, he will invite members of the public, if any, to make brief oral statements on the topic, with each statement not exceeding five minutes. Closed captioning is available by selecting “CC” in the Zoom meeting platform. Individuals requiring additional accommodations should contact svillanueva@usccr.gov at least 10 business days prior to this panel briefing. Additionally, members of the public are encouraged to submit written statements via email. Statements received within 30 days after the virtual briefing, i.e., December 21, 2023, will be included in the briefing record.
Kindly send the statement to ero@usccr.gov, using the subject line: DC Special Education.
ero@usccr.gov