A Big Step Toward Literacy Reform in DC!
📚 Big Literacy Win in Motion 📖
The Structured Literacy Competency Requirement Amendment Act of 2025 is now in motion as part of DC’s FY26 budget. If adopted, this amendment would formalize DC’s commitment to structured literacy, embedding science-backed training and instructional practices into how we prepare and support early grade teachers.
My top priority on the State Board has been to advance literacy for all DC students. This proposal responds directly to what I’ve heard from educators across the city: “I never learned how to teach reading & I want to do better for my students.”
But this isn’t done yet. To make it law, we need your voice.
📬Show your support! E-mail Councilmember Pinto and Chairman Mendelson to thank them for leading on literacy!
If passed, the next step will be implementation. That includes protecting the integrity and funding of the DC Reading Clinic, a program already making a real difference for teachers and students.This moment builds on years of advocacy for evidence-based structured literacy reforms. To learn more, here are a few pieces I’ve written in The DC Line:
DC should invest in training teachers how to effectively teach reading
Reading success isn’t immediate — but it’s achievable if we stay the course
🎓 Ward 1 & 2 Student Safety Conversation – July 22
Student safety is a top concern I hear from families, educators, and neighbors alike. On Tuesday, July 22, we’re hosting a Student Safety Conversation for Wards 1 & 2. Leaders from DCPS, charter schools, Safe Passage, and public safety agencies will join us to listen and share updates. Your voice can shape the path forward.
🧹 Community Clean-Up – This Saturday (7/12) @ 10am
Join me and Commissioner Kevin Cataldo (ANC 2F) for a Logan Circle Clean-Up this Saturday. Let’s connect, clear some litter, and talk about how we build a safer, more literate DC together.
Your neighbor & Ward 2 Rep on the DC State Board of Education,
Allister Chang