Quality education for every student to succeed
Rashida helped build D.C.’s child care infrastructure as a policy director in D.C.’s Office of the Superintendent of Secondary Education (OSSE), advancing the implementation of the pre-K enhancement program and helping develop and launch My Child Care DC. An authority on early childhood education, she helped secure funding for Colorado’s education compensation program and worked to pass the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act.
As a social worker, Rashida understands the barriers children face, and knows what it takes to give students the support they need to succeed in school and after.
WHAT RASHIDA’S DONE
Helped develop key government initiatives like My Child Care DC, Counties for Kids and Thrive by Five, Rashida supported local elected local leaders expanding access to affordable, high-quality early childhood services in the District and nationwide.
Served on the D.C. Interagency Truancy Taskforce, whose work led to the School Attendance Clarification Amendment Act of 2015 – a landmark legislation prohibiting suspension, expulsion, or unenrollment of students due to unexcused absences or tardiness—actions that don’t improve attendance.
Advocated for better education support for children in foster care nationally and in D.C., requiring child welfare and education agencies to coordinate and consider school issues when making placement decisions and ensuring D.C.’s Child and Family Services Agency has adequate resources and staffing to support educational stability for every child in foster care.
Revised provisions in the District’s Education State Plan to strengthen coordination between Pre-K and K-12 to improve student outcomes.
WHAT RASHIDA WILL DO
With decades of experience in early childhood education, Rashida will be D.C.'s fiercest early childhood champion on the D.C. Council. She will:
Fully fund and expand the Pay Equity Fund. As someone who has dedicated her entire career to ensuring children and families have access to quality services delivered with dignity, the Pay Equity Fund represents the kind of transformative policy Rashida has fought for throughout her 25 years in public service. She helped bring the Pay Equity Fund model to Colorado, securing a $2 million partnership with that state’s Department for Early Childhood Development for compensation of early child care and education workers.
Implement Birth-to-Three's 10% promise. No family should pay more than 10% of its income for child care. Rashida will establish dedicated revenue streams—not vulnerable annual appropriations—to make this real. This means expanding subsidy eligibility, ensuring reimbursement rates reflect actual costs, and creating facility grants to increase infant-toddler slots in underserved neighborhoods.
Streamline access. Having managed CCDBG compliance, Rashida knows our system is unnecessarily complex and will strengthen and expand the "no wrong door" enrollment system, eliminate bureaucratic barriers, and leverage modernized technology to ensure families get assistance quickly and with dignity.
Support family child care providers. These primarily Black and brown women-owned small businesses need startup grants, technical assistance, and fair reimbursement rates. We can also leverage our small business development agency, local Community Development Financial Institutions and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to coordinate these efforts.
Eliminate the Child Care Subsidy waitlist to increase access to low income families.
Improve school facilities and safety.
Support school facility capital improvement projects in the ward and around the city
Push for annual facilities inspections – not just crisis response
Promote accessible and inclusive school environments to support the needs of people with differing abilities
Support the Safe Passage Program and its continuation throughout school years
Trust teachers as professionals.
Align policy reality with research demonstrating that teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling (e.g, flexible schedules, professional development, higher wages and bonuses, retention tools and incentives)
Elevate the voices of diverse D.C. teacher leaders and student groups to bring about a more equitable education system
Advocate for policies that improve working conditions and encourage effective teachers to stay in the classroom
Address the educator workforce crisis.
Leverage teacher retention tools such as bonus pay, increased salaries, housing incentives, mentoring and professional development, flexible work hours for classroom preparation, and mental health and wellbeing support to prevent burnout
Support incentives for targeted recruitment and retention of Latino/a teachers and teachers of color who are underrepresented in D.C. schools
Address fiscal challenges facing schools with potential staff reductions by prioritizing early planning and community input
Expand student-centered learning and wellness.
Address the expanded role of schools to include not just academic success but also mental health support, safety, and other areas
Focus on students' physical and mental health needs and involve student voices in devising solutions addressing pandemic related learning loss and wellbeing factors
Strengthen wraparound services that address barriers to learning – evaluate progress on school-based mental health since its passage
Focus on academic excellence with equity.
Work toward the goal of doubling the proportion of schools in the District of Columbia that provide students high quality, high-equity experiences
Support curriculum that helps students think critically and apply their learning in service of their communities
Ensure students have access to relevant and meaningful learning experiences and equitable standards and transparency across DCPS and charter schools
Address chronic absenteeism.
Support the relaunched taskforce focusing on whole-of-government approach to support students and families and addressing attendance barriers
Invest in community-school partnerships that make schools welcoming and engaging places for all families
Expand out-of-school opportunities.
Recognize that out-of-school time programs play a pivotal role in the overall development and well-being of our students
Support continued funding for after-school and summer programming
Connect out-of-school time with academic learning and college/career preparation
Strengthen school-community partnerships.
Support programs that focus resources on family engagement to support our first-generation college students
Ensure schools are culturally affirming spaces for students of all identities
Protect and support immigrant families, while allowing their children to gain access to a high-quality education
Advance college and career readiness.
Strengthen post-secondary planning in D.C. – it plays a crucial role in helping students develop a clear path for their careers and education after high school
Support pathways through both higher education and trade schools and invest in work-based learning opportunities
Connect students with internships, apprenticeships, and career exploration in Ward 1 businesses