The SAC serves as the voice of students in the State Board’s work. They are consulted on issues of policy before the Board. The SAC meets at least once per month. Each year, the Committee sends the SBOE a report on a matter of importance to District students, providing recommended next steps.
2021–22 Student Advisory Committee
Below is the full list of the 2021–22 Student Advisory Committee:
| Name | School | Graduation Year |
| Ean Bowie, co-chair | Ron Brown College Prep High School | 2023 |
| Skye-Ali Johnson, co-chair | Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts | 2022 |
| Juliana Lopez, co-chair | Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC) | 2023 |
| Alexander O'Sullivan, co-chair | BASIS DC Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Amira Jones | Bard High School Early College DC | 2024 |
| Andrew Michael Wilson | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2024 |
| Aniya Jabria Coffey | Phelps ACE High School | 2024 |
| China Jones-Burgess | Bard High School Early College DC | 2024 |
| Clarke Dickens | Capital City Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Darlin Rivera | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Daya George | School Without Walls High School | 2023 |
| Dylan Park | School Without Walls High School | 2024 |
| Edith Alexandra Gonzalez | Cardozo Education Campus | 2022/2023 |
| Emilie Kpadea | Calvin Coolidge Senior High School | 2023 |
| Gabriel Kraemer | School Without Walls High School | 2023 |
| Gary Murray | Paul Lawerence Dunbar High School | 2022 |
| Haven Gilchrist | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Imania Sheikh | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2022 |
| Iyana Williams | Bard High School Early College DC | 2023 |
| Janiya Brenae Charity | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2022 |
| Jenae’ Preddie | Bard High School Early College DC | 2023 |
| Julian Wardlaw | D.C. International School | 2023 |
| Kayla Park | Washington Latin Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Kendall Shields | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2022 |
| Kyriah Carmicheal | Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts | 2024 |
| Leah Michele Sloan | Kipp DC College Prep | 2023 |
| Liv Birnstad | Capital City Public Charter School | 2023 |
| London McPherson-Dews | Anacostia Senior High School | 2022 |
| Lordes Weston | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Penelope Morris | School Without Walls High School | 2024 |
| Perion King | Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts | 2024 |
| Reagan Allvin | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Segen Mebrahtu | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2022 |
| Sophia Hosford | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Sophia Ibrahim | Wilson High School | 2023 |
| Taron Lawson | Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts | 2023 |
| Titilope Omole | Theodore Roosevelt High School | 2023 |
| Vance Gootman | School Without Walls High School | 2022 |
| Yohanna Mbedgue | Cardozo Education Campus | 2023 |
2020–21 Student Advisory Committee
At the July 14, 2021 Public Meeting, Student Representative Alex O'Sullivan and Student Advisory Committee members, Reagan Allvin, Emilie Kpadea, Gary Murray, and Leah Sloan, presented a final report to the Board for consideration. The SAC focused their report on the most important issues they tackled during SY2020–21: distance learning, mental health, in-person learning, safe passage, inequities in funding, and recruiting applicants for the SAC/Student Representative positions. Read their full report here.
The SY2021-21 SAC also organized two student-led town halls to discuss and engage with the public on a variety of topics, including distance learning, student mental health, student engagement in an online setting, synchronous v. asynchronous learning, online platforms, reopening, standardized testing during distance learning, and more. The recordings of each can be found on the State Board's YouTube channel or viewed below:
Below is the full list of the 2020-21 Student Advisory Committee
| Name | School | Grad Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shayla Dell, co-chair | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2022 |
| Alex O'Sullivan, co-chair | BASIS DC Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Alyssa Richardson | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2022 |
| Amira Jones | Bard Early College High School | 2024 |
| Anna Brosowsky | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Camille Jones | Capital City Public Charter School | 2021 |
| China Jones-Burgess | Bard Early College High School | 2024 |
| Emilie Kpadea | Calvin Coolidge Senior High School | 2023 |
| Gary Murray | Paul Laurence Dunbar High School | 2022 |
| Guilio Iacoviello | School Without Walls | 2021 |
| Haven Gilchrist | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Iyanna Williams | Bard Early College High School | 2023 |
| Janiya Charity | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2022 |
| Jean-Pierre Roberts | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Jenae Preddie | Bard High School Early College | 2023 |
| Jessi Thompson-Brown | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Jordynn Goins | Paul Laurence Dunbar High School | 2021 |
| Julian Michael Wardlaw | D.C. International School | 2023 |
| Kayla Park | Washington Latin Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Leah Sloan | KIPP DC College Preparatory Public Charter School | 2023 |
| London McPherson-Dews | Anacostia High School | 2022 |
| Londyn Napper | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Lordes Weston | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Lucas Johnson | BASIS DC Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Reagan Allvin | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Segen Mebrahtu | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2022 |
| Shaniyah Robinson | Frank W. Ballou High School | 2022 |
| Sophia Hosford | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Tamia Murphy | Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School | 2022 |
| Vance Gootman | School Without Walls HS | 2022 |
| Walker Price | Wilson High School | 2021 |
| Winston Wardlaw | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Zion Smithen | McKinley Technology High School | 2022 |
2019-20 Student Advisory Committee
At the June 17, 2020 SBOE Public Meeting, Student Representatives Dayja Burton and Alex O'Sullivan, along with members of the SAC, presented a final report to the Board for consideration. The SAC met monthly over the course of the 2019-20 school year and focused their work on "Post-Secondary Preparation" and "Maximizing Productivity Within the Classroom." The Post-Secondary Preparation committee focused on how students feel that there should be a greater effort towards helping students navigate post-secondary options. This committee designed a survey to determine what students would need in order to feel prepared and supported, and recommendations include developing financial literacy and career classes, and increasing the number of counselors. The Maximizing Productivity in the Classroom committee worked towards examining in-class factors that could improve student learning. It identified four main areas of focus: access to learning, teaching and learning styles, relationship with teachers, and mental well-being of students and teachers. Additionally, due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the implementation of District-wide distance learning, the SAC included a list of recommendations on how distance learning can be best implemented in the fall and addressed concerns for safety upon reopening of schools next school year.
Below is the full list of the 2019-20 Student Advisory Committee:
| Name | School | Grad Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dayja Burton, co-chair | McKinley Technology High School | 2020 |
| Alex O'Sullivan, co-chair | BASIS DC | 2022 |
| Abigail Quashie | BASIS DC | 2020 |
| Adam Soltani | School Without Walls | 2021 |
| Anna Brosowsky | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Ceon Dubose | Phelps Architecture, Construction, and Engineering HS | 2020 |
| Chau Nguyen | Wilson High School | 2021 |
| Chelsea Casarrubias | McKinley Technology HS | 2020 |
| Gabriel Madson | D.C. International School | 2020 |
| Hannah Dorosin | Wilson High School | 2020 |
| Imani Horton | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2020 |
| Jackson Hall | Wilson High School | 2021 |
| Jalen Gross | IDEA Public Charter School | 2021 |
| Jeremiah McCollum | KIPP DC - College Preparatory Academy Public Charter School | 2021 |
| Jessi Thompson-Brown | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Kaitlyn Towles | Anacostia High School | 2020 |
| Lauren Hadley | D.C. International School | 2020 |
| Londyn Napper | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Maya Gray | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2020 |
| Mendel Socolovsky | School Without Walls High School | 2020 |
| Micah Carter | Wilson High School | 2020 |
| Nadine Beckford | Calvin Coolidge High School | 2020 |
| Reagan Allvin | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Sanaa Sanderson | BASIS DC | 2020 |
| Shayla Dell | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2022 |
| Tamia Murphy | Washington Leadership Academy | 2022 |
| Vance Gootman | School Without Walls | 2022 |
| Walker Price | Wilson High School | 2021 |
| Zahir Hanson | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Alyssa Richardson | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2022 |
| Winston Wardlaw | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Zakhiya Graham | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Lordes Weston | Wilson High School | 2022 |
| Jesse Holmes | Thurgood Marshall Academy | 2020 |
| Guilio Iacoviello | School Without Walls | 2021 |
2018-19 Student Advisory Committee
At the June 19, 2019 SBOE Public Meeting, Student Representatives Tatiana Robinson and Marjoury Alicea, along with members of the SAC, presented a final report to the Board for consideration. The SAC met monthly over the course of the 2018-19 school year and focused their work on "Teacher Retention" & "Equity Across Schools." The Teacher Retention committee worked to create solutions to keep more teachers in schools, find the main reasons that teachers leave schools after a short period of time, and advocate and voice the ways in which erroneous retention rates affect students. The Equity Across Schools Committee focused on finding the real reasons behind the inequities in DC schools, examining the differences in school course offerings such as languages, extracurricular activities, college tours, and the quality of substitutes at different schools.
Below is the full list of the 2018-19 Student Advisory Committee:
| Name | School | Grad Year |
|---|---|---|
| Marjoury Alicea, co-chair | Capital City Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Tatiana Robinson, co-chair | Frank W. Ballou High School | 2019 |
| Aaliyah Dick | Wilson High School | 2019 |
| Aaron Spruill | Friendship Collegiate Academy | 2019 |
| Akhayla Reynolds | McKinley Technology High School | 2019 |
| Aleghzia Smith | Friendship Technology Preparatory | 2019 |
| Anna Brosowsky | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Arnedja Evans | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2020 |
| Ayodeji Okuleye | Washington Latin Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Chandler Nutall | School Without Walls | 2019 |
| Daniel Rodriguez | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2019 |
| Diana Shea | BASIS DC Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Emma Quigg | BASIS DC Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Hannah Dunn | Wilson High School | 2019 |
| Hannah Dorosin | Wilson High School | 2020 |
| Henry Addison Jr. | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2020 |
| Imani Horton | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2019 |
| Janae Chambers | Friendship Collegiate Academy | 2019 |
| Jayna Brown | Duke Ellington School of the Arts | 2019 |
| Jerome Foster II | Washington Leadership Academy | 2020 |
| Joseph Soltani | Eastern Senior High School | 2019 |
| Kasai Rogers | D.C. International School | 2020 |
| Kaya Myers | Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Khiya Derricott | Washington Latin Public Charter School | 2019 |
| London Hart | SEED Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Maya Woods-Arthur | Washington Latin Public Charter School | 2019 |
| Maya Gray | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2020 |
| N'yana Martin | Thurgood Marshall Academy | 2019 |
| Raquel Robinson | Friendship Technology Preparatory High School | 2021 |
| Sifan Hunde | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2019 |
| Siraj Carter | Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC) | 2020 |
| Syamyia Beach | Frank W. Ballou High School | 2019 |
| Winston Wardlaw | D.C. International School | 2021 |
| Zachary Crouch | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School | 2019 |
2017-18 Student Advisory Committee
At the May 16, 2018 SBOE Public Meeting, Student Representatives Tallya Rhodes and Tatiana Robinson, along with members of the SAC, presented a final report to the Board for consideration. The SAC met eight times over the course of the 2017-18 school year and selected two key topics that its members felt could be improved in the District’s public schools. The proposals submitted by the SAC focused on college readiness and equal access to educational opportunities in the District. Working in two teams, SAC members developed a peer-to-peer mentoring program for District students and built a resource website for students looking for guidance and insight into college and career opportunities.
Below is the full list of the 2017-18 Student Advisory Committee:
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Tallya Rhodes, Student Representative | H.D. Woodson High School |
| Tatiana Robinson, Student Representative | Frank W. Ballou High School |
| Aaliyah Dick | Wilson High School |
| Agustin Pereira Martinez | School Without Walls High School |
| Aniyah Fields | Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School |
| Ayia Evans | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School |
| Chandler Nutall | School Without Walls |
| Charlotte Mestrich | School Without Walls |
| Daniel Osmin Rodriguez | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School |
| Davine Holsey | H.D. Woodson High School |
| De Jesus Ray Vincent Lagman | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School |
| Diana Shea | BASIS DC |
| Dwight Harris | Frank W. Ballou High School |
| Emilia Majersik | Wilson High School |
| Emma K Quigg | BASIS DC |
| Hannah Dunn | Wilson High School |
| Jamiah Hall | Roosevelt High School |
| Janae Chambers | Friendship Collegiate Academy |
| Jasmin Woodruff | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School |
| Jerome Foster II | Washington Leadership Academy |
| John Carlos Garcia | Capital City Public Charter School |
| Marcia Bailey | Cesar Chavez Public Charter School - Parkside |
| Menkhu-ta Whaley | Thurgood Marshall Academy |
| Natalie Seablom | Wilson High School |
| Nathaniel Hutton | The Lab School |
| Zachary Crouch | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School |
2016-17 Student Advisory Committee
In its second year, the Student Advisory Committee continued its mission to promote student voice within the District of Columbia Public Schools and public charter school systems. Student Representatives and SAC co-chairs Alex Dorosin and Jamiah Hall led the committee in writing a final proposal for a system promoting administrative accessibility and other improvements to the high school student experience. The State Board of Education approved the Student Advisory Committee’s final report at its June 2017 public meeting.
Below is the full list of the 2016-17 Student Advisory Committee:
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Alex Dorosin, Student Representative | Wilson High School |
| Jamiah Hall, Student Representative | Roosevelt High School |
| Tavian Southall | Thurgood Marshall Academy |
| Nathaniel Hutton | The Lab School |
| Jasmin Woodruff | Benjamin Banneker Academic High School |
| Lucas Colella | Wilson High School |
2015-16 Student Advisory Committee
By a unanimous vote in their first meeting, the Student Advisory Committee selected the topic of Teacher Accountability as their area of focus for the year. The SAC met four times over the course of the 2015-16 school year, with each meeting representing a distinct step in the process of developing a set of policy proposals for the State Board of Education. You can read the full final report here. At the State Board’s June public meeting, the final SAC report was presented and passed unanimously.
Below is the full list of the 2015-16 Student Advisory Committee:
| Name | School |
|---|---|
| Brian Contreras, Student Representative | School Without Walls |
| Destinee Whittington, Student Representative | Richard Wright Public Charter School |
| Joshua Adams | Friendship Public Charter School – Tech Prep |
| Jack Nugent | School Without Walls |
| JaRhonda Roberts | Friendship Public Charter School – Collegiate Academy |
| Nate Green | KIPP DC – College Prep Public Charter School |
| Natalie Seablom | Wilson High School |
| Mykaila Lofton | BASIS DC Public Charter School |
| Alex Dorosin | Wilson High School |
Student Representative Past Testimonials
Dayja Burton
2019-20 SBOE Student Representative | McKinley Technology High School - Class of 2020
"I am most proud of leading conversations geared at improving student’s knowledge of post-secondary education and becoming qualified adults. As a high school senior, having the platform to express ideas on behalf of my peers is an amazing accomplishment for me."
Tatiana Robinson
2017-18, 2018-19 SBOE Student Representative | Frank W. Ballou High School - Class of 2019
“I am so proud and honored to say that I have served as the State Board of Education Student Representative and the Co-Chair of the Student Advisory Committee. As a student representative, I am the liaison and voice between the student population of the District of Columbia and policymakers for education. This role has helped me develop tremendously and has allowed me to discuss how my education is affected by decisions being made. I have also become more passionate in being sure that student voices are heard. My peers have also put trust in me to be the voice of our education. I have worked with students from so many DC high schools to discuss the goals we expect to meet as a district. We have also discussed having equitable opportunities and resources for all of our education. I have been the leader of creating a mentorship program, leading meetings, sharing correspondence via email, and interaction with some leading policymakers.”
Marjoury Alicea
2018-19 SBOE Student Representative | Capital City Public Charter School- Class of 2019
“As a Student Representative, I am the connection between students in the District of Columbia and the policymakers for education. Not only has it given me the opportunity to be an advocate for students, but I am able to connect with my community as well.”
Tallya Rhodes
2017-18 SBOE Student Representative | HD Woodson High School - Class of 2018
“The position of Student Representative is a voice in itself. It is a reminder to the Board members that their decisions affect students. I am able to exercise that voice in a way I could not before. Members of the Board have supported me and listened to anything I needed to say, taking it into account. I learned what It meant to have the power to bring change from the simplest actions. This is a lifelong experience that sticks with you no matter where you go. I improved as a person from being there. I will take this with me everywhere I go.”
