photo by Phil
“Dear PoPville,
On December 2, DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will begin to enforce a new education requirement that all daycare teachers in the city hold an Associate’s Degree. Most only hold a Child Development Associate’s degree (CDA),
and will therefore only be allowed to work as assistant teachers after December. This requirement, originally approved in 2016, will exacerbate ongoing staffing challenges at daycare centers around the city and devalues the experience of some of our longest-serving teachers who have been leading their classrooms for many years. Please consider contacting DC education officials (Superintendent Grant, Deputy Mayor for Education Kihn, OSSE licensing, or your local representatives) to request that they reconsider this requirement or make it much more flexible for all current teachers. Thank you!”