Champion of Change: How Yolanda Corbett Advocates for D.C.'s Most Vulnerable Students

By Minetre Martin

In Washington, D.C., numerous advocates champion various causes, but Yolanda Corbett’s voice is distinct. A second-generation Washingtonian and Ballou High School alumna, Corbett significantly influenced education reform., particularly for students with disabilities and their families. Her advocacy has enhanced Individual Education Plan (IEP) support for parents, out of school time programming, mental health resources, and—critical areas that align closely with our mission for equitable education.

Behind this advocacy lies a personal story of resilience. "Troubled yet triumphant" is how Corbett describes her journey from the southeast D.C.’s streets to leading education advocacy for the past 15 years.

She recalls overcoming early life challenges like frequent moves and family health crises, which left her feeling uncertain about the future. "When I was younger, I had no vision of what the long term looked like," she reflects. "The constant instability and being counted out built up anger and rage as I grappled with people not seeing me as more than my zip code." These challenges fueled her passion to be a voice for others facing similar struggles.

Y. Corbett (far left) pictured with her twin brother and little sister during a family birthday celebration, capture at their home, circa 1989.

Y. Corbett embraces her son Tyler before his first school dance.

A turning point in Corbett's life arrived when she became a single mom at the age of 23. Her son, Tyler’s autism diagnosis at age 5 transformed her into a fierce advocate. Starting as a volunteer at Tyler's school, she became PTO president and a crucial bridge between families, school boards, and community leaders.

Today, Corbett’s roles include Education Reform Champion and executive director of The Caregivers D.R.E.A.M., a nonprofit advocating for families of children with disabilities. Her commitment to advocacy and leadership became more personal after Tyler, now 17  with ADHD, was brutally attacked at school on her birthday. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges over 15,000 students with disabilities face in DC, who often endure bullying and discrimination. an immense burden on their families.

“These incidents aren't just personal tragedies," they're a call to action.

 This commitment is evident in her push for inclusive, understanding, and safe educational environments.

Y. Corbett (middle) testifying at the SBOE meeting with her son Tyler (right), advocating for more time for students to board OSSE buses.

“Every child deserves to feel safe and supported in school, particularly the most vulnerable. Don't wait for someone else to speak up.”

Volunteer with The Caregivers D.R.E.A.M., and take it further by becoming an Education Reform Champion. Your voice and experiences are critical to our grassroots movement in fighting for the needs of our students regardless of the school they attend or the neighborhood they live in. 

To learn more about her impactful work, check out this  article by Sam P.K. Collins in the Washington Informer.

Why incarcerated D.C. youth keep calling for special education in federal prisons - WAMU

For those with disabilities, those educational resources can be even more limited.

Jessica Giles, executive director of Education Reform Now D.C., said the lack of special education in prisons reflects a larger citywide inequity. Whether or not they’re incarcerated, students with disabilities in D.C. have limited access to education. That’s due in part due to growing vacancies in special education roles, which factor into growing teacher turnover rates overall. “The failures of education start from a very young age,” she said

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ERNA DC 10.26.23 SBOE Testimony

Jessica Giles
Executive Director
Education Reform Now Advocacy
ERNA DC 10.26.23 SBOE Testimony

Good evening, D.C. State Board of Education representatives! My name is Jessica Giles. I am a Ward 7 resident and the Executive Director of Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA). ERNA fights for a just and equitable public education system for all students in Washington, DC. We believe every student can learn and fulfill their limitless potential, regardless of race, background, ward, and ability. Thank you to the State Board for holding a panel discussion on the Early Literacy Education Task Force (Task Force) recommendations¹. It is my pleasure to provide written testimony in support of the recommendations and to request a bold investment in literacy.

Why is literacy important? 

Reading is a fundamental skill that all students need in order to succeed in school, life, and career. Our deepest desire is for every child to read on grade level by third grade regardless of where in the city they live and what school they attend. That is not currently the case, and schools in the District of Columbia are facing a reading crisis.

In 2022, 73 percent of students scored below proficient levels on the NAEP (also known as the Nation’s Report Card), up from 69 percent in 2019.² Black and Hispanic students scored an average of 69 and 60 points, respectively, lower than White students. ³ This gap has remained statistically the same since 1998. 4

Why is structured literacy important? 

For the past two years, ERNA has advocated for a citywide literacy intervention based on the science of reading — a decades-long, interdisciplinary, and proven body of knowledge that provides a deeper understanding of how individuals learn to read. This body of research informs the best approach for teaching basic reading skills: structured literacy.5 Structured literacy helps all students, including children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, read and write. Structured literacy emphasizes highly explicit and systematic teaching of all important components of literacy. These components include both foundational skills (e.g., decoding, spelling) and higher-level literacy skills (e.g., reading comprehension, written expression). 6 Structured literacy also emphasizes oral language abilities essential to literacy development, including phonemic awareness. 7

Our Support for the Taskforce’s recommendations

When the Taskforce released their recommendations, we were excited to see them. Namely, we commend the Taskforce for including the following:

• Special education and English Learner teachers are prioritized in the early implementation phases.

• Communication toolkits will be created for families about their students’ early reading skills.

• Educators will need to demonstrate competency.

But as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. It will be critical for these recommendations to be implemented with fidelity so that all elementary educators can feel confident about their ability to teach all components of literacy and be supported. In the coming weeks and months, we will advocate for funding to support the implementation of these recommendations. 

Our asks

We humbly ask the State Board to urge the Mayor and the D.C. Council to prioritize a bold investment in the FY2025 Budget. We also ask the Office of the Student Advocate to partner with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in the creation of toolkits to help families support their readers at home, similar to the D.C. Dyslexia Guidebook.8 It’s vital that families are treated as true partners during this reading revolution.

Thank you for your attention to this important cause and your leadership!

¹ October 3, 2023. Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Recommendations for Structured Literacy Instruction in the District of Columbia. Accessed: October 26, 2023. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/Early%20Literacy%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf
² October 24, 2022. NAEP. 2022 Reading State Snapshot Report. Accessed: October 26, 2023. Source: https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/Reading%20Grade%204%20DC%20State.pdf
³Ibid.
4Ibid.
5 June 2019. Here’s Why Schools Should Use Structured Literacy. Accessed: October 26, 2023. Source: https://dyslexiaida.org/heres-why-schools-should-use-structured-literacy/#:~:text=What%20Is%20Structured%20Literacy%3F,reading%20comprehension%2C%20written%20expression).
6Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Dyslexia Guidebook 2022-23. Source: https://studentadvocate.dc.gov/dyslexiaguide

Unleashing Potential: How Nakita Packer is Revolutionizing Special Education in DC

By Minetre Martin, DFER D.C.

Meet Nakita Henderson Packer, a driving force at Bridges Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. Nakita’s decision to become an Education Reform Champion was driven by her belief in the transformative power of inclusive education. She has redefined special education with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Promoting diverse student engagement, her UDL-guided program has driven an impressive 9.1% rise in PARCC test scores, even during the global pandemic.

Nakita’s success has been evident in many of her students’ successful transition from a special education class setting into a general classroom setting. Bridges PCS was acknowledged for Nakita’s work with the Bold Performance School Award, solidifying their innovative influence in special education. The significance of this award is best described by a statement from EmpowerK12:

“This year’s Bold Performance Schools have 2022 PARCC proficiency rates that were an average of 9.1 percentage points better than other Bold-eligible schools, and their 2022 PARCC 4+ proficiency rates were 2.6 percentage points better than the pre-pandemic average for schools serving similar demographics.”

Now, thanks to her tireless training and mentorship, her colleagues at Bridges PCS have embraced the UDL framework as well.

Her strides haven’t just captured local attention. In 2022, Nakita and Bridges PCS were invited to participate at the prestigious Elevate Conference, a premier professional development event for Pre-K – 2nd Grade Educators. They shared their success with the UDL framework, further extending their influence and sharing their innovative approach with educators from across the country.

Outside her professional life, Nakita balances passion and personal time, reminding us that harmony in life is achievable. Nakita’s work is a testament to the transformative power of inclusive education, setting a new standard for special education.

Committee of the Whole Public Roundtable:

Special Education Policies for Students with Disabilities

Jess Giles

State Director

Education Reform Now DC

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members and staff of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Jess Giles. I am a ward seven resident and State Director of Education Reform Now DC (“ERN DC”). ERN DC is a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all students.

DC public education has made progress in the last 15 years, yet the academic performance of students with disabilities is suboptimal. We know that when students with disabilities are provided the appropriate accommodations and interventions in instruction, they can perform at grade level. So why is this not happening?

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)’s 2019 landscape on special education revealed many disturbing trends in the District, including that zero percent of students aged 14 to 21 exited special education to general education in 2018, ranking DC last in the nation. Additionally, the report found that Black and low-income students are much more likely to be overidentified and stay in special education services.

Families need help. Despite the efforts of OSSE and the Ombudsman for Public Education, many families remain unaware or unsure of how to navigate our complex public education system and access resources for their students. What is OSSE doing to put parents, families, and guardians in the best possible position to be informed, make early, proactive decisions about their student’s education and support, and get immediate, free assistance? Are these solutions helping? When will we know?

Early Intervention (EI) has proven invaluable for helping children exit from special education sooner. OSSE must modernize how it works with EI families, specifically how parents/guardians receive information and share evidence (e.g., videos, pictures) of their children’s progress with their related service providers (RSPs); so that parents/families can receive updates and feedback on their child’s progress in real-time with the outcome of ensuring their student exits from services. Additionally, funding should be used for liaisons from OSSE to directly assist families, particularly those transitioning from Part C to Part B.

Educators and schools need help. IDEA requires that a free appropriate public education—which includes special education and related services—be made available to each eligible child with a disability. And yet, there is a significant lack of capacity and training among school staff in special education. In OSSE’s 2019 District of Columbia Teacher Workforce Report, special education was flagged as one of the subjects areas with the highest need for teachers. Pre-pandemic, in 2018-19 school year, 22 percent of all special education positions had to be filled due to teachers leaving their school or new positions being created. I fear this issue has worsened during the pandemic. For example, we have heard of examples where Principals and Assistant Principals are serving as special education coordinators at schools, which is frankly absurd given their workload and responsibilities. Each school should have dedicated staff whose sole focus is assisting students with disabilities and their families. These individuals should also have full awareness of the laws and resources in place, as well as, proper training and certification in special education. The District must provide greater incentives for adults to specialize in special education, ongoing opportunities for professional development, and more support for educators while in school.

Lastly, the District’s low literacy rates demand urgent action from all leaders. In 2019, only 30 percent of students were proficient in reading. I applaud the DC Council for passing into law and funding the Dyslexia and Other Reading Disabilities Screening and Prevention Pilot Program Act of 2019. Ensuring this law is implemented quickly is a vital step in ensuring all students read at grade level by third grade regardless of where they live and go to school in the District; they are confident in their independent reading abilities and enjoy reading.

In closing, I have some additional items in my written testimony I urge the Committee of the Whole to follow up on.

For oversight:

• Require a status update on students inside the D.C. Jail and whether they are receiving education and services.

• The DC Council passed into law the Enhanced Special Education Services Act and finally funded that law. This law require schools to prepare students for adulthood at a younger age (14 years instead of 16 years); expands Part C eligibility from the previous standard; and shortens the time frame for evaluation. These reforms were well-researched and created with families and advocates across the city. What is the latest on the implementation of that law?

• District funding for students should be equitably distributed and consistently monitored. D.C. received $386,317,154 of American Rescue Plan funding and $5 million of dedicated K-12 support for special education. How are those funds being used to support students with disabilities?

Thank you for allowing me to testify today. I welcome any questions you might have.

SOURCES:

“EK12 Unfinished Learning Update Brief from Spring 2020-21.” Accessed January 27, 2022. PDF

“SWD Landscape Analysis October 2019.” OSSE.  Accessed January 27, 2022. PDF

“Mayor Bowser Announces DC to Receive $129 Million in Recovery Funding After Receiving Approval on State ARP ESSER Plan | Mayormb.” Accessed January 25, 2022. Article.

“District of Columbia Teacher Workforce.” OSSE. Accessed January 27, 2022. Report.