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DC Ward 6 Member of the State Board of Education {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

Ward Member of the State Board of Education - La Junta Estatal Educativo de DCnon-partisan position - ningún partido políticoDuties: Ward Member of the State Board of Education represents the citizens of this Ward and is responsible for advising the State Superintendent of Education on educational matters, including: state standards; state policies, including those governing special, academic, vocational, charter and other schools; state objectives; and state regulations proposed by the Mayor or the State Superintendent of Education. The State Board is also responsible for approving many state-level policies. (Source: sboe.dc.gov) Deberes: La Junta Estatal Educativo de DC (DC State Board of Education) es responsible de asesorar al Superintendente de Educacion del Estado (Office of the State Superintendent of Education OSSE) sobre asuntos educativos, incluidos: estándares estatales; polizas estatales, incluidas aquellas que rigen las escuelas especiales, académicas, vocacionales, autónomas y otras escuelas; objetivos estatales; y regulaciones estatales propuestas por el Alcalde o el Superintendente de Educación del Estado. leer mas: https://sboe.dc.gov/

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Ranked Candidates

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All Candidates

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    David Parker
    (NON)

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    Joshua Wiley
    (NON)

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    Amber A. Williams
    (NON)

Biographical Information

What top two issues motivate you to serve on the State Board of Education?

What specific experience or skills prepare you to serve as a Board member?

How do you intend to hear from, respond to, and balance the needs of students, parents, and teachers?

Do you have school-aged children?

If yes, do your school-aged children attend DC Public Schools/DC Public Charter Schools? Why or why not?

Is protecting the safety, rights, and access to city services for immigrant communities the responsibility of elected officials?

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Campaign Email whywiley@icloud.com
Education Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Campaign Twitter Handle @Ward6Wiley
My top two priorities are expanding opportunity for every student and preparing students for what comes next. Every student deserves access to rigorous instruction, strong educators, and meaningful opportunities that allow them to succeed, regardless of their school or neighborhood. I also want to ensure our education system keeps pace with a changing world. That means strengthening academic achievement while ensuring students graduate prepared for college, careers, and life through career pathways, technology and AI literacy, and real world learning experiences. These priorities align directly with the State Board’s work on academic standards and graduation requirements.
I bring the perspective of an educator and school leader who works directly with students, families, and teachers every day. As an Assistant Principal, former instructional coach, and mathematics educator, I understand how education policy translates into classroom practice. My experience includes strengthening instruction, developing educators, analyzing student achievement, supporting students with diverse needs, and building strong school communities. I bring both a policy perspective and practical experience implementing change in schools, which will help me ask thoughtful questions and keep the impact on students and educators at the center of decisions.
I believe the best education policy is shaped with communities, not simply presented to them. I will regularly engage students, families, educators, and school communities through school visits, community meetings, office hours, surveys, and conversations throughout Ward 6. I will also intentionally seek out voices that are often missing from traditional public meetings. These groups will not always agree, so my responsibility is to listen, understand the impact of decisions from multiple perspectives, and communicate clearly about how community input informs my work. I want Ward 6 residents to know not only that I heard them, but what I did with what I heard.
No, I do not have school aged children. However, as an educator and school leader, I work with students and families every day, which gives me a firsthand understanding of the experiences, needs, and challenges facing our school communities.
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Campaign Email team@amberforward6.com
Education Howard University (EdD- Education Leadership & Policy Studies); Emory University (MAT- With Emphasis in Secondary Urban Education); Tougaloo College (BA - English)
My top priorities are equitable opportunity for every student and strong schools supported by strong educators. A family's school choice should never determine whether their child has access to excellent programs, resources, or opportunities. I want greater transparency around disparities across schools and feeder patterns and stronger accountability for addressing them. I am equally committed to educator retention, wellness, and voice. My research focused on trauma-informed care, and I believe that when educators are supported, students are better positioned to thrive. Every child, in every school, deserves the opportunity to succeed.
I have served education from nearly every seat at the table—as a Title I classroom teacher, school and nonprofit leader, federal education policy professional, parent, LSAT leader, and PTO President. I hold a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy, and currently manage complex federal education programs, working across policy, compliance, data, and stakeholder engagement. At the school level, I have helped shape budgets, participated in principal selection, advocated before the DC Council, and worked alongside families and educators. I know how to connect policy with what students, families, and educators actually experience in schools.
My commitment is simple: listen early, engage often, and ensure people help shape decisions before they are made. I will hold regular Ward 6 listening sessions, visit schools, engage PTOs, LSATs, educators and student leaders, and provide virtual and multilingual opportunities for participation. Just as importantly, I will report back so residents know what I heard, what action was taken, and what remains unresolved. I do not see students, parents, and educators as competing interests. Strong schools require all three voices at the table, with decisions grounded in student needs, evidence, equity, and the realities of our classrooms.
Yes. I am the PROUD mother of two amazing boys who attend a Ward 6 DC public school. Being a public-school parent shapes how I experience education policy every day—not only as an educator and policy professional, but as a mother who wants her own children, and every child in our city, to learn in a safe, joyful, challenging, and well-resourced school. Serving as PTO president at my children’s school has allowed me a space to advance those things from the closest lever of change at the school level. The SBOE role would allow me to advance those things on a larger scale for all children in DC.
Yes. Both of my sons attend DC Public Schools in Ward 6. I believe deeply in public education, and our family is part of the community I am seeking to represent. Being a DCPS parent means I experience our system in real time: from drop-off and parent-teacher conferences to budgets, staffing, enrichment, special programs, and family engagement. It reinforces my belief that families should not have to be education-policy experts to ensure their children receive excellent opportunities. I want every DC family to be able to choose a public school with confidence that their child will be supported and challenged to thrive.
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