Chapter 3B. Office of the Student Advocate.

§ 38–371. Office of the Student Advocate.

(a) There is established within the State Board of Education ("Board") an Office of the Student Advocate ("Office"), which shall be headed by a Chief Advocate who shall be appointed by the Board for a term of 5 years and may be reappointed.

(b) After notice and an opportunity to be heard, the Chief Advocate may be removed by a 2/3 vote of the Board only for cause that relates to the Chief Advocate's character or efficiency.

(c) If a vacancy in the position of Chief Advocate occurs as a consequence of resignation, removal, disability, death, or reasons other than the expiration of the term, the Board shall appoint a Chief Advocate to fill the unexpired term within 75 days of the occurrence of the vacancy.

(d) The purpose of the Chief Advocate is to advocate on behalf of current and prospective public school students and their parents or guardians before the Office of Ombudsman for Public Education or public school officials and to provide community outreach, assistance, and information on public education issues.

(d-1) The Chief Advocate shall serve as the exclusive personnel authority for employees of the Office and may hire staff to support the Office's operations consistent with the Office's budget.

(d-2) The Chief Advocate shall have exclusive authority to administer the Office's budget, subject to the oversight of the State Board of Education to ensure compliance with District law.

(e) For the purposes of this chapter, the term "public school" means District of Columbia Public Schools and public charter schools in the District of Columbia.

§ 38–372. Chief Advocate; qualification.

The Chief Advocate shall:

(1) Be a resident of the District of Columbia within 180 days of appointment and shall remain a resident for the duration of the appointment;

(2) Possess experience in outreach, advocacy, social work, law, or counseling; and

(3) Have management experience that demonstrates the ability to hire and supervise qualified staff.

§ 38–373. Duties.

The Chief Advocate shall:

(1) Support student academic achievement by supporting current and prospective public school students and their parents or guardians in their interactions with public school personnel;

(2) Facilitate the school enrollment process by providing current and prospective public school students and their parents or guardians with information on school admission, application, and enrollment policies and procedures that is not already publicly available, or is difficult to locate or identify;

(3) Help current and prospective public school students and their parents or guardians access education resources offered by the public schools;

(4) Operate a public education hotline to answer questions and provide information about public education and to direct individuals to the appropriate agencies and offices within the District;

(5) Conduct at least 8 information sessions annually, with at least one session in each ward, to provide current and prospective public school students and their parents or guardians with information about public education, including information regarding programs for special education students and for English-language learners, and to obtain feedback from current and prospective public school students and their parents or guardians on public education in the District;

(6) If requested by a current or prospective public school student or a student's parent or guardian, serve as an advocate for the student in complaint resolution proceedings before the Office of Ombudsman for Public Education;

(7) Develop and maintain a database that tracks issues brought to the attention of the Office, identified by ward, name of public school, resource or referral given, and resolution of such issues;

(8) Recommend policy changes, staff training, and strategies on family, student, and community engagement to improve the efficient and equitable delivery of public education services;

(9) Within 120 days after the end of each school year, submit to the Board, and make publicly available, a report summarizing the work of the Office during the previous school year, which shall at minimum include an analysis of the types and number of:

(A) Complaints, concerns, or other issues brought to the attention of the Office, including those received through the hotline and at a public education resource center;

(B) Complaints, concerns, or other inquiries resolved informally;

(D) Students represented in complaint resolution proceedings before the Office of Ombudsman for Public Education;

(E) Students represented through formal or administrative proceedings;

(F) Information sessions held and trainings conducted by ward; and

(G) Complaints, concerns, or other inquiries referred to District agencies, including the name of the agency, office, or organization to which the referral was made;

(10) Have access to books, records, files, reports, findings, and all other papers, items, or property "(documents") belonging to or in use by all departments, agencies, instrumentalities, and employees of public schools necessary to facilitate the purpose of this chapter, excluding the Executive Office of the Mayor, the Council, and the District of Columbia courts; provided, that such access is limited to documents related to the student or parent or guardian that the Office is assisting; and

(11) Have the authority to issue reports and recommendations related to the Office's work without prior review or approval by any entity.

§ 38–374. Public education resource centers.

(a) The Office may establish and operate public education resource centers throughout the District to provide students, parents, and guardians with information about educational programs and school choice, including information about the application, enrollment, and assignment process.

(b) Public education resource centers established pursuant to this section shall be staffed by Office personnel and, at the discretion of the Chief Advocate, student or parent or guardian volunteers.