Committee of the Whole

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WITNESS LIST 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 CHAIRMAN PHIL MENDELSON COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ANNOUNCES A PUBLIC HEARING on Oversight of Education for Students with Special Needs on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. Room 412 (Track B) John A. Wilson Building 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 DC Council Website (www.dccouncil.gov) EXPERT WITNESS LIST 1. Shelly Gray Principal, LaSalle-Backus Elementary School, DC Public Schools 2. Justin Lessek Executive Director, Sojourner Truth Public Charter School 3. Cara Fuller Principal, Phelps ACE High School, DC Public Schools 4. Kathryn Procope Executive Director, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science 5. Danielle Robinette Senior Policy Attorney, Children's Law Center 6. Tayo Belle Deputy Director, School Justice Project 7. Maria Blaeuer Director of Programs and Outreach, Advocates for Justice and Education PUBLIC WITNESS LIST 8. Jacque Patterson President, D.C. State Board of Education 9. LaJoy Johnson Law Ward 8 SBOE Rep, Ward 8 SBOE Rep 10. Kimberly Humphrey Ombudsman for Public Education, Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education 11. Dan Davis Chief Student Advocate, Office of the Student Advocate 12. Tami Lewis Senior Director of Government Affairs, DC Charter School Alliance 13. Commissioner Salim Adofo Chairperson, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C 14. Emily Griswold Founder, Staff Wellness Support 15. Karla Reid-Witt Board President , Caregiver's D.R.E.A.M. 16. Todd Gluckman Attorney, Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP 17. Julie Camerata Executive Director, DC Special Education Cooperative 18. Faith Gibson Hubbard Panel Chair, DC State Advisory Panel on Special Education (SAPSE) 19. Jonathan Scott Public Witness 20. Nathan Ballard-Means Public Witness 21. Becky Ballard Public Witness 22. Elizabeth Torres CEO/Co-Founder, Washington Global PCS 23. Teneisha Holder Public Witness 24. Jessica Panfil Executive Director, LAMB PCS 25. Michael Rodrigues Chief Executive Officer, St. Coletta of Greater Washington 26. Caitlin Holbrook Law Clerk, Disability Rights DC (DRDC) at University Legal Services (ULS) 27. Caroline Pryor Director of Policy + Power-Building, EmpowerEd 28. Dominique Moore Community Organizer, EmpowerEd 2 29. Doreen Blue Public Witness 30. Alexander Johnstone Co-President, Stoddert Elementary School PTO 31. Marian Lucke Public Witness 32. Mary Ellen Wiggins Public Witness 33. LaChel Lewis Public Witness 34. Tracy White Public Witness 35. Debra Gitttens Chief Executive Officer, Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative 36. Avril Codnor-Crooks Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Community College Preparatory 37. Stephanie Maltz Public Witness 38. Siddha Page Public Witness 39. Jonathan Scott Public Witness 40. Jessica Giles Executive Director, DC, Center for Strong Public Schools Action Fund 41. Kanysha Smith Special Olympics DC 42. Nicole Preston President & CEO, Special Olympics District of Columbia Inc. 43. Thomas Byrd Public Witness 44. Tianna Adams Public Witness 45. Dr. Tanna Jackson Director of Special Education and Quality Improvement, The Children's Guild 46. Quiana Lamons Parent Leader, PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) 47. Renee Davis Parent Leader, PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) 48. Shedrick Young Public Witness 3 49. Katina Phifer Public Witness 50. Elizabeth Weiss Ward 5 DCPS Teacher and Parent, EmpowerEd 51. Zellee Jones Fellow/DC Educator, EmpowerEd 52. Ange Pirko Fellow/DC Educator, EmpowerEd 53. Andrea Trujillo Fellow/DC Educator, EmpowerEd 54. DaVaughn Montgomery Fellow/DC Educator, EmpowerEd 55. Celia Daughtridge Fellow/DC Educator, EmpowerEd 56. DaVaughn Montgomery Fellow/DC Educator, EmpowerEd GOVERNMENT WITNESS LIST 57. Dr. Lewis Ferebee Chancellor, District of Columbia Public Schools 58. Dr. Michele Walker-Davis Executive Director, Public Charter School Board 59. Dr. Antoinette Mitchell State Superintendent of Education, Office of the State Superintendent of Education 4