Every child deserves a strong start and a high-quality education, beginning at birth. Paying educators livable salaries is one step needed to boost teacher satisfaction, retention, and quality care, thereby improving DC’s early learning system.
Danielle Hamer
Recent posts by Danielle Hamer
Testimony at the Budget Oversight Hearing for the Office of the State Superintendent
Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Danielle Hamer, and I am a policy associate at DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI). DCFPI is a non-profit organization that shapes racially-just tax, budget,...
Testimony at the Performance Oversight Hearing of the DC Education Agencies on Early Childhood Educator Compensation
This testimony focuses on ensuring that District officials quickly act on the Early Childhood Educator Compensation Task Force’s recommendations and continue to advance policies aimed at equitable outcomes for early educators and the child care sector.
Early Childhood Investments Make Early Educator Compensation More Equitable and Stabilize the Child Care Sector
The DC Council took a significant step toward a more equitable early childhood care system by approving fairer compensation for the early educator workforce predominantly made up of Black and brown women, allocating federal funds toward the stabilization and expansion...
Testimony of Danielle Hamer at the Early Childhood Educator Compensation Task Force Roundtable
My testimony focuses on health care benefits as a crucial part of “parity,” potential effects on workers’ eligibility for public benefits, and the next steps that the District should take to secure equitable wages for DC’s early educators.
The Latest Plan for Increased Child Care Educator Pay Offers Too Little, Too Late
Under the current version of the DC budget proposal for FY 2022-2025, early educators participating in the District’s child care subsidy program would not see compensation increases until fiscal year (FY) 2023.
Committee Leaves DC Police Budget Largely Untouched But Advances Police-Free Schools
by Eliana Golding, Qubilah Huddleston and Danielle Hamer
During last week’s budget mark-up session, the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety bolstered violence interruption programs and took steps toward removing police from schools; however, they missed an opportunity to divest significantly from policing.
Failure to Build a High-Quality Child Care System is a Major Misstep in the Mayor’s Budget
by Jarred Bowman and Danielle Hamer
Mayor Bowser missed an unprecedented opportunity to combine federal and local funding to make bold, transformative investments that would strengthen the District’s early childhood system and ensure a just recovery for all children, families, and early learning programs.
Tax Injustice: DC’s Richest Residents Pay Lower Taxes than Everyone Else
by Tazra Mitchell and Danielle Hamer
The richest 1 percent of DC residents pay less in DC taxes as a share of their income than middle-income residents, according to new findings from a leading tax research organization, and the richest 20 percent pay less than the bottom 80 percent of residents combined.
The District Must Enact Revenue Options to Thwart Deepening Income Inequality
The District should do more to fund services for struggling residents, including raising taxes on our highest-income residents and big businesses, to support economic stability that benefits the city.
Comprehensive Rent Control Reform Would Stabilize Housing for Thousands of DC Families
by Eliana Golding and Danielle Hamer
On November 9th, the DC Council will hear testimony on the Rent Stabilization Program Reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020, which, if passed, would implement the first major comprehensive reform to the District’s rent control laws since they were passed over 35 years ago.
#JustRecoveryDC Action Guide
In June, committees in the DC Council voted on their budget proposals, using the Mayor’s proposal as a starting point. As they work to finalize the budget, join us to ensure wealthy residents and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes, so the city can lay...
How Divesting from the Police Can Strengthen the District
by Kate Coventry, Doni Crawford, Danielle Hamer, Eliana Golding, Qubilah Huddleston and Alyssa Noth
Every year, police shoot and kill nearly 1,000 people in the US—a disproportionate share of them are Black. It is past time to analyze how public dollars contribute to this racist violence, starting with our city’s budget.
District Officials Project that DC Will Lose $1.5 Billion Through FY 2021
by Eliana Golding, Danielle Hamer and Alyssa Noth
Compared to expectations in February, DC officials project that the District will bring in $722 million less in revenue by the end of the 2020 fiscal year (FY), according to the Chief Financial Officer’s (CFO) April revenue forecast.
Lawmakers Should Fund Rental Payment Relief in Next COVID-19 Package
by Eliana Golding and Danielle Hamer
Many DC residents are jobless due to widespread efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), causing significant income loss that is threatening economic and housing stability for many.
Investing in Our Kids
by Alyssa Noth and Danielle Hamer
Investments in public education require important community decisions. Economic opportunity and growth—for individuals, families, and the city as a whole—are closely tied to how well we educate our children. This guide is designed to help parents and other education stakeholders have a voice in that process.