On January 17, the DC State Board of Education (SBOE) unanimously passed a Green New Deal for Schools (GND4S) resolution written by students from the School Without Walls. While the passage of the resolution does not have immediate effects, it is an important step towards implementing the GND4S within DCPS.
The Green New Deal was a congressional resolution introduced by Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts in 2019.
In 2017, the Sunrise Movement was founded to get youth involved in activism, especially regarding climate change. To support its large network, Sunrise is organized around regional “hubs,” which have some autonomy as they can amend resolutions to local needs.
In 2023, the Sunrise Movement launched its GND4S campaign. It has five core demands: green infrastructure, free and healthy lunches, climate curricula, pathways to green jobs, and climate disaster plans. In Sunrise’s own words, the GND4S “will radically transform our school system to face the climate crisis and make sure all students have the right to a safe and good education—no matter their zip code or the color of their skin.”
Juniors Anna Mayer and Zoe Fisher from the School Without Walls are co-founders of the SWW hub of the Sunrise Movement. Together, they have developed the DC GND4S resolution since October 2023. The resolution outlined DCPS specific policies and its different implementations.
Through multiple public hearings before the SBOE, Sunrise students gathered other high schoolers from across DC, including a few from Jackson-Reed, to testify in support of the resolution. JR sophomores Jessica McCallum and Greta Bradley-Meal highlighted that “the council was receptive and interested in working with [those testifying] overall.”
In early January, the resolution went into “working session,” in which SBOE representatives amended the resolution to be voted on. Finally, the GND4S was passed in January’s public hearing where 80 students, teachers, and community members from all eight Wards came to testify.
Even though the resolution has been passed, it does not have immediate effects, as the SBOE has limited power and cannot necessarily set anything into action. This is mainly due to DC not being a state. However, Fisher stated that the passage is still important because “their support, although symbolic, will be crucial in leveraging with Councilmembers and the Mayor as students advocate for this resolution’s place in the next budget cycle.”
Fisher encourages more student support as the GND4S continues going through preliminary stages. “As the scope of our demands gets greater, we need more voices to join us in the fight.”
