District Of Columbia 2025-2026 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill PR26-0168 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	MURIEL BOWSER
2	2	MAYOR
3	3	Ap
4	4	ril 9, 2025
5	5	The Honorable Phil Mendelson
6	6	Chairman
7	7	Council of the D istrict of Columbia
8	8	John A. Wilson
9	9	Building
10	10	1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
11	11	Washington, DC 20004
12	12	Dear Ch
13	13	airman M endelson:
14	14	In accordance
15	15	with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
16	16	142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01),
17	17	and pursuant to section 201 of the District of Columbia Public
18	18	Postsecondary Education
19	19	Reorganization Act, approved October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1424; D.C. Official
20	20	Code § 38-1202.01), I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
21	21	Mr
22	22	. Michael D annenberg
23	23	Albemarle Street, NW
24	24	Washington, DC 2
25	25	0016
26	26	(Ward 3 )
27	27
28	28	for appointment as member
29	29	of the Board of Trustees of the University of t he District of Columbia,
30	30	filling a vacant seat formerly held by Charlene Drew Jarvis, for
31	31	a term to end May 15, 2028.
32	32	Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-m entioned
33	33	nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
34	34	I would appreciate the Council’s earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
35	35	do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor’s Office of Talent and
36	36	Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
37	37	Sincerely,
38	38	Muriel B owser
39	39	Mayor 1
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75	75	~~
76	76	~ n Phil Mendelson
77	77	at the request
78	78	of the Mayor
79	79	A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
80	80	IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
81	81	To confirm the appointment
82	82	of Michael Dannenberg to the Board of Trustees of the University
83	83	of the District of Columbia.
84	84	RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this
85	85	resolution may be cited as the "Board
86	86	of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia
87	87	Michael Dannenberg Confirmation Resolution
88	88	of 2025".
89	89	Sec.
90	90	2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
91	91	Michael Dannenberg
92	92	Albemarle Street,
93	93	NW
94	94	Washington, DC 20016
95	95	(Ward 3)
96	96	as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, established
97	97	by section
98	98	201 of the District of Columbia Public Postsecondary Education Reorganization Act,
99	99	approved October 26, 1974 (88 Stat. 1424; D.C. Official
100	100	Code§ 38-1202.01), filling a vacant
101	101	seat formerly held by Charlene Drew Jarvis, for the remainder
102	102	of an unexpired term to end May
103	103	15, 2028.
104	104	Sec.
105	105	3. The Council shall transmit a copy of this resolution, upon its adoption, to the
106	106	nominee, the Board
107	107	of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia, and the Office of
108	108	the Mayor.
109	109	Sec.
110	110	4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 1MICHAEL DANNENBERG
111	111	GOVERNMENT
112	112	EXPERIENCE Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Higher Education
113	113	Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Sept 2023 – Present
114	114	Senior policy aide to the Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education.
115	115	Oversee policy, communications, and trustee relation activities and staff.
116	116	Contribute to budget and financial aid policy development, including new tuition
117	117	and fee free public higher education policies.
118	118	Staff the Commonwealth’s Board of Higher Education Advisory Councils.
119	119	U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary
120	120	Senior Policy Advisor, Winter 2009 – Fall 2012
121	121	Led multi-division task force on K-12 teacher preparation reform. Jointly
122	122	developed a strategic plan to upgrade teacher education programs at minority
123	123	serving institutions, improve teacher licensure exams, and create a teacher
124	124	preparation program ‘feedback loop’ between K-12 and higher education.
125	125	External supporters ranged from teacher unions, including the NEA, to a variety
126	126	of reform groups.
127	127	Assisted in development of the administration’s postsecondary education budget
128	128	request, including new college affordability initiatives and proposed program
129	129	increases and reductions.
130	130	Drafted regulations, speeches, and briefing materials and prepared policy
131	131	options on various higher education issues for Secretary of Education Arne
132	132	Duncan.
133	133	Developed the administration’s College Completion Tool Kit for Governors and
134	134	other state leaders. Staffed Vice-President Biden on release and promotion.
135	135	The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
136	136	United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
137	137	Pensions
138	138	Senior Education Counsel, Spring 2001 – Fall 2005
139	139	Developed, drafted, and shepherded to enactment major elements of the
140	140	Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization, including those
141	141	related to school finance and improvement.
142	142	Chief Senate aide responsible for conception, development, and final passage of
143	143	the $17 billion annual ESEA Title I program distribution formula, $6 billion
144	144	National Science Foundation Reauthorization Act, and $6 billion a year Education
145	145	Finance Incentive Grant Program.
146	146	Helped uncover, expose to major media, and remedy a more than $1 billion a
147	147	year scandal in the federal student loan program (the 9.5 percent loan scandal).
148	148	Briefed and wrote speeches and talking points for Senator Edward M. Kennedy
149	149	(D-MA) on education budget, higher education, and other issues. Advised various
150	150	Democratic Senators during floor debate, Committee hearings, House/Senate
151	151	conference sessions, and private meetings.
152	152	Negotiated agreements with Administration officials, Congressional staff, and
153	153	interest group representatives; delivered speeches at national and state
154	154	conferences on federal education policy.
155	155	Named by National Journal to “The Hill 100” list of Congress’ most influential
156	156	aides.
157	157	The Honorable Lawrence E. Kahn
158	158	United States District Court, Northern District of New York Law Clerk, Fall 1998 - Fall 1999
159	159	Drafted decisions, bench memoranda, and briefing materials regarding civil and
160	160	criminal matters. Developed expertise in Section 1983, equal protection, and anti-
161	161	discrimination law.
162	162	The Honorable Claiborne Pell
163	163	United States Senate Education Subcommittee
164	164	Professional Staff Member, Fall 1991 - Spring 1995
165	165	Primary legislative specialist responsible for ESEA Title I program reauthorization.
166	166	Drafted statutory provisions, statements, talking points, and articles for
167	167	Subcommittee Chairman Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI) on the 1992 Higher Education
168	168	Act Amendments, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994, and the Improving
169	169	America's Schools Act of 1994. Conceived and led a series of school finance
170	170	hearings.
171	171	1MICHAEL DANNENBERG
172	172	NON-GOV’T
173	173	EXPERIENCE College Promise Campaign
174	174	Senior Fellow, Spring 2022 – Fall 2023
175	175	Carried out research and policy development on ways to improve higher education
176	176	access and its
177	177	connection to secondary schools, work, service (including civics), and student
178	178	learning outcomes.
179	179	Successfully generated expansion of Federal Work Study program authority for
180	180	voter contact work.
181	181	Education Reform Now
182	182	Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Higher Education Policy, Fall 2014 –
183	183	Spring 2022
184	184	Co-led education equity and innovation think tank reboot. Drafted and co-authored
185	185	short and long policy papers on high school, higher education, and education
186	186	finance issues. Recruited, hired, and managed junior staff. Raised funds. Briefed
187	187	Members of Congress, Congressional staff, Administration officials, Presidential
188	188	campaign staff, and elected state leaders. Supported state affiliate advocacy
189	189	campaigns.
190	190	The Education Trust
191	191	Director of Higher Education & Education Finance Policy, Fall 2012 – Fall 2014
192	192	Conducted policy analyses; developed recommendations; wrote issue briefs, op-
193	193	eds, and memoranda on a variety of education equity topics; supervised and
194	194	mentored junior staff doing the same.
195	195	Led cross-division team in developing federal student aid redesign proposal.
196	196	Product described as “visionary” by the National Journal and supported by a
197	197	variety student groups and higher education leaders. Formed coalition in support
198	198	of further federal financial aid redesign work.
199	199	Testified before Congress on strengthening the Pell Grant program and other
200	200	higher education issues.
201	201	Primary force behind grassroots effort to restore financial aid at the University of
202	202	Virginia. Campaign mobilized over 8,000 supporters and resulted in $8 million in
203	203	increased need-based financial aid.
204	204	New America Foundation
205	205	Founder & Director, Education Policy Program, Fall 2005 – Winter 2009
206	206	Founded comprehensive PK-16 education policy program. Developed strategic plan focused on education budget, higher education, and early education issues.
207	207	Raised and managed over $3.5 million in grants. Recruited, hired, and managed
208	208	nine-member program staff.
209	209	Created and edited Higher Ed Watch and Ed Money Watch policy blogs. Broke
210	210	national front-page news of a student loan “pay for play” scandal involving
211	211	improper payments, gifts, and insider stock conveyed by student loan
212	212	companies to college aid officials; identified tens of billions of dollars in federal
213	213	loan program inefficiencies; and proffered a series of remedies embraced in
214	214	federal law.
215	215	Generated new K-12, higher education, and early education policy ideas for
216	216	Members of Congress, Governors, and various political candidates. Ghostwrote
217	217	statements and drafted legislation.
218	218	Created mini-think tank studying the size, distribution, effectiveness, and
219	219	efficiency of federal education funding. The Federal Education Budget Project
220	220	contains funding, demographic, and achievement data for every state and
221	221	school district in the nation; allows visitors to compare states and districts
222	222	according to a variety of metrics; & includes detailed information on the budget
223	223	process.
224	224	Authored major policy papers, magazine articles, and op-eds. Commentary
225	225	appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and
226	226	American Prospect. Broadcast appearances on National Public Radio, CNN,
227	227	CNBC, and the CBS News program, 60 Minutes.
228	228	TEACHING Stanford Law School
229	229	Instructor, Fall 1999 - Spring 2000
230	230	Taught first-year law students legal research, writing, analysis, and oral argument
231	231	skills.
232	232	EDUCATION Yale Law School, J.D., 1998
233	233	Stanford University, M.A., in Education Policy Analysis and Administration, 2000
234	234	Boston University, B.A., magna cum laude, in Political Science, 1991
235	235	First-generation college graduate. Self-financed 100% of college and graduate
236	236	school education.
237	237	1MICHAEL DANNENBERG
238	238	SELECT
239	239	PUBLICATIONS Michael Dannenberg, The Path Forward in a Post-Affirmative Action World, Politico,
240	240	June 13, 2023
241	241	Dannenberg & Hyslop, Let Some High School Juniors go Directly to College,
242	242	Education Next, Feb. 20, 2019 (op-ed)
243	243	Dannenberg & Mugglestone, No Commencement in the Commonwealth , Education
244	244	Reform Now, May 24, 2018
245	245	Dannenberg & Mugglestone, Making Promises: Designing College Promise Programs
246	246	Worth Keeping, Education Reform Now, Nov. 2017
247	247	Michael Dannenberg, The Unnoticed Threat to Public Schools (Tax Policy),
248	248	Democracy Journal, May 17, 2017
249	249	Dannenberg & Nguyen Barry, Out of Pocket: The High Cost of Inadequate High
250	250	Schools and High School Student Achievement, Education Reform Now, April 18,
251	251	2016 (exclusively and favorably discussed in subsequentNew York Times editorial,
252	252	Guess Who’s Taking Remedial Classes, May 10, 2016) Michael Dannenberg, How to Prevent the Next Corinthian, U.S. News, June 12, 2015
253	253	(op-ed)
254	254	Shireman & Dannenberg, Elite Colleges or Private Clubs? New York Daily News, Nov.
255	255	3, 2014 (op-ed)
256	256	Dannenberg & Nguyen Barry , Tough Love: Bottom Line Standards, Education Trust,
257	257	June 13, 2014
258	258	Dannenberg & Voight, Doing Away with Debt, Education Trust, April 12, 2013
259	259	Michael Dannenberg, Obama’s College Affordability Plan, USA Today, Sept. 22, 2013
260	260	(op-ed)
261	261	Michael Dannenberg, The Ted Kennedy I Knew, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 28, 2009
262	262	(op-ed)
263	263	Michael Dannenberg, The Truth About Tuition, The American Prospect, Aug. 13,
264	264	2009
265	265	Michael Dannenberg, A College Fund for Every Student, Boston Globe, Aug. 23,
266	266	2008 (op-ed)
267	267	Michael Dannenberg, A Derivative Right to Education: How Standards-Based Reform
268	268	Redefines the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Yale Law & Policy Review
269	269	(1997)
270	270	Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
271	271	John A. Wilson Building \| 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 \| Washington, DC 20004
272	272
273	273
274	274
275	275
276	276	Michael Dannenberg
277	277
278	278	Mr. Michael Dannenberg is the Massachusetts Department of Higher
279	279	Education’s Deputy Commissioner for Policy. Most recently, he served
280	280	as a Senior Fellow with the College Promise Campaign. Michael is a well -
281	281	known, long- time senior education advisor who has worked for various
282	282	public officials, including former Obama Administration U.S. Secretary
283	283	of Education Arne Duncan, Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter,
284	284	the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Senator Claiborne Pell
285	285	(D-RI), multiple past Democratic Party nominees for President, and a
286	286	series of gubernatorial candidates. While a senior aide at the U.S.
287	287	Department of Education, Michael led work on various student aid,
288	288	college completion, and teacher education initiatives. While with
289	289	Senators Kennedy and Pell, he played a lead role in developing and drafting two Elementary and
290	290	Secondary Education Act reauthorization laws, the Education Finance Incentive Grant Program,
291	291	Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act, and numerous elements of federal higher education and
292	292	appropriations law.
293	293	In between government stints, Mr. Dannenberg has run education budget and policy programs at
294	294	advocacy groups and think tanks, including the Education Trust where he was Director of Higher
295	295	Education Policy and the New America Foundation where he founded and managed the PK-16
296	296	Education Policy Program and Federal Education Budget Project. Michael and his work have
297	297	appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Politico
298	298	Magazine, and The American Prospect. He has testified before Congress and multiple state
299	299	legislatures as well as made broadcast appearances on PBS, WNYC, C-SPAN, CNBC, MSNBC,
300	300	and the CBS news program, 60 Minutes.
301	301	A Ward 3 resident, Mr. Dannenberg earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Boston
302	302	University, his Master of Arts in Education Policy Analysis and Administration from Stanford
303	303	University, and his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
304	304	GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
305	305	Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser
306	306
307	307	Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor
308	308
309	309
310	310	______________________________________________________________________________
311	311	The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681
312	312
313	313	To: Tomas Talamante, Steve Walker
314	314	From: Betsy Cavendish
315	315	Date: March 25, 2025
316	316	Subject: Legal sufficiency review of Resolutions nominating Michael Dannenberg, David
317	317	Croom, and Dr. Abidemi Oyedele as members of the Board of Trustees of the
318	318	University of the District of Columbia
319	319	This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced resolutions and
320	320	found them to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not
321	321	hesitate to call Erika Satterlee, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-
322	322	724-1303, or me at 202-724-7681.
323	323
324	324
325	325	______________________________
326	326	Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Cavendish
327	327
328	328