for ward 7
councilMember
A Proven Ward 7
Leader, Advocate,
& Policymaker.
Imagine Ward 7 as a community where every single one of us, regardless of background or circumstance, can not only dream of a better future but actively take part in its creation. As a daughter of Ward 7, born, raised, educated, and serving Ward 7, my story is our story. We have the opportunity to ignite progress we all can be a part of.
Together, we can build a community where every child has access to a quality education, every family has a safe and affordable place to call home, every individual has the opportunity to secure a meaningful career that sustains them and their loved ones, and our community is healthy and thriving. By fostering an environment of collaboration and empowerment, we can ensure that our ward becomes a beacon of hope and opportunity for all.
I believe in the power of unity and empathy, in the strength that comes from understanding and lifting each other up. We can create a community where the richness of our neighborhoods are not only celebrated, but are a vibrant tapestry that makes us stronger and more resilient.
Together, let’s strive for progress that is not exclusive or selective, but accessible and beneficial to every member of our community. Let’s pave the way for a Ward 7 where every resident, young and old, can find their place and purpose, and contribute to the vibrant tapestry of our shared success. Join me in this journey to build a future where every voice matters, every Ward 7 community gets its fair share, and every individual can be an integral part of the positive change we seek to create.
Policy Positions
Stable and Inclusive Housing
Eboni-Rose knows all Ward 7 residents deserve housing that is affordable and accessible to all families. She believes this can be achieved by increasing oversight of agencies charged with maintaining housing for working families, creating more homeownership opportunities, protecting our seniors so they age gracefully in place, and building new housing for families. As Councilmember, she will focus on policies that support housing for our seniors, keeping Ward 7 families in Ward 7, and welcoming new neighbors to the community without compromising current residents.
Fully Funded and Modernized Schools
Eboni-Rose wants all students to graduate from school prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. She has long advocated for DC’s children, serving as the Chair of the Ward 7 Education Council for eight years to ensure the District provided students and families with public education funding and the resources they deserve. As the current President of the State Board of Education (SBOE), Eboni-Rose has led efforts to overhaul social studies standards, improve how schools teach young children to read and worked with the DC Council and other education agencies to improve data transparency and accountability for DC Public Schools and public charter schools.
Safe and Healthy Communities
Too many residents in Ward 7 do not feel safe, and Eboni-Rose wants to change that; as a Councilmember, she will fight for public safety policies that improve police-community relations and strengthen prevention and intervention solutions. Ward 7 residents need to feel like their safety and well-being are as high of a priority as any other resident, no matter their location in the District.
Inclusive Prosperity
Eboni-Rose envisions a Ward 7 that is vibrant and provides a high quality of life to all residents. By working with agencies, business leaders, and residents, Eboni-Rose will help reimagine and grow our current Ward 7 corridors and campuses, such as Reservation 13, Skyland, The Shops at Penn Branch, Fletcher-Johnson, and the Minnesota Avenue Corridor (Downtown Ward 7).
Connected Healthcare
Eboni-Rose believes that Ward 7 needs a high-quality network of care to ensure our residents live healthy-full lives. There are still far too many gaps in the ward’s healthcare system, making it difficult for residents and their growing families to access services. Eboni-Rose will work to ensure that health agencies and nonprofits can address these gaps and receive the appropriate level of funding to coordinate and deliver high-quality, timely, accessible, and affordable care.
Accomplishments
Eboni-Rose has a track record of making an impact for Ward 7. In every role she has held, Eboni-Rose has understood the duties and responsibilities of and used her understanding of local issues, collaborative leadership style, advocacy and communications skills to get things done.
With the State Board of Education:
- Elected president and vice president
- Led revision of the most inclusive, diverse, and historically accurate social standards in the country
- Established new attendance policies that eliminated the 80/20 rule which unfairly marked late students absent and creating the first ever virtual attendance policy
- Made community service more accessible for students expanding the requirements to allow service hours to be counted from opportunities with community based organizations, ANCs, and other experiences
- Led a citywide engagement process including families, students, and community members to propose changes to our education governance structure
- Supported the creation of literacy recommendations to ensure all our students are strong readers
- Special Ed Hub launch
- Created safety recommendations for schools and youth that were adopted by every Ward 7 ANC including the creation of the School Safety Enhancement Committee and expanded safe passage.
- Worked with the Commission on Arts and the Humanities to establish the Color the Curb program to improve traffic safety around schools, first implemented at Drew, CW Harris, Houston, and Plummer elementary schools
- Advocated for federal and local Funding for the East Capitol Street redesign
SBOE Annual Reports
Serving as the Chair of the Ward 7 Education Council since 2012, Eboni-Rose has worked with families, educators, students, and community members to advocate for Ward 7 to receive our fair share of public education funding and resources. During her eight-year tenure, she helped:
- Advocate for millions of dollars for “at-risk” funding resources.
- Advocate for millions of dollars for modernization funding for Kimball, Ron Brown, CW Harris, and Houston.
- Advocate for and win increases to the overall public education budget every year for the last 5 years
- Advocate for politics that created at-risk funding and charter school transparency
- Fight school closures in 2012 and keep Smothers open.
- Represent Ward 7 on Mayor Bowser’s committee to reopen schools during COVID-19, pushing for safety measures like universal testing
- Work with the Office of the Student Advocate (OSA) to provide parent empowerment program training to PTAs.
- Partner with organizations to sponsor Back to School and Book Giveaways every year since 2014, giving backpacks, school supplies, and books to 10,000 students
- Partner with ANCs, Civic Associations, and community leaders to spearhead a community vision for the Fletcher-Johnson campus and create an economic development opportunity for Ward 7
Eboni-Rose was also elected to serve 3 terms as an ANC 7F commissioner. During that time, she worked with her ANC colleagues to:
- Secure $6.7 million to modernize Benning Stoddert Recreation Center
- Support the openings of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation and Nationals Baseball Academy
- Negotiate $100k in community benefits funding to support the residents of ANC 7F
- Stop the closure of the Downtown Ward 7 post office, which would have reduced service to seniors and families
She continues to find ways to give back to her community. For instance, she has:
- Co-founded the Ward 7 COVID Response Team, which delivered more than 150,000 meals to Ward 7 families during the pandemic
- Volunteered as a literacy tutor with Higher Achievement for 3 years
- Worked with the “Ward 7 Neighbors & Friends” to raise more than $20,000 for Ward 7 families in need during the holidays
- Honored her grandmother’s legacy by establishing the Constance Thompson Memorial Scholarship, awarding $5000 in scholarships to Ward 7 graduating seniors going on to college
Awards
- DMV Top 30 Under 30, 93.9 WKYS
- Washington’s Women of Excellence, Mayor’s Office on Women and Policy Initiatives
- Ward 7 Woman of Excellence, East River Family Strengthening Collaborative
