Yaida O. Ford, an attorney, wants to use her skills set and experience to represent Ward 8 on the D.C. Council with improving its education system and fostering economic growth as priorities.
With education, she will call for a moratorium on new charter schools coming into the ward.
“We have a crisis in our community that is manifold; school choice has presented a complex problem for us because enrollment in our public schools are down, which means our funding is down in those schools, which means our kids are not getting the services that they need,” Ford said. “Resolving this will require doing more than thing but I want to start a conversation on the education front now because we also need to address trauma in schools. Many of our kids are not learning regardless of whether they are in public charter or public school.
“We have created a false narrative that ‘public charter is better’ but that entire notion is dunked by empirical data,” she said.
Regarding economic development, Ford said the ward 8 is “slated for major development in the next 3-5 years.”
“I want to make sure our residents interests are protected in that process,” she said. “Right now, some of our residents are frustrated by efforts from our current councilman to block development in the Anacostia neighborhood. This was a foolhardy move.
“If there are concerns about displacement, then there are proven methods to address that,” Ford said. “But to do it requires knowledge, skill and the ability to partner with the right enterprises to make sure there is as little adverse impact as possible on our most vulnerable residents. Without new leadership, frustrations will mount and the people who need to be protected the most will get the worst end of the deal when it is all said and done.”
Goodwin Runs as Independent for Council Seat
Two years ago, Marcus Goodwin ran unsuccessfully against at-large Council member Anita Bonds in the June Democratic primary, finishing closely behind Bonds and activist Jeremiah Lowery.
This year, however, Goodwin will run again for an at-large council seat, this time as an independent do help all Washingtonians do better.
“I grew up in neighborhoods where there were too many barriers to success and too few opportunities to get ahead,” he said. “Because of just a couple of opportunities that were provided to me, I was able to get ahead and change the trajectory of my life.”
Goodwin, who has worked for development firms Neighborhood Development Company and Four Points LLC, graduated from St. Albans School and got his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his master in design studies from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
“Stories like mine are far too rare in the District, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” he said. “That’s why I’m running for the open at-large seat on the D.C. Council.”
Goodwin, who recently stepped down as president of the D.C. Young Democrats, joins former Democrats such as the D.C. State Board of Education’s Ward 8 representative Markus Batchelor and D.C. shadow Rep. Franklin Garcia in the race for the council seat held by David Grosso (I-At Large). The independent at-large election will take place Nov. 3.
Goodwin said he will fight to narrow the wealth gap between Blacks and whites, lower student loan debt and support D.C. employees earning a living wage.
“I will not compromise on principles,” he said. “I want to see my hometown and its people prosper.”