For purposes of this subchapter, the term: (1) “Employer” means any individual, firm, association, corporation, the District of Columbia government, any receiver or trustee of any individual firm, association, or corporation, or the legal representative of a deceased employer, who uses the services of an individual (“employee”) for pay in the District. (1A) “Employee” means any individual whose services are used for pay in the District by any of the entities provided for in paragraph (1) of this section. (2) “Parent” means:

• (A) The natural mother or father of a child;
• (B) A person who has legal custody of a child;
• (C) A person who acts as a guardian of a child regardless of whether he or she has been appointed legally as such;
• (D) An aunt, uncle, or grandparent of a child; or
• (E) A person who is married to, or in a domestic partnership with a person listed in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of this paragraph. (3) “School-related event” means an activity sponsored by either a school or an associated organization such as a parent-teacher association. A school-related event includes: a student performance such as a concert, play, or rehearsal; the sporting game of a school team or practice; a meeting with a teacher or counselor; or any similar type of activity. A school-related event shall involve the parent’s child directly either as participant or subject but not as a spectator. (4) “District of Columbia Emancipation Day” means April 16th of each year. (5) “Domestic partnership” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(4).

(a)  Except as provided in this section, an employee who is a parent shall be entitled to a total of 24 hours leave during any 12 month period to attend or participate in a school-related event for his or her child. (b)  Except as provided in this section, an employee shall be entitled to a day of leave each year on April 16th, the District of Columbia Emancipation Day. (c)  An employer may deny the use of leave provided by subsections (a) and (b) of this section only if the granting of leave would disrupt the employer’s business and make the achievement of production or service delivery unusually difficult. (d)  The leave provided by this section may consist of unpaid leave unless the parent or employee elects to use any paid family, vacation, personal, compensatory, or leave bank leave that has been provided by the employer. (e)  An employee shall notify the employer of the desire for leave to attend a school-related event or to celebrate the District of Columbia Emancipation Day at least 10 calendar days in advance, unless, in the case of a school event, the need to attend the school-related event cannot be reasonably foreseen.

This document provides a sample template for LEAs in the development of their parent and family engagement policy, in accordance with requirements for parent and family engagement under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The document encourages LEAs to, in consultation with parents, include additional relevant activities to support effective family engagement.