BUILDING OUR FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS
Building a Better Ward 5
Read the latest Ward 5 news in the
Councilmember’s weekly newsletter:
Read the latest Ward 5 news in the Councilmember’s weekly newsletter:
Constituent Services - Submit A Request
Need help with an issue? Let us know!
LATEST WARD 5 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
September 11, 2026
Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
There’s a lot to talk about this week. The Council returns from recess next Tuesday, September 15, and that means the calendar of hearings and markups is getting full again. There is one markup in particular I want residents to pay attention to, but more on that in a moment.
First, I want to make sure that no neighbor misses out on all the fun we have planned for Ward 5 Week (September 13-19) and Ward 5 Day (September 19)! There is something for everyone, all week long. Check out the schedule below and meet us at one, some, or all!
- Sunday, September 13, 4:00 p.m. — Commanders Season-Opening Game Official Tailgate + Watch Party @ Langston Golf Course
- Monday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. — Yoga in the Park @ The U.S. National Arboretum
- Tuesday, September 15, 10:00 a.m. — Rally for Kin Care Month @ The Wilson Building
- Tuesday, September 15, 6:45 p.m. — Ward 5 Day @ Nationals Park
- Wednesday, September 16, 10:30 a.m. — Senior Bingo @ North Michigan Park Rec Center
- Thursday, September 17, 3:00 p.m. — Meetup at Rita’s on Rhode Island
- Friday, September 18, 4:45 p.m. — Bike Ride @ 17th and Maryland Ave NE, ends with Happy Hour @ Lost Generation Brewing (5:30 p.m.)
- THE BIG DAY! Saturday, September 19, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Ward 5 Day @ Turkey Thicket!
And the big day really is a big day! We’re going to have live music—featuring a homegrown Go-Go band—and line dancing, multiple moon bounces, go-karts, food from Ward 5 restaurants, lots of giveaways, community resource tables, the Walk Thru Ward 5 exhibit, and more. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it. Don’t meet us there, beat us there!
LATEST WARD 5 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Are You Ready?
September 11, 2026
Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
There’s a lot to talk about this week. The Council returns from recess next Tuesday, September 15, and that means the calendar of hearings and markups is getting full again. There is one markup in particular I want residents to pay attention to, but more on that in a moment.
First, I want to make sure that no neighbor misses out on all the fun we have planned for Ward 5 Week (September 13-19) and Ward 5 Day (September 19)! There is something for everyone, all week long. Check out the schedule below and meet us at one, some, or all!
- Sunday, September 13, 4:00 p.m. — Commanders Season-Opening Game Official Tailgate + Watch Party @ Langston Golf Course
- Monday, September 14, 6:00 p.m. — Yoga in the Park @ The U.S. National Arboretum
- Tuesday, September 15, 10:00 a.m. — Rally for Kin Care Month @ The Wilson Building
- Tuesday, September 15, 6:45 p.m. — Ward 5 Day @ Nationals Park
- Wednesday, September 16, 10:30 a.m. — Senior Bingo @ North Michigan Park Rec Center
- Thursday, September 17, 3:00 p.m. — Meetup at Rita’s on Rhode Island
- Friday, September 18, 4:45 p.m. — Bike Ride @ 17th and Maryland Ave NE, ends with Happy Hour @ Lost Generation Brewing (5:30 p.m.)
- THE BIG DAY! Saturday, September 19, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Ward 5 Day @ Turkey Thicket!
And the big day really is a big day! We’re going to have live music—featuring a homegrown Go-Go band—and line dancing, multiple moon bounces, go-karts, food from Ward 5 restaurants, lots of giveaways, community resource tables, the Walk Thru Ward 5 exhibit, and more. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it. Don’t meet us there, beat us there!
2026 Progress Report
Entering the fourth year of his first term, Councilmember Parker shared a Progress Report looking over all we’ve accomplished together since 2023. These years have been marked by resilience and results. Councilmember Parker has been focused on Standing Up for DC, Serving the Community, Advancing Bold Policy, and Fighting for DC Youth. View the full report and see more of what we achieved together here.
COUNCILMEMBER ZACHARY PARKER
Since taking office in January of 2023, Zachary has delivered for Ward 5 residents through responsive constituent services and significant budget wins. He has introduced dozens of transformative pieces of legislation, including bills to establish the District’s State Superintendent of Education’s School Support Office to improve low-performing schools, and the District Child Tax Credit which provides low-income and middle-class families fully refundable tax credits for children 17 years of age and younger.
LEGISLATION
Since taking office, Councilmember Parker has introduced more than 30 pieces of legislation, and co-introduced more than 150 additional bills. Learn about Councilmember Parker’s legislation, co-introductions, and committee assignments on the Legislation page.
COUNCILMEMBER ZACHARY PARKER
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker is an educator and a public servant. He taught 7th-grade math in New Orleans, post-Katrina, with Teach For America, and spent nearly a decade supporting DC school administrators at Ward 5 schools like Dunbar High School and Mundo Verde PCS.
Zachary sees firsthand the human impact of a system that leaves our most vulnerable behind. He grew up watching his oldest brother struggle with a one-size-fits-all school system that did not have the resources to support him, and now sees the challenges he faces in life because of it.
And Zachary suffered alongside his middle brother through a long and exhaustive battle with a healthcare system that treated him more like a problem than a patient before he ultimately passed away at 36 from kidney failure. These shouldn’t be the experiences families have when interacting with our public institutions. Zachary has dedicated his life’s work to transforming the systems that failed his brothers and so many like them.
The latest on the Councilmember’s Social Media
Building a stronger, healthier Ward 5 every day.
VISIT OR MAIL OUR OFFICE:
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Suite 506
Washington, DC 20004