Prince William County School Board Meeting - May 7, 2025

001this meeting of the Prince William County School Board to order. Before we move on to the approval of the agenda, I need a motion to amend the meeting by moving item 17.09 under board matters to after thriving future focus vice chair Wil temporary recommendation. I move that the Prince William County School Board amend the meeting agenda by moving item 17.09 09 under board matters to occur after thriving futures. Miss Mr. Chair. Oh, thank you, Miss Williams. Any discussion? This is Miss Rston's resolution. We're moving it to the beginning. I'm I'm doing what did she just say? I'm campaigning. Seven. Yes, one not present at vote. Let motion passed. A motion is now in order order for the approval of the meeting agenda as amended. Vice temporary vice chair Wils. I move that the Prince William

002County School Board approve the meeting agenda as amended. M second. I'll second. Thank you, Miss Williams. Discussion. Please vote by hand. Seven yes, one not present at vote latif. Motion passed. Moving on to a motion to enter close session. A motion is in order. Mr. Chairman, I move that uh pursuant to Virginia code 2-2.2-3711 and 2.2-3712, the Prince William County School Board enter close session for the following reasons. One to discuss with staff the assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining, or resignation of specific public officers, appointees, or employees of any public body pursuant to VA code 2.2-3711A 1 to discuss with division council and staff actual or probable litigation and specific legal matters involving staff, students, and other civil litigation involving school division under VA code 2.2-3711A7 and 8. Two, to discuss an a

003to discuss the award of public contract to employees, exclusive representatives, which involves the expenditure of public funds or and the and the terms, excuse me, and the terms or scope of such contract where discussion open session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body pursuant to VA code 2.2-3711A29 2-3711A29 and to discuss for to discuss and receive briefings by staff members related to the security of school facilities, the safety of persons using such facilities and actions taken to respond to such matters where discussion and open meeting would jeopardize the security of such facilities pursuant to VA code 2.2-3711A19. Thank you, Miss Williams. Can I have a second? Mr. Chairman, Miss Zag second. Any discussion? Please vote by hand. Vote is seven yes, one not present at vote. Let motion pass.

004The Prince William County School Board will now enter close session and return to open session in 1 hour. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] All right, close session action items. Moving on to the close session action items. Oh, close session certification. Oh, my bad. The Princewood County School Board now returning to open session from close session. A motion is in order for 701 close session certification. You want me? I move that pursuant to Virginia Code 2.2-3712, 2-3712. The closed session of the Prince William County School Board meeting of May 7th, 2025 be certified by adopting the resol following resolution. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Prince William County School Board hereby certifies that to the best of each member's knowledge, one only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed in the

005closed meeting to which this certification resolution applies. And two, only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard and discussed or considered by the school board. I have a second. Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Aapor, any discussion? Please vote. Vote is seven yes, one not present at vote Latif. Motion passed. Okay, moving on to close session action items. A motion is in order for 8.01. Uh m Mr. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the appointments and releases of specific employees as presented in close session. I have a second. Mr. Chairman, Miss Zag, thank you. Any discussion? Please vote. Vote is seven yes, one not present at vote. Motion passed. Moving on to close session action item. A motion is in order for 8.02.

006Mr. Chairman, I move that the Prince William County School Board appoint hearing officers as required by Virginia Code section 22.1-311A for purposes of the employee grievance procedure contained in PWCS regulation 508 period 01-1 and 508 period 01-2 through June 30th 2026. Thank you, Mr. Wil. I have a second. Mr. Chairman, Miss Zagor second. Any discussion? Please vote. Vote is seven. Yes. One not present at vote. Latif motion passed. All right. Thank you. Moving on to the pledge of allegiance. I'd like to invite our student representative, representative Allah Rashid, to lead us in the pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nation andice for all. Thank you. Moving on to Thriving Futures Focus, Dr. Good evening. Thriving futures focus is the opportunity to highlight the exemplary exemplary work being

007accomplished in our schools. Fulfilling our vision that every student will graduate on time with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary to create a thriving future for themselves and their community. We dedicate this time during our meetings to recogni to recognizing students, staff members, and schools that have earned an honor or award at the state or national level. We appreciate how these honores have positively represented Prince William County public schools and the school board is proud to recognize them publicly for their accomplishments. Tonight, the school board will recognize our Virginia State Science and Engineer Fair winner, FCCLA State Leadership Conference winners, indoor track state winners, and our four schools that were awarded the American School Counselor Association's 2025 recognized AC ASCA model program destination. We will begin with Miss Tradenic of the Burnsville District

008for our first two recognitions. Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Brunsville District would like to first congratulate Hannah Jansen for taking first place at the Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair in the engineering technology and sustainable design category for earning the VSSF Grand Prize Award and the Lidos 2025 Young STEM research award. Hannah is accompanied here tonight by Patriot High School's acting principal, David Van Gelder. At this time, I would like to invite Hannah to share a few words about her impressive accomplishments. Um, hello. Um, so these awards, they obviously mean a lot to me because it's a reflection of all the hard work I've put into this season. Um, I would like to thank the Governor's School of Innovation Park for providing the funds and time for this work and then also Patriot High School

009for providing constant support. and I look forward to continuing to share my work at the International Science and Engineering Fair next week. Thank you. Congratulations, Hannah. You've made the Brunsville District very proud. Second, the Virginia Family Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc. is a national career technical student organization that is part of family and consumer sciences courses in middle schools, high schools, and technical centers. Brensville would like to recognize the winners of the Virginia FCCLA state leadership conference and their advancement to the national conference. From Marstellar Middle School, I would like to congratulate Laney McVey and Isabelle Corila for first place finish in the chapter in review event. from Patriot High School. I would like to congratulate eight first place winners. Jennifer J. King, first place in the baking and pastry live skill event.

010Emma Ashley, first place in the career investigation event. And Shiovani Davis, first place in the chapter in review event. Arya McGee, Alyssa Nielsen, and Maline Kurila for first place in the food innovations event. and Cameron McGee for earning top 20 nationally for the online instructional video event and for being named the new vice president of programs for Virginia FCCLA. Marstellar is represented tonight by principal Lisa Warner and Patriot is represented by acting principal David Vanelder. At this time, I invite Patriot High School family and consumer science teacher Katherine Jet McVey to share a few words on this celebration. Thank you so much um Miss Troenic. Thank you chairman Latif members of the school board superintendent Dr. McDade and the superintendent staff on behalf of Patriot FCCLA for inviting us here this evening. My name is

011Katherine Jet McVey and I'm the adviser for both of the Patriot High School chapter of Family and Career and Community Leaders of America and the Patriot Middle Chapter held at Marstellar Middle School. FCCLA is a nationally affiliated career and technical educ uh student organization that encourages student members to become college at career ready strengthen their families and engage in worthy projects that help our local and greater communities. For the fourth consecutive year, Patriot FCCLA members have been fortunate to place first in state competition and qualify for national events. Here's a quick recap of what our students have done in each of these categories. In baking and pastry, it's a live baking event where individual students have only one hour and 45 minutes to make three different scratch products and decorate a cake. In career investigations,

012it's an individual presentation event of a 36-page portfolio documenting work-based learning activities such as career research, job shadowing and interviewing skills, compiled work samples, and a resume. In chapter and review, it is a thematic presentation event outlining each of our chapters programs of work throughout the year. In food innovations, it's a research design and presentation event documenting the creation of low sugar beverage that was marketable to teenagers and included at least one superfood. This project required extensive knowledge of nutrition and dietetics, food science, safety and sanitation, marketability, and product packaging. And finally, instructional video design and online video production showcasing a step-by-step process of an intended topic. I couldn't be more proud of these competitors. These juniors and seniors have collectively earned over $145,000 in scholarship offers from colleges and universities from participating in FCCLA's

013competitive events. Talk about having thriving futures. And after delivering a dynamic speech on stage in front of nearly 1,000 audience members, Cameron McGee was voted in as the next Virginia FCCLA vice president of programs. When I asked my FCCLA members what skills they walk away with after being in a leadership club like FCCLA, their answers were confidence, creativity, networking, public speaking, teamwork, time management, and work ethic. This skill set is not far from the attributes listed in PWCS's profile of a graduate and FCCLA's eight purposes are very similar to this division's four strategic commitments. Our students have so much drive and dedication, but beyond these skills, we build relationships. And ultimately, students like these are why teachers like me come to work every single day. We are so appreciative of the administrative support from Mr.

014David Vanelder, acting principal at Patriot High School, and Miss Lisa Warner, principal at Marstellar Middle School. Their encouragement to let me take FCCLA as far as I can in PWCS in Virginia and nationally has been so helpful, especially facing the uphill battles of fundraising for these opportunities. Collectively, we all work together as a village to support our students and their passions. Thank you for your continued support, and we will continue to make PWCS proud and Shani. Mr. Blake, I I always hate for us to miss a name. I did. I missed it. I know which one I missed. Oh, I was going to I was just going to say maybe I missed it in the script, but that's okay. Nope, it was my fault. Okay. It was because I think Siobhani was here before and

015so I only saw her name. So Siobhan and Shiovani, correct? Yes. Thank you. Sorry. Congratulations. Appreciate it. Thank you, Miss Jet McVey, and congratulations and good luck to our FCCL LA winners. Thank you. Wonderful. Congratulations to the Brinsville [Applause] district. We now turn to Mr. Wilk of the PTOIC District. Thank you, Chairman Blake. Uh, the PTOIC District would like to recognize uh Russell Cam Gang from Forest Park High School for earning his state title for indoor track in the high jump. Forest Park is represented again tonight. I swear you're here every other week. Uh, principal Richard Martinez, I'm gonna not put you on the spot. Russell says you do not want to speak. So, congratulations, Russell. Continuing to our next recognition, uh the American School Counselor Association or the ASCA supports school counselors efforts to

016help students focus on academic, career, and social and emotional development so they can achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. The ASCA provides professional development, publications, and other resources research and advocacy to school counselors around the globe. The ASCA's recognized Prince William County Public Schools for earning the 2025 recognized ASCA model program, also known as RAMP designation. Only 190 schools nationwide received this honor. With this award, the ASCA recognizes schools that are committed to delivering a comprehensive data-informed school counseling program in top-notch educational environment. The PTOIC district is once again proud to recognize Forest Park High School as one of the four schools to earn this designation. They received the reamp status this year, meaning they reapplied and obtained the designation. Forest Park is represented by

017principal Martinez, counselors Amy Linder, Judith Flores, Terara Scott, and Anna Failen. Congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Wilk, Miss Zagapore. Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Kohl's district would like to recognize Parkside Middle School for being one of the four schools to receive the 2025 recognized ASCA ramp designation. Parkside is represented tonight by principal Aaron Mera, director of school counseling Caroline Young, and counselors Laura Pelzar, Moren Andrada, and Melissa Funen. Congratulations, Parkside. Thank you, Miss Zagapore. Miss Williams, would you please introduce your school? Absolutely. Thank you, Vice Chair Blake. The Woodbridge District would like to recognize Mary G. Porter Traditional School for being named one of the four schools to receive the 2025 recognized ASCA ramp designation. Porter Traditional is represented tonight by principal Caitlyn Ed Eglmire floor, assistant principal Joseph Wood, director of school counseling Laura Mirs,

018school counselors Jessica Jones, and our very own PWCS graduate Arthur Lockam. Congratulations, Porter Traditional. I'm so proud. Excellent. Thank you, Miss Williams, Miss Wall. Thank you, Vice Chair Blake. On behalf of the Gainesville District, it is my pleasure to recognize Ronald Reagan Middle School for its 2025 recognized ramp designation by the ASCA. Reagan Middle is represented tonight by principal Christopher Beamer and director of counseling Amy Kovll Sherik. Congratulations to the Reagan and Gainesville community. Um, and I want to say real quick, um, let's see, I have, hold on. I have the honor of inviting supervisor of elementary counseling and related services, Ann Henry, to come to the podium and speak on behalf of our RAMP award winners. But before she does that, I want to say I recently went to an event at Reagan. It

019was the unified track event and there were only over 17 schools represented 650 kids and it was absolutely awesome and it was the most happy inclusive group of sped special ed students and gened students and it was so fun and so well executed. So I just wanted to say like thank you for all of that effort. It was absolutely awesome. [Applause] The American School Counselor Association's recognized ASKA model program or ramp designation is more than just an award. It's a symbol of excellence. It signifies that a school has implemented data-informed student- centered counseling programs that meet the national standards. This designation reflects a profound design dedication to equity, access, and achievement for all students. The RAMP application process is a rigorous one and it spans an entire school year. During this time, school counselors implement,

020document, and analyze data from classroom lessons, smallroup counseling sessions, and other counseling strategies to enhance positive student outcomes. Each school must meticulously compile evidence of goal setting, planning, data collection, and analysis, organizing these materials into 10 essential components that align closely with the ASKA national model. This comprehensive approach ensures that the counseling program is effective and impactful. Moreover, as a part of the ramp process, school counselors continuously reflect on their work to determine what strategies to continue, what areas to strengthen, and what new directions to explore. This reflective practice is crucial for maintaining a dynamic and responsive counseling program that adapts to the evolving needs of students. I sincerely thank Dr. McDade, Dr. Flenard, Dr. Latif and the school board for their unwavering support of the ramp designation. To the dedicated school counselors, administrators, and

021school communities, your commitment to student success is invaluable. A special thank you to Lisa James from the college career and student support department for her tireless efforts in guiding schools through the application process. Your hard work is truly appreciated. These schools have shown what it means to lead with heart, support with purpose, and inspire with vision. Their school counselors are not merely advocates. They are architects of brighter futures. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Wall, and thank you, Miss Henry. Uh, I too was at that unified track meet last week at Reagan Middle School, and it was very good. I'm glad to see all of our students are being seen and loved and taken care of and taught. It was a great event. But um before asking Dr. McDade to provide congratulations, I would like to

022ask the families of our honores to please stand for a round of applause. Thank you. Now I invite Superintendent Dr. Latana D. McDate to share a few words. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Tonight's recognitions have been a powerful reminder of the excellence that defines Prince William County Schools. Congratulations, Hannah, uh, for earning first place at the Virginia uh, State Science and Engineering Fair, but also taking home the grand prize award and receiving the Lidos 2025 Young STEM research award. Congratulations to you. for it. We are incredibly proud. Your success really reflects our school's commitment to fostering innovation and preparing students to lead in the fields that will shape our future. I'm also proud of our FCCLA state leadership conference winners, students from Marstellar Middle and Patriot High School, uh taking first place in your events. That

023is impressive. When I heard everything that you had to do, I definitely would not have been able to take the pressure. So, congratulations to each of you um in advancing to the national competition. We can't wait to see what will happen at the national. Your achievements also illustrate how our teacher leaders empower students to build real world skills, develop leadership, and pursue their passions behi beyond the classroom. And also, congratulations are in order Russell to you. Great job. Your hard work, resilience, and practice certainly did pay off big. And then finally to our four outstanding schools, Forest Park, Parkside, Porter, and Reagan. Congratulations to each of you on earning the prestigious 2025 recognized ASKA Model Program designation from the American School Counselor Association. These accomplishments really speak volume to the depth of talent, determination, and

024leadership within our school system. And as I say all the time, we are PWCS proud. Congratulations to each of you. Thank you, Dr. McDade. At this time, I invite all our honores to come forward for a group photo with the school board and to receive a token of our appreciation. We will begin with one group photo with our Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair winner and then our FCCLA state leadership conference winners, track state champion, and our four schools that were awarded the American School Counselor Association's 2025 recognized ACSCA model program designation. Nobody. You are awesome. All right. Moving on. We will now move on to agenda item 17.09. Huh? Wait, hold on. Can I get an adoption of the consent agenda motion? Oh, hey. We will now move on to agenda item 17.09, school

025board presentation of the resolution for former board member Diane L. Rostston, Neapsco district. Uh, Mr. Wil. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the following resolution in honor of former board member Diane Rston of the NAPSCO district. In appreciation of Diane Rston, whereas Diane Rostston was elected as the Prince William County School Board Representative for the NAPSCO district in 2015, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to advocating for quality, equitable, and someone else Okay. Um, equitable and collaborative education. And whereas Miss Rston's advocacy for education began in 1966 as a high school student in Monterey, California, leading to significant policy ch policy changes in the local school district. And she attended Kansas State College and majored in English and journalism. And whereas her advocacy efforts were recognized by the US Department of

026Education with the parent leader advocate program award in 1990 and her appointment to the state California education committee for two five-year terms. And whereas Miss Rston was an active member of various local and civic organizations including the Bair Women's Club, Veterans and Foreign Wars Post 1503, Dale City Civic Association, and the Prince William County Lassie League. And whereas Miss Rollson's dedication to community service was recognized through congressional recognition of volunteerism awards from Congressman Jerry Connley and US Senator Mark Warner. And her leadership roles included chairing the NAVSCO budget committee and serving on the Prince William County Disability Services Board, the Discover Prince William and Manasses Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the board of directors for the Prince William County Boys and Girls Club. And whereas Miss Rston served on the school board during a time

027of significant student growth, during Miss Rston's time on the board, Prince William County Public Schools opened nine schools including Coington Harbor Innovation, John D. Jenkins, Kirby, I mean, excuse me, Kilby and Kyle Wilson elementary schools, PTOIC Shores Middle School, Charles J. Kan Senior and Gainesville high schools and Independence Non-traditional schools. And whereas the board whereas on the board, Rston advocated for higher teacher and staff compensation, increasing on-time graduation rates, expanding of career and technical education programs, ensuring the full accreditation of NAVSCO schools, enhancing parent and community engagement, and increasing pre-k spots for NABSCO students. And whereas in addition to her service on the school board, Rston actively contributed to numerous local organizations including the Dale City Civic Association and the Prince William County Disability Services Board. She was deeply involved in the community, centering her

028efforts on the well-being of children and families. And now, therefore, be it resolved that the Prince William County School Board hereby recognizes and expresses its profound appreciation to Miss Diane L. Rston for her impactful service, steadfast steadfast commitment, and lasting contributions to the NASPO district and the broader Prince William County educational community. Be it further resolved that this resolution be entered into the official records of Prince William County Schools and that a copy hereof be presented to the family of Diane L. Rostston as a token of high esteem for which Miss Rston is held by this school board and the community at large. Thank you, Mr. Wil. Miss Williams. Um, can I get a second? Mr. Chair, Vice Chair, Miss Williams, I like to second. Uh, any discussion? Dr. Mday, did you want to talk

029or do you want to let um I just wanted to say a few words if this is the appropriate time? Yes. Okay. Uh I Miss Rostston was um one of the the original eight board members that saw in me the leadership capability to um lead Prince William County Schools. And I am eternally grateful for her service and leadership on this board. And I'd like to take a special moment to remember and celebrate Miss Diane Rston. We are deeply saddened by the passing of Miss Rston, a trailblazer in education and a fierce advocate for children and families. Diane Rston was a public servant known for her work in education equity and our community, especially in Dale City. Her mission to boost student achievement and promote family engagement earned her recognition at both state and national levels.

030Diane's legacy is one of courageous leadership, tireless community service, and unwavering belief in the power of education to transform lives. She led with integrity, compassion, and a deep love for the Prince William County community. Whether in the boardroom, at a civic event, or mentoring young leaders, Miss Rston modeled what it means to serve with purpose. We honor her memory today with gratitude and commit to carrying forward the values she held dear. Equity, advocacy, and excellence for every single child. Her voice will be missed, but her impact will continue to echo throughout the schools in Prince William County and the hearts of all who knew her. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Dr. Mday. Miss Williams. Uh, thank you, Miss Mr. Blake. Um, I had the very distinct honor of serving with Diane, and she was

031a truly unique and inspirational uh, individual for me. She provided uh, mentorship, life experience, stories, and the encouragement to stand your ground and be yourself through anything. Uh it has it was truly an honor and a pleasure to serve with Diane. Um she will forever hold a special place in my heart and I know that through her service we were able to enact instrumental change for all students in Prince William County. She will be deeply missed and it has been a pleasure and an honor that I will never forget. Um, and I think this speaking to her uh legacy and her accomplishments tonight is uh more than the right thing to do. She will forever be remembered and forever change the trajectory of my uh service and focus on this school board. and I'm just

032very grateful for her uh to know her as a as a school board member, but I also consider her uh someone that I could call friend and um I'm extremely grateful to be able to say these words. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Williams, Mr. Jesse. A special tribute to Diane Rost. This joint tribute was authored by my wife, Lily Jesse, who knew and worked with Diane directly. It is with a great deal of sadness that this that we write this tribute for our colleague. Our condolences go to her family who have suffered several losses losses in recent past. Diane Rosson never met a person she didn't feel comfortable with. If you met Diane, you would never forget her. She knew how to enter a room and make her presence known. Diane political background was very

033extensive and she made sure those who knew her were aware of it. She would walk into the room and start a conversation about her life in California. She had worked with some very notable politicians and with the Title One program. She and Lily share the bond of working with students in lowincome areas. As mentioned earlier, Diane would walk into a room and begin a conversation about her work in California. Lily attended a workshop on the on the use of the equity report card conducted by Dr. Rita Bishop, then superintendent of Rowan Oak City Public School. Dr. Josh Hart, Diane, and Lily made the trip to Rural Elk to meet with Dr. Bishop. Diane took over the meeting, talked about her adventures and people she knew in California. She, to my surprise, Dr. Bishop knew some

034of the names Diane mentioned. It was like a old home week. So, I changed my thinking about Diane from there was never a person Diane did not know to there was never a person who did not know Diane. Following the meeting with Dr. Bishop, our school system adopted the equity report card and the equity program. She and her she also supported the naming of the auditorium at Garfield High School John Jenin Auditorium. She loved the Jenham families and supported their annual Dell City Civic Association parade and Dell program and Dell City parade. One would not know that because she and her daughter Monnique Ratliff would work were worker bees who led from behind. Both of the of us saw and admire them for their commitment to Dell Shitty. She was very supportive of my initiative

035but also had her own voice. Finally, Diane and I Diane and Lily had numerous conversation about her family. She admired her father who took care of her mother until she passed away. I do remember how much she adored her grandchildren. She tried to make every event and never that I could tell put a schoolboard event over an event for her grandchildren. The Jessis were honored to know Diane Rost. Thank you, Mr. Jesse. Miss Dagger, I'll be I'll be brief. Um I didn't get the opportunity to know Diane for too terribly long. Um, but the the stories about her talking about California definitely ring true. And I think the couple things that I take from her is um she didn't seem to ever let a moment pass where if you needed to stand up for something

036that's right, you just do it. Um, advocating for children and families in education was really important to her. She understood that connection of family engagement and schools. And lastly, she believed in the power of public education. So, I'm grateful to have had the time that I did to to know her and work with her. Thank you. Miss I um just wish to say that Diane was a great example of dedication to children and children's causes. Um she was a great public servant. She had a great sense of humor. Um and she was instrumental in some key votes. um in our effort to get schools open. So, I appreciate that. Um and I um when I hear about her life, she's truly inspiring. So, it's really wonderful for the legacy that she has for her family

037and loved ones um and those around her and she truly will be missed. Thank you, Miss Wall. All right. Okay. So as you know this uh Miss Rosson is a very very very dear to me clearly um sitting in her seat you know wearing her shoes walking her path now and um you know she she served in the obstacle district with wisdom resolve and an abiding love for all children. Um and then she led by this guiding principle and uh and and she made it her slogan too. It was just it was for the children and it was always for the children and she always said keep that as your um as your guiding light and she was relentless in her pursuit for what was best for the students in the ABSCO and for the

038whole Prince William County School District. Um, and during her time, like you've heard from everybody, during her time, she she led this board that she was on was very transformative and it's leading to a lot of the positive changes and a lot of the fruits that we are enjoying right now was because of those those boards. Um, you know, and I just, you know, her legacy is just so is so profound. It wasn't just it it wasn't just a list of all these accomplishments, right? It's it was the heart behind them. And like I said, she led with courage. She mentored with compassion. She governed with a clear unwavering focus for the children. It's always for the children. Everything we do up here is for the children. And um I just want to say on

039behalf of a very grateful community, a very grateful NAPCO district, I just want to say thank you to Neapco's nana, um Miss Rostston. And thank you for your voice, your wisdom, and for your example. And may we continue to work May we continue the work you began and always for the children. Thank you. Oh. Oh, yeah. I would also like to recognize uh Miss Rosson's family is in the front row tonight. Um I see uh her daughter and Mon'nique and I see her granddaughters Micah, Michaela, and Maya and and who I see somebody else. I don't know who that is exactly. your godaughter. But do you want to you want to stand up and introduce yourself? You can do that. Oh, I'm her godaughter. I'm Michelle from California. Okay. Okay. Welcome Michelle from California. [Applause]

040So now we need a vote. Mine is not showing up as I voted, but I did vote. The vote is seven yes, one not present at vote. Motion passed. And um so it's not in the script, but I know we are we going to take photos with the family. And did you Mon'nique, would you like to come up and would you like to address the board? Yeah, I'mma put you on the spot now. I think Mr. Blake is returning the favor by putting me on the spot, but um I just like to say on behalf of our family, I thank everyone for your kind words. Um and I thank you for the work that you continue to do every day. Um my mother um was the nana of Napsco, not just the nana of these

041three. Um so thank you for recognizing her for the heart that she had because that's truly what she brought um every day to this position and I look forward to the work that you all will do. Um and just thank you for this opportunity to celebrate my mother. Thank you so much. Thank you Miss Rosson. um present you with this resolution and then we're going to take a photo and then All right. All right. Thank you all. Um now moving on uh we are moving on to 11.1 adoption of the consent agenda. Uh motions in order. Mr. Chairman. Um I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the public meeting consent agenda as recommended. May I have a second? Mr. Chairman. Maple. I second. Any discussion? Please vote. vote is seven yes, one

042not present at vote. Let Latif motion passed. Now citizen comment time. Okay. Those citizens who have signed up in advance with the clerk may address the school board this evening when they are called to the podium. The citizen comment period for regular schoolboard meetings is 1 hour and citizens may speak on agenda items or other topics gerain to the operations and policies of PWCS. Please use proper decorum and manners while at the podium or you will be asked to set step aside. We ask that the audience please be respectful of each speaker and refrain from any clapping, cheering, or jeering to avoid disruption of the meeting. If you do not, the board will recess and I will ask the room to be cleared to restore public order. Tonight, we have nine citizens signed up to

043speak. When I call your name, please come up to the podium and state your name and address for the record. Where's the I just going to call I'm do like Dr. Latif called the first five speakers uh Courtney Good, Sean Daly, Reena Stap, Jen Donley, and Ayan Khan. All right. Good evening, board members, superintendent, and the community. My name is Courtney Good. Um, my dress has been documented and is on file. I'm here today as a parent first, but also as a veteran law enforcement officer and advocate for child safety. I'm speaking to you because a deeply painful experience my seven-year-old daughter endured within the Prince William County school system, one that no student should ever have to go through. In March of this year, my child was punched in the mouth by another student

044and the assault caused her lip to swell and bleed. She was hurt, she was scared, and she has not felt safe at school since that day. Her emotional trauma has began to manifest in her behavior, a reaction that any of us would understand if we were to face our attacker daily. And despite being a clear witnessed document act of violence, no medical care was provided, no injury report, and no meaningful intervention until I addressed the school and had to ask for it. When I asked for my child to be transferred for her safety, her healing, and her peace of mind, I was denied. The violent nature of what happened seemed to be minimized, ignored, and brushed aside. Let me be clear. Being assaulted is not a conflict between students. It is not a disagreement or

045a fight. Is an act of violence and demands a serious, compassionate, and protective response. I'm here to ask, what does Prince William County Schools consider a violent crime? Is a child being physically assaulted in school not enough? What does a student have to endure before they are seen and protected as a victim? I am calling on this board to take specific actions. I would like you to define violent crime clearly and transparently in the school policy. Establish a victim- centered protocol that prioritizes the well-being of harmed students. Ensure that any student who is assaulted on school property during the school day has a right to request and receive a school transfer. especially when the attacker remains at that school. Guarantee that proper medical care, documentation, and communication are provided after any incident involving physical harm.

046Because our policies must be victim focused, a child who is physically assaulted at school deserves more than vague responses and red tape. They deserve safety. They deserve care. and they deserve the option to learn in an environment where they're not retraumatized every day. It is our responsibility as adults, leaders, community members to ensure that every school is a place where our children feel secure, valued, and protected. I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you. Thank you. Sean Dailyaly, Reena Stap. Hi, my name is Reena Stap and um my address is on file with the clerk. Um, as you all know, this is teacher appreciation week and I wanted to just read out some of the thank yous to some of my children's teachers that were given to me from them. I wanted to share that with

047you all because I wanted to share some of the wonderful things that have happened in our schools that you may not know of because you may not know every single teacher in every single school. Um, my daughter is in fourth grade and she says that her fourth grade teacher, she says, "Thank you for teaching the class valuable lessons and that the Tlaywood teachers are always leading us to success." Um, to her chorus teacher, which took over 120 students in the chorus this year, um, which is the most they've ever had. They just had their spring concert and it was amazing. They've worked so hard and she want to say thank you for spending her time and effort to teach the kids and help the kids be who they want to be. My son is in

048middle school. Um he wanted to share his thank yous to his math teacher. Thank you for teaching me. You're an awesome math teacher and keep being awesome. And to his science teacher, Miss Willard, thank you for all the fun science that you teach. It has been a fantastic year. Um, I'm so proud of my kids for having the things they wanted to say thank you for because they truly love school and I love that they love school here in Prince William County. Um, our public schools are an amazing resource where children from so many diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, religions, life expecties, experiences can all come together and learn with and from each other. Um, and unfortunately there's never enough money to fund everything. Um, at the school I work at, we are constantly reminded,

049print everything double-sided to save paper, use the Smartboards instead of worksheets. And the amount that was allocated for the Val tutors, which is what I do, it doesn't even extend past the end of this month. Um, we can't supply our summer reading books like we used to with the PALS funding we used to receive for those in the reading intervention to take home to continue learning over the summer. Um, and one of the best ways to help thank our teachers is through funding. Um, our public funds belong in our public schools. And I wanted to say thank you all for increasing teacher salaries in this most recent budget because they work so hard and do so many more things outside of their contracted hours to make everything wonderful for our students. Um, I understand that

050not everything can be funded, but anything that we can give to those rock stars is very appreciated. So, thank you. Thank you, Jen Donley. Good evening. My name is Jen Donley and my address is on file. Um, first of all, I want to commend the board on the strides you've made in improving the consequences that are outlined in the code of behavior. However, the significant lack of consistency in enforcing these consequences remains, giving students the impression that they can misbehave without repercussions and contributing to the chaos in our schools. I'm particularly concerned about the lack of consequences for category A behaviors that impede academic progress. Teachers often express frustration over feeling unsupported by administrators in dealing with disruptive students. This ongoing issue affects student learning and creates a hostile work environment for our educators. We

051cannot expect students to thrive in an environment where misbehavior goes unchecked. Nor can we expect teachers to manage these challenges without adequate support. I hope that with the introduction of the dean of students, which I commend you for, in each school, we will see improved consistency and discipline, easing the pressure on administrators and fostering a better learning environment. I would also like to encourage more schools to adopt an inschool suspension policy. When children are suspended, they often treat it as an unshapered day off, falling further behind in their studies. Inschool suspension would allow them to continue learning while being separated from the environment where the issues occurred. I understand from speaking with principles that staffing can be a p uh challenge and I urge us all to collaborate on finding solutions to this barrier. Additionally,

052I want to address the overcrowding at Covington Harper Elementary School. A parent at the last meeting shared her heartbreaking story of her child facing daily bullying. I believe this is partly due to overcrowding and understaffing. With crowded hallways, classrooms, and lunchrooms, it's no wonder teachers struggle to supervise effectively. The presence of 13 trailers located far from the main building also raises serious safety concerns. I urge the school board to reconsider the policy regarding the utilization of armed school resource officers at elementary schools. Our youngest and most vulnerable students deserve every protection we can provide. Finally, regarding the vape detection system, while I support our efforts to prevent student vaping, I question its effectiveness. As a member of the Safe Schools Advisory Council, I take my job very seriously, and I've been discussing potential solutions with

053administrators at different schools. I'll be sending out an email to all of you sharing my insights from these conversations and with possible solutions moving forward. Thank you, Miss N. Uh, Ian Khan. Hello, my name is Ian Khan and I go to CD Hudson High School and I would like to spread awareness for AA and HPI month and recognize Luna New Year as a PWCS holiday. PWCS is the 10th most diverse county in the nation and the most diverse county in Virginia. As of 2025, there are 50,000 residents being of Asian-American descent. The PWCS government calls for our county to celebrate AAHPI month, but we are not recognizing AAHPI month or Luna New Year as a PWCS holiday. To help with this, I made posters to spread awareness for AA and HPI month with facts and

054I also sent 30 facts to my principal to read off the morning announcements. As I said, I would like to spread awareness to our county and schools about AA and HPI month and I hope you consider making Luna New Year a PWCS holiday. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Uh, Linda Chang, uh, Marty Weaver, Ana Story, and Caitlyn Weston. You can come up to the front. Should I come now? Hello, my name is Linda Chang. Um, I'm a proud parent of a PWCS student. You just heard him speak. Um, I'm also really proud of our system in particular. Our specialty programs I think are very unique to our county and I think it's something we can all be proud of. So, kudos on that. I myself am a biracial person. My son,

055who just spoke, is multi-racial and a multicultural individual, and I feel so fortunate to be raising him in a county that recognizes holidays and celebrates different cultures. There is one holiday that is not recognized, however, and that is Lunar New Year. Like other holidays that occur on different dates each year, there are times when Lunar New Year falls on a weekday. In 2025, Lunar New Year was a Wednesday. In our household, this meant we could not celebrate this year because I've personally been pursuing a certification and taking classes on the weekends this past winter. No family should have to miss celebrating an important cultural holiday particularly when we recognize and celebrate so many other holidays like we have Russia Shana Eid Dwali Yon Kapor I think we can be proud of celebrating all of those

056holidays I would like to point out that Lowden County and Fairfax County schools do recognize Lunar New Year as a school holiday and I think it's time that Prince William County does too. I urge you to recognize Lunar New Year as an official holiday honoring its profound cultural significance in the communities who celebrate. And because I have enough time, I want to thank you guys for what you do. I serve on a board and I know it's not easy. So, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Marty Weaver. Marty Weaver. Aquin common sense rules. I have a plaque on my wall that says the following. Mom's house rules. If you sleep in it, make it up. If you wear it, hang it up. If you drop it, pick it up. If you spill it, wipe it

057up. If you eat out of it, wash it up. If you open it, close it up. If you empty it, fill it up. If it rings, answer it. If it howls, feed it. If it cries, love it. What it doesn't say is anything about except for except for somebody's skin color, except for ethnicity or culture, except for socioeconomic status, except for where they live, except for possible ancestors oppression, except for one parent or versus two parent households, except for male or female, except for language spoken. Nowhere do these rules say they only apply if your skin color is a certain color. They are universal, applied equally. No excuses. We don't have different rules for different people, different shades of skin, limiting quotas for groups. Uh-oh. We have too many infractions in a certain group of

058kids. So things have to be adjusted proportionately. Simply put, do the crime, do the time. Punishment or consequences should fairly fit the infractions. But fit isn't determined by skin color, ethnicity, gender, day of the week, time of day, how somebody feels. And words are not violence contrary to what a certain segment of the current population espouses. The n-word is always bad, no matter who says it. But that somebody use that word or another that you perceive as offensive never justifies physical violence. In response to words, physical action is a last resort only when your physical safety is endangered. You seem to rely heavily on your learned PhDs and their studies about the appropriate disciplinary courses of actions. That body of people have already screwed up at least one generation of society and probably several more.

059They gave us the restorative justice practices and the like junk thinking that led to the killings in Parkland, Florida, where the killer had a pattern of disciplinary issues and unnerving behavior that were dealt with poorly and had tragic results. Common sense discipline is based solely on student or adult behavior and actions, not on social engineering. Life can be simple and safe using good old-fashioned common sense. Try it. Anessa's story. Ana Stroy and my address is on file. First, I'd like to thank Mr. Woke and Miss Trenet for acknowledging my statement during the last meeting while addressing the overcrowding at Covington Harbor. I understand that you all have a position to support all of your schools and their staff. However, you are here to support the students first. It takes courage to acknowledge that although someone

060is trying their best, it can also be not good enough. Making both statements true at the same time. Today I want to speak about accountability, something that people often shy away from. It is easy to point the finger and place blame on someone or something else. At Covington, it is easy to place blame that overcrowding and understaffing are the causes for the lack of disciplinary action. When the school administration fails to hold students accountable for negative behavior behaviors, it only reinforces the cycle sending a message that is it is acceptable. The normalization of bullying that is occurring at Coington is harmful as it is creating a dangerous and toxic environment. It is allowing for a culture to be built off negativity, fear, and hurt. Opposite to Prince William County's commitments for all students, while children

061are at school, they are under the care of PWCS. They should be held to the level of s excellence to successfully thrive in their future. This is not only done academically, but socially. Holding children accountable at the elementary age is imperative to their development. for them to understand that there are consequences to their actions, that there is a cause and effect to everything that you say and do, that their words do in fact hold weight. As their grow, so do their consequences. Being moved from class to class in constant talks does nothing to address and stop the behavior. On March 21st, my daughter left school early of due to fear. due to fear for a state for a student threatening her with both her fist up. The same student administration claimed they spoke with and

062their family twice in the same week. Autumn Bushman of Rono County, 10 years old, was found in her home dead by suicide due to the bullying that was happening at her school. Suicide is what children are now believing is their only way out of bullying across the nation. As you go into reviewing the code of behavior for next year, I ask that you keep in mind that suicide due to bullying is our reality and bullying in any form cannot be swept under the rug. Thank you. Thank you, Caitlyn Weston. Good evening. My name is Caitlyn Weston and my address is on file with the clerk. As you know, it is teacher appreciation week. I wanted to take this opportunity to express how grateful we are for our PWCS teachers. Public school teachers are change agents.

063Our PWCS teachers not only guide the future of America in gaining skills and knowledge, but in building relationships and developing the skills to be engaged, intelligent, empowered citizens. Public school teachers instill an appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our teachers facilitate brighter, stronger, and more resilient humans. They are the essence of public education. We have a few community members who could not be here tonight, but wanted to share about the educators who have made a big impact on them. Miss Weathers is a nth grade English teacher. Sarah said, "Miss Weathers has supported my son and made space for him to learn and grow while still being a goofy teenager boy. She has kept her expectations very high, but provided him with the tools and strategies to reach those expectations. Her communication is fantastic, and she

064truly demonstrates a level of care for my child that speaks to my heart. She deserves this recognition." Mrs. Collie and Miss Atkins are kindergarten teachers. Trish said, "Mrs. Collie and Miss Atkins have made the transition to kindergarten a wonderful experience for our family. They graciously answer emails and questions. They are so helpful. Our son has truly enjoyed his year in kindergarten because of his teachers." Miss Garcia is an aid in elementary school. Stevie, a fourth grade student, said, "Miss Garcia makes me feel happy and loved and appreciated. She helps me grow as a person by giving me brain breaks and helps me make good choices. Miss Garcia is the best. Miss Winfield is a special education teacher in middle school. Kai, a sixth grade student, said, "Miss Winfield helped me grow so much as a

065reader. This helped my confidence grow as a reader and as a student. Miss Winfield makes me feel comfortable and safe. I know I can always ask for her for help when I need it. I am so grateful for her." Dr. McDeade and our school board, thank you for investing in our teachers. I was thrilled to see the salary increase for our deserving educators. Thank you for prioritizing our teachers during this incredibly stressful and overwhelming time. To all our PWCS teachers, we appreciate you. We see you. Our democracy has never been perfect, but today its very existence is threatened. You have the power to preserve our democracy. Thank you for the important work that you do on a daily basis. Stay strong. We're with you. Thank you. Thank you. Uh moving on to agenda [Music] item

06613.1. I'd like to turn that over to you, Dr. McDate. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The student uh the development of the student bill of rights has been a comprehensive and collaborative process involving our student senate and the student voice committees, our staff and various departments. A key priority was to ensure that students maintain ownership of the process and document development. The second priority was to provide students with the learning experience of eliciting and incorporating stakeholder feedback in the creation of such an important document. The PWCS student bill of rights represents a significant achievement in student advocacy and collaboration. We look forward to implementing this document and ensuring that all students are aware of their rights. I'm really really um excited about the student bill of rights and I'm so incredibly proud of all of our

067student leaders, some of which are here today to present their work and I know you will be absolutely amazing. Um this is an incredible body of work that we all should be proud of. At this time, I'd like to introduce our associate superintendent of teaching and learning, Dr. Stephanie Sullivan and she will then introduce our student senators who will present to you the student bill of rights. Thank you so much Dr. Latif, Vice Chair Blake, members of the board, and Dr. McDade. Thank you for your unwavering support of the student senate and student voice committees. I know you have been eagerly awaiting this presentation. Before we get started, I would like to recognize two supervisors that are critical to this work. Mr. Jeff Gervin, supervisor for history and social sciences and Miss Anade Schaefer, Shaver,

068supervisor for college and career services. Directly leading the work for PWCS is Miss Viola Asi, administrative coordinator for history and social science. In addition to her responsibilities for curriculum, instruction, and assessment, she has been supporting the PWCS student representatives to the board and the PWCS student senate since 2019. She led the development of the student voice committees within high schools as well as the expansion of the student voice committees into middle school this past year. Prior to this position, Melissa was the secondary social studies specialist and a sixth grade teacher at Fred Lynn Middle School. Welcome to Miss Viola Asi. Great. Thank you. Um, good evening. My name is Melissa Viola Aski. As Dr. Silvin mentioned, I have the privilege of serving as the administrative coordinator for history and social sciences. I'd like to begin

069by extending my sincere gratitude to everyone who has played a role in this incredibly meaningful work. Through my collaboration with students on this initiative, I've come to realize just how rare it is for a school division to have a student bill of rights, let alone one developed um entirely through a student-led process. I'm deeply thankful to every individual in our division who has supported and championed this work. To kick things off, I'd like to introduce our Prince William County School Student Senate. Um, as Dr. Sullivan mentioned, um, it was established in 2020. The student senate was created to elevate and expand student voice across our division. As of this year, every high school in Prince William County schools has at least one junior or senior student serving as a student senator, and many schools are

070represented by two. The Senate has exceeded expectations when it comes to student leadership in Prince William County Schools. The student senate has been instrumental in creating student voice committees at every middle and high school uh to uh guide and strengthen continuous improvement processes within our schools. They've also spearheaded the development and facilitation of several student leadership workshops. Oop, sorry, I was supposed to click. Um student leadership workshops to expand opportunities for as many students as possible. Recently, several of our senators also traveled to Washington DC to advocate for the importance of social emotional learning um in their lives as students, demonstrating how student voice can influence and shape educational policy at all levels. And now, most importantly, these students uh 60 in total over the last two years have led the charge in drafting the

071Student Bill of Rights. When we say this work has been studentdriven, we mean it in every sense of the word. These young leaders have dedicated the past two years to ensuring that student voice remains at the heart of what we do in Prince William County Schools. Tonight, you'll hear from four of these students, but I want to take a moment to acknowledge and honor all of the student senators who have taken on this leadership role and shaped the work. Um so, um the presentation team, um we have Shiovani Davis who is a student senator from Patriot High School. Uh Clet Machado, a student senator from Unity Reed High School. Preny Ancha, a student senator from Gainesville High School, and Adome Apoku Sama, a student senator from Woodbridge High School. And we're also joined by two

072of our other um members, Kaylee Tom, who is one of our um alternate student representatives, as well as Karina Grover, a student senator from Kan and obviously you know Allah. And we also have a returning student senator in the audience tonight who came um because she was uh a big part of this work as well. But I will turn it over to the students. Good evening. When we set out on this journey as the student senate, our mission was clear to develop a student bill of rights. A documenting a document created for students and by students. We believe that student voices should not only be heard but truly respected and valued in shaping our educational experience. This bill of rights is more than just words on a page. It's a commitment to amplifying student voice

073and our advocating for the rights, needs, and perspectives of every student in our community. As the student senate began the process of developing the student bill of rights, we prioritized stakeholder feedback as well as a clear process for integrating that feedback into a draft. Our first step was eliciting feedback from our most important stakeholder in this work, students. In a leadership workshop in January 2023, students shared ideas and topics that helped inform the creation of several categories of rights that would build the structure of our student bill of rights. These categories encompass everything from education to due process. Our next step was then eliciting ideas for idea for rights to include in each category. To support this work, the student senate created a criteria tool to help determine which rights would be included in the

074document. Then suggestions for rights were provided by the student body themselves. And in the spring of 2024, at a student leadership workshop, high school students from every high school in the county proposed rights to include in each category. And then the hard work began. The senators went back to the drawing board and revisited each right one by one and considered its importance to the document, its verbiage, the student groups it was representing, and any other factors that would prevent this right from being successful in the document. After going back and forth as a Senate, we created a draft and invited multiple different stakeholders, students, teachers, administrators, and central office staff to review the document. In-person feedback sessions were held to review the document and elicit feedback from their various stakeholder groups. Each time the Senate

075would review this feedback and come to con come to a consensus on how to integrate it into the next iteration of the document. Finally, after two cycles of student senators many rounds of revision and several drafts, we were able to create a student bill of rights document that is representative of all students. The Student Bill of Rights outline several fundamental rights to ensure that students receive a highquality education, equitable opportunities, and a safe, respectable environment. Each article addresses specific aspects of student life. The first article, access to highquality education, emphasizes the importance for all students to receive an education that is equitable and tailored to their needs. It advocates for students to be taught by teachers who recognize different learning styles and for students to have access to supplemental academic resources, including transportation and inschool

076support. Counseling services should be readily readily available and individualized, helping students prepare for college and career paths. Furthermore, students have the right to equal access to specialty programs and advanced courses regardless of their backgrounds and schools should provide alternatives if specific courses are unavailable. The second article, modern technology, emphasizes the importance of technological access in education. Students must have updated resources such as laptops, internet access both at school and at home. Schools must ensure that students can access online materials required for learning with age appropriate limitations and allow students to request additional sites that support their education. The third article, civic participation and decisionmaking, ensures students have a voice in their education. They must be able to access and understand policies affecting their schooling, advocate for themselves, and provide input on major decisions. Communication channels

077must be available for students to express their concerns without fear of retaliation. Additionally, students have the right to peaceful activism, participation in civic and volunteer opportunities, and information on voter registration to encourage political engagement. Civic participation empowers students to become informed, engaged citizens who are ready to lead and make meaningful contributions to their communities both now and in the future. The fourth article, diversity and inclusion, ensures that all students receive a high-quality education regardless of race, gender identity, language proficiency, disability, or other factors. This section advocates for schools to offer processes to address discrimination, provide accommodation for religious practices, and ensure safe restroom and locker room access. Students must be informed about extracurricular and academic opportunities, have open communication with educators, and be taught by professionals trained in best practices for diversity and inclusion. Embracing

078diversity and inclusion enriches the educational experiences and ensures every student feels valued. The fifth article, positive school climate, focuses on school focuses on student well-being. Mental health resources should be readily available, including excused absence absences related to mental health concerns. Schools must be actively informing students and families about available support services. Furthermore, students have the right to learn in an environment free of harassment, bullying, and bigotry with clear procedures for reporting such behavior. The sixth article, free expression, affirms students' rights to express themselves with educ within an educational setting while adhering to their First Amendment rights. Students can wear clothing of their choice as long as it it aligns with the school's dress code. They must be able to discuss and celebrate different cultures without fear of repercussions. Protecting free expression is vital to creating

079an inclusive, dynamic learning environment where all students feel ready to learn. The final article, due process, ensures that students understand school rules and disciplinary procedures. They must be able to voice their concerns about behavioral policies and report unfair treatment. Additionally, schools should provide standardized dip disciplinary processes including search and seizure protocols while allowing students to advocate from for them for themselves during disciplinary actions. Ensuring due process is essential to fostering a fair and supportive learning environment for all students. Overall, the Student Bill of Rights affirms and protects students fundamental rights to a comprehensive, equitable education while also empowering them to participate, speak up, and feel safe, respected, and free within their unique schools communities. As we've mentioned before, this document has passed through the hands of many different people as it has grown and developed.

080First and foremost, the voices of students from a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and perspectives have been among the most influential throughout this process. Students have given their input from all over the county, both when originally contributing ideas and through the iteration process. This feedback was elicited from each middle school and high school's student voice committee, as well as throughout numerous student leadership workshops. Additionally, as students, we were committed to keeping the document student driven, but we also recognized the value of incorporating feedback from adults whose expertise helped strengthen the final product to ensure its impact. To this end, we also elicited feedback from many PWCS employees throughout the school division. This includes teachers, administrators, and central office staff and leadership. Together, this collaboration between students and adults has resulted in a thoughtful, well-rounded document

081that truly reflects the needs, values, and aspirations of the entire PWCS community. A lot of students are unaware of the capabilities they hold within our county and the ways that they can advocate for themselves, each other, and for change. We hope that this document is able to provide a clear and direct way for students to understand their rights as students. To support this, we hope that this Senate can be involved in developing materials and resources to help students understand the student bill of rights and the potential it has to support the educational experience of PWCS students. We hope that the bill of rights is able to encourage students to stay informed about the resources they have available to them and to advocate when there are missing pieces to their educational experience. The Student Bill of

082Rights is ultimately meant to give all students the tools to create the best experience as P Prince William County students of which we are all entitled to. To this end, we encourage our schools and educational leaders to actively use the Student Bill of Rights as a living document. We hope that it is regularly revisited, assessed, and improved upon through student feedback, data, and collaborative collaborative dialogue so that it continues to evolve and serve as a guiding framework for equity and excellence and student voice in every classroom and department in PWCS. I think you can see why I started off so enthusiastically. I am proud to share that when the board considers the code of behavior tonight, they will see the inclusion of the student voice bill of rights in the code of behavior to be

083approved by the board and um codified in Prince William County School documents. Thank you all very much and I know the team is happy to answer any questions you may have. Miss Williams. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, what many of you probably do not know is when Miss Jesse was on the board, Miss Jesse and I advocated fiercely to have student representatives sit up here because we thought um or we believed and knew that capturing student voice was instrumental in um having a well-rounded school division. Sorry, I'm getting choked up because this for me is a big deal. Um, because of the student representative, the student senate was born. Um, for myself, I advocated to ensure that every single high school had representatives on the student senate and that um, your voice made its way

084to us. I always believe that when you give students autonomy of their over their learning, good things, great things happen. Um, I cannot express to you how proud I am right now to be sitting on this board and to see this idea go from um having student representatives to all of you standing here before us presenting uh two years worth of work. I was uh fortunate enough to be able to attend one of the sessions and saw the discussion happen in real time to see students not only thinking about what was in their best interest but also considering and um acknowledging that there are laws that you had to adhere to additional policy asking thoughtful questions. um collaborating with each other as well as the adults in the room but mostly taking the lead. Uh

085I am um thrilled that this will be included in our code of behavior. I think that you are exactly uh right and on the right track by exercising your voice and ensuring that all of our other students in the division uh have the ability to do the same. One of the things that frustrated me as a student was there was no path to do that. And I never believed that it was fair to make uh policy for at that time when I first got there was like 91,000 students without having the ability to hear your thoughts and and what life is like in a building for you because it changes. Um I get older, I seem students. I know that my school experience is not the same as your school experience. I'm a mother of

086two. The difference in life in a building between one who graduated in 2019 to one who's still in the division is dramatic. And I feel it is our responsibility as board members and people who make policy um for your benefit to hear how our policy affects you and also what we may or may not be missing because your voice is important. It's meaningful and we can't say that we're creating future leaders and uh people who are responsible civic uh citizens without allowing you the opportunity to exercise your voice and um to provide guidance when that when that happens. So I appreciate and I am just so grateful to be still sitting here to hear the fruits of your labor. I hope that all of you continue to do this work and remind us live right

087in front of us why we're here because it's ultimately not only for our staff but for you for you all. And I am extremely uh thankful and proud of our own uh staff for taking the time out to nurture and mentor this for um really putting the onus on the students and allowing them to take the lead because I know sometimes that's hard. Um, but I think everyone involved in this process did a tremendous job and I'm I'm really really excited by this and I hope that all of you continue um as you metriculate out to use your voice out in the real world and uh those who aren't graduating continue to share how valuable and is important to share your voice and how much this board and other adults really value what you have

088to say and how important we believe it is to your academic experience. So, um, as someone who started this long time ago, I just cannot capture the joy that I feel and how proud I am of you, all of you, and everyone who participated in this process. So, thank you so much for having uh the courage and the leadership to uh get this bill of rights done and for coming here tonight to present it to us. Miss Tennic, I just like to say thank you guys. I know that takes a lot of uh courage to come and speak in front of everybody and um I admire that you guys put all this together. I would like to ask where are the boys and why are there no gentlemen represented in this group? I can So

089we do have two um male Senate members who are um from Garfield who just could not make it tonight. So we do have them okay in the Senate um as the election process for the Senate is tied to the student representative process and that's blind. Um so last year um our Senate um uh we had two um uh male students that made it to the final round. Wonderful. I do ask that a lot. I ask that you know maybe one day we'll see a a boy up here as a boy mom. I've got to you know rep for the boys. I I do. So but thank you guys very much. Mr. Jess. Well, uh, I do remember Chance, uh, I think Williams, who was a male that wasn't rep. Okay. So, you just have to

090be around a little while. Okay. But again, uh, I'd like to thank Miss Williams for mentioning my wife and her working to get the student represented on the board. She would be very proud of you guys. I also like to thank you for the work that you're doing. It's it's very impressive. uh you know, you go through some of the training I went through where uh you try to figure out who's going to make the best decision and it always turn around to the fact that when a group of people get together and make a uh help the leader make a decision, it's it's usually the best decision made. And I think what you're doing today uh or what you have done is very remarkable, a lot of work and very impressive. Thank you. Okay.

091Well, listen, I want to thank you for the um spirit of democracy you have pursued this effort with. Um I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness, the methodical nature that you guys have approached this with. And you've done this at a time when the nation and maybe the world is talking about free speech in a way we haven't talked about it in a long time. And I think the impact of your work is going to be something that especially when very few school divisions have this is something you should be proud of and that I think we'll be proud of and have as a terrific tool as we move forward in you know our job in governing and oversight. I appreciate Dr. McDade, your leadership in pushing this through and inspiring um this to to actually happen

092and to to making it happen. And I I really think this is great. You know, when you just as a side note for all of you senators, one's here, one's not here, and any student who participated in the process, this is a great, you know, when when employers, when colleges, when the military look for, you know, hiring people, they're looking for or admitting people, they're looking for people to make an impact. and how you describe I think what's important about this is that I believe this will have a real impact and I think this is something that you know as you write your college essays or you talk at an interview about the kinds of things you've done this is very important this is something that you will have left a legacy on a document

093for uh a record a public policy change that will impact in perpetuity the students of this school division long after you've gone and I think it's important to reflect on that as you're talking about the kinds of things you've been able to do here, but the kinds of things that have led to a considerable impact. And I think when when universities look to admit students or, you know, employers look to hire folks, they're looking at people who have made an impact. They're looking for those kinds of individuals who can put in this kind of work that leads to substantive change. So, congratulations to all of you who've served on this committee, all of the senators, all of the senators, our school board members, and everyone who's participated in this. Thank you very much. And I

094know the school board will take this very seriously. Have a great evening, everyone. Thank you. [Applause] You are we in superintendent time still? We are moving to the um next presentation. Code of behavior. Okay. All right. Code of behavior. Um I'll turn over Dr. McDade. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would now like to invite our associate superintendent of student services and post-secary success, Miss Denise Heber to here to present the 2026 code of behavior. Thank you. Good evening, Chairman Latif, Vice Chair Blake, members of the school board, Dr. McDade. I'd like to introduce Miss Terresa Duval who's our director of the students hearings department who's also contributor on the code of behavior. Miss Dval, next year this will be all hers. See that smile when I say that. So under the um the thriving future

095strategic plan, the code of behavior is is representative of all the different commitments under learning and achievement for all commitment one. And the code of behavior sets clear expectations that foster a safe and focused environment, ensuring that our students have access to a quality instruction in positive climate and culture commitment. Two, the code of behavior promotes a welcoming, supportive, instructored learning environment that helps create a sense of belonging for our students. And under family and community engagement is an important commitment in number three where we recognize that managing student behavior is a collaborative effort that involves family and community. It's not solely the responsibility of administrators or the school. Therefore, our code of behavior provides families with information about expectations available and supports such as our MTSS process. And under organizational coherence commitment four, I'd

096like to note that our teams are dedicated not only to the development of the code of behavior, but also implementing the code of behavior and standardizing practices across our schools. So, as you'll probably recall or have heard me say before, our go to behavior does serve a very important purpose. It establishes clear expectations for student conduct to create that safe and focused learning environment. It facilitates access to quality instruction by detailing expected behaviors, student rights, and consequences for violations. It's creating a shared understanding of expectations for both educators and students and it establishes a common ground on both positive and negative behaviors. The preventative practices outlined in our code of behavior aim to address issues before they escalate which help students succeed. Restorative practices focus on learning situations that led to violations, offering strategies for

097support and growth without replacing consequences. Restorative practices are aimed at promoting healing and future prevention. So as you are all aware as a board, it is in the code of behavior, I'm sorry, in the code of Virginia that you are required to review the student conduct by annually. boards are responsible for ensuring including that suspension, expulsion and decisions related are in the code of conduct. The review process um is being taken care of tonight through this presentation. And it should be noted that school boards are um not only asked to adopt and revise, but that they are asked to review student codes of conduct and make sure that they are consistent with their expectations. Noting that boards may have stringent or more stringent guidelines than that that's put out by the board. Over here is

098a this slide is an overview of all the feedback and process of our coded behavior. I wanted to make sure that we outlined that it is our goal to hear all voices and so we did have multiple opportunities for feedback from stakeholders. Our principles provided feedback. central office staff, community members were offered the opportunity through our five to thrive. Our executive cabinet, our legal team, and we continue to be open to hearing that feedback, ensuring that all voices are heard. Some of the feedback that you'll see incorporated into this year's code of behavior is making sure that our um sections are edited for readability and organization, the titles have been updated for clarity with the implementation of our online coded behavior. We found this to be extremely important and I'll highlight that a little bit

099later. We also revised the responding to student behavior section. So available responses are now outlined by grade level preK through 2, 3 through 5, and 6 through 12. This enhanced information narrows consequences, creating a clearer guide for our um school administrators and for our parents. We also enhanced information. So we've included cell phone information to align with the new policy for the 2526 school year. We also have implemented the Virginia Department of Education student behavior administrative response codes which is referenced as the ESBAR codes. These violation codes were added and aligned with behaviors for which students can be disciplined for. Language is also added for each behavior to add additional context to the coding and recommended level discipline responses which increases the visibility of reporting and links for discrimination, harassment, and bullying. on the screen

100you'll see an example. We're taking a different approach this year. As I said, narrowing in the consequences and creating those um responses in a way that is broken down by grade level to provide more narrow guidance for more consistent implementation. It's important to remember that applying consequences is not a one-sizefits-all. School administrators must consider many different factors including a student's pattern of behavior to ensure progressive discipline is utilized. Other factors can include age and developmental stage of the student. Younger students and adolescence are at different developmental stages which affects the understanding of rules and consequences. Discipline strategies should be age appropriate and consider the cognitive, emotional and social development of the student. Students have individual needs. Students with special needs or disabilities may require tailored disciplinary approaches. This includes understanding of their specific challenges and

101ensuring that consequences do not exasperate their difficulties. Consistency and fairness is important. Consequences should be applied consistently consistently and equitably to all students. This help maintains the trust and fairness within the school community. And this has been a focus of our work group and our level associates and school leaders. Positive behavior interventions instead of focusing solely on punitive measures is important. Administrators should incorporate positive behavior interventions and supports which is referred to often as PBIS. This approach emphasizes teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors in order to avoid future infractions and to support a student's learning. The restorative practicees aspect helps to address root causes of behavior, repair harm. And it is important to note that restorative practices do not replace consequences. There's an educational impact when we impose discipline. So, consequences should aim to keep students

102in school and engaged in learning. Excessive use of suspensions and expulsion can negatively impact a student's academic progress and increase the likelihood of dropping out. With that being said, we recognize that there are times that there's need for removal from the learning environment. As mentioned earlier, family involvement is key. Engaging families in the disciplinary process can provide additional support for students and help reinforce student behavior at home through parental guidance. The next slide shows um a screenshot of our online platform. I wanted to mention that our online platform does require we address the code of behavior a bit differently and you might see some repetitiveness in the document itself. That's to ensure that when um our constituents and administrators are referring to the code of behavior that all the information is within that section. So

103you'll note that there may be um several areas where there's reporting options that are highlighted. This is to ensure that is information that's readily available to our parents. So we have updated our code of behavior and enhance the hot link index to be more user friendly. Um for example, if you'll look and I'll demonstrate this on the next slide as well. Previously we had exclusionary discipline. Now, exclusionary discipline uses the terms long-term suspension, expulsion, and reassignment. We've also added links for cell phone and wireless communication guidelines so that information is readily available for parents. On this slide, you'll notice that we have highlighted areas um where stakeholders have information about how to report harassment, bullying, and discrimination. This is very important. Um our online bullying reporting system was implemented this year. To date, we have

104199 reports using the online system. 64% of those did not meet the criteria. The work of the documenting and addressing behavior workg group has um really been extremely impactful in a positive way in our schools and with our school leaders taking the lead. Professional development around the implementation of the code of behavior will continue for the 2526 school year. So in addition to helping our students understand and learn by presenting the code of behavior at student assemblies at the beginning of the year, our school teams also receive professional development and learning around the code of behavior. The teacher reported incident platform. Now all schools are utilizing the same online referral in the hub. Paper referrals are only used when there's a person who needs to document the incident but they don't have access to that

105online platform. We do have as I mentioned required training for new administrators and security specialists. New new administrators and security specialists will continue to be required to participate in the online training that covers um specific areas such as sitebased investigations, referral codes, entering referrals in the hub, how to conduct a search, discipline data and investigation. Ongoing professional learning for school leaders is um is and will continue to occur. Principles will continue to participate in learning throughout Zoom sessions and in person through our principal leadership development meetings. They are expected to turnkey this information with their administrative team. Some examples of these topics include refreshers on how to conduct a sitebased investigation, understanding and analyzing data reports and the purpose and proactive use of discipline data. restorative practices that focuses on the why, MTSS, anticcedants, discrimination,

106harassment, and addressing bias. Additionally, addressing behaviors of students with disabilities, including strategies and steps that can be taken to address those behaviors, improve data platforms and data literacy. We're continuing to work with research and accountability team to develop ways to help leaders monitor and analyze their data. So we use discipline norming scenarios, ongoing scenario-based training to calibrate appropriate consequences by age group. And we know that our dean of students position will greatly have a great impact at the middle and high school level in norming consequences and the implementation of the code of behavior. We're very grateful for the addition of these dean of students and we look forward to seeing their impact. Additional administrative resources um have been created and I'll show you an overview of those shortly. The principal handbook includes um information about

107documenting and addressing student behaviors. And on this slide, you can see an example of what that looks like for our administrators. Many of the materials in the handbook are printable. For example, on the bottom right, you'll see a guide that gives suggestions about investigations and examples of questions. And at this time, that concludes my presentation on the overview of the changes for the code of behavior. Thank you, Miss Heer. Uh, any questions, Miss Williams? Oh, and then Mr. Will. Thank you. I I believe this is Mr. Wilson and I's favorite time of the year. Um, it Miss Huner, thank you for this and for your team for putting together this. I'm very impressed by the update. I think every year it gets better and better. Um, a few questions I have. First, you mentioned for

108staff uh training. So, one of the questions that I have not being a staff member is with uh five generations in the workplace now. Um I noticed or I'm hearing a lot of feedback on student language and what is interpreted as disrespectful language or not. Is there any resources that we are providing because everyone um speaks differently. We all speak English maybe but the not necessarily the same especially students with uh trending talk and colloquisms and maybe not may be being new to Prince William County. Are we being mindful when we are providing this training to our staff members uh for them to be mindful of corrections and not always assuming I mean some things are blatantly disrespectful right but um having this own discussion in my household I've heard things like well sometimes I

109I just before I even thought about it I said bruh and then I'm I've tried to correct myself but I don't even get a chance to correct myself. So and I know that that is different depending on your age group or things of that nature. So, are we being mindful and having discussions with our staff about that? So, Miss Williams, that's a great question. And so, one of the things that I lean into is the fact that as part of our evaluation process, we are required to enhance our response, culturally responsive behaviors and create a sense of belonging in classrooms, which enables us to understand our students a little bit better. So, we in all that we do in education, it's important that we understand the differences with our students and developmentally appropriate communication. So

110to answer your question, yes, we are considering that is there one specific class on language, what's acceptable, what's not. As I said, each situation is unique. We have to take in into consideration the student developmentally, culturally, age, all of these different things. And so it is something that we consider. and really the exercises that our team is engaging in through the principal zooms, the scenario-based and then turnkey those to staff. It's a great opportunity for us to discuss what that looks like, what behavior is acceptable and what is unacceptable. As you have said, there's certain aspects of behavior language or what have you that's never acceptable. But yes, we are very much working to norm. With that being said, you and I both understand that everyone has different um perceptions and that's an area that

111we continue to grow in. Thank you. I appreciate that because I've noticed some uh are a better able to sort of redirect the students on what's appropriate and what's not. But also being in the schools, I know that um kids are a little different now as well as parents. So what I would consider traditional normed behaviors is not necessarily the same as what is appearing in our schools now. So I I appreciate the mindfulness of having that discussion and um the teachers or staff members ability to course correct as it comes comes along because it is it is a big deal. um and what is socially accepted is is not the same as when I was in school 100 years ago. Uh so I appreciate the thoughtfulness to that. Uh the other thing that I

112want to know uh or I'm curious to know about is we have these charts that lay out discipline according to whatever the reportable offense is. Um and as a parent I think oftentimes you see these things in the code of behavior and assume that if this action occurred that is going to be the discipline. And so, uh, is there going to be any sort of statement in our code of behavior to let parents know that these are possible outcomes, uh, based upon the infraction occurred and not to weigh heavily that just because this happened, this is going to happen except for where it says by law. Um, because I think that's something that we run across in buildings and staff has to deal with. A parent says, "This has happened to my child, it says

113right here in this box, this should be occurring." Um, and we're not often mindful of the fact of each situation is unique. So will there be any language or verbiage to address that? Sure. If and within the code of behavior itself, for example, on page 24, right before the defined student misconduct and corresponding ESBAR codes, it does reference that these are possible interventions and possible consequences. I like to say that discipline um there's a size guide when you buy shoes, right? You may be this, you may be that. You have to try them on to make sure that they fit. You don't wear the same shoe for every activity that you engage in. So these are recommendations. We are working to internally calibrate to ensure that it is a just right fit. Um not an

114over response or an underresponse but as you mentioned these are guidelines and there are several areas within the code of behavior and specifically on page 24 before it talks about the defined student misconduct. Also as I mentioned um it's very difficult when you have two this happens this happens it may be different the student that engage in this behavior may have done that more times the student may have never done that. There are some offenses that don't matter. If you do this one time, one time, it equals the same consequence. It's a very complex process and that's why we rely on our um school leaders to be highly aware, educated on how to respond to these behaviors and that's the work of the documenting addressing student behaviors um work group where we are really working

115to norm appropriate consequence. Thank you. I appreciate that because I feel like in society there's a sentiment to sort of go back to extremely harsh discipline and also I know as a parent it's difficult when something occurs with your child. You know you're there to advocate and stand up for your child. So it's hard to not know what happens to the other students involved but also when you see a code of behavior and displays a rubric your heart's in it. So it I just want to make sure that our school community and our school families are aware that we do believe in discipline. We do discipline our students, but it's not just a check the box because you did this, you did that. Um, because I I do believe it's important because the goal of

116discipline is to correct the behavior, not just to alienate a student or make them feel like they don't belong or that they can't learn. Um, so I I think that's part of the conversation that's left out. We don't want any student to feel like they're a problem student and not worthy of receiving an education. Um, but I do like the adjustments in the code of behavior. I appreciate the time and effort that has been put into it and thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wilk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm setting a clock for myself because my colleagues are like, you're going to talk forever. I promise it's the first presentation tonight. First, thank you, Denise. Uh, Miss Huner, you work fiduously on this as well as everything else. You know, you were my point of contact

117during Thank you. you were my point of contact during COVID. Um, tirelessly. I I don't know when you slept, if you ever did sleep. So I do appreciate what you do. I do appreciate your entire committee and the work that they put into it. Although I think philosophically I might have a different view on discipline than collectively the group or you know the legal system but uh my in summary thank you. I think there have been advances. I do like the charts. You know, I'm promise if you juxtapose these next to one another, it's a little hard. But so I'm going to say a couple things with the community that may not make sense because I'm going to say like this a level one to level five and stuff like that, but I'll try to

118be a little bit more general than saying level one, level five. Just some areas. Don't expect to have these are not questions. These are just thoughts and things. Yes, don't worry. I'm not going to put you on the spot. I would have asked that appropriately in another setting. So, um, I want to talk about salt and battery. It was great. We actually had some, well, it wasn't great, but we did have some testimonials today, uh, during our citizen comment time that I think, um, apply perfectly to some of these. I want to talk about assault and battery first with Miss Good, uh, who resides in the PTOIC district. Uh, talking about that, I look at the salt and battery chart. I know people can't see this, but I look at the level in which things

119start. I would like it to start at a higher level and not have the option of a lower level, but I understand where it is and I understand there's flexibility. However, in my opinion, I wouldn't want that one to be a flexible option to more severe stricter ones. The other thing is the mandatory report for law enforcement. I know what that chart means in the sense that this is what we have to legally report. However, if we could I look at this one in uh in particular, striking staff, the use of force against a staff member when no injury is caused. Well, first of all, I I would have got rid of level twos and threes and made four the starting point. Um, however, I in my opinion, I think if you're striking a staff,

120although it may be ownorous, but I think it should be reported to the law. Um, I don't think the staff member should have to file a report. I don't think the staff member should have to possibly press charges or litigation. Um I think we should file the report, but that's just my opinion. Um bullying. Uh I'm on the page now of bullying incidents. Uh I liked Miss Troy's line today of the normalization of bullying. Um I thought that was an excellent line to quote her. I look let's say for example bullying with no physical injury or cyber bullying or without physical injury that continues some of the worst bullying is the mental bullying and we had a great example not a great but a horrible example in the sense of what happened in Rowanoke um

121with the student of having to deal with this. I will tell you before uh the tenure of this administration when I first came on the board uh there was a young lady who took her life at Grand Park and she was cyberbullied. Uh a photograph of her was sent around and in my opinion it wasn't addressed in the manner that I thought it should have and sadly she took her life. So when I look at bullying and cyber bullying and it ends at a level three then I look at intervention. So what happens after the first intervention occurs? Well, then it still goes as a level three as a possible option four and then five. I would my opinion remove the three, start at the four or even start at the five if after intervention

122the bullying is still persisting. I think we have to get to this sooner and set an example before tragedy does occur in these instances. Um, I do want to just briefly I know I have one minute I set myself the classroom disruption. It stops as a level three option. I do believe four should be an option. I don't think it necessarily has to start a course at four. I think it should be there. Um, I want to hit the big one, too. There's a bunch. So, but I'm not going to do this all night. The one other one I really want to highlight is a big topic that I hear often. Transportation expectations and buses. Um, I look at distracting a bus driver or endangering the safety of others on the bus as a nefarious

123activity. This is a deliberate thing that could cost the lives of the students on the bus. And when I look at that those could go to level three as the furthest I think we should give the option of fours and fives at least 3 to 12. Um I I it's very concerning we you know I hear from bus drivers a lot all the time actually a lot of the bullying I hear about and when I say a lot a handful who people that email me it is about bullying on the bus and that is very hard. Oh, I'm almost over. I that is very hard for a bus driver to have to address not only handle roads, chaotic roads at times with the drivers and the congestion and stuff like that, but to have to

124maintain that bus uh and have some semblance of normaly as they're taking those kids to and from school. So, those are just my initial thoughts. I'm at about the same time Miss Williams had. So, I will stop. Thank you, Miss Mi Menick. Thank you. As as Mr. Welcome, just as passionate about the code of behavior and and um the different things that go into it. And again, I appreciate your time in the 2 by two. Um, I will say what I said there, which um I do appreciate these charts because it was something that um we advocated for and asked for so that we could have a clearer um set of consequences. So, this actually lays it out and makes it a little more clear for people to be able to look into it. Um

125I I do struggle still um and I've been very honest with you about that. I struggle with the fact that um you know the option is let's just use the striking, shoving, pushing, biting another student with no visible injury. Um prek through 2 grade can be anything from level one to level three. So Johnny and Billy are in the same class and Johnny can get level one and Billy can get level three. There's my struggle. It's it that is difficult at any level even in and especially with high schoolers too when when you're looking at this uh range of consequences. Um but when it comes down to to big things such as not being able to attend school, not being able to finish your um you know sports season yet Billy gets to go back

126and play sports and he did the same thing. like there's the struggle um that I that I deal with with consistency. Um whereas I do also understand that um prek through 2 grade can't be held to the same standard as a high schooler that that has to be recognized. So I do understand that there the levels in that realm as well as you know our our special ed students too. you know, there there's got to be different um things that we look at at for that. But again, uh my struggle with uh the code of behavior is is the consistency and and especially for the kids. Um another thing that I also um have heard from a lot of students is in regards to the dress code. And again, that's the consistency piece. Um you

127know, a they wore that shirt all year. You know, we've talked about that. um b they're wearing the same shirt as someone else um but they look different than someone else. It's it's a struggle um and and I think that we can have more clear guidelines when it comes to that as well for our students and for our teachers and the enforcement. Um I I also um struggle with how do the teachers enforce this fairly um and consistently without being questioned. You know, I I having kids that go to the same school in different grades, too, and and you know, their levels are the same same level punishments, but they see it differently. Um, that that's another another issue. Um, can you address it all? Is there additional paperwork that you're asking the teachers to

128complete in regards to this at all? in regards to the different levels um before they can take it to administration in particular um like anything that they have to do before they can elevate it to administration. Is there something else that they have to get done? Is there No, at any point they can elevate their concern to administration. Yes. As a matter of fact, and I'm going to look and if I'm not right, you can jump up, Miss Porter Lucas. So what we have done is actually enabled teachers to enter information directly into the the hub, the student information system, the referral system, so that administrators can see all of their concerns. There's no delay. Um it's consistent. You can see what's being entered. So there's not a preform that's required to be completed. You

129can enter the concern into the hub and then with collaboration with the administrator, all of those are addressed and closed out. I I do hear your concern and I want to just acknowledge your your concern about the consistency piece and I want to highlight one piece that I might not have been clear about when we talk about working with our accountability system and the data tracking. What we are doing is looking very closely at how can we look from classroom to classroom. And so when you look at data, you are able to see patterns of behaviors and responses which is helping us norm across you know classrooms, buildings and the division to ensure what you're talking about um is something that we can work on addressing. So we do have and have increased our data

130literacy and that is something that's one way that we're keeping eyes on how can we make sure that everyone has equitable and implementation of the coded behavior. So I hear what you're saying about the consistency but you know so first that's one and then two there should not be any barrier for a teacher in order to put that referral directly into the hub. There's no requirements when when the behavior occurs it's entered into the system. Um and and the dean of students that that we're bringing into will will also help hopefully with the norming and and knowing um and being able to look and review the consequences at each school and seeing where there's differing issues or where there could be holes in that as well. I think right and you know one lens on

131that is one of the reasons for example that we have one designated bullying coordinator at a school that all of those complaints run through and we have someone at central office at the division level looking at them. You have to be able to see everything that comes through one person because then you have all the information and understanding of that. So the uh dean of students will really help with that consistency piece because while they aren't ultimately the decision maker for everything their eyes will be on that they'll be integral in norming. they'll have really a pulse in the building because that is their focus and they'll be able to help our principles and our other administrators with you know recognizing when things maybe need a little bit of calibration or you know just acting

132as a consultant. So I'm very confident that what you're going to see over the coming year with you know a lot of support from our school leaders is really better implementation of the code of behavior that calibration piece that you're looking for and consistency. um you know there's extensive training available and I'm I'm confident that you'll see a much improved situation. Thank you. I do want to add really quickly I'm sorry um to to part answer your question because I know that um the last year a lot of discussion was around implementation and execution of the code um the fidelity of that the consistency and uniformity of AC across the school system. So, I do want uh to ask uh Miss Porter Lucas because she's representing the level associates who supervise principles and leaders and

133work directly with them and she's been um collaborating with Miss uh Hebner and her team to just share a little bit of some of the work that we've been doing with school leaders to address exactly what you're you're asking for right now in terms of you know an incident happening at one school is similar at the other school but you get different results. So, a lot of work has gone into training um to make sure that those kinds of things um that we're tamping down on that. So, can you can you share with the board so that they know some of the work that's already happening? Absolutely. Good evening. So, we really have been working with our leaders first to um like Miss Hner mentioned look at data to look at some of those trends

134to look at our responses. Then we take that data and we do scenario-based training. So every other week we take a look at a scenario elementary, middle and high school and it's whatever discipline scenario that we have seen come up in our data and we talk about what the responses would be. They actually work with their teams. They give us a response first and then we come back and look at what our responses have been at each of our levels and we norm. We then talk to our um principles about how to turnkey that with not only their admin team but also their teachers. Um so we are looking at how teachers are reporting um making sure that they are using the hub our our system to um document the behaviors that they're seeing and

135that our administrators are responding to those behaviors. So we've spent a lot of time doing that work as well as just helping with the data literacy to see the trends that we're seeing across elementary, middle, and high school. So we've made a lot of progress. we have a lot of um leaders that will call us um and really talk through scenarios now that they're seeing in their buildings to say, "Hey, am I within range? What are your thoughts about this?" So, it's really great to see that collaboration across all of our our leaders and our teams to really get this right for our kids. I also want to acknowledge the work that's been done around ensuring appropriate reporting and making sure that um all schools are reporting disciplinary infractions and we are we audit that

136and we pull to see what's happening at schools. So, I just want to highlight some of the work that is happening to address the concerns that everyone really on the board talked about as it relates to implementation because we can make however many changes to the code of behavior, but what what counts is what actually is executed at the school at the local school level. So there's a heightened level of accountability around um ensuring that the protocols that we are put putting in place um is being used throughout the school system at all schools at every single level and we are monitoring that very heavily. That also includes ensuring that every um staff member is documenting using that common referral system. Um we had different ways of documenting previously. So we actually see an uptick

137in the number of referrals. Um but that is because we're using the same system to document. Thank you. And I appreciate Dr. Mcde you saying you know that about the implementation and and that being the most important part of this is as many changes as we make if it's not shown in real life. That's a struggle. Um I just have one last question. I don't know if it's too broad of a question to ask but I do know one of our speakers um touched on inschool suspension. Where are we at with that? Is that implemented in some schools or not at all? Can you address that? It is right now it's in some schools, not all. Um, so that has been a conversation of our document addressing student behavior work that we've done as as

138well as, you know, what are those responses look like at each school. Um, some schools just have not had the personnel to implement it or they haven't had the same needs. Um, so that is a conversation that we're having, but it's mainly at the secondary level that you're seeing the in school suspension. Okay, we'll do I don't think that we've really um done done a data capture to say specifically which schools have it and which schools don't. So that's something that we can come back and share maybe with a memo to the board to let you know at the secondary level how many schools across middle and high have inschool suspension in place and um which schools act which of those schools are identified and then for those who don't we can take um we

139can get some feedback from the schools to find out why they don't have it if it is actually p a personnel issue or if it's some other reason why they don't and is it effective or are we seeing anything? Yeah, we can take a look at we can do a a deeper dive evaluating the effectiveness of inschool suspension as well as the implementation of it to make some sound decisions about how we move forward as opposed to just saying okay everybody get get this personnel to do inschool suspension because unless it's effective you know it's you just supporting more staff to to not make any changes so we can evaluate that and be able to come back to the board with some recommendations around it. Thank you. Mr. Jess, I was looking at the drug

140uh portion of of this and it says use and possession. Uh but then when I looked at the examples, I think we're missing something. Uh it's one thing to have possession, bring it into schools and stuff. It's another thing when you gleefully accept the drugs and use the drugs in the school facility. I don't see where we're addressing that. Uh my analogy, for example, uh Sam brings a gun into the school and Jeffrey takes the gun uh to play with and accidentally shoot himself. Both of those people will probably get into big trouble. But a lot of times uh I was looking at a video on the disciplinary committee where the student who was selling wasn't selling. He was giving the drugs to another another three students. They were gladly accepting and having a good

141time. Then they get sick and go to the hospital. But the punishment is very minimal for the use of the drugs and I don't think it should necessarily be a same as a person bringing it in but without the people accepting it uh the sort of gross example is that you have the prostitute and you have the people who use the prostitute. There's, you know, the people using it and and and the the John's are normally not punished, but the the the kids bringing the drugs in, they should be punished, but the kids using the drugs, Biden, you know, GL should receive some form of punishment and should be listed on here. I don't see that listed here. Okay. So, thank you, Mr. Jesse for bringing that. Um, Miss Parl Lucas just let me know

142that that was one of the scenarios that they just went through with our schoolbased administrators as I believe we've discussed. It's a training issue because there is um the ability and there should be implementation of the coded behavior. So we have both distribution and use and so that that is a training issue that we certainly will address and we have already addressed but we'll reinforce with our teams and I think it should in end here the example put the word use more okay thank thank you miss wall thank you for this um work on the code of behavior you, Miss Hedner, and all your team, everybody who's been working on it. I believe it's been a year-long process, I'm assuming. Um, and I appreciate, um, I'll be brief. I appreciate the attention to detail in

143the code of behavior. Um, I like the charts. I like the indicated recommendations. Uh, I like the codes. Um, I know there's some redundancy because as I look through it, I see um, you know, things that show up more than once, but I understand why that is. Um, I appreciate the attention to implementation that Dr. McDade shared. I know that many of our complaints in past years have been related to implementmentation, not so much the code of behavior and how it's, you know, what's in it, but um, how it's in administered and carried forward. So, um I believe all of those efforts for implementation are going to make a difference. Um let's see, I said that already. And then, uh I agree it would be good to look at the inschool suspension before we jump

144on it to know, you know, where are we doing it, where are we not, is it working, how is what what is it about that option that is desirable? Um and all of that because it is a it would be a big um lift. And so we do need to know if we moved more in that direction if it would be the right direction for our students. Um I also um like to see I do appreciate the strictness of uh the section of let's see prohibited substances. Um that's really specific. It details all the different levels that you were describing and the punishments levels are all really high. Level three, four, five. So, I do um appreciate seeing all of that, including the drug paraphernalia. Um, and it's one of our biggest problems, I think,

145in our schools that is a community- based problem that, you know, kids bring it into our schools and I think it is worth, you know, getting really being really serious about it. I know we treat it seriously already, but we need to help students understand how serious it is. So, I appreciate that and I just want to commend the team for all their hard work and I look forward to looking through this um over the next couple of weeks because I know it's on for information tonight and and um so if I have further questions I'll reach out. Sure. Yeah. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay. Nothing. All right. Thank you, Miss. Thank you. Moving on to student representative time. We have Allah Rashid tonight uh from Unity Reed High School. Miss Rashid. Thank

146you, Dr. Leif. Good evening to the Princeum County Prince County School Board community and Dr. McDade. I'm h I'm happy to be back on the day as representing my peers again. To start off my remarks, I would like to just highlight all the work our amazing student senate did and student voice committees have done for our first for our county's first ever copy of our student bill of rights. Each student involved has prioritized the concerns the PWCS students alongside Miss Viola Asky and Dr. Schaeer having been so helpful throughout the entire process. We thank you all for hearing us out and reviewing their earlier presentation from representatives Shrevone Celelet Preny and Adome. This bill of rights highlights the feelings of students regarding various topics spanning from due process to modern technology with each prioritizing the

147students in every situation. We hope that as you review the bill of rights and the presentations, you keep in mind the voices involved and the feedback that received from staff and other students. This week is also teacher appreciation week. So, I want to just say thank you to all the teachers in our amazing county. Each one of our teachers have done amazing things for us with one of my most memorable experiences being the girls in the run club in elementary school with over 10 teachers devoting their time after school to run the club for us. We all appreciate what you do for us each and every day and hope you have an amazing week and end of school year. If you haven't already, be sure to share with that with any teacher you come across.

148They're one of the reasons we continue to be be better every day for as students. To add on to this, I want to also highlight the outstanding educator ceremony that the division held and that Kaylee, the other student representative, and I had participated in. It was an amazing event that honored the most outstanding educators in our county while still having opportunities for students to shine, whether it was through singing and dancing or hosting the event itself. The division did a great job with the whole entire event, and I hope each and every one of you have been able to tune in. Another thing the division is hosting is a countywide sports fair here at the leadership center on Saturday. It is a fun and free way to increase student activity while also giving parents the

149opportunity to learn more about what their students already do or can be doing at school. Many students have shared that they're excited to attend and feel as if it's going to be a great event hosted by the county. This also ties into the various unified sporting events that the county hosted over the last few weeks, allowing each and every student the ability to participate in events spanning from the unified Olympics at OP or the unified track event, emphasizing unity within our local communities. Each student I know that participated, whether it was a general education student or a special needs student, agrees that these events are an amazing and necessary part for our county. Now, to conclude my remarks, I'd like to just share how much of an honor it has been to be up on

150the day as one of our student representatives. This role and all the experience alongside of it alongside of it have been instrumental to who I am as a leader and future college student and I have enjoyed representing all of my peers this year. Even though this is my last solo remarks of the year, Aloudena and Kaye will still be speaking until the very end of the school year with us all being available for any concerns you may have. Thank you again for allowing me to speak tonight and for my role as a student leader within this amazing county. Thank you, Miss Rashid. Dr. McDade, superintendent time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good evening. This week is teacher appreciation week as you heard a little bit earlier during citizen comment time and we are celebrating the heart

151of our schools, our teachers. Our educators dedication, creativity and unwavering commitment to our students is inspiring for all of us who have the privilege of supporting their work. Our teachers are shaping the future, building leaders, and opening the doors of opportunity with every lesson they deliver and every relationship they nurture. To all of our teachers, a heartfelt thank you to you for your daily impact, which is deeply valued and appreciated by Prince William County Public Schools and communities. This month, we also recognize National Mental Health Awareness Month, reminding us of the critical importance of supporting the mental and emotional health of every student and staff member. In addition, May marks better hearing and speech month, a time to honor the professionals who help unlock communication and connection for so many in our community, and National

152Physical Education and Sports Week, which highlights the essential role of physical activity and sports in building strong minds and bodies. Together, these celebrations reflect a powerful truth. Our work is interconnected. The academic, mental, emotional, and physical health of our students is essential to helping them launch their thriving futures. As we look toward the next few weeks, PWCS will be hosting a few family engagement series webinars. And I'd like to spotlight those for you tonight. We invite you to join us for from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 8th for a webinar to learn how school staff members support students through their transition from elementary to middle school, which sometimes can be a tough transition for our young our young people. In the titled workshop, Navigating the Transition from Elementary School to Middle School, families

153will explore tips and resources for preparing their children for the middle school years. Also, from 6:30 to 7:30m on Tuesday, May 13th, you're invited to an informative webinar, Paying for College Early Planning is the title. It will provide a helpful guide on financial preparation options for college, including an overview of the Virginia 529 College Savings Program. Additionally, we invite you to join us from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22nd for a webinar to learn about the new cell phone policy for the 2526 school year. In our webinar webinar, stop the scroll, take control, PWCS cell phone policy, you will discover research that supports the need for a cell phone free education and explore strategies and resources for a collaborative approach to healthy electronic device usage. You can check out our family engagement series

154website for more details on these events and explore upcoming events as well as watch past presentations under recordings of past events. Thank you so much for your time. This concludes the superintendent's report. Thank you so much, Dr. McDade. We're now moving on to board matters. We begin the agenda item 1701, policy 757, health treatment procedures, administrating medicine's temporary first aid, first reading. Um um let's see. Do we who do we have on this? Miss Heapner. Does anyone have any questions for Miss Heer? Do you want to give us a quick like 10 seconds? Absolutely. This is an easy one, Dr. Latif. We um are updating the series, the 757 series. All the regulations that fall underneath this are related to health treatment. As an update, we've removed some outdated links at the bottom. We've updated

155one language from um using um say it now dispensed to um administer and we removed the child care vendor as part of the policy as we don't control their um procedures. That is the update. It is available online for anyone who would like to see it. Outstanding. If anybody in the community has questions, concerns, any members have questions, concerns, please direct them to the superintendent's office and uh we'll get that taken care of and we'll be back here to vote on next week. 1702 ratification of collective bargaining agreement. Division council. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I believe as the board is aware uh last year the division negotiated its first ever collective bargaining agreement and as part of that process the parties had agreed to uh revisit with a wage reopener uh this past year

156for the second year uh and come to terms on wages which we have done. Um, and so really the only change in the uh the CBA that's before you tonight is to the wages section which is chapter 8. Uh, the rest of it mean is the same and uh it has been approved and ratified by the PWA as the exclusive representative for Prince William County employees. Uh it's now up to the board to uh ratify the agreement um and to um uh it would take effect July 1st. Thank you, Mr. Anderson. Comments. Oh, we got to read the motion. Someone Mr. Blake. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Prince William County School Board ratify the collective bargaining agreement with an effective date of July 1st, 2025. Do I have a second? Mr. Chairman,

157Miss Zarapore, I second. Miss Zarkor seconds. Any discussion? Okay. Uh, Miss Wall. I can't be the only one who has something to say about this. First of all, um, I just wanted to ask I believe it is this is the case, but did PWA ratify this document? Yes, ma'am. Uh, we have a copy. Uh so we received the signature pages and a letter uh from the PWA president indicating that they had ratified the agreement and we've received signature pages uh from Miss Hansford the president. So do you know if they put it out to their entire membership? I do not have any details about the uh process by which they ratified the agreement. Okay. Okay. Um my only comments are well my comments are brief. Um, my position on collective bargaining has not changed in

158the number of times that this issue has come before the board. My issues have to do with the appropriateness of collective bargaining for Prince William County. My belief um well, I'll get to that, but my my lack of support for collective bargaining should not be construed as a lack of support in any way for our efforts to improve salaries, wages, and benefits for staff, which I do support. Um, however, I maintain that collective bargaining is not in the best interests of Prince William and County schools, nor in the best interests of our students, nor importantly in the best interests of our employees. And so, for those reasons, um, I'm not in support of this ratified agreement with my disclaimer or my statement that I do support, um, increases in wages for our staff and our

159employees because I think that is important. But I'm not in favor of the collective bargaining path and I'm going to be consistent with my position and Mr. Dennick and then Miss W. I appreciate that, Miss Wall. Um I was not here for the initial collective bargaining vote. Um but it's no secret that I would have also been a no. It's also no secret that I also support paying our teachers more and um I do believe as a board um we could have accomplished that ourselves as well. Um I think that we've we've done well in um working with Dr. McDade to ensure that our uh teachers are fairly and adequately paid. Um and have have increased that since I've since I've been on the board, which is a short time. Um but I also am

160not in support of collective bargaining. And I will say that um it is what we have spent a large amount of our time on since I've gotten on this board. And I think that it is um there are many other things that we could be focused on that would better benefit our students, teachers, and communities. So um again, I am still and will not ever be in support of collective bargaining. Miss Williams. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I first want to start by thanking all of the school division staff and the collective bargaining team, everyone who is involved in this process. It was a very long um learning process for all of us since it was the first time around. Um I am still in support of collecting bargaining uh the ideal behind it. I think

161that this has been an opportunity um for all of us uh not only the staff and PWA but u for us as a board to really fine-tune and learn more about this process and how we can be more effective in the future. I am proud of the results that we have uh been able to achieve for our staff and students in the division. Uh and I noticed this one goes all the way to 2027. So we have opportunity to have a little bit of a break and to see what other divisions are doing and to share our learning experiences with other divisions as well. Um so I hope that all of the staff uh has received a copy of this or is able to access it and seen it. Um and again I just want

162to thank uh specifically our legal team and the board uh new members and old members who have joined this process and making it a positive process for as much as we could for all of us. So, thank you, M. Mr. Chairman. Sorry. I just want to clarify for Miss Williams that it is it is posted in board docs publicly so that it's there's a copy available. You mentioned that. Thank you very much, Miss Jar. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I would like to recognize that collective bargaining works fairly well in Prince William County because we have a revenue share agreement with the count county board of supervisors. That agreement allows us to be able to plan and um plan conservatively so that we know where we're starting from. And not all divisions, I don't

163know any division that can do it quite like that. Um, it is a much easier process in Prince William County than I think it is in other places. uh not that any revenue anywhere is guaranteed, but I do want to thank the board of supervisors for maintaining our revenue share agreement and um being communicative with uh with our departments back and forth so that we can make plans uh at a very baseline so that we don't have to have disappointed employees or anything like that. Thank you, Mr. Blake. Yeah. So I I'm just going to read these remarks. With the ratification of our of this first collective bargaining agreement, we are not just approving a contract. We are affirming our values here at Prince William County Schools. We are saying clearly that the people who

164serve our students every day matter. Um this agreement includes I believe an average like a 13% salary increase over the next two years. And I mean, that's real pro progress, meaningful change for teachers who have been in classrooms for 15 years, the bus drivers getting up at 4:00 a.m., the nice custodians keeping our buildings clean, and uh all those pair of professionals who go above and beyond for our students every single day. And then I feel like we're doing more than just raising salaries. We're restoring respect. We're paying educators for extra classes they cover, compensating summer work at their regular rates, and protecting employee health coverage and short-term disability. We're increasing stipens for coaches, club sponsors, doubling the night shift differentials for our support staff. These are not perks, they're overdue acknowledgements of work people

165have already been doing. And what I appreciate most about this agreement is it signals for our culture as a school division that we support our workforce. When we listen, negotiate in good faith and lead with fairness, we create the conditions that student for students to thrive. And that's what it's about because when educators and staff feel valued and heard, students benefit. That is just the truth. This is also this also helps with recruitment and retention. and we know what it what it has been like trying to fill positions. This contract helps make Prince William County Schools a place where people want to work and want to stay. Uh I just want to thank Dr. McDade and your team as well as Mr. Anderson and your team for u your leadership and willingness to get this

166done. and to PWA and all the educators and staff who spoke up and stayed engaged. Thank you too for your voice and your ad advocacy. And to my colleagues on the board, I'm proud to stand with you tonight. And we still have a lot of work to do, but this is a right step and a big step and a necessary step. And let us just keep investing in our people because that's how we invest in our kids and ultimately the future of our community. Thank you, Dr. Le. I just have one more question. Miss Tennic, then Miss Wall. Um, Wade, just for the public knowledge, how much has uh collective bargaining cost us as a school board to negotiate? Mr. Denn, I would say I don't have the exact numbers and I certainly could provide

167them to the board. In terms of it's important to make sure we we clarify that when we say costs, the easiest thing is my office certainly has started since collective bargaining started. We've we've um been tracking the legal costs and so I can only speak to that. There certainly are other intangible costs, things staff time who are diverted from their other uh job duties, those kinds of intangible costs and I couldn't tell you what that might be. um for since the start of collective bargaining, which happened about a month after I got here. So that's probably about two years, uh we're looking at easily a half million dollars in legal fees. Um and I could get you the exact numbers because we do track that. Thank you, Wade. Miss Wall, um I don't remember who

168said it, but I would rem be remiss if I didn't add my support for uh Mr. Anderson, his team, Eric Pelt, Dr. Eagle and her team, all the negotiators, everybody who has been involved in um implementing what this board tasked you all to do, which I know has been a tremendous amount of work um and has not been very pleasant. That's a euphemism. Um that's an understatement I should say um for um how difficult um it has been behind the scenes to work with PWA. Um but I do wish to express my appreciation for everybody who has been involved in this because um I know it has been a lot and I and I think this I believe the division has done a great job and so I wanted to say thank you for your

169efforts Mr. Jesse. Yeah, I just I just want to say, you know, because my colleagues on either side of me have felt they obligated that they have to present their position again. So, I want to present mine. I support the the union. Uh I don't always like what they do and how they do it, but uh I think it's necessary. I also want to support our county board of supervisors and without those supervisors providing the money, uh it's one thing to have 57 whatever percent but again if there's the tax dollars and the the revenues coming in uh it's uh because of a lot of things that uh are done up there and uh it's important that we have them. Uh we always look at uh how how many dollars we are per student and

170so forth. A lot of that is because Arlington County and so forth. They pulled in a lot more tax money uh property and so forth. So that's part of the the issue there. But again, uh I've been involved with this board for 12 years now and I know some of the reason that we are behind was not because of collective bargaining but because we were not given the money but uh our board of supervisors this in the last few years have gone overboard uh giving us we just got I think $40 million more than what uh they had originally planned. So, thank you. Mr. Wilk. Well, I want to affirm my support for collective bargaining um since I was asked actually to talk. Thank you. Um uh I will also recognize you know in my

171work uh in my line with consulting and stuff primarily in states that are collective bargaining states when you look at the repeated state testing results and the quality of education in our schools. It is states like New York, Pennsylvania, those states, Massachusetts, New England, who are the top performing states in this country because they have a strong workforce and they have a set of employers that value them and they give them the right to collaboration and efficacy. So, I just want to put that out there. whereas opposed you have Oklahoma where you're mandating crazy things and you're 49 out of 50 states in the country. No collective bargaining, lowest paid per teachers in one of the areas. So anyways, just wanted to reiterate that about collective bargaining and the states that are the top performing

172states in this country. Thank you members of the board. Well, um just my quick comments on this. I think that um since I arrived on the board, prior to my arrival, the rate of increase for teachers was either a step or a cola. So, it was two or two and a half% each year. Since every budget I voted on has been a step and a cola as a minimum, um so what I would say is a floor on the increases. And over the course of the last seven budgets, we've increased school um salaries to division staff and teachers about 61%. Um and that was prior I mean say 10 or 12% of that 13% from the new collective bargaining agreement. that has followed a pattern of making sure we control um health care premium costs

173to our employees, making sure we're committed to, you know, um all sorts of other efforts such as baby bonding and um other overtime efforts and increased pay to all of our our bus drivers and classifies. Uh a long record of committing to that service. And over those seven years, our school division has improved its rankings. Um, our school division has won dramatically more scholarship dollars for our students. We've improved our retention and recruitment ability. Um, and all of that, I believe, is due to and and then even in 2020 2021, we were ranked the number one school division in the Commonwealth to work for by Forbes magazine. All of that tracks as a record of um a school board committed um in in a in frankly in a bipartisan way in many ways to um

174commit to our teachers for the effort they're doing for our children. Um research always shows the best way to improve student performance is to have a high quality teacher in the room. The best way to have high quality teachers in the room is to pay them well and that's how you get to recruit and retain them. So I'm proud of the efforts we're doing. I'm proud to support this collective bargaining agreement. This is historic for Prince William County. It is historic for the large divisions in Virginia and I believe this puts us on uh on a uh it allows us to continue on the path um to improve our school division uh for our children and our students. So, at this time, I'd ask the board to please vote. The vote is six yes, two

175no. Trainic wall. Motion passed. Outstanding. Okay, moving on. So, we have a series of revisions to policies here. Um, Mr. Anderson, you want to just do them all as a bunch and quickly take us through uh two through three through seven? Yes, Mr. Chairman. I'd be happy to do that. Uh as the board is aware, uh one of the projects that the board had asked in my office to work on over the last year or so um was updating the board's policies which are in the zero series and the one series of the policy manual. Um the these are the final batch of policies to be done so that we're going to make our end of school year deadline. Um first is policy 006 which involved the deletion of a regulation. As you know part

176of this has been to get rid of any regulations that existed in the zero or one series and combine them into the policies because really the board doesn't do regulations. The board does policies. And so in the uh in the first one it's prayer and religious exercise. It's essentially uh a to combine the um uh the regulation and the policy and also to update some of the legal uh uh things that had not been updated some of the items that recent case law uh regarding religious accommodations. And it also directs the superintendent to um produce regulations or adopt regulations that will address employee religious exercise and student religious exercise. Again, part of that is because there have been recent developments in the law regarding those areas. Um policy 024 comprehensive planning is really just updated

177to uh modernize the process and make sure that it um basically mirrors what we actually are doing uh in that regard. 170 uh item 1705 which is policy 052.02 will be reumbered as policy uh 053 and delete a regulation playing of the national anthem. I want it to be very clear we are still going to play the national anthem. Uh, we will not be getting rid of the national anthem. Um, I don't want that to be the the headline tomorrow. Um, so Mr. Danick, I knew you would ask. So um uh policy 124, student representatives to the school board. This updates uh the way that we uh select and have um student representatives join us um which we're always happy to do and also um change some of the time timelines. The previous timelines were

178fairly unrealistic and also to trim down some of the committee members because that also would became so cumbersome it's difficult to manage. So there are changes there. Uh policy 161 is the office of division council. There are a few tweaks there to sort of update what our practice is, which is of course, you know, I report to you periodically throughout the year on the status of legal fees. Um, and the policy just will reflect that annually. You will be updated uh at the end, as we I normally do at the end of the school year, give you an update on the legal fees broken down by topics like collective bargaining, human resources, all the different areas in which the school board spends uh legal fees. Um and uh that's it. Okay. If you have any

179questions for division council, you have two weeks. Hit them up. Moving on. Um 1708 motions in order. Mr. Blake. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Prince William County School Board revise its previously adopted meeting calendar and approve moving the superintendence evaluation on Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 to Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 at the request of the superintendent due to a scheduling conflict. Second, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Williams, a second. Any discussion? Please vote. vote is eight. Yes. Unanimous. Motion passed. Okay. Board matters. Um I think last time I don't know who we started with. We'll start with Lisa today. How about that? All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So teacher appreciation week also coincides with Star Wars week which is a truly cosmic alignment. So let us delve into the parallels shall we? First the

180force versus pedigogy. Both teachers and Jedi wield a mysterious power. Jedi have the force an energy field that binds the galaxy together. Teachers have pedigogy which is the art and science of teaching and it binds knowledge to young minds. Both require practice, patience, focus, and a touch of intuition. Younglings versus our students. Jedi Masters train younglings, guiding them in the ways of the Force. Teachers guide students, nurturing their intellect, intellectual growth. Both face the challenge of unruly padwans or students who might prefer pod racing or video games to focus learning. Lightsabers and feedback. A Jedi's lightsaber is an elegant weapon for a more civilized aged question mark. A teacher's feedback is their tool for illuminating areas needing improvement, sometimes with a similar level of precision and impact. The dark side versus misinformation. The dark side

181tempts with quick power and easy answers. Similarly, misinformation and apathy can be the dark side of learning, which teachers valiantly fight against with facts and critical thinking. And thank goodness they do. The Galactic Senate versus the Faculty Lounge. Both are places where important and sometimes less important decisions are debated and discussed, often with a diverse array of personalities and opinions. The hero's journey versus the school year. Luke Skywalker's journey from farm boy to Jedi Knights mirrors the students journey through the academic year filled with challenges, mentors, and eventual triumph of learning and growth. As Yoda said, the greatest teacher failure is. This highlights that both students and aspiring Jedi learn valuable lessons from their mistakes. a crucial aspect of the educational process. Teachers guide students through these moments, helping them extract wisdom from setbacks. Thank

182you for all you do. Oh, that's you, Miss Williams. Thank you, Vice Chair Blake. Uh it is teacher appreciation week and so I would like to send a heartfelt thank you out to every single teacher in our division. Also I would just like to take the opportunity to say thank you to my fellow board member Miss Dagapore because she is a teacher. Uh it doesn't matter where you serve as a teacher. It just matters that you do serve and I appreciate you and I appreciate the insight that you bring to our board because you are a teacher and that's a valuable voice. I'd also like to thank uh Mr. Wilk down there for his time spent as a teacher and his voice and perspective that he brings to the board because of that experience. Um,

183for me as a parent and as a board member, uh, teachers change lives. Um, my, uh, middle school student was prepared, uh, is prepared and has been thriving in middle school because of the teachers in his elementary school. Uh, once again, shout out because I'm very biased, but shout out to the fifth grade team at Featherstone. As a parent, I've never had the experience of having such a prepared middle schooler ever. Um, I'm learning to adjust to the newfound wonderfulness of this still. And it is because of all the hard work and dedication that you put in. I spent Monday um, losing about 17 pounds sweating, cooking breakfast for teachers at Fred Lynn, the first time I had the opportunity to do so. Thank God for their upcoming renovation because they need some more air

184in there um, in their fax room. But it it is it is an honor and a privilege to be able to um send my student my child to a school building with staff with teachers specifically who are preparing him for the future who love and care about him as an individual and his academic progress. And I see that every single day. I am a proud parent of a 2019 PWCS graduate who is now a self entre self-made entrepreneur because of what he learned here in this county. And it doesn't matter whether you're a math teacher, a gym teacher, a CTE teacher. All of you play a very vital role and inspiring all of us to become well-rounded adults. Teachers change lives. And I would not um I would be remiss if I did not give

185a shout out. I'm going to age myself and Dr. Healey here, but Dr. Dr. Hilly was my 10th grade English teacher when I was at Woodbridge Senior High School and I tease him all the time. But he is the reason I still wear read Shakespeare to this day why I still have a love of learning that I have now of reading that I've been able to pass on to my children. And it is individuals like that u that make us the great uh people that we are today. And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for teachers like Dr. Healey and others. Miss Florence, my English teacher in 11th grade, ninth grade, and all of my art teachers that inspired my love of learning and continuing art. Um, there is no greater uh field to

186me than uh being a teacher. You make us who we are. So, thank you. Um, just want to uh in addition to saying thank you to all our teachers, thank this board for all the hard work that was put in um for the collective bargaining agreement. And I just want to end again by uh saying how grateful and how privileged I feel to have been able to serve with Miss Rston. She changed my life. She changed the dynamics on this board uh and always encouraged me to be the very person that I was meant to be. And uh I would be remiss without saying thank you. I appreciate her service, her dedication, and her support. And uh she had an instrumental impact on the school division. um sad for the the later years where she

187wasn't in the best of health, but her uh we were always on her mind and I thank her for that. Thank you, Miss Wall. Thank you. Um so, first teacher appreciation week, huge thank you to all of our educators. Uh there are many teachers who had a major influence on me and my children. Um, when I was in high school, I had class from Mr. Burningham and we he was a speech and debate teacher and I'll never forget Mr. Burningham lying on the ground with his legs and arms in the air and reciting bits and pieces from Mr. Brown can do it. How about you? It's a Dr. Seuss book. It was hilarious. I'll never ever forget it. He was a legislator in um my home state. Uh just a great man. So, shout out

188to all those amazing teachers out there. Um, I've been to some amazing events that I want to um just highlight because there's so many great things happening in the Gainesville district. Start on April 24th. I went to a Gravely Elementary Steam night, filled the gym, um just amazing activities. We had high schoolers there from Battlefield with their robotics and other STEM related clubs. And it was a really fun event. And the best part was seeing kids and parents connecting with teachers and event and activities that were STEM related and parents being able to learn about what their kids were learning in class. Um on April 25th I went to Unity Braxton. They held Jaguar night. Um it was a chance to highlight the all the students in the school. They had food from literally everywhere

189around the world reflecting students home countries or their family's heritage. And they had a lot of games from around the world too. It was really fun. April 25th, Tyler Elementary held a hilarious inflatable race where staff were in inflatables and they raced. Um, so funny. It was a It was an attendance reward. Um, and the kids loved it. Unified Track Meet at Reagan on April 25th. It was a We already kind of talked about it, but 17 schools. That program's definitely grown. I saw it go from five schools to like 10 and now 17 from all over the county. Many from the Eastern End. Brought kids together. um special ed students, gen ed students, and everybody felt very included. It was awesome. April 26, I went to the firefighting live exercises for the student that

190specialty program that we have at Unity Reed. Got to see Principal Palanco who was suited up with their students. That was very impressive to see that CTE program and how power how powerful it was for the kids who were pursuing it. Uh I also went to the all county art high school arts festival here at the KC. Um, I love seeing kids and parents locate their art and see the excitement on their face to see their art displayed. Um, April 26th Alvie PTO put on a color run and the weather was perfect for that. Just a little bit wet so the colors really stuck. Um, I went to a concert at Unity Reed for Pennington Traditional on April 30th and this was special because the fifth graders helped develop and write the school song. They

191didn't have a school song, but they now do. and they performed a song for all of us. And then um they also with a community grant um chose artwork from the art factory um museum I guess or gallery and then they composed a song that went along with the art. So this is just a really cool experience. May 1st I went to an Alvie flag raising ceremony which was held at the Wounded Warriors Retreat. again a community partner and the school bringing school and community together fulfilling one of our key strategic plan initiatives. Um the school had purchased those flags for the retreat and the kids were there for a raising of the flags. So it was again that military connectedness was awesome. May 2nd governor's school research symposium symposium first time I've been able

192to go. Kids are just so smart. I'd love to see an expansion of seats at the governor's school so more kids can take advantage of this amazing program. May 2nd battlefield project lead the way. The students did a great job. The thing I love about this is we had some retired folks from re neighboring communities who were able to mentor the students and then Bullrun Middle had its first ever musical Wizard of Oz. It's so it was awesome and it's exciting because it's the first time they've ever done it. So kudos to the teachers who are um promoting these the arts in our schools. Thank you everybody. Have a great evening. Mr. Jesse again teacher appreciation week and I I just want to say thank you to all the teacher the hard work. Uh you

193know it's it's not an easy job but it's a very vital job that we do. And as I said in my little video, uh, look look for the opportunity to take a kid that you don't expect or don't think that the person is going to do well. And when that person does well, cheer not only for him, but for you because all kids can learn and they can learn at high levels, but a lot of times they need just the encouragement. And I just encourage you to do that. and experience the joy of seeing a kid do something that you didn't even expect that they would, but they did because they have it in and you did something to make that kids like when people sit up here and talk about their teachers that they

194uh love and respect is because they've made them feel important and I encourage you to do that. Uh I want to say thank uh Dr. McDade and her staff. Uh, couple years ago, uh, my wife and I talked to Dr. IC data about the fact that we don't have enough science labs and uh we talked about the mobile science lab and that's been a while ago but I I don't know if I missed this or not but I don't recall learning about how we're going to spend the $40 million but the paper said that we're going to have a mobile science lab. Is that correct? That is correct. We did put that in. All right. Okay. Well, thank you very much. That that's really exciting and something that uh Mrs. Jesse wanted to say thank

195you for doing that and again thank the county board of supervisors for giving us that money. We need them. We need that support and so forth. Uh I've been to quite a few things. I'm I'm actually going to cut back a little bit on it because what I'm finding is that uh citizen comments are emails are coming in and I don't have all the time to to uh spend on that. But I will still be doing a lot of things but not as much. But thank you and uh appreciate your time. Have a good evening. Miss Erica Tridentic. Thank you. So, I would also like to say um happy teacher appreciation week to all the wonderful teachers in the Brensville district and beyond. Um but of course, you know, I'm a big fan of my

196teachers in the Brensville district. So, I'm excited to go around and drop off some treats to you guys. And I'm thankful that both of my boys brought all their gifts to their teachers in one day and I didn't find any in the bottom of a backpack. So, that makes me feel better. Um, I also want to say a big shout out to um our teens that attended prom this week. I saw a lot of pictures. Um, I saw a lot of great uh friendships and community and um safety amongst these teenagers and looking out for each other. And I just um I'm proud of the students in the Brentsville district and the way they attended their proms and how they did it safely this year. Um, I'm thankful that uh you guys made good choices

197and again I loved seeing all the fun pictures that were sent and to all the volunteers that put together those prom nights that um decorate and have the food and organize everything to all the volunteers and the teachers that do that. Um, thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do. Um, because it goes beyond just the classroom. Um, what you do and how you pour into our kids is so important. And because my colleague is about to outshine me and name all of his teachers from K through 12, which I cannot do because I do not have that great of a memory, but I did attend Neapsco Elementary and Kohl's Elementary as well as Brentsville. Um, so a lot of my teachers still live in the community. Um, and their children have

198now taught my children, which is really cool. Um, but to my favorite, most favorite teacher ever, my grandmother Lola, um, she still believes that she gets to celebrate happy teacher appreciation week. So, I do need to go bring her a treat this week as well, even though she has been retired for quite some time. So, thank you. Thank you. And have a great week. Have a great month. Finish strong, everybody. We're almost there. Mr. Wilk. Thank you, Dr. Latif. Um, thank you, Mr. Trogenic. Um, I I've been passing on this, but I I wanted to talk on this time, but I'm going to talk a little bit more. So, one of the events I got to go to, uh, the other day, um, almost just by chance, I got a last minute invite, and I

199did take them up on it. Uh, there was a award presentation ceremony, um, at PTOIC Shores Middle School, uh, called the Dr. Howard Goolon Education Excellence Award um, for uh, top performing um, educators um, in our school system. Um, I learned a little bit of history. Dr. Howard Goolson was the first African-American um, administrator hired in Prince William County at Garfield High School. Um, his wife, I believe, was the first African-American teacher at Woodbridge High School, and she's still alive. It brought back memories. It brought back the time and this is a very different time period after Brown during the era of massive resistance where people like Governor Harry Bird kept schools closed where people like Mills Godwin deliberately kept schools closed in Prince Edward County. I'm a little more composed now. But the one

200thing I'll always remember about Diane is after that laborious meeting Lori um about names for Kyle Wilson Elementary um I thought of the idea of eliminating the racist Mills Godwin from a middle school um and changing the name. It was like 11 o'clock at night but we did it. And I remember going to Miss Rston, Diane, and saying to Diane, I said, Diane, are you okay with me doing this? This is a school in your district. I'm not renaming a PTOIC school. It's in your district. And just the type of selfless person Diane was, she didn't care about taking credit. She knew she'd face a lot of the backlash. It was in her district. And she said, "Go for it." And it'll forever be as I was interviewed I think a year ago in a

201magazine or something. My greatest accomplishment I still will to this day say uh expuning or eliminating the name Mills Godwin off of one of our middle schools uh and replacing it with uh Dr. Hampton. So that's a memory of Diane. Um I do want to thank of course um our teachers. Um Miss Williams mentioned um I was a teacher long ago. So, I always tell our teachers today, I don't know how you do it with the advent of camera phones and video recordings and just the craziness now of smartphones. Um, God love you. Uh, I'm married to a teacher, uh, who has taught, um, over 20 years in our school system at the same building. I was raised by two teachers. Uh, my mother who was a elementary physical education teacher, which kind of funny

202because that's not really my thing. and um and uh and then my grandmother who taught fourth grade uh for um nearly 30 years. Um so I thank the teachers. It was no surprise I guess that I did go and become a teacher and I taught for six years in this county, three years on the east and three years um on the west. um good experience. Got my masters to be an administrator, but then life changes and we go different routes. And so I'm very blessed to be on the school board where I still what I love to do is go into these classrooms and do these school visits. Um it's my favorite part to staying ab breast with what's going on to see actually instruction kids learning the collaboration. I mean, you talk about like

203pacing guides and building collaboration PLC's, whatever. You go into four different fourth grade classrooms. The beauty of it is they're learning the same thing, but in different styles from the teachers. It It's just fascinating the work our teachers do. And uh I'm very blessed um to be married to one and to work in a county with so many dedicated educators. So, thank you, Vice Chair Blake. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh my remarks will be very brief. I just want to take this moment to recognize uh all the teachers in the NABSCO district and throughout Prince William County Schools. Uh thank you. Thank you for your resilience. Thank you for your passion and thank you for your unwavering commitment to all of our children. Uh you are the heart of this division like Dr. Day said

204earlier and your influence stretches way beyond the lesson plans in the classrooms. Uh you help shape the futures every single day. We see you on this board. We value you on this board and we are greatly def uh deeply grateful for your service. Um the rest of my remarks were about Miss Rston, but I said that earlier. So, uh, everybody just have a good night. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Blake. Um, so I'm sorry to have missed earlier our, um, tribute, recognition, and resolution for Diane Rston, the former school board member than the ABSCO district. Um, you know, I'm um, and I'm very saddened to have missed that. And I will say that she made some of the most consequential votes on this board while I've been here um that were incredibly important to um

205I believe the work that has led to the success we are seeing now. And um and the first one, I'll start out by first saying how grateful I am to the fact that she was one of the great advocates to appoint me as an interim school board chair. Um at the time that that was done, she has been an adviser, uh counsel to me, uh mentor when I first got on the board. um she provided a lot of support especially in the ABSCO district for those communities. She was a relentless advocate for students first and last. Um and that's what she taught me and and on this board she made some very difficult votes, very difficult challenges, you know, to to help address teacher pay to um really change the way we budget the school

206division. She supported our efforts um during the pandemic making some very tough decisions and I'm will always be grateful as as many of the children in the school division are for the work she did and how much time she put into um committing to the students first and last. Um she was instrumental in um you know we we we did we had a superintendent search in the middle of the pandemic as well and she provided uh critical counsel and advice throughout that um time and I and I truly appreciated her um her humor throughout the process. Uh it was a tough time. It was a tough time to find a superintendent nationwide. We we started with I want to say 48 candidates and ended up with the final three and we were doing these interviews

207during the pandemic, socially distant, some of us on Zoom. Um, and when the final vote came, I I turned to division council and I said, "U, I need to know how Miss Rston's going to rank the final three candidates." and division council because we were all voting privately um you know closed ballot. So division council went and Diane was doing it from Zoom. I said Carol go um give her a call and and get the votes for us and then you come back and let us fill it in. You count the votes. Carol came back and I said um and and I it was important that we had all three. Um you had to rank them one three because then we give a point for for each one. I said, "Carol, how did it go?"

208She goes, "Well, Miss Rston only had one." And I said, "Well, that's not how this is supposed to work, Carol." She said, "She didn't care. She had one." And I said, "Well, well, I mean, it's not going to work like that." What did she say? She goes, "I just want that rockstar lady McDade from Chicago." And I said, "Well, fine, but I need a two and a three, otherwise this doesn't work." She's like, she's going to say um McDades are two and McDades are three. And um and you know, and Diane supported Dr. McDade's start to our efforts here. And um and and really and I truly appreciate her support for everybody in the ABSCO. I I want to also say that I her family cared deeply for her, made sure she got to things,

209provided her support. Monnique Rston, who's a rock star in NABSCO, a civic agent, a community organizer, someone who's done so much for the NABSCO district and also cares about students as they go into higher education. The whole family was all about education and and and and I think I can say the whole family was about students first and students last. And uh and I think that's what I can say I learned the most from my dear friend Diane Rston, who I hope and pray she rest in peace. Thank you very much and may you all have a great evening.