June 29 -2020 School Board Meeting - Renaming of Stonewall Middle and Stonewall Jackson High School

001- Okay, good evening. I would like to Call the Prince William County School Board meeting to order. Tonight's is a public meeting. We are, due to the COVID-19 state of emergency, this special meeting of the school board is being held electronically under the authority granted on April 22nd, 2020, by the general assembly through the amendment 28 to House Bill 29. Citizens have been provided with multiple opportunities to provide public input including participation input at public naming committee meetings, held on June 22nd. The right to speak this evening's through electronic means, during the public comment portion of the hearing posting of comments on a dedicated PWCS webpage and submission of comments to school board members by mail and emails. Citizens who have signed up to speak electronically this evening must confine their comments to the renaming

002of the Stonewall Middle School or Stonewall Jackson High School. So, that's the just normal announcement we make to let everyone know that we are doing this meeting electronically. We are next gonna go to the Pledge of Allegiance. Miss Zargarpur, our flag bearer, could you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. - All right, good. We gotta work on that aim there. Okay next, we're gonna have the approval for the agenda. A motion is in order to approve the public meeting agenda. Miss Williams? - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we approve the public meeting agenda as recommended. - Do I have a

003second? - I will second. - Miss Wall seconds. We will take a roll, any discussion? Excellent, we'll take a roll call vote. We'll go in alphabetical order. Miss Adele Jackson? - [Adele] Yes. - Miss Jackson votes yes, Miss Jessie? - Yes. - Miss Jessie votes yes. Lateef, I vote yes. Raulston? (man whispers) - [Diane] Yes. - Miss Raulston votes yes, Mr. Wilk? - [Justin] Yes. - Mr. Wilk votes yes, Miss Wall? - Yes. - Miss Wall votes yes, Miss Williams? - Yes. - Miss Williams votes yes, Miss Zargarpur? - Yes. - Miss Zargarpur votes yes. That passes unanimously. We will now move, prior to the, so, tonight's meeting, obviously for those of you that are probably tuned in know that we are renaming Stonewall Jackson High School and Stonewall Middle School. We've had two community

004meetings that have led up to this point, a number of focus groups, the committee has worked diligently to get us to this point. We're gonna have some more citizen comment time tonight about this. Before we enter citizen comment time, I've asked David Beavers, who is helping us assist with this effort to tell us, again, and Dave is the supervisor of planning and financial services, office of facility service, he will go through very quickly here what we've gone through in our committee meetings, the process for naming and then we'll go straight into citizen comment time. The citizen comments are restricted to tonight's agenda items, which obviously, again, are the renamings. Mr. Beavers please take it. - Thank you very much Dr. Lateef, members of the school board and Dr. Walts, thank you for the opportunity to

005be here this evening. My name is Dave Beavers, I'm with the office of facilities services and it's been my pleasure to facilitate the naming process for the two naming committees. As you know, we have two different naming committees. One each for Stonewall Middle School and Stonewall Jackson High School. Members of the naming committees, first for the Stonewall Jackson High School naming committee, the members are Chairman-at-large, Babur Lateef, Miss Adele Jackson from the Brentsville District, Miss Jennifer Wall from the Gainesville District and Miss Lisa Zargarpur from the Coles District. The second naming committee is for Stonewall Middle School and it's composed of Chairman-at-large Babur Lateef, Jennifer Wall from the Gainesville District and Adele Jackson from the Brentsville District. Now, tonight we will have citizen comment time and citizens will be able to provide their comments regarding

006the namings, the renamings, they'll have two minutes each to speak and we do have a Spanish translator available if he is needed. Our Spanish translator is Mr. Amadeo Baltazar and Mr. Baltazar, if you would like to introduce yourself and announce your availability in Spanish, please. (Amadeo speaks in Spanish) Excellent, thank you Mr. Baltazar. - [Amadeo] You're welcome. - We appreciate you being here. Jason, next slide please. All right, first a little background, School Board Policy 854 calls for the creation of a naming committee or in this case a renaming committee but also notes that the final approval of the school facility name rests with the entire school board. Next slide please. Regulation 854-1 tells us that the naming committee will be comprised of the chairman of the school board, the school board member in whose

007district the unnamed facility is located and any school board member whose district is overlapped by the attendance area for the unnamed facility. In this case, Stonewall Jackson High School is located within the Brentsville District. Stonewall Jackson's attendance area overlaps the Brentsville, Gainesville and Coles magisterial districts. Therefore, Miss Jackson, Miss Wall and Miss Zargarpur joined Dr. Lateef, Chairman-at-large, to make up this naming committee. In the case of Stonewall Middle School, the school itself is located in the Gainesville District, the attendance area overlaps the Gainesville and Brentsville magisterial districts, thus Ms. Wall, Ms. Jackson and Dr. Lateef make up the naming committee. Next slide please. It's important to note that the committee is charged to consider these naming criteria but are not limited to these criteria. These include geographic elements, historical elements, names of living or deceased

008persons who've made significant service contributions. Please note that the selection preference will be given to those individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of education, especially within Prince William County. Next slide please. Just to review the process that we have undergone to get to this point, we've held two community input sessions, both of those have been virtual. The first was on June 22nd and the second was then on June 25th. Now, we're here tonight on June 29th for information and action with the school board and as we mentioned earlier, there will be the opportunity for citizen comments, for those who have signed up in advance, after this presentation. It's also important to note that the final selection of the facility name is the responsibility of the school board. Next slide please. These are

009two just reference slides to show you the two facilities that we're renaming, Stonewall Jackson High School and Stonewall Middle School. Next slide please. Now, in terms of suggestions, we've had a very robust response from the community and we certainly appreciate that. We've had over 775 suggestions that we've received and thank you to everyone who's taken the time to send in your comments and suggestions. I would like to review now, in alphabetical order, the top 10 names that have been submitted. Please keep in mind, these are just in alphabetical order. So, the first suggestion is Arthur Reed, then Bull Run, Celestine and Carroll Braxton, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, James Robinson, Janice Wellington, L. Douglas Wilder, Lucinda Griffin, Manassas and finally Unity. So, that's the list of suggestions, the top 10 suggestions we received. Overall again, over

010775 submissions and we certainly appreciate all of the feedback we have received. Next slide please. Okay, that concludes my remarks, thank you very much. - Mr. Beavers, thank you once again for all the hard work you guys have done, and we really are very grateful for all of that and we will now go ahead and Jason I'll turn it over to you to start citizens comment time. Again, just as a reminder to our citizens, you'll have two minutes to speak. It would be best to let us know what your choice is and why and we're excited to hear about those. So, Mr. Stevens, take it away please. - [Jason] All right, our first guest joining us this evening will be Leonard Patterson, I'm working on unmuting you right now Leonard. All right, Leonard Patterson, your

011mike is now live. - [Leonard] Yes, good evening. Good evening everyone, I hope you can hear me. - [Jason] We can. - [Leonard] Okay, if you can hear me, all right good evening. My name is Leonard Patterson and I reside at 101 Statesboro Court in Manassas, Virginia, the zip code is 20109. I'm a husband, a father, Sunday school teacher and an automobile damage appraiser by trade. I live across the street from Stonewall Jackson Senior High School. To the members of the school board and our audience, I'd like to take this opportunity in requesting that the name of Stonewall Middle and Stonewall Jackson Senior High School be renamed to Celestine and Carroll Braxton Middle and High School. I'm overjoyed that even as the State of Mississippi and other regions throughout the country take the corrective actions

012in retiring these confederate monuments, statues and tributes and properly removing them to museums. It is my joy that Prince William County is not left behind in these appropriate actions. As an African American man, seeing the largely white blooders of Stonewall Jackson at institutional higher learnings, I found it'd be very insulting, particularly being that the school's job to demographics are largely diverse and a majority of people of color, I'm so joyed that we have taken the corrective action in removing the names of this individual who fought to preserve enslavement of children and are now replacing it to educators. The Braxtons are valiant, historic trades people of this region who were educators and trailblazers for civil rights and education and empowerment of all children. I thank you again for your time and your attention to this matter.

013- [Jason] Our next guest is Kendra Barr. Your mike is now live. - [Kendra] Good evening, can you guys hear me? - We can. - Can you hear me? - We can. - Okay perfect. Good evening members of the school board and Superintendent Walts. My name is Kendra Barr and my address is on file with the clerk. I'm a 2015 graduate from Stonewall Jackson High School and I would like to speak in support of renaming the high school, either Reed United or after Celestine and Carroll Braxton and the middle school, Sotomayor Middle School. After graduating and going off to college and then to law school, one of the biggest embarrassments is handing over my resume and explaining to someone that as a black person I graduated from a high school that bears a name of

014a racist and a traitor who fought to enslave my ancestors, and lost, might I add. I cannot change the name on my diploma but it is time that the school's name reflects the strength and the hope of the students who attend them. People with concern that removing the name Stonewall erases history, well last time I checked, black history and Hispanics' history are American history. We should pay homage to heroes and leaders, the first of their kind and most importantly though, I hope that the progression forward does not stop with a simple name change. The history and culture so present in both schools exists outside the confines out of the month of February and October. The needs and struggles of these schools does not stop with a simple bandaid that is a name change and I

015hope the school board recognizes that and plans to make action to truly provide a world-class education to every student, regardless of socio-economic status or school location. Thank you and I yield my time. - [Jason] Great, our next guest is Alyssa Macaronis. Your mike is now live. Alyssa Macaronis? Just unmute yourself, Alyssa. Give her a few more seconds. I'll queue the next one. Alyssa Macaronis? Last call. Alyssa? All right. We will move onto Jerry Tucoo. - [Jerry] Hello, can you hear me? - [Jason] We can. - [Jerry] Okay, first of all, I'd like to thank you for allowing me to, the opportunity to speak on this topic that's begun to get the attention that it deserves. I'm a black female graduate of a Prince William County school and an active member of our community. I'm certain

016that it took the most brutal, inhumane acts of violence against black and brown civilians for a county to consider the removal of Stonewall Jackson's name from our middle and high school. I believe changing the name of these schools is the first step among many on the road to creating a more equitable future for all students in Prince William County Schools. I'm sure you already know this, but I feel the importance of this fact cannot be understated enough. Both Stonewall Jackson Middle and High School are composed of a predominantly Hispanic student body. Over 60% of the population Hispanic. Further, roughly 15% of the student body, in both schools, is composed of African Americans. What message does it send to our students of color when we have a name of a confederate soldier used as the school's

017title? That's why I support the suggestion to rename at least one of our schools after Dr. Ibram Kendi, who is a former Stonewall Jackson graduate and supporting an advocate for minority rights. Just recently he spoke at a congressional hearing describing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of colors, of color. Another school could be renamed after Joyce Russell Terrell, who had to go through many hardships as the first black girl to integrate Garfield High School. So, as you consider the renaming of these schools, I just ask that you take in consideration the demographic composition of the student body. What impact would it have for a student of color and all students to walk into a school named after an individual who was on the right side of history and championed equity above all, who demonstrated

018the importance of education, regardless of race, socio-economic status or location. These are the influential messages we send to our students and future leaders of our nation. Your choice will determine if these students will find this school to be a safe haven, a glimmer of hope for their future, or is viewed as another institution that has failed them and already predetermined their role, their worth. Your role as a student board member is to serve in the best interest of all students which includes your black and brown students and your vote will truly better the lives of generations to come if you are on the right side of history. - [Jason] All right, our next guest is Monique Braxton. Monique Braxton, your mike is muted on your side. Last call for Monique Braxton. All right, we're going

019to move onto Richard Jessie. - [Richard] Hi, my name's Richard Jessie, I live in Occoquan District. I just want to say it to the board, I know that unless there is some significant emotional event that occurs tonight, you have probably already made up your mind. I'll just ask you to consider the first, looking at your policy, I do not believe you should just name something for a geographic location. I think there are people that are deserving of schools being named after them. So, when you look at the two criterias, historical consideration and name of a living or deceased person who has given significant contribution of the field of education, in my opinion the Braxtons fit those two qualifications the strongest of the people. So, I do urge you to consider them for the naming of

020the school and hopefully, again, please do not use a geographic consideration, thank you. - [Jason] Great, thank you. Our next guest is Shawn Key, your mike is now live. - [Shawn] Hello, am I able to be heard fairly well? - [Jason] We can hear you. - [Shawn] All right, thank you. Two minutes goes very quickly here, so, here it is. Thank you esteemed members for allowing me to speak here. It's clear there's many honorable nominees. There's so many more that weren't nominated. From my generation, school attendance through the '90s, we could discuss Mr. Mullins, a beloved maintenance man, someone that the kids just adored and looked up to, Mrs. Smiley, Mr. Gates, wheelchair-bound math and essay, homeroom, teacher at Stonewall Middle. My point is this, there are so many great teachers that have put in

02120, 30 years, so many staff members that have contributed and as I suggested in the letter, I think there's a place for all these people, whether it's a wall of honor, plaques, murals, certainly place to honor 'em, but when it comes down to a specific name for me, and I'm biased because I'm definitely part of the Lucinda Griffin Foundation but I've thought and I've really soul searched here, and to me, she's the only person that I can picture in my head, at the age 14, same age potentially as one of these kids at the middle school, which by the way is what we're really focusing on now, that took fire. She was wounded, she carried that scar and wound the rest of her life. She risked her life at 14 year old, trying to save

022a slave owner, someone who had oppressed her essentially and put her in a position that clearly, now, we all agree we're trying to change, we're trying to move along. I just don't think in comparison her sacrifice is any lesser than anyone and I think it's certainly greater. I mentioned also in this letter the big picture, you know, you could talk in art class and have the students realize, there's no photographs of Lucinda, they could go through exercises, painting and drawing and the students could portray everything they have in the halls for African American History Month, that's engaging. History, talking about who the first slave injured in the battle was, that's Lucinda, so much to be learned there. The big picture means not just the name on the school, but taking the life and the lessons

023of Lucinda and being able to have the children understand, grow and perhaps be molded by the sacrifice of an amazing young human being who would be a peer to those children on the name of that school. Please consider Lucinda Griffin Middle School, thank you for your time. - [Jason] Excellent, our next guest is Anthony McGee. - [Anthony] (coughs) Can you hear me? - [Jason] We can. - [Anthony] Okay, thank you very much. First, I want to thank the community for giving me the opportunity to speak. My name is Anthony McGee, I filed my name and address and phone number with the clerk. CC Braxton Middle School or CC Braxton High School, they both have very nice rings to 'em. Celestine Braxton, one of the first African American teachers in Prince William County, and she taught

024for 33 years. Also was an activist in the 1960s, she fought to desegregate not only public schools but also restaurants, beauty salons and et cetera. Because of her hard work and dedication, her daughter was the first African American kindergarten accepted into Manassas', segregated, Manassas Presbyterian Program. Carroll Braxton was born and raised in Manassas and still lives around the corner from Stonewall Jackson High School, within minutes. Mr. Braxton dedicated his life to serving his country during World War II and the Korean War, becoming one of the first African Americans to integrate to Marine Corps. He was also one of the first African American drill sergeants in the Marine Corps. As a Montford Point Marine, he was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. I will end this by saying, it would be nice if one of each

025schools could be named after both, but if you can only pick one, combine the two, CC Braxton. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak, God bless you. - [Jason] Our next guest is Melissa Ridge, your mike is now live. - [Melissa] Oh fuck. (microphone shuffles) - [Jason] Melissa Ridge, your mike is live. Miss Ridge, are you there? All right, we will circle back. Our next guest is Langston Carter. Your mike is now live. Langston Carter? (microphone shuffles) - [Langston] Hello, can you hear me? - [Jason] Yes we can. - [Langston] Good evening members of the board. My name is Langston Carter and my address is on file. I am a long-time advocate for students and teachers in our community and I'm a member of the Prince William County Historical Commission. But tonight I'm

026not speaking on official commission business. I'm speaking to you tonight to inform you that the petition to name Stonewall Jackson High School after Dr. Ibram Kendi has received more than 32,000 signatures. In reviewing these signatures, you will find that even with the thousands of signatures from outside of our county, this petition still has more local signatures than any other petition for a different name. I think you should also take into account the fact that the name has been supported by two of Stonewall Jackson's great, great, grandsons, Jack and Warren Christian, as well as several descendants of Jackson's slaves, including myself and my siblings who are all former students from Prince William County Schools. At this point, unless you change the name of Stonewall Jackson High School to honor somebody who is diametrically opposed to who

027Jackson was, then this change will be purely performative and cosmetic. As Angela Davis said famously, "in a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, "you must be anti-racist." Dr. Kendi is one of the world's leading anti-racist scholars and he graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School. It's time for Prince William County to step up and create an anti-racist learning environment. I hope you take the number of signatures in that, that this petitions has received, both nationally and locally, into account when you vote tonight. If you don't choose the name Ibram X. Kendi, I encourage you to name it after Governor L. Douglas Wilder, the Braxtons or Lucinda Griffin, one of the people Jackson actually fought to keep enslaved. We need a name that not only changes it from Jackson's but also stands in direct

028contrast to his legacy, thank you. - [Jason] Our next guest is Gabriela Silva. Your mike is muted on your side. All right, she just disappeared. We will go to... All right, Denise McPhail? Your mike is now live. - [Denise] Good evening. Chairman Lateef, school board members, Dr. Walts and Stonewall naming committee, thank you for allowing me this time to speak this evening and thank you for your willingness to change the name of the schools. My name is Denise McPhail, I reside in the Neabsco District and you have my address information on file. I am here tonight to join the chorus of voices in support of Mrs. Celestine Braxton and Mr. Carroll Braxton. Mr. And Mrs. Braxton have in common each of the consideration items listed on your facilities development regulation 854-1. Geographic, historical and name

029of a deceased person. Geographic consideration, Mr. and Mrs. Braxton have lived in Manassas a collective 155 years. Historical and deceased consideration, prior to her demise, Mrs. Braxton gave 33 years to Prince William County Public Schools and served this community as a civil rights activist by integrating the Prince William County teaching staff. Mrs. Braxton educated students at Antioch-Macrae, Jennie Dean, Marsteller and even Stonewall Middle prior to retiring from Marsteller. Historical and national service consideration, Mr. Braxton, a Congressional Gold Medal recipient and United States Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Retired, (sighs), was one of the 20,000 African American marines from 1942 to '49 who received basic training at the segregated facility Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He was one of the first dozen drill sergeants, and I know I'm running out of time but I want you

030to know that now that the communities are, particularly for reconciliation, healing and equality of the very issues the Braxtons strived for, today I join in solidarity with the Braxton chorus of supporters to ask you to name either the high school or middle school after Celestine and Carroll Braxton. Again, thank you for your time and consideration. Have a good evening. - [Jason] Our next guest is Ben Kim. - [Ben] All right, we have heard ideas of renaming Stonewall Jackson High School, Reed United. I could see the merits of a name like this. It is a nice blend of two important things to our school, however I could see how some people could maybe criticize the name. They may ask, "why, for a high school to be named "after a person of color, "that the person's name

031must be combined with another word?" And, you know, not just stand alone by itself? Why must a person like Mr. Reed have to live up to a sort of double standard? Others might point out that if the school has a half of a person's name, why not just go the full distance and name it after his whole name? Our community loves the name Arthur Reed, a name like Arthur Reed High School implies unity in itself, there's no need to have United behind his name. The advantages of naming Stonewall Jackson High School, Arthur Reed High School are as followed. Arthur Reed High School is a name (murmurs). Two, in this time of police brutality, Mr. Reed is a symbol of a benevolent security officer who cared about the students and who trained officers so that we

032would have the best agents in the field. Three, finally Mr. Reed is an inspiration to the youth at Stonewall. He was someone who fought to save lives in his community and he devoted his life towards mentoring youth. He's a local hero and naming our school after him would be a message to our students that society does not just honor the Martin Luther Kings and the Rosa Parks but the overlooked heroes in our community. Going off of this point, I've enjoyed learning about all the local heroes who have contributed to our society. I think we all agree that we should honor not only the great figures but also the Arthur Reeds, Braxtons, Griffins, Bowsers and so many more. But regardless of the vote tonight, we will continue to share the legacies of these local heroes. At

033Stonewall, we have cultural celebrations such as the Black History Month assembly where we could share the stories of Reed and the families of Braxtons and Lucinda Griffin could also come and share about them. Dr. Kendi could come and speak too. We also have a One of Us Orientation where the upper classmen guide the incoming freshmen around our school. During this tour, we will share about the naming of our school with the newest members of our communities. We have many murals around the school and we could paint more of these local heroes. So, I just want to say, just to all the heroes around our community working right now on the board and in our schools, thank you and your work will not go unrecognized, thank you. - [Jason] Our next guest is Bishop Andre Alston.

034Your mike is muted on your side. Bishop Andre Alston, you just need to unmute. Your mike is live. Last call before we circle back, Bishop Andre Alston. All right, we will circle back. Moving onto our next guest, Michelle Davis-Younger. (microphone shuffling) - [Michelle] My, can you hear me? - [Jason] We can. - [Michelle] Okay, thank you. Good evening school board, thank you for the time to come before you. I am Michelle Davis-Younger, I am a lifelong resident of Manassas. I currently live in the City of Manassas. I'm appealing to you tonight to express my full support in the renaming of both Stonewall High and Stonewall Middle. I am in support of the schools being named for the Braxtons and for Lucinda Griffin. I am a 1987 graduate of Stonewall Jackson High School and I had

035the pleasure of having Mrs. Braxton as a teacher at Marsteller. Imagine the pride I had in seeing a teacher that looked like me. I currently attend First Baptist Church and I have, with the Braxton family, ever since I was 14 years old and I've known this family very well. Doubly for me, I am a descendant of Lucinda Griffin. So, she's a relative on my mother's side and having my mother, who is 83 years old in August, to be able, and also a lifelong resident of Manassas, to be able to see a school named after Lucinda would be an absolute honor for her and the legacy to continue would be outstanding for our family. I do not envy you having to make this decision among so many great choices but I certainly appreciate the opportunity to

036participate in the process. Thank you and God bless you. - [Jason] Our next guest is Rockefeller Twyman. Rockefeller Twyman. All right, we will circle back. Nicole King Campbell, your mike is now live. - [Nicole] Good evening. My name is Nicole King Campbell and my address is on file. I'm a parent, a community advocate and I'm the President of the Stonewall Jackson High School PTSO. I had suggested Innovation or Innovation Park High School but unfortunately, neither made the cut. That being said, I think that over 700 submissions show that many are happy that the name will be changed, that is awesome and thank the board and Dr. Walts for all your hard work. We are just waiting for you to vote on the best name for Stonewall. But first, I want to keep in mind that

037Stonewall High School is already a school, they already have spirit, they just need a better name and more funding. What should it be changed to? After communicating to other parents, interested parties and most importantly, students, teachers, staff, parents and other community members, I cannot help but agree with utilizing Arthur Reed, if we're naming after, the school after a person, or Unity or Reed United if we decide to go in another direction. We have heard many great names, Dr. Kendi, he's a Stonewall grad and he's leading change in the country but I think, maybe if we decided, we could have a center in the high school named after him, that would help us advocate more for racial equality in the country and perhaps we could look at naming the 14th high school after the Braxtons. I

038believe some of the other names suggested would be more appropriate for the new school, that new school, or even the middle school. In fact, given what we have learned about Marsteller, that is needing to be renamed as well. Lucinda Griffin or Mrs. Braxton would be more than perfect for that. The reason this is so important to me is we already have a spirit at Stonewall, this is not a new build that we're just putting a name on that people will be learning about the history, we already have people at this school that have inspired the students today and will continue to inspire the students. I believe that Mr. Reed or if we went with Reed United or Unity High School is more effective for the students that are gonna enter the door for the first

039time whenever we open back up, as well as the current students who have been amazing leaders in the community. It is so important that we don't just impose another name on them. It's almost like not even changing the name, in a way. So, we really should listen to the students, the teachers, the parents and work with all these other trailblazers and history makers to find ways to better recognize them in the county instead of just imposing them on Stonewall. So I really would like to suggest, again, just checking my time, Reed United, Arthur Reed or a combination. Thank you so much. - [Jason] Our next guest is Edward Carlson. - [Edward] Okay, - [Jason] Your mike is now live. - [Brett] Hello, this is Brett Carlstad, I live in the Potomac District. Can you hear

040me? - [Jason] We can hear you. - [Brett] Great, I was, I know this name has not come up on your list but I wanted to recommend John Sidebottom? Who was an African American who served in the Revolutionary Army. He was the first African American in Prince William County to serve in what became the United States Army. He was in the Prince William minutemen in 1775 and then enlisted in the Third Virginia Infantry, both in Dumfries and he's been noted for having at the Battle of Trenton, rescuing James Monroe, who was severely wounded during the action there and John carried him off the battlefield and saved his life, so that he could become President of the United States. He was discharged after spending the winter at Valley Forge and then returned home to Virginia and

041was given 1,000 acres of land in what became Kentucky and he lived there until he died in 1823. But he had a very honorable service in the United States Army and as I said, he was the first African American from Prince William County to serve in what became the United States Army, thank you. - [Jason] We have Lillian Rucker who's not in, Rebecca Rebus is not in. Don Haight, Height, Mr. Height? - [Don] Board, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you tonight. My name is Donald Haight, Jr. My address is on file. I am a direct descendant of Lucinda Griffin, Lucinda is my great, great grandmother. The Lucinda Griffin Foundation can be reached at [email protected]. And I will speak to you once again, the need to name change to reflect a

042person that is inclusive rather than exclusive, a role model that all ages can look up to, a role model that has withstood the test of time. Lucinda Griffin has been our role model for close to 160 years. This equates to eight generations. A whole new, the legacy of Lucinda Griffin is approaching a whole new milestone. I would not be surprised to see a movie done about her and we would welcome it with open arms. This story needs to be told. Before long, the world will know Lucinda's story, the story of hope, courage, the story of a little black girl, the age of 14, that took a bullet for her country. There are people, now, that are afraid to wear masks, to protect their fellow Americans against the coronavirus. That is simply shameful. Lucinda Griffin is

043and will always be an American hero, a patriot at age 14. Think for a minute, what were you doing at age 14? Riding a bike, fishing, playing soccer or football? Lucinda was protecting an elderly white woman, therefore etching her name in the history books for the first Battle of Manassas Bull Run, as the first African American to be wounded in the Civil War. Ladies and gentlemen, there is only one first. As time goes on, there is growing support to name one of these schools after Lucinda Griffin. At last check, our petition was well over 1,600 and building momentum by the minute. Lucinda made history at age 14 which is approximately the same age as a kid in the middle school. Therefore, I feel that they can be reached more and appropriate that an African American

044at the age of 14, I suggest that you name the Lucinda Griffin Middle School. Once again, the Lucinda Griffin Foundation can be reached at [email protected]. And may God guide you and select the best candidate, respectfully, Donald Haight, Jr and thank you. - [Jason] Our next guest is Karen Kura. - [Karen] Hello, good evening members of the board. My name is Karen Griffin Kura, I'm resident of Woodbridge Virginia, 22191. I am a descendant of Lucinda Griffin. I believe that everyone that spoke on behalf of Lucinda Griffin gave a good reason why one of the schools should be named in her honor. As a 14 year old girl who was wounded at the first Battle of Manassas, Lucinda paved the way for those that grew up in the Jim Crow and Civil Rights Era. Lucinda suffered tremendous

045hardship under white supremacy, for minorities today to have opportunities in the fields of education, government, law enforcement and military service. Many have stood on the shoulders of her work, people and freedom fighters of forgotten time like my ancestor, Lucinda Griffin. I want everyone to remember that Lucinda was a forgotten hero while Stonewall Jackson was a remembered traitor. The petition to rename one of Stonewall Jackson's schools to Lucinda Griffin have received over 1,500 signatures. Her story should be in the country's history books and she is deserving of having her name grace the middle school, to be an inspiration to every boy and girl that attends this school. Lucinda Griffin Middle School, the home of the freedom fighters, thank you for your time and consideration in renaming the school and Prince William County in her honor. I

046yield my time back to you, thank you so much. - [Jason] Our next guest is Gary Long, your mike is now live. (microphone shuffling) - [Gary] Thank you, thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak. My address is on file. My name is Gary Long, I'm married to Monique Long, who is the great, great, granddaughter of Lucinda Griffin. I'm here to recommend that you rename either or both schools in question to Lucinda Griffin High School and Lucinda Griffin Middle School. Lucinda Griffin wasn't famous, per se, or wealthy. But her bravery has made significant contributions to Manassas history. She was a 14 year old rented-out slave in 1861, when ironically one of General Stonewall Jackson's brigades fired a cannon into the home of Judith Henry during the first Battle of Bull Run, killing Judith Henry

047and permanently injuring Lucinda Griffin. That made Lucinda Griffin the first African American wounded in the Civil War. She survived and the Griffin family has remained residents of Prince, of Manassas, Prince William County for over 200 years. Now is the time to make a difference. Now is the time to tell the true history of Virginia. Prince William County had more slaves than residents in the 1800s. By naming the school Lucinda Griffin, you will set the pace, the beginning, for people to look into her lives and look into the lives of what happened to former slaves, what are they doing now, what are their descendants doing now? And you'll find out that the descendants prospered, prospered right here in Manassas, in Prince William County. So, what better way to honor Lucinda Griffin, the Griffin family, Manassas and

048Prince William County residents, African Americans and all citizens to name her, to make the school Lucinda Griffin High School? Thank you. - [Jason] Our next guest is Angela Monteiro. - [Angela] Hi, can you hear me? - [Jason] I can. - [Angela] Okay, good evening. My name is Angela Monteiro and I am a rising senior at Stonewall Jackson High School and I attended Stonewall Middle School. For Stonewall Jackson High School, I propose the name United or Reed United High School. For Stonewall Middle School, I would suggest Commonwealth Middle School. Whenever I hung around in the halls after school from clubs, I came to perceive that the students of different races and social classes are people I am pleased to call my peers and some even my role models. I encountered these individuals through clubs that encourage

049constructive change and spread culture as well as in my classes through the IB program which is a program that allows students from around the globe to learn together to create a better world. Arthur E. Reed, a popular name choice for our school, has also achieved bettering a community and indirectly helps this long needed name change. He is honorably recognized with a memorial garden in our school yard. To acknowledge him even more, we can use his name to show that all staff, including himself, and students leave a legacy. Our strength and togetherness will help get its recognition with this name. After all, our motto is "one of us." In regard to Stonewall Middle School, Commonwealth conveys a similar meaning, defining that individuals are united for the common good. Stonewall Middle School is also a highly diverse

050school where many take on the IB program. I remember teachers constantly upholding this name by complimenting kids on their abilities and students beginning to understand the importance of interacting with people of different origins. They encompass the overcoming of the obstacle to get rid of such a derogatory word that is the name of these current schools. We combat the negative remarks together from other parents and students in this county for being quote-unquote, "rundown" together. Also, keep in mind, Commonwealth and Unity are definitions that do not change. In the end, no matter what my stance is, I sincerely ask to consider only the student body, staff and alumni when making part of the decision as this is part of our history. Thank you to those who have given suggestions and shared remarkable stories and people and thank

051you for this opportunity. - [Jason] All right, our next guest is Kenny Griffin. Your mike is muted on your side. Mr. Griffin, you'll need to unmute your mike. There you go. - [Kenny] Oh, good evening ladies and gentlemen. I've heard some different names suggested and, you know, the fact that we're moving in this difficult time, I just want to say that I hope it's not a knee jerk reaction, we consider everything that's considered and actually making more than just a name change, making curriculum change, to teaching all-inclusive history. But me being the last of the surname of Lucinda Griffin's father and a direct descendant, I definitely suggest her for one of the schools. You know, I've heard different arguments for different people, Mr. Reed, while being such a nice guy, as I can gather, he's

052been to the school nine years, so, what does that say to the people that have been from the '60s to now that don't even know him? For a name of the school? Lucinda Griffin was a 14 year old slave girl that actually took lead, I've said this again, I hate to repeat myself, that, you know, was wounded in the first Battle of Bull Run, her story has been wiped away in history and it's been wiped away because we don't teach all-inclusive history in our schools. So, this is a minuscule step to a larger progression, I hope, and I submit my name for Lucinda Griffin to one of the names of the school. Thank you for your time, I give you your 30 seconds back. - [Jason] Great, our next guest is Beverly Williams. Your mike

053is now live. - [Beverly] Good evening Mr. Chairman and members of the school board. My name is Beverly Griffin Williams. Thank you for this opportunity to address you. A comment was made last Thursday by a citizen, I believe her name was Mrs. Compton, who stated comments that were made should be verified. I agreed with the caller and would like to assist you in the research. Number one, the mentioning of the name Lucy Griffith is a slang name given to my two times great grandmother whose true name is Lucinda Griffin. There is a, number two, there is a plaque next to the Henry House at the Manassas National Battlefield Park that states, "Lucy Griffith lived in the house." Number three, the national park has listed in one of its official booklets on page 19 under "Determining

054the Facts" reading number three, "some events connected "with the life of Judith Carter Henry. "On Sunday July the 21st, 1861, Mrs. Judith Henry, "her daughter Ellen and hired colored girl, Lucy Griffith, "were living at Spring Hill Farm with Hugh, "one of Mrs. Henry's sons, "coming and going frequently to look after them." Number four, on page 26 of the booklet, I quote, "after the battle, soldiers viewed the conflict much "as J.W. Reed did, as a terrifying, horrible, experience "in which thousands of men were killed and wounded. "The civilian population of the nation "also was effected by the events at Manassas. "Those who lived near the battlefields, "like the Henry's, had their livelihoods ruined "because the battles were fought on their property." Number five, since slaves were considered property at that time, Lucinda's injuries were not written

055of in the accounts recorded, she was considered ruined property. Thank you very much for considering the renaming of one of the Stonewall Jackson schools to the name of Lucinda Griffin. If I need to do further research, I will be happy to do so. Thank you very much, have a good evening. - [Jason] Our next guest is Jasmine Williams. - [Jasmine] Hello, can you hear me? - [Jason] We can. - [Jasmine] Okay, perfect, thank you. All right, greetings members of the board. My name is Jasmine Williams and my address is on file. I am a descendant of Lucinda Griffin. Lucinda Griffin is not known to many in the area but she should be. She was an enslaved teenager when the first Battle of Manassas occurred in 1861. During that time, she was wounded but she persevered,

056she persevered through times of hardship and uncertainty. Lucinda was never given an advantage in life and she had to deal with life as it came. She persevered, and because of this, her ancestry runs deep in Prince William County. Isn't this an attribute we all want our children to have? Persevere through hard times when school is difficult and you don't understand? Persevere during your freshman year, when the courses are new and you are not sure how to succeed? Continue to persevere all the way through your senior year, to help you get to your next step of life? Persevere even though you live in a world that doesn't want to see you succeed or treats you differently based on the color of your skin? With that being said, naming the school after Lucinda Griffin, I recommend the

057motto being changed to "persevering while ascending." While many names have been suggested last week and tonight, Lucinda is worthy of her recognition. Thank you for your time and heavy consideration of changing the name to Lucinda Griffin High School or Lucinda Griffin Middle School. Thank you so much. - [Jason] All right, our next guest is E.J. Scott. Your mike is now live. - [E.J.] Thank you, my name's E.J. Scott and my information is on record. Because we know so little about those who endured enslavement and what they did once they emerged, I'd like to see one of the schools named after William Lomax, the former enslaved man who built the homes on Liberty Street and whose descendants helped to build this community. William's Lomax has a deep and abiding connection to this area and even though

058he could not read or write, he and his family were major supporters of African American schools in the county system. Lomax served in the Union Colored Infantry during the Civil War. When the war ended, he returned here and purchased 11 acres with his earnings. Then in 1870, he built his home and allowed the first school for African Americans in the entire country, county, to be built on part of his land, the Manassas Village Colored School. It was the only the second public school in all of the county and later became the Brown School. It still sits as a private historic home on Liberty Street today. The other public school was a white school. William Lomax's son, Daniel, and his family worked with Jennie Dean and were also influential in getting the Manassas Industrial School built.

059The Lomax family has been an intricate part of the community. After his grandson returned from serving in World War I, George Lomax was one of the petitioners to the U.S. Armed Service to get the first American Legion Post that accepted blacks in the entire country. The American Legion Post still sits on Centerville Road in Manassas and is a designated historic landmark. William and his family have an incredible history and when William first purchased his first plot of land, he signed with an X. After he got ready to turn it over to his son, he signed his entire name. So, he not only was concerned with educating others, he also continued to educate himself and I believe William Lomax is someone that we should honor with the name of one of the schools, thank you. -

060[Jason] All right, at this time, we will circle back through the list to give the opportunity to people who had technical difficulties, share with the board their thoughts. Start with Alyssa Macaronis. Your mike is unmuted. - [Alyssa] Hello? - [Jason] We can hear you. - [Alyssa] Okay, yay, thank you. Okay, - Of course. - [Alyssa] Thank you to the members of the school board and naming committee for this opportunity to speak. My name is Alyssa Macaronis and my address is on file. I am also a 2015 graduate from Stonewall Jackson High School. I did not know him personally but I believe that the high school should be named after Arthur Reed. I also went to Philip Michael Pennington's School where the students lived by the morals and values of its namesake who had a profound

061impact on the Manassas community. You were not simply there to learn curriculum, but you were also there to grow as an individual. For me and most students, we did not have that same connection with the name Stonewall Jackson. Even if I did not have that connection with Stonewall, what made my experience at SJ great was the people. So, we should name it after a local member of the community. And from what a lot of SJ students have said in these meetings, someone like Arthur Reed embodies the values that students want to have in their school name. During my time at SJ, I was co-president of a club called Peer Diversity that was created by the Anti-Defamation League. During those interactions in the club, Stonewall had its own dynamics internally and we were able to open

062up the conversation by acknowledging the differences and realizing we all do not go through the same thing. In this situation, just because the name does not effect me directly or my ancestors, it does not mean we should turn a blind eye on black SJ students and students of color in the county. My main takeaway from the club was the biggest impacts starts at the local level. So, please continue learning and taking action just like I was able to at SJ. For years, SJ students have had to prove to other students, parents and admin in the county that we could even be seen as competitive as the other schools. We knew families wanted to rezone the lines to not go to Stonewall because of race and class. In my years at Stonewall, I saw my fellow

063students and specifically students of color excel from academics to sports to music on the local, state and national level. Now is the time for the county to prove that we are worthy of finally being heard. The least that should be done is changing the name of the schools. Learning that current students have the same sentiment I had half a decade ago says a lot. Shout out to the current students and faculty from SJHS and MS continuing the fight. And as fellow SJ friend, Kendra Barr, said, "thanks for being one of us "and now hopefully we get to choose one of us." - [Jason] Great, our next guest is Monique Braxton. Your mike is muted on your side Monique Braxton. - [Monique] You hear me okay now? - [Jason] We can. - [Monique] Fabulous, good evening

064board chair and members. Thank you for allowing community testimony as you embark on a challenging task of renaming Stonewall Jackson High and Stonewall Middle schools. Thank you for allowing me to speak a second time about why one of the schools should be renamed after my parents Celestine and Carroll Braxton. Their legacies as a public school, elementary and middle school teacher and U.S. Marine and Department of Defense leader are well-documented. More than 155 collective years in Prince William County, serving their community here and the country in numerous roles. This evening I want to share why they would be an inspiration for students today. Growing up Braxton, my family embodied both of the schools' Raiders and Sabres spirits. One of the four schools my mom served was Stonewall Middle. I was a member of the first freshman

065class to enter the halls of the new Stonewall High and first senior class to study for four years, then graduate. I was senior class president, fashion reporter, on the drill team and the first Miss Stonewall of color. My brother, Bob, was an athletic star, playing football, basketball and running track, who was constantly reminded to keep his grades high. Because of our school involvement, our home was constantly filled with classmates as well as friends from First Baptist Church. When any young person stopped by, they usually had my dad's waffles while hearing stories of growing up in Manassas and what life was like in the Marine Corps. My mom would often ask everyone, first, if your parents knew you were here, what your life plan was and where you wanted to go to college. When we hosted

066parties, they were supervised by adults. If we ask about having beer, we were told "I don't care what other people do at their homes, "it's not happening here." Imagine having a teacher and a marine as parents, and when the parties ended, everyone was encouraged to go to church on Sunday. My parents felt love for children and encouragement, I believe that would be an inspiration for all students today. In renaming Stonewall Middle or Stonewall High after my parents, Celestine and Carroll. Thank you so much and God bless you. - [Jason] All right, we'll circle back to Melissa Ridge now. - [Melissa] Hi, can you hear me? - [Jason] We can. - [Melissa] Awesome, thank you so much. Good evening, my name is Melissa Ridge. Approximately 25 years ago, then Superintendent Dr. Edward Kelly was asked about

067changing the names of the middle school and the high school and at that time Dr. Kelly stated there was no reason to do that because Stonewall Jackson was an honorable man who didn't own any slaves. It took me five minutes at Chinn Library to find the names of six of his slaves. At the time, I had just given birth to my daughter who was a direct descendant of one of Stonewall Jackson's slaves and according to our family history, a direct descendant of Jackson as well. So, at that time, 25 years ago, my family advocated to change the name. Six years ago, my son Langston was in eighth grade and he petitioned to change the name. He and his older sister and younger brother were tired of seeing this man and his legacy honored so casually.

068Over the years, he has spoken out against the name, and against other forms of systemic racism found in our schools, because at its core, it's all part of the same issue. A school system that insists on glorifying confederate general is pushing a deliberate, false, narrative. A school district that refuses, for generations, to change the name is to complicity, mis-educating students and the entire county. It impacts anyone who has seen the name, even casually. I'm going to be advocating that you all change the name to Kendi, to Ibram X. Kendi Senior High School 'cause as a graduate of Prince William County Schools, we have the responsibility of honoring those students who have moved forward and done something with their life. In his work, Dr. Kendi has been honest about his experience. He wasn't always the best

069student. Like my sons, when they were in Prince William County School, he faced the same systemic racism that still permeates the system. I know my time is running down, at this point, in change the name of both the high school and middle school, I'm asking you to consider names that are in direct opposition to Stonewall Jackson. Choose a name that will start conversation, that reverses the false narrative preserved by the system for so long. Choose the name for someone who has had an impact, not only within the walls of the school but also throughout the community. Because the name Stonewall Jackson impacted more than just those inside the school. If not Ibram Kendi, please consider Lucinda Griffin or Celestine Braxton, both of whom also stood in direct defiance of white supremacy. Thank you very much.

070- [Jason] Great, we'll circle back to Bishop Andre Alston now. Your mike is muted on your side. - [Bishop] Do you hear me now? - [Jason] We can hear you. - [Bishop] Oh great, praise God (laughs), okay. My name is Bishop Andre Alston. My address is on file. I have heard, I've been listening to the board's possible nominees for the last two sessions and tonight and there's nothing new that I could say as far as Carroll, Celestine and Carroll Braxton except that, if you look at a person, and you look at the holistic involvement of the person, you would have to then take into account not only their education, not only their community, not only their faith and religious values. Both these individuals have taken that, they were trailblazers and being trailblazers, that means you

071have to step out of your comfort zone and so, I ask that consideration will be given because not only was she's 33 years in the Prince George County School System, she was also accepted in the county school system in 1950 which puts her at 64 years, okay? In the county system of education. She did not stop at well for a bachelor's, she went on and got her masters. Carroll Braxton did not stop at the first negative comment, a comment made to him, well he was a trailblazer, so, open up the Marine Corps. I believe that we're at a time now that we need to have role models, people in which we can look at, people which we can emulate, people which we can try to even follow some steps and I think you would make

072a good decision if you selected Celestine or Carroll Braxton for either your middle school or your high school. Thank you for taking time to hear me. - [Jason] All right and the last person we'll circle back with is Rockefeller Tymand. Rockefeller Twyman? I'm seeing he doesn't have the equipment to be able to speak, so, Chairman Lateef, that's everybody who had signed up to comment and is present. - Okay, thank you gentlemen, Mr. Townsend and Mr. Stevens for organizing another set of citizen comment time. That brings our citizen comment numbers from the two committee meetings and tonight to over 150 comments taken by citizen comments in our meetings. We can add that to the enormous amount of interest in emails that the school board has gotten, numbers of petitions, activity on social media, press related articles,

073this clearly is something that everybody is very interested in and we have engaged the public, I think, better than we have in, or not better than we have, but, they have been engaged with us in ways that we haven't seen on any topic other than obviously the reopening that's coming up now, that's been very engaging as well. So, I would like to, when I put the agenda together, 6.03 which is the approval of the board poll should have really been 6.01 and I would like to move this item, because I think it's important to go ahead and validate the poll that got us to this point. If we can, a motion is in order, Miss Williams? - [Loree] Thank you Mr. Chairman, I move that, can you hear me okay? - Yes ma'am, go ahead,

074sorry. - [Loree] All right, I move that the Prince William County School Board approve the poll of June 18th, 2020, specifically approving the initiation of the school renaming reprocess for Stonewall Middle School and Stonewall Jackson High School through a meeting of the school naming committee on June 22nd, 2020, and a special school board meeting on June 29th, 2020. - Yep, that's great, I think we should, that's fine, yeah. That's actually good. Do I have a second? Miss Raulston seconds. Thank you Miss Raulston. Any discussion? As seeing there's no discussion, we'll go ahead and take the roll call. I'll do that again in alphabetical order. Miss Jackson, how do you vote on the board poll? - Yes. - Miss Jackson votes yes. Miss Jessie, how do you vote on the board poll? - [Lillie] I think

075I abstained the last time. That's it. - How do you vote, Miss Jessie? I couldn't hear you, I'm sorry. - [Lillie] Originally when the poll came out, for reasons that if you want to discuss, we can. - Well, the floor was open for discussion but did, I didn't hear your vote. What was your vote? - [Lillie] Abstention. - Abstention, okay, sorry about that, I misheard you. Miss Jessie abstains. Lateef, I vote yes. Miss Raulston, I read your lips, it looked like "yes" to me. - Yes. - Yes, Miss Raulston votes yes. Great, thank you. Mr. Wilk? - [Justin] Yes. - Mr. Wilk votes yes, Miss Wall? - Yes. - Miss Wall votes yes, Miss Williams? - Yes. - Miss Williams votes yes, Miss Zargarpur? - Yes. - Great, okay, at this time, I had conferred

076with the committee. We will be taking a break 'til approximately- - [Lillie] Can I, I'm sorry, Jessie. - Yes Miss Jessie? - [Lillie] Had discussion? - We already had called for the discussion, no one had answered. - [Lillie] I'm sorry, I missed that. - M'kay. - [Lillie] Can I please explain my vote? At least, right now, if you could. If it's possible. - We did, we put your vote as abstention, is that correct? - [Lillie] Yes, and I abstained because this did not come before the board initially and we don't have a sense of costs for this project. But I support the renaming, thank you. - Okay, so at this point, I've conferred with the committee has asked, because of the citizen comment time, we will take a 20 minute recess and return at seven,

077Jason Stevens, please put up for 7:35, the school board will return to vote on the motions listed on the agenda for the renaming and we will take a recess for 20 minutes. 7:35 we will return, thank you. Okay, we are returning from the recess. We will now move to board matter 6.01, the renaming of Stonewall Middle School. This is on for action, Miss Jen Wall, do you have a motion? - Thank you Mr. Chairman, I do. I move that the Prince William County School Board rename Stonewall Middle School, Unity Braxton Middle School and name Unity Braxton Middle School Auditorium in honor of John G. Miller and adopt the proposed formal resolutions for each. All right (coughs). Shall I read the resolutions? - Yes ma'am. - Okay, whereas, this is the renaming of the Stonewall Middle

078School. Whereas the Prince William County School Board has listened to the voices of the citizens of Prince William County, and whereas the citizens of Prince William County have expressed their overwhelming support for the renaming of Stonewall Middle School, and whereas we must learn from our history and remember the past, but in ways that support equality and respect for all people, and whereas we must, sorry, whereas the naming of schools is an important expression of community values, and whereas a school's name should bring diverse communities together and unite them under a common vision and ideal, and whereas a school's name should inspire, uplift and motivate the school community to work toward a shared commitment to personal and academic achievement, and whereas Celestine S. Braxton served as an educator in Prince William County Schools for 33 years,

079and whereas Celestine S. Braxton taught at Antioch-Macrae Elementary School in Haymarket, during a period when Virginia schools were racially segregated, and whereas Celestine S. Braxton retired in 1983, after teaching at Marsteller Middle School and Stonewall Middle School, and whereas Celestine S. Braxton was a civil rights activist who persistently engaged in efforts to open the doors of all establishments in Prince William County to African Americans, and whereas Carroll Braxton was a Master Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and Congressional Gold Medal recipient, and whereas Carroll Braxton was one of 20,000 African American marines from 1942 to 1949 who received basic training at a segregated facility, Camp Montford Point in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and whereas Carroll Braxton served honorably in World War II and the Korean War, serving as a combat instructor and retiring in

0801980, and whereas Celestine S. and Carroll Braxton, two trailblazers advocating for equal rights their entire lives, served as an excellent role models in our community (coughs), now therefore be it resolved that this 29th day of June, 2020, that the Prince William County School Board rename the Stonewall Middle School, Unity Braxton Middle School. I have an additional resolution regarding the naming of the auditorium. Shall I go for that at this time? - Yes ma'am. - Thank you. So, this is the resolution naming the auditorium at Unity Braxton Middle School, formerly Stonewall Middle School, in honor of John G. Miller. (coughs) Whereas Prince William County Public Schools wishes, when naming the Unity Braxton Middle School, to also recognize the specific service contributions of Principal John G. Miller, and whereas Principal John Miller has served as the principal

081of Stonewall Middle School for the last 18 years and is one of the longest tenured principals in Prince William County, and whereas Mr. Miller has provided an outstanding example of selfless dedication and service to the Stonewall Middle School community over the last nearly 20 years (coughs), and whereas Mr. Miller was the fifth principal in five years at Stonewall Middle School, and thus by his commitment to the school, has provided a sense of stability and continuity over the years, and whereas Stonewall Middle School was authorized to become an IB World School in 2003 and was reauthorized four times, and whereas Principal John Miller encouraged his students to strive for educational excellence and under his leadership reached accreditation and achieved a national designation as a school to watch in 2011 through '14, and again in 2014 through

0822017, and whereas Mr. Miller began programs like the eight step process in the community liaison position which had been adopted by other schools in Prince William County, and whereas Mr. Miller welcomes students to school each morning by saying, "welcome to Stonewall Middle School, "the best IB school, middle school, in Prince William County "because we have the best teachers, the best staff, "the best parents and you, the best students," and whereas Principal Miller dedicated his career in education to empowering students and this statement reminded them of that empowerment every morning, and whereas the auditorium was Mr. Miller's favorite place in the school because this was the center of empowering students by celebrating their successes in many ways, including quarterly and yearly awards and musical concerts, and whereas Mr. Miller was so dedicated to this end that

083he would sign by hand every certificate awarded to a student, showing the students not only that he cared enough to take the time for them individually but also that he saw the accomplishments of all of his students, and whereas Principal Miller would welcome speakers and guests to the auditorium, such as members from the Navy Band, world-renowned artists and authors, or his own teachers, who showed students what they could be and could accomplish after they left middle school and the auditorium was one of his greatest tools in this achievement. I'll therefore be it resolved this 29th day of June, 2020, that Prince William County School Board name the auditorium at the formerly known Stonewall Middle School, now known as the Unity Braxton Middle School, in honor of John G. Miller. (paper shuffling) - Do I have

084a second for that motion? - I second. - Miss Jackson seconds the motion. We will now open the floor for discussion. We will start with the committee members from the renaming committee first and then we'll go around after that. So, we'll start with Miss Wall. - Okay, thank you Mr. Chairman. I just want to say, I want to first thank all my colleagues on the school board for their invaluable contributions, collaborations, ideas. I want to thank Mr. Beavers and the planning staff, they were tremendous. And I want to thank the naming committee in particular for their hard work. We spent a lot of time researching and listening and answering emails, discussing and evaluating. So, regardless of, whatever we chose, I know there was so much work put into it. I just, thank you all for

085that. I want to thank members of the community who came and spoke so eloquently to us through our online community input sessions and who have put up with this online environment that we're in and who have emailed us and called us, reached out to us in social media and other venues. It was really tremendous to hear from everybody (coughs). I want to particularly acknowledge students who reached out. I know, normally when we name a school, we don't have a student body already in place. You already have a school, a culture, an identity, you have the ways of doing things, the way of thinking about yourself and so, I know it's particularly difficult sometimes to go through this process but you have been really wonderful and thank you. (coughs) We've received nearly 800 comments, I believe

086it was close to 800 and obviously, an incredible number of unique names were put forward ranging from the most humble, somebody like Lucinda Griffin, to the most distinguished, the former Governor of Virginia, Governor Wilder. We had a lot of geographic names that were mentioned, historical names and names that embody our highest American ideals like liberty, justice, innovation. We were impressed by all of the options and as you all know, this is a really difficult decision because there were so many really great choices but let me speak to the name of unity for just a minute. Unity represents the desire we have for our students at this time. Unity is a state of being united or joined as a whole, it means together, it means at one with others. It is the opposite of divided. It

087is oneness. Unity reminds the students to uplift, inspire and support one another in their commitment to their common goal of academic excellence, and currently, Stonewall Middle has 35 different countries of origin represented by its student body. They are very diverse and yet, they are one, and unity represents what that school is and how they feel about themselves and what it is striving to be. It captures the way they look at themselves and their vision and their motto of being the best. So, this unity is possible because of the efforts of remarkable and brave people like Celestine and Carroll Braxton. They made it their life's mission to serve and lift others as teachers and as defenders of those who needed defending. Their efforts made the world a better place for those who followed. Carroll and his

088service to his country as a marine, and in time of war, and Celestine to our children. So, in that sense, they were pioneers for equal rights and all of our students in PWCS directly benefited from their efforts and that's one of the things that I love about them. Celestine in particular worked within the walls of the Stonewall Middle School building. It is particularly appropriate that this school bear her name. She blazed the trail for her own child and others, children, her own children and others, to be welcome in our public schools, regardless of race. She is rightfully a hero for her efforts and for her dedication to educating all students. It is my honor to support the name Unity Braxton Middle School and Dr. Lateef should I? I have comments about the auditorium in particular,

089shall I do that now? - Sure, go ahead and then we'll go - Okay. - Around for everybody. - Okay, so, it is equally my honor to propose the name of the, naming the auditorium after John G. Miller. As stated in the resolution, he has dedicated the last 20 years to this school, as an AP and then as the principal for 18 years and that's a remarkably long time and he embodies so much of what is good at this school, tenacity, dedication, service, a true love for the students. He's been a tremendous force for the good of the lives of an entire generation. I mean, we're talking 20 years, we're talking a generation. He's an integral part of that community and his presence will be felt for a very long time. The community loves him

090and it's with greatest pleasure that I wish him a most happy and pleasant and well-deserved retirement, yeah, there we go, thank you. - Okay Miss Wall, thank you very much, Miss Jackson? - Great, thank you Chairman Lateef. I also want to thank the countless individuals who emailed, spoke and took time out of their day to meet with us. It was an incredibly difficult process, with many great suggestions, and in the end, renaming of Stonewall Middle School echoes the community's desire for a role model and a theme that embodies the school's community. The theme unity encompasses the staff's desire to speak to heritage and success of the school. It also connects to their stellar IB program. Celestine Braxton was an educator of 33 years, many at the middle school level. She taught at Stonewall and her

091children attended Stonewall High School. Mrs. Braxton played a crucial role in integrating the teaching staff in Prince William County. Her advocacy and commitment to civil rights led her to open many doors for Prince William County students today. Her husband, a Congressional Gold Medal recipient, defended our country in World War II and then returned to a segregated society. He continued to serve our country for many years. Both Braxtons are remarkable Prince William County citizens who are strong role models for the countless youth who will walk through the halls of Stonewall Middle School. Lastly, I greatly support the naming of the auditorium after Mr. Miller. He is loved by his school and he loved his school. He set high expectations for every student. He is an institution in that community and I thank him for his years

092of service, thank you. - Thank you, Adele. I think I'll just say a few words here, 'cause I was on the committee. I want to thank both of you, Mr. Beavers office, the faculty and staff that we met, that you all met with at the school, the emails and the amount of work that went into this. On the names, I think there's not much more to add than what you two have add, oh, I think there's a lot more to add and I don't think we have actually have enough time to add. We've heard from many folks about the accolades of the tremendous work the Braxton family has done for our country and for our community and I think it is, you know, from the naming committee's sort of guidelines, they really fit the criteria

093for folks who have committed to our community and our schools. And so, I think that's great, unity, you know, I think it's terrific, it's exactly what our community needs, it's what our board, I believe, hopes to achieve as we continue with the tremendous educational challenges we face, both first with the pandemic and just in general. You know, I don't want it to be lost on anyone that renaming is all this board is gonna do. We, as a board, have committed to improving student performance everywhere, at all levels, and for all students. That is a commitment that, you know, as many citizen comments said, "Dr. Lateef, Chairman Lateef, "don't just rename the school. "You have to do something substantive" and this board, I can tell you, works diligently daily on those issues, and I think unity

094is what really represents the way our country needs to go forward. America is at its best when we are unified and I believe that the Braxtons built and performed their lives with unity in mind, clearly at all times. And so, I think this is great and I'll just add that on the auditorium, I think that's an excellent consideration and a well-loved principal from the faculty who I think have dedicated a lot of time and effort over there. So, next I'll go to, we'll include Lisa 'cause I know some of her students may go to that school. So, Lisa Zargarpur next. - Thank you Dr. Lateef. I want to thank Mr. Beavers and planning office too, planning staff, for helping organize all of this and then the colleagues on the board who have been really helpful

095bouncing ideas off of each other, all of the people who came to speak, this was really, really hard, 'cause we weren't naming, like Miss Wall said, we weren't naming a new school, we were naming a school with an existing community. It has a student body, it has a quality to it already, and I'm really fortunate that on this board we have several people who really listen to student voice and community voice which were really important to all of us. The name unity, as it has already been said, is a really important feature right now, we need this in our society more than any other time, well, maybe not any other time, but right now we're definitely feeling, we need unity. And it's a great idea when an IB program that is educationally this, just, it's

096a really great program and just to combine it with the idea of unity was a fabulous idea and then the Braxtons of course, just hearing all the testimonials from family, from people who've known them for a while, reading all of the articles and the things that have been sent. Clearly, they are people to be honored, and possibly not just in a school. I mean, Carroll Braxton did many other things that (laughs), I'm kind of stuck here, it's just, I'm overwhelmed with the kinds of names and people that we've brought forward. So, I echo all the comments previously spoken and I will yield the rest of this time. - Since you're on the screen, Miss Williams, would you like to go next? - Sure, thank you, Dr. Chairman Lateef. I am going to support this naming.

097As we all know, I'm mostly a fan of naming schools after location. So, I have to say that 'cause that's what I'm used to saying but I think in this case, we, the naming committee did an excellent job. I am a little bit more familiar maybe than some of my board members, except maybe Miss Jessie, of some of the Miss Braxton's history. She was, I believe, included in a play a few years ago by Miss Denise McPhail on the four teachers who integrated Prince William County and I really appreciate the fact that the naming committee took time and listened to not only the students but the faculty and recognized that there's an existing culture and I think it's just time. Stonewall Middle and Stonewall High School have sort of lived in this limbo of knowing

098that eventually we would get to this point but not knowing when and I think this really brings some closure to that school community and they can really be, as we are naming them, unified, and moving forward together. I think adding the auditorium, naming after the principal is a nice touch. It's a, that's a very appropriate sendoff to someone who really had an impact in the school. I know that it is an IB school and we have a few of those in Prince William County for our middle schools and IB is a wonderful program and it is a global, you know, sort of a global perspective type of a program and I think that the name really reflects our diversity in our student body and in our community. So, I really appreciate that. I know it

099was not an easy decision to make, nor one that was made lightly. There was plenty of conversation back and forth, I'm sure, between the naming committee, you know, calls to other board members, meeting with the community, answering emails. I don't think the decision was made lightly and I'm very appreciative of the time and effort and consideration that was made on behalf of the naming, excuse me, committee. So, I'm gonna support this, thank you. - Thank you Miss Williams. I'm gonna go to Mr. Wilk and then Mr. Stevens, if you could rotate Miss Raulston and Miss Jessie onto the screen and us off as you wish. I'll start with Mr. Wilk. - Yeah, I mean, a lot of what Miss Williams said I echo. I've stated consistently since a lot of the dramatic name changes, one

100that I was in the center of, but I definitely support geographic locations and kind of words like unity or any of these things that we're hearing. But I've always remained consistent that I would support the decision that the members of the particular school with overlapping attendance areas wanted. So, like Miss Williams, I will support the naming of this building. I believe, you know, this will be a great addition to our county. I think there's a lot of great ways, giving our principals the ability to kind of work on this with their students. I think maybe a new mascot for the existing building and change up a few things, but try to really bring a unified commitment to this building. Everything a lot of people have already highlighted, a lot of the contributions of the Braxtons.

101I echo those and I think that's very important, very symbolic to select them. I do want to thank all three of my colleagues who were, well, Miss Wall, Miss Jackson, I guess Lisa had a, Miss Zargarpur had a couple kids in the zone. But especially Miss Wall, in the sense, you know, she and I, we spoke a couple times about this, and the way she listened to her community with this building particularly and the thought and the amount time. You know, she really led on this and I think it's just amazing and a true testament to our board's ability to work amongst one another, collectively, for the same goals in mind, student achievement, equity and really promoting a unified as this building's gonna say in our county. So, thank you. - Thank you Mr. Wilk,

102Mr. Stevens I'll go to Miss Raulston and then if we can get Miss Jessie up and then Dr. Walts. Miss Raulston? - Can you hear me? - Yes. - You can hear, okay, I like the smile on your faces. It says that you have done some great things today. Okay, so, representation. Thank you to all of the citizens for your comments. The name of a school is very important. We want all students to feel represented. And you guys have put it together for it to work that way. Thank you. (paper shuffling) - Thank you Miss Raulston. Miss Jessie? - [Lillie] Is my mike? (coughs) Hi, I want to make a correction. Mrs. Braxton was not a part of what we call the courageous four. She was not in the first wave, she was in the

103second wave. The first wave consisted of Fannie Fitzgerald and there were three other ladies. I think Mrs. McPhail talks about the "Courageous Four" that was done at the high school and the play that was put out at Colgan. In terms of the naming, I love the name of Unity. I'm wondering if the committee, was there strong feelings that the Braxtons name, did you consider Braxton Unity? I'm just afraid that the Braxtons name will be lost and the school will be called unity by itself. I'm just wondering if you thought about the Braxton, was there any opposition to, usually the name of a school has the person's name in front? Like they were talking about Reed Unity? Have you considered, did you consider, or is there any opposition to the Braxtons name being first and unity

104following? - So, let me just answer that real quick. If we did that, it would be B-U-M-S and that would be BUMS. And I'm not sure that would be really good and I think, - [Lillie] Could UM, - B-U-M-S, Braxton Unity Middle School would be BUMS. So, I think some thought had been given to the order of that, Miss Jessie, I think it's a great idea but we, I think the committee decided, you know, going back and forth a number of times on this that we really felt that Unity Braxton really represented what, I think, the feeling of the general, wider community was on this. And that's from my standpoint personally. But, I'll let Jen and Adele address that as well. - [Lillie] I'm not sure Dr. Lateef that if, even if you had Braxton

105that people would call it BUMS but that's just not here or there. But, anyway, I'm sorry go ahead, Miss Jackson and Miss Walls. - Thank you Miss Jessie for your input. As Dr. Lateef mentioned, we spent many days deliberating and listening to people and considering the name order. The focus group that we met with were really interested in a theme and the Braxtons were also really important. So, it was, in the end, it seemed the best way to encompass how the community felt. Miss Wall? - I agree with that. - Could I ask you, you met with a focus group, there was another group? - We had some chats with some folks from the actual school in a very small, informal, like working group setting. Just asking them what they thought of different ideas, but

106I think Dr. Lateef is correct. When you go to a music concert, I go to these all the time for my kids. They always put the acronyms of the schools in parentheses and it would be B-U-M-S and it wouldn't take middle schoolers long to figure out that and have that become, you know, a problem. So, definitely unity needed to come first in that I think the community will call it Unity Braxton, they may even end up calling it Braxton because both schools have unity in front, to distinguish the other two. I don't really know which way it will go with the community, but I have no doubt that Braxton will become a very prominent part of that name because it is distinguishing. - I appreciate, - Yeah. - [Lillie] I really appreciate that. I want

107to ask a question that perhaps is not the proper time to ask. Will we, Dr. Walts is on the screen, will we, at some point, talk to the community about the costs and how this whole transition's going to take place? Is this the proper forum or? How we gonna, because you know, you were the first one to come out with that and the board, normally when you name a school, you have the budget in front. How is that going to work? Do we have any idea of how that's gonna work? And how will we share that information with the community? - Dr. Walts, if you wanted to address that? I know the finance, the facilities office did send some cost estimates around. From my standpoint, you know, I will tell you that, and then I'll

108let Dr. Walts answer. And I've made this clear to the board members throughout the committee meetings and everything like that. Cost is, I think oftentimes, in my opinion, this is not to discount your real concerns, 'cause there are real concerns out there and we do have to spend the money on this and we will find the money, as I've stated before, to do this. But cost is, in my opinion, long time, too often used to continue what I believe is institutional racism. And in this matter, I believe the board looks at the naming as far more important than, the renaming, and the cost and this is something that is way long overdue, that is not to discount how much it's gonna cost. I think the board members will tell you that they've each addressed this

109with the principals and I think Dr. Walts may validate this or not, but we're gonna ask the principals and the school division to find the most efficient and cost effective way to get this done and they believe they can and those folks that I have talked to. Dr. Walts? - [Lillie] His mike is not, well, I think his mike, - I think it's working now, is it? - Yes. - Okay, great, thank you Chairman Lateef. It's not on tonight's agenda but let me just say in an overview that we will work very closely with the principals whom I have every confidence in. We will work with the school community and the students and staff at each of those schools and we will make sure that those two schools under the new names will have parity

110with other middle and high schools and so, you know, without being overly extravagant, we will make sure that we have the changes whether it be to uniforms or insignia, signs, or whatever it takes. We will, we'll do those things necessary to make those schools uplifting and on parity with all the other middle and high schools. - Well, I want it to be on parity but at the same time, the budget situation is what, is something, I don't think it's institutional racism if you say we're advanced on budget considerations. I think that, as a board member, I did not get a lot of information on that. So, I would like to have more information and I would, I'm thinking, I'm wondering if we've considered phasing, I'm sure probably knowing Mr. Beavers and Mr. Al Ciarochi and

111all these people, they're thinking about how we phase it in but I think the public has to know the cost and how we're gonna come up with the money. That's just my deal with it and I want to congratulate the committee, 'cause I know how difficult it was to come up with this name. I appreciate the fact that, you know, Mrs. Braxton did work at the middle school level and I also appreciate the fact that you realized that her husband, being a marine, I will share with you that my husband was the only African American in his basic class, where he had the for do. When we came to this area, we could put every black officer in Dr. Lateef's office and have a party. That's how far we've come. So, I want to congratulate

112the Braxtons and I want to congratulate the committee and also I want to congratulate the students and all the people who took the time to put the names forth. So, congratulation to Monique Braxton, your father and your mother's name are gonna be on a building, thank you. - Miss Jessie, I don't know if I should take that as an insult as the size of my office is very small or, - [Lillie] It looks pretty big to me. - I know, I'm just joking, I'm just joking. I know Miss Williams had one comment just on cost and then we will, I'll have Dr. Walts then address the name, if he would like to, just the choice. Miss Williams? - Thank you Mr. Chairman. I just want to first say thank you to Miss Jessie, I did

113get, I'm getting a little excited here in our celebrations of teachers. So, I wanted to thank you for the correction on the "Courageous Four." I've been reading about, re-reading about that and actually found my playbill from attending the play. So, got a little carried away there in my African American history with Prince William County but I do want to say that I think that the public should also know that there's a little bit of, I know it's not gonna be a great deal of savings, but doing, considering the school division is renaming three schools, or naming three schools at the same time, you know, with my procurement background, I had little bells and whistles going off thinking there's an advantage and some purchasing power there. So, I hope that we take advantage of that as

114a division. It's not, of course, not up to the board 'cause there are strict procurement procedures and I know that we have an award-winning procurement department but I just kinda want to throw that out there as opposed to under some other previous times where we're just buying one of everything at one time. So, that there's some little bit of savings to be had while we're doing this all now at the same time, so, thank you. - [Lillie] Thank you. Good. - Dr. Walts? - Yes, thank you Chairman Lateef. First and foremost, congratulations to the school board and thank you for accepting my recommendation a few weeks ago to rename these two schools and to do it on such a quick timeline. I think one thing people are looking for right now is action and certainly,

115that's what this school board has determined to do and so, again, congratulations and to the naming committee itself, I know you put in tremendous amounts of hours and again, thank you to the planning office, Mr. Ciarochi and his great team, everyone involved, but first and foremost, you know, I've said this every so often, a superintendent can have ideas but many of those ideas require the support of the school board and this is one of them. To name a school is in the sole authority of the school board and I think this board has shown that it is willing to take courageous actions. So, Unity Braxton Middle School has a great sound to it, I think it's inspirational and uplifting and I look forward to working with the new principal as we phase in the change

116of the name and also to congratulate Mr. Miller who has been the principal there my entire 15 year tenure and we've worked on many exciting things, probably the most is expanding the International Baccalaureate middle school program there and as a school superintendent, I have to personally set on the review team every so many years, a number of individuals from International Baccalaureate come, they do site visits, those are over several days and they are in observing classrooms, speaking with teachers, looking at how the program is being implemented and this middle and high school are, literally, a well-kept secret in many, many ways. They flourish in academics, they flourish in the arts. I just remember one thing in particular that just was amazing to me and that's, when we talk about the high school, since we're transitioning,

117and that's the Origins Project, and again, they're an International Baccalaureate school as well. So, I think Mr. Miller has done a great job there, he's a loving, caring person and he has lots of siblings who, and a wife, who also work and are completely dedicated to this school division and they're several schools across our division. So, I think it's an honor for him as well to have the auditorium. So, again, to the school board, thank you so much, job well done and to everyone who was involved, thank you for your participation. Thank you in particular, I love the fact that the students are so involved as well. So, again, congratulations. - [Babur] Thank you Dr. Walts, so, Jen, Miss Wall, do you have any further comments on this motion? If, and then we'll take the

118vote as you wrap up. - I would just say, I look forward to getting into the action phase of this, know made the decision, but moving forward, I hope that we do it thoughtfully, carefully, cost effectively, but not on the cheap. I think, I am concerned about costs, I think that we can work together with the division and the principals and get this going in a really good manner. I think the time is right. I think the will is there and, yeah, if we can do this, I know it's a tough thing from the money situation, but, even if we can, I guess my final thoughts would be, if we can involve, find a way to involve the community in this, whether it's through our Spark Foundation, or through GoFundMe's, or anything else, I think

119there's a very untapped potential, a very large untapped potential in our larger Prince William County community to support this change, if we play it right, if we work and use our resources because a lot of people are really, they're hearts are in it. So, it would be nice to find a way to involve the community in bringing about these changes. That's just, those are just my final thoughts. - Miss Wall, I thank you and I think, at this point, I would like to call the vote and I will do that vote starting with the committee members first and then I will go, I'll try to find some order to do it alphabetically. This is the motion to rename Stonewall Middle School to Unity Braxton Middle School and to also rename the auditorium after Mr. Miller.

120Miss Jennifer Wall of the Gainesville District, how do you vote? - I vote yes. - Miss Wall votes yes, Miss Adele Jackson of the Brentsville District, how do you vote? - Yes. - Miss Jackson votes yes, Miss Lisa Zargarpur of the Coles District, how do you vote? - I vote yes. - Okay, and then since I'm on the committee, Dr. Lateef, I vote yes. Miss Zargarpur votes yes, Dr. Lateef votes yes, now we will go to Miss Lillie Jessie of the Occoquan District, how do you vote Miss Jessie? - [Lillie] I vote yes. - Miss Jessie votes yes, Miss Diane Raulston of the Neabsco District? - [Diane] Yes. - Miss Raulston votes yes, Mr. Wilk of the Potomac District? - [Justin] Yes. - Mr. Wilk votes yes. Miss Williams of the Woodbridge District? Vice Chair

121Williams? - I vote yes. - The hammer, okay good, Miss Williams, excellent. We are unanimously in full support of Miss Jennifer Wall's motion and I would just, on finishing up that, echo Mr. Wilk's comments that, and everyone else's, Miss Wall, you have led on this issue, you have listened to I think grassroots, focus groups, community members, students, I know from being on this committee that Miss Wall has been up a lot of nights and spent a lot of time on this and as well as Miss Jackson and Miss Zargarpur and I can't thank you both, I know this was tough. We have a lot of tough more things to do and the next tough thing we're gonna do is rename our high school. So, a motion is in order for 6.01 from Miss Adele Jackson.

122- Okay, thank you Chairman Lateef. I move that Prince William County School Board rename Stonewall Jackson High School, Unity Reed High School and adopt the proposed formal resolution. (page shuffles) Whereas the Prince William County School Board has listened to the voices of the citizens of Prince William County, and whereas the citizens of Prince William County have expressed their overwhelming support for the renaming of Stonewall Jackson High, and whereas we must learn from our history and remember the past, but in ways that support equality and respect for all people, and whereas the naming of schools is an important expression of community values, and whereas a school's name should bring diverse communities together and unite them under a common vision and ideal, and whereas a school's name should inspire, uplift and motivate the school community to work

123toward a shared commitment to personal and academic achievement, and whereas Arthur Reed, long-time security assistant at Stonewall Jackson High School was beloved by students and staff, and whereas Arthur Reed saw the best in everyone and worked with the students to better themselves, no matter what challenges they faced, and whereas Arthur Reed was a favorite amongst Stonewall Jackson community for the renaming of the school, and whereas the school board seeks to recognize the voices and opinions of current and former students of the high school, and whereas the name Arthur Reed reflects a lifelong legacy and dedication to education in Prince William County, representing leadership, respect, pride, strength and perseverance. Now, therefore be it resolved, on the 29th day of June, 2020, that the Prince William County School Board rename the Stonewall Jackson High School, Unity Reed

124High School. - Thank you Miss Jackson. Do I have a second for that motion? - I second the motion. - Miss Jennifer Wall seconds the motion. We will open the floor for discussion. Again, we'll do it in the same manner, we'll start with the committee members. Miss Adele Jackson of the Brentsville District, please. - Thank you. I first want to thank the planning committee, Mr. Beavers, Prince William County staff for their help during this process. I also want to thank hundreds of people who wrote emails and spoke, thank you to those who also spoke with me via Zoom or the phone. I am so thankful for the huge level of community input. This process was difficult because of the numerous wonderful and deserving names but it also reinforced that changing a name must be backed

125by actions and I look forward to working with the board, Prince William County Schools and the county in the coming months. I'd also like to revisit ways to honor Lucinda Griffin and other heroes that we learned about. I listened to the entire county and it was the end, in the end, it was the voices of the staff, students and community members of this school that drove this decision. For this community, it is not just a name, it is a step in the direction that tells Stonewall Jackson High School that we are listening. The Stonewall community has historically felt unheard, yet unites together and celebrates their differences. It is their voices that govern this choice, it is their voices that said, "Stonewall has always been about unity, "that he was an angel of a man, if

126it wasn't for Mr. Reed, "I wouldn't be here today. "He taught me things I couldn't learn in the classroom. "Most of us wanted adults' advice "instead of our friends advice. "So, it meant a lot to us because sometimes "in our homes we didn't have adults to ask. "That he was a symbol of a good officer, "that he saw Stonewall students for who they were, "saw people as people, not just a color or a stereotype. "That Stonewall students were more than that. "That he loved the school and was a catalyst for change." For all these reasons, he was seen a godfather, who took pride in the school and embodied the name unity. When speaking to his wife, she detailed the obstacles of racism he experienced and how he wanted to change things from within. As his

127daughter said, "he spent his entire life trying to save his community." Isn't that all something we should strive for? Unity Reed is not only a symbol of unity but a step in a direction of righting a wrong. I support the school in determining the colors and mascots amongst themselves, yet encourage staff to reach out to Mr. Wallingford, Mr. Mulgrave and myself during this transition, regarding financial matters. Thank you to the staff, students, Mrs. Reed and Mr. Reed's daughter for teaching me about this wonderful man who was an optimistic activist who loved his school and his students. - Thank you Miss Jackson, Miss Wall? - Thank you, I, my same comments apply about thanking everybody (laughs) for your hard work and including our division staff who helped the planning committee, members of the committee, members of

128the school board, members of the community. I think it's really great when we have an engaged community because it is democracy at work, people expressing their opinions and tonight we heard a lot of wonderful opinions from, about a lot of great ideas, there were just a lot of great ideas, great people, great members of history, people known and unknown. I just want to echo my comments before that there are just so many great people that could be on the name of this school but ultimately, the students who had an outpouring of respect and love for this African American individual who came practically at the end of his career, after his retirement from his regular career, and then spent everyday greeting these students. I just think that's a beautiful example of what we're trying to accomplish

129in our schools. And the name unity, again, the hope is that the students will be unified and from what I hear, they are, at Stonewall. Together, they help each other, they're underdogs together. They reach their highest goals together. If they're gonna be a great school, they're gonna do it together and I think it will remind them of that, I think the name will remind them. And then, having Reed on the name of the school as well, a man who is the embodiment of Stonewall in how, as I've gathered from talking to students, he was an underdog, he was a little known man outside of his small community but he had a huge impact within his community and that I think is kinda like Stonewall High School. So, I think he's symbolic of the experience a

130lot of kids have experienced. They adored him, they loved him. He was there talking to them with a smile on his face. When he passed, the community truly mourned. They were very, very sad for his loss. I just think when somebody is quietly doing their, going about their business and not giving up on kids, that's just the perfect example for a school like this and I really do hope that his memory will live on in the memories of the students, that he won't be forgotten. When this last group of, couple of groups of students go through, that he'll still be remembered and in that way that's a really worthy honor and I just want to point out, for everybody who came and talked to us for the three community input meetings and even your emails,

131you do your ancestors honor, you do your loved ones honor when you raise them to such a high level that you would believe them worthy of putting their name on a school. So, I just want to commend everybody for that, it's very selfless and it's very honorable. So, thank you. - Miss Zargarpur? - Thank you Dr. Lateef. Again, thank you to Mr. Beavers and the planning staff for making sure we had the meetings organized, my colleagues on the board, working very hard to make sure that we heard the community. Again, it's the same thing from the middle school feelings that I have, but my impression was after I met with some of the staff and students, was that when they talked about the name unity, which it came up frequently, they are the embodiment of

132unity and when they talked about Mr. Reed, and I mean, I miss him and I didn't even know him, that's how much they loved him and I have a feeling, with Mr. Reed, his memory and his character are gonna live on in the students of this school and I think it's just a really great, I know we, I know there was some talk about not combining names but it, both those things are Stone, we're not gonna call it that anymore, are we? Both of those things are the school community. I really believe, especially after all of the things that have gone on, we've had COVID, which was enough of an upheaval in our society and then we had Black Lives Matter and one of the biggest messages was that people went to the streets and

133the message is, "I see you and I hear you." And I think us centering the work on student voice and the community voice is exactly what we should have been doing in this case. So, I am proud of the work that everybody's done and again, I echo everything that Miss Wall and Miss Jackson have said and this is probably the only place you'll hear Jackson and Wall in the same place, right? Ever again, but this is the time to have a new beginning and I have the faith that these school communities are going to just do amazing things. So, thank you for everyone for all of your hard work and we as the board are very much committed to making sure that our students are getting what they need. Please don't think these name changes

134are just check a box and done, we're working, we're working, we'll get through this COVID stuff first and center our work on the needs of our students and we'll grow and move on together, thank you. - Thank you Miss Zargarpur. I'll wrap up the committee's sort of comments and then we'll move on to the rest of the board. This is too long overdue. This change should have happened long ago or should never have happened at all, the naming in my opinion. (door closing) This is a result of a grassroots effort of community members who over many years have been calling to do this. This isn't because of a call of any one of us. This is because of the hard work many in our faith communities, our interfaith communities, the students who've long gone there

135who've told us they didn't want to hang up their diplomas. There were a lot of things said over the calls and the meetings with folks about the importance of making this change, and this is something that I am very proud to be a part of. I think the name speaks for itself, I think our members have spoken very highly of these ideas, for the name change, Mr. Reed, I would remind everyone, as the students pointed out to us, that he represented the best of what they would love to see in a security officer or a resource officer, a model of how folks in those professions should interact with students and they have held him in such high regard that it was, frankly, overwhelming, the support he received and I think that is critical. I would

136echo the comments made earlier about the number of folks that we learned about during this hearings, Lucinda Griffin, Mary Bowser, Miss Tarrell. There is incredible history here in Prince William County that we are not doing a good enough job teaching ourselves and teaching our students. So, we have some work to do in that regard. There are numerous ways we must find to honor these individuals, recognize who is, who has contributed our community, and also learn from them and I think we have a lot to, lot of work to do in that regard and I've said that at prior meetings, we have a long way to go there. Again, to address the idea of Stone, Stonewall, Unity Reed, we are committed to the school, we're committed to the student performance and this board has and will

137continue to work on this and as Miss Zargarpur, I think, so eloquently said, said that this is not about checking a box. This is about getting the right thing done now and continuing the efforts of continuous improvement that the prior boards have done with Stonewall, with Reed Unity and, or, and the further work we have to do and recognizing the tremendous challenges we have ahead. I will now go to Miss Williams because I see you on the screen, Miss Williams, if that's okay? (Babur laughs) - That's okay with me, thank you. I too am gonna support this decision. I can't echo enough the same statements that this is long overdue. It brings me back to the renaming of Godwin Middle School and it's important when you're a person of color especially, and you go to

138a school that is, the majority make up of people who look like you, that the rest of the building match. It has a lifetime effect on who you are, what you think of yourself, the things that you pick up and read and learn and it's not to be taken lightly, the name, and I say that because the outpouring from the students, the staff, the community at Stonewall about Mr. Reed, I like that we, as a board, have decided to add unity onto that and it matches the new name of the middle school. I know a lot of those students will continue from that middle school into that building. I like the celebration, because student body populations can change and fluctuate with this county. It continues to be a county that is diversified in, not only

139by representation by country, but by race, by ethnicity, our, I mean, just every way possible and I think that that can, that high school is really unified and from their student body perspective, they speak as one, they represent each other very well, they're very quick to remind the rest of Prince William of their achievements. I think it is high time that we honor the name change and the request and it brings, again, closure to this school community, they can move on and be proud of the name that sits on the outside of the building, and to Mr. Reed, you know, one of the things that we do when we name schools after people is usually the person is famous or they've had a significant historical contribution. Like Miss Braxton, and Miss Griffin, and some of

140the others, and when I think of Mr. Reed, he sort of fits in that unsung hero category, because a lot of times students go to school and that is their second home, that is the place where they get guidance and they get comfort and love that maybe they don't receive at home, or maybe that's just a place where their immediate role models are and I think that that is what Mr. Reed embodied for a lot of the student population and probably some of the faculty as well, from the way that they spoke of him, and I can think back and remember over my educational career, it's not always my teacher, although we all have that teacher that has had an impact on our lives, not to take away from teachers or make their impact lightly,

141but I think there are other people that often we don't speak about enough such as coaches or security officers or people who fit other job titles and categories that have just as much of an impact on our students and really inspire them. So, I'm really proud of the work that we're doing. I stand committed with my other board members in making sure that we make the public very clear in our understanding that this is not a box that we're checking, and we are a board that is six months going strong, so, we have started with all of the best intentions in the world and got interrupted a little bit by a pandemic but we are still just as committed as we have had from day one on getting the work done that we all feel

142needs to be done for the betterment of our students and for the staff and the community. We're the second-largest employer and what we do matters, how we treat our staff matters because we are all connected. So, I am really, really proud of this board and all of the work that has gone into making this happen, especially the naming committee, the amount of collaboration that I've seen is just, I mean, for me it's like a dream come true with my conflict resolution background, and really, I think one of the things that this pandemic has allowed us to do is hear more from our community and I am so overjoyed by that. Previous years I've spent on the board, screaming about not having a bus stop and not having people be able to come and have to

143take off work and not have a car or transportation, and I think that having these virtual meetings has really leveled the playing field and allowed us to hear more from the people we effect directly and I'm just very proud that we've listened. So, thank you. I'm gonna stop talking now, but thank you, I'm so excited. - Thank you Vice Chair Williams. If folks wonder why my eyes are always darting back and forth, I'm trying to figure out our tech and keep the screens moving and seeing sort of chats on the side and making sure we're getting this right. So, I'm gonna go to Mr. Wilk next. If Miss Jessie and Miss Raulston could share their cameras, if they so choose, they would be called upon after Mr. Wilk. Mr Wilk? - I'll be brief. Miss

144Williams took my time, (laughs) I'm just kidding. But I'll be brief. I support everything everyone has said, I think this is a great change for the community, long overdue, I want to thank Miss Jackson for her leadership on this, Miss Zargarpur and Miss Wall and everyone and I will support the name that they have all decided to go with, and all the other comments that have been said. So, thank you. - Thank you Mr. Wilk. Miss Jessie? - Hi, first of all, you know, there are people who make historical, are historically significant, and I think Mr. Reed, he touched the heartstrings of students and sometimes it's not the person who has, maybe has historical significance that, and so, I've always been a supporter of the Reed name. I think though, that there is a bigger

145community that we missed, and I'd like for the board to consider those people. Another person that's been waiting, and I, you know, I've watched these board meetings and I've looked at the faces, and you know I'm African American and I looked at your faces and you were stunned at the number of people, the slaves and various people, and you had this look like, "I didn't know that, "I had no idea these people had made this contribution." On the other side of the screen, and in African American homes, we were saying the same thing. We had no idea. I had never heard of Lucinda Griffin, and apparently, that family has been waiting and wanting something named for her for many, many years and the other name that, we look at our youth, and I have in

146my hand, Dr. King's message for the millennium, inside this book, (computer notification rings) is the name of Kendi, Dr. Kendi. From Stonewall Jackson, you have two people from Stonewall Jackson that are part of the Delta Sigma Theta Oratorical, and Ibram in his opening statement, introduction of the book, he talks about us. He talks about Prince William County, how in 2010 we changed his life, that he became the author, he's a five-time bestseller. I would like to see, I recommend it for consideration that his name be placed in a library, it seems fitting, he's an author, and I think his books on anti-racism, that is the national focus. I think that we need to look at the school community, but I'd like for the board to consider the national community. He had 30,000 signatures. The Griffins,

147I don't know them at all, never heard of this lady, but here's this 14 year old slave from Prince William County and just like we did for Stonewall Jackson Middle, I would like for the board to consider naming a library after Mr., Dr. Kendi and also perhaps an auditorium or some, where the children, the students in that building, not only know Mr. Reed, who's one aspect of the African American community but there are other aspects of our community, there are the kids who make it against the odds. Dr. Kendi went Stonewall Jackson High School and is now featured on CBS, ABC, and I think we do an injustice as a school division where we don't recognize that we're one of the reasons he is who he is. Along with Norman Jones, I know Dr. Walts

148has heard Norman Jones, he came out of Stonewall too. And we are the reason. Delta Sigma Theta, of course, you know I'm gonna say something about Delta Sigma Theta and oratorical and what I've been doing with that program, but I always wanted to find kids that nobody recognized, that there were all these African American kids who were waiting to be found. So, here's a man who has been found. So, I don't know if I'd make an amendment, or if you could consider it down the road, but I would like to recommend that we name the library in honor of Dr. Kendi and that we invite to Prince William County to help us with our anti-racism, the big picture of anti-racism. I, again, commend Mr. Reed, I felt his name should be up front somewhere, in

149bold letters, but Dr. Kendi, and to be honest, Miss Griffin, I never knew her, I felt her name should have been out there somewhere for people to see and maybe we could find another way of recognizing her. So, I don't know if Miss Jackson is willing to consider, Dr. Kendi's name being in the library, yes, go ahead. She raised her hand. - Thank you Miss Jessie. Dr. Lateef, may I address Miss Jessie? - Sure. - Yes, Miss Jessie, that is something that the committee was considering, naming the library, but I felt like it was a bigger discussion for, you know, when everybody has a chance to talk. So, if you don't mind, could we revisit that? - Sure. - 'Cause it was like, so much going on, and we had talked about naming the library

150(laughs). - I know how difficult it's been, and I, when I saw those names, I thought, "I'm glad I'm not on the committee." But, (Adele laughs) time in history for us, - No yes, I think we need to revisit, - I don't want to take up a lot of time but I want to show you this little picture here. This is a picture of me and my family and guess, and it's on my, in my living room and we're applauding, because my sister, my sister who passed away was there with the girls, Jessica and Jennifer, you see their very tiny. We were at Stone Mountain, we were applauding this monument, as African Americans, we don't know, we had no idea that Stonewall Jackson was on that mountain, it's the biggest mountain, it's supposed to be

151the biggest monument ever. Stonewall Jackson, so we're all learning, as African Americans, as Caucasians, as people from different cultures, we're learning. So, I just want to share with you, from my lens, as an African American, that there's a bigger community and the Stonewall Jackson, I love what those kids did, 'cause I'm a kid person and Loree knows that, but I would like you to revisit, I don't know what we can do for, and someone said, "don't say this," but I will say that maybe something, we need to name a park or something for Mrs. Lucinda Griffin. I don't think that, this opportunity, this family who came to us tonight, and came to us in, I don't think they should be forgotten. I don't want to be difficult as, but this is a moment in history

152where we can make a big difference and you've got these two historic people who bring different things to the table. So, thank you very much. So, we'll reconsider, we'll look at it down the road. I want to have it done, thank you. - Miss Raulston? Go ahead and unmute. - Okay, sorry. I just want to thank you all for your great works. Congratulations to the families whose members are being honored, thank you. (microphone shuffles) That's it. - Okay, Dr. Walts? - Thank you so much Chairman Lateef, and again, congratulations to our school board. Unity Reed High School, beautiful. This is very, very special to me for a variety of reasons. I really started getting more and more involved over at the high school a couple of years ago and you'll see over my shoulder, the

153goat that was presented to me at a school board meeting a year ago. That's a Stonewall jersey on that. When that gets updated, I'll pay for that one myself. But, students and staff presented that one night at a school board meeting and it's just so many great things that go on over there and just like Mr. Miller's a great principal at the middle school, Dr. Nichols is an amazing principal. We asked him if he wanted to consider possibly the new high school, he had no intention of leaving the high school he's currently leading and he embraced the name change, that was one of the things Chairman Lateef asked me early on, you know, "where do you think Dr. Nichols will be?" And he was on board immediately. So, I have every confidence that he will

154work with the students, parents and community on the movement that we have to make everything at Unity Reed High School uplifting and bring it line with all of our other high schools. I have visited Stonewall Middle and Stonewall Jackson High School a total of approximately 40 times over the tenure that I've been here, and I can just say, again, their International Baccalaureate program has data that puts them in a very competitive position with many International Baccalaureate schools across the world. So, this is not something new, that reputation is amazing and I remember when I first arrived in the summer of 2005, I received pictures and a recording of the orchestra that had just toured Europe and their reputation in the arts over there has been amazing as well, but a great staff over there, fantastic

155kids, and I just look forward to making this transition, and again, I applaud the board on your work. Thank you especially to the naming committee for all those extra hours and everyone else who participated and our staff as well. Thank you and congratulations to our school board. - Miss Jackson, I defer to you, you have any further comments? If not, we'll call the votes. Or when, after your comments. - I'm just thankful for the collaboration with the community, with the school staff and the board, and I look forward to the continued discussion in how to recognize the heroes we learned about and thank you. - Okay, I will go ahead and call the vote. We will do this from the committee members first and then probably alphabetical order. First, I'd like to, we are voting

156on the motion to rename SJHS to Reed Unity High School, Miss Adele Jackson- - Unity, - Oh I'm sorry, Unity Reed High School. Sorry, sorry, Unity Reed High School, let me get that right. SJHS will now be called Unity Reed High School. I would like to first ask Miss Adele Jackson of the Brentsville District, how do you vote? - Yes. - Miss Jackson votes yes. Miss Jennifer Wall of the Gainesville District, how do you vote? - I vote yes. - Miss Wall votes yes. Miss Lisa Zargarpur of the Coles District, how do you vote? - [Lisa] I vote yes. - Miss Zargarpur votes yes. I being a member of the committee, vote yes to support this motion. Lateef votes yes. Next, we will go to Miss Lillie Jessie of the Occoquan District. - Yes. -

157Miss Lillie Jessie votes yes. Miss Diane Raulston of the Neabsco District? - Yes. - Miss Raulston votes yes. Mr. Wilk of the Potomac District? - [Justin] Yes. - Mr. Wilk votes yes. Miss Loree Williams, vice chair of the Woodbridge District? - I vote yes. - Miss Williams votes yes. That brings the vote to a unanimous vote to rename Stonewall Jackson High School to Unity Reed High School. I want to thank the board and congratulate them. We have, on the panel, our student Ben Kim, who also is a rising senior at Stonewall Jackson High School, our student member of this board and I'd like to ask Ben to, I know he spoke during citizens comment time but make a couple comments as to your thoughts on this evening, Mr. Kim? Are you there? I don't, is

158he on the panel still? Yes, he's on the panel. Mr. Kim, your mike is live. - [Ben] All right, awesome. I couldn't unmute it, but thank you. I just want to say, to the board, I'm like truly thankful to y'all for like listening to the Stonewall community. You guys made some really great points tonight. Might I mention that the members of the naming committee are in their first terms on the school board, they've had a lot of new things to deal with. The board has handled this very well on such short notice and kinda, yeah, we also have a pandemic and reopening to deal with. To Prince William County students, look how far we've come. I'm willing to be many of you listening, like, didn't know who your school board representative was prior to this,

159and, you know, how you could speak to the board. As many of you know, I've been trying to convince everyone and more students to connect with the board and now it's starting to happen. So, this is what unity looks like, it truly is. Three years ago, we had no student voices on the board, and now, thanks to the support of Miss Williams and many others, we have one, and now, to the greater community, thank you for educating me about these local heroes. I would like to invite you all, RSVP is appreciated, into our family and become one of us. I'm inviting the families of the local heroes to come share at our future Black History Month assemblies. I'm inviting all adults to come and be involved at our school. Supervisor Angry and I have briefly

160discussed a mentorship program for Prince William County students to interact with and get life guidance from wise people. Let me know if you're interested, 'cause it seems like there are a lot of interested people out there. I'm glad that there are so many invested members in our community, truly. And I'm inviting all of you listening to just not stop at this name though. Do more, the board is gonna take that extra step, will you? Thank you. - Thank you Mr. Kim. (papers shuffling) Next on our agenda, will be one last recommendation motion from Miss Loree Williams which, I don't know the number on that, Miss Williams, but go ahead, that's regarding the retreats. - Yes, so it's actually items 6.04. I had, I'll go ahead and make the motion and, 'cause it's, well, it's action

161information. I guess we can all talk about it first and then, - Make the motion first. - We'll do, Yes, you're right thank you. So, I move that the Prince William County School Board at a date to be determined this summer meet to have a retreat to discuss board governance and, well, just board governance. - Do I have a second? - Miss Lisa Zargarpur seconds, while I lip sync that, or a I read lips. Can you unmute so I can hear you second, Miss Zargarpur? - Yeah, I second. - Miss Zargarpur seconds. We'll open the floor for discussion, Miss Williams? - Thank you Mr. Chairman. As I mentioned a few moments ago, this board is in it's infancy at six months old, normally, I don't want to say normally, but so far, as I've been

162a sitting board member, we've had the opportunity as newly sat boards to be able to meet and sort of discuss governance and board norms and really get an understanding to, of our, a deeper understanding of our positions and how we work and facilitate with staff and what they, what the board of county supervisors and all sorts of things under that nature. The idea was floated around, (computer notification rings) at the beginning of our term, but as this pandemic has interrupted so many other things, it also interrupted that, and I think that it's important for this board to be able to sit down, develop our own norms, and it's not just my idea, I have to give credit to every single fellow board member that is on this board right now, in one way shape or

163form, we all have our priority that fall under board governance that we would like to have discussed, and each one is just as important as the other. So, I can't take full credit for this. This is definitely a very unique board in the fact that we are all committed to working together, to collaborating, to supporting the school division and the community and I think it would imperative, it would be a missed opportunity if we didn't take a moment to sit down and evaluate ourselves as a board and develop our own norms and really get a deeper understanding of board governance, that is one of the jobs of every board, whether it's corporate, school, county, it's just a basic, something basic that should be done and so, that's why I bring this action up for, this

164item up for action tonight, so that we can make it official because it would be a public meeting and I think it's also important for the public to know that this is something that we have been discussing for months and really have not had the opportunity to set in action. We talk about being committed and we talk about the things that we want to do and I think this is another step for the public to be able to see us and fulfilling our commitment to the school division. So, I'm gonna stop talking now, thank you. - Any further comment? Miss Wall? - I think this is a great idea. I am, I appreciate Miss Williams bringing it up. As a new member of the board, I welcome the opportunity too for further training. I think

165we, everybody can always learn. It doesn't matter how old you are, how good you think you are at your job. And I don't think I'm, you know, I admit, I'm new at my job. So, I think it would be great and it would be important for us as a board to establish some norms and learn together. I think if we do that, we can really, we can be even more effective. So, I support this idea. - Great, I'll go around, so it'll be easier. I see Miss Zargarpur's hand, go ahead Lisa. - Thank you Dr. Lateef. Yeah, I think this is a great idea. I know that when Miss Wall and Miss Jackson and I were at the new board orientation in Richmond, we had, we were all like, "things! "We're gonna learn all the

166things." And then COVID hit and it just seems like, that's not an excuse. So, we want to get to work. I think it's important that we make sure we have our vision and our mission ready to go, so that we can just get through everything. We work well together as it is, and I'm just looking forward to learning more with you guys. - I'll go to Miss Jackson. - I also think this is a great idea. It touches on my teacher heart, 'cause it centers around PLC, professional learning community, so, I think any opportunity to grow and learn to collaborate is a great opportunity. So, thank you. - Excellent, Mr. Wilk? - I vote yes. (group laughs) - Miss Raulston? - [Diane] I vote yes. Okay, yes, (laughs). - Okay, well, we will do the

167official vote, but I guess that means you're supporting the effort. We'll do the vote, I'll do another roll call. Miss Jessie? - [Lillie] When I came on this board, everything I learned I learned from Betty Covington. So, when Betty Covington left, she left with everything in her head. I think that Miss Williams and I, and Miss Covington, got together once because I think coming on as a new person, you're dependent on, it's what's inside the head of the previous board member and if you're not close to them, then you don't learn. And so, I have been an advocate for us developing some type of governance manual from the beginning and Miss William will tell you that. I think the number one thing that we need, not just governance, but we need to think about our

168mission as a board and our mission should be student learning, high levels. I know Dr. Lateef talks about that a great deal, but and, I know a bore everybody talking about smart goals, but this board needs to know, what is it that we will accept as learning? What does world-class really look like? And what will we consider to be world-class? At the end of the day, that's what it's all about and so, with that in mind, I support this initiative. Thank you. - Okay, and then, I think, did I give everyone a chance to speak? - [Lillie] Yeah. - Mr. Wilk said "yes," okay. And I obviously support this effort, and if there's no further discussion, Miss Williams? - So it, Lillie brings up a, Miss Jessie brings up a good point. This is a

169direct result of good mentorship, transformation of knowledge down and continuing to grow as a board, and she is the direct inspiration for this, she was my mentor when I came on the board, Mr. Kim brought up about mentorship. He gave me praise for student leadership on the board, I was not the only one, member of the board, who was supportive of that, that was also Miss Jessie as well. So, I think it's a matter of continuing best practices. So, I know that we're all a fan of that term. I just couldn't help myself, but, I would like to also give some credit back to Miss Jessie 'cause I said "we're all supportive of it," but that's how we grow, we have good mentors and we take it to the next level. So, thank you. -

170'Kay. - Okay, I'll take a vote, we'll go in alphabetical order. Miss Jackson, how do you vote? - Yes. - Miss Jackson votes yes, Miss Jessie? - [Lillie] Yes. - Jessie votes yes, Lateef, I vote yes. Raulston, how do you vote? - Yes. - Miss Raulston votes yes, Mr. Wilk? - [Justin] Yes. - Mr. Wilk votes yes, Miss Wall? - Yes. - Miss Wall votes yes, Miss Zargarpur? - Yes. - And Miss Zargarpur votes yes, Miss Williams? (paper shuffling) - Emphatically yes. - Yes, okay, I will, at this point, just a matter of housekeeping. The school board has added July 8th as a work session regarding the reopening of the schools. That will be done via electronic means as well. July 15th, and I'm not sure where we are on that, we're still putting these

171together, but July 15th will be a meeting to finalize the approval of the reopening, hopefully, and there will be, I would ask every parent and everybody out there to continue to go to our website to look at what recommendations we're making. You know, certainly email school board members, email staff, email the superintendent's office on ideas and thoughts for the reopening. We are, just to, to speaking on behalf of the whole board here, we are getting a lot of emails. I, it's in the hundreds, on the reopening, and the concerns and the anxieties shared by our families, parents and students, and I can tell you that the entire board and Superintendent Walts shares your same anxieties, concerns and desires to get this right. We are reading every email, please keep sending them, we are sharing them

172with the staff, we are considering everything everyone's talking about, we're looking at what folks are doing around the world, around our country, and listening to experts. And so, as we put this opening together, please continue to stay engaged, and continue to communicate. If board members don't get back to your emails, from my standpoint, please forgive me. We are working through them and we will get through them as we continue to do this, but rest assured that every single board member I know is reading all of the emails and hearing from all of you. With that in mind, I want to wrap up our last meeting really this June and say thank you all, thank you again to the naming committees, all of the hard work that went into this, you know, this process was thoroughly

173engaged with our community, to get to where we are tonight. Congratulations to the whole board, congratulations to Prince William County Schools, and if there's no objection, I think the meeting is adjourned. Thank you. (gentle music)