PWEA Brings Community Together to Support Teachers
Ever since Governor Northam closed all K-12 public schools on March 23 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the question on the minds of every educator, parent and student was when would they re-open. Now faced with the reality of returning to the classroom after it was announced that Virginia would enter Phase Three this week, several teachers, parents and elected officials came together yesterday to address their concerns. Meeting at the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center in Manassas on a hot summer morning, voices of unity were spoken over the proposed plan of reuniting teachers and their 91,000 students within the county.
Oveta Scott, a teacher herself, opened the festivities by providing a passionate speech on how the teacher’s viewpoints must be considered before re-opening any educational facility. Her boldness was celebrated throughout the rally as car horns honked in agreement with almost every word.
Next up was Maggie Hansford, President-Elect of the Prince William Educational Association, who thanked the teachers for making it possible to give them a voice at the Prince William County School Board meetings on Tuesdays. PWEA’s representatives will be a part of the task force beginning on Monday. Hansford discussed how teachers are receiving emails from principals stating what their classroom would look like upon their return, in addition, they were also advised not to come to the rally happening at the Kelly Leadership Center.
“Teachers deserve a voice; teachers deserve a seat at the table,” said Hansford as she addressed the audience. “It’s neglectful that PWEA was not provided a seat at the table until the end of the decision-making process.” She also lauded how Loudoun and Fairfax counties implement a diversity of teachers and administrators in their re-opening procedures as opposed to Prince William County.
In addition to Hansford, several elected officials came to voice their support for the teachers.
Kenny Boddye, Occoquan District Supervisor mentioned that protecting the teachers must be considered a priority. “We need you; we support you, and we are here for you,” said Boddye. “Our biggest frontline workers are our teachers. You all did not sign up to be healthcare workers or EMTs; you did not sign up to put your lives at risk every single day in a school building. We have time to right this wrong. We don’t need to just fund our future; we need to safeguard it.”
Victor Angry, Neabsco District Supervisor, emphasized the need to work in collaboration with the school board on this issue. “This is not Fairfax, and this is not Loudoun, we can be better than those districts. We will continue to build our relationship with the school board so we can do more,” said Angry.
Delegate Danica Roem of the 13th District brought up a story of civil rights icon Representative John Lewis and how he brought up the term ‘good trouble.’ Delegate Roem said, “I’m looking at a lot of good trouble here today. Good trouble is when you see something that is wrong, and you speak up to do something about it. What happens when the institution that you’re supposed to tell doesn’t have your back?”
Roem noted that while there are several men who work in the profession, many educators are women and the issue is beyond just the classroom. “This is a women’s right’s issue that we are looking at right now. It’s time that we respect it, and we take care of all of our employees in Prince William County.”
Delegate Elizabeth Guzman of the 31st District said they will be holding Superintendent Dr. Steven Walts accountable for those contracts of the re-opening plan, since there was no consultation prior to this decision.
Missy Alexander, incoming PWEA secretary, spoke on the sacrifices that teachers make, and even more so when they are also parents like herself. “I speak for those who are struggling,” said the Patriot High School teacher. “It’s a shame that those in charge think more about convenience of others more than the teachers.”
Loree Williams (Woodbridge), Vice Chairwoman of the PWC School Board, along with school board members Adele Jackson (Brentsville), Justin Wilk (Potomac) and Lisa Zargarpur (Coles), came to the rally in support of the teachers. We spoke with Vice Chairwoman Williams afterwards.
“On July 7th there will be a (PWC) School Board Community Meeting, we’re going to have a work session on July 8th with no public comment, but nothing is final. It’s really important for the community to understand that whatever plan is presented, it’s not a done deal. We can’t do our jobs unless we hear from everybody. The division has a responsibility to present a high-level board-appropriate plan. If the avenue of getting your voice to the administration is not working for you, there are alternate avenues. We are not attempting to silence your voice; we are all inventing a new operating system; it’s a change of the guard. We’re listening, we’re responding to your emails, don’t give up, we’re taking it very seriously.”
The message was clear on this Independence Day weekend: it is time to give teachers the freedom they deserve to be a voice in these uncertain times.
