06/04/2026
A couple of things stood out to me last night, the lack of support for children with IEP and some serious shenanigans happening with a coach at Osborne Park High School. Please see the auto generated notes I recorded from last night’s meeting.
PWCS Public Comments
https://app.bluedothq.com/preview/6a20cb39600bc11de4cd65a1
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Overview
This public school board meeting featured multiple speakers addressing several critical issues. PWEA representatives Monana Davis and Angie Trey Rotola objected to proposed amendments to the collective bargaining resolution, citing lack of prior consultation. Emily Cherry requested preservation of existing bargaining protections including attorney fee recovery and neutral dispute resolution. Blake Harrah raised concerns about 244 open job positions and a compressed 24-business-day transfer window following a 30-minute increase in school hours. Jessica Young and Brittany Robinson raised urgent special education concerns involving ASL support, ESY failures, inappropriate placements, and IEP violations. Two speakers raised ethics complaints against Osmond Park High School basketball coaches for policy violations involving student images and inappropriate social media content. Gloria Jordan praised board advocacy for school funding and urged continued protection of marginalized students' civil rights.
Action Items
Monana Davis (PWEA)
Requests the board table the collective bargaining resolution vote until PWEA can have a formal conversation with school board members
PWEA / Angie Trey Rotola
Plans to direct educators to write to elected officials, General Assembly members, state senators, and the governor regarding collective bargaining and school funding issues
Jessica Young
Has already moved across the county to secure ASL opportunities for her son Ryan; continues advocating for policy changes regarding special education program access, ESY transparency, and safety planning
Brittany Robinson
Currently in federal court proceedings against PwCS regarding her son's educational placement; intends to continue presenting internal PwCS emails as evidence of misplaced priorities
Carlesha Harris
Actively pursuing accountability for Osmond Park High School varsity basketball coach through board channels, referencing 18 separate email exchanges with PwCS communications department and executive cabinet
Topics
Collective Bargaining Amendment – Optics and Educator Rights
Angie Trey Rotola, co-chair of the PWEA Membership and Organizing Ad Hoc Committee, argued that amending the collective bargaining resolution during an active contract without communicating with PWEA sends a damaging message to classified employees, many of whom are barely earning a living wage. She raised two specific concerns: first, that removing the ability for the union to recover attorney fees forces workers to risk paying for their own legal representation when filing unfair labor practice claims; second, that allowing the school division to override the neutral dispute resolver's rulings makes the process inherently unfair. She noted that PWEA and the board had previously collaborated successfully, including preserving raises at the Board of Supervisors and advancing the Elevate 2030 initiative. She called on educators to contact General Assembly members, state senators, and the governor to fix collective bargaining at the state level and fully fund schools. She urged educators not to be silenced and described PWEA as a 'burning legion' representing all employees regardless of membership status.
Collective Bargaining Resolution Amendment – PWEA Opposition
Monana Davis, identifying herself as a PWEA representative, expressed strong disappointment that the school board proposed amendments to the collective bargaining resolution without prior consultation with PWEA, the recognized collective bargaining agent for the county. Davis stated that PWEA had been working to build positive relationships with the board throughout the year, including advocating alongside the board at the County Board of Supervisors for budget preservation. She emphasized that employees must have a seat at the table for meaningful labor relations, called the lack of communication 'completely unfair,' and formally requested that the board table any vote on the resolution until PWEA could have a full conversation with board members. She warned that rebuilding trust requires proactive communication.
Special Education – ASL Support and IEP Rights for Nonverbal Student
Jessica Young, mother of four PwCS students, elementary PTO president for four years, raised multiple special education policy concerns. Her nonverbal son Ryan lost his words as a toddler and communicates through ASL, but spends school days with staff who know only a handful of signs. She requested a dedicated ASL interpreter or translator to model signing for teachers and peers, arguing the same support given to ESL students and Braille learners should apply universally. On ESY (Extended School Year), Young reported that her son's ESY instructional time was reduced despite documented failure to make progress, regression during breaks, a reading level of age 5 at chronological age 14, IEE evaluations, and no supporting data for the reduction. PwCS had failed to fulfill ESY services for three consecutive summers, causing regression, and responded with silence to her requests. She alleged the time reduction was designed to lower administrative burden rather than address student needs. On program access, Young reported being denied a school transfer to access ASL opportunities for Ryan even when both the sending and receiving schools agreed; the family ultimately moved across the county the following weekend. She requested that specialty programs like Colgan for the Arts and Battlefield for Computer Science be published and made accessible to special education families like gen-ed families. On safety, Ryan (described as 6'4") refused to exit during two fire drills; the family learned of this through a daily blog and had to request a safety plan, which did not exist before the incidents. On transition planning, Young reported that Ryan was denied support from his one-on-one aide Ms. H at his own transition planning meeting, and that PwCS administration blocked the aide's attendance. She also reported being denied a promised meeting with his high school twice and described experiencing retaliation and dismissiveness after raising accountability concerns. She named cluster procedural staff member Ms. Bergeron as consistently leading denial and lack-of-data responses in IEP meetings.
Collective Bargaining Protections – Teacher Perspective
Emily Cherry, middle school teacher and co-chair of the PWEA Health Organized Prevention Committee, formally requested the board reconsider the proposed amendments. She outlined three specific protections she argued must be preserved: the ability to appeal decisions to a circuit court, the option to recover attorney fees to ensure fairness is not limited to those with financial resources, and the use of a truly impartial neutral dispute resolver whose rulings cannot be overturned by the school division. She stated that removing these protections undermines educator trust and confidence in the bargaining process. She described the spirit of collective bargaining as one of collaboration and mutual respect, and argued that proposing amendments without PWEA input deeply shook that foundation.
Teacher Transfer Process and Staffing Crisis
Blake Harrah presented a detailed timeline of issues stemming from a 30-minute increase in school hours effective December 3rd. The transfer declaration window opened January 1st, but hours for limited positions were not released until April 27th — four months later — giving teachers only 24 business days before the June 1st COB transfer deadline. The speaker noted that new positions were still being posted after the June 1st 4:00 PM cutoff. An HR representative confirmed speaking with more than 70 teachers in 24 hours who did not know what to do if they could not geographically reach their assigned school. The speaker also reported that even when both the sending and receiving school principals agreed to a teacher transfer (citing Forest Park and Osborne Park as examples), HR was still denying transfers. The speaker alleged that Dr. McDade had been warned by nearly every high school principal and the former superintendent that reinstating high school hours would cause staffing issues, and chose to ignore those warnings. With 244 open job positions at the time of the meeting — a number described as growing — the speaker warned that the district would be forced to fill vacancies from out-of-state or out-of-county sources. The speaker suggested that late release of hours was a strategic move to prevent teacher transfers and force resignations, and requested that teachers who expressed intent to transfer be allowed to continue through the interview and placement process past June 15th.
Special Education – Inappropriate Placement and Internal PwCS Emails
Brittany Robinson, mother of four disabled children in PwCS, described her son's severe school anxiety and school refusal two years ago, during which he expressed that he 'did not know how to live anymore.' PwCS placed her son at Phillips Annandale, a private day school in Fairfax County, described as the most restrictive setting short of homebound, which maintained five magnetic-lock seclusion rooms and had recorded 42 restraints and 105 seclusions in a single school year. Robinson read internal PwCS emails from July 2024 in which Assistant Division Counsel wrote of concerns that placing the student at Linder Academy would 'weaken any defense PwCS would have' given separate ongoing Wakefield litigation, and expressed concern about 'the precedent that would be set by essentially overturning an IEP team process decision.' The emails stated that settling with Linder as the placement 'would not be in PwCS's best interest long term' — not the student's best interest. Robinson stated that while officials strategized about legal defense, she was 'struggling to keep my son alive.' She independently placed her son at Linder Academy, where he thrived, gained friends, succeeded academically, and rebuilt self-belief. The family is currently in federal court against PwCS. Robinson asked the board: 'If this had been your child, would this have been good enough?'
Collective Bargaining Amendment – Binding Arbitration and Board Accountability
A speaker (identified as Catherine Zamus based on the speaker list) condemned the proposed amendment to remove the union's ability to recover attorney fees, calling it a massive disservice to educators and a power shift toward management. The speaker criticized Chairman Lateef for publicly supporting the governor's decision not to sign statewide legislation that included binding arbitration, stating that Lateef's quoted comments used 'red herrings' and 'speculative fear-based talking points' about school divisions being bankrupted or taxpayers facing massive tax increases. The speaker pointed out that Prince William County benefits from a revenue strength-sharing agreement making it among Virginia's most well-resourced divisions. The speaker argued that collective bargaining is only meaningful on a level playing field, that removing binding arbitration makes good-faith bargaining harder, and asked the board to vote no on the amendments, predicting they would likely pass anyway.
Osmond Park High School – Varsity Basketball Coach Ethics Violations
A speaker (identified as Mr Harris) reported that the Osmond Park High School varsity boys basketball coach had been found in violation by PwCS's Executive Cabinet and Communications Department for using the school's logo alongside images of minor students on a personal website designed to promote his private business and advertising. Neither PwCS nor the parents had approved the use of these images. The coach was asked to remove the content but transferred it to a PwCS-sanctioned website instead, which the speaker suggested was approved by PwCS inadvertently. The speaker also reported that the JV basketball coach — described as the varsity coach's father — maintained an Instagram page accessible to minor students that featured women in sexually suggestive positions. Additionally, the speaker presented a text message in which a coach told a sick student who had missed a week of school and lost eight pounds to attend a workout, responding 'don't tell me you're sick.' The speaker referenced multiple emails from board members acknowledging these violations but dismissing them, and questioned whether a lack of response from board member Mr. Harris was related to his being an alum of Osmond Park High School.
Osmond Park High School – Ethics and Policy Accountability
Carlesha Harris addressed the board citing PwCS Policy 9102, which establishes expectations for ethical conduct, professionalism, and avoidance of conflicts between personal interests and professional responsibilities. She stated that the Osmond Park varsity basketball coach used school-affiliated social media platforms to display personal business branding alongside student content and directed followers to a private business page. The content remained public despite repeated removal requests. She referenced 18 separate email exchanges involving PwCS's Communications Department and Executive Cabinet. Harris emphasized that student names, images, and likeness should never be used to promote personal interests. She called for the board to send a clear message that policy violations involving students will not be tolerated, accountability applies equally to everyone, and that academic achievements and championship wins do not excuse questionable character.
Collective Bargaining – Community Supporter Perspective
A community speaker (identified as Hsari) addressed the board using an analogy from the video game Mass Effect, urging the board to choose a 'paragon' path by honoring the collective bargaining agreement. The speaker drew a parallel between Islamic trade principles of integrity and the definition of integrity within a collective bargaining contract. They referenced statements made by Dr. Lateef and Dr. McDade at County Supervisors meetings about needing funding to make PWCS a competitive employer and argued this goal aligns with honoring the current collective bargaining agreement. The speaker encouraged the board to support strong workers' rights as a net positive for attracting and retaining teachers.
American Patriotism and Education Philosophy
Speaker Marty Weaver, identifying himself from Occoquan, delivered remarks celebrating America's 250th anniversary and expressing opposition to what he described as equity-based and grievance-driven educational agendas. He referenced his family's multigenerational military service, including an Uncle Harry F. Miller recognized by President Trump in a Memorial Day speech for serving at the Battle of the Bulge after enlisting at age 15, and a son who recently retired as an Air Force pilot. He criticized equity-focused education frameworks as resembling Marxist ideology, argued that America is a merit-based society, and quoted Justice Clarence Thomas on victim fatigue. He objected to what he characterized as divisive teaching practices and called on the board to promote American patriotism and celebrate national achievements including the moon landing and space exploration.
Community Support for Board and Student Inclusion Advocacy
Gloria Jordan, a parent and community member, expressed gratitude to the school board for advocating for full public school funding at the County Board of Supervisors. She cited personal success stories of her children thriving through PwCS music, fine arts, and robotics programs. She asked the board to extend the same sense of being seen and valued to teachers as to students. She urged continued commitment to student inclusion practices including respecting chosen names and pronouns, fostering belonging, and ensuring all students feel welcome. Referencing Juneteenth and Pride Month, she called on the board to continue defending civil rights for historically marginalized students, specifically citing needs for ASL support, vision accommodations, and language justice services.
