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NEWS
School board races draw a crowd SCHOOL BOARD, from page 1
While the school board is officially non-partisan – meaning the parties can’t nominate candidates and no party affiliations are listed on the ballots – the local political parties can endorse candidates and are expected to do so in the coming months. So far, all seven districts have at least one candidate, and five have at least two. The candidates range in age from 18 to 78. The Prince William Times talked to 13 of them about their goals for the school board’s next term and why they are running.
Brentsville
Two candidates are so far vying for the Brentsville District seat: incumbent Adele Jackson and newcomer, Erica Tredinnick. Jackson, 45, of Nokesville, is seeking her second term. She has a master’s Adele Jackson - I degree in special education, has worked as a social worker and has taught for 16 years in three different school divisions. A native of northern Virginia, Jackson has twin sons who attend a Prince William County K-8 school. Erica Treddinick Jackson is hard of hearing due to a lifelong hearing loss and said she is passionate about setting high expectations for all students especially because of her own challenges in school. “Why go through barriers in life if you don’t use the experience to break down barriers for others?” she said. Jackson said her first priority is student achievement and pledges to support all students’ academic needs. She said she prioritizes family engagement and will continue to work closely with families, students and staff and listen to all voices. Jackson said she supports the division’s post-pandemic “unfinished learning plan” to boost achievement because it is built on proven, research-based methods. School safety is also key, Jackson said, adding that she will continue to push to improve safety and security in schools “because students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe.” Jackson is a Democrat who was endorsed by the local party in 2019 and will seek the party’s endorsement again this year. Tredinnick, 36, of Bristow, is a mother of three children who attend Prince William County schools, two in high school and one in middle school. Tredinnick owns a small business with her husband, an Army veteran who was wounded in combat. Tredinnick also works as an aide for Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson (R) and serves on both the county’s Parks and Recreation Commission and the Racial and Social Justice Commission. Tredinnick said she is a longtime volunteer in her children’s schools and also worked as a substitute teacher. If elected, Tredinnick said she will prioritize academics and wants to make sure “that the education that Prince William County Schools says they offer is actually happening.” Communicating effectively with families and being transparent about both curriculum and budget, are also priorities, she said. “Essentially, we deserve to know what they’re spending our money on, what they’re teaching our kids, and to have it clearly communicated to us,” she said.
Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | March 23, 2023
“Instead of the needlessly divisive policies that our school system focuses on, I want to promote collaboration. ... I want to make sure that all kids are treated fairly, equally and appropriately,” she said, adding that she would be a voice for parents. Tredinnick is a Republican and said she will seek her party’s endorsement.
Coles
Three candidates are vying for the Coles District school board seat, including incumbent, Lisa Zargarpur, 52, who is seeking a second term. Zargarpur’s three adult children all graduated from Prince Lisa Zargarpur - I William County schools, and she recently welcomed a grandson. Zargarpur has two master’s degrees in education and the arts and is working on a doctorate in educational leadership. She works as a music teacher in Fairfax Stephen Spiker County. Zargarpur said she wants to continue working toward the goals set out in the school division’s strategic plan and is committed to public education. “Education is the hope of the future … and teaching is the most honorable profession because your influence lives on in someone else,” she said. Prioritizing academic success from pre-K to graduation; broadening ways to communicate with parents; boosting salaries for staff and making the job more “professionally satisfying;” becoming more environmentally sustainable; finding ways to reliably get kids to school; and continuing to work on school safety are priorities for her next term, she said. Because kids are all different, “education is dynamic,” Zargarpur said, noting that every decision begins with the question: “How will this benefit our kids? … Even the smallest decisions make a difference.” Zargarpur is the only Democrat seeking the Coles District seat and will seek the party’s endorsement again this year. Newcomer Stephen Spiker, 37, has three children aged 3, 6 and 9, two of whom attend Signal Hill Elementary. Spiker has a master’s degree in survey research and works in market research. Spiker said he wants “to improve the school environment and build a culture that is more responsive to parents’ concerns.” Parent involvement is “treated as an afterthought and sometimes even treated as a nuisance,” Spiker said, adding: “That needs to change.” If elected, Spiker said he will prioritize communication between schools and parents to share “what’s actually happening in our kids’ classrooms.” He said he will also empower parents to be more involved in their children’s education and encourage them to assist with homework and help address student behavior issues at school. “Education doesn’t end when your kid gets off the school bus,” he said. Focusing on the “basics of instruction” is also a priority, Spiker said, which he thinks will reduce teacher burnout and help with retention. “Virtual learning was a disaster” during the pandemic, Spiker said, adding that he doesn’t support “Code Orange” days when students work from home because of inclement weather. “We need to move away from this idea that kids don’t have to be in classrooms,” he said. Spiker is a Republican and said he will be seeking his party’s endorsement. William Deutsch, a Republican who previously held the Coles school board seat from 2015 until 2019, has also filed to run for the seat. Deutsch did not respond to multiple interview requests.
Gainesville
Only incumbent Jennifer Wall, 52, has so far filed in the Gainesville District. Wall is the board’s only member who was endorsed by the local Republican party and is an attorney and Jennifer Wall - I mom of three. Two are recent graduates, and one is graduating this year. Wall said her goal was to “make our educational system work as effectively as possible” and is running again to build on that success. “I see that schools assist our families and our community in making a really big difference in students’ lives,” she said. “Making our public schools as strong as possible is a public service. … Our students and families need really strong advocates … and I feel like I have a lot of wisdom and experience that I can bring to the table.” Wall said she is “extremely proud” of her efforts to ensure that special education students and English language learners could attend school in person during the pandemic. Wall was among the school board members who pushed to return students to school as soon as possible. “My greatest focus is academic success -- getting us back to where we were before the pandemic and exceeding those levels of academic performance,” she added. “That’s my top priority.” Wall said she also wants parents to feel welcome in schools and feel like “valued partners” in their children’s education. The school division’s new “parent liaisons” will help achieve that goal, she said. Wall said she prioritized school safety and advocated for school security assistants to be hired at all elementary schools. “I’m proud of that because I think that really frees up our principals and our instructional staff to focus on instruction,” she said. Wall said she will once again seek the endorsement of the Prince William County Republican Committee.
Neabsco
Incumbent Diane Raulston who has served as the Neabsco District representative on the school board since 2016, has not yet filed for reelection and is not expected to, according to her Tracy Blake former campaign manager, Tracy Blake, who is one of two candidates running to succeed her. Blake, 45, of Dale City, has a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology and is a stayat-home father of three children who attend Prince Padreus Pratter William County schools. Blake served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Instruction and was the chair of the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for Equity. During the pandemic, Blake also served on the Return to Learn Committee and said he worked to help kids get back into schools and support families at that time. Blake said he feels strongly about supporting all students and letting kids know the importance of persistence in education and in life. If elected, Blake said he will prioritize mental health and focus on social and emotional learning, which he says is important for academic achievement as well as behavior and mental health issues, such as bullying and drug and alcohol abuse. Blake said he’ll also ensure each school is funded adequately and push to expand preschool opportunities. See SCHOOL BOARD, page 5
