Gaston to run for Coles School Board seat

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY — Jackie Gaston is throwing her hat in the ring for Coles District School Board.

She’s a special education teacher in Fairfax County as well as a mother of three boys whose experience with PTO’s, meetings in the schools, and school improvement planning teams for her own children in who attend Prince William County Public Schools led her to want to serve.

Keeping good teachers is a big issue for Gaston, 51.

“Teacher retention is absolutely critical,” said Gaston. “We lose most young teachers within the first three years. We’ve got to do more to retain them.”  

Another challenge:  There aren’t enough teachers coming into the industry as there are retiring from the industry. “ On the School Board, she’ll ask “what can we do to bring the best and the brightest to Prince William County and to keep them?” Gaston said.

Building a  “solid mentoring program” for teachers to lean on during the first three years can help with teacher retention. “Because you go through such growth as a new teacher,” Gaston said.

She said this will not only help new teachers but also revitalize veteran teachers and bring new ideas and energy into the mix. Gaston also believes in continuing education for teachers –

“Whether it’s to go for a master’s degree or to learn a new skill, or even just to learn the most updated technology in your classroom…” Gaston said.

She’s also focused on having resources available for teachers, bus drivers, and office staff that could help them such as wellness programs or support groups.

Prince William County, like others, has a bus driver shortage. She said school officials should talk to bus drivers and find out how to get more people to fill the open positions become bus drivers. “What are we going to do if we can’t get our kids to school safely?” Gaston said.

Gaston also says she wants equity for all students.

“I am a special educator, so equity as far as getting the curriculum, understanding the curriculum, performing to the best of their abilities. And I also believe in equity as far as the facility. We’re a growing community, we’re building large beautiful facilities in some of the newer areas. I don’t want to neglect some of the other areas and try to bring both schools and their facilities up to standard, up to what our students all deserve,” said Gaston.

When it comes to getting moving children out of trailer classrooms, Gaston has an idea: modular buildings. It ’s basically a temporary building that had a front and back door that could lock and was equipped with sprinklers and an HVAC system, Gaston explained. She used to teach in one.

She said the modular building was connected to the school and was equipped “with more safety features than just a trailer.”

She suggested that this be something the county look into. One modular building could replace several trailers – the modular building Gaston was in had about 10 classrooms in it.  

“And again, the dream is to have all our kids under one roof,” Gaston said. But until there are more school facilities built, Gaston said, “Let’s look at what all the other options are out there so that we can keep classroom sizes down and still provide the safety that everybody wants.”

Gaston is married to her husband Micheal. The couple has a 27-year-step daugher who lives in Pennsylvania, a 16-year-old sophomore at Osbourn Park High School, and two twin sons aged 13 at Parkside Middle School.

The family lives in the Yorkshire area of Prince William County.

Incumbent Willie Deutsch will seek reelection to the seat.

Lisa Zargarpur will also run for the seat. All eight seats on the School Board are up for reelection on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.