Inside the Decline: What’s Happening in Manassas City Schools?

We just wrapped up an important discussion on the state of Manassas City Public Schools in our latest podcast episode, featuring insights from local education leaders and school board candidates. This special forum covered pressing issues facing our schools and presented diverse perspectives on how we can collectively move forward.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Robyn Williams, an eight-year school board member now running for City Council, and Caitlyn Meisner, our dedicated local editor covering Manassas City Public Schools since 2023. Several candidates endorsed by the city’s Republican committee, running for four open school board seats, also joined the discussion, including Allie Forkell, Javanese Hailey, Dayna Jackson-Miles, and Maidy Whitesell.

All school board candidates and sitting school board members were invited to participate.

Key Discussion Points and Timestamp Highlights:
1. SOL Scores and Decline in School Performance – [6:20-8:45]
Caitlyn Meisner discusses how Standards of Learning (SOL) scores have continued to fall behind state averages and what this means for the school division’s future.

2. School Infrastructure and Jennie Dean Elementary Project – [9:00-10:30]
A deep dive into the new Jennie Dean Elementary construction and discussions on infrastructure improvements vs. academic performance focus.

3. Challenges in the Classroom – [14:00-17:00]
Candidates and educators discuss post-COVID classroom challenges, such as teacher accountability, behavioral issues, and language barriers in the Manassas school system.

4. Grading Policy Controversy – [26:00-28:30]
Insight into the grading policy debate over giving students multiple retake opportunities and allowing them extended time for assignments. What’s the impact on student preparedness for college and the workforce?

5. CTE Program as a Bright Spot – [50:30-53:45]
Learn how the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is helping students gain real-world skills and why expanding this program could be key to the city’s future success.

We encourage everyone to listen in and jump to the segments that interest you the most. Whether you’re concerned about school accreditation, academic decline, or exciting new initiatives like the CTE program, this podcast is for you.

How You Can Get Involved:

• Listen and share this insightful discussion with friends, family, and neighbors.
• Send us your feedback: What issues would you like us to cover in future forums?
• Get informed before Election Day on November 5 to ensure your vote supports the future of our schools.