Dear Editor,
The Virginia Education Association (VEA) owes an immediate and transparent explanation to its largest local, the Prince William Education Association (PWEA). For over three years, PWEA has led all VEA locals in record-breaking member recruitment. It operates with a nearly million-dollar annual budget, maintains $500,000 in savings, owns its office, and carries no debt—unlike the VEA, which rents its headquarters outside Richmond.
Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) will break ground on a new elementary school in the Potomac Shores area this fall, aiming to alleviate severe overcrowding in the Dumfries area.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Potomac Shores Elementary School is scheduled for Monday, September 8 at 10 a.m., and will take place at 1720 Thoroughgood Drive. School Board members have been invited to attend.
The free event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and aims to provide students with the tools they need to start the year strong—offering school supplies, vaccinations, community resources, and entertainment for the entire family.
“This year’s Back-To-School event will be here before you know it, so we encourage families to put it on their calendar,” said Dr. Vanessa M. Gattis, president and CEO of PWCCF. “Our goal is to put students in the best position to succeed, and with I-66 EMP as a Silver Sponsor, this event is ready to do exactly that.”
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that the U.S. Department of Education has determined that Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) is among five Northern Virginia school divisions found to be in violation of Title IX, a federal civil rights law, due to policies allowing students to access restrooms and participate in sports based on gender identity.
In a press release, Youngkin said the school divisions—Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Prince William, and the City of Alexandria—“have been violating federal law, deliberately neglecting their responsibility to protect students’ safety, privacy and dignity, and ignoring parents’ rights.”
In a letter sent July 21 to PWEA members, VEA President Carol Bauer wrote that the state union had found “gross financial mismanagement,” including altered board minutes meant to obscure the absence of authorized spending controls. VEA claimed PWEA officers ignored financial rules, failed to document expenditures properly, and reimbursed each other without proper oversight.
“You deserve the truth,” Bauer told members in the letter, promising to rebuild PWEA into “the strong, honest union you deserve.”
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – A group of curious and creative 10-year-olds is spending the summer building robots, learning to code, and discovering new passions at a hands-on STEM camp in Prince William County.
Held this at Mullen Elementary School near Manassas, the First LEGO League Camp gives rising fourth and fifth-graders a chance to build and program robots while learning valuable skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. – At first glance, it looked like a typical hospital simulation: blinking mannequins, beeping monitors, and focused students practicing CPR and drawing blood. But for 14-year-old students like those in the room at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, it was a first glimpse into what a future career in medicine might look like.
Sixteen rising 8th and 9th graders from Prince William County Public Schools spent a week at the hospital as part of the Sentara Healthcare Career Camp, a free summer program designed to expose youth to the wide array of healthcare professions beyond just doctors and nurses.
The National Wildlife Federation and EcoSchools U.S. awarded Forest Park High School the Green Flag, making it the first school in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) to receive this prestigious recognition. The award highlights the school’s commitment to sustainability education and promoting positive environmental change within the community.
For Ashley Tayon, the school’s sustainability coordinator, and her students, the Green Flag was the main goal for the year. “It was truly an honor to be part of the new sustainability movement within PWCS,” Tayon stated in a press release, adding that the achievement was a collaborative effort among students, staff, and community partners. Their initiatives included collecting data, developing action plans, and diverting 1,600 pounds of waste from landfills.
