One of the most pressing concerns discussed during the town hall was increased student behavioral problems, which have created significant classroom disruptions. School board candidate Javanese Hailey, a former teacher at Metz Middle School, shared her experience with a lack of accountability in the school.
“When I worked at Metz in 2019, there was just an absolute lack of accountability. The kids were allowed to do whatever they wanted, and there were no consequences,” Hailey said. “I had seventh graders who were on third-grade level academically, and that, coupled with behavioral issues, created chaos. It felt like something was going to break down at any moment.”
Hailey emphasized that the lack of consequences for disruptive behavior hindered learning and affected motivated students who began to lose interest. “The kids who are there to learn start to wonder, ‘What’s the point?’ when they see disruptive students facing no real consequences,” she added.
This challenge is compounded by high teacher turnover, which has disrupted classroom stability. Candidates pointed out that frequent changes in school leadership and teaching staff make it difficult for students to thrive. Hailey and fellow candidate Dayna Jackson-Miles, an ESOL teacher, stressed that consistent leadership and teaching staff are essential for student success.
“We’ve seen multiple principals at Metz in just a short time, and it’s affecting both the students and the teachers,” Jackson-Miles said. “When teachers leave, it’s the students who suffer the most.”
Former teacher and school board candidate Allie Forkell also highlighted teacher retention as a critical issue, saying, “When students see familiar faces and know what to expect, they perform better. Losing great staff weakens that support system.”
In addition to these ongoing challenges, the impact of virtual learning during the pandemic remains a concern, particularly regarding student performance. Although she did not attend the forum, current school board member Jill Spall shared her thoughts on how virtual instruction may have contributed to lower pass rates. In an email statement, Spall addressed how virtual learning, mainly through Virtual Virginia, played a role in Manassas schools’ declining Standards of Learning (SOL) scores.
“Elementary schools that utilized Virtual Virginia teachers for mathematics in 2023-24 saw declines in their pass rates and lower performance than those schools that had all in-person teachers,” Spall noted. “MCPS does not currently have any virtual teachers at the elementary, intermediate, or middle school level. There are no plans to utilize virtual teachers K-8 in the future. We are focused on recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers for our students.”
Robyn Williams, a current school board member running for city council, echoed concerns about the impact of the pandemic on learning, particularly for English learners. “The long closure during COVID-19 hurt our students, especially those in our large English learner population,” Williams said. “We didn’t get them back into classrooms soon enough, and now we’re struggling to make up for that lost time.”
As Manassas voters prepare to elect four new school board members in November, candidates are proposing solutions that include improving discipline, retaining experienced teachers, and addressing the gaps caused by the pandemic and virtual instruction.
“We need accountability in the classroom, stability among our teaching staff, and a focused effort to close the gaps created by the pandemic,” said Forkell. “Our students deserve nothing less.”
Election Day is November 5. Early voting is currently underway at the Registrar’s Office at City Hall.
