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Stafford draws a line on CRT, puts schools on notice

Published September 22, 2021 at 2:59PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:43AM

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution regarding their stance on the teaching or usage of Critical Race Theory, The 1619 Project, and teachers asking students for their preferred personal pronouns.

They're against all of it.

Furthermore, the Board resolved to review all funding requests from the School Board and deny anything remotely linked to teaching CRT. The motion harkens back to when the Board of Supervisors -- the taxing authority that provides most of the school divisions' budget -- categorically fund items like new classrooms, which it deems essential.

"There's nothing on this resolution that says we are going to defund schools," said Hartwood District Supervisor Gary Snellings. "This resolution does not eliminate anything."

Snellings, who served four terms on the Board of Supervisors over the past 20 years and will retire on December 31, said he'd been called a racist over the resolution. "I resent it," Snellings said of the comments.

The motion passed unanimously, with Garrisonville District Supervisor Tinesha Allen absent from the meeting.

The resolution's got its start in May when Snellings reported receiving several e-mails from constituents complaining about their children being exposed to Critical Race Theory and being asked about their pronouns -- teachers asking children if they want to be referred to as girl or boy.

When Snellings emailed his School Board District's representative on the matter and received no response, he said. He said that George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen did the same thing with the School Board rep and learned from her that she didn't know if CRT was being taught in the county school system.

Two weeks ago, the Board questioned Stafford County Schools Interim Supervisor Dr. Stanley B. Jones, asking him if CRT or the lesson plans from the 1619 Project -- a project to from the New York Times that teaches "America wasn't a democracy until black Americans made it one," and "American Capitalism is brutal.," and "You can trace that to the plantation" -- were being taught as part of the county's curriculum.

Jones denied CRT being taught in the county schools and told the Supervisors the division was focused on helping students who fell behind during virtual education during the pandemic.

Multiple residents spoke both for and against the resolution before the vote. Few could agree on a CRT definition -- a decades-old academic framework examining how race and racism influence politics, culture, and law.

Supervisor Coen, a Stafford County public school teacher, spoke about the theory's nuanced nature, saying that it could be confused with talking about aspects of American history that should be discussed.

"There are things that should be discussed in history class, slavery, Jim Crow Laws, stop and frisk, that have affected many minorities negatively. And there are some that would see some aspects of this as Critical Race Theory. I know a teacher who is versed in CRT, and he wouldn't teach a class on it because he feels he wouldn't be able to explain it properly," said Coen.

Before Tuesday's vote, members of the county School Board urged Supervisors not to pass the resolution. When it comes to the subject matter that is being taught, requiring school administrators to police teachers would create a toxic work environment, said Falmouth District representative Dr. Sarah Chase.

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Hylton to require full coronavirus vax or negative test result to attend shows

By Uriah Kiser

Published September 21, 2021 at 3:54PM

The Hylton Performing Arts Center outside Manassas.

Want to see a show at the Hylton Performing Arts Center near Manassas?

In addition to your tickets, you’re going to need to show proof of coronavirus vaccination, show a photo ID that matches the vaccination card, and show a negative coronavirus test at the door.

Police to host community fair at government center

By Potomac Local News

Published September 21, 2021 at 3:42PM | Updated April 19, 2022 at 4:08PM

The James McCoart Building at the Prince William County Government Center. [Photo by Uriah Kiser/Potomac Local News]

The Prince William County Police Department will host a community fair on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, to showcase the many facets of police work in the county with displays, fun activities, appointments with a recruiter, and pet adoptions.

Newsham became the county’s fifth police chief in January, after serving as the top cop on Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department.

Superhero songwriter ‘Captain Ambivalent’ to sing

By Rick Horner

Published September 21, 2021 at 1:58PM

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a superhero with an accordion?

That satirical songwriting superhero Captain Ambivalent has left his fortress of nerditude in Valparaiso, Indiana to bring his brand of silly songs to Fredericksburg.

The good captain is coming off the release of his fourth album “Songs for Short Attention Spans” and will be playing at the Fredericksburg Recreation Center on William Street on September 28.

The captain, whose real name is, Dan Biemer, began his quest by trading in a 20-year career as a paralegal for a golden cape, a pair of sparkling boots, and an accordion which took him to such strange new worlds such as the Dr. Demento Radio Show, GenCon, and America’s Got Talent.

After receiving word about his upcoming appearance, Potomac Local News spoke with the good captain about his alter ego and what inspired him to be a comedy singing accordionist.

PLN: So what made you decide to go out on tour?

CA: This year I decided to branch out and do a tour, granted this was back in January when it was much safer but I’m still looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity and there’s some risk associated but I think it’s worth it.

PLN: Like any good superhero you must have an origin story, could you tell us that story?

CA: I needed to deal with a load of childhood trauma and I enjoyed writing funny songs but I couldn’t get a band. I had an accordion that I got from my great aunt and not everyone was doing it. I took on the identity of Captain Ambivalent and became your everyday, average superhero with an accordion.

PLN: What attracted you to the world of comedy music?

CA: From a pretty young age, I have liked musical comedians like Spike Jones which I got from my parents. So I leaned in that direction. I’ve tried to write other songs but my talents lay in funny songs.

PLN: What is it about the accordion that is attractive to not just comedy music, but people who write happy songs as well?

CA: The accordion is very common in French music, it produces very melancholy music, it’s portable, it’s easy to sing with, and the structure lends itself to an upbeat feel. It sounds bouncy which to me means happy. I have some slow songs but when I play it's pretty upbeat.

PLN: With the recent pandemic many musicians had to adapt to the situation when it comes to their performances, did you have to go through anything similar at that time?

CA: I quickly found out that my internet service was not good for live-streaming so I went hog wild on a one-man recorded show. I will also perform at the Keybank Rochester Fringe Festival in New York which will be from September 14 to October 9. The festival has both live and virtual performances. Aside from that, I tried to increase my skills, I got some online coaching on booking, social media, and just leveled up just leveling up my abilities.

PLN: What should people expect to see when they come to see you play?

CA: Be prepared to see a very imposing figure in sparkling gold boots and a cape with a shiny gold accordion, unlike anything you’ve experienced. Be prepared to have fun, hear some over-the-top, nerdy songs, and forget what’s going on in the world for a few minutes.

Captain Ambivalent will perform at the Fredericksburg Recreation Center at 213 William Street in Downtown Fredericksburg on Sept. 28 from 7 pm to 9 pm.

Manassas City School Board Chairman to resign

By Rick Horner

Published September 21, 2021 at 1:47PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:43AM

Wiliams

After serving on the Manassas City School Board since July 2010, Chairman Sanford S. Williams will resign when his term ends December 31.

Williams made his announcement during board comment time at the city school board's regular meeting. Williams thanked the Manassas community for allowing him to serve and stated that his decision comes from wanting to spend more time with family.

In retirement, he'll spend more time with his daughters who live in California.

"I'd like to thank the community for allowing me to serve. It's a pleasure and an honor to serve. It's not easy, but it's a pleasure to serve, so thank you for that," said Williams.

Williams's departure from the board comes soon after Scott Albrecht, who stepped down a year earlier after serving on the school board for 20 years.

As chairman, Williams oversaw the implementation of new anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion policy which calls for hiring more teachers based on race, to not just narrow, but to eliminate the achievement gap between high and low achieving students and to create a new curriculum that incorporates "the contributions of diverse cultural groups."

According to school officials, the school division would spend three years working to achieve these goals.

While white students make up less than 20 percent of the student body in Manassas City, they do outperform other historically underrepresented groups such as Hispanics, African-Americans, Native Americans, and others on state assessments.

Members of the public were also critical of the board's new policies, such as the only metric used to study performance was by race and left out other metrics like zip codes or class.

While Williams plans to stay until the end of his term, he announced he wouldn't be present for the next school board meeting, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 11.

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Police blotter: Man charged with assault after picking up board

By Uriah Kiser

Published September 21, 2021 at 12:36PM

A Stafford County Sheriff's' patrol car.

From the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office:

Man, 21 charged after brandishing board during an argument

Volunteers needed during fall festival season

By Press Release

Published September 21, 2021 at 6:00AM

By Volunteer Prince William

Greetings, Prince William – Historic Manassas, Inc. is preparing for the 38th Annual Fall Jubilee on October 2, and volunteers age 16+ are needed for various jobs from 7 am to 6:30 pm. Duties include set up, check-in performers, be a floater, and help tear down/clean up. It’s a fun-filled day of arts, crafts, good food, and good music, perfect if you need service hours! Please visit 38th Fall Jubilee 2021: Volunteer Sign Up Form (jotform.com) to sign up. Questions? Please email [email protected] to learn more.

Resolution would withhold school funding over CRT

By Rick Horner

Published September 20, 2021 at 10:17PM | Updated June 28, 2022 at 11:43AM

Stafford County leaders intend to send a message to its public school division: CRT won't be tolerated.

The Board of Supervisors will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday to vote on a resolution that would allow it to withhold funding from the school division if it learns instructors are teaching Critical Race Theory -- a decades-old academic framework examining how race and racism influence politics, culture, and law.

CRT has become a hot-button issue at School Board meetings both locally and across the nation, where liberals and conservatives demand teachers across all subjects stop developing lesson plans focused on race. The practice divides children into ethnic groups, they say.

Leaders also threatened to withhold funding if it learns teachers are asking students to identify by their preferred pronouns. Earlier this year, the Virginia Supreme Court ordered Loudoun County Public Schools to reinstate P.E. teacher Tanner Cross after he was suspended for refusing to identify students by their preferred pronouns.

"...the Board has received numerous communications from parents, students, and concerned constituents regarding students of Stafford County Public Schools being requested to identify their chosen pronouns," the resolution states.

Two weeks ago, Stafford County Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Stanley Jones was questioned by Supervisors over CRT, and Jones assured Supervisors CRT was not being taught in county schools. Moreover, the CRT discussion is taking away from the bigger issue at hand: help students catch up on their studies after a lackluster 18-months of virtual learning during the pandemic.

In light of the pressing resolution, Falmouth District School Board Member Dr. Sarah Chase expressed her dismay.

"In my opinion, it indicated a lack of trust in our interim superintendent and this board. It reminds me of a resolution that was passed less than three years ago threatening the school board with a loss of funding if we didn't put a trailer at Hartwood Elementary School," said Chase.

Chase invoked a past decision by the Board of Supervisors to categorically fund the school division when it tied funding to the placement of a trailer classroom at Hartwood Elementary School. Each year, Supervisors set the county tax rate and provide the majority of the school division's funding.

Additionally, policing teachers for CRT would create a toxic work environment that could hamper the county's efforts to retain teachers, added Chase.

"The proposed resolution has the potential to make our work environment toxic, especially for teachers of color. Many of our teachers are anxious about COVID and they're having to juggle students in the classroom and students that are quarantined. Now we are having to add the stressor of having to monitor what they say in case it is misconstrued as Critical Race Theory," said Chase.

Recently, both the Board of Supervisors and and School Board worked collaboratilvey to fund the schools needs. In 2019, the two elected bodies worked purchase the buidlng now home to North Star Early Childhood Education Center in North Stafford (formerly the Fredericksburg Christian Academy), the replacing Anne E. Moncure Elementary School the same year.

The renovation of Ferry Farm Elementary School, the establishment of the fire and rescue program, helping with the purchase of tech at the start of the pandemic, more recently helping to fund more competitive salaries for bus drivers to help with the transportation issues, Chase also cite as other instance of collaboration between both elected bodies.

Griffis-Widewater District School Board member Dr. Elizabeth Warner and echoed the words of Jones, who had stated at the Board of Supervisors meeting that CRT was a law school course that isn't taught in Stafford County Schools.

"Equity is not Critical Race Theory. Equity is about making sure all students have what they need so that they can reach their full potential. That is what I see as our job," said Dr. Warner. "I'm concerned when the [Board of Supervisors] threatens our funding over a ghost, something we don't teach, that they don't know how to explain or identify but they're certain is there."