School Board member Sara Brescia proposes reverting to the division's 2019 grading policy, a traditional zero-to-100% system. If a student didn't hand in an assignment, they received an "incomplete" grade. Kindergarten to 4th-grade students couldn't receive less than a 50% score for any assignment.
Under the current policy in place, since officials ordered school buildings shuttered due to the coronavirus, teachers cannot grade an assignment or test less than 50% even if a student never attempts it or hands it in. No teacher may impose a deadline on any assignment earlier than the end of the quarter, and students are guaranteed a make-up for full credit on all tests and assignments.
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These words encapsulate exactly why the board chamber was FULL of residents for the July 11 vote on Resolution 23-365. Over 1,000 residents – from across the county – wrote to the board in support of that resolution – 908 petitioned via click-to-send email, and more than 100 others sent personal email messages. More than 100 also spoke at the meeting in favor of the resolution.
Mary Ann Ghadban, instigator of the Digital Gateway data center corridor application and Pageland Lane homeowner, wrote and published those statements in multiple local newspapers on the day of the board’s vote. Her group is exactly one that should NOT be given preferential treatment by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors with their votes.
These words explain why Ann Wheeler already knows after the primary election results that she won’t be on the dais come January.
These words encapsulate the choices voters made this past February and June, when Bob Weir was made Supervisor of the Gainesville district, and Deshundra Jefferson and Jeanine Lawson won their respective primaries for the Board Chair seat.
These words foretell how county voters will choose their board of supervisor representatives in the November election.
These words also explain exactly why Resolution 23-365, for a vote moratorium on controversial land-use cases during the lame-duck period after the November election until new board members take their seats, is the right thing for all county residents.
By defeating this resolution, already-lame-duck Chair Wheeler, and current Supervisors Boddye, Bailey, Franklin, and Angry showed us that they want to push more damaging and controversial land use decisions before they are stopped by the will of the people county-wide. They intend to continue to choose for the benefit of one group wanting to industrialize and urbanize the entire county.
With their vote on July 11, they have proven they support one select group.
Across the county, we will make our own choices to seal the fate of this board; and to protect our fates and the futures of our children.
Karen Sheehan
Gainesville District
Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].
The Manassas City Council unanimously approved a franchise agreement with Avports, LLC, to bring commercial passenger jet service to the city's regional airport.Â
"We have to be ready for growth, for the businesses that want to locate here, and for the businesses that are already here," said Mayor Michelle Davis Younger.
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The Manassas City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. today, Monday, July 24, 2023, to decide whether or not to allow commerce airline service from the city's regional airport.
The jets would carry nearly 200 passengers and fly to destinations, including Florida, providing new options for travelers headed to and from the Washington, D.C. area. As many as 30 flights a day could operate from the airport, which is already Virginia's largest general aviation airport.
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On Saturdays, OmniRide will expand its local bus and transit services in western Prince William County.
The OmniRide Commission voted unanimously on Thursday, July 13, 2023, to expand local services to the area for the first time. Those services include OmniRide local bus routes 65N and 67, which travel between Manassas Mall and the Northern Virginia Community College Manassas Campus.
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The Dumfries Town Council approved a request to add more video slot machines at Rosies Gaming Emporium.
During a July 11, 2023 meeting, the town council allowed the gaming parlor to add ten more machines, for a total of 170.
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My interns, Amelia Breeden and Madina Habib of Osbourn High School and Jacqueline Vontersch of Elon University, a Woodbridge native, joined me at the ribbon cutting of RapidFlight. The firm uses 3-D printers to make unmanned aerial drones and announced a $5 million expansion, adding more than 100 new employees.
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Ongoing power outages have plagued residents over the past few months. The electrical substation at Battery Heights on Liberia Avenue, one of four in the city, is offline.
The three other substations are carrying the load. Diane Bergeron, Finance Director for the city, told the council it wouldn't be sustainable to continue to operate on only three. Meanwhile, the city found a transformer in Pennsylvania and hopes to deliver it by July 27, potentially operational by August 1.
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The July 17, 2023, letter to the editor seems to assert that because I do not agree with policies that some constituents put forward, I am being uncivil. Civility has to do with the way we communicate and treat each other as people, not our policies.Â
For those who have watched the Board of County Supervisors meetings, it will be recognized that I have almost always acted civilly to staff and public speakers. I say almost because there was one instance when a public speaker put up a picture of me that included my daughter, and that crossed a line for me, which I hope is relatable to every parent out there.
I do not believe the families of elected officials should be brought into the conversation at any level, and that picture drew a reaction from me. Otherwise, I have always tried to keep decorum in the Chambers no matter my stance on a policy.Â
People often ask why I am not bothered but some of the personal attacks that people say at public comment time or in print. It’s because I believe they are not really taking issue with me; they object to either my policies or my politics, or sometimes both.Â
Please know that when opposition to a policy fails to gain ground, a group will try to find fault with the process, and when they fail in an effort to discredit the process, they resort to attacking the person. It’s inevitable, as shown by the personal attacks which have happened often over the last three and a half years.
I try to keep our board meetings as civil as possible while the personal and political attacks continue. I recognize this is where our nation is now, not just our community. I believe it needs to change, as I mentioned in my forward to The Wheeler Report (my weekly newsletter with a 60% open rate and distribution to over 3,000 residents), which stated:
“Promoting respectful and constructive political discourse is the responsibility of everyone within the community, myself included. There are ways in which we can all contribute to creating a culture in which changes to policy don’t lead to abusive language and incivility aimed at elected officials and our neighbors in the community. To do this we must engage in political discussions with respect and refrain from personal attacks. Focus on the issues and treat others’ opinions with courtesy, even if you disagree. Seek common ground and emphasize shared values to help build understanding and bridge divisions. Attentively listen to others’ viewpoints without interruption is key to fostering constructive dialogue. Fact-checking information before sharing it ensures accuracy and helps prevent the spread of misinformation.”
Civility is how we treat each other, not our disagreements over policy.
PS: I am honored to be included in any letter to the editor that finds me in league with former President Obama because it lets me know I am on the right side of history.
Ann Wheeler
Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair At-Large
Editors note: Ann Wheeler presides over the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, which manages the second-largest jurisdiction in Virginia. She was elected in 2019 and will complete her term on December 31, 2023, following a June 20, 2023 Primary Election loss.
Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].
Gov. Glenn Yongkin (R) came to Piney Branch Elementary School in Bristow to talk to parents about social media's dangers to children, learning loss after the pandemic, and the need for more mental health services for all residents.
Youngkin sat in front of a crowd of more than 200 parents for his "Parents Matter" rally at the Prince William County School at 2 p.m. Tuesday. He reminded them that Virginia saw the worst learning-loss rates in the U.S. following government-mandated school closures ordered by his predecessor Ralph Northam.
