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Loudoun School Board votes against showing public commenters' faces in meeting video streams

T he Loudoun County School Board recently voted against showing the faces of public commenters on live video streams of board meetings.

The board used to show the people who spoke during public comment but decided to stop in 2021 following a meeting that devolved into shouting and arrests. It was the culmination of years of controversy in which parents on each side of seemingly every debate would routinely download video of their speeches and share them on social media.

Some board members want to show commenters again.

"Turning them back on, we can start to restore some of that trust and build back transparency," School Board Member Lauren Shernoff said.

One school board member said she doesn't want school board meetings to look like “The Jerry Springer Show.”

"I'm not interested in this being a political grandstanding, which has been happening a lot lately,” School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield said.

The school board voted 6-3 in favor of not showing public commenters’ faces but allowing their audio and closed captioning.

Parent and former School Board Member Tiffany Polifko said the public has a right to be seen when addressing the board.

“Dehumanizing and disrespecting the people who put you in your seats whether you agree with them or you disagree with them," she said.

Former President Donald Trump addressed Loudoun County parents on his social media platform. While sharing an article from the Washington Examiner, Trump wrote, “If the wonderful parents of students in the Loudoun County School System would want to gather along the great Potomac River, at Trump National Golf Club, under the beautifully flying American Flag, for a gathering, or a meeting, there can be no more magnificent or significant place to do so, AS MY GUEST! Just let my Club Manager, Trent, know when. Have fun. SAVE THE STUDENTS!!!”

Trump did not publicly comment on the issue of public comment.

The Loudoun County School Board asked a committee to review public comment policies, and that committee has said it has no intention to change any other aspect of public comment, though there's been a lot of discussion about whether to further limit time or topic to speed things along.

"When public comment lasts for hours and decisions are made at midnight, the work of the School Board is not accessible to citizens," School Board Member April Chandler said.

Loudoun County Public Schools has pressing concerns, including budget shortfalls, issues with school start times because the district doesn't have enough bus drivers, and teacher and staffing shortages.

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Loudoun Co. proposes 16 delayed-start days next year to allow teachers to meet training requirements

Scott Gelman | [email protected]

May 15, 2024, 4:33 AM

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Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia is considering adding 16 delayed-start days to the calendar for the 2024-25 school year, as part of a plan to give teachers more time to complete critical trainings.

The proposal, which Superintendent Aaron Spence presented to the school board Tuesday night, is the result of new standards covering several subject areas getting implemented at the same time.

Under the plan, the school district would have teachers start their days at the regular time, but students would arrive two hours late. That would happen roughly two days per month, Spence said.

The county has three professional development days already included in next year’s calendar, but Spence said he’s concerned those days wouldn’t provide enough time for the district’s teachers to finish all the trainings.

The Virginia Literacy Act requires up to 27 hours of required trainings for K-8 teachers, according to school board documents. The Virginia Department of Education has also approved new math and English Standards of Learning, which will be implemented next school year.

Teachers usually take part in a variety of trainings. Some are required by state law, some are required by the state education department, and others are either required or recommended by the school district.

Spence said Loudoun County is scaling back some of its countywide training modules to make sure educators have enough time to catch up on others.

“In my entire career in education in Virginia, I have never quite seen so many expectations placed on school divisions at one time to deliver on with our teachers and prepare our teachers for,” he said.

Spence said the state hasn’t yet provided guidance on how to address those concerns. In a statement, VDOE said it’s helping school divisions prepare for the new standards by putting together “its most extensive ever summer training schedule.” It said training for implementing the Virginia Literacy Act has been ongoing for several months.

“VDOE is committed to making sure that every school division has the information and expertise they need to successfully implement these improved standards,” the statement said.

Before recommending the delayed start days — which are still subject to school board approval — the county considered offering early release for all students. However, that would have impacted after-school activities, Spence said.

Leaders also considered adding contractual days for teachers, but found that would have had a significant budget impact, and they said they thought about using unassigned days but believed that time is already used for other planning and training.

As part of the delayed-start option, Spence said the district is considering what child care options it could make available for families on late start days. That may look like students getting dropped off and being supervised by staff members other than their teachers to start the day.

“We feel like, for a variety of reasons, that gives us the best possible opportunity to be providing that professional learning for our teachers while also minimizing the amount of disruption to our instructional program,” Spence said. “We also think it’s likely to be the best solution for parents.”

When standards change, Spence said teachers have to learn the new standards and any changes from the old standards. They also have to review class materials, to make sure they cover the changes.

The situation is unique, he said, because school divisions usually get a year before the standards are implemented to review their materials and prepare for any changes.

Initially when new standards are used, Spence said there’s a drop in test scores, “because teachers and students and everybody are getting ready and trying to understand what those new standards are.”

“When we’re being pushed forward as quickly as we are here with these new standards, I’m concerned that will happen at an even higher rate,” Spence added.

Spence said he expects other school divisions are thinking about the challenges in the same way. But spokespeople for Arlington and Fairfax County Public Schools said those districts aren’t considering changes to their calendars to allow for more planning time.

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Scott Gelman is a digital editor and writer for WTOP. A South Florida native, Scott graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019. During his time in College Park, he worked for The Diamondback, the school’s student newspaper.

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Loudoun considers delayed-start days to give teachers training time

The proposal comes in response to an increase in state-required teacher trainings.

Loudoun County schools is considering delaying the start of classes by two hours on some days in the next academic year to help free up time to offer training for new teaching standards required by the state.

The 16 delayed start days would be spread out throughout the year. Dismissal would occur at the same time, district leaders said, meaning students could lose about 32 hours of classroom instruction over the year.

The recommendation — which must be approved by Loudoun’s school board — comes as school districts around the state work to implement the Virginia Literacy Act, along with new math and English standards next school year.

Chief Academic Officer Ashley Ellis said at Tuesday’s school board meeting that the new standards are important and “will positively impact our students’ learning, experiences and our schools” if implemented thoughtfully.

“The challenge is that there simply is not enough time for our educators to realistically accomplish all of these requirements we are being asked to do,” Ellis said.

The proposed calendar includes about two delayed-start days every month from September through May, with none in December.

Superintendent Aaron Spence said the district looked at a number of options, including early-release days and adding paid teacher training days, but decided that a delayed start would be the most cost-efficient option to accommodate parents and allow students to still participate in after-school athletics and programming.

If the calendar is adopted, the district will work with parents to develop plans for child care, transportation and meals.

Spence said implementing the Virginia Literacy Act, which aims to boost early-literacy outcomes, will add about 27 hours of training for teachers in grades K-8. The state is also rolling out new math and English standards that will require additional training to implement the updated curriculum. LCPS also has division-wide required and recommended trainings that it is looking to scale back on to accommodate the new state trainings.

“We have a lot on our plate,” Spence told reporters this week.

At a virtual news conference, Spence emphasized he was not opposed to the initiatives from the state, but worries about being able to deliver on the high expectations and properly prepare students according to the new standards. Spence said he’s never seen so many new training expectations placed on educators at one time.

The state Board of Education approved new math standards last year on an expedited timeline, removing a “crosswalk” year that typically would allow teachers to train and learn the new standards before students are taught and tested on the new curriculum. This time, teachers will be learning and teaching — and students will be tested on — the new content all during the 2024-2025 school year. Math coordinators and stakeholders had warned that the shortened timeline would be challenging for educators to implement.

Spence said it’s already common for test scores to drop when new standards are introduced because everybody is getting adjusted, including teachers. He said he wants to make sure teachers have the time to make sure students are properly prepared.

A spokesman for the Virginia Department of Education said in an email that to help teachers and staff implement the new math and English standards, the department has put in place its most extensive ever summer training schedule.

“VDOE is committed to making sure that every school division has the information and expertise they need to successfully implement these improved standards,” the email read.

Scott Brabrand, executive director of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, said districts around the state will face similar time constraints and challenges as they work to implement the standards. He said it is “a lot at once” from the state, and noted Loudoun could be a potential model for other school districts as they try to balance the needs of teachers.

“The standards are good. It’s good work, but we need the time to do the work,” Brabrand said. “Loudoun is trying to creatively solve a real challenge.”

Loudoun Co. parent says she's getting more threats after speaking at school board meeting

by Nick Minock

ASHBURN, Va. (7News) — The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is investigating threats made against a Loudoun County resident who has been outspoken at school board meetings.

“I have been threatened with a violent, violent crime and a hate crime,” said Elicia Brand, a Loudoun County parent.

Brand said she received nearly 100 phone calls and voicemails last weekend. She said some of the voicemails she has received include death threats.

“They’re threatening to curb stomp me,” said Brand, who is a Jewish woman. “Curb stomping is one of the most violent ways to kill somebody. It’s what the Nazis did to the Jews when they did not want to waste a bullet on them. This is terrible. This is very violent. It ends in death. It's a death threat.”

Brand showed 7News some of the voicemails. A man is heard referencing curb stomping and Nazis in the messages.

“They played music in the background [of the voicemails] talking about ‘don't poke the hornet's nest,” added Brand. “So, it's very intimidating. It's intimidation, it's harassment, it’s threats, and it's stalking. And this is a question of our First Amendment rights. We should be allowed to talk to our government. We should be allowed to say whatever we want as long as it's within the boundaries of being civil and not threatening. All I did was petition my government to ensure excellence in education, school safety, and parental rights.”

READ | Virginia AG reviewing Loudoun Love Warriors discussion on 'forged signatures'

The phone calls happened days after 7News exposed how some members of the Loudoun Love Warriors Facebook group made threatening comments towards Brand and another Loudoun County resident who has spoken at school board meetings.

A woman in the Loudoun Love Warrior’s Facebook group made a comment about curb stomping Brand.

Brand is not accusing any members of the Loudoun Love Warriors group, or any elected official and candidate, of leaving her the most recent threatening messages.

“I'm not going to accuse the other side of being the ones that are doing this because that would not be fair,” said Brand. “And I like to believe that I have a lot of integrity and I am very thoughtful and I'm not going to do that to them.”

ALSO READ | Virginia AG is monitoring Loudoun Love Warriors 'very closely' as investigation continues

7News’ exclusive reporting got the attention of some members of Congress who asked the U.S. Secretary of Education about the threats in a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

“Would you support an investigation into this?” U.S. Rep. Bob Good asked Secretary Miguel Cardona on Tuesday.

“If a complaint toward our office for civil rights was filed, I would.”

RELATED | 'It's shocking'| Youngkin responds to Loudoun Love Warriors' threats against community

The “Loudoun Love Warriors” group includes people who appear to be associated with Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj, County Supervisor Juli Briskman, School Board Chair Ian Serotkin, school board member Brenda Sheridan, school board member Atoosa Reaser, school board member Erika Ogedegbe, school board candidate Anne Donohue, sheriff candidate Craig Buckley, Loudoun County Supervisor Candidate Puja Khanna and County Chair Phyllis Randall. None of these elected officials personally made any threats.

Chair Randall and Supervisor Briskman released public statements criticizing 7News’ reporting.

Randall and Briskman demanded a retraction of the story and an apology. Randall wrote the story is “literally fabricated.”

It’s true, as 7News has reported, that Randall and Briskman appear to be associated with some members of the Loudoun Love Warriors Facebook group.

READ THIS | Loudoun County sheriff investigates threats made in 'Loudoun Love Warriors' Facebook group

A man who made comments in the Loudoun Love Warriors Facebook group, that alarmed some Loudoun County residents, was pictured with Randall on his Facebook page this year. The man wrote he was happy to call Randall his friend and family. In a separate photo on Facebook, the same man is pictured sitting in Randall’s chair in the Loudoun County Board of Supervisor meeting room. It’s a relationship that appears to go back to 2016. In 2016, Randall told the Washington Post, “You could just feel the anger radiating off him. I thought, ‘I need to talk to this young man,’ because that kind of anger can go in either direction.”

The man later responded to Randall's statement saying, "I met Chair Randall at a vigil for a slain friend," he told 7News in a statement. "YES, I was mad, I still am. She was a victim of domestic violence but NO, I was not about to hurt anyone. I DID work towards positive community engagement after that for years though."

Randall has ties to other members of the Loudoun Love Warriors group, including someone who did work for her campaign, according to campaign finance reports.

Briskman appears to be friends with Heather Gottlieb, a self-proclaimed member of the Loudoun Love Warriors group. Briskman has taken a selfie with Gottlieb and Loudoun County School Board member Atoosa Reaser.

Gottlieb has admitted to emailing people’s employers. As 7News reported, members of the Loudoun Love Warriors have disused ways to get people fired from their jobs.

In March, Briskman organized a rally with some members of the Loudoun Love Warriors group. And in a text to 7News, a member of the Loudoun Love Warrior group appeared to speak on Briskman’s behalf when the event was canceled.

MORE | 'It's appalling': Officials react to learning Cornerstone Chapel was on Loudoun 'hit list'

It appears Briskman nominated a member of the Loudoun Love Warriors’ group to a county commission.

It also appears that Randall and Briskman have “liked” photos of a member of the Loudoun Love Warrior’s group on Facebook. This member of the Loudoun Love Warrior’s group made a comment about curb stomping Brand. And this member of the Loudoun Love Warrior’s group appears to have developed a list that allegedly targets more than 100 people, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, Cornerstone Chapel Church and the church’s school that is expected to open this year, according to a whistleblower.

“And Phyllis, who represents me as a chairman of the board of supervisors never called to say ‘Hey, I am so sorry’. She did the opposite. She likes [name of the person who made a curb stomping comment towards Brand] Facebook pages,” said Brand.

Brand said she’s disappointed that Randall and Briskman are calling 7News' reporting “false.”

ALSO RELATED | Loudoun social media group, some allegedly tied to elected officials, threaten residents

“We're victims,” said Brand. “My family has been victimized by this. We have had the police here sitting in front of our homes, we had to invest in cameras. I'm afraid every time I go somewhere now because these threats, they’re real. They're not fabricated. The police are investigating. There have been search warrants issued. There will be protective orders issued. And Sheriff Chapman would not do any of that if it was not legitimate. This is legitimate. And the fact that Juli Briskman, Buta Biberaj, and Phyllis Randall turn their back[s]on a victim, it's soul-crushing when someone's threatened like this, especially Phyllis Randall who has a background in mental health. Put aside your political differences and call the person. I'm a community member. I'm a constituent. I've been threatened with a violent crime and a hate crime.”

7News offered interviews, on more than eight separate occasions, to Biberaj, Randall, Briskman, Ogedegbe, Reaser, Sheridan, Serotkin, Donohue, Buckley, and Khanna as of May 19, 2023.

Donohue, Buckley, and Biberaj have not yet agreed to a time for an interview with 7News.

Meanwhile, Randall, Briskman, Reaser, and Ogedegbe have refused to do an interview with 7News about their relationships with members of the Loudoun Love Warrior Facebook group. Ogedegbe said she was a member of the group but left after her election and before threats were made. Ogedegbe also added people to the Facebook group, according to screenshots obtained from a whistleblower in the group.

Sheridan and Serotkin have not responded to 7News’s interview request.

Khanna has not responded to 7News’s interview request. Khanna appears to have also been a member of the Loudoun Love Warrior’s Facebook group when the threats were made.

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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has announced several significant changes and new initiatives for the 2024-2025 school year.

Rock Ridge Director of School Counseling Earns Award for Promoting Equal Access to Higher Education

Kevin Terry, director of school counseling at Rock Ridge High School, received the John “Jack” A. Blackburn Award for Ethics in College Admissions from the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling.

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Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is one of 13 K-12 school districts nationwide to be celebrated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for their accomplishments in improving air quality at Aldie Elementary and also improving the school’s energy efficiency and eliminating on-site dependence on fossil fuels.

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Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) recognized eight employees as Operations Employees of the Year at the May 14 School Board meeting.

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The Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee (MSAAC) held its annual MSAAC awards ceremony on Saturday, April 27, at the Historic Frederick Douglass High School.

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The Potomac Falls High School yearbook, “The Legacy,” was selected as one of the National Scholastic Press Association’s 27 scholastic yearbook Pacemaker winners.

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