Candidate Profile: Loree Williams For School Board

WOODBRIDGE, VA — Loree Williams represents the Woodbridge district on the Prince William County School Board. She is running for reelection in November.

This year, Williams is being challenged by Jaylen Custis and Shantell Rock.

Patch sent the following questionnaire to Williams, Custis, and Rock to help voters make more informed choices on Election Day.

Name

Loree Y. Williams

Age

46

Town of Residence

Woodbridge

Position Sought

Woodbridge District School Board

Party affiliation

Democrat

Family? Names, ages and any other pertinent details you wish to share

2 sons- 1 adult PWCS graduate, 1 elementary age

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education Level

College Degree

Occupation, including employer and years of experience

Administrator, Avantor Science, over 20 years of C-Suite Support

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Woodbridge District School Board

Campaign website

www.friendsofloreeywilliams.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Woodbridge District School Board [sic.]

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

School safety and learning recovery are the top issues facing As a Board member, I have advocated and voted for the installation of new security screeners, updates to security protocols, and additional funding for security officers in every school. I will continue to work collaboratively with my fellow board members and the Superintendent to ensure staff and student safety. I am committed to working with the Superintendent to ensure that the needs of students are met for learning recovery. I support the PWCS learning recovery plan which was introduced last year and expect the state's current plan to also be implemented in the School Division.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to recent issues (i.e. the pandemic)? What if anything would you have done differently?

Local officials were very responsive to the community during the pandemic. As a local official, I held many virtual sessions to listen to my community and respond accordingly. This was extremely challenging as all officials had to govern through the unknown with sometimes daily changes to regulations. The Board of County Supervisors as well as the School Board were able to come together to support the needs of the school community with additional funding and resources. The School Board voted to open schools on day one to the most in need and continued to roll in students throughout the year. Prince William was the first to do so in the Northern Virginia area.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Experience in public service is the primary difference. I have led a life of public service and giving back to my community is a generational family value. During my time in office, I have kept my promises and pledge to continue. I ran on increasing teacher pay which I have voted in favor of every year. This past term salary has increased an average of 24% for teachers depending on where staff is located on the pay scale. I have increased student voice by adding Student Representatives to the School Board. In addition, worked to stand up the Office of the Ombudsman to ensure that both Prince William County School Families and Staff have a nonbiased place to address issues. The Woodbridge District will be home to a brand new green elementary school, which will be the first new elementary school in over a decade. My ability to work collaboratively with my counterparts on both the local and state levels has led to increased communication and greater funding for our school division. My track record of fighting for and bringing equity for all in our schools is unparalleled. I am a product of Prince William Schools, first generation college graduate, because of the partnership of PWCS with George Mason University's Early Identification Program. A program I have advocated in our division to date. I have been an active parent participating in our school division, which has allowed me to keep pace with ongoing changes from a parent perspective in the Division's day-to-day operations because of this I am able to utilize this lens to contribute to my view as a School Board member.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The focus on equity for all is a major issue for my campaign platform. All students, no matter their background, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, or race deserve a quality education with equal access to opportunities in a safe learning environment.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In my role as a School Board member, I have contributed by bringing equity to all levels of the division from the school budget to creating the Office of the Chief Equity Officer. In addition, I have accomplished the following:
- advocated for equity in budgeting and operations of the School Division
- creation of Student Representatives to the Board,
-additional funding for e-sports
-created the Office of Ombudsman
-Voted to increase salaries every year in office
-Updated Non-Discrimination policy for PWCS and Governor's School at Innovation Park
- Served on Governor's School at Innovation Park - current Vice Chair
-Advocated for updates to the Gifted Program to include retraining and push-in at elementary levels
-Contributed to the decrease of the school-to-prison pipeline by working with state legislators to change laws and policies as well as eliminate student activity restriction for lunch and library debit
- First new elementary in Woodbridge District in decades and rebuild of Kilby Elementary
- Served on the Joint CIP Committee with PWC
- Serving on the Racial and Social Justice Committee
- Championed the new A.I. Evolv Security Screeners
- Worked with community groups to meet the needs of the community
-Held Town hall to educate the community on Culturally Responsive Instruction
- Advocated for Student Signing Day for CTE and workforce students
-Advocated for the expansion of CTE programming for all students
These are the major highlights of contributions made during my tenure.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Have patience as change takes time but do not give up the goal.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am dedicated to my passion for being an effective School Board member. My love of public service and policy is unmatched. I promise to serve my community by actively listening and continuously education myself on issues pertaining to school board service.

See also:

• Candidate Profile: Jaylen Custis For Woodbridge School Board