In November 2021, Alexandria voters will choose among 15 candidates for nine positions on the Alexandria City School Board. There are five candidates running for three seats in District A, which covers the eastern portion of Alexandria.
Click here to access profiles of candidates running in other districts in Alexandria, see the district map and learn more.
The following candidates are running for school board in District A. They are presented in alphabetical order by last name.
Willie F. Bailey, Sr.
Willie F. Bailey, Sr.
Bailey is no stranger to Alexandria. He is the product of Alexandria City Public Schools and served on Alexandria City Council from 2015 to 2018.
He’s also no stranger to service. He spent 21 years serving in the U.S. Army and has spent more than 30 years as a firefighter in Fairfax County where he is currently Deputy Fire Chief. Bailey founded the non-profit Firefighters & Friends to the Rescue, which works with local schools, shelters and churches to identify children in need and donates thousands of winter coats, backpacks and school supplies each year. In addition, he coaches and is involved with a number of other charities and organizations including Carpenter’s Shelter, Operation Warm, Toys for Tots and Alexandria Redevelopment Housing Authority (ARHA).
“I've been supporting the education of our community's children for decades, and I'm running for school board to ensure we do what's right for our kids,” Bailey told Alexandria Living Magazine. “What sets me apart the most as a candidate is that I will always do what's right for our students with a track record to prove it.”
Bailey said he if he is elected to the School Board he is committed to doing what is in the best interest of the those he represents including parents who have lost trust in ACPS over the past year and a half.
Bailey’s top priorities are:
- Safely navigate the COVID-19 situations and its impacts on students, parents and educators.
- Expand access to early education, develop mentorship programs, and close the achievement gap so all of our students have the chance to succeed.
- Prioritize addressing capacity issues to ensure our facilities keep pace with our growing student body.
- Fight to ensure our teachers and support staff receive fair compensation for all they do for our community.
When it comes to keep students and educators safe, Bailey said, “I'm committed to taking an evidence-based approach that relies on the guidance from the CDC and medical experts, and will do what is right for all stakeholders in our education system. As a health and safety officer I understand what it takes to keep our community safe.”
Ish Boyle
Aloysius “Ish” Boyle
Boyle has lived in Alexandria for more than a decade. His two sons are students in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and his wife was a Fairfax County Public Schools Teacher of the Year finalist.
Boyle served as a Marine for seven years and now works in cybersecurity. He has been on the board of the Travis Manion Foundation and Dog Tag Bakery.
According to Boyle, he will bring strong leadership, common sense and the ability to ask and address the hard questions if elected to the school board.
“I offer diversity of thought to the School Board, immense respect for teachers and administrators and the perspective of a parent who wants the very best education for his children and all children across Alexandria.”
Boyle said that some parents have expressed frustration and a loss of trust in ACPS leadership over the past year.
“Parents of ACPS students can trust me because I have a record — as a parent myself, a member of this community and as a Marine Corps and business leader — of serving with transparency, accountability and purpose.”
The top three issues for Boyle are:
- Improve academics. “We need to address the learning loss that occurred over the last 18 months, but also dig into how to improve academics across the board. We need to make sure that every learner is challenged and thriving and has access to differentiated courses.”
- Keep School Resource Officers (SROs). “I stand with our principals and administrators. We need to provide an atmosphere where our teachers and students are safe and can do their best.”
- Teacher retention. “We’ll never attract or retain the best talent to our schools if we can’t provide a safe and positive learning environment where teachers feel supported and empowered.”
The COVID-19 pandemic is a dominant topic in this school board election and Boyle said he supports following the law, social distancing and outside lunch. However, he believes that students should be able to get medical exemptions for mask wearing and that parents should have the option to pursue distance learning, if they have safety concerns.
“We can get through this pandemic safely together AND provide our students with a high quality education. Let’s tap into our community’s well of innovation, intelligence, and ability to problem solve, and collaborate for solutions that meet everyone’s needs,” Boyle said.
Deanna Ohlandt
Deanna M.R. “D” Ohlandt
dohlandtforalexandriaschools.com
Ohlandt is the parent of three ACPS students who attend Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology and is a long-time resident of the Lynhaven neighborhood.
“I also have experience with administration in educational and non-profit contexts, and I have specific experience training leadership teams in policy-based governance, which is the system of governance that the Alexandria City School Board is using,” Ohlandt told Alexandria Living Magazine.
Ohlandt knows first-hand what it has been like to navigate the unique challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to ACPS students and families. “As a School Board member I will advocate for clear communication and transparency in top-level decision-making.”
Ohlandt has four priorities if she is elected to the School Board:
- Give parents a voice on the school board.
- Promote clear and transparent communication with families, students and teachers about school division policies.
- Ensure equitable access to resources.
- Connect our communities to our schools and schools to our communities.
Ohlandt strongly supports keeping an in-person option for students as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and variants. At the same time, she supports making school buildings as safe as possible and following the most up to date guidelines to include wearing masks, social distancing, asymptomatic testing and clear quarantine procedures until all school aged children are eligible for the vaccine and transmission rates drop.
Michelle Rief
Michelle Rief (incumbent)
Rief has been on the School Board since 2018 and is a 15-year resident of Alexandria. Her three children attend public schools in Alexandria. She is a former college professor and education non-profit executive. She earned a Ph.D. in African American Studies and taught history and sociology at Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, and later at Northern Virginia Community College.
When asked why voters should re-elect her, Rief said, “I have worked hard to represent students, families and teachers while guiding our school systems through the pandemic. The crisis made clear the importance of leadership that is knowledgeable, trustworthy and responsive. I will continue to ask hard questions and push for workable solutions to the challenges that lie ahead.”
Rief plans to continue to prioritize communication and collaboration with families and the community.
Her top priorities are:
- Protect the health and safety of ACPS students and staff.
- Support the transition back to in-person learning for students and staff.
- Complete capital projects on time and on budget and ensure routine maintenance of existing school buildings.
Rief believes in following the guidelines provided by the CDC, Virginia Department of Health and Alexandria Health Department. This includes masking, promoting vaccination and physical distancing. “I believe that children learn best in person,” explained Rief, “but I support providing families with the option of virtual learning during a public health emergency.”
Jacinta Greene
Jacinta Greene (incumbent)
Greene is currently finishing her first term on the School Board and has lived in Alexandria since 2002. She started her own business as an independent market consultant and meeting planner after working 10 years in Corporate America.
When asked why she should be re-elected, Greene said, “I strongly believe every child in Alexandria deserves a high-quality education regardless of where they live, their family’s economic status, their race, ethnicity, gender or their unique learning traits.”
Her passion is advocacy for disadvantaged women, children and civil rights for all which she believes her record on the School Board demonstrates. She fought for equity in education for all students, increased pay and professional development for teachers and keeping long term custodial workers as ACPS employees instead of outsourcing.
She intends to continue to provide opportunities for parents, teachers, community members and students to engage in their home language, including during non-work hours and effectively communicating expectations for their child’s learning.
The top issues Greene is running on are:
- Closing the achievement gap which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which particularly impacted Latino, Black and students with disabilities.
- Create Community-powered schools by listening to the voices of students, parents, teachers and community members.
- Achieving educational equity for Alexandria’s most vulnerable students.
- Commitment to our teachers by ensuring that Alexandria is competitive enough to retain and attract the best educators and support staff for our children.
Greene believes it is important to keep students in in-person school and supports all mitigation efforts to keep students, teachers and staff safe.
Click here to access profiles of candidates running in other districts in Alexandria, see the district map and learn more.
