Six candidates are seeking three seats on the City of Manassas School Board. Three answered the same five questions from the Manassas Journal about issues they could face if elected.
Their responses cover academic achievement, school funding, School Board governance, English learners and how voters should measure results.
Rather than summarize those positions in our own words, the Journal is presenting the candidates’ own responses, shortened for length by removing some passages.
Murina Dove and Marcus Still did not submit responses by the deadline. Lisa A. Stevens replied to the Journal and declined to participate.
Early voting begins Friday. The responses below give voters an opportunity to compare candidates on the same issues, in the candidates’ own words.
Editor’s Note
Every candidate received the same five questions and the same response deadline. Responses were shortened for length by removing some passages. The Manassas Journal did not rewrite the remaining responses or change a candidate’s wording, position, examples or qualifications.
The same editing standard was applied to every candidate. Each responding candidate was given an opportunity to review their own edited responses before publication.
Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name under each question.
1. Academic Achievement
Performance, accountability and what should change
What is the most important academic challenge facing Manassas City Public Schools, and what specific action should the School Board take to address it?
Sara Brescia
“Manassas City schools are not where they should be on academic performance, and, in light of this, much has been put into place in recent years to make improvements: new curricula, new teacher planning formats and supports, new instructional methods, new behavioral supports, new professional development opportunities, and new approaches to grading (with the zero making a return to the MCPS grade book this year after years of no-zero grading).
“Some of our schools in our division have taken these tools and translated them into positive progress (though none of our schools have yet to reach the division targets set in our strategic plan). For example, two school years ago, Weems was recognized as the most improved school for reading in all of Northern Virginia (the full state accountability results from the past school year are not yet released). Meanwhile, other schools have lagged or experienced regression in their academic results, despite having access to the same tools.
“The Board has a role to play here. It is the Board’s oversight role to notice and monitor these inconsistencies and to prompt the administration to explore these trends and develop concrete recommendations for improvement in the schools that continue to lag. Templates for growth and improvement exist right here in our own division, and there is no (good) reason that they cannot be leveraged division-wide. The Board needs to culturally shift away from its historically passive approach and be unafraid to set a high standard for our kids and for the adults that serve them.”
Raul Campoverde Lindao
“I believe one of our biggest challenges is making sure our students are actually being prepared for life beyond school.
“We talk a lot about test scores, programs and academic performance, but we also have to ask a bigger question: What are we teaching our kids, how are we protecting them, and how are we preparing them for the real world?
“Students need to be able to read, write, communicate, solve problems, think critically and work with others. They need to leave school prepared for college, a career, a trade, or whatever path they choose.
“The School Board should make sure we are identifying where students are falling behind and putting resources where they will make the biggest difference, not just creating more programs, but making sure the programs we already have are actually working.”
Javanese M. Hailey
“Manassas City Public Schools are currently facing a critical juncture regarding student achievement and academic accountability. Standardized mathematics assessment scores remain deeply concerning, while reading proficiency levels are low enough to consistently place the division within the bottom 7% of schools nationwide.
“Furthermore, the updated Virginia school performance framework revealed that Manassas City is one of only three school divisions in the Commonwealth without a single school achieving a ‘distinguished’ rating.
“To address these systemic challenges, the School Board must prioritize removing 1:1 laptops in favor of targeted laptop cart usage. A return to the foundational elements of public education is essential to restoring full community trust. Our schools must clearly prioritize distraction-free learning environments that provide the robust educational foundation students need to become productive, contributing members of society.”
2. School Funding
Where additional dollars should go first
If additional funding becomes available, what should the School Board prioritize first and why?
Sara Brescia
“It is critical for the Board to provide ongoing monitoring of salaries in the region and to ensure we remain competitive (while acknowledging that, due to our size, we will never be market leaders). Without teachers in our classroom, we are unable to serve our students.
“When I first joined the School Board four years ago, the division was gripped by a classroom teacher vacancy issue such that kids as young as kindergarten were forced into in-school virtual learning. Like many problems, it had multiple drivers, but, primarily, this was due to the fact that the Board–prior to my arrival–had allowed its salary scales to become badly uncompetitive in the region.
“I was vocal about these virtual classrooms, and it was eventually solved by prioritizing funds to salary scales and revamping recruitment processes within the MCPS HR department. We now have minimal classroom vacancies, and it is important to keep it that way so that our kids are able to have qualified teachers in their classroom.”
Raul Campoverde Lindao
“My first priority would be putting that money where it directly benefits our students and teachers.
“I would look at classroom resources, teacher support, academic intervention, and opportunities that help students develop real-world skills.
“But I also believe we have a responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer money. Before asking for more money, we need to understand how we are spending what we already have.
“I would want to know: Is this spending actually helping our children? Is it producing results? And can we prove it?
“More money by itself does not guarantee a better education. We need accountability with every dollar we spend.”
Javanese M. Hailey
“If additional funding becomes available, the Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) School Board must prioritize special education and English Language Learner (ELL / ESOL) programs. Investing heavily in these two areas directly addresses our city’s unique demographics and will close stubborn achievement gaps.
“To maximize this investment, MCPS should expand specialized, bilingual intervention services and scale up co-teaching models within our English Language Development (ELD) frameworks. This ensures multilingual learners receive immediate, integrated support right inside their core academic classrooms.
“Furthermore, we should use these funds to establish a highly structured, data-driven framework that elevates our student support and academic intervention policies—fully aligned with the accountability standards of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).”
3. Board Governance
Disagreement, oversight and accountability
What should the role of a School Board member be when they disagree with the superintendent or other Board members?
Sara Brescia
“As someone who is no stranger to disagreement on the School Board, this is an important question.
“Disagreement is healthy, and the community benefits when a diversity of opinions are represented on the School Board. The School Board should not aim for or attempt to enforce hegemony and conformity; dissenting voices and perspectives should be welcomed and fairly considered. Members with differing perspectives must be afforded the opportunity to express themselves such that the Board can effectively represent the totality of our community and its priorities.
“Historically, I believe part of the reason the Board has often been slow to address problems is because it too often shies away from difficult conversations, and instead has an instinct to downplay issues until they are too big to be ignored. Our students and community have not been served by this approach.”
Raul Campoverde Lindao
“A School Board member should not be afraid to disagree.
“If I believe something is wrong or that we are not doing what is best for our students, I believe my responsibility is to speak up, ask questions and challenge the decision respectfully.
“But disagreement should not become personal or political.
“I don’t believe a School Board member should simply vote “yes” because it is easier, and I don’t believe they should oppose everything just to get attention.
“My responsibility would be to listen, ask difficult questions, look at the facts and make the decision I believe is best for our children and our community.
“I’m not looking for the spotlight. I’m looking for better results.”
Javanese M. Hailey
“When disagreements arise, a School Board member’s role is to act as a constructive, analytical, and respectful representative of the community.
“Disagreement is a healthy part of a functioning democracy, but it must be handled professionally. I do not believe a School Board should simply rubber-stamp every recommendation it receives. I will use my position to advocate for transparency, ask the hard questions about budget allocations and academic performance, and push for alternative solutions.
“Disagreements should be handled with professional courtesy, but a Board member must never sacrifice accountability or quiet their community’s concerns for the sake of artificial consensus. Being a Board member is not about belonging to a social club; it is a profound public trust, and we have a responsibility to serve.”
4. English Learners
Language proficiency and academic progress
What should MCPS do to help English learners gain proficiency while keeping pace academically, and how should the division measure success?
Sara Brescia
“MCPS students who are learning English would benefit from more consistent access to their ESOL teachers. Currently, our ESOL teachers are pulled away from their instructional duties to administer legally-required testing to newly-arrived students going through the registration process.
“Other divisions have dedicated departments to process this kind of legally-required paperwork, and our students and teachers would benefit from creating something similar. It would allow our ESOL teachers to spend more of their time teaching and provide a benefit to our students who require their services. It would also allow our newly-arrived students to get into the classroom faster (students cannot begin classes until the registration process is complete) and would translate into more time in the classroom for them, allowing for more learning.
“I would look for the success of this measure to be reflected in an increase of the percentage of English learning students meeting their English language targets and a reduction in the average time that it takes a newly-arrived student to begin attending class. I would look to our division SOL pass rates for that subgroup of kids, and I would expect to see an increase there, as well.”
Raul Campoverde Lindao
“We have to make sure that learning English does not mean a student falls behind in everything else.
“English learners need the support necessary to become proficient in English, but they also need to continue developing in math, science, reading and other subjects.
“We also need to involve their families. Parents should understand what their children are being taught, where they are struggling and what resources are available to help them.
“Success should not simply be measured by whether a student eventually becomes proficient in English. We should also be looking at academic progress, graduation rates and whether those students are leaving our schools prepared for the next step in their lives.
“The goal is not just to teach English. The goal is to give every child an opportunity to succeed.”
Javanese M. Hailey
“Manassas City Public Schools should implement portfolio-based performance assessments to measure true proficiency success beyond standardized testing.
“Multimodal portfolios would allow the collection of audio, video, and complex project samples across content areas to evaluate practical, real-world communication rather than single-day test performance.”
5. Measuring Results
How voters should judge a term
At the end of your term, what specific result should voters use to determine whether you were an effective School Board member?
Sara Brescia
“I have already had one term on the School Board, and a review of my campaign priorities from four years ago show a high degree of success: eliminating no-zero grading; expanding alternative education offerings for at-risk students; significantly improving absenteeism and off-campus truancy; promoting career and technical education opportunities; increasing developmentally-necessary playtime in younger grades; and enhancing Board transparency.
“I am also proud of the work that I’ve initiated on behalf of our Students with Disabilities, who had badly lagged the state average among other students in the state in that subgroup and which inspired me to suggest (and the Board to support) a comprehensive study of our Special Education department. Significant overhauls in that department taking place this year promise to deliver better results for our kids.
“Going forward, I want to continue existing conversations about artificial intelligence and also study and take more purposeful direction on screentime and division device usage generally. Improper use of artificial intelligence and an over-reliance on screens has been shown to hurt both student learning and student well-being, though of course it is also important to equip our students for success in a changing workplace.
“I plan to continue to bring forward appropriate initiatives so that our students have the opportunity to grow, develop, and learn, while also developing important technological skills for the future.”
Raul Campoverde Lindao
“I don’t want voters to judge me by how many speeches I gave, how many meetings I attended, or how much attention I received.
“I want them to judge me by what happened to our children.
“At the end of my term, I want parents to be able to say that the schools were preparing their children better for the real world. I want teachers to feel that they were supported. And I want our students to have stronger opportunities to learn, grow and succeed.
“I want to see measurable improvement in academic achievement, better preparation for life after graduation, and a school system that listens to parents, teachers and the community.
“If, at the end of my term, voters believe I helped move us in that direction, then I will consider my time on the School Board a success.”
Javanese M. Hailey
“At the end of my term, voters should judge my effectiveness on two specific, measurable results: growth in student literacy and math proficiency across all demographics.
“I cannot achieve these goals alone. It will take dogged determination and courageous collaboration across our community to get the results Manassas City deserves. I am committed to speaking honestly, leading with integrity, and honoring the trust voters have placed in me.”
What Comes Next
Early voting begins Friday, Sept. 18.
The Manassas Journal is publishing its candidate questionnaire coverage today for the City of Manassas City Council, City of Manassas School Board, Manassas Park City Council and Virginia House of Delegates District 20.
These responses are intended to help readers get to know the candidates in their own words. Voters can also review candidates’ public statements, attend forums and meetings, and learn more about the offices they are seeking.
The Journal’s role is to provide clear, factual information and let readers make their own decisions at the ballot box.
Reference Links
Virginia Department of Elections — City School Board Election Schedule: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/media/boardpapers/calendar/CitySB24-28-November.pdf
City of Manassas Voter Registration and Elections: https://www.manassasva.gov/voter_registration_and_elections/index.php
