Annual Report: 2022-23

Annual Report: July 2022 - September 2023 (PDF)

Message from the Ombudsman

I am delighted to present my office’s fourth annual report to the Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) community. As I complete my first full school year as the PWCS Ombudsman, I would like to thank everyone who reached out to my office or referred others. Since the office’s inception in 2019, there has been an impressive 89% increase in visitors. This steady growth underscores how beneficial having an Ombudsman’s office within PWCS has been.

One of the most significant benefits of the office is the emphasis on confidentiality – a “safe space” where visitors can voice their concerns without fear of retaliation or judgment. This environment encourages open conversations about issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. While conflicts are a natural part of life, when not managed properly, they can impede success, productivity, and innovation. My aim is to help those who seek assistance by providing them with the tools and resources to address their conflicts constructively.

Many who come to the office are unsure what to expect. I hope those who have reached out felt welcomed and heard. I would appreciate your feedback regarding the report or any other subject. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via phone, email or through our confidential survey.

Lastly, I am grateful for the positive and collaborative way the PWCS community has embraced the Ombudsman role. It’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of an organization dedicated to ongoing improvement. I extend my personal thanks to the School Board, Dr. McDade, PWCS staff, and the community for their unwavering support. Looking ahead to the 2023-24 school year, I am excited about the opportunity to continue serving all those who seek assistance.

Take care,
Monique “Mo” Bookstein
Ombudsman

Office Overview

The PWCS Office of the Ombudsman operates in accordance with the International Ombuds Association (IOA) Code of Ethics. The IOA is dedicated to excellence in Organizational Ombuds ¹ practice. The Code of Ethics provides Practice Principles and Core Values that are the foundation for the IOA Standards of Practice.

The people who visit the Ombudsman’s office may do so for many reasons. They may be looking for a particular result or want to discuss the situation before deciding on a course of action. The Ombudsman’s office seeks to empower those who contact the office to resolve issues on their own if possible. Depending on the situation, the Ombudsman’s office may utilize different methods/techniques to help the visitor ². Some of the common methods/techniques used include:

• Listening and helping the visitor to identify the underlying causes;
• Act as a neutral sounding board;
• Providing information and exploring options available to visitors;
• Facilitating discussions between parties to resolve issues, as requested and as appropriate;
• Collecting data on emerging trends and patterns while safeguarding anonymity;
• Utilize data to bring systemic and organizational concerns to the attention of the School Board and the Division Superintendent.

While the Ombudsman’s office can assist most individuals, there are some actions the Ombudsman CANNOT take, such as:

• Be an advocate for the visitor or PWCS;
• Conduct formal investigations;
• Enforce laws or regulations;
• Provide legal advice or representation;
• Serve as official notice to the organization;
• Make or change policy or administrative decisions.

The Ombudsman’s office staff is composed of Ombudsman, Mo Bookstein and Ombuds Specialist, Rosamaria Manzines.

IOA Core Values

The Ombuds role requires Ombuds to conduct themselves as professionals. The following Core Values are essential to the work of the Ombuds:

• Act with honesty and integrity;
• Promote fairness and support fair process;
• Remain non-judgmental, with empathy and respect for individual differences;
• Promote dignity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging;
• Communicate accurate understanding through active listening;
• Promote individual empowerment, self-determination, and collaborative problem solving; and
• Endeavor to be an accessible, trusted, and respected informal resource.

Fundamental Principles

Confidentiality

All communications with those seeking assistance are held in strict confidence and are not disclosed unless given permission to do so to the extent permissible by law ³. The exception is where the Ombudsman believes there is a risk of serious harm. The PWCS Ombudsman is a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse/neglect as well as allegations of sexual harassment pursuant to Title IX.

Impartiality/Neutrality

The Ombudsman, as a designated neutral, remains unaligned and impartial.

Independence

The Office of the Ombudsman is independent in structure, function, and appearance to the highest degree possible within the organization. The PWCS Office of the Ombudsman reports to the School Board and Division Superintendent.

Informality

The Office of the Ombudsman is an informal resource, [and] does not participate in any formal adjudicative or administrative procedure related to concerns brought to his/her attention.

Working with the Ombudsman

When an individual or group of people reaches out to the office, the following steps below are worked through either in the initial meeting or over the course of several meetings. For examples of visitor feedback, see Appendix C.

Initial Conversation

Set up a time to meet privately and confidentially either in person, virtually, or over the phone.

Clarifying Roles

Review the standards of practice and answer any questions about the office, role, and how the office works.

Understand the Situation

Listen and ask questions to understand the situation from the visitor's perspective, not to decide who is right or wrong.

Analysis

Work with the visitor to look at the issue in a different way by thinking about other parties, issues, relationships, and causation.

Explore Options

Identify potential options which may help to address the situation.

Next Steps

As the visitor determines their way forward, the office may be involved as long as it is within the scope of the office.

Year in Review

The Office of the Ombudsman continues to provide parents, students, employees, and members of the school community with assistance in resolving school-related concerns, conflicts, and issues. A single “case” is defined by the individual who is experiencing the conflict.

Visitor Totals 2022-23

Visitors Per Month

Visitor Demographics

Employees

Individual who is employed by Prince William County Public Schools

Parents/Guardians

Individual with a student who attends a Prince William County Public Schools

Community

Individual with concerns regarding Prince William County Public Schools

Visitor by School Level

Employees

Visitors who contacted the office work at this level

Parents/Guardians and Community

Visitors raised concerns with this level or with PWCS policies/regulations

Uniform Reporting Categories Descriptions

Below are the IOA Uniform Reporting Categories. This is a list of categories developed by the IOA and used by Ombudsmen around the world to anonymously classify the types of issues brought to their offices and identify trends in requests for services. A more detailed explanation of each category and sub-category can be found under Appendix A.

1. Compensation & Benefits
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about the equity, appropriateness and competitiveness of employee compensation, benefits and other benefit programs.

2. Evaluative Relationships
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries arising between people in evaluative relationships (i.e., supervisor-employee, faculty-student.)

3. Peer and Colleague Relationships
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries involving peers or colleagues who do not have a supervisory–employee or student–professor relationship (e.g., two staff members within the same department or conflict involving members of a student organization.)

4. Career Progression and Development
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about administrative processes and decisions regarding entering and leaving a job, what it entails, (i.e., recruitment, nature and place of assignment, job security, and separation.)

5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial, and Compliance
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries that may create a legal risk (financial, sanction etc.) for the organization or its members if not addressed, including issues related to waste, fraud or abuse.

6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about Safety, Health and Infrastructure-related issues.

7. Services/Administrative Issues
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about services or administrative offices including from external parties.

8. Organizational, Strategic, and Mission Related
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries that relate to the whole or some part of an organization.

9. Values, Ethics, and Standards
Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about the fairness of organizational values, ethics, and/or standards, the application of related policies and/or procedures, or the need for creation or revision of policies, and/or standards.

Uniform Reporting Categories Data

Visitors often express concerns related to more than one category. Within each category there are numerous subcategories. For a more detailed explanation of this data, see Appendix B.

All Visitors Top Categories - 2022 - 2023

Concerns Expressed by Employee Visitors

Category 2 Evaluative Relationships is the highest category of concerns expressed by Employee visitors. For a more detailed explanation of this data, see Appendix B.

Most Often Expressed Sub-Category

• 2.e Communication- Quality and/or quantity of communication
• 2.o Supervisory Effectiveness- Management of department or classroom, failure to address issues

Concerns Expressed by Parent/Guardian Visitors

Category 7 Services/Administrative Issues is the highest category of concerns expressed by Parent/Guardian visitors. For a more detailed explanation of this data, see Appendix B.

Most Often Expressed Sub-Category

• 7.c Administrative Decisions and Interpretation/Application of Rules- Impact, non-disciplinary decisions, decisions about requests for administrative and academic services
• 7.d Behavior of Service Provider(s)- How an administrator or staff member spoke to or dealt with constituent, customer, or client 

Concerns Expressed by Community Visitors

Category 7 Services/Administrative Issues is the highest category of concerns expressed by Community visitors. For a more detailed explanation of this data, see Appendix B.

Most Often Expressed Sub-Category

• 7.c Administrative Decisions and Interpretation/Application of Rules- Impact, non-disciplinary decisions, decisions about requests for administrative and academic services
• 7.d Behavior of Service Provider(s)- How an administrator or staff member spoke to or dealt with constituent, customer, or client

Outreach

The Ombudsman met with principals at the elementary, middle, and high school level. These meetings served as an opportunity to provide information about the office and to learn about the school, staff, and community they serve. During these meetings, the Ombudsman distributed new educational material regarding the office. The material was targeted for staff, parents/guardians, and community awareness of the office.

A robust internal and external website was developed for the office. The Ombudsman ensured both websites were organized in such a way that made it easy for the visitor to find information about the office.

The Ombudsman worked with the Communications Department to develop a video highlighting the role within PWCS and how the Ombudsman assists visitors. The video was advertised in various communication newsletters to staff, parents/guardians, and community.

The Ombudsman developed and presented the course “Think Before You Speak…It’s All About Perspective” at the annual PWCS Classified Employee Conference.

The Ombudsman connected with those serving in the Parent Liaison position at all schools to explain the role and provide a fact sheet about the office which could be provided to parents in their native language.

Finally, the Ombudsman began serving in the leadership role for the IOA’s K-12 Ombudsman group. This group has over 40 members who serve in the K-12 Ombudsman field throughout the United States. In this position, the Ombudsman provides leadership, guidance, and support for their programs.

Professional Development

The Ombudsman attended the following training:

IOA’s course on “Understanding and Communicate Ombuds Value to Your Organization”;
IOA’s course on “Coaching with Emotional Intelligence”;
IOA’s course on “Effective Communication”;
Attended the IOA Annual Conference;
Attended the United States Ombudsman Association (USOA) Annual Conference;

Contact Information

To learn about the PWCS Office of the Ombudsman and how the office can support you, please visit our website.

Feel free to contact the office anytime to:

• Address a workplace conflict or school-related concern;
• Ask questions involving PWCS policies, regulations, and/or practices;
• Discuss a potential systemic concern;
• Schedule training on a conflict-related topic.

Due to the confidential nature of the office, visitors are seen by appointment either in-person, virtually, or over the phone. To schedule an appointment directly, please use our online booking system.

The Ombudsman’s office is located at:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 703-791-8587

Appendix A – IOA Uniform Reporting Categories

INTERNATIONAL OMBUDS ASSOCIATION

1. Compensation & Benefits Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about the equity, appropriateness and competitiveness of employee compensation, benefits and other benefit programs.

2. Evaluative Relationships Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries arising between people in evaluative relationships (i.e., supervisor-employee, faculty-student.)

3. Peer and Colleague Relationships Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries involving peers or colleagues who do not have a supervisory– employee or student–professor relationship (e.g., two staff members within the same department or conflict involving members of a student organization.)

4. Career Progression and Development Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about administrative processes and decisions regarding entering and leaving a job, what it entails, (i.e., recruitment, nature and place of assignment, job security, and separation.)

5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial and Compliance Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries that may create a legal risk (financial, sanction etc.) for the organization or its members if not addressed, including issues related to waste, fraud or abuse.

6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about Safety, Health and Infrastructure-related issues.

7. Services/Administrative Issues Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about services or administrative offices including from external parties.

8. Organizational, Strategic, and Mission Related Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries that relate to the whole or some part of an organization.

9. Values, Ethics, and Standards Questions, concerns, issues or inquiries about the fairness of organizational values, ethics, and/or standards, the application of related policies and/or procedures, or the need for creation or revision of policies, and/or standards.

Appendix B - Data Table

1 Compensation & Benefits

2 Evaluative Relationships

3 Peer and Colleague Relationships

4 Career Progression and Development

5 Legal, Regulatory, Financial and Compliance

6 Safety, Health, and Physical Environment

7 Services/Administrative Issues

8 Organizational, Strategic, and Mission Related

9 Values, Ethics, and Standards

Appendix C- Visitor Feedback

"I am glad we have the Ombudsman"

"I think you have helped me more than you know"

"Thank you for taking the time to untangle this"

"Appreciate you hearing me out. Holding it inside has been hard"

"I need action, so I don't know if you can help"

"I am hopeful"

"Thanks for being so timely"

"You have a great heart"

"Feels good to get it out"

"You were fantastic. Thanks for listening"

"Do appreciate the safe place"

"You help the voiceless feel heard"

"I never knew these options existed"

"This is a wonderful resource. Having you look at the situation from all sides helps"