April 1 - June 30, 2024

Quarterly Report: April 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024

April 1- June 30, 2024

Office Overview

The Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) Office of the Ombudsman operates in accordance with the International Ombuds1 Association (IOA) Code of Ethics and adheres to the following principles:

Confidentiality  ~  Impartiality  ~  Independence  ~  Informality

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 visitor2. Some of the common methods/techniques used include:

  • Listens and helps clarify visitor concerns
  • Provides information and explores available options
  • Identifies underlying issues and interests
  • Facilitates discussions to resolve issues

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

  • Act as an individual’s advocate
  • Serve as a formal office of legal notice for PWCS
  • Conduct formal investigations
  • Maintain records

To learn about the PWCS Office of the Ombudsman and how the office can support you, please visit our website. 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. For any questions/concerns, you can contact us in the following ways:

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

The Ombudsman’s office is located at:
Independent Hill Complex
14800 Joplin Road, T 50-01
Manassas, VA 20112

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


Data 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.

Total Visitors Year to Date
Quarter 1 66
Quarter 2 64
Quarter 3 94
Quarter 4 87
TOTAL 311
 
Visitor Demographics
Number of Visitors

Percentage

Employees
Individual who is employed by PWCS
49 56%
Parents/Guardians
Individual with a student who attends a PWCS
34 39%
Community
Individual with concerns regarding PWCS
4 5%
 
Classification of Employee Visitors
Certified  24
Administrator 23
Classified  2

Uniform Reporting Categories

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. For a more detailed explanation of these categories, see the Ombudsman’s website.

  1. Compensation and 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; and
  9. Values, Ethics, and 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 the Ombudsman’s website.

Specific Issue Category

 Q1

Q2

Q3 Q4
1. Compensation & Benefits 0 1 6 2
2. Evaluative Relationships 90 79 168 109
3. Peer and Colleague Relationships 20 10 24 17
4. Career Progression and Development 8 7 45 34
5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial, and Compliance 5 8 12 10
6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment 8 10 28 26
7. Services/Administrative Issues 69 64 68 100
8. Organizational, Strategic, and Mission 44 22 30 51
9. Values, Ethics, and Standards 9 3 1 10
 
Specific Issue Category - Q4
Employee 
Concerns
Parent/Guardian 
Concerns
Community 
Concerns 
1. Compensation & Benefits 1% 0% 0%
2. Evaluative Relationships 41% 8% 0%
3. Peer and Colleague Relationships 7% 0% 0%
4. Career Progression and Development 13% 2% 0%
5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial, and Compliance 3% 3% 0%
6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment 8% 5% 0%
7. Services/Administrative Issues 3% 80% 50%
8. Organizational, Strategic, and Mission 21% 2% 0%
9. Values, Ethics, and Standards 3% 0% 50%

 1 The term “Ombuds” includes all applicable nomenclature in use for an organizational ombudsperson.

2 The term “visitor” describes those who engage the services of the Ombudsman.