Quarterly Report: October 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024
October 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024 (PDF)
Office Overview
The Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) Office of the Ombuds operates in accordance with the International Ombuds1 Association (IOA) Code of Ethics and adheres to the following principles:
Confidentiality ~ Impartiality ~ Independence ~ Informality
The Ombuds Office seeks to empower those who contact the office to resolve issues on their own if possible. Depending on the situation, the Ombuds 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 Ombuds Office can assist most individuals, there are some actions the Ombuds 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 more about the office and how we 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 Ombuds Office is located at:
Independent Hill Complex
14800 Joplin Road, T 50-01
Manassas, VA 20112
The Ombuds Office staff is composed of Ombuds, Monique “Mo” Bookstein, CO-OP® and Ombuds Specialist, Rosamaria Manzines.
Data Review
The Office of the Ombuds 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.
| Quarter | Number of Visitors |
|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | 67 |
| Quarter 2 | 82 |
| Quarter 3 | 0 |
| Quarter 4 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 149 |
| Visitor Demographics | Number of Visitors | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Employees Individual who is employed by PWCS |
52 | 64% |
| Parents/Guardians Individual with a student who attends a PWCS |
22 | 27% |
| Community Individual with concerns regarding PWCS |
6 | 7% |
| Students Individual who attends PWCS |
2 | 2% |
| Employee Classification | Number of Visitors |
|---|---|
| Administrative | 20 |
| Certified | 19 |
| Classified | 13 |
Uniform Reporting Categories
Below are the IOA Uniform Reporting Categories. This is a list of categories developed by the IOA and used by Ombuds 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 Ombuds website.
- Compensation and Benefits;
- Evaluative Relationships;
- Peer and Colleague Relationships;
- Career Progression and Development;
- Legal, Regulatory, Financial, and Compliance;
- Safety, Health, and Physical Environment;
- Services/Administrative Issues;
- Organizational, Strategic, and Mission Related;
- Values, Ethics, and Standards; and
- Educational Partners
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 Ombuds website.
|
Specific Issue Category
|
Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Compensation & Benefits | 5 | 1 | ||
| 2. Evaluative Relationships | 86 | 135 | ||
| 3. Peer and Colleague Relationships | 5 | 16 | ||
| 4. Career Progression and Development | 8 | 24 | ||
| 5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial, and Compliance | 6 | 12 | ||
| 6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment | 7 | 32 | ||
| 7. Services/Administrative Issues | 52 | 31 | ||
| 8. Organizational, Strategic, and Mission | 16 | 41 | ||
| 9. Values, Ethics, and Standards | 0 | 1 | ||
| 10. Educational Partners | 78 | 61 |
Category 10 is new for the 2024-25 school year. This category captures questions, concerns, issues, or inquiries arising between educational partners (e.g., teacher-parent, teacher-student, principal-parent, etc.)
| Specific Issue Category - Q2 | Employee Concerns | Parent/Guardian Concerns | Community Concerns | Student Concerns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Compensation & Benefits | 0.5% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 2. Evaluative Relationships | 50% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 3. Peer and Colleague Relationships | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 4. Career Progression and Development | 9% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 5. Legal, Regulatory, Financial, and Compliance | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 6. Safety, Health, and Physical Environment | 11% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| 7. Services/Administrative Issues | 4% | 24% | 38% | 0% |
| 8. Organizational, Strategic, and Mission | 15% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
| 9. Values, Ethics, and Standards | 0.5% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 10. Educational Partners | 0% | 74% | 62% | 100% |
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 Ombuds.