Celeste Amron and Reagan Feld

School Board Elections are on Tuesday November 6. Meet the candidates for the upcoming election.

District A:

Jacinta Greene has lived in Alexandria for 16 years. She is very well versed in the policies of ACPS and understands the need to close the achievement gap. Greene has been involved with the city of alexandria for years, tutoring students, advocating for women, and leading the Take Our daughters and sons to work day.

Chris Harris, a TC Alum, and a professional engineer, envisions new schools buildings for ACPS. He is also the president of the Alexandria chapter of the NAACP and will work in a collaborative environment for the city council and the school board. He supports the installation of lights, as he was a former football coach at T.C.

Michelle Reif is a current ACPS parent who has spent the last four years teacher incarcerated adults and children. A member of the citywide PTA Council, she has represented parents throughout the city. Reif supports the installation of lights at TC, and will hard to ensure parking is available for all students.

Marc Solomon, a future ACPS parent, is running because he believes in empowering future leaders and students. He also has experience in security, and thinks action needs to be taken in relation to gun control.

Chris Suarez is a candidate with K-12 experience. He relates to students, as he fought for student parking. He wants to unite the school district through diversity, and that is his most important topic of discussion.

District B:

Cynthia Anderson has been a parent in ACPS for many years. She is a veteran of the Alexandria City School Board, having served since 2015. Anderson believes that the end of constant turnover in leadership on the school board will aid the closure of the achievement gap. Her platform focuses on giving students what they need to thrive.

If elected, Jewelyn Cosgrove will work with her counterparts in Richmond to ensure new school buildings for the future students in ACPS.  A graduate of Tulane, she understands what it is like to attend a school without lights at any sporting event, which is why she supports a full installation of lights at T.C. Cosgrove also believes that all students deserve equal opportunity.

Margaret Lorber is a former ACPS parent and has served on the school board previously. She is a very experienced candidate, committed to helping parents and students. She was a liaison between ACPS and English Language Learner Program, as well as working on several non profit committees. She has worked with several Spanish speaking organizations and special education components of ACPS. Lorber wants students to succeed beyond high school.

Veronica Nolan is a proud ACPS parent. A current teacher, but not in ACPS, Nolan understands students lives and thus she is passionate about giving ACPS students quality educations. She wants students to have the best experience in the school system, whether it is new buildings, sports facilities, or education.

Abigail Downs Wacek is another TC graduate. She graduated in 2006, and since then has lived in Alexandria. She supports a new high school building, as the one present school is over capacity. Wacek does not support the installation of lights at T.C, and wants teachers to work with the School Board in order to close the achievement gap.

District C:

Ramee Gentry is an ACPS parent and has been involved in the School Board and ACPS for many years. She wants to continue to increase funding for ACPS in order to better the school buildings and address many of the issues that are prevalent within ACPS. She supports the installation of lights at T.C., and finding better solutions for parking and transportation. In her time with ACPS, she has been PTA President, and Chair of the Superintendent Advisory Committee and the School Board Advisory Committee.

Dianara Saget is a T.C. Williams alum and an ACPS parent. She is running in order to close the achievement gap and make it possible for every student in ACPS to succeed. She would like to fix parking issues at T.C. and wants to find ways to better allocate resources.

John Lennon: John Lennon has a strong commitment to ACPS and public school education. By putting effort into the schools, he thinks that democracy will not function without a strong basis in principles.

Heather Thornton and Bill Campbell did not comment.