n LOUDOUN
4 | n EDUCATION
8 | n PUBLIC SAFETY
12 | n PUBLIC NOTICES
Community-Supported News. Free to all.
VOL. 9, NO. 40
24
AUGUST 15, 2024
Year 2: Spence Ready to ‘Stomp on the Gas’ BY ALEXIS GUSTIN
agustin@loudounnow.org
After a year of settling into his role and listening to community concerns, Loudoun County Public Schools Superintendent Aaron Spence said he’s excited to move the division forward. “It was an interesting year and I’m very energized right now. I’m very excited. I think there is so many good things in front of us and I can see the road now. I know where we need to go and it’s not a one-year thing,” Spence said. Spence sat down with Loudoun Now to talk about his first year and the post-entry plan he presented to the School Board and community in June. He said he’s learned a lot over the course of a year—from getting familiar with the county, to learning the names of his cabinet members, to getting to know and work with the School Board that hired him in 2023 only to have to do that again with nine new members who took office three months later, and to overcome negative perceptions of the division following years of culture war controversies and a sexual assault scandal that got his predecessor fired. SPENCE continues on page 30
Alexs Gustin/Loudoun Now
LEA Vice President Cory Brunet addresses a crowd at a rally outside the administration building Aug 13. LEA members gathered to show their support for the passing of the collective bargaining resolution.
Schools Approve Collective Bargaining Rules BY ALEXIS GUSTIN
agustin@loudounnow.org
Loudoun County Public Schools now has a framework to allow collective bargaining. The School Board voted 6-3 Tuesday night to approve the resolution that sets the stage for employees to vote to have union representation.
In a statement made after the vote, Loudoun Education Association President Kris Countryman thanked the board for “making the best situation for teachers, for all educators to have input on our working conditions that directly impacts our students and making LCPS stronger and better.” Countryman said they knew getting
the resolution passed wasn’t the end of the process, but a step toward the next “adventure.” The next step is to hold the exclusive bargaining representative election this fall. She thanked the community, educators and community partners for their BARGAINING RULES continues on page 31
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