Counseling team spotlights bullying-prevention month; teachers’ association urges role-specific PD for ESPs

School counselors and student leaders described a month of anti-bullying programming and Unity Day plans Monday as the Manassas City School Board unanimously adopted a Virginia School Boards Association proclamation recognizing October 2025 as Bullying Prevention Month.

A counselor said the division’s student leadership group and counselors will run October segments and activities that “highlight positive messages and anti bullying themes,” and previewed Unity Day on Wednesday the 22nd, when students will wear orange tie-dye T-shirts and Positive Change Ambassadors will distribute flyers on signs of bullying and strategies students can use.

Mr. Emil, a counselor and presenter, described the division’s use of Sources of Strength, an evidence-based program that trains peer advisors and organizes schoolwide campaigns to promote social and emotional learning. He said training and talking-circle activities vary by grade level but share the aim of building community, promoting positive apologies, and helping students see multiple perspectives.

The board then heard public comments from local educators. Anna Demaria, president of the Manassas Education Association, presented survey results from staff about the division’s recent professional-development offerings, saying teachers generally value “practical, collaborative, and relevant” PD but reported being overwhelmed by volume, encountering repetitive sessions, and seeing limited role-specific training and feedback, particularly for ESPs. She urged protected classroom-preparation days, differentiated PD by role and experience, targeted sessions for ESPs and new teachers, and anonymous feedback mechanisms; she said the MEA would send the division detailed survey results.

Jenny Higginbotham, an education support professional and chair of the Virginia Education Association’s Education Support Professional Committee, told the board that the division does not provide relevant, job-family-specific professional development for all ESP categories and described concerns about representation in meet-and-confer structures. “Education support professionals are the workhorses of the division,” Higginbotham said, and she asked the board to consider decisions that better honor classified staff and their training needs.

The board thanked presenters and public commenters, and Miss Brown read the VSBA Bullying Prevention Month proclamation, which the board adopted unanimously. The proclamation cites national prevalence estimates and encourages school communities to discuss and prevent bullying.

Student representative Amelia Bridal praised the counseling presentation, noted an orange bracelet initiative at Metz Middle School, and encouraged Unity Day participation. Several board members and administrators echoed support for the counselors’ work and encouraged parents to discuss responsible social-media use with students.

Next steps: presenters said more detailed program updates (for the alternative-education initiative) will be provided in November and December; the MEA indicated it would send survey data to the central office for administrative review of PD practices.