Parents, teachers, students demanding that Central Office administrators allow both to return to school immediately; Dr. Fox offers response
By Randy Arrington
SHENANDOAH, Nov. 9 — For nearly two months, school officials in the Central Office have received letters, phone calls and emails. During the last three school board meetings, members have received an earful from a growing number of speakers. And now, a grassroots group has formed on social media asking for the resignations of top division administrators.
While previous personnel decisions are cited as helping build momentum for the grassroots opposition, the most recent event that sparked a huge public outcry occurred at Shenandoah Elementary. The mid-September suspension of Principal Corey Harlow and instructional assistant Chelsea Atkinson has brought out droves of parents, teachers and students citing their dedication to the school and demanding their return.
“Neither of them are criminals. We want them back in the building,” one speaker said at the Oct. 30 school board meeting. “They brought school spirit to unprecedented heights…They are truly angels.”
On Friday, Sept. 15, both Harlow and Atkinson were placed on paid administrative leave. School officials in the Central Office will not comment on the nature of the suspensions.
While it is not publicly known what specific act (or acts) the two school employees may have engaged in to merit a suspension from employment, Dr. Antonia Fox, superintendent of Page County Public Schools, indicated during a recent interview with Page Valley News that something was reported to the Central Office and action was taken.
“Whenever information is brought to the school division suggesting that any of our policies or expectations have been violated, we treat that information very seriously. Such information can come in the form of a complaint or concern from another staff member, a student or their family, or community member. Sometimes we receive a concern from another agency or independent source, such as law enforcement or a government entity,” Dr. Fox stated.
“In response to a complaint or concern, we immediately begin an investigation to determine whether a policy violation has occurred. This investigation is designed to get at all of the facts and is focused on the people at the center of the issue and what can or cannot be proven. We have the option of placing the employee on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation in an effort to minimize any disruption to the educational environment in our schools,” the superintendent added.
Harlow was first hired by PCPS at the start of the 2019-2020 school year as a counselor at Stanley Elementary School. He served as the assistant principal at Shenandoah Elementary for a short time before being named principal to start the 2022-2023 school year. Prior to arriving at PCPS, Harlow was employed by Shenandoah County Public Schools.
Just starting his second year at the helm as principal, Harlow drew a plethora of praise from peers and parents alike during citizen comment periods at the last three school board meetings — speakers at the podium grew from two on Sept. 28, to four on Oct. 12, to 18 on Oct. 30.
“Our school is facing a void, and we are awaiting the return of our dynamic leader…the children are left wondering about the whereabouts of their hero,” one speaker told the school board.
Atkinson was hired at the start of the 2021-2022 school year in the role of an instructional assistant at Shenandoah Elementary. She began this year in the same role, working with pre-K special needs students.
Although Atkinson was just as highly praised as Harlow by the Shenandoah Elementary community, Dr. Fox also seemed to indicate in her answers to PVN that perhaps the two well-thought of schools employees had not met the “higher standards” that PCPS expects.
“In Page County Public Schools, we are committed to our students, their education, safety and wellbeing. As part of our commitment, we have high expectations of our staff. Our School Board has strong policies in place that address the level of conduct and professionalism required of all employees, including the expectation that employees serve as role models to the students and families we serve at all times,” Dr. Fox stated in her response.
The superintendent referenced several sections of the school board’s written policy to indicate the guidelines being used for the process of dealing with a personnel issue.
“All personnel actions are taken with due diligence, in alignment with division policy, and under consideration of the specific details and facts relating to each individual employee,” Dr. Fox stated.
The superintendent was limited in what she could comment on, given “obligations under law and policy that protect employee privacy.” She offered no answers for several questions that PVN posed. However, she did attempt to outline the process that’s being taken to reach a resolution.
“In all personnel matters, we communicate with the employee as to where we are in the process while the process is pending. Before any decisions are made and action taken, we meet with employees to provide a full and fair opportunity to respond to the information. Sometimes this means having more than one conversation,” Dr. Fox stated. “When our review has concluded, we also communicate our decisions in writing to the employee. We do not release any of this information publicly, although we understand that an employee under this process may choose to share our communications with others.”
This past summer the Page County School Board voted unanimously to renew Dr. Fox’s contract with Page County Public Schools for another three years. A PVN poll taken shortly after that vote indicated that nearly two-thirds of the respondents either “approved” or “strongly approved” of the superintendent’s performance. She has been praised often by members of the school board. However, a recently formed grassroots group is now circulating a petition asking for her resignation.
Page Valley News was informed on Saturday of an online group calling itself, Page County Residents Against Page County Public Schools Central Office. The group sites a series of what they consider bad decisions related to personnel matters, but they seem to hold little ire for members of the school board or teachers. Instead, they have focused their sites on seeking resignations from Dr. Fox and Dr. Paul Johnson, assistant superintendent of human resources and business operations.
“Unlike Dr. Fox and Dr. Johnson, who are using their opinions to harass and retaliate against student-centered educators of PCPS, a group was established to bring to light a lack of professional judgement,” the “group” stated in an email sent to PVN.
“The students, employees, and families of Page County are being threatened by fear,” the statement continues. “This group does not want to attack the Page County School Board or our amazing students and teachers. We added central office at the end of our group’s name and started a petition to call for the resignations of Dr. Fox and Dr. Johnson.”
The group listed a half dozen “incidents” that they claim are common knowledge, although much of the information seemed to be filled with speculation and rumor. They site other comparable relationships within the school system (past and present), as well as personnel decisions that they question through a number of accusations. While all of the material may be true, there is no public information or documentation to support much of it.
“These are just a few of the examples of how a school system has been managed without keeping the children and our future at the forefront of everything we do,” the group states. “The children are suffering. The kids are lost in so many conversations…we as members of this group have now seen this first hand. Until we can communicate in a way that unites our families and the schools, we will never be a community that prepares for the future.”
The group claims they have made numerous requests for a meeting with top schools officials “with no reply.” However, the lack of communication seems to be no deterrent to this determined grassroots group.
“It is time for Dr. Fox and Dr. Johnson to resign. Their community is publicly calling for it,” the group stated. “Neither make decisions for our students. It is time for the community to not only have a voice heard, but to take action. Make a change Page County Community! We will never be silenced.”
As part of her response to Page Valley News, Dr. Fox acknowledged the community’s frustration, as well as the difficulty that administrators and school board members face in light of such difficult decisions.
“The reality of being a School Board member or a superintendent for a school division is that we are sometimes faced with making difficult decisions and taking actions related to personnel who may be good at their jobs or well-liked. We do not take these decisions lightly, but we must follow our policies and take appropriate actions when warranted,” Dr. Fox stated. “We recognize that there may be people who do not agree with our decisions. However, we base our decisions on first-hand accounts, written statements, video footage, or other information, including information from outside agencies, such as local police, to determine what information is accurate and what information is not. Decisions are not based on hearsay, rumor or assumption.
“Given that the details and outcomes of investigations are not broadly shared, some people are left to believe that no action was taken or that the wrong action was taken,” the superintendent continued. “We simply ask that people not make assumptions without knowing all the facts. Also, in many instances, the facts of the situation are likely very different from what is circulating in the community or on social media.”
Dr. Fox did not indicate when, or if, the suspension of Harlow and Atkinson will be lifted any time soon — or if they will be terminated, which could potentially trigger civil litigation. The waiting, according to many in the Shenandoah community, is the worst part, and they simply want “things to go back to normal.” Even teachers (some who fear professional retribution) are beginning to speak out more and more, as the school community grows increasingly restless.
The superintendent simply asked for the community’s patience, which — according to the growing number of speakers at school board meetings — is growing thin.
“We do ask for continued patience as we follow the processes outlined in our policies. We have encouraged our faculty and staff to remain focused on instruction, thus keeping our students at the center of their work. We have high-quality and effective interim leadership at Shenandoah Elementary School which will remain in place until these personnel actions are resolved. Any staff member or family member who has questions or concerns related to their child is encouraged to speak to Mrs. Jodi Foltz, Mrs. Cathy Marston, Director of Elementary Education, or to me,” Dr. Fox stated to PVN.
“As a school division and community whose sole focus is on the education of our students and the development of their futures, we all want our schools to be safe and engaging places where students come to learn,” the superintendent added. “In order to do that we have to continue to work together, even in situations that are challenging or frustrating. As the division superintendent, I am committed to this work and to doing it along with all of our faculty, staff, students, parents, guardians, board members, and community.”
The Page County School Board will meet this evening, Thursday, Nov. 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m. To watch the meeting LIVE (or replay after the fact), go to the school system’s YouTube channel, or CLICK HERE.
To learn more about Page County Public Schools,
visit https://www.pagecounty.k12.va.us/o/pcps
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