‘They took away our voice:’ The latest on the Prince William Education Association turmoil

InthemonthssincetheVirginiaEducationAssociationwrestedcontrolofthePrinceWilliamEducationAssociationbyplacingthelocalunioninatrusteeship,membershiphasdroppedandtheunion’sbylawshavebeensuspended. ThelocalteachersunionwasplacedinthetrusteeshipinlateJulyfollowinganexternalauditthatfound“grossfinancialmismanagement”anddeceptionwithintheleadershipofthelocalunion.  InOctober,thetrusteewhoisnowinchargeofthelocalteachersunion,LindaCook,hostedthefirstrepresentativeassemblymeetingsincethetrusteeshipwasinstalled. Representativemeetingswerepreviouslyheldatleastonceaquarterbythelocalunion’sboard,andtheywereintendedtobe“decision-making”meetings,JayneCobern,aPrinceWilliamassociationrepresentative,toldInsideNoVa. Thosemeetingsalwaysincludedcertainelementsthatweredictatedbythelocalunion’sbylaws,includinganeedtomeetquorum,theapprovalofthemeetingagendaandreviewingtheminutesfromthepreviousmeeting.Repr