The new president of the Arlington Education Association (AEA) says she hopes for a cooperative relationship with school leaders over the coming year.
“The strongest districts are built on collaboration, transparency and mutual respect,” Danielle Jones said at the Aug. 13 School Board meeting.
Jones, who has taught at Yorktown High School for more than a decade, succeeded June Prakash as AEA president in early August. She previously served as vice president under Prakash.
“My goal is to keep the lines of communication wide open,” Jones told School Board members. “I want us to sit at the table together early and often, solving problems before they turn into crises.”
She added:
“We don’t always have to see eye to eye on every issue to share the exact same ultimate goal — providing a great education in a safe, supportive and thriving environment.”
Board members did not respond to Jones’ comments at the meeting.
School Board member Monique “Moe” Bryant told ARLnow she believes school leaders share the desire for cooperation with the teachers’ union.
“We are always excited about our collaborations,” said Bryant, who was speaking for herself rather than the Board as a whole.
For decades, collective bargaining was banned in Virginia at the state and local level. That changed with legislation passed in 2020, when the General Assembly granted local governing bodies and school boards the option to recognize unions.
While most Virginia jurisdictions have not done so, Arlington and many other Democratic-leaning communities have.
In 2023, AEA was certified as a collective-bargaining agent for Arlington Public Schools teachers and some support personnel. A year later, the organization signed its first agreement with the school system since Virginia banned such agreements in 1977.
Virginia’s collective-bargaining law makes any local agreement subject to the availability of funds, and bans strikes. Staff members are not required to join unions as a condition of employment.
Jones’ predecessor, Prakash, became AEA president in 2022 following a financial scandal in which Fairfax County prosecutors accused the former president of embezzling more than $400,000 in union funds. The charges were ultimately dismissed. After stepping in as president, Prakash received credit for stabilizing the organization and leading it to several collective-bargaining successes.
Prakash, who was a kindergarten teacher before she became union president, unsuccessfully sought the 2025 Democratic endorsement for School Board. She lost to Bryant.
During the 2026 General Assembly session, some lawmakers sought to give more power to unions in local government and higher education. However, these efforts fell apart in a spat between Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) and Democratic legislative leaders over details of the proposed legislation.
The issue is likely to return when the 2027 General Assembly session convenes in mid-January.
