Parents who have bought their students memberships, or students who have bought their own, read this FAQ (original is from this link). Make sure you follow the instructions below or your student will not be able to vote.

Q: My kids want to join the TJ PTSA and vote. What do I do?
A: Do the following:

• Buy a 2020-21 Student Membership for each child.
• Make sure you assign each membership to the correct child in the AtoZ cart when buying it.
• From your AtoZ email account (the one you have associated with your name in AtoZ) email tellers@tjptsa.org with your child’s name and their non-FCPS email address. The child’s email will not be visible in the directory, but we will be able to register them to vote.
• IF YOU DON’T GET US THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS THEY CAN’T VOTE. This is because the online voting system uses email validation.
• Remember you can always create a new gmail or other email account for them to use for PTSA business if you don’t want to give us their personal email.

We are preparing the ballot for the 2021-22 TJ PTSA EC Officer Election. The ballot will show each candidate’s name, their student(s) classes, a photo (if provided), and their answer to the following 2 questions:

1. Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role.
2. Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself.

Candidates appear in alphabetical order by last name, under the position they are running for. The information below is what will appear on the ballot, so please take some time now to familiarize yourself with all of these candidates that are willing to volunteer their time to serve the TJ community.

Click here for the TJ PTSA Nominating Committee Report

President-Elect: 2 Candidates

Candidate 1 of 2: Harry Jackson

Class(es) of: 2024

Video Introduction

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

The father of a TJ Class of 2024 student, I have been a volunteer in my children’s schools for the past decade, volunteering countless hours in athletics, parent groups and school activities. This year, I served as a member of the TJ PTSA Diversity Committee and have established key partnerships and initiatives to improve TJ diversity. In addition to supporting the TJ PTSA’s Diversity Talks, I have collected a database of STEM providers willing to offer free and reduced-fee services to socio-economically disadvantaged children, partnered with the Black Student Fund to provide summer STEM enrichment for children from low-income households, and established a conference to put families in contact with these resources. I am also a former board member of the Fairfax County Association for the Gifted. I would be an ideal candidate for this position as I believe in openness and transparency and am committed to diversity and excellence within the TJ community, and believe I could be the first Black president of the TJ PTSA, a historic precedent for our school.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

Dr. Harry Jackson has over 15 years of federal government experience in Information System Security, including risk assessment, Information Assurance and Compliance, Security Test and Evaluations, System Security Engineering, Systems development, test and evaluation, and project management. Possess considerable experience implementing federal cybersecurity compliance, including NIST 800 series, NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), FEDRAMP+, FISMA, OMB, and FIPS guidance. Understanding all the various elements in the A&A processes, including system security plan, security testing and evaluation (ST&E), penetration testing, risk assessments, contingency planning, and continuous monitoring. He has comprehensive and detailed knowledge in Information System Security Project Planning, Strategies, Policies and Regulations, Systems Integration and Administration, Change Management impacts and Security Awareness Training/Support. Dr. Jackson is currently an IT Consultant specializing in support to the Intelligence Community (IC) and the Department of Defense (DoD). Dr. Jackson is also a WALOA member and official with fifteen years of experience, and US Lacrosse Certified Observer and Trainer.

Before supporting the IC, and Dr. Jackson worked in the Risk Management Division (RMD), Information Technology Services Organization (ITSO), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the Information Systems Security Manager (ISSM) for Homeland Secure Data Network (HSDN). Dr. Jackson have also worked as the ISSM supporting the DHS headquarters unclassified network, LAN A, as well as the unclassified systems for the St. Elizabeth’s campus and the DHS BioWatch program.

Dr. Jackson is also an Assistant Professor at National Intelligence University, and an adjunct professor at Champlain College, Southern New Hampshire University, Northcentral University, and American Business and Technology University. In this capacity, he provides instruction in a variety of cybersecurity topics ranging from emerging cyber threats and defenses, digital forensics, to military ethics and leadership.

Dr. Jackson has Bachelors in General Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence Studies from American Military University, a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, a Master of Science in Government Information Systems from National Defense University, and Doctorate in Strategic Security from Henley-Putnam University.

Dr. Jackson also possesses information assurance certifications as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional – Information Systems Security Manager Professional (CISSP-ISSMP), Certified Information Systems Security Professional – Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (CISSP-ISSEP), Healthcare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (ECIH), Certified Forensic Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI), CertNexus Cyber Secure Coder, and TOGAF v9.2. He also possesses several project and project management certifications such as Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt (CSSMBB), Project Management Professional (PMP), ITIL v3 foundation, PRINCE2 Foundation, and Federal Acquisition Program Manager Level III.

Candidate 2 of 2: Yvette Soliz Rivers

Class(es) of: 2023

Video Introduction

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

Yvette Soliz Rivers is a proud parent of a TJ Class of 2023 student. Since her boys started Kindergarten, she has actively volunteered in a variety of ways to ensure an excellent school experience for all. From serving as PTA Board Secretary at Lake Anne Elementary, leading major fundraisers, being “Room Parent”, and organizing numerous school events, she learned what it takes for a PTSA to successfully create a positive, supportive, and enriching environment for students. For the last three years, Ms. Rivers has served on the Board of the Yale Club of Washington, DC—first as Vice President of Programming, and for the past two years as Club President. In this time, she organized more than 50 educational and community service events raising nearly $50,000 for local charities, increased membership by 50%, and increased Club financial reserves by 400%. As a result of Ms. Rivers’ leadership, the Club was recently recognized by Yale with an Excellence Award “for embracing Yale values of openness, inclusion, collaboration, and impact.” As a Latina and first-generation college graduate, Ms. Rivers understands the difference an exceptional school environment can make in the lives of students. Her goal in running for this position is to work with the school and fellow parents to create a student-focused PTSA. Ms. Rivers is excited by the prospect of leveraging her significant experience leading nonprofit boards to help TJ parents and teachers create the exceptional, supportive, and positive school community our students deserve.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

Ms. Rivers is a Senior IT Program Management Consultant possessing more than 24 years of experience in information technology management consulting for 25+ government and commercial clients. She is currently an independent consultant providing program management services for a $30 million IT program at the U.S. Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Her professional expertise is in IT program and project management, strategic planning, and IT performance optimization. Ms. Rivers graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with Psychology and from George Washington University with a Masters of Business Administration, and she is currently serving a second consecutive year as President of the Yale Club of Washington DC (term ending June 2021).

First Vice President: 1 Candidate

Candidate 1 of 1: Li Yang

Class(es) of: 2024, 2022, 2021

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

As the current treasurer of the TJPTSA, I’d like to continue to serve the TJ community. With my experience in the PTSA Executive Committee (EC) this year, I can help train and form a strong EC to better serve our parents, teachers, and students in the coming year.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

I am a statistician at NIH Clinical Center. I have been volunteering for schools and multiple organizations for over ten years. I am currently the TJPTSA treasurer and an adult leader for Boys Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 55G. My three children are current TJ students (class of 2021, 2022, and 2024). In my free time, I enjoy playing with our energetic goldendoodle, hiking and camping with scouts, watching TV shows and movies, running, reading, and playing Ping-Pong.

Second Vice President: 2 Candidates

Candidate 1 of 2: Ranoj Ranjan

Class(es) of: 2023

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

To assist PTSA in restoring some normalcy for our kids high school experience next year.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

My son graduated last year (Class of 2020) from TJ. I also have a daughter as a Sophomore (Class of 2023). My 2020 student was involved with many school activities (Honor Council, Class Council, Mental awareness, Cultural & Sports activities) and he felt honored to serve as SGA president. I was very supportive of all his activities at TJ by driving him and his friends around. On a few occasions, when tough situations arose, I was a sounding board for my son and his friends. TJ was my 2nd home before COVID changed our life since March 2020. I always had fun driving TJ kids in my Van. My drive and interactions while driving, was my quality time with them. I grew and learned from them which helped me as a parent.

All these years at TJ I was volunteering and was a key member of a few activities like ANGP and PTSA liaison for new Loudoun families. I, as a Class of 2020 parent and a few other families actively supported the Class of 2023 and 2024 to help them adjust to TJ’s lifestyle. My twin daughter is at the Academy of Loudoun and a home high school. So, I was doing similar volunteer work at Loudoun schools on their special days like – Movie night, etc. But TJ was my preferred place due to two kids being there at the same time. One notable thing related to school that I will feel good rest of my life will be my association with the movement to keep TJ high school’s option on for Loudoun’s families. We attended and spoke at Loudoun School board meetings and made it a movement by involving and encouraging other families to join too. Our efforts paid off and the new Loudoun School board is supporting the continued association with TJ.

The world has had a rough last year and it is still rough for many people (lost life, job, or businesses) and many countries including India from where I immigrated in 1993. The next school year looks promising for the USA. We need to adjust from our COVID experiences and try to bring as much normalcy as much possible by working together and trying to be more understandable on disagreements. This we have to do for our kids who have lost almost 1.5 years of normal school years. I would like to be your 2nd Vice-President and if elected will help with whatever work I am assigned.

Candidate 2 of 2: Jun Wang

Class(es) of: 2024

Video Introduction

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

I have been volunteering with FCPS Schools, including TJHSST, and Hope Chinese Schools for nearly 15 years. I want to make more contributions to the TJ community and serve the interests of TJ parents, teachers and students, and keep the community united during this period of drastic changes.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

I was born and grew up in a rural area in the Beijing region, and did farm and construction work from elementary school through college on weekends and summer breaks. Even though I lived in a disadvantaged environment in terms of education, I managed to make progress step by step, participated in chemistry and physics competitions, and entered Tsinghua University, one of the top colleges in China, especially in engineering. I hesitate to use myself as a role model, but I certainly understand what helps the students from disadvantaged families need to make progress and succeed. I have BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering, and have over 20 years’ experience in software engineering and web development with Oracle, SQL Server, Visual Studio.NET, HTML, CSS, Java Script, AJAX and JSON, and can help with technology work of PTSA with little difficulty.

I volunteered at Hope Chinese Schools since 2008 and was in charge of registration and big party organization (600-800 participants), and served as an assistant principal and board member in 2012 and 2013. I have coached the MATHCOUNTS teams of Greenbriar West ES, Churchill Road ES and Cooper MS. I chaperoned school field trips at Churchill Road ES, Longfellow MS, Cooper MS and TJHSST many times in the past. I also volunteered as an AP exam proctor at TJHSST in the past several years (except year 2020 due to COVID-19). I drove my Toyota Tundra pickup truck to haul food boxes, watermelons, and water for every party at Hope Chinese Schools Chantilly Campus, and haul instruments for TJ I-Nite and ice cream cakes for TJ students. I am a business owner and I am good at helping people with different opinions and interests find common ground to work together and get things done. I was active in the PPE donation drives for New York Javits Center, local hospitals, COVID test stations, nursing homes, shelters and individuals during COVID-19 pandemic.

People often see optimism, grit and open-mindedness in me. I believe that I have the passion, commitment, capabilities and experiences to be a contributing TJPTSA EC member of our TJ community.

Treasurer: 1 Candidate

Candidate 1 of 1: Himanshu Verma

Class(es) of: 2024

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

I run a data analytics company, so, I have a good understanding of managing accounts and account automation. I have also been on the board of a housing association for about 4 years, so I understand the accounting requirements for non-profits. If selected, my goal will be to automate as many processes as possible and provide PTSA members data visualizations that will improve the transparency of PTSA accounts.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

I am a father of TJ 9th grader. I have my B-tech in engineering physics from IIT-Bombay and have a masters in information systems from University of Akron, Ohio. My family has been living in Fairfax county since 2006. I specialize in data analytics and AI application development. My current interests include developing covid-19 apps, mental health AI apps & reading about theories of missing dark matter & dark energy. I have also recently started supporting Black Students Fund (BSF) & WHEELS global foundation for Covid-19 India relief. With BSF my goal is to help increase the number of underrepresented populations at TJ. I look forward to be part of TJ family for next few years, and I am happy to volunteer my time to support the TJ PTSA.

Secretary: 2 Candidates

Candidate 1 of 2: Laura Marschoun

Class(es) of: 2024

Video Introduction

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

I would like to serve on the TJ PTSA Executive Committee because I strongly believe in working towards building a more positive, welcoming and collaborative PTSA. The TJ community (parents, students, teachers and staff) deserve a conflict-free, cohesive and task-oriented PTSA. If elected, I would be highly motivated to work with all stakeholders, with differing opinions, to reach consensus on how best to benefit the TJ community, through PTSA programming and outreach.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

I’m a proud mother of two boys, one a freshman at UIUC Engineering and the younger one a freshman at TJHSST. I have been actively involved in all of my boys’ academics as well as extracurricular activities. Over the years, I have assumed many roles, including being a ‘room parent’, organizing numerous PTO events, serving as a head coach for the Colvin Run ES Science Olympiad team, and serving as Cooper MS PTO Parliamentarian.

Currently, I am serving as treasurer for TJ Academic Boosters. I am also an assistant head coach at Cooper MS Science Olympiad team. Even though I do not have any students at Cooper Middle anymore, I volunteer my time because I believe in the mission of Science Olympiad and science in general. I’m trying to do my part so as to minimize the adverse effect on students in this pandemic. In this role, I am able to be a neutral coach when assigning events, partners and ultimately helping decide who would represent Cooper to the State and National Competitions.

Additionally, I have been active in my boys’ Boy Scout troop for the last 9 years, holding several positions, often simultaneously, on the troop committee. These include webmaster, outings and transportation coordinator, scout support committee, recording secretary backup, adult leadership for monthly outings and summer camps. I am one of the three executive adult leaders for our upcoming Scotland backpacking and UK trip scheduled in August 2021.

I was born in Indonesia and immigrated to the US after receiving my Masters in Food Engineering from Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison. I worked as a computer programmer for a few years and decided to dedicate my time to being a full time mother right after my first son was born. I love outdoor activities and spend much of my leisure time hiking, kayaking, camping, and backpacking.

I would be honored to receive your vote so we can work to build a more positive and constructive PTSA in the coming school year.

Candidate 2 of 2: Ying McCaskill

Class(es) of: 2023

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

I am a skilled communicator in writing and verbal communications and very detail oriented. As an immigrant from China, I am very skilled in cross-cultural communications and cultural sensitivity. As a high school teacher in China, I developed extensive skills recording details, progress, activities and goals, along with other information, managing communications with numerous members of the community. I believe that it’s very important that the TJ PTSA communicate clearly with the TJ community, especially during these challenging times with distance learning.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

A former high school teacher from China. I have been volunteering in all my three children’s schools and classes over the decade. With my youngest child graduating from elementary school this year, I will be able to volunteer more of my time to serve the TJ community. I have worked as a recording secretary on a part-time basis early in my career. I am very systemic and well-equipped to document and share minutes, news and announcements from PTSA activities to the TJ community.

Corresponding Secretary: 2 Candidates

Candidate 1 of 2: Hanning Chen

Class(es) of: 2023

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

I am Hanning Chen, a TJPTSA member and a parent of TJ student of Class 2023. I am writing to you to nominate myself as a candidate for the second vice president of TJPTSA.

Since the enrollment of my eldest daughter into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) nearly 10 years ago, I have been a parent volunteer for various school events, such as Fun Fair of Spring Hill Elementary School, International Night of Cooper Middle School, and Welcome Greeters of Thomas Jefferson High School. In addition, I have been volunteering in numerous sports competitions as record keeper and officiating staff. Most recently, I served as the co-organizer of the Summit 2021 of the Chinese American Parents Association-Northern Virginia Chapter (CAPA-NOVA) that attracted more than 500 parents, students, educators, community leaders and elected officers across the Washington metropolitan area to have a constructive discussion on the most pressing issues related to education. My specific roles as the co-organizer were (1) to communicate with potential panelists via emails, phone calls and in-person meetings to convince them to join the summit; (2) to set an one-hour agenda for the virtual panel discussion with ten panelists and hundreds of participants; (3) to summarize the content of the panel discussion into a two-page report shared with all panelists and other organizers of the summit. Through my work with the TJ PTSA Diversity Committee, I am also trained in how to use AtoZ to send communications to TJ PTSA members. I am sending out the next “Faces of TJ” email to TJ PTSA members.

I believe my extended experience on community service will benefit TJPTSA to better serve our talented students of the nation’s No. 1 high school.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

My name is Hanning Chen. I was born in China. After receiving my undergraduate degree in China, I moved to the United States to pursue my doctoral degree in chemistry. As a college professor of chemistry, I have managed a productive research group that has persistently secured financial support from many federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and industrial partners over the past decade.

Candidate 2 of 2: Khurrum H Khan

Class(es) of: 2023

Video Introduction

Please write a short paragraph explaining why you would like to serve in this role:

The past year has been difficult on students, parents, teachers and administration. It has been a learning experience for everyone, and taught us to cope with a pandemic and upheaval in TJ admission process. I want to volunteer to be part of the committee to ensure a non-political, non-judgmental environment and to foster a supportive environment and build community with the TJ community.

Please write a short one paragraph bio about yourself:

The father of TJ tenth grader (TJ class of 2023), Khurrum Khan has a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Bangalore University in India and an MBA from University of Delhi. He has lived and worked in India, Japan and the USA – experiencing a broad range of culture – East Asian, South Asian and American.
He works in sales of IT software, and is a big proponent of open source software. Khurrum also volunteers on the board of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders commission where he was nominated to the board by former Governor Terry McAuliffe.
He moved to Fairfax County from New York in 2011 and has seen both his daughters grow up in the county which he calls home. His wife is a high school teacher in Fairfax County, and he understands the pressures of parents, teachers and students in the FCPS system, and also with the TJ community.
Khurrum has volunteered his time at TJ helping with the JLC (monitoring the corridors). He has previously volunteered with his daughter’s Elementary school teaching history at Hunters Woods Elementary and was the Math AMC coach for 6th grade students at McNair Elementary School.
The past year has been difficult on students, parents, teachers and administration. It has been a learning experience for everyone, and taught us to cope with a pandemic and upheaval in TJ admission process. Khurrum wants to volunteer to be part of the Executive Committee to ensure a non-political, non-judgmental environment and to foster a supportive environment and build a nourishing environment for the TJ Community. His belief is that a positive school environment and community is paramount for the continuous excellence at TJHSST.

UPDATED 2021-05-27 15:16

This is your TJ PTSA official source of EC Officer Election information. If you have questions please email the president and he’ll add them to this FAQ.

Q1: One question which I’ve heard from several people about the upcoming EC election is if balloting will be secret.  I’m assuming it is, but is that so?  If anyone on the EC will know how people vote, whom would it be?
A1: As with all PTSA elections, and according to VA PTA training on elections, the Tellers committee will be able to see the ballots. The Tellers Committee for this election is Nick Costescu, Anna Lee Kim, Stacey Heller, Kaushik Goswami (all on the EC). Normally you have 3 or 5 so there isn’t a tie on the results but since we don’t actually have to count physical ballots, and the ezvoteonline system gives us the results, we don’t need an odd #. Our function is also different with an online vote. Normally tellers hand out ballots, collect them, count them, and report results. The equivalent functions for online vote is that we will help people who have technical issues voting (with the email validation, etc.) and look for folks who started but didn’t finish a ballot to see if they had technical issues (we have found that sometimes people have trouble if they don’t finish the ballot in one sitting). Paper ballots are destroyed after an election. In our case with online voting, they are archived so as an ezvoteonline admin I can go look at them anytime. I kept them there in case someone decided to audit, we can go in together and see exactly when and how folks voted. At the end of this school year, I will delete all the old ballots, retaining only the vote results in our meeting minutes. The new EC will not be able to see who voted for whom, and after the ballot closes I will remove the other Tellers access from ezvoteonline (maybe keep Kaushik just in case I get run over by a bus and someone wants to audit).

Q2: We saw the bios for the candidates recommended by the TJ PTSA Nominating Committee in their report. Where can we read similar info about the self-nominated candidates running against them?
A2: Soon we will post info from all the candidates in the same format (their name, class(es) their children are in, the position they’re running for, why they want to serve, and a short bio). Look for a news post / featured item on our website. We’re just waiting on folks to make some final edits to their info.

Q3: Who can vote in the upcoming 2021-22 TJ PTSA Officer Election?
A3: All TJ PTSA members. You are a member for the 2020-21 school year if you have purchased a 2020-21 membership of the appropriate type (adult, student, or faculty) in AtoZ.

Q4: Who can be a TJ PTSA member?
A4: According to the VA PTA Membership Handbook any living person can join any PTA.

From Section 7.1 Membership eligibility
Any living person may join a PTA, regardless of age, occupation, geographic location, familiarity with the school or district supported by the PTA, membership in other PTAs, or any other factor.

Q5: That’s nuts! A bunch of people who have nothing to do with the current school community could buy memberships and take over the TJ PTSA.
A5: True. Seems crazy to me too. I can’t vote in some other state’s state election, why can random people vote in our TJ PTSA elections?

If you’d like to see that policy change, with something like a community membership that confers voting rights but is only available to current parents/guardians, students, teachers/staff, and a support only membership with no voting rights but that is available to people that are not in the current parent/guardian, student, faculty/staff community, let the VA PTA know. I have.

Free: 866.4VA.KIDS (866.482.5437)
Ph: 804.264.1234
Fax: 804.264.4014
E: info@vapta.org

Virginia PTA
1027 Wilmer Ave
Richmond, VA 23227

Q6: When will you stop selling 2020-21 TJ PTSA Memberships?
Updated A6: Click here for the finalized timeline.
Original A6: Not sure, but we will announce when we close the voter registration roll. That will happen before the ballot starts. Check back here for updates as we figure out the dates.

Q7: When will the election will be? What’s the first date when I can vote and when’s the last date I can vote?
Updated A7: Click here for the finalized timeline.
Original A7: We don’t have the dates yet. We will post them as soon as we have them. It takes a lot of work and this is probably our first ever contested election. We have to make sure everything is done right.
We use an online voting system that does not integrate with the membership system so we have to export and manually massage and import the voter list and then maintain it manually. We want the process to be auditable. We’re also all parent volunteers with daytime jobs and families.
We’ll get you this info as soon as we have it. You will have time to read about the candidates before the election, and the election will be finished before our fiscal year ends (end of June).

There is another issue we have not faced before. Our bylaws require the EC transition as soon as the election results are in. This was fine when we did it in person and we did it in June. Now we’re doing it online which lets us do it at any time, without waiting for a meeting. If we ran the ballot in May we would leave the new EC to wrap up our business for this year. There are still events to be organized and run in May and early June, and it would not be fair to the new EC to drop them into that unfinished business. We’ve received guidance from VA PTA and they recommend waiting and also changing our bylaws in future to transition at the end of the school year rather than at the election. That would let us have the election earlier but still finish out the year

Q8: How can I check if I’m a member?
A8: Log in to atozconnect.com, click the hamburger menu, click Store, click My Orders. Look for a 2020-21 Adult Membership if you’re an adult (non faculty/staff), a 2020-21 Student Membership for students, or a 2020-21 Faculty Membership if you’re a faculty or staff.

If you purchased more than one Adult or Student membership, make sure they are each assigned to a correct type of family members (adult or student). See screenshot below.

If you need help figuring this out, feel free to email the Tellers Committee (tellers@tjptsa.org).

Q9: My kids want to join the TJ PTSA and vote. What do I do?
A9: Do the following:

• Buy a 2020-21 Student Membership for each child.
• Make sure you assign each membership to the correct child in the AtoZ cart when buying it.
• From your AtoZ email account (the one you have associated with your name in AtoZ) email tellers@tjptsa.org with your child’s name and their non-FCPS email address. The child’s email will not be visible in the directory, but we will be able to register them to vote.
• IF YOU DON’T GET US THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS THEY CAN’T VOTE. This is because the online voting system uses email validation.
• Remember you can always create a new gmail or other email account for them to use for PTSA business if you don’t want to give us their personal email.

Q10: I hear rumors and see forwarded emails from people about dates and other information about the election. Should I trust those sources? Where can I go for official information about this election?
A10: A good rule in general is that if you didn’t read it in one of our official communication channels, you risk getting bad information. Look for info on our website, in our newsletter, or in an email sent to you by the President of the TJ PTSA. If you still can’t get the info you need, email the President of the TJ PTSA.

Q11: Who is on the Tellers Committee and what do they do?
A11: For this election, the Tellers Committee is composed of Nicolae Costescu (President), Kaushik Goswami (2nd VP), Anna Lee Kim (1st VP) and Stacey Heller (Recording Secretary). The Tellers Committee normally creates the paper ballots and passes them out and then tallies them. Since our election is online, the Tellers Committee will create the online ballot and then manage the election (answering questions, helping with technical issues such as email validation, etc.) and then present the results. If you need help during the election you can email tellers@tjptsa.org and we’ll help you out.

From the TJ PTSA President

Hi TJ Community,

I’ve gotten a few questions about how the election will work, and I also want to address a rumor or two. I’m glad people are eager to learn about the election. Everything is following a timeline that is defined in our bylaws and in the VA PTA training material for officer elections.

TL;DR (translation for Boomers: “Executive Summary”)

The TJ PTSA EC has not called for Dr. Bonitatibus or Superintendent Brabrand’s resignation.

The Nominating Committee was elected by the TJ PTSA membership (800 some eligible voters) so it is false to assert that one person hand-picked the recommended slate of EC candidates.

Remember to get your official TJ PTSA info from our website, our newsletter, or our Facebook page, or email the president or attend a PTSA meeting and ask your questions there.

Only 2020-21 TJ PTSA members get to vote in the election, so if you want to vote, buy a 2020-21 membership now. We’ll stop selling them shortly. Each membership gets one vote.

Don’t buy a membership for your kid if your kid doesn’t want to be a member and vote. Because I’m going to interview them and find out if it’s really them voting! Not really but who knows, I MIGHT! I won’t, but you never know. I could…

If you buy student memberships for your student, email the president from the email address that shows up for you in AtoZ Connect and include the child’s personal email (we can’t email school email addresses). The email will be hidden in AtoZ but will allow the child to vote.

We’ll post on the website as soon as we know dates when the Ballot will open and close. Thanks for supporting the work of the PTSA with your memberships.

If you want more details, read the Wall of Text Version below.

Nick Costescu, President

Wall of Text Version

Here’s the long version in excruciating detail.

As usual, on the internet, especially on social media, you need to take everything you read with a grain of salt, and understand that the more exciting or provocative a post is, the more likely the author has an agenda to push and they are trying to get you riled up so you’ll support that agenda. It’s not wrong to have an agenda or to drum up support for your agenda, but we need to be aware this is happening and maybe seek out the other points of view before getting too upset.

One false rumor I want to address is the allegation that the TJ PTSA is calling for the resignation of Dr. Bonitatibus and Superintendent Scott Brabrand.

The TJ PTSA has no such official position.

To adopt an official position, we’d need at least an EC vote and more likely a membership vote and then we’d post an official statement on our website, which, along w/the newsletter and our official TJHSST PTSA Facebook page are the only official TJ PTSA online communications channels.

If you don’t visit our website, please take a moment to become familiar with it, it’s the authoritative source and everything else, including the newsletter and Facebook content, flows from it.

It is true that some parents have called for those resignations. They do so as individual parents, or even as TJ PTSA members, or even as TJ PTSA committee chairs. Parents do not give up their rights to advocate and to free speech just because they volunteer for the TJ PTSA. But we have no official EC or TJ PTSA position calling for these resignations.

The other rumor is that one parent hand-picked the slate of recommended candidates. The process for electing the Nominating Committee is well documented in our Bylaws. You, the members of the TJ PTSA, either by voting for the Nominating Committee or by abstaining, indirectly selected the recommended slate of candidates for EC Officers. So if the folks you wanted to be on the slate didn’t make it, it’s because they didn’t have the support of you, the membership.

After the Nominating Committee report came out, per our Bylaws, we opened up self-nomination to all members, and we had four parents self-nominate. They will appear on the ballot for EC Officer positions alongside the recommended slate of candidates. From then on it’s a pure democratic election, so vote. The candidate for each office that gets the most votes wins.

The Election

Here’s the timeline of posts related to the EC Officer elections, along with a summary of each. All of these posts also went out in the newsletter.

• 2021-02-01 Nominating Committee Volunteers Needed
  • This was where we reached out to all members to get self-nominations for candidates who wanted to volunteer to be on the Nominating Committee.
  • We had an online election and you, the TJ PTSA membership elected your Nominating Committee to represent you in interviewing candidates for next year’s EC.
• 2021-02-26 Nominating Committee Election Results
  • This is where we presented the results of the election of the Nominating Committee. The committee then elected its chair from its members, per the Bylaws.
• 2021-03-07 Volunteer to serve on the TJ PTSA Executive Committee
  • This is where we asked the TJ PTSA membership to apply for EC Officer positions. Everyone who applied was considered and interviewed by the Nominating Committee.
• 2021-04-04 Nominating Committee Report
  • This is when we presented the Nominating Committee’s report, which recommended a slate of candidates for the 2021-22 EC Officer positions.
  • This is the official slate recommended by the TJ PTSA membership because the members elected the Nominating Committee.
• 2021-04-11 Call for Self-Nominations for 2021-22 TJ PTSA Executive Committee Officer Positions: Deadline April 25
  • This is where we put out the call for self-nominations for 2021-22 EC Officer positions. Any TJ PTSA member was able to self-nominate for any EC position and challenge a candidate on the slate recommended by the Nominating Committee.
• 2021-04-25 Self-Nominations for 2021-22 EC Officers Positions are Closed
  • This is where we closed the self-nominations and announced the names of everyone who self-nominated and what positions they are running for.

I’m currently seeking guidance from VA PTA on the rest of our timeline and I’ll update this post when I have it, so this is all tentative for now.

• 2021-05-<early May> 2020-21 TJ PTSA Memberships will no longer be available for sale. That means at that point each 2020-21 membership will be registered to vote and no one else will be able to vote. If a membership is not associated with an email in AtoZ connect, it cannot vote. The voting system relies on email addresses.
  • If you buy a student membership you must email the president from the email address that AtoZ has for you to let him know the email of the student you are buying it for (also make sure to assign it to the student when you buy it). Don’t use the student’s school email, we can’t send emails to that address.
  • I’m joking in the TL;DR section, but I do need to email the kid’s email because they aren’t able to enter it themselves so I need to make sure we have a valid email for them to vote or they won’t get the notice to vote or be able to vote. This has happened before and it’s not fun to go back and forth with parents trying to get a correct email address for a student during an election.
  • Each person can have at most one membership.
  • Don’t buy a membership for someone that doesn’t want to be a member. My kids don’t want to join the TJ PTSA so I didn’t buy them memberships.
• 2021-05-<early May> 2021-22 EC Officer Ballot Starts.
  • We have to wait at least 30 days from the time the Nominating Committee issued its report (4/4/2021) before having the election. We’ll try to get it going around May 5 but it may be later, we’re also working the World Language and Music AP snacks and then the larger AP events at the end of May. Also end of year senior celebration and a May senior get-together. We don’t want to neglect the actual service work, it’s what most volunteers enjoy doing.
  • It also takes a lot of work to set up an online election compared to an in-person election like we used to have. We have to import a list of registered voters from AtoZ into ezvoteonline, and that’s not as easy as one would think, especially with the mysterious and unprecedented recent increase in student memberships 🙂 that have emails that have to be manually added in AtoZ. Boy those kids sure got interested in the TJ PTSA all of a sudden, good for them!
  • Actually setting up and testing the online ballot will take some time too.
• 2021-05-<later in May>: 2021-22 EC Officer Ballot Closes.
  • I’d like to close the ballot before our May 20th general meeting so we can introduce the new officers, but we may do it later. With in person elections, you vote at the meeting and then the old EC is done, new EC is “in power”. I think we introduce the new EC at the following meeting. We don’t want to do this prematurely while we have events still happening (like the AP snacks at the end of May). We want some members of the new EC to be on the audit committee but they can’t be if they have signatory authority this FY.
  • Waiting on guidance from VA PTA to finalize all these dates.
• 2021-06-31 2020-21 Fiscal Year Ends.
• 2021-07-<mid July> Audit.

If you have any questions email me.
Sincerely,

Nick Costescu, President

Thank you to the following parents who self-nominated for 2021-20 EC Officers Positions. They will appear on the ballot along with the TJ PTSA recommended slate of candidates.

• Recording Secretary: Laura Marschoun (class of 2024)
• Corresponding Secretary: Khurrum H Khan (class of 2023)
• President-Elect: Yvette Soliz Rivers (class of 2023)
• Second Vice President: Ranoj Ranjan (class of 2023)

Please remember that only 2020-21 TJ PTSA members can vote in this election. Your memberships fund the events we put on for the students, teachers, and staff of TJ.

The TJ PTSA Nominating Committee has presented its report in this post.

The recommended slate of candidates is:

1. President-elect: Harry Jackson
2. 1^st Vice President, Li Yang
3. 2^nd Vice President, Jun Wang
4. Recording Secretary, Julia McCaskill
5. Corresponding Secretary, Hanning Chen
6. Treasurer, Himanshu Verma

Any TJ PTSA member that would like to self-nominate as a candidate for any of the above TJ PTSA Executive Committee Officer positions can fill out this form, and their name and bio will appear on the ballot for that position in the online election in May.

The self-nomination period starts now (April 11) and will end on April 25, 2021, at 5pm ET.

If you have any questions about this process please contact the president or another EC member.