Meet the Ombuds

The Ombuds (pronounced “om-budz”) office serves constituents - families, employees, and community members - as a designated informal neutral resource to help them advocate for fairness, equity, and consistency if they have concerns or issues. The Ombuds reports to the Chief of Staff. 

The word Ombuds means “representative.” 

The Ombuds follows the four ethical principles of the International Ombudsman Association: 

  • Independence

  • Impartiality

  • Confidentiality

  • Informality

About the Ombuds

Carey Williams has been an educator in Northern Virginia for over twenty years and began her career as a certified athletic trainer and health and physical education teacher in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS). As she transitioned from the classroom into administrative roles during her tenure in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), she found herself drawn to positions that focused on connecting students and families to academic and social-emotional supports and resources, because it is her belief that all students can be successful throughout their K-12 experience, with no exceptions. Carey was a System of Support Advisor at Herndon high school before she became an assistant administrator for Interagency Alternative School programs. As an assistant administrator, she supervised seventeen of the twenty-three alternative school programs that served students who were placed in or volunteered to attend a smaller setting due to behavior concerns, truancy, academic needs, and the ultimate goal of on-time graduation.

In 2019, Carey became the coordinator for Equity and Student Conduct in FCPS, overseeing the Student Rights and Responsibilities and discipline data and support for the division. She also supervised the teams responsible for the division-wide implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support and Restorative Practices. Serving on the Virginia Student Support and Conduct Committee (VSSCC), Carey supported districts as they embraced the 2021 Model Guidance for Positive, Preventative Code of Student Conduct Policy and Alternatives to Suspension. Most recently, Carey has served as a Title IX Investigator for the Equity and Student Relations department in PWCS.