Places to Sign Recall Petitions - Tholen/Omeish/Cohen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. The republican candidate regardless of qualification will be labeled white supremacist Trumpy if white, a white-adjacent suck up if Asian, a wannabe white sellout if Latino, and the black face of white supremacy if an indigenous Black American,African, or Afro Caribbean descent.

McLean will quake in its boots, fearful of even discussing the pros and cons of the candidate with their friends and neighbors. They can’t have anyone thinking they would even consider voting for a Republican!

Then they will bite the bullet, vote blue no matter who, and complain later.

+ a million
Absolutely this. Let's not forget, Great Falls (and McLean) put forth some non-status quo candidates in 2019 - and were promptly labeled "racists" because of it. And look at the outcome from that disastrous election. Will these people EVER LEARN? One might think they actually enjoy being outraged and whining all the time, instead of actually voting in a way that will change things - for the better.

I’ll never understand why the local Great Falls Republicans are more interested in screaming “I told you so” than figuring out how to be part of a coalition that wins the next election. It’s obvious so many people want Tholen replaced, but you’re more interested in making assumptions about how other people vote. A cynic might say you’re actually quite happy she’s your girl.

How is anyone making assumptions? It's quite obvious how most others voted - the Democrats all won. That tells us that you cared more about "voting blue no matter who" than seriously considering the implications of voting for those clowns - Elaine Tholen included. Maybe you next time you won't be so quick to label people you disagree with "racists".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.

Great Falls and McLean and the Langley/McLean pyramids have a common interest in replacing Tholen with someone who will fight for fair funding and adequate seats at their pyramid schools, whether it’s Kent Gardens ES, Cooper MS, or McLean HS. Tholen doesn’t have it in her to challenge Jeff Platenberg or other School Board members.

The main point of contention between them is that, when push comes to shove, Great Falls would rather see McLean remain overcrowded than risk overcrowding Cooper or Langley to the point where others would push to move Cooper/Langley kids into the Herndon pyramid. But Herndon doesn’t have much excess capacity of its own and it’s only due to the negligence of FCPS and the School Board that the communities at times get pitted against each other.

If someone can get that message out, whether Republican, Democratic, or Independent, we can get rid of ineffective School Board members like Tholen and start to make some progress.

I'm sorry - the bolded is just completely false. Langley stepped up and urged McLean to send kids to Langley to help alleviate McLean's overcrowding. What did we hear from many of the McLean parents? Complaining and whining. Many of YOU didn't want your kids to go to Langley. Fine. We offered. Not sure what it is you want us to do for you. We agree you need an addition. Beyond that, we've offered space and many of you turned your noses up. Maybe next time don't look a gift horse in the mouth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.

Great Falls and McLean and the Langley/McLean pyramids have a common interest in replacing Tholen with someone who will fight for fair funding and adequate seats at their pyramid schools, whether it’s Kent Gardens ES, Cooper MS, or McLean HS. Tholen doesn’t have it in her to challenge Jeff Platenberg or other School Board members.

The main point of contention between them is that, when push comes to shove, Great Falls would rather see McLean remain overcrowded than risk overcrowding Cooper or Langley to the point where others would push to move Cooper/Langley kids into the Herndon pyramid. But Herndon doesn’t have much excess capacity of its own and it’s only due to the negligence of FCPS and the School Board that the communities at times get pitted against each other.

If someone can get that message out, whether Republican, Democratic, or Independent, we can get rid of ineffective School Board members like Tholen and start to make some progress.

I'm sorry - the bolded is just completely false. Langley stepped up and urged McLean to send kids to Langley to help alleviate McLean's overcrowding. What did we hear from many of the McLean parents? Complaining and whining. Many of YOU didn't want your kids to go to Langley. Fine. We offered. Not sure what it is you want us to do for you. We agree you need an addition. Beyond that, we've offered space and many of you turned your noses up. Maybe next time don't look a gift horse in the mouth?

Please stop with the constant effort to spin. It’s both unnecessary and untrue.

I sat in FCPS work sessions in 2019 near Langley parents openly complaining that FCPS might send so many kids from McLean to Langley that the school board might bump Langley kids to Herndon, and then saw the GFCA lobby Elaine Tholen to make sure that only an area in Vienna that did not include parts of Tysons slated for future development got moved to Langley. The GFCA then said publicly that it preferred that approach, which effectively capped the number of kids moved, to alternatives that would have required Langley to take on some of the growing areas in Tysons.

So here we are with the MHS enrollment again at an all-time high in 2021-22 and the School Board member from Langley/Great Falls doing absolutely nothing to get us slated for a permanent addition.

I know it’s important to you to suggest that Langley did nothing but extend open arms to McLean families, and that we should bow down in gratitude, but that is not exactly how it played out. It was more complicated, and you are really not credible pretending otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.,,

Years ago South County was built via a public private partnership. Totally out of cycle and that initiative has been mentioned by Dan Storck within the last few year, Board of Supervisors Mount Vernon, who was on the school board at the time. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-CIP-FY%202023-27.pdf


The only thing Tholen has done is move Shouse Village into Langley from Mclean which is just a continuation of the Colvin Run opening from about 20 years ago. Not possible at the time. No program funding or site changes, administrative boundary changes, no proposed other boundary changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.

Great Falls and McLean and the Langley/McLean pyramids have a common interest in replacing Tholen with someone who will fight for fair funding and adequate seats at their pyramid schools, whether it’s Kent Gardens ES, Cooper MS, or McLean HS. Tholen doesn’t have it in her to challenge Jeff Platenberg or other School Board members.

The main point of contention between them is that, when push comes to shove, Great Falls would rather see McLean remain overcrowded than risk overcrowding Cooper or Langley to the point where others would push to move Cooper/Langley kids into the Herndon pyramid. But Herndon doesn’t have much excess capacity of its own and it’s only due to the negligence of FCPS and the School Board that the communities at times get pitted against each other.

If someone can get that message out, whether Republican, Democratic, or Independent, we can get rid of ineffective School Board members like Tholen and start to make some progress.

I'm sorry - the bolded is just completely false. Langley stepped up and urged McLean to send kids to Langley to help alleviate McLean's overcrowding. What did we hear from many of the McLean parents? Complaining and whining. Many of YOU didn't want your kids to go to Langley. Fine. We offered. Not sure what it is you want us to do for you. We agree you need an addition. Beyond that, we've offered space and many of you turned your noses up. Maybe next time don't look a gift horse in the mouth?

hahahah - you are funny. So as someone from Shouse who sat through the whole boundary nightmare, I can tell you that your words are pure fiction. Great Falls wanted more kids at LHS in order to increase their capacity and not lose teachers/courses. The logical place to turn was Herndon, but Great Falls rejected that immediately, and Tholen did not dare raise it in public. Then FCPS staff made their recommendation, but that included multi family houses. So Elaine, under pressure from Great Falls (you know who you are) went against the staff recommendation and pushed a boundary that did nothing but introduce stress into the lives of the kids who switch pyramids - put them through a second split feeder in two years. That was the only outcome of the boundary.

I dont really care enough to try and help you understand what actually happened vs. what you want to believe happened. But I will clear this up for the record. LHS hand picked the neighborhoods that came into LHS, even though GFCA, LHS, MHS, mcspaces, Elaine, parents, Principals, and everyone else knew that this change would do nothing to help MHS. No one, including GFCA or yourself, did anything righteous here. Elaine least of all.

I think your 'gift horse' analogy is incorrect, more like a "donkey" kicked us when we were down.

Happy Valentines Day!

[Anonymous]

DP

Looks to me like Shouse Village wanted to go (back, as I think they had been a few decades ago) to Langley.

That Herndon community where the golf course used to be piped up during the comment period to ask the school board to move them from HHS to Langley since they were changing boundaries anyway.

It is right that Langley parents aren’t in the position to “offer a gift” of seats at LHS to McLean residents. That’s the school board’s authority. It’s also quite clear that McLean parents don’t gaf if growth pushes great falls out of Langley.

In the end, however, it’s the school board that told McLean years ago that they would get an addition and not have to leave.

It’s the school board that dissembled to McLean in late 2018/early 2019 about not re boundary ing some apartments from McLean to Langley (as reminder—they were in the process of overhauling boundary policy to prioritize racial and class mix in schools and disregard neighborhoods— and to allow themselves to change boundaries every three years. They were going to change all the boundaries in the county once the policy was done)

It’s the school board that surprised everyone with the switcheroo at the last minute to go against staff rec for the boundary.

I think we can all agree that with growth in Tysons and the existing overcrowding, McLean needs the addition. We can all agree that the school board has mishandled pretty much everything they’ve touched.

We can be annoyed at GF or McLean parents, but we don’t elect them.

It’s the school board that needs to be held accountable for their constant failure and malfeasance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.

Great Falls and McLean and the Langley/McLean pyramids have a common interest in replacing Tholen with someone who will fight for fair funding and adequate seats at their pyramid schools, whether it’s Kent Gardens ES, Cooper MS, or McLean HS. Tholen doesn’t have it in her to challenge Jeff Platenberg or other School Board members.

The main point of contention between them is that, when push comes to shove, Great Falls would rather see McLean remain overcrowded than risk overcrowding Cooper or Langley to the point where others would push to move Cooper/Langley kids into the Herndon pyramid. But Herndon doesn’t have much excess capacity of its own and it’s only due to the negligence of FCPS and the School Board that the communities at times get pitted against each other.

If someone can get that message out, whether Republican, Democratic, or Independent, we can get rid of ineffective School Board members like Tholen and start to make some progress.

I'm sorry - the bolded is just completely false. Langley stepped up and urged McLean to send kids to Langley to help alleviate McLean's overcrowding. What did we hear from many of the McLean parents? Complaining and whining. Many of YOU didn't want your kids to go to Langley. Fine. We offered. Not sure what it is you want us to do for you. We agree you need an addition. Beyond that, we've offered space and many of you turned your noses up. Maybe next time don't look a gift horse in the mouth?

Langley wanted some additional kids to avoid losing more teachers (after years of declining enrollments) and getting relegated to a lower VHSL division, which almost happened but for an appeal.

They hand-picked the neighborhoods they wanted and objected to moving areas that might actually bring Langley above capacity and Tholen went right along. The GFCA then said that was the best of all possible outcomes.

As with any boundary change, some in the impacted neighborhoods were unhappy while others were pleased or indifferent. But it clearly wasn’t a comprehensive solution, McLean remains overcrowded, and it’s Marshall and McLean, not Langley, that will have to accommodate all the kids coming from the new Tysons multi-family housing.

None of this is good planning or in on any way aligned with all the “equity” and “One Fairfax” talk that Brabrand, the School Board, and Jeff McKay love to prattle on about.

Just admit the whole dynamic created a Lord of the Flies dynamic and stop pretending Langley parents are so noble and generous. They absolutely gamed the situation, aided and abetted by a flaky, hypocritical School Board member who lives in Great Falls and didn’t want to upset any of her rich neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

... So as someone from Shouse who sat through the whole boundary nightmare, I can tell you that your words are pure fiction. Great Falls wanted more kids at LHS in order to increase their capacity and not lose teachers/courses. The logical place to turn was Herndon, but Great Falls rejected that immediately, and Tholen did not dare raise it in public. Then FCPS staff made their recommendation, but that included multi family houses. So Elaine, under pressure from Great Falls (you know who you are) went against the staff recommendation and pushed a boundary that did nothing but introduce stress into the lives of the kids who switch pyramids - put them through a second split feeder in two years. That was the only outcome of the boundary.

I dont really care enough to try and help you understand what actually happened vs. what you want to believe happened. But I will clear this up for the record. LHS hand picked the neighborhoods that came into LHS, even though GFCA, LHS, MHS, mcspaces, Elaine, parents, Principals, and everyone else knew that this change would do nothing to help MHS. No one, including GFCA or yourself, did anything righteous here. Elaine least of all.

I think your 'gift horse' analogy is incorrect, more like a "donkey" kicked us when we were down.

Happy Valentines Day!

Shouse Village got a school site, Colvin Run, 2 decades ago. JIP did not move from Great Falls-idea shot down by new administration and Shouse community. CRES got AAP because Forest Edge was over cap and getting a renovation. Plus AAP was easier to move to the unwieldly location and helped fill the new building. Despite all the slams on GFCA etc Great Falls had the highest send rate of accepted students to Forest Edge, Title 1 school.
Nightmare was/is neighborhoods that were sent to fill the building from what should have been the logical school location. Shouse used to be at Spring Hill. Was it ever at Wolf Trap?

Shouse used to go to Langley and was going to be moved to Marshall but that school board caved and moved it to Mclean. An island like Cuba:Florida. This issue of where to put developments all along Route 7 to the Loudoun County line has been a problem for decades. Some Vienna, some Reston, some Herndon and none are part of the 2 towns or the Reston HOA/clusters.

2 sets of high schools with 2 schools close to each other: Langley-Mclean, Oakton-Madison. Langley and Oakton have regional attendance areas while the other 2 have tighter boundaries. Areas currently at South County were not pleased with the regional approach and loaded school board members on a bus to give an exact replica of the commute from Silverbrook attendance area to Hayfield.

[Anonymous]

Tholen has been fundamentally dishonest about the whole situation. No doubt there are capacity challenges at McLean and elsewhere but we deserve better,

It was amusing, though, that she let slip to the MCA last week that it was important that boundaries reflect "geographical boundaries, such as Route 7." That had to have been a Freudian slip, since the area that she moved to Langley (overriding the FCPS staff recommendation) consisted entirely of single-family neighborhoods on the other side of Route 7 from Langley. Just like every other little pocket in Herndon and Reston that's been scoped into the Langley boundary over the years consists of expensive single-family homes and no apartments.

And, of course, she paid lip service to the idea of eliminating split feeders, while failing to acknowledge that she's left Spring Hill as a split feeder, but now created a situation where every kid who lives in an expensive house goes to Cooper/Langley and every kid who lives in a rental or condo zoned to Spring Hill goes to Longfellow/McLean. She similarly failed to acknowledge that she did nothing about the incredibly lopsided split feeder at Franklin Sherman, where 90% of the kids go to Longfellow/McLean and only 10% to Cooper/Langley. She could have cleaned that up, but didn't touch it.

She also claimed it would be untenable to have a situation where kids zoned to McLean might pass by Langley neighborhoods on their way to McLean, but neither she nor other School Board members have lifted a finger to address the fact that kids in the Westbriar ES island have passed by Colvin Run ES neighborhoods every day for years on their way to Westbriar.

She couldn't be more of a liar and a hypocrite if she tried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tholen has been fundamentally dishonest about the whole situation. No doubt there are capacity challenges at McLean and elsewhere but we deserve better,

It was amusing, though, that she let slip to the MCA last week that it was important that boundaries reflect "geographical boundaries, such as Route 7." That had to have been a Freudian slip, since the area that she moved to Langley (overriding the FCPS staff recommendation) consisted entirely of single-family neighborhoods on the other side of Route 7 from Langley. Just like every other little pocket in Herndon and Reston that's been scoped into the Langley boundary over the years consists of expensive single-family homes and no apartments.

And, of course, she paid lip service to the idea of eliminating split feeders, while failing to acknowledge that she's left Spring Hill as a split feeder, but now created a situation where every kid who lives in an expensive house goes to Cooper/Langley and every kid who lives in a rental or condo zoned to Spring Hill goes to Longfellow/McLean. She similarly failed to acknowledge that she did nothing about the incredibly lopsided split feeder at Franklin Sherman, where 90% of the kids go to Longfellow/McLean and only 10% to Cooper/Langley. She could have cleaned that up, but didn't touch it.

She also claimed it would be untenable to have a situation where kids zoned to McLean might pass by Langley neighborhoods on their way to McLean, but neither she nor other School Board members have lifted a finger to address the fact that kids in the Westbriar ES island have passed by Colvin Run ES neighborhoods every day for years on their way to Westbriar.

She couldn't be more of a liar and a hypocrite if she tried.

When Colvin Run opened part of the Westbriar ES island located north of Route 7 was re assigned to Colvin Run. Those students had no change in middle or high school assignments. Nothing east of Towlston got moved and now Tholen isn't getting Scottie B to move the new Toll Bros at the intersection of Route 7 and Towlston. I doubt Tholen is even aware of yield per developement and school assignments. Obviously she doesn't look at capacity and projections. Nor does she look at budgets and equitable allocations.

Herndon Pyramid has grossly overcrowded schools that share boundaries with some at less than 80%. Overcrowded elementary schools could have relief by changing boundaries and/or moving programs. There are lots of schools between 70 and 80% but no one on the board does anything. Gibson used to do stuff. Strauss was a blockade on movement into Reston schools but one reason was capacity. Now Hunter Mill and Dranesville have under capacity that boundary changes could load from Tysons area schools. They used to call it dominoe.

One thing about Fritsch on Blake Lane Park. That specific school didn't need to be built if they used open cap at Hunter Mill Corridor schools etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tholen has been fundamentally dishonest about the whole situation. No doubt there are capacity challenges at McLean and elsewhere but we deserve better,

It was amusing, though, that she let slip to the MCA last week that it was important that boundaries reflect "geographical boundaries, such as Route 7." That had to have been a Freudian slip, since the area that she moved to Langley (overriding the FCPS staff recommendation) consisted entirely of single-family neighborhoods on the other side of Route 7 from Langley. Just like every other little pocket in Herndon and Reston that's been scoped into the Langley boundary over the years consists of expensive single-family homes and no apartments.

And, of course, she paid lip service to the idea of eliminating split feeders, while failing to acknowledge that she's left Spring Hill as a split feeder, but now created a situation where every kid who lives in an expensive house goes to Cooper/Langley and every kid who lives in a rental or condo zoned to Spring Hill goes to Longfellow/McLean. She similarly failed to acknowledge that she did nothing about the incredibly lopsided split feeder at Franklin Sherman, where 90% of the kids go to Longfellow/McLean and only 10% to Cooper/Langley. She could have cleaned that up, but didn't touch it.

She also claimed it would be untenable to have a situation where kids zoned to McLean might pass by Langley neighborhoods on their way to McLean, but neither she nor other School Board members have lifted a finger to address the fact that kids in the Westbriar ES island have passed by Colvin Run ES neighborhoods every day for years on their way to Westbriar.

She couldn't be more of a liar and a hypocrite if she tried.

When Colvin Run opened part of the Westbriar ES island located north of Route 7 was re assigned to Colvin Run. Those students had no change in middle or high school assignments. Nothing east of Towlston got moved and now Tholen isn't getting Scottie B to move the new Toll Bros at the intersection of Route 7 and Towlston. I doubt Tholen is even aware of yield per developement and school assignments. Obviously she doesn't look at capacity and projections. Nor does she look at budgets and equitable allocations.

Herndon Pyramid has grossly overcrowded schools that share boundaries with some at less than 80%. Overcrowded elementary schools could have relief by changing boundaries and/or moving programs. There are lots of schools between 70 and 80% but no one on the board does anything. Gibson used to do stuff. Strauss was a blockade on movement into Reston schools but one reason was capacity. Now Hunter Mill and Dranesville have under capacity that boundary changes could load from Tysons area schools. They used to call it dominoe.

One thing about Fritsch on Blake Lane Park. That specific school didn't need to be built if they used open cap at Hunter Mill Corridor schools etc.

She is aware of yield projections and school assignments.

The GFCA presented her with information in 2020 and 2021 to suggest that FCPS projections were underestimating the number of kids in the Langley pyramid. It was integral to their argument that only already developed areas like Shouse Village should be moved to Langley, not areas slated for future growth like Tysons. When she did what they wanted, the GFCA representative stated: "Of the three options considered * * * Ms. Tholen's and the Board's decision on option B is the better compromise for Great Falls. It satisfies the various goals well while not excessive on Cooper and Langley's capacities. It is a significant number of students but comes from neighborhoods with little to no future development as compared to other options considered."

The MCA has also shared information with Tholen demonstrating that FCPS is not planning appropriately for growth in Tysons, which is going to send hundreds more students into McLean and Marshall. In response, FCPS has admitted that its projections only take into account developments where the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the development has been approved by the county or the developer has already paid proffer money to FCPS. As a result, FCPS is always playing catch-up rather than planning pro-actively.

She knows all of this. And she's made clear that (1) she's not willing to be a fierce advocate for Dranesville, whether it comes to adding enough seats at Cooper during its current renovation or securing funding for an addition to McLean; and (2) when it's crunch time, she sides with the GFCA, which only extended a welcome mat at Langley to McLean neighborhoods "with little to no future development" planned, even if that means McLean and Marshall will continue to have kids in trailers and modulars for years to come. Why actually challenge Jeff Platenberg or fight for resources with other School Board members, when you know your own Great Falls neighbors are taken care of for now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tholen has been fundamentally dishonest about the whole situation. No doubt there are capacity challenges at McLean and elsewhere but we deserve better,

It was amusing, though, that she let slip to the MCA last week that it was important that boundaries reflect "geographical boundaries, such as Route 7." That had to have been a Freudian slip, since the area that she moved to Langley (overriding the FCPS staff recommendation) consisted entirely of single-family neighborhoods on the other side of Route 7 from Langley. Just like every other little pocket in Herndon and Reston that's been scopedinto the Langley boundary over the years consists of expensive single-family homes and no apartments.

And, of course, she paid lip service to the idea of eliminating split feeders, while failing to acknowledge that she's left Spring Hill as a split feeder, but now created a situation where every kid who lives in an expensive house goes to Cooper/Langley and every kid who lives in a rental or condo zoned to Spring Hill goes to Longfellow/McLean. She similarly failed to acknowledge that she did nothing about the incredibly lopsided split feeder at Franklin Sherman, where 90% of the kids go to Longfellow/McLean and only 10% to Cooper/Langley. She could have cleaned that up, but didn't touch it.

She also claimed it would be untenable to have a situation where kids zoned to McLean might pass by Langley neighborhoods on their way to McLean, but neither she nor other School Board members have lifted a finger to address the fact that kids in the Westbriar ES island have passed by Colvin Run ES neighborhoods every day for years on their way to Westbriar.

She couldn't be more of a liar and a hypocrite if she tried.

I dunno I think the former member who pulled shenanigans with boundaries and all day K has her beaten.

@ the bolderd, I always called them “weird little scoops” lol

Can you IMAGINE the screaming of the board had closed the Franklin Sherman split feeder?

[Anonymous]

At some point ancient John Foust is going to retire as the Dranesville BOS member and I wouldn't put it past the FCDC to try and promote Tholen for his seat, given how Smith (to whom 11:33 was referring), Storck, Palchik, and Kory all leap-frogged from the School Board to higher office.

That would be an insult to parents all over the district, and should be treated as such if it ever happens.

[Anonymous]

I still remember Foust at a meeting saying no one was talking boundary changes when Brabrand had told the board at a work sessions that the board of supervisors expected boundary changes if fcps wanted more money.

Comedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.

Great Falls and McLean and the Langley/McLean pyramids have a common interest in replacing Tholen with someone who will fight for fair funding and adequate seats at their pyramid schools, whether it’s Kent Gardens ES, Cooper MS, or McLean HS. Tholen doesn’t have it in her to challenge Jeff Platenberg or other School Board members.

The main point of contention between them is that, when push comes to shove, Great Falls would rather see McLean remain overcrowded than risk overcrowding Cooper or Langley to the point where others would push to move Cooper/Langley kids into the Herndon pyramid. But Herndon doesn’t have much excess capacity of its own and it’s only due to the negligence of FCPS and the School Board that the communities at times get pitted against each other.

If someone can get that message out, whether Republican, Democratic, or Independent, we can get rid of ineffective School Board members like Tholen and start to make some progress.

I'm sorry - the bolded is just completely false. Langley stepped up and urged McLean to send kids to Langley to help alleviate McLean's overcrowding. What did we hear from many of the McLean parents? Complaining and whining. Many of YOU didn't want your kids to go to Langley. Fine. We offered. Not sure what it is you want us to do for you. We agree you need an addition. Beyond that, we've offered space and many of you turned your noses up. Maybe next time don't look a gift horse in the mouth?

Please stop with the constant effort to spin. It’s both unnecessary and untrue.

I sat in FCPS work sessions in 2019 near Langley parents openly complaining that FCPS might send so many kids from McLean to Langley that the school board might bump Langley kids to Herndon, and then saw the GFCA lobby Elaine Tholen to make sure that only an area in Vienna that did not include parts of Tysons slated for future development got moved to Langley. The GFCA then said publicly that it preferred that approach, which effectively capped the number of kids moved, to alternatives that would have required Langley to take on some of the growing areas in Tysons.

So here we are with the MHS enrollment again at an all-time high in 2021-22 and the School Board member from Langley/Great Falls doing absolutely nothing to get us slated for a permanent addition.

I know it’s important to you to suggest that Langley did nothing but extend open arms to McLean families, and that we should bow down in gratitude, but that is not exactly how it played out. It was more complicated, and you are really not credible pretending otherwise.

Wow - talk about spin. The chip on your shoulder is so large, I wonder how you make it through the day. No one expects you to "bow down in gratitude" - what a stupid comment. I also sat in on some of those FCPS work sessions and never heard anything of the kind. Are you the same person who has harped about this ad nauseum for the past two years? Look, we're all in agreement - McLean needs an addition, ASAP. But you acting like some kind of victim is really a bad look. Everyone I know from Langley has been all in favor of moving enough McLean kids over to alleviate the overcrowding there. But you know what? If there are other parents at McLean with your nasty attitude, I've got to say - you're certainly not going to garner much support after awhile. Good luck. I'm kind of done with supporting your issue.