Woodson Renaming?

[Anonymous]

An agenda item for a School Board work session tomorrow is “Woodson Renaming Forum.”

Is Woodson going to get renamed like Stuart, Lee, Lanier, and Mosby Woods? Woodson was a former FCPS superintendent and supposedly not the most progressive figure of his era, but he wasn’t a Confederate soldier.

[Anonymous]

Woodson opposed desegregation and delayed integrating FCPS. Why should he be honored with his name on a school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woodson opposed desegregation and delayed integrating FCPS. Why should he be honored with his name on a school?

I guess the argument would be that he oversaw a period of major expansion in FCPS, and that’s what they honored him for, not his views on integration. Also, that the school has had that name for 60+ years so now it’s just associated with the community, not the person.

Is there a particular replacement name in mind or would they just go with something inane like “Mosaic”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woodson opposed desegregation and delayed integrating FCPS. Why should he be honored with his name on a school?

I guess the argument would be that he oversaw a period of major expansion in FCPS, and that’s what they honored him for, not his views on integration. Also, that the school has had that name for 60+ years so now it’s just associated with the community, not the person.

Is there a particular replacement name in mind or would they just go with something inane like “Mosaic”?

Names like Mosaic (FCPS), Meridian (falls Church city), Cardinal (Arlington) are now the go-to for school names since they are inoffensive and also inspirational. Views on historical figures change over time. It usually takes public outcry and a few news stories for a name change to happen in real life.

[Anonymous]

Tell me more about Woodson.

[Anonymous]

Excited to hear this. My DD goes to Woodson. No reason to have schools named after people like him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woodson opposed desegregation and delayed integrating FCPS. Why should he be honored with his name on a school?

I guess the argument would be that he oversaw a period of major expansion in FCPS, and that’s what they honored him for, not his views on integration. Also, that the school has had that name for 60+ years so now it’s just associated with the community, not the person.

Is there a particular replacement name in mind or would they just go with something inane like “Mosaic”?

+1. No one knows anything about the person behind the school name, so there's no need to change it. No one thinks about this unless they are bored and looking for something to be offended about. No one walks into that school or drives by it and feels offended.

On the other hand, there will be plenty of cons to renaming.

[Anonymous]

To add, most schools named after confederate leaders were not named that way just after the Civil War, when it might be more understandable (even if I don’t understand it today). It was well into the 20th century and intended to intimidate.

I imagine it’s the same with this. He likely wasn’t honored for his superior management schools. He was likely honored because of his leadership in trying to keep segregation in FCPS as long as he could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excited to hear this. My DD goes to Woodson. No reason to have schools named after people like him.

The name is associated with the school, and the school's accomplishments, not the man. This is not something that bothered anyone until someone decided to become offended by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To add, most schools named after confederate leaders were not named that way just after the Civil War, when it might be more understandable (even if I don’t understand it today). It was well into the 20th century and intended to intimidate.

I imagine it’s the same with this. He likely wasn’t honored for his superior management schools. He was likely honored because of his leadership in trying to keep segregation in FCPS as long as he could.

You have a vivid imagination. Let's just make a bunch of stuff up in order to justify changing the name of a school that no one actually associates with a particular person. Then we can feel good about ourselves for being so much more virtuous than people in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excited to hear this. My DD goes to Woodson. No reason to have schools named after people like him.

The name is associated with the school, and the school's accomplishments, not the man. This is not something that bothered anyone until someone decided to become offended by it.

Plus, it costs lots of money that could be better used.

Kind of like Fort Hood renaming. Nobody thought about who it was named after, but everyone knew what it was. But, they renamed it and recent news talked about the food insecurity there. Seems like the money could have been better spent feeding our soldiers.

[Anonymous]

More FCPS virtue signaling idiocy.

[Anonymous]

I can see it now: Equity High

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can see it now: Equity High

Little River High would be better. Or is it Main Street there? Main High School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can see it now: Equity High

Little River High would be better. Or is it Main Street there? Main High School?

How about spending the money on tutoring services instead?