Places to Sign Recall Petitions - Tholen/Omeish/Cohen

[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?

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!

Oh, BS. As a Colvin Run parent, I was thrilled that they ended the split feeder there and are sending all the kids to the same high school. And no, it was not "logical" to turn to Herndon to fill seats at Langley, when there was a split feeder of kids right there - far easier to send that one island to Langley, and you know it. The fiction YOU continue to spin in order to further your "poor McLean" victimization narrative is truly inspired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I would agree with this. No one has said McLean doesn't need an addition. And yes, I grew up here when Shouse went to Langley and now I have kids at Colvin Run - as I said earlier, we (and many other families) are thrilled that Colvin Run is no longer a split feeder and all the kids go to Langley. That was common sense, even if certain McLean parents continue to whine about it. Eliminating split feeders and islands is good policy. Everything else FCPS has touched, however, has turned to crap.

[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?

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.

Question: why on earth would ANY school community advocate to move areas which might cause their school to be above capacity?? Do you even hear yourself? JFC. Get off your high horse and quit blaming Langley for the SB's failure to give McLean an addition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I’m kind of done with your BS about how Langley “stepped up” when it was never properly your decision to make about how FCPS should properly address the capacity imbalances of its own making. And guess what? You’re far from omniscient and not in a position to monitor every conversation that may take place in meeting rooms. I will repeat that I heard Langley parents directly grousing about the possibility that if FCPS moved what they considered “too many” kids from McLean that they’d be at risk of getting moved to Herndon, which aligned with the GFCA’s later advocacy on the issue. It was exactly as I posited earlier - namely, that, when push came to shove, GF preferred that McLean remained overcrowded than that they take on any risk of Langley later becoming overcrowded.

The fact that Tholen let her decisions be guided by spin doctors like you is revolting and part of the reason why she can kiss her reputation and political future goodbye.

[Anonymous]

I'm kind of done with the obsessed McLean mom, repeating the same tired talking points, over and over and over. Good luck lobbying the SB for your addition. A nasty attitude like yours never helps, so you'll need all the luck you can get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

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.

Question: why on earth would ANY school community advocate to move areas which might cause their school to be above capacity?? Do you even hear yourself? JFC. Get off your high horse and quit blaming Langley for the SB's failure to give McLean an addition.

Can you not read? Serious question.

Because no one is blaming Langley (apart from Tholen) for the School Board’s decision not to schedule an addition at MHS.

What several of us have pointed out was that, under those circumstances and with a boundary change looming, Langley parents in Great Falls pushed for a limited change that left most of the risk of continued overcrowding with mcLean and Marshall and would keep LHS under-enrolled in order to minimize the risk that any LHS kids might get moved to Herndon at any future point.

It wasn’t exactly a case study in fairness or altruism, and we’ll keep telling you to get over yourself when you try to suggest otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm kind of done with the obsessed McLean mom, repeating the same tired talking points, over and over and over. Good luck lobbying the SB for your addition. A nasty attitude like yours never helps, so you'll need all the luck you can get.

“Kind of done” means you’ll be right back sparring with the multiple posters who aren’t buying what you’ve been trying to spin.

[Anonymous]

Is it just the one obsessed McLean mom? What an exhausting person.

[Anonymous]

Remember the school board supported Tholen.

If you want her out, at-large has to go as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember the school board supported Tholen.

If you want her out, at-large has to go as well.

Omeish did not support Tholen. People may have other reasons to dislike her, but she was the only one to challenge Tholen.

Keys Gamarra and Sizemore Heizer rubber stamped Tholen. Mind you, Keys Gamarra had blocked Strauss years earlier, claiming there should be no boundary changes until there was a county-wide review “with an equity lens,” only to go along with Tholen’s less equitable non-solution that leaves McLean overcrowded and Langley under-enrolled and with only expensive SFHs in its catchment area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I would agree with this. No one has said McLean doesn't need an addition. And yes, I grew up here when Shouse went to Langley and now I have kids at Colvin Run - as I said earlier, we (and many other families) are thrilled that Colvin Run is no longer a split feeder and all the kids go to Langley. That was common sense, even if certain McLean parents continue to whine about it. Eliminating split feeders and islands is good policy. Everything else FCPS has touched, however, has turned to crap.

DP, but there was nothing “common sense” about expanding Langley when it was below capacity and then expanding its already huge boundaries so that even more kids who live closer to other high schools end up attending Langley. That’s wasteful and inefficient.

Tholen can trot out the usual platitudes about the benefits of eliminating split feeders but we all know FCPS creates as many split feeders as it eliminates, and that she’s done nothing about more lopsided split feeders in Dranesville than Colvin Run.

Sorry to hear you think everything else FCPS has touched has “turned to crap.” I might have thought Langley parents would be more appreciative.

[Anonymous]

The Franklin Sherman split should have been closed in the last boundary change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember the school board supported Tholen.

If you want her out, at-large has to go as well.

Omeish did not support Tholen. People may have other reasons to dislike her, but she was the only one to challenge Tholen.

Keys Gamarra and Sizemore Heizer rubber stamped Tholen. Mind you, Keys Gamarra had blocked Strauss years earlier, claiming there should be no boundary changes until there was a county-wide review “with an equity lens,” only to go along with Tholen’s less equitable non-solution that leaves McLean overcrowded and Langley under-enrolled and with only expensive SFHs in its catchment area.

Omeish has been clear since her campaign that what she wants is to nuke the boundaries and remake all schools by demographics.

Although during the vote she was careful to say that wasn’t the reason lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Franklin Sherman split should have been closed in the last boundary change.

They ran the numbers during the study.

Franklin Sherman splits 90-10 to McLean/Langley. Moving all of FS to Cooper/Langley would have pulled too many kids out of McLean and overcrowded Cooper. They would have needed to move more of Spring Hill to Cooper/Langley Longfellow/McLean to offset that and, of course, Tholen wasn't going to inconvenience any Cooper/Langley families.

Moving the 10% of FS kids zoned to Langley to McLean would have meant rezoning kids living directly across Georgetown Pike from Langley to McLean. If they want to clean up the split feeder, probably easier just to reassign the 10% of FS at Cooper/Langley to Churchill Road ES (and then move some Kent Gardens kids to Franklin Sherman).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember the school board supported Tholen.

If you want her out, at-large has to go as well.

Omeish did not support Tholen. People may have other reasons to dislike her, but she was the only one to challenge Tholen.

Keys Gamarra and Sizemore Heizer rubber stamped Tholen. Mind you, Keys Gamarra had blocked Strauss years earlier, claiming there should be no boundary changes until there was a county-wide review “with an equity lens,” only to go along with Tholen’s less equitable non-solution that leaves McLean overcrowded and Langley under-enrolled and with only expensive SFHs in its catchment area.

Omeish has been clear since her campaign that what she wants is to nuke the boundaries and remake all schools by demographics.

Although during the vote she was careful to say that wasn’t the reason lol.

Omeish opposed Tholen's scheme because she wanted a broader review of Tysons-area HS boundaries so that space could free up at Marshall again for IB pupil placements.

Keys Gamarra called me during the 2019 election asking for support. I treated it as an opportunity to lobby for an addition to McLean. She went off about how there needed to be a county-wide boundary study and how the McLean parents who'd been saying negative things about Herndon needed to be taught a lesson. She then admitted she was talking about Langley parents who'd spoken ill of Herndon at a meeting with Janie Strauss at Forestville ES in June 2019, and that she had a hard time recalling the difference between Langley and McLean. Your tax dollars at work, folks.

Sizemore Heizer said all the right things during her campaign and has since been useless.

There's no reason for McLean families to support any of them again.