Paul Bartkowski School Board Candidate Forum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

paulforfcsb wrote:re homeschooling this year - just based on past experience homeschooling during the covid shutdowns. She needed some more attention and rigor - and she's getting it. We use an online program through Well Trained Mind Academy - great curriculum.

OK, so public school during Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, public school last year after Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, and now regular non-Covid 6th grade isn't good enough for your kid? When you live in one of the best public school areas in Fairfax?

Sorry, SB candidates need to put their money where their mouth is. I wouldn't vote for Karl or Melanie for similar reasons.

It does look like a great curriculum. Will FCPS pay so parents can send their child with similar needs to WTMA too?

https://www.wtmacademy.com/

I would be interested in your candidacy if you were talking more about bringing in rigorous curriculum like Well Trained Mind into FCPS, and a whole lot less about weird Republican fixations on YA books.

[Anonymous]

Being too good for FCPS schools in the Dranesville district, which are some of the strongest FCPS schools in the county, is a non-starter for me as a PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD candidate. Come on, that's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t vote for someone who bans books. Parental choice should be not allowing YOUR child to read something you deem as inappropriate not telling someone else’s child that they can not just because you find it offensive.

Change your stance on this and I would actually consider voting for you as your stance on other issues makes sense to me

Agree. Jumping in to critiquing the professional librarians' decisions IS literally the definition of being a Culture Wars candidate. Let the professionals do their jobs. If people don't like that information is available, they can send their kid to private school like you chose to do.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being too good for FCPS schools in the Dranesville district, which are some of the strongest FCPS schools in the county, is a non-starter for me as a PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD candidate. Come on, that's ridiculous.

Why do you keep trying to make this a thing?

Paul has three kids who’ve been in FCPS and will be in FCPS next year. This year, his family is homeschooling one of those kids, not sending them to an FCPS elementary that has some of the largest class sizes in FCPS.

Robyn Lady doesn’t even have kids, much less kids who’ve attended FCPS. Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Once again the LWNJs want to make everything a litmus test about whether candidates favor books like Gender Queer in school libraries. Elaine Tholen saw the writing on the wall when she went ahead and made local trans activist (and FCDC stalwart) Willow Woycke the Dranesville rep to the Family Life Education committee.

Small wonder just about everything else affecting FCPS gets ignored, whether it’s academics or facilities. I think Bartkowski would push FCPS to focus of the basics. More attention to STEM, history, and writing, and less on DEI and “intersectionality.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paul - thanks for posting. You’ll need to be judicious in deciding which posts to address. This forum is trolled by Democratic partisans, who’ll hold you to a far different and much higher standard than they’ve ever held the current School Board. It’s also frequented by some folks who resent McLean HS and want the School Board to continue to ignore the fact that McLean is a run-down school with the least permanent capacity of any FCPS high school, even though it has an average-size enrollment and is expected to accommodate continued residential growth in Tysons, West Falls Church, and downtown McLean.

In general, I found your answers at the candidates forum last week to resonate with the main concerns of parents in this area. That’s not to say that Robyn Lady would not also bring some valuable experience if she’s elected. But on the issue of addressing the facilities needs at McLean, she offered nothing new and said little to suggest she’d scrutinize FCPS capital spending more closely. That inattention is how we end up with situations where Dranesville ES is now getting expanded to 1000 seats, despite a current enrollment of 600; proffer money from developers is not spent on the schools that serve those new development; and a new elementary school for which there is simply no need is now planned in Dunn Loring (all while high schools like Chantilly and McLean remain overcrowded for over a decade). And her one other suggestion - waiving the normal pupil placement requirements to allow kids to attend Herndon and Langley rather than McLean - would further kick the can down the road and widen existing disparities within FCPS.

Good luck - whether you get elected or not, it is fantastic that someone is at least willing to take on the local political “machine.”

Lots of nutty trumper trolls on here who live nowhere near DC.

Oh, that reminds me, who did you vote for in the 2016 election?

Haha that post about Dem trolls is so ridiculous. This site is trolled by MAGA around the clock. As a parent and an educator I'm tired of hearing about Covid. So many other issues in education R's want to ignore as usual.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

paulforfcsb wrote:re homeschooling this year - just based on past experience homeschooling during the covid shutdowns. She needed some more attention and rigor - and she's getting it. We use an online program through Well Trained Mind Academy - great curriculum.

OK, so public school during Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, public school last year after Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, and now regular non-Covid 6th grade isn't good enough for your kid? When you live in one of the best public school areas in Fairfax?

Sorry, SB candidates need to put their money where their mouth is. I wouldn't vote for Karl or Melanie for similar reasons.

It does look like a great curriculum. Will FCPS pay so parents can send their child with similar needs to WTMA too?

https://www.wtmacademy.com/

I would be interested in your candidacy if you were talking more about bringing in rigorous curriculum like Well Trained Mind into FCPS, and a whole lot less about weird Republican fixations on YA books.

Yes! My whole platform is to improve the quality of education FCPS provides and stop pushing political agendas. The fixation comment works both ways - rest assured that I believe our time, and the Board's time, would be far better spent on improving the education our schools provide. If you've attended a Board meeting, there is precious little time spent on that fundamental topic and much more spent on sex and sexuality, etc. I've already said I find much of it inappropriate, the books, the discussions with the kids, etc. Again, call me old-fashioned, but I think most of those sensitive topics are better left outside the schools and the schools should focus on education. And bear in mind that all of it takes energy, class-time, and resources away from reversing the losses we've seen in English, math, science, etc.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t vote for someone who bans books. Parental choice should be not allowing YOUR child to read something you deem as inappropriate not telling someone else’s child that they can not just because you find it offensive.

Change your stance on this and I would actually consider voting for you as your stance on other issues makes sense to me

Schools ban things all the time that some parents find perfectly ok.

Why is removing explicit graphic novels any different than banning R rated movies in high school/junior high, or PG rated movies in elementary school.

Deciding that graphic sex novels are inappropriate for the minor students is not "banning books"

I wonder why the only books being “banned” happen to be LGBTQ books.

About sex?

There are many books with graphic heterosexual sex.

Thank goodness they are not in the FCPS libraries. And we want to keep it that way!

Why do you think that? Have you actually been to any FCPS libraries? There are many books with adult content in high school libraries.

Please share with me information on the books with images (drawings or pictures) of heterosexual sexual acts in FCPS’ libraries. What are the titles, and what section of the school libraries are they in?

“Graphic sex” doesn’t mean illustrations.

Exactly! What people are objecting to is the illustrations (drawings and pictures) of explicit sexual acts that can be easily seen by any students, including those who can barely read because we have those students even in HS, and they would be the most vulnerable.

Tell that to the PP above complaining about “graphic sex novels”.

Only one of the LGBTQ books that is the focus of the conservative nutters is a graphic novel format.

Are you a parent or an activist? Because one book is too many for the former, as for the latter it’s just not enough. BTW, it’s not the only book, but of course, you already know that!

Good thing we have Paul Bartkowski, a parent, willing to do whatever it takes to replace ideology and indoctrination focus on academics, the way it should be!

What are the other graphic novels under debate?

I’m a parent who I think it is great having books with diverse stories available to HS kids. Gender Queer is a story of an LGBTQ+ kid’s journey of self-discovery. And is very tame sexually compared to what kids see daily on the interwebs.

That is exactly what Robin Lady said in one of the debates! According to her, LGBTQ students need to be represented that way in our schools. No mention of encouraging these students to find their identity in other areas besides their sexuality, otherwise other books with different approaches to Gender-affirmation would be available in our school libraries as well.

As for justifying the presence of this pornography in our libraries with the fact that students are already exposed to that and more outside of school, I can see your point, however where do we draw the line, and who gets to decide on that? Because one can also say that kids are exposed to alcohol, tobacco, and arms outside of school, and yet FCPS doesn’t have these illegal (for under 18) substances readily available at the school cafeterias so that students can consume them. Nor do RO’s have weapons (knives, guns, etc.) available in their offices for students just because some of them are already using them outside of school.

Huh? Students already explore many different aspects of their identity in school - academics, sports, clubs, etc. That has been happening forever. Having a handful of LGBTQ books in the library isn't preventing any of that.

None of these books are pornography. And many books already cover heterosexuality and sexual awakening.

Talking about sex isn't equivalent to giving a kid a gun in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

paulforfcsb wrote:re homeschooling this year - just based on past experience homeschooling during the covid shutdowns. She needed some more attention and rigor - and she's getting it. We use an online program through Well Trained Mind Academy - great curriculum.

OK, so public school during Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, public school last year after Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, and now regular non-Covid 6th grade isn't good enough for your kid? When you live in one of the best public school areas in Fairfax?

Sorry, SB candidates need to put their money where their mouth is. I wouldn't vote for Karl or Melanie for similar reasons.

It does look like a great curriculum. Will FCPS pay so parents can send their child with similar needs to WTMA too?

https://www.wtmacademy.com/

I would be interested in your candidacy if you were talking more about bringing in rigorous curriculum like Well Trained Mind into FCPS, and a whole lot less about weird Republican fixations on YA books.

Yes! My whole platform is to improve the quality of education FCPS provides and stop pushing political agendas. The fixation comment works both ways - rest assured that I believe our time, and the Board's time, would be far better spent on improving the education our schools provide. If you've attended a Board meeting, there is precious little time spent on that fundamental topic and much more spent on sex and sexuality, etc. I've already said I find much of it inappropriate, the books, the discussions with the kids, etc. Again, call me old-fashioned, but I think most of those sensitive topics are better left outside the schools and the schools should focus on education. And bear in mind that all of it takes energy, class-time, and resources away from reversing the losses we've seen in English, math, science, etc.

So maybe the Republicans should stop targeting LGBTQ kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

paulforfcsb wrote:re homeschooling this year - just based on past experience homeschooling during the covid shutdowns. She needed some more attention and rigor - and she's getting it. We use an online program through Well Trained Mind Academy - great curriculum.

OK, so public school during Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, public school last year after Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, and now regular non-Covid 6th grade isn't good enough for your kid? When you live in one of the best public school areas in Fairfax?

Sorry, SB candidates need to put their money where their mouth is. I wouldn't vote for Karl or Melanie for similar reasons.

It does look like a great curriculum. Will FCPS pay so parents can send their child with similar needs to WTMA too?

https://www.wtmacademy.com/

I would be interested in your candidacy if you were talking more about bringing in rigorous curriculum like Well Trained Mind into FCPS, and a whole lot less about weird Republican fixations on YA books.

Yes! My whole platform is to improve the quality of education FCPS provides and stop pushing political agendas. The fixation comment works both ways - rest assured that I believe our time, and the Board's time, would be far better spent on improving the education our schools provide. If you've attended a Board meeting, there is precious little time spent on that fundamental topic and much more spent on sex and sexuality, etc. I've already said I find much of it inappropriate, the books, the discussions with the kids, etc. Again, call me old-fashioned, but I think most of those sensitive topics are better left outside the schools and the schools should focus on education. And bear in mind that all of it takes energy, class-time, and resources away from reversing the losses we've seen in English, math, science, etc.

So maybe the Republicans should stop targeting LGBTQ kids.

No one is targeting LGBTQ kids in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being too good for FCPS schools in the Dranesville district, which are some of the strongest FCPS schools in the county, is a non-starter for me as a PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD candidate. Come on, that's ridiculous.

Why do you keep trying to make this a thing?

Paul has three kids who’ve been in FCPS and will be in FCPS next year. This year, his family is homeschooling one of those kids, not sending them to an FCPS elementary that has some of the largest class sizes in FCPS.

Robyn Lady doesn’t even have kids, much less kids who’ve attended FCPS. Sheesh.

Why do you think its just one person who has an issue with this? He said the kid has been in private school since covid-thats many years of turning their nose up at some of the highest rated elementaries in fcps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t vote for someone who bans books. Parental choice should be not allowing YOUR child to read something you deem as inappropriate not telling someone else’s child that they can not just because you find it offensive.

Change your stance on this and I would actually consider voting for you as your stance on other issues makes sense to me

Schools ban things all the time that some parents find perfectly ok.

Why is removing explicit graphic novels any different than banning R rated movies in high school/junior high, or PG rated movies in elementary school.

Deciding that graphic sex novels are inappropriate for the minor students is not "banning books"

I wonder why the only books being “banned” happen to be LGBTQ books.

About sex?

There are many books with graphic heterosexual sex.

Thank goodness they are not in the FCPS libraries. And we want to keep it that way!

Why do you think that? Have you actually been to any FCPS libraries? There are many books with adult content in high school libraries.

Please share with me information on the books with images (drawings or pictures) of heterosexual sexual acts in FCPS’ libraries. What are the titles, and what section of the school libraries are they in?

“Graphic sex” doesn’t mean illustrations.

Exactly! What people are objecting to is the illustrations (drawings and pictures) of explicit sexual acts that can be easily seen by any students, including those who can barely read because we have those students even in HS, and they would be the most vulnerable.

Tell that to the PP above complaining about “graphic sex novels”.

Only one of the LGBTQ books that is the focus of the conservative nutters is a graphic novel format.

That post specifically mentuoned graphic novels. Why are you defending this and so invested in having those books in schools?

You aren't defending literature by any means, nor are you pushing books for lgbt kids with beatiful storylines, redeeming characters or positive value.

You know the difference between what you are pushing for these minor and often vulnerable kids, and actual literature with redeeming value and age appropriate material.

To pretend that this is about protecting libraries from censorship is an absolute joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

paulforfcsb wrote:re homeschooling this year - just based on past experience homeschooling during the covid shutdowns. She needed some more attention and rigor - and she's getting it. We use an online program through Well Trained Mind Academy - great curriculum.

OK, so public school during Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, public school last year after Covid wasn't good enough for your kid, and now regular non-Covid 6th grade isn't good enough for your kid? When you live in one of the best public school areas in Fairfax?

Sorry, SB candidates need to put their money where their mouth is. I wouldn't vote for Karl or Melanie for similar reasons.

It does look like a great curriculum. Will FCPS pay so parents can send their child with similar needs to WTMA too?

https://www.wtmacademy.com/

I would be interested in your candidacy if you were talking more about bringing in rigorous curriculum like Well Trained Mind into FCPS, and a whole lot less about weird Republican fixations on YA books.

Yes! My whole platform is to improve the quality of education FCPS provides and stop pushing political agendas. The fixation comment works both ways - rest assured that I believe our time, and the Board's time, would be far better spent on improving the education our schools provide. If you've attended a Board meeting, there is precious little time spent on that fundamental topic and much more spent on sex and sexuality, etc. I've already said I find much of it inappropriate, the books, the discussions with the kids, etc. Again, call me old-fashioned, but I think most of those sensitive topics are better left outside the schools and the schools should focus on education. And bear in mind that all of it takes energy, class-time, and resources away from reversing the losses we've seen in English, math, science, etc.

So maybe the Republicans should stop targeting LGBTQ kids.

No one is targeting LGBTQ kids in FCPS.

False.
https://www.thenvaproject.org/blog

And if Youngkin had his way...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/08/29/virginia-schools-transgender-policies-youngkin/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t vote for someone who bans books. Parental choice should be not allowing YOUR child to read something you deem as inappropriate not telling someone else’s child that they can not just because you find it offensive.

Change your stance on this and I would actually consider voting for you as your stance on other issues makes sense to me

Schools ban things all the time that some parents find perfectly ok.

Why is removing explicit graphic novels any different than banning R rated movies in high school/junior high, or PG rated movies in elementary school.

Deciding that graphic sex novels are inappropriate for the minor students is not "banning books"

I wonder why the only books being “banned” happen to be LGBTQ books.

About sex?

There are many books with graphic heterosexual sex.

Thank goodness they are not in the FCPS libraries. And we want to keep it that way!

Why do you think that? Have you actually been to any FCPS libraries? There are many books with adult content in high school libraries.

Please share with me information on the books with images (drawings or pictures) of heterosexual sexual acts in FCPS’ libraries. What are the titles, and what section of the school libraries are they in?

“Graphic sex” doesn’t mean illustrations.

Exactly! What people are objecting to is the illustrations (drawings and pictures) of explicit sexual acts that can be easily seen by any students, including those who can barely read because we have those students even in HS, and they would be the most vulnerable.

Tell that to the PP above complaining about “graphic sex novels”.

Only one of the LGBTQ books that is the focus of the conservative nutters is a graphic novel format.

That post specifically mentuoned graphic novels. Why are you defending this and so invested in having those books in schools?

You aren't defending literature by any means, nor are you pushing books for lgbt kids with beatiful storylines, redeeming characters or positive value.

You know the difference between what you are pushing for these minor and often vulnerable kids, and actual literature with redeeming value and age appropriate material.

To pretend that this is about protecting libraries from censorship is an absolute joke.

I'm pushing for Republicans to leave LGBTQ kids alone.

The books are fine and weren't a big deal until Republicans made them into an "issue".

What do you think is the storyline or character's arc in Gender Queer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Paul!

I was so impressed with your informed and knowledgeable responses during the debate the other night. My family usually votes only for our party, but your attention to local details and greater knowledge about FCPS in Dranesville won me over. Thanks -

You have my vote!

This is so fake.

DP. You can't handle this?

There was a debate between the School Board candidates earlier this week. It was packed, with several hundred people in attendance. It stands to figure some are aware of this forum.

What PP mentioned - Paul's greater attention to "local details and greater knowledge about FCPS in Dranesville" rings true to me. Robyn Lady has a lot of experience with a school - Chantilly - that's in the Springfield District and primarily pulls from the Sully District. She also knows a lot about the types of issues that matter to school administrators, and that's not to be discounted. But she was also somewhat detached and dismissive when it comes to other issues relevant to Dranesville families, such as the McLean HS overcrowding and the prospects of hundreds more kids at each of McLean and Marshall due to the ongoing growth in Tysons, etc. Robyn had a lot to say about FCPS's financial constraints, but Paul spoke directly to the fact that FCPS has dropped the ball for years when it's come to sound facilities management and that McLean HS hasn't received its equitable share of FCPS resources. Robyn will never admit that, because it calls into question the oversight of Facilities by the current School Board, which is composed entirely of folks from the same political party as hers.

Why would Chantilly HS be in the Springfield district?

Because the board of supervisors switched the originally agreed upon redistricting map later in the evening the night before it was due, to make all the rezoning affect the Springfield district with the hope that they could gerrymand the only and last moderate, Republican Pat Herrity, out of office.

Most of the neighborhood for West Springfield high school, including neighborhoods walkable to the Springfield govt center, were redistricted to 3 other districts.

Schools and neighborhood far away from Springfield were redistricted by the board of Supervisors to Springfield district, making their county office 30 to 40 minutes away, with the hope that it would bring just enough blue voters into Springfield district to oust Herrity.

It was gerrymandering at its finest.

But the side effect is that the Springfield schoolboard rep now has a mishmosh of schools under their jurisdiction, with every high school and middle school assigned to Springfield district now split between 2-4 school board reps.

It was a very jackass, political move by the all D -1 (Herrity being the only moderate) board of supervisors that completely disregarded and ignored the needs of constituents, particularly on school issues.