Places to Sign Recall Petitions - Tholen/Omeish/Cohen

[Anonymous]

Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

It's also a repository of information that will be used to challenge School Board members in the next election.

The FCDC and the groups they are creating now like "4 Public Education," which are composed of party activists, want people to have amnesia come November 2023. Not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People on dcum Fairfax schools forum think about Langley too much.

Langley residents are probably the most active in the county when it comes to criticizing FCPS, starting groups like "Voices of Fairfax," and launching recall petitions of School Board members. Even someone like Asra Nomani who has devoted most of her life for the past two years to taking down FCPS for changing TJ admissions lives in the Langley district. They cast a big shadow.

The challenge they face is that many want to replace Tholen and other School Board members, but solely on their own terms. And their terms generally aren't going to win elections. Even when they could align with other parents on issues of mutual concern, many end up bickering and sowing division because they are worried about not having total control (especially on anything that might touch, even remotely, on Langley's boundaries).

And oh, how different things would be now had people like you actually taken the time to listen to what Voices of Fairfax, etc. had to say about the 2019 elections. But no - you probably called that group all kinds of names to make you feel superior. And now you're complaining about the absurd SB YOU elected. Oh well. Elections have consequences.

Yeah it's fortunate. I have never voted in a FCPS school board election despite having kids in the schools. I recall seeing Karl Frisch's opponent speaking before the last election. She seemed to make a heavy handed reference to him being gay - referring to his husband or something like that. I thought to myself what's wrong with having a gay school board member and still believe that part. Anyways I went along my Democratic leaning non voting way. Now one of my kids will almost be out of school before we have any chance to try to sort out this mess. I will be voting against them all next chance I get - crazy to have a bunch of Lefty activists on a School Board that don't really seem to care about our kids education at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

PP didn’t think that one through lol.

[Anonymous]

It’s a shame residents of Fairfax don’t have the same rights as San Francisco residents to recall incompetent School Board members like Tholen.

Instead, Virginia Democrats are working to get state legislation passed that would make it harder, not easier, to recall officials. Even though Democrats like Tholen manipulated the existing laws in Virginia so that a crony with a conflict of interest refused to present the charges against her to a court. If the bill gets through the Virginia HOD (it’s already passed the Senate), Youngkin should veto it.

And voters should send a message in 2023 that we demand better than these hypocritical, self-serving party hacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

+ a million
PP walked right into that. Frivolous, indeed.

[Anonymous]

FCPS School Board may not be the worst in the nation, but it's close.

What a bunch of lying, frivolous, incompetent, hypocritical poseurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

+ a million
PP walked right into that. Frivolous, indeed.

+ a trillion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

Honestly, what do you expect the school board members to do to "help schools"? Should they go spend their time tutoring struggling kids? I'm not defending them as much as I'm aware that their role is to work on policy. Teachers help schools. Volunteers help schools. Parents help schools. School board members are mostly useless and I don't expect them to help schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

Honestly, what do you expect the school board members to do to "help schools"? Should they go spend their time tutoring struggling kids? I'm not defending them as much as I'm aware that their role is to work on policy. Teachers help schools. Volunteers help schools. Parents help schools. School board members are mostly useless and I don't expect them to help schools.

We are aware progressives such as yourself are fatalistic, believing problems can't actually be solved and the only useful thing to do is make token gestures for equity. School boards can absolutely affect how educational money is spent and whether or not education funds are actually used to better educate children. I think it's far more important to have the ability to recall a nutcase on a local school board rather than statewide positions such as governor. As it is now our elected school board members are free to post racist, bigoted remarks on Twitter as well as mismanage educational funding with no repercussions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

Honestly, what do you expect the school board members to do to "help schools"? Should they go spend their time tutoring struggling kids? I'm not defending them as much as I'm aware that their role is to work on policy. Teachers help schools. Volunteers help schools. Parents help schools. School board members are mostly useless and I don't expect them to help schools.

Not PP, but that's a lame response. PP meant "help" not in the sense of tutoring local kids (not that there would be anything wrong with that), but in the sense of establishing sensible policies and exercising sound oversight.

The current School Board and its predecessor have done neither, as illustrated by some of their misguided priorities in recent years. Rest assured others will try their best to hold them accountable for their incompetence and hypocrisy next year, if they run again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No reason why you should.

Just as GF would be upset at a decision that shoved them out of Langley when all the school board had to do was expand McLean in the first place.

The board reneged on its promises (to expand McLean) and obfuscated to MCA instead of being upfront. Go watch the work session I’m which they shoot down Strauss’ attempt to rezone some apartments to Langley due to their efforts to rewrite boundary policy so that they could nuke the boundaries and remake every school with demographics as the number one consideration. She said to the board about McLean “I have to tell them *something*” because it was unreasonable not to adjust boundary with McLean overcrowded and Langley’s expansion nearly completed.

She even pointed out that this change was “what everyone wanted” (altering demographics) and that she didn’t want to “miss the opportunity”


And here we are.

All because the school board, whom we elect, loves to prevaricate, dissemble, and poorly steward our tax dollars.

Yep. So at the end of the day the planning was bad, the implementation was worse, and Tholen would rather make Platenberg look better and Great Falls feel more secure than look out after her other constituents.

* FCPS staff and Janie Strauss both told McLean they planned to build an addition to the school back in 2014 and 2015.

* The plans were sketched out and Strauss told McLean no one would get moved to Langley until after an addition was built.

* Then Platenberg decided it would be cheaper/easier/whatever to expand Langley more than originally planned (every CIP issued between 2014 and 2017 said LHS would be expanded to 2100 seats; only in 2018 did they disclose it was being expanded to 2350, and then 2370, seats).

* Meanwhile, Platenberg budgeted additions at Justice, Madison, and West Potomac outside the renovation queue (none of those schools was otherwise in the queue for a renovation).

* Part of the FCPS staff justification for expanding Langley to 2370 seats, at a time when Langley had 1922 students, was that Langley could then take on part of Tysons.

* Strauss then proposed a boundary change in late 2018/early 2019 that would do just that, and her colleagues stiff-armed her and said there needed to be county-wide boundary changes "through an equity-based lens" instead.

* The School Board eventually authorized a boundary study in September 2019, just before the election, because they knew the Republicans otherwise were going to win Dranesville and at least one if not two of the at-large seats.

* Tholen got elected and then decided to push ahead with a boundary study during Covid, even though FCPS was losing students and no longer had any confidence in its ability to project future enrollments.

* She then ignored a staff recommendation that, consistent with the original rationale for expanding Langley to 2370 seats, would have moved part of Tysons to Langley, and instead supported an option that capped the number of housing units moved to Langley, consistent with the stated preferences of the Great Falls Citizens Association, which wants to avoid overcrowding Langley at all costs.

* Despite the prior delay in a boundary study because of "equity considerations," the option that Tholen pushed through moved housing units to Langley, the county's wealthiest high school, that on average cost twice as much as the housing units in the area that staff had proposed to move to Langley, and had only half as many URMs.

* This was justified on the grounds that it eliminated an existing split feeder at Colvin Run ES, which it did, yet no action was taken to address other, more lopsided split feeders in the Langley and McLean pyramids.

* Shortly before this happened, the School Board also approved a change to the TJHSST admissions policy, which Tholen and others have acknowledged will add over 100 more students to each of Langley and McLean in the coming years, as fewer students are admitted to TJ from Cooper and Longfellow MS.

* Fast forward, and McLean's enrollment is now at an all-time high, Langley remains hundreds of students below capacity, McLean and Marshall remain on the hook to accommodate all the anticipated growth in Tysons (which FCPS has separately calculated could add hundreds of additional students to each of Marshall and McLean, both of which have fewer permanent seats than Langley), and Tholen has been unable or unwilling to get McLean slated for a permanent addition like Justice or Madison.

It is a series of screw-ups that collectively are an epic failure of good FCPS planning or sound oversight, and Tholen and her School Board cronies should be reminded of that failure until they either get their act together, are replaced on the School Board, or resign.

+1000. An excellent summary of the tragedy that is unfolding in front of our eyes at MHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread even still here? This recall petition actually harms the entire district because it requires resources to fight against it - resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

hahahaha - like devoting resources towards a frivolous law suit against the Governor's anti-mask-mandate? Like redirecting time/resources to renaming schools instead of improving them? Like wasting time adjusting a TJ admissions process that isnt broken? Like wasting 2 years to implement a boundary change that removed a grand total of around/about 140 kids over three years that does nothing to reduce capacity at MHS? Like taking time and resources to advocate for books with drawings of s3x acts to be kept in our school libraries? Like pushing the ideal that all black people are victims and white oppressors? Like paying Kendi $20,000 to pass his racist messages to teachers?

Helping our schools? That is what we want our SB members to START doing. Start helping our schools. Stop wasting time and resources that would otherwise be spent helping our schools.

Glad we agree!

Honestly, what do you expect the school board members to do to "help schools"? Should they go spend their time tutoring struggling kids? I'm not defending them as much as I'm aware that their role is to work on policy. Teachers help schools. Volunteers help schools. Parents help schools. School board members are mostly useless and I don't expect them to help schools.

We are aware progressives such as yourself are fatalistic, believing problems can't actually be solved and the only useful thing to do is make token gestures for equity. School boards can absolutely affect how educational money is spent and whether or not education funds are actually used to better educate children. I think it's far more important to have the ability to recall a nutcase on a local school board rather than statewide positions such as governor. As it is now our elected school board members are free to post racist, bigoted remarks on Twitter as well as mismanage educational funding with no repercussions.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Really surprised no one has posted about this yet.