How to influence the school board?

[Anonymous]

The comprehensive boundary review lacks transparency, and I fear, like many others, that this will be used to further a political agenda (as indicated by vague goals related to "equity") and not simply to address problems of overcrowding, attendance islands, etc.

I'm not a conservative, and yet I find myself thinking that the root of the problem is that the school board is too left-leaning. When/how can I (and others) successfully influence the board? I am relatively new to this area and I did not vote for any of these people.

[Anonymous]

First, email your board member. Many of them have open hours where you can go and meet them in person. There are a lot of people emailing and meeting about a thousand different issues so the key is to be persistent and respectful. We worked with the board to get additional recess minutes in elementary school and for the county to start piloting middle school recess as well. We set up a Facebook group for people who were also concerned to join and start working together. There is a FCPS concerned parents organization - but since Twitter fell apart, I don't know where they are.

[Anonymous]

I think people may have success directly contacting the consulting company. Would remove the FCPS filter also

[Anonymous]

The problem is that we have a board of all Dems. Whenever you have all republicans or all democrats in control, it's always a bad thing. If we had a spilt board, non of these scandals like Hayfield and boundary changes based on equity would be happening.

[Anonymous]

A comprehensive boundary study is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Actually influence them? Based on prior experience:

1) Negative press from news organizations they care about, or at least enough news organizations to generate an outcry.

2) Convince the general assembly to pass a law (this was, after all, what ended up being required to get FCPS to return to in-person instruction and to remove the mask mandate - whether or not you agree with those decisions it is what happened)

For small things with the SB members who actually do care about the job as more than a stepping stone to further political stuff, you can also just genuinely get to know them and convince them of your position. But that's only for small things, nibbling around the edges of the problem. Still, sometimes small things make a big difference for small groups of students. For this to work, you have to be reasonable.

[Anonymous]

The main thing is to associate yourself with some group that has a lot of members or community residents behind it and also find a way to signal that you're a Democrat. Then you'll get attention even if you don't get the results you want.

If you're an individual, from a wealthier area, or a known conservative, you will generally not get the time of day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A comprehensive boundary study is a good thing.

In theory perhaps. If they ran on this issue and won their seats based on the boundary review, yes you are correct. This is not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A comprehensive boundary study is a good thing.

There is another thread that is very active where this can be debated.

[Anonymous]

Listen to a speaker like Cheryl Binkley, who addressed the School Board last night. Total sucking-up to Reid and the School Board despite all the concerns raised by others. A perfect roadmap for how to get appointed to committees and an invitation to private events hosted or attended by Board members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen to a speaker like Cheryl Binkley, who addressed the School Board last night. Total sucking-up to Reid and the School Board despite all the concerns raised by others. A perfect roadmap for how to get appointed to committees and an invitation to private events hosted or attended by Board members.

This is a good point and it works, but I imagine your scope of influence is pretty limited. You have to convince the SB and Gatehouse admins that any idea you want is actually what they want via flattery. The right person can make it happen of course, but is OP the right person?

Also those committees take a lot of time. That's why only activists join them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A comprehensive boundary study is a good thing.

+1. But FCPS is screwing up with hayfield and their budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A comprehensive boundary study is a good thing.

+1. But FCPS is screwing up with hayfield and their budget.

Take your advocacy for boundary changes to the dedicated thread. Many of us believe there is no need for such changes at a time when FCPS enrollment is flat and even slightly declining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The comprehensive boundary review lacks transparency, and I fear, like many others, that this will be used to further a political agenda (as indicated by vague goals related to "equity") and not simply to address problems of overcrowding, attendance islands, etc.

I'm not a conservative, and yet I find myself thinking that the root of the problem is that the school board is too left-leaning. When/how can I (and others) successfully influence the board? I am relatively new to this area and I did not vote for any of these people.

Understatement.
The majority of the fcps school board makes most liberals looks extremely conservative. Not only did they not get the memo that most of the country (not just MAGAS, but every center right and center left and progressive who fought to earn a seat at the table of success) has now realized that “equity” meant engineering equality of OUTCOME rather than opportunity and have REJECTED it—but the school board is doubling down anyway and pushing through measures like equity grading not to level the playing field but to level the scoreboard during the final ten seconds of the 4th quarter!

I’m not sure they can be influenced because they know their seats are secure. And there aren’t enough parents who are plugged into what they are doing to take issue with it. The board members are pretty sure the voters in the county whiny replace them with conservatives. And they’re correct.
So we get what we get I guess.

[Anonymous]

Get a life. How many threads are you going to start as they all fizzle out.