Arlington School Board Elections - Who are you voting for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish Tania Tallento was running again. I think she has been the best board member over the past year. I will not vote for Walker because I doubt her judgment based on things she has said on AEM (and just the fact that she regularly posts there) though I left the group so maybe she has stopped.

She has not stopped, but she’s behaving herself like Santa is watching.

🤣🤣🤣

I find it kind of funny (and annoying) that some AEM posters are enthralled by Walker because she “engages” on AEM and they denounce the other candidates for not. I actually feel the complete opposite and I wouldn’t engage on there if I were running for SB. I think it shows good judgment that Priddy and Diaz-Torres are staying away from there.

I agree. I am always shocked when staff posts there too. I'm more buttoned up than most I suppose but I never engage in school matters in non-anonymous forums.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I kind of had a similar take to you, OP. I ended up voting for Walker and Priddy.

I did this too.

[Anonymous]

I’m voting for DT and Priddy. Walker was against the school moves, which so obviously needed to happen, and who knows what else she would have caved in on. I thought Talento was great and am bummed she is stepping down. I don’t like the DT is so young and new to Arlington, but maybe being removed from having so many parents as friends will help her make decisions that benefit everyone instead of giving in to the constant whining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m voting for DT and Priddy. Walker was against the school moves, which so obviously needed to happen, and who knows what else she would have caved in on. I thought Talento was great and am bummed she is stepping down. I don’t like the DT is so young and new to Arlington, but maybe being removed from having so many parents as friends will help her make decisions that benefit everyone instead of giving in to the constant whining.

They were all against the school moves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will be voting for Symone Walker for school board. I'm confused over who else to vote for - Cristina Diaz Torres or David Priddy? I don't like that Cristina seems very politician like - I worry that she is using the school board as a stepping stone and doesn't really care about Arlington students. Priddy seems like a nice guy but at the same time his platform doesn't seem detailed enough and I'm worried that he won't have the expertise to be a school board member. I like that he is an APS parent.

Who did you vote for/are you voting for? And why?

Cristina and David.

Symone has been rude and off-putting on AEM and part of the group quick to yell "privilege" or insinuate racism. She is also passionate about a few very specific issues - passion is good; but I'm afraid she's too narrowly focused and doesn't have the big picture focus or broad knowledge on a range of issues, and/or that she'll prioritize her two issues (dyslexia/reading instruction and restorative justice) above everything else or to the near exclusion of everything else.

David isn't particularly impressive and he doesn't seem to have any original thought. But he doesn't offend people and he does his homework.

Christina isn't particularly qualified - her Teach for America experience is meaningless and she's obviously a political player from Katie Cristol's education policy organization. I don't expect her to stick around longer than she has to; but I am - perhaps naively - hoping she'll bring some fresher ideas from her professional knowledge about what other districts across the nation are doing. I suspect I'll be disappointed; but then it won't matter for long since she'll be on to the next political opportunity fairly quickly and gone anyway.

It is very disappointing that this is our selection - for two open seats, even.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be voting for Symone Walker for school board. I'm confused over who else to vote for - Cristina Diaz Torres or David Priddy? I don't like that Cristina seems very politician like - I worry that she is using the school board as a stepping stone and doesn't really care about Arlington students. Priddy seems like a nice guy but at the same time his platform doesn't seem detailed enough and I'm worried that he won't have the expertise to be a school board member. I like that he is an APS parent.

Who did you vote for/are you voting for? And why?

Cristina and David.

Symone has been rude and off-putting on AEM and part of the group quick to yell "privilege" or insinuate racism. She is also passionate about a few very specific issues - passion is good; but I'm afraid she's too narrowly focused and doesn't have the big picture focus or broad knowledge on a range of issues, and/or that she'll prioritize her two issues (dyslexia/reading instruction and restorative justice) above everything else or to the near exclusion of everything else.

David isn't particularly impressive and he doesn't seem to have any original thought. But he doesn't offend people and he does his homework.

Christina isn't particularly qualified - her Teach for America experience is meaningless and she's obviously a political player from Katie Cristol's education policy organization. I don't expect her to stick around longer than she has to; but I am - perhaps naively - hoping she'll bring some fresher ideas from her professional knowledge about what other districts across the nation are doing. I suspect I'll be disappointed; but then it won't matter for long since she'll be on to the next political opportunity fairly quickly and gone anyway.

It is very disappointing that this is our selection - for two open seats, even.

All of this

[Anonymous]

100% not Symone

Questionable judgement, anti-teacher, pro-AEM & liar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:100% not Symone

Questionable judgement, anti-teacher, pro-AEM & liar

+1000

[Anonymous]

What specific things has Symone said that make her anti-teacher? I’m not OP but was thinking of voting for Symone because I like how she focuses on the importance of teaching kids basic reading skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What specific things has Symone said that make her anti-teacher? I’m not OP but was thinking of voting for Symone because I like how she focuses on the importance of teaching kids basic reading skills.

I'm curious about this, too. Also what has she lied about?

[Anonymous]

There’s a lot not to like about how SW had conducted her campaign. From complaining vociferously about being expected to comply with the Hatch Act, to taking down an opponent that she had a personal beef with, to all the drama with her campaign manager (pesky rules again!), the red flags are waving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot not to like about how SW had conducted her campaign. From complaining vociferously about being expected to comply with the Hatch Act, to taking down an opponent that she had a personal beef with, to all the drama with her campaign manager (pesky rules again!), the red flags are waving.

Yeah, she either truly doesn't understand the Hatch Act or pretends not to. I'm not sure which is worse since she's a government lawyer and should definitely know better. Also, she did Terron Sims really dirty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot not to like about how SW had conducted her campaign. From complaining vociferously about being expected to comply with the Hatch Act, to taking down an opponent that she had a personal beef with, to all the drama with her campaign manager (pesky rules again!), the red flags are waving.

Her "rules don't apply to me" and "I'm the victim when I'm caught violating the rules" mentality throughout this campaign has really turned me off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of them are great, but I'm voting for Torres and Priddy. I can't with Walker after seeing her pre-campaign interactions with people on the Arlington Education Matters facebook group.

OP here. Would you mind explaining what those pre-campaign elections were like? I only joined AEM in March.

Rude, condescending, and assuming bad intent from anyone who disagreed with her or her friends. She's saying all the right things now, so maybe she changed?

Doubt it. She’s just trying to get along with everyone to get votes. I’m sure she’ll be back in rare form after the election. Truth is that she really doesn’t stand a chance, not in a presidential year. Too many people will just vote the Democratic sample ballot. Too many people in Arlington don’t even have kids so they don’t really pay attention to the SB race.

This is 100% true. Whether or not you like Symone Walker because of what she posts on a Facebook group is completely irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot not to like about how SW had conducted her campaign. From complaining vociferously about being expected to comply with the Hatch Act, to taking down an opponent that she had a personal beef with, to all the drama with her campaign manager (pesky rules again!), the red flags are waving.

Yeah, she either truly doesn't understand the Hatch Act or pretends not to. I'm not sure which is worse since she's a government lawyer and should definitely know better. Also, she did Terron Sims really dirty.

What did she do to Terron Sims? Also what happened with her campaign manager? Just trying to understand so that I can make a more informed choice.