APS School Board

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s for the best— she isn’t the brightest tool in the shed. She was pretty qualified though in that she at least has had kids in aps though.

This. We have a huge problem with getting good school board members. They get paid something like $25K as a stipend so you either need people like Nancy who don’t work, or people like Redi willing to put in 80hr weeks between their day jobs and the crushing APS role. I personally have three different people that I’d like to see run, but the demands of the job plus virtually no pay mean they aren’t willing/able to do so.

It’s also super unfortunate that Dems do a caucus and endorse candidates in a supposedly nonpartisan election. 80% of Arlingtonians don’t have kids, and since most of Arlington votes democrat they just vote the ACDC sample ballot. So basically the 2,000or so people who vote in the Dem caucus choose our school board members.

[Anonymous]

Maybe if Arlington parents would ease up on forming mobs to scream at them we’d have an easier time keeping members. This was an issue long before Covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s for the best— she isn’t the brightest tool in the shed. She was pretty qualified though in that she at least has had kids in aps though.

This. We have a huge problem with getting good school board members. They get paid something like $25K as a stipend so you either need people like Nancy who don’t work, or people like Redi willing to put in 80hr weeks between their day jobs and the crushing APS role. I personally have three different people that I’d like to see run, but the demands of the job plus virtually no pay mean they aren’t willing/able to do so.

It’s also super unfortunate that Dems do a caucus and endorse candidates in a supposedly nonpartisan election. 80% of Arlingtonians don’t have kids, and since most of Arlington votes democrat they just vote the ACDC sample ballot. So basically the 2,000or so people who vote in the Dem caucus choose our school board members.

You have it. ACDC needs to stop putting out a sample ballot. And folks need to stop voting on school board unless they actually pay attention to the issues. The SB rarely votes so they have no real record of where they stand which makes it impossible to evaluate them if you are a lay voter. It’s nothing to be ashamed about, just stop voting for down races if you’re not actually familiar with the candidate!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe if Arlington parents would ease up on forming mobs to scream at them we’d have an easier time keeping members. This was an issue long before Covid

Exactly. I don’t want good potential school board members weeded out just because they don’t have leather thick skin (or cheerful obliviousness) and an appetite for grappling with angry helicopter parents and warriors of woke.

But hey, as long as we have “the Arlington Way” we will always have righteous mobs and screaming banshees. Time to pull back on the endless engagement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was sure to get a primary challenge. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I found her fairly worthless- extremely pleasant to be around- but that's it. She didn't ask tough questions, she didn't challenge staff, she wasn't responsive to constituent concerns. She either held her cards very close to the vest, or didn't really have any opinions- and I never was totally sure which it was.
Option schools are losing a big supporter- I basically view that as a good thing.
On the other hand- school board members 'get better with age.' It seems like it is a steep learning curve, and to be effective you have to really understand how the system works and to know when you are getting a BS answer from staff/ and contrastingly know when its just a tough decision. I don't think a newcomer is going to be effective either.

Yes, she seems very nice and has always been very pleasant, but didn't seem to go out on a limb at all for anything. I wish she had taken a stronger position (or any position, really) on some of the recent big decisions.

[Anonymous]

So who from the Open Schools Now crowd is running?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So who from the Open Schools Now crowd is running?

Maybe the guy who filed the lawsuit?

[Anonymous]

Anyone that did not step in to try and stop the decision to teach no new material last spring should resign. The SB is a joke. They do nothing and they use the seat as a launch pad for local dem politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone that did not step in to try and stop the decision to teach no new material last spring should resign. The SB is a joke. They do nothing and they use the seat as a launch pad for local dem politics.

As I recall, the only Board member who publicly questioned that was Nancy Van Doren. The rest of them may have objected in private. But not in public. I will never forget the Assistant Superintendent for teaching and learning saying it would be unconscionable to let teachers keep teaching. The only one who called her on that was NVD. It was infuriating. This is all before Duran’s time.

[Anonymous]

Good riddance, however anyone who replaces her will just be another Dem lackey. This county has no hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone that did not step in to try and stop the decision to teach no new material last spring should resign. The SB is a joke. They do nothing and they use the seat as a launch pad for local dem politics.

As I recall, the only Board member who publicly questioned that was Nancy Van Doren. The rest of them may have objected in private. But not in public. I will never forget the Assistant Superintendent for teaching and learning saying it would be unconscionable to let teachers keep teaching. The only one who called her on that was NVD. It was infuriating. This is all before Duran’s time.

Not surprised it was NVD. I’ve always enjoyed her direct style on open office hours. The no new material was the breaking point for me. It was my “aha” moment that the APS equity mission jumped the shark. And, yes, I am a super progressive but equity has gotten out of hand at APS. Families of means are fleeing and it will become like Alexandria w the lower property values to boot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good riddance, however anyone who replaces her will just be another Dem lackey. This county has no hope.

This.
It's terribly sad. At this point I will vote for any person who runs and is not endorsed by the Democrats.
And I am a Democrat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good riddance, however anyone who replaces her will just be another Dem lackey. This county has no hope.

This.
It's terribly sad. At this point I will vote for any person who runs and is not endorsed by the Democrats.
And I am a Democrat

+1

While I will only vote for democrats in statewide and national elections, the local Dem leadership is terrible, and I always vote for the independent (with the exception of perennial candidate Audrey Clement).