How Come BOE Candidate Stephen Austin Won’t Say What His Employment Is??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't that she is a teacher or with the union. It's that she ran what is supposed to be a county-wide advocacy organization, and during her tenure completely ignored up-county and every W school that she loathes.

Many of you claim Stephen Austin only cares about his neighborhood, Lynne Harris has already proven she will do the same.

Had she done a better job listening to all, Austin probably wouldn't have felt the need to enter the race. And no, I am not voting for either of them.

Why should she or anyone else on the Board focus on the W schools? These schools and the students who attend them are doing just fine and will continue to do so.

The county should focus its policy and funding decisions on expressly favoring schools with poorer students. That’s the only way to even begin to tackle the systematic racism that has caused the current segregation of have and have nots.

No one said "focus" on W schools. But they cannot be ignored forever. So much time and money spent on other schools, and no one begrudges one penny of that, but you cannot ignore the challenges at the Ws forever.

If you feel ignored in your W school, feel free to move to a school elsewhere in the county. When those schools perform half as well as W schools, then we can talk about them getting attention from the BOE. Until then, it would be perfectly appropriate for them to be ignored, although I’m not sure that is an accurate description of what is occurring - unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't that she is a teacher or with the union. It's that she ran what is supposed to be a county-wide advocacy organization, and during her tenure completely ignored up-county and every W school that she loathes.

Many of you claim Stephen Austin only cares about his neighborhood, Lynne Harris has already proven she will do the same.

Had she done a better job listening to all, Austin probably wouldn't have felt the need to enter the race. And no, I am not voting for either of them.

Why should she or anyone else on the Board focus on the W schools? These schools and the students who attend them are doing just fine and will continue to do so.

The county should focus its policy and funding decisions on expressly favoring schools with poorer students. That’s the only way to even begin to tackle the systematic racism that has caused the current segregation of have and have nots.

Well that’s the MCPS way. Teach to the bottom.
This is a really narrow view. It is in everyone’s best interest to keep the school system strong including the W schools. Wootton has some major building issues but I’m glad you think it’s “fine”.

Wootton is in the CIP, along with many other schools that have major building issues. The schools in Bethesda and Potomac are not being neglected for capital spending. The Wootton cluster is also going to be part of the boundary study when the high school at Crown Farm gets built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't that she is a teacher or with the union. It's that she ran what is supposed to be a county-wide advocacy organization, and during her tenure completely ignored up-county and every W school that she loathes.

Many of you claim Stephen Austin only cares about his neighborhood, Lynne Harris has already proven she will do the same.

Had she done a better job listening to all, Austin probably wouldn't have felt the need to enter the race. And no, I am not voting for either of them.

Why should she or anyone else on the Board focus on the W schools? These schools and the students who attend them are doing just fine and will continue to do so.

The county should focus its policy and funding decisions on expressly favoring schools with poorer students. That’s the only way to even begin to tackle the systematic racism that has caused the current segregation of have and have nots.

No one said "focus" on W schools. But they cannot be ignored forever. So much time and money spent on other schools, and no one begrudges one penny of that, but you cannot ignore the challenges at the Ws forever.

If you feel ignored in your W school, feel free to move to a school elsewhere in the county. When those schools perform half as well as W schools, then we can talk about them getting attention from the BOE. Until then, it would be perfectly appropriate for them to be ignored, although I’m not sure that is an accurate description of what is occurring - unfortunately.

Wow. Are you voting for Lynne Harris?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't that she is a teacher or with the union. It's that she ran what is supposed to be a county-wide advocacy organization, and during her tenure completely ignored up-county and every W school that she loathes.

Many of you claim Stephen Austin only cares about his neighborhood, Lynne Harris has already proven she will do the same.

Had she done a better job listening to all, Austin probably wouldn't have felt the need to enter the race. And no, I am not voting for either of them.

Why should she or anyone else on the Board focus on the W schools? These schools and the students who attend them are doing just fine and will continue to do so.

The county should focus its policy and funding decisions on expressly favoring schools with poorer students. That’s the only way to even begin to tackle the systematic racism that has caused the current segregation of have and have nots.

No one said "focus" on W schools. But they cannot be ignored forever. So much time and money spent on other schools, and no one begrudges one penny of that, but you cannot ignore the challenges at the Ws forever.

The schools in Bethesda and Potomac are not being ignored. Good grief.

Hahah.. when MCPS first closed in mid-March due to corona, they provided food distribution sites so kids could pick up their meals. Here's a list of the 20 sites:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronavirus/a-huge-change-montgomery-county-reacts-to-statewide-school-closures/

Notice something? Note one in Potomac, Bethesda, or Chevy Chase? BCC high school is more than 10% FARMS. They ignore this area for even basic needs like feeding kids.

Now, since then they have added more sites, but still none in Bethesda, none in Chevy Chase, and the one in Potomac is at Scotland, which is pretty far our from most people in Potomac:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/Coronavirus/COVID-19_Emergency_Closure_Meals_for_MCPS_Students.pdf

Tell me how MCPS isn't ignoring down-county? They aren't even providing meals for needy students! Yes, the % of students on FARMS may be lower, but tell that to the FARMS people who are in the area -- that they don't deserve meals because there aren't enough of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't that she is a teacher or with the union. It's that she ran what is supposed to be a county-wide advocacy organization, and during her tenure completely ignored up-county and every W school that she loathes.

Many of you claim Stephen Austin only cares about his neighborhood, Lynne Harris has already proven she will do the same.

Had she done a better job listening to all, Austin probably wouldn't have felt the need to enter the race. And no, I am not voting for either of them.

Why should she or anyone else on the Board focus on the W schools? These schools and the students who attend them are doing just fine and will continue to do so.

The county should focus its policy and funding decisions on expressly favoring schools with poorer students. That’s the only way to even begin to tackle the systematic racism that has caused the current segregation of have and have nots.

No one said "focus" on W schools. But they cannot be ignored forever. So much time and money spent on other schools, and no one begrudges one penny of that, but you cannot ignore the challenges at the Ws forever.

If you feel ignored in your W school, feel free to move to a school elsewhere in the county. When those schools perform half as well as W schools, then we can talk about them getting attention from the BOE. Until then, it would be perfectly appropriate for them to be ignored, although I’m not sure that is an accurate description of what is occurring - unfortunately.

Let's see.. the choices are:
1. Move to another part of the county
or

2. Vote for someone who won't forget about the W schools.

I'll go with #2 please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Hahah.. when MCPS first closed in mid-March due to corona, they provided food distribution sites so kids could pick up their meals. Here's a list of the 20 sites:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronavirus/a-huge-change-montgomery-county-reacts-to-statewide-school-closures/

Notice something? Note one in Potomac, Bethesda, or Chevy Chase? BCC high school is more than 10% FARMS. They ignore this area for even basic needs like feeding kids.

Now, since then they have added more sites, but still none in Bethesda, none in Chevy Chase, and the one in Potomac is at Scotland, which is pretty far our from most people in Potomac:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/Coronavirus/COVID-19_Emergency_Closure_Meals_for_MCPS_Students.pdf

Tell me how MCPS isn't ignoring down-county? They aren't even providing meals for needy students! Yes, the % of students on FARMS may be lower, but tell that to the FARMS people who are in the area -- that they don't deserve meals because there aren't enough of them.

Hi, "Parents' Coalition".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Hahah.. when MCPS first closed in mid-March due to corona, they provided food distribution sites so kids could pick up their meals. Here's a list of the 20 sites:
https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronavirus/a-huge-change-montgomery-county-reacts-to-statewide-school-closures/

Notice something? Note one in Potomac, Bethesda, or Chevy Chase? BCC high school is more than 10% FARMS. They ignore this area for even basic needs like feeding kids.

Now, since then they have added more sites, but still none in Bethesda, none in Chevy Chase, and the one in Potomac is at Scotland, which is pretty far our from most people in Potomac:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/Coronavirus/COVID-19_Emergency_Closure_Meals_for_MCPS_Students.pdf

Tell me how MCPS isn't ignoring down-county? They aren't even providing meals for needy students! Yes, the % of students on FARMS may be lower, but tell that to the FARMS people who are in the area -- that they don't deserve meals because there aren't enough of them.

Hi, "Parents' Coalition".

I know who that is, but I'm not her. I didn't use all-caps when I posted, nor complain about empty schools not being used.

[Anonymous]

Hahah.. when MCPS first closed in mid-March due to corona, they provided food distribution sites so kids could pick up their meals. Here's a list of the 20 sites: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronav...-to-statewide-school-closures/ Notice something? Note one in Potomac, Bethesda, or Chevy Chase? BCC high school is more than 10% FARMS. They ignore this area for even basic needs like feeding kids.

I've seen this talking point before and it's still problematic. The 10% of kids at BCC who receive FARMS are overwhelmingly in Silver Spring, which DID have multiple distributions site.

Then, yes, the part of Potomac that received a distribution site is the only part with concentrated poverty.

How bad does your victim complex have to be to complain (likely from a $1m+ SFH) that resources intended for poor children are concentrated near the poor children. If you want food distribution so badly, be sure to advocate for low income housing next door before the next pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Has there ever been such an ugly BOE election? The name calling, the accusations, the twitter wars, it's all disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hahah.. when MCPS first closed in mid-March due to corona, they provided food distribution sites so kids could pick up their meals. Here's a list of the 20 sites: https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/coronav...-to-statewide-school-closures/ Notice something? Note one in Potomac, Bethesda, or Chevy Chase? BCC high school is more than 10% FARMS. They ignore this area for even basic needs like feeding kids.

I've seen this talking point before and it's still problematic. The 10% of kids at BCC who receive FARMS are overwhelmingly in Silver Spring, which DID have multiple distributions site.

Then, yes, the part of Potomac that received a distribution site is the only part with concentrated poverty.

How bad does your victim complex have to be to complain (likely from a $1m+ SFH) that resources intended for poor children are concentrated near the poor children. If you want food distribution so badly, be sure to advocate for low income housing next door before the next pandemic.

Why are you against providing food to needy kids in Bethesda? There's plenty. There's whole buildings of low-income housing, like on River Road across from the 7-11, and the Fields apartment complex behind Bethesda Crabhouse.

They have over 40 food distribution sites, and not one in Bethesda? How does that make sense?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has there ever been such an ugly BOE election? The name calling, the accusations, the twitter wars, it's all disgusting.

Agreed. It's not usually like this. That suggests to me people are not happy about what the BOE is doing. In most years, there's not a peep about the BOE election and you hear much more about the other races.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has there ever been such an ugly BOE election? The name calling, the accusations, the twitter wars, it's all disgusting.

Agreed. It's not usually like this. That suggests to me people are not happy about what the BOE is doing. In most years, there's not a peep about the BOE election and you hear much more about the other races.

It suggests to me that some homeowners who live in areas where people pay a hefty premium for "good" schools are very worried that the Board of Education will change school boundaries, thereby reducing their property values and forcing their children to attend school with the children of those people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why are you against providing food to needy kids in Bethesda? There's plenty. There's whole buildings of low-income housing, like on River Road across from the 7-11, and the Fields apartment complex behind Bethesda Crabhouse.

They have over 40 food distribution sites, and not one in Bethesda? How does that make sense?

...the Kenwood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Austin has my vote. You can’t live on 25,000 salary they pay board members. The others are either Union front or employee of MCPS - more conflict of interest than Austin. The place needs an outsider - and he’s the ultimate one.

Agreed. Austin has my vote. All the shade being thrown on Austin is coming from the union reps that frequent this board. They are rightfully afraid of a candidate like Stephen Austin since he isn't going to be one of their puppets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has there ever been such an ugly BOE election? The name calling, the accusations, the twitter wars, it's all disgusting.

Agreed. It's not usually like this. That suggests to me people are not happy about what the BOE is doing. In most years, there's not a peep about the BOE election and you hear much more about the other races.

Some people are very unhappy. I doubt most people are. The people who are unhappy, however, are overwhelmingly the kind of entitled, privileged people who expect to get their way no matter what and so they're very vocal. If the BOE election is ugly, it's on Austin and his contingent of bullies and Karens who show up at meetings to scream at schoolchildren. Calling out that behavior isn't "ugly," though.