APS School Board race

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I rarely agree with anything I read on these threads, but I agree with the poster who said having or having had kids in the school system should be an eligibility requirement. I can’t believe the Arlington democrats elevated a candidate (CDT) so disconnected from both Arlington and the general experience of having a kid enrolled in our schools. I understand why they don’t want to relinquish the power they hold with the caucus, but I do resent it.

A month or two ago during a board meeting CDT said she was walking around a school recently and came across a classroom doing a lesson on Japanese internment. And the kids were on their iPads switching between “taking notes” and watching the World Cup. She said, and I’m not kidding, this was great and a good use of classroom technology, because “that’s how work gets done today”. I thought I was hallucinating. I showed it to my wife and her jaw dropped. But it barely merited mention on AEM the next day. I guess that’s what passes for leadership in Arlington.

so why didn't you raise this on AEM yourself? who else was supposed to comment on it?

In my experience there is a narrow range of acceptable opinion on AEM, and criticizing a school board member for being too sanguine on educational technology is exactly the sort of thing that gets you dog-piled. What’s more, if CDT had made an intelligent, nuanced point then posting about it might invite a more civil discussion, but because her comment was so boneheaded there’s no real substantive way to defend it. Lacking any substantive way to defend the comment, the AEM crowd will most likely go into tribal “defense of the indefensible” mode, meaning character attacks, condescending explanations about what she ACTUALLY meant, and sly (or even overt) insinuations of racism.

No thanks. I’ll continue reading AEM silently just to keep my finger on the pulse of the crazy.

Given what you say, what attracts people to AEM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

hahaha, love that you call him a child in one sentence and then imply that he understands "the system."

'

it wasn't my post but i think my children understand the system better than many adults

and would be better school board members too!

Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

hahaha, love that you call him a child in one sentence and then imply that he understands "the system."

'

it wasn't my post but i think my children understand the system better than many adults

and would be better school board members too!

Get a grip.

Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!

Some school systems have a student rep on the board. APS doesn't. I think APS could use that perspective. Kids know a lot and have great opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

hahaha, love that you call him a child in one sentence and then imply that he understands "the system."

'

it wasn't my post but i think my children understand the system better than many adults

and would be better school board members too!

Get a grip.

Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!

Some school systems have a student rep on the board. APS doesn't. I think APS could use that perspective. Kids know a lot and have great opinions.

Do you understand the difference between an student rep and an actual board member? I'm not sure you do. I do believe that your kids understand the system better than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

hahaha, love that you call him a child in one sentence and then imply that he understands "the system."

'

it wasn't my post but i think my children understand the system better than many adults

and would be better school board members too!

Get a grip.

Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed!

Some school systems have a student rep on the board. APS doesn't. I think APS could use that perspective. Kids know a lot and have great opinions.

Do you understand the difference between an student rep and an actual board member? I'm not sure you do. I do believe that your kids understand the system better than you.

still got the grumps huh? do you understand that flinging insults doesn't advance the discussion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I rarely agree with anything I read on these threads, but I agree with the poster who said having or having had kids in the school system should be an eligibility requirement. I can’t believe the Arlington democrats elevated a candidate (CDT) so disconnected from both Arlington and the general experience of having a kid enrolled in our schools. I understand why they don’t want to relinquish the power they hold with the caucus, but I do resent it.

A month or two ago during a board meeting CDT said she was walking around a school recently and came across a classroom doing a lesson on Japanese internment. And the kids were on their iPads switching between “taking notes” and watching the World Cup. She said, and I’m not kidding, this was great and a good use of classroom technology, because “that’s how work gets done today”. I thought I was hallucinating. I showed it to my wife and her jaw dropped. But it barely merited mention on AEM the next day. I guess that’s what passes for leadership in Arlington.

so why didn't you raise this on AEM yourself? who else was supposed to comment on it?

In my experience there is a narrow range of acceptable opinion on AEM, and criticizing a school board member for being too sanguine on educational technology is exactly the sort of thing that gets you dog-piled. What’s more, if CDT had made an intelligent, nuanced point then posting about it might invite a more civil discussion, but because her comment was so boneheaded there’s no real substantive way to defend it. Lacking any substantive way to defend the comment, the AEM crowd will most likely go into tribal “defense of the indefensible” mode, meaning character attacks, condescending explanations about what she ACTUALLY meant, and sly (or even overt) insinuations of racism.

No thanks. I’ll continue reading AEM silently just to keep my finger on the pulse of the crazy.

Given what you say, what attracts people to AEM?

NP. The crazy keeps me around. Better than netflix. Also, people reveal their true selves all the time on AEM. Let's me know who to avoid in real life. The frequent posters there do not represent most of the people I've met in APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To paraphrase Joe Biden, don't compare him to the almighty, compare him to his opponent(s). By that measure, Angelo looks very good!

No, he doesn't. Stop trying to make fetch happen.

[Anonymous]

Here's Miranda's Budget take, from an email I just got:

What Should We Look For In a Budget?

The budget is one of the key efforts the School Board undertakes and votes on. This is our chance to direct resources towards the biggest issues and needs facing our students, teachers, and community. Plus, it's $800+ million! Let's get it right.

My priorities:
Make sure our student-facing positions are the priority.
Address learning loss.
Equitable allocation of resources.
Looking towards a sustainable future.
What does this look like? Read on!
Prioritize Student-Facing Positions

In April 2022, the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) recommended freezing non-teaching positions for another year.

This budget doesn't do that, but the good news is a lot of new spending is on teachers and in-school staff. Some things I was happy to see:
Adding 14 new school mental health positions (intervention specialists, substance abuse counselors, psychologists and social workers).
Adding 4 math interventionists and 8 math coaches. There are lots of reasons to prioritize math!
Investing $25+ million in additional teacher compensation, PLUS incentive comp for teaching summer school.
Additional school safety support.
This is needed spending on our students.

It's also a large increase that takes $41M from reserves.

Questions I would ask:
Can we leverage County support for things like mental health services?
Will this investment in compensation make APS competitive in the market for teachers?
Is the new FTE spending, particularly on central office personnel, necessary? Currently, 12-month employees have 31 paid holidays, which has to be part of the analysis.
Are these increases sustainable in future budget years?
Address Learning Loss

I've advocated for two years for transparent data to show our students' progress. The dashboard reflects alarming statistics:
Last year, over 1 in 5 APS fifth graders needed intensive reading support at the end of year (EOY) assessment, just before they moved to middle school.
In math, more than half of APS middle schoolers are below the “proficient” level on the Math Inventory assessment.
There are big disparities between South and North Arlington schools, and for Black and Hispanic students and students with disabilities and English Learners.
Our budget needs to feature learning loss as a priority. It doesn't go nearly far enough:
We are adding 4 math interventionists (for a total of 10), but the Math Advisory Committee, with help from staff liaisons, asked for 34 interventionists.
There is a small line item for continuing virtual tutoring services for grades 6-12. However, virtual tutoring has a questionable evidence base, at best, and APS hasn't analyzed usage or efficacy data.
We need a comprehensive plan.
Equitably Allocate Resources

This budget does many things to advance equity, but we still have big issues to consider:
Overcrowding is an equity issue. It means more students are competing for school-wide resources, and less opportunity to connect with a teacher or trusted adult.
Reducing class sizes is an equity issue, and a top priority for me.
I also have in mind the Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee recommendation to opt for a smaller class size reduction combined with additional staffing to support students with disabilities. I will seek out teachers' views on these tradeoffs to make the best decision.
Academic progress remains the biggest equity issue.
The pandemic disproportionately affected lower income students, students of color, and students with disabilities.
We should strive not just to know our students by name, strength, and need, but to support and address those strengths and needs with a plan and measurable targets to actually close gaps, including those that existed before the pandemic.

The Future of APS

We are facing serious budget headwinds over the next several years. We have to consider:
Whether it's wise to rely on reserves so heavily, and to continue adding administrative FTEs.
Where we can locate savings to offset added expenditures.
How we can partner with the county for important, shared supports around mental health, summer school, and afterschool/enrichment programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

He might be "the child" but this is Arlington, not the Mandalorian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

hahaha, love that you call him a child in one sentence and then imply that he understands "the system."

'

it wasn't my post but i think my children understand the system better than many adults

and would be better school board members too!

Yeah, my kids have higher IQ than any of those board members too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's Miranda's Budget take, from an email I just got:

What Should We Look For In a Budget?

The budget is one of the key efforts the School Board undertakes and votes on. This is our chance to direct resources towards the biggest issues and needs facing our students, teachers, and community. Plus, it's $800+ million! Let's get it right.

My priorities:
Make sure our student-facing positions are the priority.
Address learning loss.
Equitable allocation of resources.
Looking towards a sustainable future.
What does this look like? Read on!
Prioritize Student-Facing Positions

In April 2022, the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) recommended freezing non-teaching positions for another year.

This budget doesn't do that, but the good news is a lot of new spending is on teachers and in-school staff. Some things I was happy to see:
Adding 14 new school mental health positions (intervention specialists, substance abuse counselors, psychologists and social workers).
Adding 4 math interventionists and 8 math coaches. There are lots of reasons to prioritize math!
Investing $25+ million in additional teacher compensation, PLUS incentive comp for teaching summer school.
Additional school safety support.
This is needed spending on our students.

It's also a large increase that takes $41M from reserves.

Questions I would ask:
Can we leverage County support for things like mental health services?
Will this investment in compensation make APS competitive in the market for teachers?
Is the new FTE spending, particularly on central office personnel, necessary? Currently, 12-month employees have 31 paid holidays, which has to be part of the analysis.
Are these increases sustainable in future budget years?
Address Learning Loss

I've advocated for two years for transparent data to show our students' progress. The dashboard reflects alarming statistics:
Last year, over 1 in 5 APS fifth graders needed intensive reading support at the end of year (EOY) assessment, just before they moved to middle school.
In math, more than half of APS middle schoolers are below the “proficient” level on the Math Inventory assessment.
There are big disparities between South and North Arlington schools, and for Black and Hispanic students and students with disabilities and English Learners.
Our budget needs to feature learning loss as a priority. It doesn't go nearly far enough:
We are adding 4 math interventionists (for a total of 10), but the Math Advisory Committee, with help from staff liaisons, asked for 34 interventionists.
There is a small line item for continuing virtual tutoring services for grades 6-12. However, virtual tutoring has a questionable evidence base, at best, and APS hasn't analyzed usage or efficacy data.
We need a comprehensive plan.
Equitably Allocate Resources

This budget does many things to advance equity, but we still have big issues to consider:
Overcrowding is an equity issue. It means more students are competing for school-wide resources, and less opportunity to connect with a teacher or trusted adult.
Reducing class sizes is an equity issue, and a top priority for me.
I also have in mind the Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee recommendation to opt for a smaller class size reduction combined with additional staffing to support students with disabilities. I will seek out teachers' views on these tradeoffs to make the best decision.
Academic progress remains the biggest equity issue.
The pandemic disproportionately affected lower income students, students of color, and students with disabilities.
We should strive not just to know our students by name, strength, and need, but to support and address those strengths and needs with a plan and measurable targets to actually close gaps, including those that existed before the pandemic.

The Future of APS

We are facing serious budget headwinds over the next several years. We have to consider:
Whether it's wise to rely on reserves so heavily, and to continue adding administrative FTEs.
Where we can locate savings to offset added expenditures.
How we can partner with the county for important, shared supports around mental health, summer school, and afterschool/enrichment programming.

Amen. Couldn't agree more with what MT articulates here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's Miranda's Budget take, from an email I just got:

What Should We Look For In a Budget?

The budget is one of the key efforts the School Board undertakes and votes on. This is our chance to direct resources towards the biggest issues and needs facing our students, teachers, and community. Plus, it's $800+ million! Let's get it right.

My priorities:
Make sure our student-facing positions are the priority.
Address learning loss.
Equitable allocation of resources.
Looking towards a sustainable future.
What does this look like? Read on!
Prioritize Student-Facing Positions

In April 2022, the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) recommended freezing non-teaching positions for another year.

This budget doesn't do that, but the good news is a lot of new spending is on teachers and in-school staff. Some things I was happy to see:
Adding 14 new school mental health positions (intervention specialists, substance abuse counselors, psychologists and social workers).
Adding 4 math interventionists and 8 math coaches. There are lots of reasons to prioritize math!
Investing $25+ million in additional teacher compensation, PLUS incentive comp for teaching summer school.
Additional school safety support.
This is needed spending on our students.

It's also a large increase that takes $41M from reserves.

Questions I would ask:
Can we leverage County support for things like mental health services?
Will this investment in compensation make APS competitive in the market for teachers?
Is the new FTE spending, particularly on central office personnel, necessary? Currently, 12-month employees have 31 paid holidays, which has to be part of the analysis.
Are these increases sustainable in future budget years?
Address Learning Loss

I've advocated for two years for transparent data to show our students' progress. The dashboard reflects alarming statistics:
Last year, over 1 in 5 APS fifth graders needed intensive reading support at the end of year (EOY) assessment, just before they moved to middle school.
In math, more than half of APS middle schoolers are below the “proficient” level on the Math Inventory assessment.
There are big disparities between South and North Arlington schools, and for Black and Hispanic students and students with disabilities and English Learners.
Our budget needs to feature learning loss as a priority. It doesn't go nearly far enough:
We are adding 4 math interventionists (for a total of 10), but the Math Advisory Committee, with help from staff liaisons, asked for 34 interventionists.
There is a small line item for continuing virtual tutoring services for grades 6-12. However, virtual tutoring has a questionable evidence base, at best, and APS hasn't analyzed usage or efficacy data.
We need a comprehensive plan.
Equitably Allocate Resources

This budget does many things to advance equity, but we still have big issues to consider:
Overcrowding is an equity issue. It means more students are competing for school-wide resources, and less opportunity to connect with a teacher or trusted adult.
Reducing class sizes is an equity issue, and a top priority for me.
I also have in mind the Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee recommendation to opt for a smaller class size reduction combined with additional staffing to support students with disabilities. I will seek out teachers' views on these tradeoffs to make the best decision.
Academic progress remains the biggest equity issue.
The pandemic disproportionately affected lower income students, students of color, and students with disabilities.
We should strive not just to know our students by name, strength, and need, but to support and address those strengths and needs with a plan and measurable targets to actually close gaps, including those that existed before the pandemic.

The Future of APS

We are facing serious budget headwinds over the next several years. We have to consider:
Whether it's wise to rely on reserves so heavily, and to continue adding administrative FTEs.
Where we can locate savings to offset added expenditures.
How we can partner with the county for important, shared supports around mental health, summer school, and afterschool/enrichment programming.

Amen. Couldn't agree more with what MT articulates here.

Looks like she either doesn't understand teacher comp issues or is trying to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there only three candidates?

Miranda and Erin are interchangeable. I don't like either of them at first glance. More of the same.

The child looks better and better. I don't care if he's not an APS parent. I care if he understands the system.

hahaha, love that you call him a child in one sentence and then imply that he understands "the system."

I mean, he is straight out of high school. He may understand what's wrong with public schooling generally than most parents here. I'm not counting him out. Also, I don't like any of the two other candidates.

And an independent is laughable in Arlington. ACDC has the election already decided.

[Anonymous]

I am a current parent at Escuela Key. It is a shame that Erin FS is running. I don't know anyone who likes her outside of the executive PTA committee and maybe the teachers because she is the internal affairs PTA person for the school. Miranda has my vote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a current parent at Escuela Key. It is a shame that Erin FS is running. I don't know anyone who likes her outside of the executive PTA committee and maybe the teachers because she is the internal affairs PTA person for the school. Miranda has my vote.

Yikes - I completely disagree. As a former key parent (not on the executive committee or anything), I found her to be generally well-liked. This sounds like you have a personal grudge.