Why is Karen Garza So Much More Successful Than Other School Superintendents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

+1

Also, she doesn't attack the Board of Supervisors as her predecessor did constantly. She actually collaborates with the funders.

The School Board should be attacked. It's the only way to keep those idiots in check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

+1

Also, she doesn't attack the Board of Supervisors as her predecessor did constantly. She actually collaborates with the funders.

The School Board should be attacked. It's the only way to keep those idiots in check.

Better yet you should just move to Texas. Fairfax is a liberal county, so we want SB members who aren't stuck in the 1950s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

+1

Also, she doesn't attack the Board of Supervisors as her predecessor did constantly. She actually collaborates with the funders.

The School Board should be attacked. It's the only way to keep those idiots in check.

Better yet you should just move to Texas. Fairfax is a liberal county, so we want SB members who aren't stuck in the 1950s.

Since Garza came from Texas, are you saying she's also stuck in the 1950s?

You inadvertently slammed the same Superintendent that you like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

+1

Also, she doesn't attack the Board of Supervisors as her predecessor did constantly. She actually collaborates with the funders.

The School Board should be attacked. It's the only way to keep those idiots in check.

Better yet you should just move to Texas. Fairfax is a liberal county, so we want SB members who aren't stuck in the 1950s.

Since Garza came from Texas, are you saying she's also stuck in the 1950s?

You inadvertently slammed the same Superintendent that you like.

Not really. She isn't there now, is she?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

+1

Also, she doesn't attack the Board of Supervisors as her predecessor did constantly. She actually collaborates with the funders.

The School Board should be attacked. It's the only way to keep those idiots in check.

Better yet you should just move to Texas. Fairfax is a liberal county, so we want SB members who aren't stuck in the 1950s.

Since Garza came from Texas, are you saying she's also stuck in the 1950s?

You inadvertently slammed the same Superintendent that you like.

Not really. She isn't there now, is she?

Sucks when your argument fails so easily, doesn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

+1

Also, she doesn't attack the Board of Supervisors as her predecessor did constantly. She actually collaborates with the funders.

The School Board should be attacked. It's the only way to keep those idiots in check.

Better yet you should just move to Texas. Fairfax is a liberal county, so we want SB members who aren't stuck in the 1950s.

Since Garza came from Texas, are you saying she's also stuck in the 1950s?

You inadvertently slammed the same Superintendent that you like.

Not really. She isn't there now, is she?

Sucks when your argument fails so easily, doesn't it?

Again, she got away from the crazy conservatives who refer to slaves as migrant "workers" in their textbooks. You obviously would be more at home in some right-wing state where the Koch Brothers have bought all the legislators.

[Anonymous]

I think she comes across as a good listener, someone who has spent time in a classroom and understands teachers, and a genuinely nice person who wants to do the best for students and doesn't have any particular agenda to push.

We're very happy to be in FCPS these days. None of our friends in other school systems seem quite as secure in their leadership or their educational options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The FCPS School Board just voted unanimously to renew Karen Garza's contract for four more years.

What does she do that makes her so well-liked? I can't think of any other local school superintendent - whether Joshua Starr in MCPS, Patrick Murphy in APS, or Kaya Henderson in DCPS - who enjoyed nearly that degree of respect. Henderson was tolerated, Murphy is widely disliked, and MCPS got rid of Starr at the first real opportunity.

What does she do that makes her so well liked?

Well, she rolls over like a dead dog for every lame brain idea the School Board comes up with.

Iif you like moronic ideas, I guess you like her.

Depending on your POV. She's been actually implementing ideas that had to talked to death under the previous superintendent, with no real gains made, like 1/2 day Monday's and HS start times. Not a huge Garza fan but she gets stuff done. Now, you can argue whether these moves were positive or not (I love full day Monday's and hate HS start times, and realize both are controversial). But it is nice to see someone make a decision and then move forward, rather than raising an issue, and 10 years later implementation is still being discussed.

Couldn't agree more. I'm not a fan of everything she's done, but at least she gets in there and does what's been discussed ad nauseum for decades. The late start times and 1/2 day Mondays were never going to be acted on either way until she came along. (I was a fan of both decisions.) But I'm not a fan of other things she's done, such as pretending the FCPS budget is tanking - which it wasn't. Also, can't stand the way AAP is implemented in this county, but that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon (centers, etc.).

At any rate, I'm glad to have someone who will actually take decisive measures (or usually, anyway) instead of letting issues stew for years and years.

[Anonymous]

She does some good things but her dishonesty is offensive. For example, constantly running around saying budgets were cut when they go up every year. I get that honestly is rare in politicians like her, but it's still offensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She does some good things but her dishonesty is offensive. For example, constantly running around saying budgets were cut when they go up every year. I get that honestly is rare in politicians like her, but it's still offensive.

Yeah, better to pretend everything is great like Murphy, and then be "the man with no plan" when it's apparent to everyone else the county needs a new high school, but has no site, no money, and no idea where or how to build it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think she comes across as a good listener, someone who has spent time in a classroom and understands teachers, and a genuinely nice person who wants to do the best for students and doesn't have any particular agenda to push.

We're very happy to be in FCPS these days. None of our friends in other school systems seem quite as secure in their leadership or their educational options.

Let me guess... you have kids in AAP. Those are the only kids who are given any "options," such as which school they'd like to attend. Gotta love that inequity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think she comes across as a good listener, someone who has spent time in a classroom and understands teachers, and a genuinely nice person who wants to do the best for students and doesn't have any particular agenda to push.

We're very happy to be in FCPS these days. None of our friends in other school systems seem quite as secure in their leadership or their educational options.

Let me guess... you have kids in AAP. Those are the only kids who are given any "options," such as which school they'd like to attend. Gotta love that inequity.

Huh? There are tons of options. Immersion at elementary and magnet schools at elementary, AP/IB, academies, foreign languages, etc at high school.

[Anonymous]

Huh? There are tons of options. Immersion at elementary and magnet schools at elementary, AP/IB, academies

None of which supply transportation as the AAP program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think she comes across as a good listener, someone who has spent time in a classroom and understands teachers, and a genuinely nice person who wants to do the best for students and doesn't have any particular agenda to push.

We're very happy to be in FCPS these days. None of our friends in other school systems seem quite as secure in their leadership or their educational options.

Let me guess... you have kids in AAP. Those are the only kids who are given any "options," such as which school they'd like to attend. Gotta love that inequity.

Huh? There are tons of options. Immersion at elementary and magnet schools at elementary, AP/IB, academies, foreign languages, etc at high school.

Exactly. Garza has had the good sense to maintain them and not let the anti-AAP crazies take over the agenda (while scaling back the impact of centers by expanding LLIV).