Arlington School Board Elections - Who are you voting for?

[Anonymous]

NP - I am voting for Priddy. He's PTA president for one of the more divers schools so he's used to dealing with varying factions fighting for their students needs. I feel like his expereince is there. I am extremely torn on who and whether to vote for the other two.

On the one hand CDT having no kids, no knowledge of Arlington schools and being pushed so heavily by Arlington Dems really bugs me. I got multiple phone calls about her during the primary. I doubt she could even name every school in the County. It is so nakedly a career grab that its offputting. I can't stand Katie Cristol and worry about anyone affiliated with her being elected. On the other hand she was floating lottery only admission for the high schools and possibly middle schools as the way to fix equity issues and segregration within APS and I'm not totally opposed to that idea. And it seems like a career politician who only expects to be on the board for a few years and doesn't have skin in the game in terms of kids may be best suited to actually do it.

Symone Walker knowingly violated the Hatch Act, got caught, then tried to blame everyone else. And they are still doing it! That in and of itself is disqualifying to me.

She is also quick to fall for the "its racist" trap on AEM and I worry about that from someone on the board. For the OP - the game on AEM is that every School Board decision gets framed in terms of racism, because thats how you garner support for your side. It makes it really difficult to have hard conversations about the greater good - for example during the school swap convo in the spring. Doing the swaps was racist but also Not doing the swaps was racist depending on which side you were on. That leads to extended convos about who's racism is the worst instead of actual discussion on what is best for the system. Symone is notorious for extending and elevating the which racism is the worst racism conversations and ignoring grater good and refusing to engage in how we even define grater good. An example is her advocacy during the South Arlington rezoning and what happened with Drew.

[Anonymous]

Walker (about whom I am actually enthusiastic because I think she'll push for changes to reduce the opportunity gap) and Priddy because I need a second.

I don't trust someone who makes her living as a handmaiden to charter schools to do right by a public school system, so no Cristina. And "educator"? Please. Teach for America is garbage. Some of the college kids who sign up for it are well-intentioned, but TFA is just exploiting their naivete.

(I am, in case you couldn't tell, very liberal.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - I am voting for Priddy. He's PTA president for one of the more divers schools so he's used to dealing with varying factions fighting for their students needs. I feel like his expereince is there. I am extremely torn on who and whether to vote for the other two.

On the one hand CDT having no kids, no knowledge of Arlington schools and being pushed so heavily by Arlington Dems really bugs me. I got multiple phone calls about her during the primary. I doubt she could even name every school in the County. It is so nakedly a career grab that its offputting. I can't stand Katie Cristol and worry about anyone affiliated with her being elected. On the other hand she was floating lottery only admission for the high schools and possibly middle schools as the way to fix equity issues and segregration within APS and I'm not totally opposed to that idea. And it seems like a career politician who only expects to be on the board for a few years and doesn't have skin in the game in terms of kids may be best suited to actually do it.

Symone Walker knowingly violated the Hatch Act, got caught, then tried to blame everyone else. And they are still doing it! That in and of itself is disqualifying to me.

She is also quick to fall for the "its racist" trap on AEM and I worry about that from someone on the board. For the OP - the game on AEM is that every School Board decision gets framed in terms of racism, because thats how you garner support for your side. It makes it really difficult to have hard conversations about the greater good - for example during the school swap convo in the spring. Doing the swaps was racist but also Not doing the swaps was racist depending on which side you were on. That leads to extended convos about who's racism is the worst instead of actual discussion on what is best for the system. Symone is notorious for extending and elevating the which racism is the worst racism conversations and ignoring grater good and refusing to engage in how we even define grater good. An example is her advocacy during the South Arlington rezoning and what happened with Drew.

This. Symone is awful. Cristina has been pushed by the ArlDems for no reason I can see except that she's Hispanic. She needs more experience overall and in Arlington specifically.

I only voted for one person since I couldn't stomach the others. Cristina will probably win because of people voting a straight Dem ticket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Her close supporters spread the rumor far and wide that Terron was the one who reported her for violating the Hatch Act. Not just spread the rumor, but held up signs at public meetings (with her sitting right there)- that sort of thing. Later his wife outlined exactly why he wasn’t the one who outed her, with receipts and everything.

The campaign manager continued working as a precinct captain for the Democratic Party at the same time that she was SW’s manager. SW is not a candidate endorsed by the Arl County Democratic Party. When she was asked to step down as precinct captain for the duration of the campaign she was OUTRAGED, and let it be known, very publicly, that she had been done wrong.

I really don’t understand the mindset behind all of this drama, or the sure conviction by these people that the rules shouldn’t apply to them.

[Anonymous]

I like Walker and don't care at all that she's outspoken on AEM. I voted for her and Diaz. Diaz is certainly using it as a jumping off point, but I don't think Priddy has the chops.

It was nonsense Walker got blackballed by the ArlDems and I'm irritated with them because of it.

[Anonymous]

If you support Symone you should only vote for her. It’s a simple tally of who gets most votes. If you select another candidate in addition to Symone you hurt her chances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

1. She blamed Terron Sims for outing her to her agency for violating the Hatch Act in running for the Democratic endorsement. He couldn't fight back against that charge because of an awful sexual harrassment investigation his wife was dealing with the same agency (more knowledgeable people, please correct me if that's not quite right). She also claimed he's not really a dad because he only has stepchildren, knowing he and his wife were also dealing with infertility (FYI - his wife has spoken very openly about these issues both here and on Facebook to clear Terron's name once her investigation was resolved).

2. Symone's campaign manager has a high level position with the Arl Dem party. They asked her to step down from that position -- because she's leading the campaign of a person who is trying to defeat the Arl Dem's candidates! This is a perfectly reasonable decision but again Symone and her manager frame it as persecution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The campaign manager continued working as a precinct captain for the Democratic Party at the same time that she was SW’s manager. SW is not a candidate endorsed by the Arl County Democratic Party. When she was asked to step down as precinct captain for the duration of the campaign she was OUTRAGED, and let it be known, very publicly, that she had been done wrong.

I thought ACDC asked her step down AFTER she'd done loads of gruntwork for them. She's been Walker's campaign manager all this time, and to wait until a month or two before the election to tell her that she can't be a precinct captain seems slimey. As does a lot of ACDC (looking at you, Parvenue Cristina)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like Walker and don't care at all that she's outspoken on AEM. I voted for her and Diaz. Diaz is certainly using it as a jumping off point, but I don't think Priddy has the chops.

It was nonsense Walker got blackballed by the ArlDems and I'm irritated with them because of it.

She didn't get blackballed, she didn't follow the rules. She knew those were the rules going in and that she couldn't run in the Democratic primary. She just hoped nobody would notice. Not the type of person I want on the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you support Symone you should only vote for her. It’s a simple tally of who gets most votes. If you select another candidate in addition to Symone you hurt her chances.

But what if your main goal is to make sure Cristina gets the fewest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you support Symone you should only vote for her. It’s a simple tally of who gets most votes. If you select another candidate in addition to Symone you hurt her chances.

But what if your main goal is to make sure Cristina gets the fewest?

Then vote for Priddy as well.

[Anonymous]

Walker and Priddy.

The best of not great choices. But Cristina is an embarrassment of a candidate. She’s lived in Arlington less than our kindergarteners and has no experience that is relevant to make choices for Arlington. TFA is a joke of a program and that she is touting that as her experience is off putting. I also got turned off when her campaign initially claimed she had a decade of experience when a decade ago she would have been 15. She also put out claims about her response to 9/11.....and when you look she was actually in Elementary or Middle School for 9/11. Her gross resume exaggerations are absurd.

[Anonymous]

Wash Post article on the candidates:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/educatio...ef1eb2ef7_story.html

[Anonymous]

OP. Thank you all for sharing. You’ve all given me a lot to think about. I don’t think Arlington Dems should be involved in endorsing non-partisan school board candidates so I understand why Symone would be pissed. That being said I do not like it when people accuse others of being racist or privileged as it stifles discussion. That being said I am still leaning towards Symone as I really do like her focus on ensuring that APS’ curriculum, especially its reading curriculum is evidence based.

[Anonymous]

Priddy and Torres. I’m not voting for anyone that Kelly Alexis (AEM moderator) endorses. Plus as mentioned several time, she knowingly violated the Hatch Act or is not smart enough to know anything about it.