Not sure if this should be in the policy forum instead... Anyone here voting for Youngkin because of

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Governors don’t control school districts.

This is just completely false. Any emergency orders or mandates come from the governor. See Northam, Ralph:

Governor Northam Announces Public Health Order to Require Universal Masking in K-12 Schools
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/all-releases/2021/august/headline-902544-en.html

Virginia Closes Schools for the Year Amid Coronavirus
The governor announced the extension to a previous two-week closure as the coronavirus spreads across the state.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-03-23/virginia-gov-ralph-northam-closes-schools-for-the-year-amid-coronavirus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Schools are controlled by your local school board. People are stupid.

In Virginia they are controlled by the governor appointed dept of ed board.

Yep. So many stupid people here, including the PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way am I voting for Youngkin, even if I'm not thrilled with how FCPS handled covid or the direction the curriculum is going. I think Northam did a good job and I don't think FCPS would do anything differently based on who the governor is. I will likely vote for more conservative candidates when the next school board election comes up, though, even with my liberal roots.

McAuliffe is a big money sleazy white dude, but I'll take that over the Trump-lover who wants to put women back in the 1950s and hold back minorities.

I'm having fun calling out you liberal trolls on your lies. Links to the bolded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I’m going to say you’re a troll. There is no way in gods green earth I would elect a republican governor after what our country just went through with the last election. You have lost your marbles if you’re not a troll. Hold the school board’s feet to the fire but don’t vote for the anti-democracy party.

Not the OP, but I'm getting real tired of the left calling anyone who disagrees with them, "trolls." Get over yourself and acknowledge that many people think Democrats are the "anti-democracy party."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now if you are a parent organizing in your community to hold your local school board accountable you are a right wing puppet getting lots of funding.

That seems likely. Lol.

No, there are literally right-wing groups openly doing this. One infiltrated the TJ PTA and imploded it.

DP. What on earth are you babbling about? Links? The Coalition for TJ isn't "right-wing." They are fighting to keep TJ's admission standards selective. I don't even have kids at TJ, but can completely understand why the admissions standards shouldn't be watered down in the name of "diversity."

Parents Defending Education (definitely right-wing/Koch associates) had an exec member on the TJ PTA and coordinated to install a new president.

Any actual reputable links proving a Koch association? No? Then I guess you're lying. Again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I am not voting for Youngkin because this election is about A LOT more than schools. I, personally, don't want Virginia to turn into Texas with it's absurd anti-choice abortion law and partisan redistricting and passing laws making it nearly impossible for minorities to vote.

I cannot believe you people are falling for this "Democrats are trying to ruin education" crap. You must be complete idiots to focus on completely false message.

Talk about idiotic... where do even get this garbage?

[Anonymous]

*you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will vote R because the Ds have lost sight of the majority. I agree with most of what PP said s/he is voting for, but I am a moderate and can quite honestly tolerate voting R or D. I do not like where the far left is taking things and trying to shut down any discourse from their agenda.

Most people acknowledge there is crazy on the left and crazy on the R. And every so often each side needs a course correction.

Totally agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I care about

- my body and my choice
- my DAUGHTERS' bodies and their choice
- the rights of minorities and women
- abolishing racists and white supremacists
- my children learning about the holocaust, slavery, quality, diversity, and THE TRUTH about what happened in the past and why it happened, not some whitewashed version of history
- protecting the right of EVERYBODY to vote
- keeping my children safe (meaning no guns, especially not in schools)

So, no, losers, not voting for Youngkin
-

Agree with all this.

Ah, yet your version of “THE TRUTH” to be taught is every bit as one-sided as the antiquated version from the past you seek to retire permanently. And you will only protect the rights of women and minorities if they subscribe to the right views; if they do not, you’ll repudiate them in a quick second.

You people scare me - you are like a bunch of Bolsheviks or Pol Pot followers.

You think the holocaust was a lie? You think people were not enslaved, not only in the U.S., but around the world??? You want this country which used to be so proud of its heritage as a melting pot for the world, to be lily white, white, white and boring and racist like you?

Also, please stop making up "insults" that you don't understand, I'm embarrassed for you.

Wait I thought the U.S. only pretended to be a melting pot and but was always a white supremacist country who let people of all countries and colors come here, become citizens and landowners and business owners—- and elected officials who get to get on the microphone and rail against the white suprematism and demand the toppling of statues and the dismantling of the white western patriarchal capitalist society that oppresses them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now if you are a parent organizing in your community to hold your local school board accountable you are a right wing puppet getting lots of funding.

That seems likely. Lol.

Please go the Twitter feed of Replace FCPS School Board (Open FCPS) and tell me that it hasn't been completely taken over by right wing folks.

Apparently, "right wing = anyone I disagree with." Unreal.

DP. I just went and looked and 75%+ of the tweets & retweets were right-wing.

So, in this case, right wing = right wing. The LCPS versions of that group is 100% right wing.

Again: "right wing = anyone I disagree with." Just own it. Plenty of moderates and independents think the current Democratic party is nuts. It's understandable that the truth hurts, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We too are voting Yongkin because of TJ

This is not smart. You will regret voting for Governor on one issue that can be addressed in different ways . Unless you dislike democracy?

This thread reads like it is just one or two blue virginia people talking to themselves.

It absolutely does. Same ridiculous talking points, constantly calling anyone who disagrees a "troll." So transparent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In brief, if you think schools are better than before, vote McAuliffe. If you think they are worse, a vote for Mcauliffe is a vote for a continuation of the policies that are in place today which for a lot of people seems to be off track. I’m moderate. I have voted both sides. My left leaning friend asked me. I said this time it will be Youngkin because I am very unhappy with where schools are and are going locally and at the state level. It never occurred to her that voting for McAuliffe was sending a message that she approves of the schools. And she doesn’t so she is reconsidering.

We also talked about the bond question. I said this would be the first time I am not going to vote for it. FCPS gets 50 cents of every county tax dollar. They are paying 7 million yearly in interest on outstanding bonds. They need to stop borrowing and start making due with the very generous budget they get. Time to rein in the frivolous and focus on the essential. So for me, in 23 years of living here, I will vote no on a bond for the first time.

Agreed, on all counts. This was the first year I've ever voted NO on a school bonds issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now if you are a parent organizing in your community to hold your local school board accountable you are a right wing puppet getting lots of funding.

That seems likely. Lol.

No, there are literally right-wing groups openly doing this. One infiltrated the TJ PTA and imploded it.

DP. What on earth are you babbling about? Links? The Coalition for TJ isn't "right-wing." They are fighting to keep TJ's admission standards selective. I don't even have kids at TJ, but can completely understand why the admissions standards shouldn't be watered down in the name of "diversity."

Parents Defending Education (definitely right-wing/Koch associates) had an exec member on the TJ PTA and coordinated to install a new president.

Any actual reputable links proving a Koch association? No? Then I guess you're lying. Again.

Sure.

Parents Defending Education is full of Koch associates and Trump activists. Here is the board:
https://defendinged.org/about/

And here are their connections to Koch/Trump.
https://fedsoc.org/contributors/nicoleneily

https://ij.org/staff/rachel-hannabass/

Richey
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/trump-and-devos-announce-new-hires-at-education-department/2017/06

Aimee Viana
https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/the-controversial-couple-heading-trumps-hispanic-education-efforts/2018/09

Nomani is a Trump/Youngkin activist:
https://www.npr.org/2016/11/12/501853618/muslim-woman-immigrant-and-trump-supporter


Nomani was elected as secretary to the TJ PTA and helped support the election of the current president in a dramatic takeover. They did all kinds of shady stuff as part of the PTA. I’ll have to dig up those old posts too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now if you are a parent organizing in your community to hold your local school board accountable you are a right wing puppet getting lots of funding.

That seems likely. Lol.

Please go the Twitter feed of Replace FCPS School Board (Open FCPS) and tell me that it hasn't been completely taken over by right wing folks.

Apparently, "right wing = anyone I disagree with." Unreal.

DP. I just went and looked and 75%+ of the tweets & retweets were right-wing.

So, in this case, right wing = right wing. The LCPS versions of that group is 100% right wing.

Again: "right wing = anyone I disagree with." Just own it. Plenty of moderates and independents think the current Democratic party is nuts. It's understandable that the truth hurts, but it is what it is.

Ok. But at least 75% of the tweets are right-wing so it’s an accurate description.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, this thread got nasty soon! I am not a troll or someone trying to drum up support for Youngkin. As I said, I have NEVER voted for any Republican in my life here or any conservative in my country of origin.

And yes, I do have children in FCPS.

Anyway, despite all the insults thrown back and forth here, it is clear to me that I'm not the only one going through the same dilemma - my husband is horrified I'm contemplating voting for Youngkin and, like a bunch of you, thinks I should vote with PS in mind at the local level.

Thanks to the people who pointed out the limitations of the governor over local schools policies. I will have to research this a bit because where I come from, curriculum and policies are decided at the Federal level and the same across the board. I confess I had never paid much attention about these things here until last year.

Those people are wrong.

In Virginia, the governor has tremendous power of education policy through his or her appointees to the Department of Education.

And if you read through Terry's education plan, he supports busing of students based of race and ESOL status, school funding tied to mandatory public housing being added to neighborhoods.

Read his education plan in depth. It was all on his website.

+1
Here it is:

● Address Modern-Day Segregation in our Schools. While we have worked hard to
improve equitable access to education in Virginia, the numbers are clear and racial
segregation in our schools is getting worse not better. In fact, nearly 17% of Black
students in Virginia attended schools where at least 90% of their classmates were
students of color in 2018-2019, a 4% increase from 2003-2004.6 Students of color are
also more likely to attend schools with high poverty rates and with little access to
challenging coursework We must tackle this issue head on by examining the factors
leading to segregation and aggressively implement policies that will promote integration.
That includes creating a school integration officer within the Virginia Department of
Education, reviewing how diversity factors into school accreditation standards,
incentivizing localities to implement integration strategies and working with developers
to drastically improve access to affordable housing so that families can locate in areas
with high-performing schools.