Arlington School Board Elections - Who are you voting for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had definitely decided to vote for DP but was still trying to decide whether to vote for CDT or not. Symone is a hard no for me because of, as with a lot of posters here, her pre-candidate interactions on AEM and her conduct during the campaign. I was actually quite impressed with CDT during the school forum that Arlington for Justice held tonight and I think I'm now an enthusiastic CDT voter.

CDT changed my mind about her during one of the caucus debates sponsored by ACDC. She's always the most informed despite her age. I was more on the fence between Symone and Priddy before the Arlington for Justice forum. He seemed much more on point and confident, but I'm still undecided.

I think Priddy was at his best tonight at the forum. Didn’t like the way Symone was shaking her heads and kind of rolling her eyes at him when he was talking about SROs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had definitely decided to vote for DP but was still trying to decide whether to vote for CDT or not. Symone is a hard no for me because of, as with a lot of posters here, her pre-candidate interactions on AEM and her conduct during the campaign. I was actually quite impressed with CDT during the school forum that Arlington for Justice held tonight and I think I'm now an enthusiastic CDT voter.

CDT changed my mind about her during one of the caucus debates sponsored by ACDC. She's always the most informed despite her age. I was more on the fence between Symone and Priddy before the Arlington for Justice forum. He seemed much more on point and confident, but I'm still undecided.

I think Priddy was at his best tonight at the forum. Didn’t like the way Symone was shaking her heads and kind of rolling her eyes at him when he was talking about SROs.

She's unprofessional. I don’t think she has the necessary neutrality that is required to listen to all the speakers at meetings.

[Anonymous]

Cristina has close to zero experience. Her short stint for TFA does not qualify her. The school board needs to advocate on behalf of parents. She’s in the bag w AEA... you know the same folks that are saying no return at all this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cristina has close to zero experience. Her short stint for TFA does not qualify her. The school board needs to advocate on behalf of parents. She’s in the bag w AEA... you know the same folks that are saying no return at all this year.

I understand that some discount TFA, and with some good reasons, but Cristina technically does have more direct classroom experience than either Symone or David combined. I think that experience in front of a classroom, no matter how long/short or in what setting, is valuable. She knows the practical effect that policy, both good and bad, has on a classroom and students. I also disagree that the SB needs to advocate on behalf of parents. Being a SB member is not about advocacy. It's about setting policy and the SB needs to enact policies in the best interests of all of their constituents: students, teachers, parents, and Arlington taxpayers (most of whom do not have kids in APS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had definitely decided to vote for DP but was still trying to decide whether to vote for CDT or not. Symone is a hard no for me because of, as with a lot of posters here, her pre-candidate interactions on AEM and her conduct during the campaign. I was actually quite impressed with CDT during the school forum that Arlington for Justice held tonight and I think I'm now an enthusiastic CDT voter.

CDT changed my mind about her during one of the caucus debates sponsored by ACDC. She's always the most informed despite her age. I was more on the fence between Symone and Priddy before the Arlington for Justice forum. He seemed much more on point and confident, but I'm still undecided.

I initially was VERY skeptical of CDT but she changed my mind when I met her at an event during the campaign. She's smart and informed on education issues and I think she can be an asset even if she's not here longterm. I generally like DP. I cannot support Symone for the reasons people have already mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cristina has close to zero experience. Her short stint for TFA does not qualify her. The school board needs to advocate on behalf of parents. She’s in the bag w AEA... you know the same folks that are saying no return at all this year.

I don’t know if you’re all the same person, but I’m getting really tired of the “no experience” bit. If you watch her in the debates, it’s clear that she does her homework and has a real grasp on the issues. There are five members of the board for a reason and I’m actually excited for the idea of a board member who will do the extra effort to understand the issues and isn’t going to have the parents from their kids classroom in their ear all the time.

[Anonymous]

SB members shouldn't be advocating on behalf of parents. They should be advocating for students.

Enjoy your charter schools, CDT voters. There are always some parents who want them, and you can bet CDT won't be pushing back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SB members shouldn't be advocating on behalf of parents. They should be advocating for students.

Enjoy your charter schools, CDT voters. There are always some parents who want them, and you can bet CDT won't be pushing back.

Is there anyone else on the board who supports them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SB members shouldn't be advocating on behalf of parents. They should be advocating for students.

Enjoy your charter schools, CDT voters. There are always some parents who want them, and you can bet CDT won't be pushing back.

Is there anyone else on the board who supports them?

I don't think anyone else does, so the risk of CDT successfully pushing her "charter school agenda" (which I don't even fully believe is true) does not seem that likely to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cristina has close to zero experience. Her short stint for TFA does not qualify her. The school board needs to advocate on behalf of parents. She’s in the bag w AEA... you know the same folks that are saying no return at all this year.

I understand that some discount TFA, and with some good reasons, but Cristina technically does have more direct classroom experience than either Symone or David combined. I think that experience in front of a classroom, no matter how long/short or in what setting, is valuable. She knows the practical effect that policy, both good and bad, has on a classroom and students. I also disagree that the SB needs to advocate on behalf of parents. Being a SB member is not about advocacy. It's about setting policy and the SB needs to enact policies in the best interests of all of their constituents: students, teachers, parents, and Arlington taxpayers (most of whom do not have kids in APS).

NP. I agree with PP; except I'd say it's the SB's job to advocate on behalf of students and teachers - not "all of their constituents." By doing so, they would be doing their duty to Arlington taxpayers. And if SB members are serving the students, they would be serving the parents - just not the way Arlington parents prefer to be served.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SB members shouldn't be advocating on behalf of parents. They should be advocating for students.

Enjoy your charter schools, CDT voters. There are always some parents who want them, and you can bet CDT won't be pushing back.

Is there anyone else on the board who supports them?

Does it matter? Does the SB have authority to create charter schools? I don't believe so.

[Anonymous]

Who has this authority?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SB members shouldn't be advocating on behalf of parents. They should be advocating for students.

Enjoy your charter schools, CDT voters. There are always some parents who want them, and you can bet CDT won't be pushing back.

Is there anyone else on the board who supports them?

Does it matter? Does the SB have authority to create charter schools? I don't believe so.

CDT works for a charter school consultancy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SB members shouldn't be advocating on behalf of parents. They should be advocating for students.

Enjoy your charter schools, CDT voters. There are always some parents who want them, and you can bet CDT won't be pushing back.

Is there anyone else on the board who supports them?

Does it matter? Does the SB have authority to create charter schools? I don't believe so.

CDT works for a charter school consultancy.

She has never given any indication that she's going to try to push charter schools on to Arlington and, even if she did, she's only 1 of 5 votes. No other SB members/candidates have signaled any support for charter schools, either. In light of other flaws revealed about one of the candidates in others' comments, I'm going to vote for Cristina and Dave.

[Anonymous]

The criticisms about candidates engaging in politics are ridiculous. School board is a political position, and anyone who thinks otherwise is incredibly naive. Whether it's CDT working her connections or SW magically finding her inner patience and toning down her accusatory rhetoric the minute she announced her candidacy. That's all politics. And it's all to be expected in a political election.