TJHSST PTSA Election

[Anonymous]

I had to Google this because I too did not understand the job terminology. It appears to be a PTA thing.

As best as I understand it, the president elect is like a veep. President in waiting. Serve one term as president elect and then take over as president next year.

If I’m wrong, somebody please correct me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The current principal is awful! She never showed any interest in the current kids but came in with the agenda to get different kinds of kids at the school. The previous principal was great! He really understood and connected with the students.

Agree-she is the worst. Terrible to the students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had to Google this because I too did not understand the job terminology. It appears to be a PTA thing.

As best as I understand it, the president elect is like a veep. President in waiting. Serve one term as president elect and then take over as president next year.

If I’m wrong, somebody please correct me.

Me too. It's a weird PTA thing. The newly elected president-elect is Dr. Harry, the first African American president-elect in TJ's history. The incoming president is from last year's election.

The question is whether the incoming president from last year and/or the principal leaked internal private conversation to VA PTA to stop Harry doing his work.

[Anonymous]

After reading multiple posts on several parent FB groups, it appears that the alleged pivotal actions were that of the previous EC.

The new EC (with the exception of the president) was elected only in June this year, a mere few weeks ago, and has yet to meet in committee.

However there appear to be bad faith actors all around including the VA PTA and school admin, and with everybody spoiling for a fight, there can be no good outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ forms a new HSA - Home school association 501c3. They get to keep all the money raised instead of going to the PTA fees. Problem solved.

You mean the TJ PTA? Will they be allowed to do this? Who needs to approve this? Remember that the Principal is not on the same side as the lawfully elected school board.

How does VA PTA have this much power that it can freeze assets of a local school PTA? Don't you need a court order or something serious like IRS level to freeze a bank account?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After reading multiple posts on several parent FB groups, it appears that the alleged pivotal actions were that of the previous EC.

The new EC (with the exception of the president) was elected only in June this year, a mere few weeks ago, and has yet to meet in committee.

However there appear to be bad faith actors all around including the VA PTA and school admin, and with everybody spoiling for a fight, there can be no good outcome.

Given that the previous board contained noted rabblerouser Asra Nomani, this should not come as a huge surprise. The previous EC:

- engaged in electioneering by posting their slate of recommended candidates every week for weeks prior to the election (which most of their candidates still only won by a thread)
- made public statements in their newsletters denouncing the reformed admissions process
- encouraged parents to withdraw students from social-emotional learning seminars
- had several of their members publicly call for the resignation and/or dismissal of the principal and superintendent

.... you just don't do that stuff when you're supposed to be serving parents and students. They turned it into an expressly political body and they're getting what they deserve. Sadly, it's not what most families at TJ deserve.

[Anonymous]

Educate me here.. What's the big deal? Why can't the TJ PTA just form their own non-profit and as the VA PTA to f'off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After reading multiple posts on several parent FB groups, it appears that the alleged pivotal actions were that of the previous EC.

The new EC (with the exception of the president) was elected only in June this year, a mere few weeks ago, and has yet to meet in committee.

However there appear to be bad faith actors all around including the VA PTA and school admin, and with everybody spoiling for a fight, there can be no good outcome.

Given that the previous board contained noted rabblerouser Asra Nomani, this should not come as a huge surprise. The previous EC:

- engaged in electioneering by posting their slate of recommended candidates every week for weeks prior to the election (which most of their candidates still only won by a thread)
- made public statements in their newsletters denouncing the reformed admissions process
- encouraged parents to withdraw students from social-emotional learning seminars
- had several of their members publicly call for the resignation and/or dismissal of the principal and superintendent

.... you just don't do that stuff when you're supposed to be serving parents and students. They turned it into an expressly political body and they're getting what they deserve. Sadly, it's not what most families at TJ deserve.

Great points that should have been brought up BEFORE the elections, don't you think? This is almost like Trump tried to do with the Presidency, except it appears that these guys may actually pull it off..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After reading multiple posts on several parent FB groups, it appears that the alleged pivotal actions were that of the previous EC.

The new EC (with the exception of the president) was elected only in June this year, a mere few weeks ago, and has yet to meet in committee.

However there appear to be bad faith actors all around including the VA PTA and school admin, and with everybody spoiling for a fight, there can be no good outcome.

Given that the previous board contained noted rabblerouser Asra Nomani, this should not come as a huge surprise. The previous EC:

- engaged in electioneering by posting their slate of recommended candidates every week for weeks prior to the election (which most of their candidates still only won by a thread)
- made public statements in their newsletters denouncing the reformed admissions process
- encouraged parents to withdraw students from social-emotional learning seminars
- had several of their members publicly call for the resignation and/or dismissal of the principal and superintendent

.... you just don't do that stuff when you're supposed to be serving parents and students. They turned it into an expressly political body and they're getting what they deserve. Sadly, it's not what most families at TJ deserve.

Great points that should have been brought up BEFORE the elections, don't you think? This is almost like Trump tried to do with the Presidency, except it appears that these guys may actually pull it off..

Well, they have pretty exclusive control over apparatuses to communicate with the parents, so.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current principal is awful! She never showed any interest in the current kids but came in with the agenda to get different kinds of kids at the school. The previous principal was great! He really understood and connected with the students.

Agree-she is the worst. Terrible to the students.

She's wonderful! I'm so grateful she's trying to improve the toxic environment there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current principal is awful! She never showed any interest in the current kids but came in with the agenda to get different kinds of kids at the school. The previous principal was great! He really understood and connected with the students.

Agree-she is the worst. Terrible to the students.

She isn't terrible to the students. I've seen her interact with them for the last several years. There's no basis to that assertion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current principal is awful! She never showed any interest in the current kids but came in with the agenda to get different kinds of kids at the school. The previous principal was great! He really understood and connected with the students.

Agree-she is the worst. Terrible to the students.

She's wonderful! I'm so grateful she's trying to improve the toxic environment there.

It's really important to make a distinction here. A lot of parents are rubbed the wrong way by her because one of her biggest emphases is to communicate to the students that things like balance, self-advocacy, and treatment of others are extremely important and that they are coming in with priorities that are frequently damaging to their long-term prospects.

By the way, many will read this as an attack on Asian-Americans because a) they currently dominate the school and b) many of the issues that she's trying to combat are unfortunate stereotypes of Asian-American parents. But the problems that she's referring to are far from unique to TJ's Asian-American population - they exist across the school and are largely a function of an admissions process that historically advantaged the exact type of damaging behavior that she's referencing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ forms a new HSA - Home school association 501c3. They get to keep all the money raised instead of going to the PTA fees. Problem solved.

You mean the TJ PTA? Will they be allowed to do this? Who needs to approve this? Remember that the Principal is not on the same side as the lawfully elected school board.

How does VA PTA have this much power that it can freeze assets of a local school PTA? Don't you need a court order or something serious like IRS level to freeze a bank account?

I too do not understand the leverage of the VA PTA here. What was the due process? Can the VA PTA, after a single letter of intent, unilaterally disenfranchise a school PTA, especially if the alleged perpetrators are no longer on the board? If it was me, and some party tried to make a claim on my funds/property, I'd discuss first, arbitrate next, use the threat of adverse publicity and finally litigate to protect my interests. I'm surprised the parents are not asking such questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current principal is awful! She never showed any interest in the current kids but came in with the agenda to get different kinds of kids at the school. The previous principal was great! He really understood and connected with the students.

Agree-she is the worst. Terrible to the students.

She's wonderful! I'm so grateful she's trying to improve the toxic environment there.

It's really important to make a distinction here. A lot of parents are rubbed the wrong way by her because one of her biggest emphases is to communicate to the students that things like balance, self-advocacy, and treatment of others are extremely important and that they are coming in with priorities that are frequently damaging to their long-term prospects.

By the way, many will read this as an attack on Asian-Americans because a) they currently dominate the school and b) many of the issues that she's trying to combat are unfortunate stereotypes of Asian-American parents. But the problems that she's referring to are far from unique to TJ's Asian-American population - they exist across the school and are largely a function of an admissions process that historically advantaged the exact type of damaging behavior that she's referencing.

I really don't understand why people that concerned about these issues involving competitiveness and holding oneself out to unreasonably high standards don't just propose to discontinue TJ as a magnet program.

You all still want to be considered the most special snowflakes in the universe, just nicer and more diverse snowflakes. It seems there is no limit to the amount of money and attention that you're willing to have FCPS spend on striking just the right balance at TJ. Meanwhile other schools in FCPS just get ignored completely, year after year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After reading multiple posts on several parent FB groups, it appears that the alleged pivotal actions were that of the previous EC.

The new EC (with the exception of the president) was elected only in June this year, a mere few weeks ago, and has yet to meet in committee.

However there appear to be bad faith actors all around including the VA PTA and school admin, and with everybody spoiling for a fight, there can be no good outcome.

Given that the previous board contained noted rabblerouser Asra Nomani, this should not come as a huge surprise. The previous EC:

- engaged in electioneering by posting their slate of recommended candidates every week for weeks prior to the election (which most of their candidates still only won by a thread)
- made public statements in their newsletters denouncing the reformed admissions process
- encouraged parents to withdraw students from social-emotional learning seminars
- had several of their members publicly call for the resignation and/or dismissal of the principal and superintendent

.... you just don't do that stuff when you're supposed to be serving parents and students. They turned it into an expressly political body and they're getting what they deserve. Sadly, it's not what most families at TJ deserve.

Asra had a feud with the previous president elect Bonnie over her alleged conflict of interest. Bonnie's employer represented the proponent of the admission change. They should have worked out their differences behind closed doors. There was an election for nominating committee in February. Asra won more votes than Bonnie. The new board is largely from the candidates nominated by that elected committee. The new board represents a slight majority of the voting families. Reporting Asra and new board members to VA PTA will not settle their differences. It made things worse and students will suffer.