APS - Who is running for School Board?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Please don’t put our children’s future at the hands of a TFA (nontrained) teacher who left the classroom after two years, who has no connection to our schools and community, and who’s only using this to expand her personal career and not our children. Vote no to Cristina.

She has more classroom experience than most of the candidates. Regardless, at least her work has been in education policy. Maybe her familiarity with what other districts are doing across the country could offer APS something.

But the other candidates know Arlington and have spent time in our community. Her “education” work is doing sales for a consultant firm and as an intern (per LinkedIn), not that impressive. The problem is she enhances her resume to make it sound like she has experience she doesn’t actually have.

THIS. I don't understand how anyone is buying that she is bringing so much experience to the School Board. She spent 3 years doing TFA, 1 year interning on the Hill, and she's been working as an entry-level marketing analyst for a very small for-profit education consulting firm. I also really question her ability to stand up to the County Board when Katie Cristol works in a senior-level position at the same education consulting firm-- which is absolutely not a coincidence. Katie practically hand-picked her to run. She's going to be Katie's puppet, and anyone who has watched Arlington politics for the past few years should know that Katie has not exactly been a champion for APS's budget and capacity needs at the County Board level.

I find it very difficult to disagree with any of this! 😊

I'm so surprised by all of the nativism. Most of my friends in Arlington are not from Arlington. I've never encountered this us vs them dynamic before. We must be much younger than most people commenting here because it feels like some bizarro world. I'm still unsure how I'm going to rank my vote, but I think it would be a helpful for APS to have a younger voice contributing to the discussion.

It’s not nativism if you expect someone running for an important local office to be familiar with the entity they are hoping to run. Did Cristina have any documented involvement with APS before the year she announced her candidacy? The Katie connection also makes me uneasy since I have personally been condescended to by that woman. I am the same age as her, btw so it’s not generational.

It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Did you just ask for documentation?

[Anonymous]

It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

This. 1) Terron 2) Cristina 3) Priddy

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you're someone who disagrees with APS' increasing tendency to lower expectations for all students to the least common denominator, then Symone and Christina and maybe David are not the people you want on the Board. Krieger is annoying, arrogant, and has tunnel vision in addition to having extremely limited experience in APS. His kids are very young and he hasn't even experienced elementary school in its entirety, let alone seen directly how things are in middle or high school. For a "social justice warrior," he is absolutely clueless.

I'm not a Terron fan, either, as I don't believe he would make much difference one way or another. Sandy is the most qualified; but she also seems to be limited in her perspective - she's always talking about WL; but we do need someone who understands educational technology.

It doesn't sound like you really want to vote for any of them

No, I don't. I am not excited or enthusiastic about a single one. There is little, if anything, truly differentiating them from each other. Except for Christina being the ACDC pick and having no APS experience whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the support for Sandy. We need school board members who will stand up to APS administration. This has been our biggest problem for years! With budgets being cut, I'm sure this is why AEA didn't endorse her. They don't trust her to have a mind of her own.

I feel the same way about Priddy. Someone as uninformed as him will not stand up to administrative staff.

I disagree. I think he's learning how to get stuff done behind the scenes. Before all this mess broke, he was part of an effort to fix ADA stuff at Fleet. And also was working on making the TJ/Fleet parking mess better. He's been making connections and leveraging them since he ran last year.

And say what you will about NVD, but I think she's the most analytical of our current members. He won her over, so I assume there's a reason.

Yeah, all it takes to "win over" NVD is to agree with her and tout the things she believes in.
I don't think David is a dynamic leader. I think he goes with the wind; but at least he asks questions and listens. I disagree that he is uninformed.

Everyone asks questions and listens!

Actually, no. There's "listening" and then there's "maybe waiting for you to stop speaking so I can tell you the right opinion and perspective" and then there's "hearing you so I can say I've listened before I utterly dismiss your opinion and experience."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the support for Sandy. We need school board members who will stand up to APS administration. This has been our biggest problem for years! With budgets being cut, I'm sure this is why AEA didn't endorse her. They don't trust her to have a mind of her own.

I feel the same way about Priddy. Someone as uninformed as him will not stand up to administrative staff.

I disagree. I think he's learning how to get stuff done behind the scenes. Before all this mess broke, he was part of an effort to fix ADA stuff at Fleet. And also was working on making the TJ/Fleet parking mess better. He's been making connections and leveraging them since he ran last year.

And say what you will about NVD, but I think she's the most analytical of our current members. He won her over, so I assume there's a reason.

Yeah, all it takes to "win over" NVD is to agree with her and tout the things she believes in.
I don't think David is a dynamic leader. I think he goes with the wind; but at least he asks questions and listens. I disagree that he is uninformed.

Everyone asks questions and listens!

Actually, no. There's "listening" and then there's "maybe waiting for you to stop speaking so I can tell you the right opinion and perspective" and then there's "hearing you so I can say I've listened before I utterly dismiss your opinion and experience."

Sorry. You are correct. Active listening is different than waiting to speak. My point is that I'm disappointed he doesn't have more to say since he has been campaigning longer than anyone. Did you read his septa responses? He had hardly anything to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

I hear you but I don’t think Cristina knows how to do it. She doesn’t have any management or advisory experience. She may talk a good game about what “she wants” but she has no idea how to implement it or how our system works to know where to make effective changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

I hear you but I don’t think Cristina knows how to do it. She doesn’t have any management or advisory experience. She may talk a good game about what “she wants” but she has no idea how to implement it or how our system works to know where to make effective changes.

I think people who have personally experienced inequity are better prepared to address it than people who just talk about it while running for school board. Even here, her experience is being undermined in a way I relate to. I know that she's on the budget advisory council and something for the county, and she is an education advisor. But Steven is ready because he is a lawyer? Or David because he is on the PTA and used to be a businessman? Who is Sandy to tell me about inequity when she has been apart of it for 20 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're someone who disagrees with APS' increasing tendency to lower expectations for all students to the least common denominator, then Symone and Christina and maybe David are not the people you want on the Board. Krieger is annoying, arrogant, and has tunnel vision in addition to having extremely limited experience in APS. His kids are very young and he hasn't even experienced elementary school in its entirety, let alone seen directly how things are in middle or high school. For a "social justice warrior," he is absolutely clueless.

I'm not a Terron fan, either, as I don't believe he would make much difference one way or another. Sandy is the most qualified; but she also seems to be limited in her perspective - she's always talking about WL; but we do need someone who understands educational technology.

It doesn't sound like you really want to vote for any of them

No, I don't. I am not excited or enthusiastic about a single one. There is little, if anything, truly differentiating them from each other. Except for Christina being the ACDC pick and having no APS experience whatsoever.

So long as it isn't Steven or Terron!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're someone who disagrees with APS' increasing tendency to lower expectations for all students to the least common denominator, then Symone and Christina and maybe David are not the people you want on the Board. Krieger is annoying, arrogant, and has tunnel vision in addition to having extremely limited experience in APS. His kids are very young and he hasn't even experienced elementary school in its entirety, let alone seen directly how things are in middle or high school. For a "social justice warrior," he is absolutely clueless.

I'm not a Terron fan, either, as I don't believe he would make much difference one way or another. Sandy is the most qualified; but she also seems to be limited in her perspective - she's always talking about WL; but we do need someone who understands educational technology.

It doesn't sound like you really want to vote for any of them

No, I don't. I am not excited or enthusiastic about a single one. There is little, if anything, truly differentiating them from each other. Except for Christina being the ACDC pick and having no APS experience whatsoever.

So long as it isn't Steven or Terron!

Or Symone. But at least she is already out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

This. 1) Terron 2) Cristina 3) Priddy

Terron's bullying is unacceptable for a school board member. He lost my vote. I'm supporting Cristina in the caucus and Cristina and Symone in the general election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

This. 1) Terron 2) Cristina 3) Priddy

Terron's bullying is unacceptable for a school board member. He lost my vote. I'm supporting Cristina in the caucus and Cristina and Symone in the general election.

OMG, I am SOOOO over the "Symone is a victim" trope! On what basis do you say that Terron bullied Symone? Because she or campaign team said so? Has she presented any evidence that he did it? From my standpoint, all we know for certain is that Symone was violating the Hatch Act. There is ONE federal agency that has the authority to say whether or not someone is complying with or violating the Hatch Act: the Office of Special Counsel. The Office of Special Counsel weighed in and said she was violating the Hatch Act by participating in the Dem caucus. The advice reportedly given to her by her agency runs counter to pretty much everything that I, as a fed, and evey other fed know about Hatch. If I were as "diligent" as she claims to be, then I would have gone to the Office of Special Counsel and sought an opinion from the experts before running. She didn't do that and it bit her in the ass. So, as a way to stop herself from looking negligent and not a very good lawyer, she threw down the victim card and tried to blame someone else. I would have been able to forgive it if she accepted even a tiny bit of responsibility, but she didn't. What I've heard her campaign say about Terron is vicious and, as a lawyer myself, I would say her campaign is starting to cross into the defamatory space.

Let's not forget that Symone has made a lot of enemies during her time on AEM and in other spaces. She does not exactly play well in the sandbox with others and is certainly NOT a consensus builder. There were a lot of people on this forum, particularly other feds, who were at best suspect and at worst pissed that she was allowed to run given Hatch restrictions. Any number of them could have reported Symone. Those of us active in Arl Dem politics know that one of her agency's board members lives in Arlington and received an award from ACDC last year for his campaigning efforts. He certainly could have raised the warning flag within the agency.

Where is Symone's responsibility in all of this? Really, her violation of FEDERAL LAW is someone else's fault? Hasn't she been a fed lawyer for 20 years? Is this how she'll be as a SB member? Even if Terron was at all involved in OSC becoming involved in this situation, I am okay with that. I would much rather have someone who calls out wrongs when s/he sees them and calls people out on their BS. I want a leader who will hold school administrators, including the new superintendent, to account. But again, I don't even believe that Terron is culpable in a way that fits Symone's narrative.

Finally, when you requested your ballot, you indicated that you would not support any other candidate running against the Democratic endorsee. That's the point of the pledge. A lot of folks sit out the Dem caucus because of the pledge, as they believe it's disingenuous to do exactly what you say you're about to do. Just some food for thought.

I'm ranking Sandy, Terron and Cristina in that order. Just don't think Priddy or Steven bring enough to the table to warrant a rank.

[Anonymous]

I have no intention of voting for Symone, but the caucus is a farce and a power grab so I wouldn’t feel any guilt breaking it if I felt there was a better candidate come election time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fine for people to move here and become involved, but she’s lived here 3 years....literally less than our kindergarteners. She should take the next 5-10 to get involved in the community and actually plant some roots before jumping into an important local office.

Without becoming emotional about it. Someone like Sandy was in APS forever while lots of students, mostly students of color and english language learners, fell behind year after year. I want someone like Cristina who wants to help those kids now instead of in 5 or 10 years. This isn't to beat up on Sandy. She's my number 2. It's just for some of us, we want change now.

I just don’t believe she’s a “change” candidate. Nobody who’s been planning for a lifetime to be a professional politician, and who is the pre-selected candidate of the ruling party, which has presided over and REINFORCED all the inequity for the last two decades, is going to be a “change” candidate. The party is as much to blame as any individual, probably more, as they talk out of one side of their mouth and then select candidates who enact policies that further divides and segregation and inequity, all to protect their wealthy donors.

Frankly, I am not sure we need that kind of “change” candidate. Kreiger is about the same, wanting “change” that merely has a veneer of equity.