Reply to New Name for JEB Stuart HS

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Reply to "New Name for JEB Stuart HS - 9/16 Community Vote "

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I really feel we should use names that reference the location of the school, no names of people. I've lived in other places that do this and it works fine and makes sense.

I'm surprised one of the choices is not a location themed name. 
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There are quite a few recommendations for replacement names for JEB Stuart HS.  Some are based on locations; most would honor individuals, including these three persons.

Most school systems that have researched the issue have concluded that naming schools after individuals is more inspiring.

FCPS has many high schools named after white men.  The Stuart renaming offers an opportunity to honor a woman and/or person of color for the first time.    [/quote]

The problem with naming for people is that you just never know when new information may pop up or opinions may change about the person honored. We already have names like South County South Lakes, Westfield. I think we should continue with names along these lines. 
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Actually, we do know.

FCPS has 25 high or secondary schools.  Of those 25 schools, 14 are named after white men, towns named after white men, or estates owned by white men:  Chantilly, Edison, Fairfax, Herndon, JEB Stuart, Lake Braddock, Langley, Lee, Madison, Marshall, McLean, Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson, and Woodson.   The other 11 are not, nor are there any high or secondary schools named after women and/or minorities.

And, after many decades, there has been exactly one high school that the School Board has decided to rename:  JEB Stuart.  So the frequency is not very high.  Claiming that we never know when opinions may change with that track record just means perpetuating a status quo in which white men get recognized, and others do not.     [/quote]

Sorry, I wasn't referring specifically to Fairfax County. I've lived in a lot of other places all over the country and I've seen situations where names needed to be changed for other reasons, when information surfaced after a person's death.

Location names tend to not be controversial. Also, "idea" names  tend to work well. Freedom, Liberty, Discovery, and Justice, as someone above suggested, tend to be names that work well.

I've lived in a couple of school districts that only allow place names for new schools.

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