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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]imho, that's a cheap shot, to accuse TDK and MM of being "afraid to go against their friends".  They spent a lot of time to consider a difficult question.  They investigated the process and regulations.  They drafted a sound motion - whether you agree or not with the objective, it was well drafted and based on the regulations that the School Board has adopted.  They explained their position, reasoning and intentions carefully and respectfully.  Their decision to abstain made no difference to the outcome but indicated that they were of a different mind than TW and ES who voted against, and the "friends" who voted for the main resolution.

[b]There's a lot of name calling and judgements being passed that show a basic ignorance about the challenges of being in a position of governing over decisions that are contentious.  I give them credit for undertaking to raise issues (fidelity to process and respect for regulations and transparency) that are important to protecting the integrity of the Board and its actions.  It took a lot of time and courage to take a stand for something when many are clamoring for an easy fix.[/b]

The decision to proceed is now fraught with complication and there will be a contentious debate over the appropriate name.  The (new) Superintendent will be distracted by this controversy, to the detriment of the rest of his duties, and the Stuart community will continue to be fractured as they lobby for new names.  Most people really don't care that much - as evidenced by the relatively small shows of support for a name change.  So, we have a small minority of outraged people whose actions are having a disproportionate negative effect on the whole system.  This is most unfortunate.

[b]Good government is based on clear process; inclusive, transparent, equitable - this is the basis for achieving any just resolution to conflicts.  The fact that so many on the Board rejected this in favor of an ad hoc approach indicates that respect for governance at the School Board is weak - this is a big problem.  Kudos to Ms. Derenak Kaufax and Ms. McLaughlin for raising the concern in a respectful, intelligent and considerate way.[/quote][/b]

That is why they should have voted against the name change.  It was not done properly --and they clearly know that.  Even if it is legal, as Ms. Corbett-Sanders indicated, it is still unethical and wrong.

I really think if they had followed the process properly, there would have been a more harmonious result.  If the Board really felt there was a compelling need, they could have said so two years ago.  Instead, they tried to set it up to have the community say so.  I really think Ms. Evans and Ms. Hynes were stunned when the first survey indicated that the community was not in support of it.

And, as we move forward with the name change, it is clear that it will continue to be contentious.  Many of the changers have made it clear that they want an African American namesake.  I hope they will compromise on a geographical name--which, frankly, FCPS should follow in the future.[/quote]

The first informal community survey reflected substantial support for a name change - around 35%.  I doubt it stunned Pat Hynes and Sany Evans that the percentage was not higher; if anything, they probably were surprised that the percentage was that high.  What percentage of the Lake Braddock or Robinson neighborhoods, for example, do you think would vote in favor of a name change at those schools?  I bet it would be 5% at most.  However, given that it wasn't a statistically rigorous survey and that the reasons given for an against a change hadn't been spelled out, the Board set up a committee to provide further information upon which to make a decision.

The committee was kind of a mess, but that was primarily because (1) FCPS didn't assign a trained mediator to work with the committee and (2) the "keepers" fought tooth and nail to throw as much sand in the gears of the committee as possible to keep it from getting anything accomplished.  Predictably, that led to the group's splintering, because others on the committee didn't want to keep wasting their time.  Instead, they actually wanted to provide the School Board with additional information, whether it related to reasons for a name change, the results of additional community outreach, or the potential funding mechanisms to pay for the costs.

As for the last point, it's not surprising that, in a county where no high schools are named after women or POC but many are named after white males, there would be support for renaming the school after a black American.  However, I'm sure other names will surface as well.  What "geographical names" do you favor?
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