Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone remember Ramee Gentry's comments about parents during redistricting? She said that parents who are vocal and well organized should have their opinions discounted. She was elected Chair the next year.

That's what they all still think. I could stomach it if I thought any of them actually cared about parents and students who aren't vocal or well organized.

Nolan's weird facebook rant was next level though because they ALL know that this year was a massive screw up and now they are on the defensive on all issues. The question is. who will be the scapegoat? Hutchings? Anderson who is likely retiring anyway and was Chair for most of the time? Likely they will somehow try to blame parents (and teachers and school administrators).

It will be interesting to watch.

She lost credibility with me in the last election.

"A major contribution to a School Board candidate’s campaign became known to the public three years late.

On Sept. 17 of this year, Veronica Nolan, a School Board incumbent who’s seeking reelection, filed an amendment to her campaign finance report covering Oct. 1-22, 2015. The amendment added a $27,000 contribution from Leadership for Educational Equity, a nonprofit, on Oct. 22, 2015.

This contribution carried forward to the present, accounting for half of Nolan’s most recently reported campaign fund balance of just over $54,000.

Nolan made an electronic entry in the state’s online reporting program on Nov. 22, 2015 for the full amount. She thought this sufficed for public disclosure."

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2018/oct/30/campaign-finance-confusion-alexandria/

I thought 501C4s and 501C3s couldn't give money to political campaigns. That's also a huge amount of money for an Alexandria school board election. At the very least it's very shady.

And $27,000? Aren't there campaign contribution limits? Beyond the c3 or c4 contributing to a political campaign issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.alxnow.com/2021/03/04/councilwoman-amy-jackson-argues-with-school-board-over-macarthur-elementary-construction-

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/03/05/city-council-and-school-board-budget-talk-gets-territorial-over-school-resource-officers/

I think the City Council has a legitimate concern about both issues but I suspect Amy Jackson is really just kissing up to her anti-bike lane, etc. base.

the elementary construction delay - Really? Have they not been living in this City? Delays like that are par for the course. When my child started K, they were have community meetings regarding a new high school. My child is now graduating high school - note there is no new high school but lots of talk and "planning". Meanwhile the City is tackling big issues like bike lanes for the 10 bike riders in the City, renaming schools that no one even knew they were supposed to be insulted by and passing feel good ordinances that says the City won't discriminate against the LGBQ community though no concerns were ever raised that this was occurring at the City government level.

I have no problem with raising concerns about construction delays. Your other comments show you are part of the Amy Jackson base - ie generally fighting against anything city government does (and generally being against the vision of Alexandria as a more urban and diverse and less car dependent community (with large areas remaining as single family home suburban neighborhoods). I agree with the general vision (so find Jackson to be the worst of the councilpeople) even if I may be ambivalent about Seminary Road bike lanes.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.alxnow.com/2021/03/04/councilwoman-amy-jackson-argues-with-school-board-over-macarthur-elementary-construction-

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/03/05/city-council-and-school-board-budget-talk-gets-territorial-over-school-resource-officers/

I think the City Council has a legitimate concern about both issues but I suspect Amy Jackson is really just kissing up to her anti-bike lane, etc. base.

the elementary construction delay - Really? Have they not been living in this City? Delays like that are par for the course. When my child started K, they were have community meetings regarding a new high school. My child is now graduating high school - note there is no new high school but lots of talk and "planning". Meanwhile the City is tackling big issues like bike lanes for the 10 bike riders in the City, renaming schools that no one even knew they were supposed to be insulted by and passing feel good ordinances that says the City won't discriminate against the LGBQ community though no concerns were ever raised that this was occurring at the City government level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone remember Ramee Gentry's comments about parents during redistricting? She said that parents who are vocal and well organized should have their opinions discounted. She was elected Chair the next year.

That's what they all still think. I could stomach it if I thought any of them actually cared about parents and students who aren't vocal or well organized.

Nolan's weird facebook rant was next level though because they ALL know that this year was a massive screw up and now they are on the defensive on all issues. The question is. who will be the scapegoat? Hutchings? Anderson who is likely retiring anyway and was Chair for most of the time? Likely they will somehow try to blame parents (and teachers and school administrators).

It will be interesting to watch.

She lost credibility with me in the last election.

"A major contribution to a School Board candidate’s campaign became known to the public three years late.

On Sept. 17 of this year, Veronica Nolan, a School Board incumbent who’s seeking reelection, filed an amendment to her campaign finance report covering Oct. 1-22, 2015. The amendment added a $27,000 contribution from Leadership for Educational Equity, a nonprofit, on Oct. 22, 2015.

This contribution carried forward to the present, accounting for half of Nolan’s most recently reported campaign fund balance of just over $54,000.

Nolan made an electronic entry in the state’s online reporting program on Nov. 22, 2015 for the full amount. She thought this sufficed for public disclosure."

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2018/oct/30/campaign-finance-confusion-alexandria/

I thought 501C4s and 501C3s couldn't give money to political campaigns. That's also a huge amount of money for an Alexandria school board election. At the very least it's very shady.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone remember Ramee Gentry's comments about parents during redistricting? She said that parents who are vocal and well organized should have their opinions discounted. She was elected Chair the next year.

That's what they all still think. I could stomach it if I thought any of them actually cared about parents and students who aren't vocal or well organized.

Nolan's weird facebook rant was next level though because they ALL know that this year was a massive screw up and now they are on the defensive on all issues. The question is. who will be the scapegoat? Hutchings? Anderson who is likely retiring anyway and was Chair for most of the time? Likely they will somehow try to blame parents (and teachers and school administrators).

It will be interesting to watch.

She lost credibility with me in the last election.

"A major contribution to a School Board candidate’s campaign became known to the public three years late.

On Sept. 17 of this year, Veronica Nolan, a School Board incumbent who’s seeking reelection, filed an amendment to her campaign finance report covering Oct. 1-22, 2015. The amendment added a $27,000 contribution from Leadership for Educational Equity, a nonprofit, on Oct. 22, 2015.

This contribution carried forward to the present, accounting for half of Nolan’s most recently reported campaign fund balance of just over $54,000.

Nolan made an electronic entry in the state’s online reporting program on Nov. 22, 2015 for the full amount. She thought this sufficed for public disclosure."

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2018/oct/30/campaign-finance-confusion-alexandria/

Anyone remember Ramee Gentry's comments about parents during redistricting? She said that parents who are vocal and well organized should have their opinions discounted. She was elected Chair the next year.

That's what they all still think. I could stomach it if I thought any of them actually cared about parents and students who aren't vocal or well organized.

Nolan's weird facebook rant was next level though because they ALL know that this year was a massive screw up and now they are on the defensive on all issues. The question is. who will be the scapegoat? Hutchings? Anderson who is likely retiring anyway and was Chair for most of the time? Likely they will somehow try to blame parents (and teachers and school administrators).

It will be interesting to watch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

Those comments were bizarre.

District B can really pick 'em!

Regardless of Jackson's theatrics, Nolan and Alderton got VERY defensive. If MacArthur is already over budget by 5 or 6 million before the building is even touched, can you imagine how far it will be over budget by the end?

Nolan’s comment highlights much of ACPS’s bad attitude towards parents (particularly white parent concerns) often under the mis—use of the equity principle. I completely understand that ACPS needs to make special efforts to reach its minority communities and provide extra services to provide equity. That being said, white middle class parents are still their constituents (and could be parents of special needs students who need extra help for equity too) and their concerns should be at least acknowledged (whether they are communicated by Facebook or other means).

Agree. ACPS central office and the SB are very dismissive of parents. That is nothing new. And if anyone wants to know about Hutchings attitude just look for a Washington Post article on Shaker Heights, OH. His parting shot at parents there was disturbing and revealing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

Those comments were bizarre.

District B can really pick 'em!

Regardless of Jackson's theatrics, Nolan and Alderton got VERY defensive. If MacArthur is already over budget by 5 or 6 million before the building is even touched, can you imagine how far it will be over budget by the end?

Nolan’s comment highlights much of ACPS’s bad attitude towards parents (particularly white parent concerns) often under the mis—use of the equity principle. I completely understand that ACPS needs to make special efforts to reach its minority communities and provide extra services to provide equity. That being said, white middle class parents are still their constituents (and could be parents of special needs students who need extra help for equity too) and their concerns should be at least acknowledged (whether they are communicated by Facebook or other means).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

Those comments were bizarre.

District B can really pick 'em!

Regardless of Jackson's theatrics, Nolan and Alderton got VERY defensive. If MacArthur is already over budget by 5 or 6 million before the building is even touched, can you imagine how far it will be over budget by the end?

The fact that there is a delay and they are saying they are still on schedule to open Jan 2023 either means the original timeline was bloated or miscalculated.

Yeah. That comment is going to come back to haunt them. I'd like to think that they'll all (including Hutchings) be gone by then but this is Alexandria so they'll all still be there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

Those comments were bizarre.

District B can really pick 'em!

Regardless of Jackson's theatrics, Nolan and Alderton got VERY defensive. If MacArthur is already over budget by 5 or 6 million before the building is even touched, can you imagine how far it will be over budget by the end?

The fact that there is a delay and they are saying they are still on schedule to open Jan 2023 either means the original timeline was bloated or miscalculated.

One of the PTAC people is a MacArthur parent. Bet we get another PTAC op-ed. Topic will be how great the rebuild of MacArthur is going.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

Those comments were bizarre.

District B can really pick 'em!

Regardless of Jackson's theatrics, Nolan and Alderton got VERY defensive. If MacArthur is already over budget by 5 or 6 million before the building is even touched, can you imagine how far it will be over budget by the end?

Anonymous wrote:Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

Those comments were bizarre.

Election season has started and now city council members and the mayor suddenly care about ACPS issues.

Hutchings couldn't deliver housing at schools for the mayor/CC so now he and the SB are useless so the CC feels free to attack. It was really disappointing after Hutchings spoke about housing at schools so enthusiastically at last year's city housing summit.

At least Nolan's statements about who is and who isn't on social media according to race & income was funny. But she's not well known for having fact based opinions.

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/03/04/councilwoman-amy-jackson-argues-with-school-board-over-macarthur-elementary-construction-

https://www.alxnow.com/2021/03/05/city-council-and-school-board-budget-talk-gets-territorial-over-school-resource-officers/

I think the City Council has a legitimate concern about both issues but I suspect Amy Jackson is really just kissing up to her anti-bike lane, etc. base.