Other board members obsessed with school demographics ( Omeish in particular but others too) would like a scenario that pushes GF into Herndon. For one, they won’t be doing anything extra for a “rich” school with an out of cycle expansion and two, they get to distribute some well off kids out of Langley.

Given their recent boundary work session it’s clear that many if not most of them still want to go “nuclear” on the boundaries and recompose school populations across the county.

GFCA and MCA have both done and shared a lot of analysis with Tholen about future growth in the Langley pyramid and in Tysons (which feeds into McLean and Marshall).

FCPS admits its enrollment projections are based on a simplistic methodology that only takes into account new developments if the developer has broken ground, regardless of whether the county has approved the developments or paid the county proffer money. The Tysons development in particular is going to add hundreds more kids to Marshall and McLean.

Tholen listens but is incredibly passive as if it’s all out of her hands. When an MCA member asked her point blank why FCPS isn’t planning now for an addition to McLean, she just smirked and talked about the 37-year renovation cycle, ignoring the other high schools like Justice or Madison where FCPS has built or is building additions outside the renovation cycle.

Great Falls and McLean and the Langley/McLean pyramids have a common interest in replacing Tholen with someone who will fight for fair funding and adequate seats at their pyramid schools, whether it’s Kent Gardens ES, Cooper MS, or McLean HS. Tholen doesn’t have it in her to challenge Jeff Platenberg or other School Board members.

The main point of contention between them is that, when push comes to shove, Great Falls would rather see McLean remain overcrowded than risk overcrowding Cooper or Langley to the point where others would push to move Cooper/Langley kids into the Herndon pyramid. But Herndon doesn’t have much excess capacity of its own and it’s only due to the negligence of FCPS and the School Board that the communities at times get pitted against each other.

If someone can get that message out, whether Republican, Democratic, or Independent, we can get rid of ineffective School Board members like Tholen and start to make some progress.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. The republican candidate regardless of qualification will be labeled white supremacist Trumpy if white, a white-adjacent suck up if Asian, a wannabe white sellout if Latino, and the black face of white supremacy if an indigenous Black American,African, or Afro Caribbean descent.

McLean will quake in its boots, fearful of even discussing the pros and cons of the candidate with their friends and neighbors. They can’t have anyone thinking they would even consider voting for a Republican!

Then they will bite the bullet, vote blue no matter who, and complain later.

+ a million
Absolutely this. Let's not forget, Great Falls (and McLean) put forth some non-status quo candidates in 2019 - and were promptly labeled "racists" because of it. And look at the outcome from that disastrous election. Will these people EVER LEARN? One might think they actually enjoy being outraged and whining all the time, instead of actually voting in a way that will change things - for the better.

I’ll never understand why the local Great Falls Republicans are more interested in screaming “I told you so” than figuring out how to be part of a coalition that wins the next election. It’s obvious so many people want Tholen replaced, but you’re more interested in making assumptions about how other people vote. A cynic might say you’re actually quite happy she’s your girl.

We all expect Great Falls to be better because….. I dunno they are just supposed to be better than everyone else? and not rub our noses in it after we turned up our noses and called them all racist.

Any way, there were people in McLean trying to call attention to the issues (and one or more candidates were from McLean) but let’s pretend they don’t exist so we can focus on Great Falls.

No one is stopping anyone from McLean from contacting the school board with concerns. I don’t know what the GFCA or MCA are up to these days but wouldn’t assume they aren’t doing anything. Have they posted anything to their members?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After the last two years, Elaine was pretty much unelectable. But after last week, it is a done deal - no way she'll be re-elected.

To what are you referring? The approval of a CIP that does nothing for McLean HS and leaves Cooper MS with a modest addition that still puts Langley pyramid families at risk of rezoning? Her nonchalance when presented with information last week by the MCA indicating that FCPS isn’t planning appropriately for the residential growth in Tysons?

Yes, that is what Im referring to. And that she is a liar, manipulator, flip-flopper, untrustworthy, that she speaks of out both sides of her mouth, is disingenuous, and has failed fantastically on issues that matter to me.

I think we are in agreement?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. The republican candidate regardless of qualification will be labeled white supremacist Trumpy if white, a white-adjacent suck up if Asian, a wannabe white sellout if Latino, and the black face of white supremacy if an indigenous Black American,African, or Afro Caribbean descent.

McLean will quake in its boots, fearful of even discussing the pros and cons of the candidate with their friends and neighbors. They can’t have anyone thinking they would even consider voting for a Republican!

Then they will bite the bullet, vote blue no matter who, and complain later.

+ a million
Absolutely this. Let's not forget, Great Falls (and McLean) put forth some non-status quo candidates in 2019 - and were promptly labeled "racists" because of it. And look at the outcome from that disastrous election. Will these people EVER LEARN? One might think they actually enjoy being outraged and whining all the time, instead of actually voting in a way that will change things - for the better.

I’ll never understand why the local Great Falls Republicans are more interested in screaming “I told you so” than figuring out how to be part of a coalition that wins the next election. It’s obvious so many people want Tholen replaced, but you’re more interested in making assumptions about how other people vote. A cynic might say you’re actually quite happy she’s your girl.

Anonymous wrote:After the last two years, Elaine was pretty much unelectable. But after last week, it is a done deal - no way she'll be re-elected.

To what are you referring? The approval of a CIP that does nothing for McLean HS and leaves Cooper MS with a modest addition that still puts Langley pyramid families at risk of rezoning? Her nonchalance when presented with information last week by the MCA indicating that FCPS isn’t planning appropriately for the residential growth in Tysons?

After the last two years, Elaine was pretty much unelectable. But after last week, it is a done deal - no way she'll be re-elected.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you look at this issue from the perspective of the rest of the SB, they view Dranesville, and McLean, as one area. The SB probably looked to the Dranesville rep to prioritize and put forth the school that was most in need of a renovation. Elaine's predecessor put forth Langley. LHS got a $78 million renovation. Done. The School Board took care of this area, and moved on to their own districts.

If true, this means that McLean parents got out maneuvered so many times its funny. Great Falls won, and now Elaine is powerless to ask for more.

This is all compounded by the fact that Elaine is too weak, feckless, and dishonest to actually fight for McLean.

She is "monitoring" the situation. Sure she'll keep making moves to try and demonstrate she is trying, especially before the election.

She needs to know that we've "monitored" her for over two years, and we want our money back.

Great Falls didn't "win" - Langley received a long-awaited and much-needed renovation. I agree that McLean needs an addition, but there is no need to drag Langley into your fight.

+1. The notion that Langley somehow “won” the Dranesville rights to renovation funding is also belied by the fact that the Herndon HS renovation started shortly after Langley’s.

However, it is indisputable that FCPS spent far more on the Langley and Herndon renovations (well over twice as much on each) than it did on the earlier McLean renovation and that, regardless of when McLean next comes up for a full renovation, it needs a permanent addition now. And, whether it’s due to a lack of political skills or indifference to MHS, Elaine Tholen simply is not up to task of fighting for the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have heard people in GF shake their heads at McLean’s (former, perhaps) blind trust in the school board (and their bosses, the board of supervisors) but I have never seen or heard anyone ridicule McLean High School.

The kids talk a little trash about their rival.

Overt hostility, such as previously displayed by One Great Falls towards the School Board, is not the same as blind trust, but Tholen is now engendering the former among people who had been cautiously optimistic. Now we just want her and some of the other clowns like Frisch off the Board.

DP. And perhaps if you had *listened* to what One Great Falls was saying, instead of calling them "racists" and ridiculing anyone who supported them, you'd be in a better position today. Too bad it's taken you this long to wake up.

Anonymous wrote:Many in McLean who usually vote Democratic will break ranks and support other candidates if Tholen runs again with an FCDC endorsement. We may not vote for Republican candidates enough to make the Great Falls Republicans happy, or to keep them from ridiculing us and (behind the scenes) our school, but we will do everything we can to keep Tholen from holding office again. McSpaces and Gore are AWOL and irrelevant now.

Um, just FYI - if you would stop voting mindlessly for Democrats all the time, perhaps you wouldn't be ridiculed. I guarantee you - if there were more Republicans on the SB right now, McLean would be getting its addition. Blame yourselves, not everyone else.

Anonymous wrote:Nope. The republican candidate regardless of qualification will be labeled white supremacist Trumpy if white, a white-adjacent suck up if Asian, a wannabe white sellout if Latino, and the black face of white supremacy if an indigenous Black American,African, or Afro Caribbean descent.

McLean will quake in its boots, fearful of even discussing the pros and cons of the candidate with their friends and neighbors. They can’t have anyone thinking they would even consider voting for a Republican!

Then they will bite the bullet, vote blue no matter who, and complain later.

+ a million
Absolutely this. Let's not forget, Great Falls (and McLean) put forth some non-status quo candidates in 2019 - and were promptly labeled "racists" because of it. And look at the outcome from that disastrous election. Will these people EVER LEARN? One might think they actually enjoy being outraged and whining all the time, instead of actually voting in a way that will change things - for the better.

Anonymous wrote:If you look at this issue from the perspective of the rest of the SB, they view Dranesville, and McLean, as one area. The SB probably looked to the Dranesville rep to prioritize and put forth the school that was most in need of a renovation. Elaine's predecessor put forth Langley. LHS got a $78 million renovation. Done. The School Board took care of this area, and moved on to their own districts.

If true, this means that McLean parents got out maneuvered so many times its funny. Great Falls won, and now Elaine is powerless to ask for more.

This is all compounded by the fact that Elaine is too weak, feckless, and dishonest to actually fight for McLean.

She is "monitoring" the situation. Sure she'll keep making moves to try and demonstrate she is trying, especially before the election.

She needs to know that we've "monitored" her for over two years, and we want our money back.

Great Falls didn't "win" - Langley received a long-awaited and much-needed renovation. I agree that McLean needs an addition, but there is no need to drag Langley into your fight.

It's not quite right to say Tholen has done nothing. She cherry-picked some McLean single-family neighborhoods for Langley and is committed to delivering some dividers between the urinals in the boys' bathrooms by 2023.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, Tholen couldn't get the support of her colleagues to get a motion approved to direct Facilities to have a new renovation queue ready by the next CIP.

And she certainly can't get money for an addition at McLean even though (1) it got the cheapest renovation of any FCPS high school in the early 00s, (2) it has the least amount of permanent learning space of any high school in FCPS, and (3) its enrollment is at an all-time high and higher than other schools already getting additions (Madison, Justice). But she'll get a few hundred thousand to renovate a couple of bathrooms by 2030 and pretend she's a warrior.

School needed a pit-bull on the School Board and got a lazy, ineffective wallflower.

Off the top of my head two other schools renovated in the early 00s are getting overhauled and expanded: West Potomac and Madison. (Does the town of Vienna pay for the Madison renovations?) McLean really did get screwed with the first renovation, and it's getting shafted again. Meanwhile, directly adjacent to McLean, the high schools have all the latest bells and whistles: the brand new Meridian HS, the overhauled Langley HS, Yorktown and W-L in Arlington, Marshall, Falls Church, Oakton, etc.

It's not all bleak. Some highlights at McLean HS over past year or so:

Girls soccer - district and region champions in 2021
Boys tennis - district champion in 2021
Boys crew - state champion in 2021
Girls cross country - district and region champions in 2021 (state runner-up)
Girls volleyball - district champion in 2021
Boys Swim and Dive - district champion in 2022
Scholastic Bowl - district and region champion in 2022
Highest SAT scores in Class of 2021 for any neighborhood HS in FCPS
Most National Merit Semifinalists in Class of 2022 for any neighborhood HS in FCPS
Most U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates in Class of 2022 for any neighborhood HS in FCPS
Virginia High School Student Journalist of the Year in 2021
Highest number of students in All-District Band in 2022
Kids continue to be admitted to fine colleges and universities

But, yes, when it comes to investing in the building, FCPS has screwed McLean HS for years.

Are all the McLean HS parents this insecure? Wow.

Probably not.

Ultimately a school is about the school-based administrators, and the teachers, students, and parents, not the physical plant. Sometimes that's hard to remember when you get screwed over by FCPS central administration and have a do-nothing representative like Tholen.

Anonymous wrote:Many in McLean who usually vote Democratic will break ranks and support other candidates if Tholen runs again with an FCDC endorsement. We may not vote for Republican candidates enough to make the Great Falls Republicans happy, or to keep them from ridiculing us and (behind the scenes) our school, but we will do everything we can to keep Tholen from holding office again. McSpaces and Gore are AWOL and irrelevant now.

You just described me - Life long Dem, voted for Elaine before, parent of current FCPS student, not likely to vote for a Rep, but ZERO chance Im voting for Elaine.