Anonymous wrote:
We the people of Arlington have elected the school board members as our representatives to make necessary decisions. Therefore they should not need to return to the well of public opinion repeatedly before taking a vote. If community members want to spin their wheels coming up with alternative maps, fine, but I don’t want staff held hostage every time a Captain Dynamo coughs up an alternate scenario. Staff SHOULD require pressing by the SB to address those scenarios, if it happens at all, because it’s not their job, and it has proven to be a waste of time.

er, you realize that the crowdsourced efforts were a direct result of APS staff encouraging alternative proposals when many objected to their "take it or leave it" Option 1? The staff actually seemed earnest in their encouragement but, after a while, it was apparent their minds were made up.

Anonymous wrote:I want leadership that will hold staff to account.

Case in point: Staff basically ignored the crowdsourced option proposals until Talento, Kanninen, and Van Doren specifically asked staff to thoroughly review them.

Another: After some (major) prompting at a recent board meeting, Kanninen finally got Superintendent Johnson to vocally support ATS and its importance.

It's clear that ATS staff is very aggressive in promoting their own agenda and doesn't give an inch. We need a school board that shows firm leadership, is responsive to community concerns, and is willing to push back against staff when necessary.

I don't want a wold war at every school board meeting but I do expect the people's representatives to act as such.

The community produced scenarios suck for everyone but the group that created them. It’s obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of the county. I don’t think they really require addressing.

ATS used to contribute a significant amount of money to candidates. Can’t see that has happened with current board. Wonder if they are helping Priddy.

Anonymous wrote:I want leadership that will hold staff to account.

Case in point: Staff basically ignored the crowdsourced option proposals until Talento, Kanninen, and Van Doren specifically asked staff to thoroughly review them.

Another: After some (major) prompting at a recent board meeting, Kanninen finally got Superintendent Johnson to vocally support ATS and its importance.

It's clear that ATS staff is very aggressive in promoting their own agenda and doesn't give an inch. We need a school board that shows firm leadership, is responsive to community concerns, and is willing to push back against staff when necessary.

I don't want a wold war at every school board meeting but I do expect the people's representatives to act as such.

We the people of Arlington have elected the school board members as our representatives to make necessary decisions. Therefore they should not need to return to the well of public opinion repeatedly before taking a vote. If community members want to spin their wheels coming up with alternative maps, fine, but I don’t want staff held hostage every time a Captain Dynamo coughs up an alternate scenario. Staff SHOULD require pressing by the SB to address those scenarios, if it happens at all, because it’s not their job, and it has proven to be a waste of time.

I want leadership that will hold staff to account.

Case in point: Staff basically ignored the crowdsourced option proposals until Talento, Kanninen, and Van Doren specifically asked staff to thoroughly review them.

Another: After some (major) prompting at a recent board meeting, Kanninen finally got Superintendent Johnson to vocally support ATS and its importance.

It's clear that ATS staff is very aggressive in promoting their own agenda and doesn't give an inch. We need a school board that shows firm leadership, is responsive to community concerns, and is willing to push back against staff when necessary.

I don't want a wold war at every school board meeting but I do expect the people's representatives to act as such.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah. I was intrigued by Priddy but he lost me with that statement. I guess I’m down to the W-L teacher and who else?!?

I think sims. I actually like walker better for her reading focus but I am nervous about the hatch act and her having to pull out of the race

Yeah. I was intrigued by Priddy but he lost me with that statement. I guess I’m down to the W-L teacher and who else?!?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basically I'm concerned about any candidate whose primary motivation is boundary issues. I recognize that people get very emotional about boundary issues, and there are educational issues that can be impacted by boundary issues. However- the work of the school board is so much more- and their are so many more pressing issues. e.g. closing the achievement gap, improving literacy, improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
Both Priddy and Krieger appear entirely focused on boundaries, in a fairly pandering way.

Agree

Agree, too. What these guys (and many others) don't seem to get is that communities will be "split apart" no matter what. That's what boundary changes do. You can't change boundaries and have nobody move from one school to another school. You can't do something about a crowded school without sending some kids to a different building. It's also not feasible, equitable, or fiscally responsible (which Priddy in particular says he's focused on) to just add on to every school building that's crowded so you don't have to change any boundaries.

I'm so sick of "tearing communities apart" crap. We're ONE school system.

Anonymous wrote:I just saw Priddy's stupid post about the school moves. With that statement he lost my vote.

Mine too.

Anonymous wrote:Basically I'm concerned about any candidate whose primary motivation is boundary issues. I recognize that people get very emotional about boundary issues, and there are educational issues that can be impacted by boundary issues. However- the work of the school board is so much more- and their are so many more pressing issues. e.g. closing the achievement gap, improving literacy, improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
Both Priddy and Krieger appear entirely focused on boundaries, in a fairly pandering way.

Agree

Basically I'm concerned about any candidate whose primary motivation is boundary issues. I recognize that people get very emotional about boundary issues, and there are educational issues that can be impacted by boundary issues. However- the work of the school board is so much more- and their are so many more pressing issues. e.g. closing the achievement gap, improving literacy, improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
Both Priddy and Krieger appear entirely focused on boundaries, in a fairly pandering way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw Priddy's stupid post about the school moves. With that statement he lost my vote.

Where did he post and what was his position?

on his facebook page- I can't figure out how to link it so I am cutting and pasting
Check out the ArlNow article about the petition that opposes the proposed four school swap. Last year, I was openly against 'The Swap' because the justification given wasn’t enough and community input was negligible. This year, the numbers still don’t justify the swap and information has not been presented to communities with proof that this is the right solution. Not to mention that’s with adding additional schools. As someone who has lived through boundary changes that has split students, families, PTAs and communities, I know first hand the difficulty of adapting to a new environment.

So, what should we do about it? We should delay the proposed school moves until we have verified that the data is accurate and the cost of moving the schools is the best use of money for APS. Let’s make sure our communities have input in the process.

Anonymous wrote:I just saw Priddy's stupid post about the school moves. With that statement he lost my vote.

Where did he post and what was his position?

I just saw Priddy's stupid post about the school moves. With that statement he lost my vote.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a lawyer but admittedly know nothing about election law or the Hatch Act except what I've just read above. But, seems to me that the Democratic *endorsement* is not the same as running as a Dem. The pledge doesn't require her to run as a Dem, and the election itself is still non-partisan. No?

1) An affirmation that the candidate:
a) is legally eligible to run for Arlington County School Board;
b) is a Democrat;
c) is a resident of and registered to vote in Arlington County, Virginia; d) does not intend to run against – or support, endorse or assist any
candidate who is opposed to – a Democratic nominee or endorsee in
the general election;
e) is not a member of any other political party;
f) has not participated and will not participate in the nomination or
endorsement process of any other political party for the general
election; and
g) has read, understood and agrees to abide by these Rules.
Reads pretty "I'm a democrat" to me.

I forgot about c. By seeking their endorsement you’re basically saying you’ll quit if you don’t get it. Nice

So you're effectively declaring that you are not running as an independent. By signing that, you are running as a Democrat endorsed candidate or not at all. How is that not partisan?

Of course it is, but lawyers.

[b]I sympathize with Walker. The AC/DC could choose to steer clear of the school board races and let people like her run without engaging in a partisan beauty contest that clearly runs afoul of the Hatch Act by any normal estimation. Why don’t they?

Because if they did not seek to control the ostensibly non partisan school board, it could serve as a platform for independents who would upset their agenda, our segregated housing policies in particular, which absolutely dominate local politics like no other issue. A popular independent candidate who questioned those policies impact on schools is their worst nightmare.

What do you mean? She is running in the caucus. ACDC is including her in their caucus. Apparently no one has a problem with this, except the unknown feds whose agencies wouldn't let them do the same, and who could never win against the ACDC sample ballot. That's who you should sympathize with.

I mean that i sympathize with any candidate who not just an AC/DC drone. The party is basically a troll on the bridge here; you can’t win without their endorsement in the General because the county is school full of partisans who simply vote the sample ballot. I’m sure she and everyone else, except perhaps Diaz-Torres, would rather avoid this partisan conclave. But anyone who want to run for the school with a chance to win has to kiss the boot.