Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch last night's meeting? They added resolutions honoring Asian Americans and Jewish Americans as well as the previously announced Muslim American resolutions.

I don't know what the SB can do, but it is ridiculous to spend hours on resolutions when there are so many issues confronting the schools. How about they just read the resolution and omit the comments from members?

They did the change the process to do this. They’re no longer able to speak to recognitions (like AAPI month) but members can still bring 2 proclamations a year and everyone can speak to these (muslim american and jewish american last night). I hate these symbolic things and yammering politicians but have to admit that some (many?) in the community- the ones in the audience at least - seem to value the recognition.

I understand wanting to support these communities. However, we are all in the United States of America. When do we start honoring our unity? Are they going to honor White Anglo Saxon Protestants? They are no longer the majority in our school system. Seems to me they are the only ones not honored.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch last night's meeting? They added resolutions honoring Asian Americans and Jewish Americans as well as the previously announced Muslim American resolutions.

I don't know what the SB can do, but it is ridiculous to spend hours on resolutions when there are so many issues confronting the schools. How about they just read the resolution and omit the comments from members?

They did the change the process to do this. They’re no longer able to speak to recognitions (like AAPI month) but members can still bring 2 proclamations a year and everyone can speak to these (muslim american and jewish american last night). I hate these symbolic things and yammering politicians but have to admit that some (many?) in the community- the ones in the audience at least - seem to value the recognition.

Anonymous wrote:Consensus seems to be that Moon, McElveen, and McDaniel will win.

I think this is right.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone watch last night's meeting? They added resolutions honoring Asian Americans and Jewish Americans as well as the previously announced Muslim American resolutions.

I don't know what the SB can do, but it is ridiculous to spend hours on resolutions when there are so many issues confronting the schools. How about they just read the resolution and omit the comments from members?

That would make too much sense but they are politicians who love the sound of their own voices too much to ever shut up. Plus they know if they drag this part of Board meetings out people will lose interest and then they can take up more substantive matters when no one is paying attention.

Anyone watch last night's meeting? They added resolutions honoring Asian Americans and Jewish Americans as well as the previously announced Muslim American resolutions.

I don't know what the SB can do, but it is ridiculous to spend hours on resolutions when there are so many issues confronting the schools. How about they just read the resolution and omit the comments from members?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ryan McElveen seems to have alienated some of the core Democrats since he left the School Board but he's one of the few candidates who acknowledges the need to address facilities and overcrowding issues in FCPS, so he will have my vote this spring and fall. Can't really change what he had to say on closing schools in March 2020; as a China expert, he likely knew more early on about the threat Covid stood to pose than the typical county resident.

His platform on his website doesn't mention building renovations or facility maintenance at all. The other candidates, at least McDaniel and Moon, have those issues on their websites. Of course all the candidates care about this issue.

One of the five bullets on his platform page is (emphasis mine): "Build and maintain educational environments and facilities that are safe, inclusive, healthy, sustainable, and inspire learning"

I get that it's not necessarily putting the issue first and foremost or emphasizing the need to address overcrowding and aging facilities, but I don't think it's fair/accurate to say his website doesn't at least mention the topic.

Consensus seems to be that Moon, McElveen, and McDaniel will win.

Anonymous wrote:Ryan McElveen seems to have alienated some of the core Democrats since he left the School Board but he's one of the few candidates who acknowledges the need to address facilities and overcrowding issues in FCPS, so he will have my vote this spring and fall. Can't really change what he had to say on closing schools in March 2020; as a China expert, he likely knew more early on about the threat Covid stood to pose than the typical county resident.

His platform on his website doesn't mention building renovations or facility maintenance at all. The other candidates, at least McDaniel and Moon, have those issues on their websites. Of course all the candidates care about this issue.

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone give examples of things McElveen undeservedly took credit for?

Menstrual products being available in bathrooms. His idea was based off Mark Keam legislation, and then his proposal only provided a pilot project and then it was the state law that Keam passed that made it in all schools. Whenever he talks about this though, he never gives credit to the women and students who were fighting for this long before he has been, especially people like Holly Seibold who had been working for menstrual equity. All he talks about is "I did this, I did this."

He is also a mean person if you ever meet him. He is entitled and full of himself. He thinks he's more important than he actually is just because he has a ton of twitter followers and used to be a meme for students.

Ryan McElveen seems to have alienated some of the core Democrats since he left the School Board but he's one of the few candidates who acknowledges the need to address facilities and overcrowding issues in FCPS, so he will have my vote this spring and fall. Can't really change what he had to say on closing schools in March 2020; as a China expert, he likely knew more early on about the threat Covid stood to pose than the typical county resident.

PP asked about McElveen's accomplishments. Here's a cut and paste of a tweet praising the School Board for closing schools. It was posted on March 12--celebrating a year since SB voted to close schools. No question about how he would have voted had he still been on the board.



Ryan McElveen
@RyanLMcElveen
·
Mar 12, 2021
One year ago today, our community made its voices heard, successfully persuading officials to shut down schools after they initially refused, undoubtedly saving lives in the process.

Never doubt that your voice--no matter how small--can make a difference in the lives of others.
Quote Tweet
Ryan McElveen
@RyanLMcElveen
·
Mar 12, 2020
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board are putting our community in grave danger by continuing to claim that our population is at low-risk for coronavirus. They are encouraging a false sense of complacency, ignoring science and insulting our intelligence. 1/3

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone give examples of things McElveen undeservedly took credit for?

snow days

Can anyone give examples of things McElveen undeservedly took credit for?

What the School Board is charged to do:

The Fairfax County School Board is charged by the statutes of Virginia and the regulations of the Virginia Board of Education to operate the public schools of Fairfax County by setting general school policy and establishing guidelines that will ensure the proper administration of the Fairfax County Public Schools programs.

What the School Board does:

Rubber stamp stupid ideas out of Gatehouse and rename schools.

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Anonymous wrote:Vote straight republican. Save FCPS before it is too late.

By save FCPS do you mean completely destroy it?

DP, but I'd love to see some diversity OF OPINION on the next School Board. We don't have that with the current board and they have been running FCPS into the ground with their incompetence. Some of them should be in jail.

+1

+1 COVID and aftermath have shown the current board to be ineffective at actually educating students in reading, writing, arithmetic,...

I'd love all of you $%^% whiners to have done better. You wouldn't have.

Easy items that any competent person should have known:

Need for adequate infrastructure to handle emergency situations - including technology
That students wouldn't have shown up on days when there was no new material
That other school systems, even in the US were safely returning long before FCPS did
Made plans to close education gaps everyone saw coming
...

You do remember that the peaks deaths from COVID in Virginia happened in January 2021, right? When exactly did you want teachers back in school?

Fall of 2020 just like Nebraska, Kansas and other states.

Kids were not dying and teachers had preferential access to vaccines.

Teachers did not have access to the vaccines in Fall 2020. The School Board did exactly the right thing.

The school board showed how little they cared about education