Does anyone know who on the school board is worth the air they breath and who isn't? Who actually gets work done, and who is just there? I have heard of this gatehouse non-sense, do any of them actually support it?

Pretty harsh to assume any of them may not be worth the air they breath. Why not approach this with the assumption that the people on the board are working to help you and your family. Find out whom represents your school(s) and contact them.

When you have done that report back we would love to know your experience...

dono Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pretty harsh to assume any of them may not be
> worth the air they breath. Why not approach this
> with the assumption that the people on the board
> are working to help you and your family. Find out
> whom represents your school(s) and contact them.
>
> When you have done that report back we would love
> to know your experience...

Lol

Or just get cynically get thrown under the bus in a redistricting to protect wealthier neighbors in a backroom deal or make the stats look better at a failing school - and then see just how much they care about you and your family

Cynical, dogmatic, untrustworthy and manipulative probably sums it up best

They all support Gatehouse II. And they plan to go back to the Board of Supervisors to approve it - only after Connelly is gone - and the dust settles - and they can use their "new methodology" to pick better numbers out of thin air to make a more "compelling" business case. We all need to contact the Board of Supervisors and tell them "NO" to Gatehouse II.

chipmunk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They all support Gatehouse II. And they plan to go
> back to the Board of Supervisors to approve it -
> only after Connelly is gone - and the dust settles
> - and they can use their "new methodology" to pick
> better numbers out of thin air to make a more
> "compelling" business case. We all need to contact
> the Board of Supervisors and tell them "NO" to
> Gatehouse II.


The input given by citizens at county budget meetings has been ignored. Funny thing was they refused to answer direct questions about any resurrection of the gatehouse deal after the elections. FCPS is like the overextended home owner whose APR went up. Could have bought less and not have the interest payments.

Don't bother contacting your school board rep if you live in Hunter Mill (unless you live in the part of Reston that goes to SL), you will never get a response. During the RD I sent multiple e-mails to Stu Gibson and NEVER received a reply. I did hear from other board members (not that it did any good). But they did at least have the decencey to reply to their e-mails. Not Stu.


dono Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pretty harsh to assume any of them may not be
> worth the air they breath. Why not approach this
> with the assumption that the people on the board
> are working to help you and your family. Find out
> whom represents your school(s) and contact them.
>
> When you have done that report back we would love
> to know your experience...

Why not go to his office with a lawyer and bitch them them, threaten lawsuits. Get the news to film it too.

for a long time Fairfax the school board are full of "YES" men & women .. they can't make up their mind ... the only vocabulary they know is "YES"

dono Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Why not approach this with the assumption that the people on the board are working to help you and your family.< <

Because, despite our fondest hopes, they keep proving they're not.

Want the catelogue?

Let's start with a corrupt dishonest redistricting process, adding students to SL when the most recent projections has it soon to be 750 kids over capacity (bring back those trailers, Brucy, your gonna need'em, right quick,) Gatehouse I, Gatehouse II, increasing class sizes instead of reducing central staff, failing minority and FRM achievement, building a new middle school when there are 2000 empty middle school seats, enough for 2 middle schools; violating a student's privacy rights with absolutely no reprecussions for the transgressor, the morality study, imposing IB without community input, Every Day math, "whole language", suspending a kid for making a phone call to an administrator's home, during the day.

That's just off the top of my head. Others could add ever so much more.

Our elected school board have proven to be an abject failure.

Bulldog mom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Don't bother contacting your school board rep if you live in Hunter Mill (unless you live in the part of Reston that goes to SL), you will never get a response. During the RD I sent multiple e-mails to Stu Gibson and NEVER received a reply. I did hear from other board members (not that it did any good). But they did at least have the decencey to reply to their e-mails. Not Stu.< <


Don't think his rudeness and arrogance was limited to non-Reston constituents, His craveness didn't respond to e-mails from pre-existing SL parents either if they didn't support his predetermined wired result for the redistricting process developed by him and his cronies on the SLPTSA.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dono Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> suspending a kid for making a phone
> call to an administrator's home, during the day.


Dave Kori got a Saturday school. Had he been suspended FCPS would have been sued.

i support gatehouse nonesense because gatehouses are a serious menace to our sokiety. They propogate Drug use and teenage pregnanky as well as Klowns eating large reptile burgers. HOnestly when was the last time that your pet iguana had a good bowl movement while watching a guy ritchie movie.

All, except one,of the School Board members support spending scarce funds to provide beautiful digs for the staff. If space is needed to house more staff, then how about reducing the number of staff. I am sure some should return to the classroom where teachers need hands on support.

From a Ticked Off Parent. You must be joking. Your advice was to contact the Board Member from your district.

Hunter Mill District Board Member did not respond to hundreds of emails, telephone calls, etc unless the respondent was in support of moving kids to South Lakes. The stories are not too much better from Smith or Wilson.


Date: December 16, 2008 07:37PM Duno.....

Pretty harsh to assume any of them may not be worth the air they breath. Why not approach this with the assumption that the people on the board are working to help you and your family. Find out whom represents your school(s) and contact them.

When you have done that report back we would love to know your experience...

I'm curious - which of these staffers can be eliminated. I hear a lot of complaining about 'central office staff' but very little in the way of specifics.

I mean if there's 10 folks working in Accounts Receivable, you could let attrition take care of things.

But I'm not sure how many cases of duplication like that there are.

Maybe you could have some of the business teachers teach 4 classes instead of 5 and help out between 2 and 5pm in lower-end accounting, that sort of thing. Maybe even have folks up to the 'Director of Secondary Education' teach a class or two to see what is truly going on in the trenches.

formerhick76 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >I'm curious - which of these staffers can be eliminated. I hear a lot of complaining about 'central office staff' but very little in the way of specifics.< <

How about starting with Paul Regnier? What school system really needs its own flack, pr guy, and why does it need that flack? How many deputy, assistant and associate superintendents do we need and do they all need their own administrative assistants? Does a high school of 1400 kids really need 5 assistant principals?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2008 09:08PM by Thomas More.

too much fat in the system ... we need to trim all excessive from the top down

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> formerhick76 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > >I'm curious - which of these staffers can be
> eliminated. I hear a lot of complaining about
> 'central office staff' but very little in the way
> of specifics.< <
>
> How about starting with Paul Regnier? What school
> system really needs its own flack, pr guy, and why
> does it need that flack? How many deputy,
> assistant and associate superintendents do we need
> and do they all need their own administrative
> assistants? Does a high school of 1400 kids
> really need 5 assistant principals?


That man is an ass. We could definitely get rid of him.

Does ANY school system need 18 assistant superintendents?

Does any school system need twice as many staff members as teachers who they support? Does ANY business work this way? Two support staff for every worker/teacher?

18 Assistant Superintendents Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does ANY school system need 18 assistant
> superintendents?
>
> Does any school system need twice as many staff
> members as teachers who they support? Does ANY
> business work this way? Two support staff for
> every worker/teacher?

They better cut some of the staff this year and next year when the budget will be even worse.

There is no money for Gatehouse II their second TAJ MAHAL.

CUT SUPPORT STAFF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 18 Assistant Superintendents Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does ANY school system need 18 assistant
> > superintendents?
> >
> > Does any school system need twice as many staff
> > members as teachers who they support? Does ANY
> > business work this way? Two support staff for
> > every worker/teacher?
>
> They better cut some of the staff this year and
> next year when the budget will be even worse.
>
> There is no money for Gatehouse II their second
> TAJ MAHAL.


Gov Kaine has had people look at where the cash has been flowing. Virginia has been funding real teachers on ratios. Support staff has not had a cap on numbers and there has been huge growth in flunkies. New idea? Yep- cut the crap and only provide any SOQ funding for about 1 support person for every 4 actual teachers ASSIGNED to a classroom..

The board works for you (and me). If they suck so bad have them removed. Bitching on this thread will do nothing.

HOW WOULD YOU IMPROVE EDUCATION IN FAIRFAX COUNTY?


Buy a second new administrative building for staff

Invest in new or renovated schools for students


If you said invest in new or renovated schools, then
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
does not share your priorities.



Thousands of Fairfax County public school students are in trailers and thousands more attend dilapidated FCPS schools. On December 8, 2008, FCPS proposed putting a hold on all projects to relieve overcrowding and renovate old and decaying schools.(1)

At the same time, Superintendent Jack Dale and the School Board are asking our revenue-strapped County and YOU, the taxpayer, to fork over $130 million to move over one thousand FCPS administrators into Gatehouse II -- a newly renovated building with a floor to ceiling granite lobby, a state- of-the-art fitness center, and an on-site cafeteria with outdoor seating.

Despite a unanimous September 2008 vote by the Supervisors to deny Gatehouse II funding, the School Board plans to go back again and beg for more taxpayer funding.(2) Supervisors and County staff told FairfaxCAPS they wanted public feedback on Gatehouse II.



The Board of Supervisors wants to hear from YOU!!!

The Facts:

FCPS projected big savings to get approval for its current, new Administration building. But instead of saving $40 million, it may actually cost us $25 million!(3)


The School Board, potentially facing $300 million or more in reduced funding, is proposing to add 2.5 additional students per class to help balance the school budget.(4)
The total cost to taxpayers (principal and interest) on the bond for Gatehouse II — more than a quarter billion dollars.(5)


All of the negotiations on Gatehouse II have taken place behind closed doors!


The public cannot get key information on Gatehouse II or the business plan.




We ask YOU to join us in being a strong voice advocating for SCHOOLS. Say NO to an unnecessary $130 million bond commitment when more kids are being shoehorned into classrooms and schools, and renovations and programs are being cut — Say NO to backroom deals!



SAY NO TO GATEHOUSE !!




Go to FairfaxCAPS.org for information on how to contact the Board of Supervisors, the School Board, and the media (reference information available on pdf version on website).