I attended the School Board meeting It was interesting and concerning.

The Public comments section was dominated by 5 speakers advocating for no changes to be made to the supplemental pension plan for teachers (ERFC), and 5 speakers denouncing the Policy 1450.6 which was revised in May 2015 to include 'gender identity' under the non-discrimination policy. Both advocacy groups were fact 'lite' but reliant on emotional appeals - it was good theater but didn't change any minds.

The School Board then took up the issue of amending the ERFC pension plan - ostensibly to save money and put the plan on a more sustainable footing. The Plan is in distress as earnings on the fund and contributions from FCPS and employees have been insufficient to cover benefit payments for the last two years (and five of the past ten years). The 'debt' of the plan (its unfunded obligations) has risen from $493M two years ago to $830M at June 2016 (and even more today). FCPS will contribute almost $100M to the Plan next year. The Plan's fees are relatively high and its returns have been poor compared with peers. So, the Board members thought they should cut the benefits to save some money (they didn't discuss firing the management or changing investment managers or consolidating with the County plans as ways to save money...). In the end, after painful discussion, they chose a minimal path that will save an estimated $2.3M in the first year, $6.3M in the 'short-term' (undefined) and $16.1M in the 'long-term' (also undefined). Even with this adjustment, Plan outflows (benefit payments) are expected to exceed Plan inflows (employee and employer contributions) through 2025.

It was evident that the School Board is under a great deal of stress and riven with some serious differences that are compromising its ability to be effective. The action re: ERFC was nothing less than timid, and perhaps even irresponsible, in that motions were debated at the dais with requests to Staff for "estimates" of the financial impacts. Ms. Derenak-Kaufax mentioned that a former School Board member had sent an email to the Board members admonishing them for being unprepared, noting the dissension and lamenting the disorganization of the Board in its Regular Meetings. This is the same criticism that Greg Cohen (one of the appointed citizen auditors) leveled against the Audit Committee when he resigned in protest in Dec 2016 over the problems with the Auditor General.

There is also an unhealthy dissension between certain Board members and senior Staff. Ms. Schultz noted particular concerns with respect to the "Caring Culture" presentation on student and employee health/satisfaction etc., that Mr. Ramey (HR) and Ms. Lipp (Special Services Asst Supt) provided at the School Board Work Session on Monday. Ms. McLaughlin abstained from accepting that report in protest against Staff. Both Staff and the Board are stressed with the Superintendent search, an Auditor General opening to fill, the Budget shortfall and a lot more intensive scrutiny than usual. It will be instructive to see how they agree to address the $48M funding shortfall. Mr. Moon made clear that this will be largely 'on the backs' of the teachers, although it clearly will also involve increasing class sizes and imposing as many additional fees as they can.

I don't know if there is sufficient unity and/or concern at the Board of Supervisors to initiate a substantive intervention on some of these issues (e.g. pensions, contracting, special ed, audit). There are some real cracks showing up - questionable contracts with the new employer of former Superintendent Garza, Special Ed spending that is far out of line with surrounding districts, an Audit function without an Auditor General with the authority to investigate broadly, and a pension that is inefficiently managed and requiring expenditures that are diverting resources from basic instruction programs. The fact that ERFC has effectively incurred $830M of 'debt' without any discussion or even explicit recognition, much less endorsement/approval, has got to be a wake up call to the Supervisors. The fact that FCPS is diverting almost $100M next year from its Operating Fund to ERFC must be of concern - both for the impact on hiring and retention (i.e. shift of the cost of compensation as between salary and benefits) as well as overall fiscal reputation. Ms. Corbett-Sanders has mentioned concerns with the 'reputational risk' to FCPS.

It was evident that there is a concerning lack of coordination, comprehension, relevant information, and preparation among the Board members. The members with the longest tenure (Ms. Strauss and Mr. Moon) did not say very much but I got the impression they were not happy with the way the Board's business was being conducted. The fact that a former Board member has chastised the current Board suggests how significant these challenges are.

Just as an aside - Mr. McElveen did absolutely nothing last night. He made no comments but simply played with his phone. His detachment was remarkable.

There was some talk about "One Fairfax" and an effort to align pension benefits (and compensation more generally) with the County. Some members reject this but it seems that there is a lot of room for improvement and working with the County Supervisors, who have staff and resources and objectivity, might help the School Board improve their practices and shed non-core concerns (i.e. pensions) to allow for more focus on classroom instruction.
[Report Post]

Not to hijack your thread....it's well thought out and you made a lot of good points. Many members of this school board are all about politics, not the kids or the teachers. Money means nothing even with a $135 Million shortfall.

This fine point in the story below.....After board member Megan O. McLaughlin emailed to ask why the estimated cost of a proposal for a contractor to facilitate the name-change working group could ultimately cost taxpayers as much as $100,000, Hynes told board members not to discuss the proposal via email. Transparent huh?

Well that's because they have no interest in stopping at Stuart, that's not enough to please the NAACP.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2017/04/28/effort-to-remove-confederate-generals-name-from-va-school-exposed/#ixzz4ffPOTivI

We have a shortfall because of all the illegal spics and chinks that have flooded Fairfax County in the last 25 years. Without them things would be like they were in the 70s--plenty of funding for our WHITE CHILDREN.

This is why good, White families are fleeing for Haymarket, Gainesville, western Loudoun and Fauquier as the brown-yellow invasion continues to transform Fairfax into a Turd World hellhole.

RealityCheck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We have a shortfall because of all the illegal
> spics and chinks that have flooded Fairfax County
> in the last 25 years. Without them things would be
> like they were in the 70s--plenty of funding for
> our WHITE CHILDREN.
>
> This is why good, White families are fleeing for
> Haymarket, Gainesville, western Loudoun and
> Fauquier as the brown-yellow invasion continues to
> transform Fairfax into a Turd World hellhole.


You asked for cheap labor and you got it
Many whites pushed out of this area by greedy whites not wanting to pay fair wages

-------------------------------------------------------
> RealityCheck Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We have a shortfall because of all the illegal
> > spics and chinks that have flooded Fairfax
> County



Regardless of why....We don't need this continued divide...we need to unite and come up with reasonable solutions and have a school board that is RESPONSIBLE to the kids, teachers and taxpayers. And a school board which is transparent, not playing politics.

What were you thinking Wrote:

> You asked for cheap labor and you got it
> Many whites pushed out of this area by greedy
> whites not wanting to pay fair wages


There was some of that (meaning homeowners) but not from my experience in Washington DC commercial construction. We were paying the same rates to all depending on their skill level and the wages were fair at the time. Suddenly the area became so saturated with labor and manpower that people weren't promoted, many were discouraged and left.



You can't get a job as a bank teller unless you're bilingual. That wasn't a bad job for a kid out of high school. Decent pay, decent benefits for the work involved.

The original post was analytical, well written, thoughtful, and on target. Please send your thoughts to the media. It doesn't do much good to post it here. But I'm glad you did.

Tax payer 2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Just as an aside - Mr. McElveen did absolutely
> nothing last night. He made no comments but simply
> played with his phone. His detachment was
> remarkable.

Wow, thanks for the recap...I admit I was otherwise distracted. Once I start solitaire on my phone, I just can't stop. Trademark you know, I did the same thing at commencement speeches.

Ryan

Thanks for the well thought out summary of the meeting. One word...indecision. Everyone is afraid to make a decision from Board members to the Superintendent, Leadership Team, on down for fear of doing something that the board or public has an issue with. This is exacerbated by a board that has difficulty with building consensus.

So, the Superintendent and board have more work sessions to figure stuff out, but somehow they are unable to give clear guidance, but want to kick the can down the road with more committees.

It is more of an issue of lack of leadership by the entire School Board. In the past they had none of these problems because the Board of Supervisors essentially gave them a blank check and all they had to do is hand out the cash to their friends and themselves as well as be the willing pawns in national political debates. However, since the cash flow has been cut off and they have to make difficult decisions they are lost! While this is an oversimplification of the issue with the School Board the bottom line is that for the most part they are not well equipped to make mature and informed decisions that are necessary in order to have a well run school system.

FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not to hijack your thread....it's well thought out
> and you made a lot of good points. Many members of
> this school board are all about politics, not the
> kids or the teachers. Money means nothing even
> with a $135 Million shortfall.
>
> This fine point in the story below.....After board
> member Megan O. McLaughlin emailed to ask why the
> estimated cost of a proposal for a contractor to
> facilitate the name-change working group could
> ultimately cost taxpayers as much as $100,000,
> Hynes told board members not to discuss the
> proposal via email. Transparent huh?
>
> Well that's because they have no interest in
> stopping at Stuart, that's not enough to please
> the NAACP.
>
> Read more:
> http://dailycaller.com/2017/04/28/effort-to-remove
> -confederate-generals-name-from-va-school-exposed/
> #ixzz4ffPOTivI

This article is illustrative of the problems that this School Board creates for the Fairfax community. In the background of a $135 million budget deficit that will require the expansion of class size and a further degradation of the school district's ability to attract and retain school teachers they have continued their political antics that cost extraordinary amounts of money. Combine this with their apparent lack of interest in addressing the real problems of the school District and you have an entire school district that is adrift and lacking direction at a very critical time.

Pat Hynes thinks School Board money is hers to spend…..

Directly from an email
"The task force could identify potential sources of funding but the board could decide in the end to fund it out of one-time money, as you prefer."

One time, a million for JEB Stuart school alone. What about Lee, Woodson, eventually TJ, Madison, etc. For that matter how can the county be named after Lord Fairfax? Are people not offended?

Pat…here's a newsflash VA Code:

§ 22.1-91. Limitation on expenditures; penalty.
No school board shall expend or contract to expend, in any fiscal year, any sum of money in excess of the funds available for school purposes for that fiscal year without the consent of the governing body or bodies appropriating funds to the school board. Any member of a school board or any division superintendent or other school officer violating, causing to be violated or voting to violate any provision of this section shall be guilty of malfeasance in office.

More transparency from Pat….

"I recall that we purposely chose the word "sufficient" because we didn't want the board to be tied to anything more specific, like "majority" or even "strong" support."

A perfect example of "to hell with democracy….."

FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pat Hynes thinks School Board money is hers to
> spend…..
>
> Directly from an email
> "The task force could identify potential sources
> of funding but the board could decide in the end
> to fund it out of one-time money, as you prefer."
>
> One time, a million for JEB Stuart school alone.
> What about Lee, Woodson, eventually TJ, Madison,
> etc. For that matter how can the county be named
> after Lord Fairfax? Are people not offended?
>
> Pat…here's a newsflash VA Code:
>
> § 22.1-91. Limitation on expenditures; penalty.
> No school board shall expend or contract to
> expend, in any fiscal year, any sum of money in
> excess of the funds available for school purposes
> for that fiscal year without the consent of the
> governing body or bodies appropriating funds to
> the school board. Any member of a school board or
> any division superintendent or other school
> officer violating, causing to be violated or
> voting to violate any provision of this section
> shall be guilty of malfeasance in office.
>
> More transparency from Pat….
>
> "I recall that we purposely chose the word
> "sufficient" because we didn't want the board to
> be tied to anything more specific, like "majority"
> or even "strong" support."
>
> A perfect example of "to hell with democracy….."

The 1958 School Board changed the name of Munson Hill HS to JEB Stuart HS on short notice, with no community outreach. By doing so, they chose to honor the legacy of a Confederate General at precisely the time they should have been focusing on how to integrate the schools.

The name has been offensive to generations of students and community members. When black parents, students, and community leaders express their continued offense at the name, the conservative white suprlemacists brush them aside and falsely claim that everyone at the school was happy until 2015.

Sorry, Joe, Kate and Denise, but the bill is finally coming due. Turns out that racism bites even worse than FOIA.

Change is Gonna come.....
>
> The 1958 School Board changed the name of Munson
> Hill HS to JEB Stuart HS on short notice, with no
> community outreach...... >

Short notice? Without community engagement? So three and a half years wasn't long enough huh?

In the School Board meeting minutes of 5/20/1958, Lee High School was simply named "Lee" for the Lee district. The battle for the school name began on Dec 7th 1954,(SB minutes) three years before construction had started and three and a half years before the school was opened and numerous articles spoke to the acrimony in the communities of Franconia and Springfield who both wanted to claim the school name for their community cited in articles….. 5/7/1958 Washington Post "Feud over School Names settled by Fairfax Board 8/8/1958 Northern Virginia Sun "The history of the Franconia/Lee battle 11/20/1957 Evening Star "Franconia Name Opposed" 4/24/1958 Springfield Independence "Board Changes High School Name" 4/15/1958 Evening Star 'Residents Protest School Name".

This school was located on Franconia Rd, on the border of Franconia and Springfield, the area had a Springfield address, and it was in the Lee district of Virginia. The Property was part of the original Clermont Estate where Fitzhugh Lee was born.

In Feb 4th 1958 SB Meeting a local historical group suggested a compromise. The Upper Pohick Community League submitted a letter proposing that the School Board adopt a policy naming Fairfax County schools for prominent Virginians instead of by place names and that the Franconia High School be renamed something like "Fitzhugh, Lee, etc."

In the May 6th 1958 meeting, Mr. Solomon made a motion that all future new high schools in Fairfax County be named for some prominent American, now deceased. Mr. Solomon qualified it by stating that the "Franconia H. S." is not to be included in this motion, just those under construction, or proposed. Therefore a place name was needed for this school. Fortunately both communities were in the Lee district of Virginia and a compromise was reached on a place name.

In a May 8th 1958 article in the Washington Post Mr. Woodson said ..."he is surprised and disappointed that we have this type of controversy among adults. I don't want the children coming to this school saying I'm from Springfield…I'm from Franconia…let's fight. Gangs tend to develop in communities where there is controversy. "In a Northern Virginia Sun article dated October 8, 1958, Mr. Davis School Board member states …."He'd rather name a school Podunk then get into the battle like was over Lee High school." The article further notes that the name JEB Stuart was chosen because he had his headquarters on Munson Hill, the site of the school.

I do believe that would be community engagement, no?
All documented in school board meetings by the dates above….
https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/searchmenu.cfm

This is the most fascinating thread that's been on the underground for some time. It's obvious that some true historians have been following it. With that said, to spend so much time on the naming of schools when we have such serious problems with education and the budget is proof positive that certain members of the board are wasting their time and our money on political posturing. I have a cheap solution to the school name issue. Rename the 26 high schools number one, number two, number three, number four etc., the middle schools by letters, and the elementary schools with a combination of letters and numbers. Sure you would have to replace signage and think of new mascots which perhaps could be breeds of dogs and cats which no one could take exception to, and then the board could get on with making hard decisions for the educational welfare of our students and critical support of employees.

Change is Gonna Come Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Pat Hynes thinks School Board money is hers to
> > spend…..
> >
> > Directly from an email
> > "The task force could identify potential
> sources
> > of funding but the board could decide in the
> end
> > to fund it out of one-time money, as you
> prefer."
> >
> > One time, a million for JEB Stuart school
> alone.
> > What about Lee, Woodson, eventually TJ,
> Madison,
> > etc. For that matter how can the county be
> named
> > after Lord Fairfax? Are people not offended?
> >
> > Pat…here's a newsflash VA Code:
> >
> > § 22.1-91. Limitation on expenditures; penalty.
>
> > No school board shall expend or contract to
> > expend, in any fiscal year, any sum of money in
> > excess of the funds available for school
> purposes
> > for that fiscal year without the consent of the
> > governing body or bodies appropriating funds to
> > the school board. Any member of a school board
> or
> > any division superintendent or other school
> > officer violating, causing to be violated or
> > voting to violate any provision of this section
> > shall be guilty of malfeasance in office.
> >
> > More transparency from Pat….
> >
> > "I recall that we purposely chose the word
> > "sufficient" because we didn't want the board
> to
> > be tied to anything more specific, like
> "majority"
> > or even "strong" support."
> >
> > A perfect example of "to hell with
> democracy….."
>
> The 1958 School Board changed the name of Munson
> Hill HS to JEB Stuart HS on short notice, with no
> community outreach. By doing so, they chose to
> honor the legacy of a Confederate General at
> precisely the time they should have been focusing
> on how to integrate the schools.
>
> The name has been offensive to generations of
> students and community members. When black
> parents, students, and community leaders express
> their continued offense at the name, the
> conservative white suprlemacists brush them aside
> and falsely claim that everyone at the school was
> happy until 2015.
>
> Sorry, Joe, Kate and Denise, but the bill is
> finally coming due. Turns out that racism bites
> even worse than FOIA.

The truth of the matter is that literally every resident of Fairfax County is concerned about falling test scores, lack of competitive teacher's pay and a school board that can only excel at spending increasingly scarce tax funds on frivolous political and social experiments. There are also precious few residents in FFX County that want to spend over a million dollars to change the name of a school when there are so many other problems that face the FCPS and does not have the courage to address them properly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2017 11:15AM by Inquisitive One.

The last poster hits the nail on the head. Uses the word "courage." When you lead out of fear rather than courage you are bound for disaster. The current board still has a very long time to serve. But we need change and we need it now. It's quite obvious that the group does not get along. I see no hope for consensus on major issues. The lack of a superintendent is also a grave concern. What fantastic leader would want to be at the helm of FCPS in its current state? We do have some tremendous teachers and administrators. They are the only hope for our students.

FC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The last poster hits the nail on the head. Uses
> the word "courage." When you lead out of fear
> rather than courage you are bound for disaster.
> The current board still has a very long time to
> serve. But we need change and we need it now. It's
> quite obvious that the group does not get along. I
> see no hope for consensus on major issues. The
> lack of a superintendent is also a grave concern.
> What fantastic leader would want to be at the helm
> of FCPS in its current state? We do have some
> tremendous teachers and administrators. They are
> the only hope for our students.

Keep in mind of the ideological breakdown of this School Board. Even though it is supposed to be a non partisan position, the school board consists of at least six members that would be considered extraordinarily liberal, two left of center members and one conservative member. They still have a majority that cannot be challenged, however, their behavior during the past five years created an environment where organizations have been created to make them accountable to the voters. It is the ACCOUNTABILITY issue and inability to make their decisions behind closed doors that has made them terrified to the point where they seem to be paralyzed in fear.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2017 11:55AM by Inquisitive One.

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
".... It is the ACCOUNTABILITY issue and
inability to make their decisions behind closed
doors that has made them terrified to the point
where they seem to be paralyzed in fear...."

Which accountability may not be an issue if they weren't bringing in their politics and personal agendas.

Speaking of accountability…..

In an email to Sandy…..7/3/2015
"…..The NAACP and Black Lives Matter will be standing with us in angry protest…... I am asking that you personally elevate this request to the entire board and get with Robert E. Lee HS district's representative and do the same for that school."

And Sandy's response 7/3/2015
"…… Thanks for writing and for your advocacy. I’d love to talk with you about this. Is there a number where I can reach you today?....."

She apparently discussed "the angry protestors" with Garza and at least 2 other members because in email exchanged that same day, it is obvious one member wasn't pleased with the idea.

Why didn't anyone say…we don't need those problems? This is our neighborhood and our kid's schools. Maybe we should agree to send an angry mob to their homes.

I always wondered why the first response when this started wasn't …hey, we are running a large deficit, we need to check out these allegations (and actually do some research) and we'll take this under consideration. The very first thing Sandy did was hook the students up with the NAACP.

There will always be two sides to this dilemma, but do we need "angry protestors" dragged in and possible violence?

Thanks Sandy, glad you care about the neighborhood and Fairfax County in general. Civil discussion, compromise, or expanding history by renaming the park across the street, also currently named JEB Stuart, is a whole lot cheaper then rebranding a school.

Inquisitive One - you state that teacher pay is not competitive - this is not correct.

See the Budget Questions (here: http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?) for FY2018 and look for Question #76 which shows the current Total Compensation for Masters Lane teachers at FCPS compared to surrounding jurisdictions. FCPS is right in line with the market average.

This canard has been sung long enough. FCPS pay and benefits are competitive versus the surrounding jurisdictions. To assert otherwise is false.

real true facts Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inquisitive One - you state that teacher pay is
> not competitive - this is not correct.
>
> This canard has been sung long enough. FCPS pay
> and benefits are competitive versus the
> surrounding jurisdictions. To assert otherwise is
> false.

You both could be correct, I guess the difference is 'budget figures" VS "actual pay.' I don't know the answer, apparently it is not totally uncommon for the system to have pay freezes.

https://www.restonnow.com/2015/12/08/study-teaching-in-fcps-a-six-figure-career-salary-sacrifice/#disqus_thread

I read somewhere that this whole name change was really Sandy's idea to start with.
Just call the school Lee High. Call the other one Stuart. In the future they can leave the first names off if they choose. But, to spend money on this is absolutely ridiculous.

And the myth that was created that these names were deliberately chosen to offend people knows little about Virginia.

And, the idea of naming one of them Thurgood Marshall when we already have a Marshall High school is gosh awful

Both could be right Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> real true facts Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Inquisitive One - you state that teacher pay is
> > not competitive - this is not correct.
> >
> > This canard has been sung long enough. FCPS
> pay
> > and benefits are competitive versus the
> > surrounding jurisdictions. To assert otherwise
> is
> > false.
>
> You both could be correct, I guess the difference
> is 'budget figures" VS "actual pay.' I don't know
> the answer, apparently it is not totally uncommon
> for the system to have pay freezes.
>
> https://www.restonnow.com/2015/12/08/study-teachin
> g-in-fcps-a-six-figure-career-salary-sacrifice/#di
> squs_thread

Technically, school teachers pay is competitive but the school board must restructure their pay to reflect the current preferences of new teachers. Kids in their 20's do not give a shit what their retirement benefits will be because they cannot focus beyond their next pay check. For that reason they must increase starting pay but reduce the pay for new hires in the later years of their career and lower the supplemental retirement costs. Also, eventually competitive pay will become an issue because the fruit cakes in Arlington and MoCo are going to continually drive up the cost of teachers in the long run.

stupid idea Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I read somewhere that this whole name change was
> really Sandy's idea to start with.
> Just call the school Lee High. Call the other one
> Stuart. In the future they can leave the first
> names off if they choose. But, to spend money on
> this is absolutely ridiculous.
>
> And the myth that was created that these names
> were deliberately chosen to offend people knows
> little about Virginia.
>
> And, the idea of naming one of them Thurgood
> Marshall when we already have a Marshall High
> school is gosh awful

If Sandy Evans was a character in either the Sopranos or Ray Donovan they would have her declared a senility case and committed to the nearest insane asylum.

stupid idea Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> And the myth that was created that these names
> were deliberately chosen to offend people knows
> little about Virginia.

They know it's a myth but continue to bash Woodson and the 1958 Board. That is one of the more disgusting aspects about this.

Just be honest and base it on the case you have Sandy...that it's the PC thing to do, don't look for scapegoats and spread lies about these people because they are no longer here to defend themselves.

Sandy, after fawning all over the students for change because of their "research' is still asking people from Howard University (emails 6/27/16) to find the 'smoking gun" a year later. On top of that the students get "awarded" for this research...which was??????????

Want some fun? Ask in an open meeting what impact the children of illegal immigrants have on the schools and the other children.

A previous Superintendent had his ass handed to him just for attempting to answer this question.

Imagine being on the front line of this war called educating the kids of Fairfax. Especially if one is in a school that had its principal fired due to tonsil hockey with an administrator. K Pasa

FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inquisitive One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> ".... It is the ACCOUNTABILITY issue and
> inability to make their decisions behind closed
> doors that has made them terrified to the point
> where they seem to be paralyzed in fear...."
>
> Which accountability may not be an issue if they
> weren't bringing in their politics and personal
> agendas.
>
> Speaking of accountability…..
>
> In an email to Sandy…..7/3/2015
> "…..The NAACP and Black Lives Matter will be
> standing with us in angry protest…... I am
> asking that you personally elevate this request to
> the entire board and get with Robert E. Lee HS
> district's representative and do the same for that
> school."
>
> And Sandy's response 7/3/2015
> "…… Thanks for writing and for your advocacy.
> I’d love to talk with you about this. Is there a
> number where I can reach you today?....."
>
> She apparently discussed "the angry protestors"
> with Garza and at least 2 other members because in
> email exchanged that same day, it is obvious one
> member wasn't pleased with the idea.
>
> Why didn't anyone say…we don't need those
> problems? This is our neighborhood and our kid's
> schools. Maybe we should agree to send an angry
> mob to their homes.
>
> I always wondered why the first response when this
> started wasn't …hey, we are running a large
> deficit, we need to check out these allegations
> (and actually do some research) and we'll take
> this under consideration. The very first thing
> Sandy did was hook the students up with the NAACP.
>
>
> There will always be two sides to this dilemma,
> but do we need "angry protestors" dragged in and
> possible violence?
>
> Thanks Sandy, glad you care about the neighborhood
> and Fairfax County in general. Civil discussion,
> compromise, or expanding history by renaming the
> park across the street, also currently named JEB
> Stuart, is a whole lot cheaper then rebranding a
> school.

My understanding is that, at the time Munson Hill's name was changed to JEB Stuart, the School Board adopted a policy to name new high schools after distinguished, deceased Americans.

Stuart died at age 31, a traitor who had taken up arms against the United States. He died a Confederate, not an American, and never should have had an FCPS school named after him. It's about time the School Board righted that historical wrong.

In an email to Sandy…..7/3/2015
"…..The NAACP and Black Lives Matter will be
standing with us in angry protest…... I am
asking that you personally elevate this request
to the entire board and get with Robert E. Lee HS
district's representative and do the same for
that school."

I always wondered why the first response when this There will always be two sides to this dilemma, but do we need "angry protestors" dragged in
and possible violence?

Thanks Sandy, glad you care about the neighborhood and Fairfax County in general. Civil discussion, compromise, or expanding history by renaming
the park across the street, also currently named JEB Stuart, is a whole lot cheaper then rebranding a school.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Biting Back Wrote:

My understanding is that, at the time Munson Hill's name was changed to JEB Stuart, the School Board adopted a policy to name new high schools
after distinguished, deceased Americans.

Stuart died at age 31, a traitor who had taken up
arms against the United States. He died a
Confederate, not an American, and never should
have had an FCPS school named after him. It's
about time the School Board righted that
historical wrong.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Welcome biting back.

Wow, sensitive to the truth, I'm basing that on the post that got your attention. I take it you can read so you know why the policy changed, as elaborately explained above. I guess you don't like the fact that contemporaneous articles supported the name change policy decision and it wasn't done out of spite or in the name of Massive resistance. Must be awful to face the truth and have to admit you may have been wrong. But…we know, you'll never admit to truth.

As to an American, he was born in America, his parent were American. If I decide to fight for ISIS…does that make me Iraqi, Iranian or Saudi?

As to traitor…..I believe it was John Brown who was tried for treason, check it out. Not one Confederate was ever tried for treason.

As I have posted all along, help heal, save our resources for the kids..…stop the BS. Why just keep dividing the community?

Change is Gonna Come Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The 1958 School Board changed the name of Munson
> Hill HS to JEB Stuart HS on short notice, with no
> community outreach.....

Well we are on the same page with the need for "community outreach".

At the HEIGHT of what was supposed to be "community engagement" it was noted that on June 28th 2016 the video of JEB Stuart had suddenly disappeared from the series "What's in a name" about Fairfax Schools.

A local reporter with WUSA9 DC contacted Sandy. Sandy claimed she didn't have a clue about it and further stated it wasn't in the school boards domain.

The FOIA reveals…..

On June 27th 2016, Sandy was contacted by George Alber (NAACP) and the email is titled…This video made by FCPS in 2013…THIS MAY COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU……with a link to the video.

Thanks Sandy…for helping with the "community engagement" and letting people decide for themselves. …and thanks to "Change is gonna come" for shining the light on yourself and the lack of "community outreach" this board engages in…they would rather hide things that would be helpful. I'd compare the 1958 Board with this bunch any day!

Let's be honest. Fairfax doesn't have a history of having great elected School Boards.

The system relied upon having powerful school system superintendents who in turn had an administrative staff that was in touch with the citizens. With this we could get by with mediocre school boards that simply rubber stamped staff and superintendent decisions, dealt with occasional student discipline matters or stood behind the superintendent in budget negotiations. Things started breaking down when the administrative staff lost touch with the citizens of the County leading to a number of fiascoes, including the first SLEEP initiative, disciplinary rules that lead to suicides and some badly botched school closing/redistrictings.

So the School Board started trying to actually perform the job it was supposed to do. It is a role they are not equipped to perform. There isn't clear leadership within the board. The members do not seem to have working relationships with the administrative staff, meaning they still need to rely on the superintendent and senior administrators for the information needed. Most school board members were elected by relatively narrow constituencies, so they are not in touch with the broader interests of school parents, and Fairfax County taxpayers.

"The members do not seem to have working relationships with the administrative staff, meaning they still need to rely on the superintendent and senior administrators for the information needed. Most school board members were elected by relatively narrow constituencies, so they are not in touch with the broader interests of school parents, and Fairfax County taxpayers."

Truth in this statement. As a group they do not work well together, are demanding or outright rude to staff, and are sadly uninformed, or worse misinformed about what really happens in schools, and have a tendency to fall over backward to meet demands from the well-organized squeaky wheels.

FCPS is falling in stature. It is ludicrous to have task force after task force, and study after study, and the inane "focus groups" to determine what stakeholders want, when the board just does whatever is expedient or what they feel will best keep them in office. If they can throw money at a problem, money that they really don't have, they just do that! They should all learn an instrument and play "Nearer my God to thee" in unison as the TITANIC which is FCPS slowly sinks. However that would take "working together" and this will never happen.

I'll give this school board member credit for at least thinking about the question…BUT then they go on to say they'd lead the charge against Woodson? As if he was responsible for de jure segregation of the entire south? As if he had any choice? As if Fairfax County had any choice? Just because he took the job in the 1929 and led this county through tremendous growth he needs to be vilified?

From: XXXXXXX (School Board Member)

Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2015 2:22:39 AM

"I have given this matter a great deal of thought over the past few weeks.....

I don't know anything about him but he oversaw segregated schools for more than three decades.

I'll be happy to lead the charge to rename Woodson. As for Confederate generals, we need to leave them out of this controversy.

This is a good opportunity for people to go back and read history. It's not as black and white as the history I learned in Ohio, where we were all so smug about being on the right side in both the 1860s and the 1960s. It's more like many shades of blue and grey."

Hey…"Change is coming," you were knocking the 1958 Board?

My intention is not to paint the board with a broad brush of dishonesty and you shouldn't either with regards to prior boards. There are clearly members who do think and care about the community, always has been IMO. However there are some who are using the position as a stepping stone for future political positions and they'll do anything to pander to certain constituencies. More than one member was blindsided by this incident.


In September 2016 an RFP# 310000250 was issued for spending up to 100K for a facilitator. No proper channels for an RFP in this amount were followed. Many school board members were unaware it even happened. There is a process to be followed and an RFP in this amount requires participation of all members. The RFP was leaked.

Garza (Connection newspaper 10/27/16) said the expectation was the cost for that facilitator would not exceed $20,000. Sandy is quoted elsewhere saying $15,000.

Email…..from School Board Member 10/5/2016 (marked high priority)

On September 21, you wrote that you believed you had informed the Board “in a recent Update” and that “We are hiring XXX XXXX to assist us with the superintendent's working group.”

Then on September 22, you wrote that “we have not yet hired a consultant. We are in the process of doing so.”

You also asked “what the concern is about” to which I responded “the Board was never presented any information with the fact that there was a contemplated cash outlay for a consultant when the motion was debated and ….passed” and asked whether you did see that hiring an outside consultant as “profoundly dissonant” given the budgetary landscape. No response was received nor was a copy of any prior recent Update notifying the Board received……. Then October 4, prior to the Joint Board Meeting with the Board of Supervisors, Marty Smith indicated the expected cost of the consultant is “$20,000” During the October 4 Joint Board presentation, you said the expected cost of the consultant is “$15,000”.

Today, October 5th, I find out that an RFP has been issued by FCPS with a “Not-To-Exceed amount of $100,000”.

I am at a fundamental loss to understand what is happening and the narrative around this issue. Why was 35-page RFP issued September 27 for services with two Addendums, with questions due in writing within 72 hours and bids within 7 calendar days - if you were “hiring XXXX XXXXXX” on September 21st?

Kindly advise,

This is an obscene waste of money. The board is chipping away at employee benefits and compensation, and funding initiatives that are not aligned to education. It must stop. Why can't a decent investigative journalist shed light on the outlay. FXUG is not the answer.

TBT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is an obscene waste of money. The board is
> chipping away at employee benefits and
> compensation, and funding initiatives that are not
> aligned to education. It must stop. Why can't a
> decent investigative journalist shed light on the
> outlay. FXUG is not the answer.

Well said. This is ridiculous. They are raising class size, eliminating programs, charging fees and, yet, they can spend $100K for a facilitator? A facilitator, no doubt, who has been given instructions on the desired result. A result which will cost over $1million if they limit it to changing the name of one school--and, we all know, it will not stop there.

Should the school have been named after Stuart? In hindsight, probably not. But, this is a case of a SB member (apparently Evans) who did not like something and decided to change it.
In the future purchases and use, drop the JeB part. The kids probably did not even realize who JEB Stuart was until the aforementioned SB member pointed it out.
And, FWIW, Stuart was a young man--a West Point graduate--who was caught up in a difficult time and was brought up in a culture quite different from ours today. I don't know if he struggled with his decision, but we do know that Robert E. Lee struggled with his. For years, these people were honored in Virginia--right or wrong. It's part of history.

TBT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is an obscene waste of money. The board is
> chipping away at employee benefits and
> compensation, and funding initiatives that are not
> aligned to education. It must stop. Why can't a
> decent investigative journalist shed light on the
> outlay. FXUG is not the answer.

Because just like above, the comment by "change is going to come"...if you take any position that the NAACP (which is running the board on this issue) doesn't agree with, you are labeled a racist and white supremacist.

Another blindsided member writes…Oct 6th, 2016

I have 3 follow-up questions regarding the information below, as I didn't interpret our prior SB action as punting it onto you & LT:

It appears that the RFP was written such that the contract can be extended until 2020. If so, then why is this necessary when the working group recommendation is scheduled for Summer 2017?

If the estimated cost is $15K, then why does the RFP allow for up to $100K?
If the RFP is written broadly, then why is it over 30+pages long?

Because many SBMs are receiving community questions about this, I thought it best to Reply All.

Thank you in advance for the additional information I have requested.

The answer from the primary contact has been redacted (some sort of special privilege) which may or may not be legal…but Pat weighed in…

"I am not getting questions about this from my constituents. I would prefer that individual board members who have follow-up questions take them off line. Opinions - eg whether the board punted to staff (we did), or whether we agree with staff's approach - should not be discussed by board members by email."
Pat

There's Pat and her transparency again…no more emails….we might be held accountable. After her comments to the public at an open school board meeting…which amounted to "we'll do what we want, when we want" No wonder she doesn't hear from her constituents.

FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Another blindsided member writes…Oct 6th, 2016
>
> I have 3 follow-up questions regarding the
> information below, as I didn't interpret our prior
> SB action as punting it onto you & LT:
>
> It appears that the RFP was written such that the
> contract can be extended until 2020. If so, then
> why is this necessary when the working group
> recommendation is scheduled for Summer 2017?
>
> If the estimated cost is $15K, then why does the
> RFP allow for up to $100K?
> If the RFP is written broadly, then why is it over
> 30+pages long?
>
> Because many SBMs are receiving community
> questions about this, I thought it best to Reply
> All.
>
> Thank you in advance for the additional
> information I have requested.
>
> The answer from the primary contact has been
> redacted (some sort of special privilege) which
> may or may not be legal…but Pat weighed in…
>
> "I am not getting questions about this from my
> constituents. I would prefer that individual board
> members who have follow-up questions take them off
> line. Opinions - eg whether the board punted to
> staff (we did), or whether we agree with staff's
> approach - should not be discussed by board
> members by email."
> Pat
>
> There's Pat and her transparency again…no more
> emails….we might be held accountable. After her
> comments to the public at an open school board
> meeting…which amounted to "we'll do what we
> want, when we want" No wonder she doesn't hear
> from her constituents.

Pat has no constituents affected by the name change--and, in Reston (her district) most are probably unaware of the discussion. They don't realize that the cost will be passed on to them, as well, in the elimination of funds. My guess is that the At-Large members and the ones affected are the most vocal.

Hynes lists herself on twitter as an "activist". That's for sure. She wants more money for teachers--but is willing to take money for something that will not help the kids learn more. Sad. She just does not get it.

Anyone have a source (date of meeting) for the reputed Pat Hynes statement "we'll do what we want when we want"??

need source Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone have a source (date of meeting) for the
> reputed Pat Hynes statement "we'll do what we want
> when we want"??


I think it may have been at the meeting about the bathroom policy. Last Spring, maybe? She was very arrogant. I think there were a lot of upset parents at the meeting. She doesn't care what they think. That was clear.

simple.... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TBT Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This is an obscene waste of money. The board is
> > chipping away at employee benefits and
> > compensation, and funding initiatives that are
> not
> > aligned to education. It must stop. Why can't a
> > decent investigative journalist shed light on
> the
> > outlay. FXUG is not the answer.
>
> Because just like above, the comment by "change is
> going to come"...if you take any position that the
> NAACP (which is running the board on this issue)
> doesn't agree with, you are labeled a racist and
> white supremacist.

If you don't want to be labeled a racist or white supremacist, stop acting like one.

Telling black people that slavery existed in other cultures and that they should just get over it is BS, when you aren't willing to admit that white beneficiaries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade justified slavery by asserting blacks were inherently inferior.

Huey Newton and the News Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> If you don't want to be labeled a racist or white
> supremacist, stop acting like one.

So a difference of opinion makes some one a racist.
>
> Telling black people that slavery existed in other
> cultures and that they should just get over it is
> BS, when you aren't willing to admit that white
> beneficiaries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
> justified slavery by asserting blacks were
> inherently inferior.

That was the thought process in the 1600's,1700's,1800's etc.(AT THAT TIME), it is NOT now and hasn't been in my life time by anybody I have ever met. If you want to blame people living now, for the mores of people living then, you have a problem.

The slave trade was profitable.....it's long, long, long.... been over for this country.

No one is defending slavery. This is not about slavery. It is about a School Board choosing to spend money they don't have on a non-issue.

Again, it may have been a poor choice of a name, but, at this point it is stupid to waste money on changing it.

not enough money Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No one is defending slavery. This is not about
> slavery. It is about a School Board choosing to
> spend money they don't have on a non-issue.

Agree with this, no one is defending slavery. The school system is beyond broke.
>
> Again, it may have been a poor choice of a name,
> but, at this point it is stupid to waste money on
> changing it.

Not a poor choice in 1958. This was the fifties. People were watching westerns on TV. The peak year for television westerns was 1959, with 26 such shows airing during prime-time.

A popular seller from 1958 was "I rode with Jeb Stuart", and another book published just the year before, in 1957, was titled "The Last Cavalier" (The life of JEB Stuart.) There were many local Round Table discussions centered on the books evidenced by an article in the Washington Post.

People weren't offended by everything "confederate." They embraced local history, more importantly the KNEW local history. Virginia played an intrinsic role in the Civil War, 60% of the battles were in Virginia. Stuart's camp was on Munson Hill and they had just been through a three and a half year battle over naming 'Lee"....not Robert E Lee.

The county was also in the midst of planning the Civil War Centennial and Public Memory in Virginia. The American Civil War Centennial was the official United States commemoration of the American Civil War. Commemoration activities began in 1957, four years prior to the 100th anniversary of the commencement of hostilities, and ended in 1965 with the 100th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox.

Stuart's camp was on Munson Hill....that was a no brainer.

Just universally agree to the name change if the Hollywood millionaires are willing to step up to pay the cost. Just like Evans, most if not all activists will disappear if they have to step up to the plate with their own money or do something more substantial than to create issues for other people to solve. Evans is a moron that has been willing to sacrifice the quality of the education of our kids for her bullshit but in a rational world she would have been exiled to a mental hospital where she could get proper medical care.

Change the name to redskin hs in honor of native americans

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just universally agree to the name change if the
> Hollywood millionaires are willing to step up to
> pay the cost. Just like Evans, most if not all
> activists will disappear if they have to step up
> to the plate with their own money or do something
> more substantial than to create issues for other
> people to solve. Evans is a moron that has been
> willing to sacrifice the quality of the education
> of our kids for her bullshit but in a rational
> world she would have been exiled to a mental
> hospital where she could get proper medical care.

Based on their own policies, Hollywood money wouldn't hit it, none was offered when asked. I am not saying that they eventually wouldn't help, who knows?

The School Board rejected an offer of 250,000K from a local concern to pay for scoreboards in McLean,(they did want advertising recognition on the scoreboards for the donation.) The School Board rejected the offer because certain School board members feel any sponsorship policy has to be equitable to all schools in the County. So any funds received by Hollywood should also be equitably divided among the schools.

On the other hand, they are willing to create an unfunded mandate on the J.E.B. Stuart High School community.

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2017/jan/30/school-board-punts-mclean-highlander-deal-down-fie/

The BOS budget just cut FCPS by about 47 mil..Are the School Board Lib Members Crazy as Hell wasting money for a God Dammed Name Change..Throw Their asses out..Elect more libs Natch..FXCO Will..But this Insane Batch has got to go..!

DAJAX

>The name has been offensive to generations of students and community members. When black parents, students, and community leaders express their continued offense at the name, the conservative white suprlemacists brush them aside and falsely claim that everyone at the school was happy until 2015.

No One Cared one bit about Jeb Stuarts Name until Lately..the past few years..

Jeb Stuart was a Man of Valor in his day and time..Unlike so many FX Lib Pukes.

Christ Take Your asses back to Kalifornia..You ruined that place Get The Hell Otta here!!

DAJAX..>"suprlemacists"..Jesus!..You Asshole..You cant even spell The Crap your spewing..!

You lousy stupid libs don't even have a clue..FXCO in 1958 was heavy US Military ..Even the Gov People had served..And They ..WW2..Korea..Even WW1 Vets and they were OK with Jeb Stuart..

What A Stupid Waste of Money..!

DAJAX Who The Hell Fought Those Wars Libs..?? The Great Grandsons of the Men In Grey and the Union..! ALL Americans and Not traitors..!

>If you don't want to be labeled a racist or white supremacist, stop acting like one.

FUCK You and Your Labels..You are The Reverse Racist..The Real Racist That Exists Today!! And A Total Asshole Un American as Well ..Play the Race Bait Game Else where..

DAJAX ..America Has Accepted Minorities as Equals for Decades..

After the RFP issue got too hot Sandy changed tact and said she was appointing an Ad HOC committee from the Stuart Community....from the FCPS site…."The committee is to consist of students, parents, Stuart community members, alumni, and business and community leaders."

The committee has a majority number of mainly NAACP members not from the Stuart Pyramid, people from Herndon, Centerville, Lorton.....while some people who fit the criteria were rejected, and people who didn't apply were asked to be on the committee.

Whatever an independent school board members position doesn't matter to me.

What matters is the whole process has been corrupt.

FCPS takes Federal Funds which means the school board is not allowed to use staff to research their own personal agendas. Sandy did throughout, not to see if the previous board or Woodson were treated fairly but to find the "smoking gun". She also is working on behalf of a political organization. She worked closely with the NAACP to write regulation amendments, a Resolution and motions over the course of almost a year before starting community engagement.

Even Supt. Garza warned Sandy that people would be watching.

From: Garza, Karen
To: Evans, Sandy (School Board Member)
Subject: Potential school name change
Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 10:36:20 AM

Hi Sandy,
I have heard that meetings are being scheduled with various stakeholder groups from Stuart HS. We are currently finalizing a draft of the regulation to address this issue and will bring it to Chairman's next week.

If meetings are being held, I would be concerned. We will have people watching this process, so I recommend that we wait just a little longer before we start any engagement and follow an established process. Also, I fear that someone out there may take legal action against us. John may disagree and I will most definitely defer to him on this.

If my information is inaccurate, I apologize. We will follow up with you about this next week because I know you have constituents anxious for us to move on this.
Thank you!

Don't be so naive. The school system has a long tradition of using public money to advance agendas, and a long tradition of stacking the process to produce results they want. The Stuart name change is no different than a number of boundary changes, school names and mascots, SLEEP and other issues in that respect. One thing that is different is that the weaker school leadership and the fractured board have made such efforts easier to spot.

I have heard just the opposite - that the ad how committee for the Stuart name change is packed with cranky old white people from Lake Barcroft and PTA soccer moms who oppose the name change. Some of them claimed they were neutral or undecided before they were appointed to the committee and, once appointed, made their die-hard hostility known. They will give Sandy Evans, who is as timid as a church mouse, cover when this goes nowhere.

The annual FCPS budget proposal highlights the problem with pay vs. compensation. Based on salary alone, FCPS is probably behind other local jurisdictions. When ERFC, a VRS supplement unique to Fairfax County, which I understand is basically a social security replacement until retirees hit SS retirement age, is added in, total compensation becomes comparable to the other jurisdictions. Haven't looked at the deficit issue but believe I read somewhere that the actuarials are based on an optimistic growth rate. Anyways, Pat Herrity has raised this as a big issue for both the county and the schools and asked if maybe it's time to consider a redistribution of compensation. He's asking good, non political questions.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't be so naive. The school system has a long
> tradition of using public money to advance
> agendas, and a long tradition of stacking the
> process to produce results they want. The Stuart
> name change is no different than a number of
> boundary changes, school names and mascots, SLEEP
> and other issues in that respect. One thing that
> is different is that the weaker school leadership
> and the fractured board have made such efforts
> easier to spot.

Not Naïve. That is not news....I agree. But to deliberately engage in chicanery and support destroying the previous School Board and Superintendent Woodson reputations is an unforgivable aspect to this fiasco.

This has caused tremendous upset to the families involved.

As I posted before...why didn't they just base their case on an honest agenda...we feel this is the correct thing to do, instead they deliberately fashioned this as a "spit in the face to civil rights" by the 1958 Board (that's right in the petition)

BTW...thanks Bill.N. It doesn't matter if we agree....you have kept the discussion of the schools in balance overall whenever the subject has come up.

Bill..What Do you think of the Name Change Games With Lee..Stuart and WT Woodson.

DAJAX

First off I am calling the Leiser firm to file a defamation action for being accused of being reasonable.

What we call the school is an unnecessary distraction. Whether it is called Stuart, Malcolm X, or Cesar Chavez we still have an underperforming school where the focus seems to be placed on just getting the kids diplomas rather than making sure the kids are properly educated for the next stage of their lives, be that college or the job market. If Stuart can turn things around in the next four years so their SAT/ACT participation rate, their SAT/ACT average score, their SOL average score and their graduation rate are above the Fairfax County average, let the kids pick the school name. Same offer for Lee.

There was much more to this rant, but I think the above covers what needs to be said.

I understand your plan and it is a good one. The County will say it is stupid and no good, plus it will cost too much to buy all new stationary because these schools have long histories of their names, but your plan seems to be the best I have heard on this issue.

Once again speaks to process, which they fail at miserably...but not news. The report by the Ad Hoc committee is not due until June 22, 2017, still almost two months away..….

From: XXXXXXXXXX School Board member
Sent: Friday, 2017
To: Lockard, Steven and various FCPS officials
Subject: Stuart Website
Importance: High

Apparently FCPS is amidst rolling out new websites for some schools. Lee's says Robert E Lee H.S., TJ's says Thomas A. Edison H.S., Woodson's says WT Woodson...etc. Stuart's? JEB is scrubbed from the school's name. It just says "Stuart H.S."

There has been no vote of the Board - yet this makes it look like there was a name change that took place in secret.

Could you please advise how and why this was rolled out without the consent of the Board to publicly alter the name of the school?
Thank you,

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First off I am calling the Leiser firm to file a
> defamation action for being accused of being
> reasonable.
>
> What we call the school is an unnecessary
> distraction. Whether it is called Stuart, Malcolm
> X, or Cesar Chavez we still have an
> underperforming school where the focus seems to be
> placed on just getting the kids diplomas rather
> than making sure the kids are properly educated
> for the next stage of their lives, be that college
> or the job market. If Stuart can turn things
> around in the next four years so their SAT/ACT
> participation rate, their SAT/ACT average score,
> their SOL average score and their graduation rate
> are above the Fairfax County average, let the kids
> pick the school name. Same offer for Lee.
>
> There was much more to this rant, but I think the
> above covers what needs to be said.

In other words, let's make sure we can set the bar high enough that it can never be crossed. That way we get to keep honoring our dead Southern white heros.

But be careful what you wish for. Maybe that will be the standard, and FCPS will accomplish it by sending half of Stuart to Marshall, and half of Marshall to Stuart. Mission accomplished.

You have two schools that are in a race to become the next Mount vernon. Scores are dropping. Upper and even middle class parents are abandoning them even if it means paying private school tuition. Your solution? It isn't instituting policies of personal and familial responsibility for student performance. It isn't creating crash programs for remedial students and students with a poor command of English. It isn't creating a school within the school for above average achieving students which might attract higher achieving neighborhood students back to those schools. It isn't celebrating actual achievements by, for example, re-instituting class rankings and recognizing high test scores.

No. Your solution is to change the name of the school.

Liberalism isn't about tax and spend as some conservatives like to believe. It also isn't about making people feel better. It is about taking government and using it to better the conditions of the common man. Providing a quality education is one way to do this.

Maybe my bar is a little too high and needs to be lowered slightly. However there are other schools in this County that are facing the same demographic challenges that Stuart and Lee face, and are performing better. Stuart and Lee can do so as well. Students and families need to accept that their schools don't have to underperform so badly, and it is up to them to help turn things around. If giving them the power to rename the school is the carrot that does the trick, the financial cost of renaming the school would be worth it.

Bill.N. Wrote:

If giving them the power to rename the
> school is the carrot that does the trick, the
> financial cost of renaming the school would be
> worth it.

I agree that if I thought for a second it could turn things around for the school, it could be money well spent.

Some Ad hoc committee members (without permission of all) and against what they were allowed to do, engaged in a second vote for students only. They lost.

I have seen the results of that survey. You know what they wanted the money for most of all.....Dividers in boys bathroom.

That vote was in the last month or so.

One student wrote in response...

The change of the school name is useless, people will find offense in anything nowadays and history is already written. Stuart should teach students the importance of Cultural Marxism and its dangers, no I'm not white, I'm a minority actually and I know multiple minorities who don't give two damns about the name change, it'd be better to get better bathrooms rather than changing the school name because some individuals are offended. It's baseless non-sense, history happens, racism happens, evil happens, changing the school name won't change anything, teaching kids to grow up and not be so sensitive about something we can't change.

There's a member of the ad hoc committee both leaking and mischaracterizing information here. Doubt that will impress the Superintendent and School Board much before the June vote. The turd who showed up at Stuart during the school day trying to foist free "save the name" t-shirts on students won't help your cause much, either.

The school is doing better now under Penny Gros and it would do better still if it wasn't burdened with a name that causes many to avoid it. It's not a coincidence that Lee and Stuart are among the lower performing schools in the county. Stonewall Jackson in PWC also isn't doing so great.

Xgodgdod Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's a member of the ad hoc committee both
> leaking and mischaracterizing information here.

No that would be your buddy "change is coming" , who posted above that there was no community engagement on the naming of Stuart…after a three and a half year battle over Franconia. Can't help but notice they leaked names. I never have.

The only names I have used were already in the newspaper. I didn't make the committee BTW.

Who's MISCHARACTERIZING? Are they traumatized by the name Mt. Vernon?

In 2016, Mount Vernon High ranked worse than 93.4% of high schools in Virginia. It also ranked 26th among 28 ranked high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.

In 2016, Lee High ranked worse than 79.7% of high schools in Virginia. It also ranked 23rd among 28 ranked high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.

FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Xgodgdod Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There's a member of the ad hoc committee both
> > leaking and mischaracterizing information here.
>
> No that would be your buddy "change is coming" ,
> who posted above that there was no community
> engagement on the naming of Stuart…after a three
> and a half year battle over Franconia. Can't help
> but notice they leaked names. I never have.
>
> The only names I have used were already in the
> newspaper. I didn't make the committee BTW.
>
> Who's MISCHARACTERIZING? Are they traumatized by
> the name Mt. Vernon?
>
> In 2016, Mount Vernon High ranked worse than 93.4%
> of high schools in Virginia. It also ranked 26th
> among 28 ranked high schools in the Fairfax County
> Public Schools District.
>
> In 2016, Lee High ranked worse than 79.7% of high
> schools in Virginia. It also ranked 23rd among 28
> ranked high schools in the Fairfax County Public
> Schools District.

There was community engagement over the name of Franconia/Lee, but none about changing the name of Munson Hill to Stuart.

You really don't sound very bright. Perhaps that's why you just regurgitate SchoolDigger info later in your post, as if it's authoritative.

vjpioegjaeoipb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Xgodgdod Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
> There was community engagement over the name of
> Franconia/Lee, but none about changing the name of
> Munson Hill to Stuart.
>
> You really don't sound very bright. Perhaps
> that's why you just regurgitate SchoolDigger info
> later in your post, as if it's authoritative.


Well you sound brighter than the rest, at least you finally acknowledge the battle over Lee. Are you aware that school board members walked out of some of those meetings? So you know the school wasn't named for spite. Did you miss this? In a Northern Virginia Sun article dated October 8, 1958, Mr. Davis School Board member states …."He'd rather name a school Podunk then get into the battle like was over Lee High school." The article further notes that the name JEB Stuart was chosen because he had his headquarters on Munson Hill, the site of the school. Being the bright person your are now.....can you grasp why just maybe they weren't up for a battle again? It tore those communities apart, just like this is now.

Funny, the exact same racist school board named schools for John G. Whittier and Henry Thoreau. There was no public discussion that we are aware for those either.

Sorry you don't like SchoolDigger, but your side always has a problem with sourced materials. The data matches with the FCPS's website, just didn't want to jump through the hoops as that site isn't friendly. Next time I'll double source….

You cannot let the students decide if the schools names should be changed because they are not fully equipped with all of the complicated facts of the Civil War. For example, how many people even know that the Cherokee Nation sided with the Confederacy? The Cherokee knew that the US government was just going to screw them six ways from Sunday and that's why they aligned themselves with the confedracy. But I guess this would be An "Inconvenient Truth" to the race hustling liberals that always want to make this a rallying point for their cause...
Attachments:

vjpioegjaeoipb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FOIA CAN BITE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Xgodgdod Wrote:
> There was community engagement over the name of
> Franconia/Lee, but none about changing the name of
> Munson Hill to Stuart.

> You really don't sound very bright.

Speaking of not sounding too bright....

Actually the acrimonious community engagement of 3 plus years was over Franconia/Springfield. That is why it was named LEE...for the Lee district, a brilliant compromise. It was renamed 6 years later at the request of the PSTA and by an entirely different school board.

The night JEB Stuart was named so was James Madison, at the same meeting. James Madison formerly in the minutes as Vienna High School. Did they run out of confederate names or did they just get tired after 20 minutes of being spiteful?

I didn't write this but it's true. I guess this person isn't too bright either. FCPS site is awful.

Regarding the Schooldigger site....

An hour or so of checking was all that was needed to confirm that the facts on schooldigger.com were accurately reported. The government sites were very difficult to dig through and it is obvious that schooldigger.com provides a great service by indexing and presenting the facts in a way that can be quickly and efficiently summarized.

Change is Gonna Come Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The name has been offensive to generations of
> students and community members. When black
> parents, students, and community leaders express
> their continued offense at the name, the
> conservative white suprlemacists brush them aside
> and falsely claim that everyone at the school was
> happy until 2015.....

So George Alber….here are your leaders of the second petition, Julianne Moore and Bruce Cohen at a reunion a few years back. Are they racist and White Supremacist who brushed aside your concerns?

NO, NOT AT ALL ….they're just everyday people not ashamed of where they went to high school. Bruce has made no bones about the facts… he is quoted in news articles since this broke….stating that he LOVED JEB Stuart High School …until he found out it was named for "spite" (which of course is totally bogus).

Do you feel proud fabricating a vicious lie and blaming the 1958 School Board to fulfill your agenda? As to any proof offered, why is Sandy Evans still looking for the "smoking gun" a year later? Keep dividing the people of this community, county, and country with your BS.
Attachments:

Write....vote is soon

What will the School Board vote include. Will it be to change the name, to fund the change or establish the volunteer organization to raise the funds for the name change?

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What will the School Board vote include. Will it
> be to change the name, to fund the change or
> establish the volunteer organization to raise the
> funds for the name change?

My guess: they will vote to change the name and recommend trying to get outside funds--but, the name will be changed, nevertheless.

This was a done deal a long time ago. All this money for meetings and committees is just cover.

And, then, they will name it Thurgood Marshall--without any common sense--considering that there is already a Marshall High School in Fairfax County.

Just thinking out loud. At the same time that many of the County's neighborhoods have turned into deteriorating shit holes, MS-13 has re-emerged as a significant threat and there are times when we must wonder whether our kids learn anything other than political correctness we are told that we should celebrate our diversity! Is there something wrong here?

Change the name, be done with it, and give the old guys who want it to be 1965 again something else to bitch about.

Wince Buffoono Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Change the name, be done with it, and give the old
> guys who want it to be 1965 again something else
> to bitch about.

Old guys????.....the leaders of the pack for change are Alber 70, Spitz 70, and Longmyer 79. Representing 5 screaming girls who are "offended". Are they not equally offended by Washington and Jefferson and our dear Lord Fairfax himself?

So let's speak to the younger guys, the students. What do they want? This is all who answered the survey....and they all had time to participate and were invited to participate.

Don't change the name of the school; it's a waste of time and money

I would like to know more about how the name may be changed (who decides, the process, how the name will be picked, the process, etc.)

Couldn't the money being used for the name change go towards something else, i.e like getting out of a land lock or making our school bigger

i want to know why they want us to waste money on changing the name although at least 70% of people dont know who jeb stuart was or care....

I do not need to learn more about the history of a name when our community is diverse. We need to focus on getting better resources for our school over a name. Talk about identification when all we do is focus on what others think about us.

don't really care

I would like to know how we plan on financing the name change without slowly phasing things in/out and having a tacky looking "two name" school.

the opinions of minority groups who might be affected by the name more than white people, do they care about the name?

I want to know why there aren't any dividers in the boys bathrooms?

What's the real purpose of changing the name when an overwhelming majority don't care or don't want to change the name?

The change of the school name is useless, people will find offense in anything nowadays and history is already written. Stuart should teach students the importance of Cultural Marxism and its dangers, no I'm not white, I'm a minority actually and I know multiple minorities who don't give two damns about the name change, it'd be better to get better bathrooms rather than changing the school name because some individuals are offended. It's baseless non-sense, history happens, racism happens, evil happens, changing the school name won't change anything, teaching kids to grow up and not be so sensitive about something we can't change.

Why are we still trying to change the name? There are really more pressing matters like the lack of dividers in the boy's bathroom but we decide to use our time to debate about a name change that honestly wouldn't make a big difference

I would like for the school name to remain the same because of history.

I would like to know the costs that are needed to change the name and alternet options to spend the money

Dividers in boys bathroom

Why do people want to change the name of the school. Its part of us history and it will always be. We should learn about our past instead of try to delete it.

I would like to know the cost of the school name change, how much will the cost affect the school. The whole idea of the name change is just blasphemy to me, people aren't truly offended by this name because we've evolved passed the years of segregation. We're the most diverse school in this state, and changing the name would just make us look foolish.

No. The name is fine. Forgetting history doesn't eliminate it

I know the reasons behind the name and its history and know why people support it and why people don't

What are the options of names the school provides? Why do u want to change that now.

What is the cost of changing the school name? Are there other things we could spend the money on (such as improving the school infrastructure, college visits, field trips to enrich classroom learning, increase funding for extra-curricular activities, or providing supplies to those who can't afford them)?

I would like to know about the costs and difficulties that would occur if the name was changed.

JEB Stuart's beliefs on slavery and the Confederacy. Don't support name change

I'd like to know who actually feels offended by the name

I wanna know why this survey is clearly a way to trigger people for one side only. Very unfair from the white Principle to only shows one side of this topic.

Why they believe it is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to change a name.

If we change our name what will it do? Then we will have to tear down everything for George Washington, he had slaves. If we get rid of ever monument for a person who did bad things in their lives we wouldn't have any monuments left. We aren't saying that slavery is good by keeping the name, we are ensuring that the arrangement that schools in the south would be named after some southern Generals. Plus it would cost the school money we don't have
How much this would cost realistically considering all the new uniforms that the school just purchased, and please do not sell that dream of "Oh it wont cost that much because we'll re-use these things and keep the same colors blah blah" no one believes that.

30. I just cant see a reason why you would want the name

31. what did J. E. B. Stuart do and what role he played in the civil war?

32. Don't change the name of the school. The name is fine how it is.

33. Don't change the name, history must be remembered in order to not be repeated. Keep JEB Stuart his only crime was fighting on the wrong side in the civil war

34. A name change would cost a lot of money. The school would have to redo everything with the current school name and logo on it. I would like to know where the money for the name change will come from, and which programs or departments at this school will receive less money because of it.

35. God is dead and we killed him

36. anything but "peace valley"

37. I would like to know why people are so ignorant as to hold a grudge on history. It's history, let it go. The name of our school isn't harming anyone. If you don't like the name switch schools. History was the past, lets not waste money on a name change when we need it for academics and athletics.

38. This is not a smart move economically

39. I would like to not only hear reasons, but hear actual arguments between two people on both side to see which side would be better towards me.

40. we know this man has killed and enslaved a lot of African Americans so I wonder why changing this name is even under a matter of debate as long as we are claiming that Gettysburg address and emancipation of proclamation were both valid and respactable?

41. why this school is kind of small

42. I don's care why should we let a name define who we are, people need to actually start being the futurists they say they are and not let this name define who we are as a community of educators

43. i would like to know where you're gonna pull the money from to change the name, if the name gets change i will wear JEB Stuart spirit wear everyday. Nobody even cares who he was we are one of the most diverse schools in fairfax county, it's never a effected anyone. Take a look at Robert E. Lee instead.

44. I would like to know why there are people uneducated on who Jeb Stuart was, advocating for a name change just because they can.


Uncensored....

stupid idea Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inquisitive One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What will the School Board vote include. Will
> it
> > be to change the name, to fund the change or
> > establish the volunteer organization to raise
> the
> > funds for the name change?
>
> My guess: they will vote to change the name and
> recommend trying to get outside funds--but, the
> name will be changed, nevertheless.
>
> This was a done deal a long time ago. All this
> money for meetings and committees is just cover.
>
>
> And, then, they will name it Thurgood
> Marshall--without any common sense--considering
> that there is already a Marshall High School in
> Fairfax County.

And the super Irony is Thurgood did live in the neighborhood, and he sent his kids to private schools. Doubt he even knew where Stuart was. Not to mention the school is over 60 percent Hispanic.

Glad the students for change are looking after everyone.

Regarding the renaming....

If you are unable to make June 8 demonstration, there will also be a School Board work session on June 12 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School.


Come in out, after all the entire NAACP was invited.

Xgodgdod Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's a member of the ad hoc committee both
> leaking and mischaracterizing information here.
> Doubt that will impress the Superintendent and
> School Board much before the June vote. The turd
> who showed up at Stuart during the school day
> trying to foist free "save the name" t-shirts on
> students won't help your cause much, either.
>
> The school is doing better now under Penny Gros
> and it would do better still if it wasn't burdened
> with a name that causes many to avoid it.

Better? Despite a policy of "credit recovery" and handing out fake diplomas, Stuart has the worst graduation rate in the county. They've lost their accreditation for god's sake. Stuart's "success" is a figment of Gros' imagination, which she spreads throughout social media.

I have, what seems to me, a brilliant solution!

Remove all current names of schools that represent the past. Adopt new names, include: El Chapo, Jesse Jackson, Tawana Brawley, David Dukes, John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Ringo Starr, Francis Gary Powers, Dolly Parton, Al Sharpton, F. Lee Bailey, Jack Reacher, Hillary Clinton, etc, etc, etc.

Now, here is the brilliant part, ROTATE THE NAMES. That way nobody will ever really know what school they go to and hence can never be offended.