In the continued downward spiral, Robinson goes out of its way (and I mean Dan Meier and Donna Piscapo) to get rid of and allienate its best counselor-Sherry Harlow. Sherry won the People of the Year award for the best counselor and Robinson has railroaded her out. She loves the kids, goes out of her way, is a preiminent professional and is good at her job.Needless to say, no match for Robinson. Isn't anybody paying attention???? Apparently parents are OK with an accused felon (yes for those of you who will scream "He wasn't convicted"???) what about the conflict of interest that he was actively marketing to the teachers and staff??? What about the steep decline in the challenge Index, (and they have an excuse for this too, about the IB program, which is bogus) because when Anne Monday was principal Robinson was 8th in the Nation, now below 300 and dropping below Chantilly and Centreville. Wake UP parents, it is time to do something and stop being sooooo complacent.

Can't agree more. Meier has dumbed that school down. My kids are out of Robinson. I can't understand how the parents of these kids sit back and watch these things happen. Come on....are you a bunch of sheep who are willing to sacrifice your kids education And to the ones who say, "my kid is just fine"....well I can tell you your kids diploma coming out of Robinson does not hold water against kids coming out of Woodson or Lake Braddock.

Are you afraid you kid will get picked on by the administration if you speak up? What are you teaching your kids? To be dormats like their parents?

Go to your cluster office. Be heard. Go wherever you need to to be part of improving this school!!

It really is a shame.

shUt up h8ers. Mr. M is da best principal in da world. ur kid is prolly sum wannabe lamer.

concerned parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the continued downward spiral, Robinson goes
> out of its way (and I mean Dan Meier and Donna
> Piscapo) to get rid of and allienate its best
> counselor-Sherry Harlow. Sherry won the People of
> the Year award for the best counselor and Robinson
> has railroaded her out. She loves the kids, goes
> out of her way, is a preiminent professional and
> is good at her job.Needless to say, no match for
> Robinson. Isn't anybody paying attention????
> Apparently parents are OK with an accused felon
> (yes for those of you who will scream "He wasn't
> convicted"???) what about the conflict of interest
> that he was actively marketing to the teachers and
> staff??? What about the steep decline in the
> challenge Index, (and they have an excuse for this
> too, about the IB program, which is bogus) because
> when Anne Monday was principal Robinson was 8th in
> the Nation, now below 300 and dropping below
> Chantilly and Centreville. Wake UP parents, it is
> time to do something and stop being sooooo
> complacent.


What was the reason given for her dismissal? It's rare when someone gets "railroaded" out for no reason.

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.

Go Ramz is obviously a product of the school!

I'm a Woodson parent and I'm worried about this school as well. My oldest graduated from there and I have two others at the school currently. I'm seeing changes and lots of them. They are dumbing down the classes and I have seen this for awhile. We have problem principals and a problem leader, Dr. Dale! Dale needs to GO!

dd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> well I can tell you your kids
> diploma coming out of Robinson does not hold water
> against kids coming out of Woodson or Lake
> Braddock.

Award for total left-field, bullshit post of the day. Give me a break.

go ramz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> shUt up h8ers. Mr. M is da best principal in da
> world. ur kid is prolly sum wannabe lamer.


Says the tard who types "liKe dis".

fairfaxparent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Go Ramz is obviously a product of the school!
>
> I'm a Woodson parent and I'm worried about this
> school as well. My oldest graduated from there
> and I have two others at the school currently.
> I'm seeing changes and lots of them. They are
> dumbing down the classes and I have seen this for
> awhile. We have problem principals and a problem
> leader, Dr. Dale! Dale needs to GO!

How many school board meeting have you attended to address matters?, or do you just like to vent on here, lets hear some facts, in FCPS you have to be really really bad to get disciplined let alone kicked out out of a school , please!

luther j Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many school board meeting have you attended to address matters?

DINGDINGDING. GET INVOLVED!

How many school board meetings have I attended to address matters? Enough to understand that by the time the matter goes before the school board, the fix probably is already in, and it is too late to change the result. If you are hoping to influence the outcome you need to get involved early in the process.

It may be rare that someone gets railroaded for no reason, but sometimes the reasons can be pretty bogus. There is one HS (not Robinson) where the pricipal was one of those "my way or the highway" types. Some of the more perceptive dissenters quickly transferred to other schools. The less perceptive ones started running into trouble. This principal's "chapel" cannot say enough good things about the principal, but there are quite a few parents, ex-teachers and even one or two on this forum that have had harsher things to say.

quit beating around the bush and give us a name, you think hes going to come over to your house?

Robinson has been on a long downward trend since Ann Monday left and I am happy that my youngest graduated in 2009 so that we can put Robinson behind us. Dan Meier may be a nice guy, but he is a mediocre administrator and people manager. While Ann Monday was known for staff development, Dan Meier has developed a reputation for maintaining the status quo and anyone who really wants to move their career forward leaves for a different school. Look at how many of Ann Monday's team (e.g., Paul Jansen) went on to respected leadership roles with FCPS and other systems compared to the current administration.

Robinson is still a good school, but these staff changes take a toll on everyone and are dispiriting.

fairfaxparent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm a Woodson parent and I'm worried about this
> school as well. My oldest graduated from there
> and I have two others at the school currently.


How the hell can you be a Woodson parent if your kids go to Robinson???


Anyway, back to the topic, What's the definition of getting rid of? Was this counselor fired, or just made miserable enough to quit or transfer to another school? I ask because I was under the impression that it's next to impossible to fire a school employee. Or is that just teachers that enjoy such job security?

I worked in the ninth grade subschool this year where Ms. Harlow's office was. I think the reason she was "dismissed" is because the last three months of school she was on sick leave. She had some stomach problem, etc. not sure what it was. But apparently she was so sick she had to take the rest of the school year off and had some replacement come in to take care of her kids. Hope she is feeling better.

TomMadison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> respected leadership roles with FCPS

Hmm, I never knew there was such a thing.

Paul Jansen was/is a tool

could someone please explain (in full) what lead to her firing?


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

I have childrend in now/been in Robinson - and this is truly upsetting. While we didn't have Sherry for a counselor, we know her peripherally and certainly know of her excellent reputation at Robinson for years.

There is a groundswell of simply too many problems to stand any more - we are axing teachers, counselors, programs left & right. FCPS tried to build themselves a $130 something million dollar administration building last year. The poor Robinson teachers have no budget - we are sending in dry erase markers! Teachers are living off carts = to say it is totally unacceptable is such an understatement.

Rhee in DC has it right - reform is hard, but changing course causes strife (status quo'rs like Meier) will fight change, performance based teaching and so on. News today said we are down to #25 in the world in math and #21 in science...if we don't act, the brilliant students who could be shaping the world from Ffx Cty will never reach their collective potential.

Dale has to go. And really - School Bd has to has to has to GO.

Just want to correct some information....it is very difficult to get dismissed from a job in FCPS after you are grandfathered into the system. This being said, there has to be sufficient proof that you are not doing your "job", which takes loads of documentation and time. Also, just want to clarify that Sherry was nominated for People's Choice Award, which just means someone wrote a glorious nomination letter for her and that is why she was chosen, NOT because of her performance as a counselor. She may be a great person, but be careful what you are suggesting....

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Paul Jansen was/is a tool


That is sooo true! He is an administrative role in the FCPS hierarchy but he is not respected. Even his peers thought him to be a simpleton apartchik. As the coaches who worked at Robinson when he was there.

Krispy Kringle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Paul Jansen was/is a tool
>
>
> That is sooo true! He is an administrative role
> in the FCPS hierarchy but he is not respected.
> Even his peers thought him to be a simpleton
> apartchik. As the coaches who worked at Robinson
> when he was there.


I meant "...Ask the coaches..."

I had Mrs. Harlow as a counselor, and she was exceptional. There is something up with Mr. Meier. A few years ago my mother wrote a letter to him stating that she had seen him drving into school late waving to kids as they skipped class (These were not Academy students they were walking out of the parking lot). He responded saying that those were academy students and begged that she not write the school board.

Are you certain she didn't choose to leave for some more positive reason? My guess is that she's busy enough and making enough from her investment in "The Heart in Hand" that she doesn't need the extra stress anymore. Say what you will about the changes; the business is improving. I wish her the best.

ANON Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just want to correct some information....it is
> very difficult to get dismissed from a job in FCPS
> after you are grandfathered into the system.


Teachers maybe.

They fire bus drivers right and left. The pace seems to have picked up as the budget deteriorated. Drivers just disappear. A gal that parked next to me had 26 years and POOF, gone. I talked to her everyday and she would have told me if she was planning to quit or retire. I asked a supervisor if she was sick and he wouldn't talk, which always means the driver was fired.

I have over 20 years and I feel like I have a target on my back. I'm scared shitless because I would never, in a million years, find another job with health insurance.

I used to teach at robinson and believe me that school is ef you sea kay FUCKED! the school might be haunted and it is a terrible atmosphere to raise your kid in

To respond to a couple of points: "Get involved", let me assure you, I GOT involved day and night for many many years, I called, attended school board meetings, call them relentlessly and eventually worried that my health was suffering and had to stop, transfer, get out-in short Iive with other good area high schools, IT ISNT.In a candid discussion with an admissions counselor at THE college that EVERYONE in Virginia wants to go to (not mentioning any names, but it is the "public ivy") I was told that Robinson has SOOOO declined that it is very far down on the ladder from FCPS. And I can assure you that she was being railroaded for the most incipid reasons. Just when you thought it was paranoid to think so, you realize not only is it realistic, it is SOOO much worse. And as to the illiterate responder, thanks for making my point for me, you belong in the NEW Robinson!

There is another side to this that might (I emphasize might) have some bareing on this. The central administration is so corrupt that some weasel sitting in an office might have had an issue with the counselor and in turn started the wheels turning to get rid of her. I know nothing about her or the situation but do know enough about the way FCPS works to know that egregious actions occur as a result of petty vendettas. Also, I don't know anything about the principal except that he was a very good football coach.

bus driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ANON Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Just want to correct some information....it is
> > very difficult to get dismissed from a job in
> FCPS
> > after you are grandfathered into the system.
>
>
> Teachers maybe.
>
> They fire bus drivers right and left. The pace
> seems to have picked up as the budget
> deteriorated. Drivers just disappear. A gal that
> parked next to me had 26 years and POOF, gone. I
> talked to her everyday and she would have told me
> if she was planning to quit or retire. I asked a
> supervisor if she was sick and he wouldn't talk,
> which always means the driver was fired.
>
> I have over 20 years and I feel like I have a
> target on my back. I'm scared shitless because I
> would never, in a million years, find another job
> with health insurance.


Sounds like a pee in the bottle fail as required by the CDL , The ones I have heard disappearing didnt think the prescription stuff but without the prescription would get them.

Its not difficult or rare, you are not informed and are naive about the inner workings and widespread and extreme corruption of FCPS, even the unions and newspapers seem to be "in bed with them"... very sad that parents are so lazy that they make these assumptions so that they can sleep at night, delusional that their kids are well cared for, you don't have that luxury, wake up!

Fairfax County residents are basically clueless as to how FCPS is slowly eroding America as a whole and they are letting it happen.


Several of the Board Members (Liz Bradsher, Kathy Gibson, Stu Gibson, Tessie Wilson) have essentially been pushing an ideal of socialism for the last three years on Fairfax County residents. These are all traits of a socialist environment and this is what their leadership has given us:

FCPS has a big, self-perpetuating bureaucracy that is promoting large facilities (can anyone say Gatehouse II, etc.?)

Costs are high (taxes keep going up), but many facilities and equipment are poorly maintained (no to renovations) wages are low (teachers on wage freezes, bus drivers fear for their jobs).

Government mandated socio-economic re-engineering by directly targeting certain communities through redistricting (South Lakes redistricting, Clifton closure, overcrowding Mclean).

They continuously effect social engineering by controlling curricula, text books, etc (do you think there isn't a rational behind how much availability there is to a particular language immersion program, etc.?)

There are few incentives for innovation and creativity in solving problems. Teachers are forced to follow what is mandated versus is what might be best for the children even though they are the ones working directly with the children. Tons of bureaucracy by all of the Adminstrators.

Yes, folks, that is socialism. It’s time to Take America Back. These people need to be booted out of office in the next election.

This is REALLY not the problem, and you are clearly a "teabagger" idiot. It is not socialism, it is the result of dumbass republicans who can't wrap very small brains around progressive education (and are suspicious of any education because most of them dont have any).

Its time to make a real and honest investment in education and to pay teachers what they deserve so that we can raise smart students who can compete in a global marketplace, not Fairfax County, where red thinking morons thrive, double dipping the defense department for a living.

ELECT progressive candidates - I am willing to pay for good education and would welcome ending wars to start putting money where the future lies, in our children!!!

Come on over to BBC or try our competitors Chariots for Hire. Part time drivers with CDLs are always in demand.


bus driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ANON Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Just want to correct some information....it is
> > very difficult to get dismissed from a job in
> FCPS
> > after you are grandfathered into the system.
>
>
> Teachers maybe.
>
> They fire bus drivers right and left. The pace
> seems to have picked up as the budget
> deteriorated. Drivers just disappear. A gal that
> parked next to me had 26 years and POOF, gone. I
> talked to her everyday and she would have told me
> if she was planning to quit or retire. I asked a
> supervisor if she was sick and he wouldn't talk,
> which always means the driver was fired.
>
> I have over 20 years and I feel like I have a
> target on my back. I'm scared shitless because I
> would never, in a million years, find another job
> with health insurance.

A few flaws in your tirade, concerned parent. Fairfax County has become increasingly liberal in the last few years. Voting blue more than red. It *used* to be more red/conservative. Management of schools has gotten worse under liberal leadership.

The federal government is responsible for the defense of our country. Many defense departments are located here in the DC area. Therefore, many defense workers must live in the nearby suburbs in order to be close to their jobs. It's what made this area prosper and increased the home/property values. Why are you whining about defense workers?

"Pay teachers what they deserve"--absolutely. Some are outstanding, and some need to be sacked. Yes, I have seen a few terrible FCPS teachers, and they just keep getting passed around. How can we enable the system to fire teachers for poor performing?

Clearly, you have less ability to think logically than those you are slamming for supposedly having no education.

concerned parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is REALLY not the problem, and you are
> clearly a "teabagger" idiot. It is not socialism,
> it is the result of dumbass republicans who can't
> wrap very small brains around progressive
> education (and are suspicious of any education
> because most of them dont have any).
>
> Its time to make a real and honest investment in
> education and to pay teachers what they deserve so
> that we can raise smart students who can compete
> in a global marketplace, not Fairfax County, where
> red thinking morons thrive, double dipping the
> defense department for a living.
>
> ELECT progressive candidates - I am willing to pay
> for good education and would welcome ending wars
> to start putting money where the future lies, in
> our children!!!


Oh, they are PROGRESSIVE alright! They have PROGRESSIVELY increased our taxes without results. Forget 'No Child Left Behind'. The current School Board is working on the "No Child Left With a Dime" program.

You can't collect disability from the school system and work in your restaurant in Clifton at the same time....tisk, tisk

I heard that this counselor is back working at the school. Meanwhile they have hired a replacement counselor for her and so they are paying 2 salaries while one person is only needed. They don't have her back in the counseling job, but they have been forced to put her back on the payroll doing some other work. Clearly they made a mistake.

I just heard this last night from someone who has just taken a job at Robinson. I wonder if this is true? Anyone know?

How interesting that this is the school where the principal is involved in a real estate scam. I wonder if this counselor knew anything about that and how deep this whole thing goes (and why she got her job back) . . . there's more here than meets the eye. Somebody knows.

not at all true...

Based upon your grammar, you are either a retard, stupid, a lazy POS, or the school is not teaching idiots even basic English.

There are alot of people who really can't stay on subject, and can't respond appropriately or even meaningfully, no wonder Robinson is willing to accept this principal, doesn't seem like the parents are any better...

This is the high school scholar that I was referring to in my prior post.


go ramz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> shUt up h8ers. Mr. M is da best principal in da
> world. ur kid is prolly sum wannabe lamer.

oh, ok

Nobody took care of her kids and she was not dismissed. She left due to the new boss and have you noticed the whole department practically left????

Supposedly. Harlow was also recently arrested for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.

Good call Robinson

Harlow has many problems not the least is her battle with drugs. The police have been to her most recent house many times this year. Not to mention the unstable rants she goes off on regarding her husband, parents and former friends who tried to help her.

Is she hot? Picture please.