In the West County boundary study, school board reps very definitely pressured PTAs (some were willing). Fox Mill PTA did a "survey" for Stu, then wouldn't release the results.

Unlisted Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why is Liz Bradshere calling all the PTAs in the
> boundary study?
>
> Our PTA president was pretty upset. Is it normal
> for a school board representative to call PTA
> officers and try to get them to do what the school
> board wants?
>
> This seems very strange right before the public
> hearing about the boundary changes (the latest
> changes see to be what the school board wants, so
> now they are pressuring PTAs to get in line with
> them?).
>
> Very big brother.


Based on what was going on with Clifton in front of the public and what was going on behind the scenes in emails (trying to push West Springfield High School up the queue), it seems to be all about appearances and so pushing PTAs before the hearing is just par for the course in this debacle. Somebody ought to record Liz when she calls them....

The School Board cares about how they LOOK. How is it going to look if they don't have the support of the PTAs in this boundary study? Many of these Board Members just use this position as a stepping stone to other positions (like County Supervisor).

As for pressuring the PTA boards. These PTA Boards can be comprised of people who are actually teachers for the schools, trying to get jobs at the school and spouses of current teachers and Admin staff. When pressured, do you think they will do what is best for keeping their current teaching position (or in gaining a future teaching position) or in helping their spouse, or do you think they will do what is best for the community? Depends on the person. Do you know what your PTA Board Members affiliations are to FCPS?

I am not a Clifton resident but I do find interest in this Clifton School closing scandal which is heating up around the FCSB on a daily basis. It appears that the closing had very little to do with what is best for the students and the county school system as a whole, but more to do with settling personal vendettas and achieving personal agendas by board members. Frequently in these newly disclosed e-mails disdain for the Clifton community is expressed and rampant for "those", "entitled", etc. people of Clifton. It is also interesting that many of the reasons for closing the school have disproved for example the concern over the quality of potable water.
In my opinion the closing of Clifton School in the corrupt manner that it was conducted is unacceptable and undeniable.
If the Washington Post and other media outlets expose to the mass audience this gross and negligent abuse of power, it may bring the FCSB to its knees forcing them to reverse their decision to close the school. I would recommend to the people living in the Clifton area to pursue this angle. Gather up as much evidence of FCSB wrong-doing and present it to the local media. Then let them take it from there.

OH SNAP! YOUR SERVE LIZ.


Greetings! From Supervisor Herrity.



Since her election in November 2009, Patty Reed has established herself as the common sense Republican leader on the school board and is one of the few School Board members that is representing her constituents and is willing to stand up and ask the tough questions of school staff. Please support the kickoff for Patty Reed's reelection campaign by either attending her kickoff event on Saturday, January 22 at 8:00 at Mantua Swim Club or by making a contribution to her campaign.



Our schools are the number one reason homeowners and businesses locate in Fairfax County and they are critical to Fairfax County's future. We need to keep Patty Reed on the school board. This will be a difficult but very winnable election for Patty. Patty was the first Republican to win in the Providence District since the 1970's but there is a growing dissatisfaction with the majority of the school board and Patty has established herself as a big part of the solution. Please join me, Congressman Tom Davis and Supervisor John Cook this Saturday so we can move our schools forward.

http://reston.patch.com/articles/gibson-wont-seek-re-election-for-school-board-seat
Attachments:

school board scandal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am not a Clifton resident but I do find interest
> in this Clifton School closing scandal which is
> heating up around the FCSB on a daily basis. It
> appears that the closing had very little to do
> with what is best for the students and the county
> school system as a whole, but more to do with
> settling personal vendettas and achieving personal
> agendas by board members. Frequently in these
> newly disclosed e-mails disdain for the Clifton
> community is expressed and rampant for "those",
> "entitled", etc. people of Clifton. It is also
> interesting that many of the reasons for closing
> the school have disproved for example the concern
> over the quality of potable water.
> In my opinion the closing of Clifton School in the
> corrupt manner that it was conducted is
> unacceptable and undeniable.
> If the Washington Post and other media outlets
> expose to the mass audience this gross and
> negligent abuse of power, it may bring the FCSB to
> its knees forcing them to reverse their decision
> to close the school. I would recommend to the
> people living in the Clifton area to pursue this
> angle. Gather up as much evidence of FCSB
> wrong-doing and present it to the local media.
> Then let them take it from there.

I agree with everything you say. I believe it is being closed because it is small. But why can't they add onto it and move in students from the 29 corridor where the overcrowding exists. They can then move some Clifton students out to Sangster, Fairview and Oak View.

I want all the SB members out. Jack Dale can go too. There is NO reason to close Clifton. Not one. The SB will never admit they are wrong. Too bad kids can't vote. My kids are being hurt and FCPS could care less. Fuck FCPS!

I think it is hilarious that my enter code for posting this is "huuNG"!
Prophetic!
Attachments:

And they're off.. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OH SNAP! YOUR SERVE LIZ.
>
>
> Greetings! From Supervisor Herrity.
>
>
>
> Since her election in November 2009, Patty Reed
> has established herself as the common sense
> Republican leader on the school board and is one
> of the few School Board members that is
> representing her constituents and is willing to
> stand up and ask the tough questions of school
> staff. Please support the kickoff for Patty
> Reed's reelection campaign by either attending her
> kickoff event on Saturday, January 22 at 8:00 at
> Mantua Swim Club or by making a contribution to
> her campaign.
>
>
>
> Our schools are the number one reason homeowners
> and businesses locate in Fairfax County and they
> are critical to Fairfax County's future. We need
> to keep Patty Reed on the school board. This will
> be a difficult but very winnable election for
> Patty. Patty was the first Republican to win in
> the Providence District since the 1970's but there
> is a growing dissatisfaction with the majority of
> the school board and Patty has established herself
> as a big part of the solution. Please join me,
> Congressman Tom Davis and Supervisor John Cook
> this Saturday so we can move our schools forward.


Awesome! Patty Reed actually has common sense as compared to some of the others on the Board. This is good news for Fairfax County that she is running again!

And they're off.. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OH SNAP! YOUR SERVE LIZ.
>
>
> Greetings! From Supervisor Herrity.
>
>
>
> Since her election in November 2009, Patty Reed
> has established herself as the common sense
> Republican leader on the school board and is one
> of the few School Board members that is
> representing her constituents and is willing to
> stand up and ask the tough questions of school
> staff. Please support the kickoff for Patty
> Reed's reelection campaign by either attending her
> kickoff event on Saturday, January 22 at 8:00 at
> Mantua Swim Club or by making a contribution to
> her campaign.
>
>
>
> Our schools are the number one reason homeowners
> and businesses locate in Fairfax County and they
> are critical to Fairfax County's future. We need
> to keep Patty Reed on the school board. This will
> be a difficult but very winnable election for
> Patty. Patty was the first Republican to win in
> the Providence District since the 1970's but there
> is a growing dissatisfaction with the majority of
> the school board and Patty has established herself
> as a big part of the solution. Please join me,
> Congressman Tom Davis and Supervisor John Cook
> this Saturday so we can move our schools forward.

That is so sweet, and only more so because it's true.

I'm not in Providence, but I will contribute to Patty Reed. She, Sandy Evans, and Tina Hone DO deserve support.

school board scandal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am not a Clifton resident but I do find interest
> in this Clifton School closing scandal which is
> heating up around the FCSB on a daily basis. It
> appears that the closing had very little to do
> with what is best for the students and the county
> school system as a whole, but more to do with
> settling personal vendettas and achieving personal
> agendas by board members. Frequently in these
> newly disclosed e-mails disdain for the Clifton
> community is expressed and rampant for "those",
> "entitled", etc. people of Clifton. It is also
> interesting that many of the reasons for closing
> the school have disproved for example the concern
> over the quality of potable water.
> In my opinion the closing of Clifton School in the
> corrupt manner that it was conducted is
> unacceptable and undeniable.
> If the Washington Post and other media outlets
> expose to the mass audience this gross and
> negligent abuse of power, it may bring the FCSB to
> its knees forcing them to reverse their decision
> to close the school. I would recommend to the
> people living in the Clifton area to pursue this
> angle. Gather up as much evidence of FCSB
> wrong-doing and present it to the local media.
> Then let them take it from there.

You're from Clifton, admit it!

PS, Herrity is toast in NOVA politics. Stick a fork in him, he is done!

1 down, 8 to go! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://reston.patch.com/articles/gibson-wont-seek-
> re-election-for-school-board-seat

Ranney's moving to Ohio, Center isn't running for re-election and neither is Wilson.

BTW, we knew Gibson wasn't running last September.

Now, what are you doing to get rid of Smith and Strauss!

To the Editor:

Recently, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Jack Dale presented the School Board with his proposal for next year’s budget. The proposed $2.2 billion budget outlines programs and services for our growing and increasingly diverse student population. It also includes funds to give eligible employees a step increase and a market scale adjustment after two years without any increase in compensation.

Our population will grow by a projected 2,120 students next year. We project that in 2012, one in four students will be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, a federal indicator of poverty — making that the fastest growing segment of our population. We expect to see a 15 percent increase in the number of students whose first language is not English. There will be increased costs to comply with the mandated online testing requirement for all students taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.

We cannot meet the needs of our staff and students without adequate resources. That is why Superintendent Dale has included in his proposal a request to the Board of Supervisors for an increase of 3 percent, or $48.8 million, in the transfer of funds over the FY 2011 level. This reflects a realistic set of needs.

Difficult times require difficult choices. The Fairfax County School Board has shown great fiscal responsibility during tough economic times. In the past three years (FY 2009-FY2011), FCPS took reductions and cost avoidances totaling more than $465 million and eliminated more than 1,400 positions.

It is time now to compensate our employees for their outstanding work that has kept FCPS a leader in student achievement. Additionally, our starting teacher salaries have declined over the last two years and we need to bring those salaries up so we can continue to attract the most qualified teachers to our classrooms and remain competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.

Now the School Board needs to hear from you as we consider the superintendent’s proposal over the next few weeks, then move to adopt the advertised budget on Feb. 3. Here’s what you can do to get involved. First, learn more about the budget by visiting www.fcps.edu where you’ll find extensive details on all aspects of the budget and the process. Second, sign up to speak at our public hearing on Jan. 24-25. Third, attend the School Board’s Budget Forum to be held on Saturday, Feb. 26, at Falls Church High School.

We are a successful school system, and our success draws business to the area, making a major contribution to the economic engine of the community. Public education in Fairfax County is a source of pride and honor and should remain that way. We need the continued support and involvement of citizens to ensure that it does.

Kathy Smith, Chairman, Fairfax County School Board

DID I MISS SOMETHING? WHERE ARE THE PIRRANAHS? THE CARTOONS? THE FODDER THAT I'VE COME TO RELY ON WITH MY MORNING COFFEE? "FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD HAS SHOWN GREAT FISCAL RESTRAINT." HOW DID YOU ALL LET ONE GET BY?

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1 down, 8 to go! Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> http://reston.patch.com/articles/gibson-wont-seek-
>
> > re-election-for-school-board-seat
>
> Ranney's moving to Ohio, Center isn't running for
> re-election and neither is Wilson.
>
> BTW, we knew Gibson wasn't running last
> September.
>
> Now, what are you doing to get rid of Smith and
> Strauss!

Janie has the seat as long as she wants it. I guess the local Democrats could refuse to endorse her, but then it would just go to a Republican picked by Barbara Comstock and her friends.

Janie Fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 1 down, 8 to go! Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > >
> >
> http://reston.patch.com/articles/gibson-wont-seek-
>
> >
> > > re-election-for-school-board-seat
> >
> > Ranney's moving to Ohio, Center isn't running
> for
> > re-election and neither is Wilson.
> >
> > BTW, we knew Gibson wasn't running last
> > September.
> >
> > Now, what are you doing to get rid of Smith and
> > Strauss!
>
> Janie has the seat as long as she wants it. I
> guess the local Democrats could refuse to endorse
> her, but then it would just go to a Republican
> picked by Barbara Comstock and her friends.


Folks at Herndon HS & McLean HS aren't happy with her obsession with Langley. If challenge is the Dranesville Democratic Committee, she could lose. Even if she wins there the rest of FCDC has to agree to endorse.

When will they get the message?
Attachments:

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1 down, 8 to go! Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> http://reston.patch.com/articles/gibson-wont-seek-
>
> > re-election-for-school-board-seat
>
> Ranney's moving to Ohio, Center isn't running for
> re-election and neither is Wilson.
>
> BTW, we knew Gibson wasn't running last
> September.
>
> Now, what are you doing to get rid of Smith and
> Strauss!


yo - yo - yo - four down and five to go!
Attachments:

Bradsher is as good as gone! No worries there.

I hope she quits from the stress. Maybe we should go over her e-mails with a fine tooth comb. Just like FCPS does to the students. She is a DRUNK and a liar. Is this what we want for our schools or our students. She is not a leader and should not define what kids can and cannot due in FCPS. We need her to sign a code of ethics!

I think Liz Bradsher is one cause of teen suicide in the schools. She drives us all CRAZY.

Mental illness is nothing to laugh about.

The word is out that Liz continues to call and hound PTA presidents and members. Now Kathy Smith is in the mix. Who do they think they are?
Attachments:

How does Bradsher get around emails like this?

Reading these, but this just stuck out.

Plain as day what she wanted to have happen and then did.
Attachments:

It is not surprising that a SB member is calling it quits ahead of the impending storm. With this alleged corruption story heating up and starting to unravel, this school closing scandal may soon blow wide open. I expect more school board members to follow suit and head for the hills. One may even head to the Moon. I wonder whether criminal prosecution could be on the table for some of the unethical misdoings involved in this case.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Folks at Herndon HS & McLean HS aren't happy with
> her obsession with Langley. If challenge is the
> Dranesville Democratic Committee, she could lose.
> Even if she wins there the rest of FCDC has to
> agree to endorse.

Folks in Great Falls, McLean and Vienna are happy with Janie. Reston isn't Dranesville, and she's not an idiot like Bradsher.

Maybe she'll do a Gibson and not run for reelection again. But any candidate in Dranesville is going to protect Langley and McLean.

Hey Clifton parents, have you looked into this?

----------
From: Bradsher, Elizabeth (School Board Member)
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 2:56 PM
To: James, Denise; Tistadt, Dean
Subject: RE: Thank you

....

Enough from me in one day, running down to DC for the competitive libation prices!
See you tonight,
Liz

-------
Here is the Virginia law:

Importing Alcoholic Beverages
No more than one gallon of alcoholic beverages (or the metric equivalent) may be brought into Virginia from outside the Commonwealth, excepting shipments to the commission or its licensees, or new residents under special permits.

Anyone who transports more than such quantity of alcoholic beverages per adult in possession of the bonafide owner may be arrested, fined up to $2,500, and sentenced to a year in jail. In addition, the vehicle involved may be impounded and confiscated.

Alcoholic beverages includes wine, beer, or distilled spirits. This restriction applies not only to those alcoholic beverages brought into Virginia from other states or the District of Columbia, but also from defense installations.

https://www.abc.virginia.gov/enforce/shippinginfo.html

-------

Now presumably, someone who makes a 1 hr trip to buy liquor buys in bulk. So you have in the e-mail above at least the possibility of a violation of Virginia law. I wonder how much Liz brings back with her from DC? Does this comport with the SR&R? Would it violate a Zero Tolerance policy?

What a joke! Liz is a lush. This is the same person who can vote to expel a student in the FCPS. Does anyone else see a problem with this?

Kids are KILLING themselves over votes she has been a part of?

When will the madness stop? It will stop when we ALL start to care about all the students in the FCPS.

Community schools help out each other. Liz Bradsher is not a part of my community. She said she was but she lied.

Unlisted Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why is Liz Bradshere calling all the PTAs in the
> boundary study?
>
> Our PTA president was pretty upset. Is it normal
> for a school board representative to call PTA
> officers and try to get them to do what the school
> board wants?
>
> This seems very strange right before the public
> hearing about the boundary changes (the latest
> changes see to be what the school board wants, so
> now they are pressuring PTAs to get in line with
> them?).
>
> Very big brother.


Check out stopbullyingnow.com. Does you feel like any of it applies?

"Talk amongst yourselves." Oh. You already did?

VGLA scandal. Achievement gap. 25% of student population in poverty. Crumbling infrastructure in many schools. Exploding population and no plan to accomodate it. Growing diversity. Chronically sleep deprived student population. Closing Graham Road and Clifton Elementaries. Unethical boorish behavior toward one another and their district's populations in public and in private, if not illegal by email. Annual budget deathmatch with the Supervisors. Denying a disabled student access to school with a service dog. Suicides-DEATH of students.


Meeting Jan 22, 2011 - School Board Retreat No. 3
Retreat Agenda
Fairfax High School
George Stepp Library
Saturday, January 22, 2011
9:00 a.m. Book Discussion - The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz
10:45 a.m. School Board Member Roles and Responsibilities
12:15 p.m. Adjourn



Living the Four Agreements: A life changing Journey
In the best selling book The Four Agreements don Miguel Ruiz gives four principles to practice in order to create love and happiness in your life. Adopting and committing to these agreements is simple. Actually living and keeping these Four Agreements can be one of the hardest things you will ever do. It can also be one of he most life changing things you will ever do.
As you practice living these four practices your life will dramatically change. In the beginning these new habits will be challenging and you will lapse countless times. With practice these agreements become integrated into your being and every area of your life and become easy habits to keep.
The Four Agreements are:
1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
Understanding how to Integrate and Live the practices
Upon reading don Miguel’s wisdom many people have their eyes opened to a new possibility for living life. They get excited when they see the potential for happiness, love, and respect with themselves and their relationships. What they fail to see is the challenges and resistance the mind will have to living just one of the agreements. Don Miguel briefly mentions these challenges in his book, but people fixate on the four chapters with the agreements and seem to miss these other important points. This is often the set up for expectations that lead to disappointment and frustration.
Domestication
During our early life we began making agreements. Our parents rewarded us when we did what they wanted and they punished us when we didn’t. We also learned behaviors and habits in school, church, and from other adults and children on the playground. The tools of reward and punishment were often emotional and sometimes physical. The impact of other people’s opinions and reactions to us became a very strong force in the habits we created. In this process we created agreements in our mind of who we should be, what we shouldn’t be, who we were, and who we were not. Over time we learned to live our life based on the agreements in our own mind. We learned to live according to the agreements that came from the opinion of others. In this process of domestication it turns out that the choices we make and the life we live is more driven by the opinions we learned from others than one we would choose on our own.
Why Living the Four Agreements Is Such a Challenge
We have out of years of habit not paid attention to how we express our self. The responses that come out of our mouth are often automatic. They were learned from years of habit living by the agreements we learned. We do not consciously choose our words, or the emotion, tone, and attitude that we express.
Over years our mind has filled with beliefs that generate incessant thinking. In all that thinking we have many assumptions that we are not aware of. We even make the assumption that what we think is true. We imagine and assume what others think of us and how they will react. We also assume that the judgments and self criticisms we have are true. We have learned to make so many assumptions that we aren’t aware of. These assumptions are not the truth. These assumptions and the faith we express in them is just one way that we are not impeccable with our word.
Through our domestication we have also learned to take things personally. We assume that when someone has an opinion about us that their opinion is valid. Their opinion becomes our belief about our self. We end up having an emotional reaction to our own belief because we assumed their opinion it is true. We can also take personally our own opinions. We take personally our own self judgments. These self judgments are nothing more than an assumption. Over years the mind has developed many habits of making assumptions and taking them personally.
Just because you adopt the Four Agreements doesn’t mean that all these habits in the mind will stop with that commitment.
When you decide to change your life and adopt the Four Agreements you are challenging the beliefs you learned and the habits you practiced since your childhood domestication.
Adopting the Four Agreements creates a conflict in the mind between expressing your self Impeccably with love and your existing fear based beliefs.
Avoiding Double Jeopardy
One of the hidden assumptions that people often make when adopting the Four Agreements is about time. Without awareness the mind makes the assumption that they should immediately be able to keep the Four Agreements 100% of the time. The mind completely ignores that there are already existing agreements and habits of taking things personally that have been in place for years.
With the expectation of the new agreement that we will not break any of the Four Agreements we are set up for failure. We have an emotional reaction and take something personally which feels bad. (but is completely normal part of our old habits) But then the inner judge reprimands us for failing to not take something personally. Now we feel twice as bad. The inner judge tells us that we failed and the voice of the victim in the mind accepts this proposal.
The result is that we are not only upset, but we also feel like a failure. If you just look at your emotional state at this point it will seem like things are getting worse instead of better. It can seem like attempting to keep the Four Agreements is causing more problems and making you feel worse.
If you are aware that you are judging your self for taking something personally it can get worse. Your inner judge might use that awareness to judge and reject your self for judging your self for taking something personally. In the beginning of this process the myriad of voices in your head are likely to use your new found awareness as material for self judgment. This is when the fourth agreement, Always Do Your Best, is most important. It gives you immunity from self judgment. Your best isn’t perfect practice of these agreements on day one. Your best will improve over time as you practice. Just like walking, learning a language, or playing a sport.
Awakening
In actuality the problem is not that you adopted the Four Agreements. Nor is the problem that you are a failure. What is really happening is that you are having an awakening. You are waking up to how your mind makes assumptions, has emotional reactions, and is so quick to make self judgments. These realizations about the belief system in your mind are not usually pleasant but are part of an awakening. It is usually uncomfortable realization but through it your awareness is growing.
With some more awareness and practice you can move beyond this uncomfortable awakening about the mind. You will come to see that it is not You that is judging your self for failing. It is the inner judge. With practice you will see the ridiculous expectations and assumptions for what they are and not feel like a failure when you lapse in your journey to impeccability. This comes as you gain more awareness and gain more personal power over your agreements.
The Challenge of a Spiritual Warrior
Don Miguel refers to some of these challenges throughout the book. However, in the excitement of the Truth in what don Miguel writes, people often overlook where he points out that this endeavor is not easy. The agreements may be simple, but he never says they are easy to keep.
At the same time living the Four Agreements has taken me on the most rewarding and profound journey of happiness and fulfillment beyond anything I could have imagined. The hard work in the beginning is rewarded to me in every interaction every day of my life. This is a very big return for a small investment of time and effort.
Don Miguel refers to people who decide to adopt the Four Agreements and create love and happiness in their life Spiritual Warriors. It is Spiritual because it is about living your Life. It is also referred to as a war because you are challenging the old fear based beliefs in your mind. It will take more than a week and a half to break free of fear, the tyranny of the inner judge, and old emotional habits. There will be some battles lost along the way, but that is of minor concern in the longer term strategy of creating happiness in your life.
The Quest for Personal Freedom
The quest of a Spiritual Warrior is for Personal Freedom. Personal Freedom means freedom from fear, illusions, and the fear based beliefs in the mind. In essence it means to win the war over the beliefs in the mind. It is with Personal Freedom that we are free of the human condition of emotional suffering. Spiritual traditions around the world have their own names for this state of awareness including nirvana and heaven. It is a state that is simply described as living your life with unconditional love, gratitude, and respect, for your self, and for others.
The Opportunity
I’ve spent many years personally studying with don Miguel Ruiz. After my life and relationships were completely transformed I asked him if there was anything that I could do for him in return. He said, “If you want to, share with others what you have learned and how you live your life so they can be happy as well.â€
That help has taken the form of material on my web sites, personal coaching guidance, online audio course in Self Mastery, and Spiritual Intensive Journeys. I am also working on a book about my experiences.
There are many practical actions you can take to speed up changing your life and live more impeccably In my years of study with don Miguel what he has written in his books is a small fraction of his teachings.
While don Miguel is no longer teaching, you can still learn the practices, process, wisdom and insights from those he trained. You are invited to take advantage of the material in my web sites, my personal coaching services, and the workshops and Power Journeys I lead.
The best place to start is the Self Mastery Audio Series. It is a self paced program of mp3 audio files that you download and listen to. Each session has very specific practical exercises to help you implement aspects of mastering the Four Agreements. The first four sessions are free so that you can sample the material and see if it will work for you. The next 10 sessions are only $99.
As an alternative you can listen to many of the free mp3 audios that I have placed on line that deal with issues like, How not to take thing personally, Changing Core Beliefs, Free Will, Feeling Not Good Enough, Hidden Assumptions, Do We Have Free Will, and others.
I wish you much Love, Joy, and Laughter in your Journey,
Gary van Warmerdam
Gary van Warmerdam is a Guide for individuals seeking a life of Love, Gratitude, and freedom from fear and judgments. He has spent over 15 years personally studying and learning from don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements and other best selling books. He is available for personal coaching. You can reach him at 805-742-4131.

This must be a joke. They can't really possibly be spending our tax dollars on a retreat where they are going to talk about gibberish while our teachers are working hard educating students on pay freezes. Are these people for real?

If that retreat is real we should all show up and protest. Stop wasting our tax money on bullshit stuff for the admin office. Get real and give out teachers a raise.

Fairfax County School Board

Retreat Agenda



Fairfax High School

George Stepp Library

Saturday, January 22, 2011







Saturday, January 22



9:00 a.m. Book Discussion - The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz



10:45 a.m. School Board Member Roles and Responsibilities



12:15 p.m. Adjourn

from Wikipedia:

--
Don Miguel Ãngel Ruiz (born 1952), better known as Don Miguel Ruiz, is a Mexican author of New Age spiritualist and neoshamanistic texts.

Neoshamanism, or Neo-Shamanism is a term signaling a "new" form or a revival of an old form of "Shamanism", a system that comprises a range of beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spiritual world.

Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world.[2] A practitioner of shamanism is known as a shaman (pronounced /ˈʃɑËmÉ™n/ "SHAH-men"or /ˈʃeɪmÉ™n/ "SHAY-men").[3]

Shamanism encompasses the belief that shamans are intermediaries or messengers between the human world and the spirit worlds. Shamans are said to treat ailments/illness by mending the soul. Alleviating traumas affecting the soul/spirit restores the physical body of the individual to balance and wholeness. The shaman also enters supernatural realms or dimensions to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the community. Shamans may visit other worlds/dimensions to bring guidance to misguided souls and to ameliorate illnesses of the human soul caused by foreign elements. The shaman operates primarily within the spiritual world, which in turn affects the human world. The restoration of balance results in the elimination of the ailment.[4]


--

Maybe that Shaman can do something about the budget deficit or all those pesky Clifton ES FOIA requests!

Our students are falling behind in the world and educational standards are diminishing and is it any wonder why when you look at what the people that are making the decisions about how they are to be educated are spending their time? The main discussion in their retreat pretty much sums up why America is falling behind. This is the leadership that is running it.

How does the Ruiz shaman retreat contribute one jot to the quality of education in Fairfax County?

It's complete pig poo.

I am poor. Well, poorer.
Why?
There are more than 2 dozen assistant superintendents in FCPS earning six figures.
The superintendent, Jack Dale, has a total compensation package over $400K.
He drives a free car. Gets free medical coverage.
My children get less and less in school while we are asked to send in more and more.
The teachers can't do it; they haven't had a pay raise in two years.
My teachers ask for markers, paper, anything to try and make ends meet.

And the school board goes on retreat?
For what? This?
The Four Agreements are:
1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best

And the school had to pass a requirement not to disparage the public? And they argued about it? Liz Bradsher supposedly didn't even want to agree?
This is what they fight about? Retreat about?

No wonder I am poorer.

They get POINTS for CLOSING a school?

Each district could apply for and get up to $15 million?

Basically, exactly what the new cost is for all the additions they want to build in the southwestern part of the county?

Did FCPS and Bradsher sell out Clifton to get $15 million from the state?


http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904
Southwest students might see change in school assignments
Plan to reassign kids to other elementaries would cost $15.1M


http://www.doe.virginia.gov/school_finance/arra/competitive/index.shtml#construction

"Application for Criteria-based Awards of CY 2009 (Remaining) and CY 2010 Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) Allocation for School Renovation and Construction Projects
Application Submission Deadline: November 19, 2010"
Project/Application Notice: Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) are tax credit bonds authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for school construction and renovation projects. Under the program, issuers are eligible to receive a direct federal subsidy in an amount that is expected to offset the interest payments made on the bonds, resulting in zero or near zero interest cost. Issuers are still responsible for repayment of principal. QSCBs include specific eligibility requirements for project financing: (1) a binding commitment with a 3rd party to spend 10 percent of the proceeds must be entered into within 6 months of the issuance of the QSCBs and 100 percent of the proceeds (including earnings thereon) must be spent within three years of issuance. Any proceeds remaining at the end of the three year temporary period must be returned and used to redeem bonds and will not be available for the project. (2) Construction contracts must be in compliance with the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage and labor standards established by the U.S. Department of Labor. (3) QSCB proceeds can be used to pay off interim
"financing. However, any such interim financing (a) cannot be a qualified tax credit bond, (b) must otherwise meet the requirements for qualifying expenditures for QSCB financing, and (c) must have been issued or incurred on or after March 18, 2010.

Approximately $229.5 million in QSCB bond allocation is available for projects involving new construction (including land purchase), building additions, and renovations of local public school facilities. This QSCB allocation will be awarded for individual or multiple projects (subject to a $15 million allocation cap per division) based on the following selection criteria and a rank ordering of the associated criteria points (100 points maximum per project): (1) a consolidation project that results in a net reduction of at least one school (25 points); (2) a project that eliminates student overcrowding or classroom trailers (20 points); (3) a project in a division with a composite index below 0.2500 "
"or an unemployment rate in the locality above 10 percent (20 points); (4) a project that replaces a public school facility that is more than 35 years old (15 points); (5) a project that includes the installation of a school-wide, high-speed computer network for use by teachers and students (10 points); and (6) preference for a project in a division that has not received any prior QSCB funding (10 points). In addition, Governor McDonnell may, on a discretionary basis, award QSCB allocations for eligible Literary Fund projects, for emergency projects with significant health or safety issues, or for projects with other significant extenuating circumstances. Final awards of QSCB allocations will be announced by an Executive Order issued by Governor McDonnell.

QSCB allocations will be provided through the Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA), and will require the issuance of general obligation bonds by the participating localities with a maturity structure consistent with the program

"
"requirements. The maturity period on QSCBs has ranged from 14 to 16 years as determined by the U. S. Treasury. Localities will be required to pay annual debt service payments on their local school bonds during this period.

Project contact information and application forms found in the last five tabs of this file are to be used by localities/divisions that wish to apply for QSCB financing for eligible projects. A separate application form must be completed and submitted for each project for which QSCB financing is being requested. The deadline for submitting an application to the Virginia Department of Education is November 19, 2010.

More information on the QSCB program, including all current application materials, is available on the Virginia Department of Education Web site at:
"
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/school_finance/arra/competitive/index.shtml

She Wouldn't? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They get POINTS for CLOSING a school?
>
> Each district could apply for and get up to $15
> million?
>
> Basically, exactly what the new cost is for all
> the additions they want to build in the
> southwestern part of the county?
>
> Did FCPS and Bradsher sell out Clifton to get $15
> million from the state?
>
>
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904
> Southwest students might see change in school
> assignments
> Plan to reassign kids to other elementaries would
> cost $15.1M
>
>
> http://www.doe.virginia.gov/school_finance/arra/co
> mpetitive/index.shtml#construction
>
> "Application for Criteria-based Awards of CY 2009
> (Remaining) and CY 2010 Qualified School
> Construction Bonds (QSCBs) Allocation for School
> Renovation and Construction Projects
> Application Submission Deadline: November 19,
> 2010"
> Project/Application Notice: Qualified School
> Construction Bonds (QSCBs) are tax credit bonds
> authorized under the American Recovery and
> Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for school
> construction and renovation projects. Under the
> program, issuers are eligible to receive a direct
> federal subsidy in an amount that is expected to
> offset the interest payments made on the bonds,
> resulting in zero or near zero interest cost.
> Issuers are still responsible for repayment of
> principal. QSCBs include specific eligibility
> requirements for project financing: (1) a binding
> commitment with a 3rd party to spend 10 percent of
> the proceeds must be entered into within 6 months
> of the issuance of the QSCBs and 100 percent of
> the proceeds (including earnings thereon) must be
> spent within three years of issuance. Any
> proceeds remaining at the end of the three year
> temporary period must be returned and used to
> redeem bonds and will not be available for the
> project. (2) Construction contracts must be in
> compliance with the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage
> and labor standards established by the U.S.
> Department of Labor. (3) QSCB proceeds can be
> used to pay off interim
> "financing. However, any such interim financing
> (a) cannot be a qualified tax credit bond, (b)
> must otherwise meet the requirements for
> qualifying expenditures for QSCB financing, and
> (c) must have been issued or incurred on or after
> March 18, 2010.
>
> Approximately $229.5 million in QSCB bond
> allocation is available for projects involving new
> construction (including land purchase), building
> additions, and renovations of local public school
> facilities. This QSCB allocation will be awarded
> for individual or multiple projects (subject to a
> $15 million allocation cap per division) based on
> the following selection criteria and a rank
> ordering of the associated criteria points (100
> points maximum per project): (1) a consolidation
> project that results in a net reduction of at
> least one school (25 points); (2) a project that
> eliminates student overcrowding or classroom
> trailers (20 points); (3) a project in a division
> with a composite index below 0.2500 "
> "or an unemployment rate in the locality above 10
> percent (20 points); (4) a project that replaces a
> public school facility that is more than 35 years
> old (15 points); (5) a project that includes the
> installation of a school-wide, high-speed computer
> network for use by teachers and students (10
> points); and (6) preference for a project in a
> division that has not received any prior QSCB
> funding (10 points). In addition, Governor
> McDonnell may, on a discretionary basis, award
> QSCB allocations for eligible Literary Fund
> projects, for emergency projects with significant
> health or safety issues, or for projects with
> other significant extenuating circumstances.
> Final awards of QSCB allocations will be announced
> by an Executive Order issued by Governor
> McDonnell.
>
> QSCB allocations will be provided through the
> Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA), and will
> require the issuance of general obligation bonds
> by the participating localities with a maturity
> structure consistent with the program
>
> "
> "requirements. The maturity period on QSCBs has
> ranged from 14 to 16 years as determined by the U.
> S. Treasury. Localities will be required to pay
> annual debt service payments on their local school
> bonds during this period.
>
> Project contact information and application forms
> found in the last five tabs of this file are to be
> used by localities/divisions that wish to apply
> for QSCB financing for eligible projects. A
> separate application form must be completed and
> submitted for each project for which QSCB
> financing is being requested. The deadline for
> submitting an application to the Virginia
> Department of Education is November 19, 2010.
>
> More information on the QSCB program, including
> all current application materials, is available on
> the Virginia Department of Education Web site at:
>
> "
> http://www.doe.virginia.gov/school_finance/arra/co
> mpetitive/index.shtml


If they gained points for closing Clifton (Item #1), wouldn't they at the same time be losing points for CREATING overcrowding and implementing trailers (Item #2) OR maybe the State doesn't know that #1 is creating #2?

I just keep reading to get educated on the information.

It just is plain as the nose on your face over and over again.

Payola is an old phrase but I'll bet it's here somewhere to be found.
Attachments:

Was it true that

1) Clifton ES boundary had less than 200 families and

2) an enrollment of 350 AND

3) Water was an issue ( no tap water allowed) AND

4) was one of the older schools in need of much repair.

I am catching up on CES closing finally and after reading a couple of articles in Wash Post - this is the first impression I am getting.

Where have you been the last six months? Read the past e-mails. I would not go by the Washington Post for news in Fairfax. These posts here are so much better.

I find it interesting all the complaints by Clifton parents about how far the new elementary schools are. Clifton people say "renovate our school and send more students here." Don't they realize how far the new students would have to travel to get to a renovated, larger Clifton Elementary? Oak View is across the street from Robinson. Fairview is closer than Robinson. Why haven't there been complaints about the distance to MS and HS?

Clifton and Oak View are both elementary schools. Little kids should not be on the bus for over one and a half hours a day. Older kids can handle it. We are talking about kids ages 5-11. Clifton would love for kids to come over from Willow Springs and Union Mill. They are close. The SB does not care about ANY of the kids being moved in Fairfax. It is just not Clifton. That is the shame in all of this.

We have invested a lot of time and money to save a great school. We all laugh about being called "elite". I call it the American dream. I worked hard and this is how we are treated.

what gives? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find it interesting all the complaints by
> Clifton parents about how far the new elementary
> schools are. Clifton people say "renovate our
> school and send more students here." Don't they
> realize how far the new students would have to
> travel to get to a renovated, larger Clifton
> Elementary? Oak View is across the street from
> Robinson. Fairview is closer than Robinson. Why
> haven't there been complaints about the distance
> to MS and HS?


Interesting - same argument came from the SCHOOL BOARD - and how, exactly, do you propose to get the children OUT of Clifton?

The same roads that take kids IN to Clifton go OUT. So, it is OK to bus an entire school population to many different schools but not ok to bus any children into it?

If it isn't ok to bus any kids "all the way into Clifton", it just supports their argument that the attendance area deserves to keep its school.

Regarding MS and HS - it is one and the same. ALL Clifton children go to Robinson, which is a secondary school.

7th to 12th graders riding for an extended period of time is completely different than primary grade children. FCPS will not tell anyone how long the proposed bus rides will be for the elementary children because THEY DON'T KNOW.
They don't know how long rides will be.
They don't know where the children will go.
They don't know how much it will cost to send them to a bunch of different schools.
They don't know if all the schools will now meed educational specifications.
They don't know how many lunch periods they will create at all the schools.
They don't know how SACC will be handled.
They don't know when additions will be built.

How far will anyone have to travel to go to any school?
Kind of a basic question you would think FCPS would start by answering before shoving this massive study down everyone's throats.

Think I'll go read "Great Expectations" - don't know why, I am suddenly in the mood.
Or "Crime and Punishment"
Or "1994"
Or "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
Nope. I got it.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
Wonder who I'll picture as Nurse Ratchet?

what gives? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find it interesting all the complaints by
> Clifton parents about how far the new elementary
> schools are. Clifton people say "renovate our
> school and send more students here." Don't they
> realize how far the new students would have to
> travel to get to a renovated, larger Clifton
> Elementary? Oak View is across the street from
> Robinson. Fairview is closer than Robinson. Why
> haven't there been complaints about the distance
> to MS and HS?

I understand your point, Clifton & Farifax Station people bought houses far away from Robinson, so they should expect far bus rides. But I think the concern for elementary students is that these are 5-10 year olds that will spend 45 min - 1 hour each way on a bus. But, I don't think it's that big a deal.

My grandma used to pinch a penny til Lincoln screamed.

If Dale weren't a Snake Oil Salesman, you'd think he was The Miracle Worker.

Wow, that Clifton money is like the loaves and fishes. They just keep multiplying over and over (and over - and over - and over).

Funny thing, I don't remember voting for the bond money.

So, Dale's even better - he is multiplying it right out of thin air.

In an election year to boot.

So, what happened to our renovation - did Erik and Liz have a fight?
Attachments:

I think this lady, and I use that term loosely, is one of the top people in FCPS. She is spending her time and her employees' time looking at a website of an educational group?
How much is she paid for this "public service"?

This is why our country is trillions of dollars in debt.

What an abuse of public trust.
Attachments:

Keep these e-mails coming! I think under law Liz may be in trouble.

Wait till you see the e-mails FCPS does not want you to see.

agree Wrote:
> I understand your point, Clifton & Farifax Station
> people bought houses far away from Robinson, so
> they should expect far bus rides. But I think the
> concern for elementary students is that these are
> 5-10 year olds that will spend 45 min - 1 hour
> each way on a bus. But, I don't think it's that
> big a deal.

You are right about Robinson - generally a great school.
But Bradsher and you don't have 5, 6, 7, 8 year olds living in Clifton.
We do. It is unreasonable to expect our young children to make undertermined length bus rides. Emails show Bradsher traded our futures - our financial futures, since we picked our houses to live here including our school - to benefit herself.

Why can't she just be fired or whatever you do when someone does what she did to the people she was supposed to represent?

takes one to know one
Attachments:

Little Peeps Mom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> agree Wrote:
> > I understand your point, Clifton & Farifax
> Station
> > people bought houses far away from Robinson, so
> > they should expect far bus rides. But I think
> the
> > concern for elementary students is that these
> are
> > 5-10 year olds that will spend 45 min - 1 hour
> > each way on a bus. But, I don't think it's that
> > big a deal.
>
> You are right about Robinson - generally a great
> school.
> But Bradsher and you don't have 5, 6, 7, 8 year
> olds living in Clifton.
> We do. It is unreasonable to expect our young
> children to make undertermined length bus rides.
> Emails show Bradsher traded our futures - our
> financial futures, since we picked our houses to
> live here including our school - to benefit
> herself.
>
> Why can't she just be fired or whatever you do
> when someone does what she did to the people she
> was supposed to represent?


Don't presume that I don't live in Clifton, I do. My child goes to Clifton, and all but 1 of my kids had Mrs. Moore in Kindergarten. I also have at child at Robinson, go Rams. I knew bus rides were going to be long when we moved here, but worth it. If they get into TJ, I'll welcome an even longer bus ride. BTW, I dislike Bradsher as much as the next person, she a liar, and we elected her based on community schools platform, how ironic.

Coming back to my observations:

Was it true that

1) Clifton ES boundary had less than 200 families and

2) had an enrollment of 350 AND

3) had water issues ( no tap water allowed) AND

4) CES was one of the older schools in need of much repair.

I think all these facts are true - and therefore all the posters keep bashing the FCPS board.

FCPS Board is doing a pretty decent job with the new boundaries and folks impacted by CES closure are now just flinging mud and hoping it sticks.

sdas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coming back to my observations:
>
> Was it true that
>
> 1) Clifton ES boundary had less than 200 families


ACTUALLY THERE ARE MORE THAN 2000 HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN THE CES BOUNDARY.


> 2) had an enrollment of 350

WRONG AGAIN! THERE ARE MORE THAN 350 STUDENTS ENROLLED AT CES.

>
> 3) had water issues ( no tap water allowed)

AND AGAIN! THE WATER HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY TESTED AND DEEMED SAFE TO CONSUME.
>
> 4) CES was one of the older schools in need of
> much repair.

ONCE AGAIN YOU FAIL! THE LARGEST SECTION OF THE SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN 1984 AND FROM ALL APPEARANCES IS ROCK SOLID. THE ONLY FOLKS THAT SEEM TO THINK IT NEEDS MAJOR RENOVATIONS ARE CERTAIN BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE USING THIS AS AN EXCUSE TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL.


>
> I think all these facts are true - and therefore
> all the posters keep bashing the FCPS board.

>
ZERO OUT OF FOUR. YOU REMIND ME OF SOME OF THE UNETHICAL FOLKS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD DESPERATELY GRASPING FOR (INACCURATE AND UNTRUE) REASONS TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL. EACH TIME AN EXCUSE WAS GIVEN TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL, THEN SUBSEQUENTLY DISPROVED, ANOTHER MORE "FAR-FETCHED" REASON WAS SUBSTITUTED IN.


> FCPS Board is doing a pretty decent job with the
> new boundaries and folks impacted by CES closure
> are now just flinging mud and hoping it sticks.


BOTTOM LINE; THERE IS SOMETHING VERY FISHY GOING ON HERE. IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ THESE E-MAILS THE MOTIVATION FOR THE CLOSING OF CLIFTON APPEARS TO BE DRIVEN BY PERSONAL GAIN RATHER THAN THE BETTERMENT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I DON'T THINK IT'S "FLINGING MUD". I BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE PEOPLE OF CLIFTON INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE ILLEGAL AND CURRUPT ACTIVITY THAT RESULTED IN THEIR COMMUNITY'S SCHOOL BEING SHUT DOWN.

Don't know what to think of a School Board that doesn't subscribe to the fact that businesses and public school systems derive mutual benefit.
Attachments:

sdas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coming back to my observations:
>
> Was it true that
>
> 1) Clifton ES boundary had less than 200 families


The Clifton ES attendance area has 2,200 households
(maybe you just missed a 2? - that's kind of par with FCPS - just missing a zip code)

sdas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coming back to my observations:
>
> Was it true that

> 2) had an enrollment of 350 AND

No - Clifton ES has 374 seats and 370 enrolled - 99% full.
They have added four students this school year.
Their enrollment has been consistent, with no fewer than 366 in over 15 years.

sdas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coming back to my observations:
>
> Was it true that
>
> 3) had water issues ( no tap water allowed) AND


No.
Attachments:

sdas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coming back to my observations:
>
> Was it true that
>
> 4) CES was one of the older schools in need of
> much repair.

No.
The comment about Compton Road is interesting, as FCPS is now proposing transporting a large number of students on the road.
They aren't building a new school, so those items come off the table as well.
Schools aren't renovated without meeting Code; this is invalid.
The School Board rep says herself the school is in fairly good condition. The parents have testified to the same and the money was approved in two Bond Referendum cycles to do renovation planning.
They should have had it done.
None of the facts you assumed to be correct were accurate.
Attachments:

Liz Bradsher has dug her own grave Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keep these e-mails coming! I think under law Liz
> may be in trouble.
>
> Wait till you see the e-mails FCPS does not want
> you to see.


What exactly do the Clifton parents think is in the additional e-mails they are trying to pry from FCPS? Are they going after the e-mails that were sent during the Board meeting?

The incoherence of Liz's writing is staggering. She really needs to get some help. She would be a good example to our children of why drinking is so destructive. It not only destroys the person, but others around them. In this case, it has wrought destruction on many, many people.

I wonder if she could pass a writing SOL??? If I got a letter like the above one from her, I would be mortified. She's a school board member??? WOW.

There are so many people complaining about Liz Bradsher's writing style, and they need to stop and give her a break.

They don't realize how hard it can be to write a clear sentence when you don't believe a single word that you're saying. They should sit down the next time they plan to flat-out lie to others and see just how difficult it is to write clearly in such challenging circumstances. This has been very, very tough on her personally.

The round trip for a DC liquor run is soooooo long in a snowstorm!

QUICK-turn to channel 21.

Not only is the Clifton closing going to pay for all of the renovations AND all day K....IT WILL PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT!!!!!!!!

$14 TRILLION PAID OFF.....all becasue we closed Clifton.

Not sure how that book discussion went at the retreat-did Tessie show up? Maybe she read the Cliffnotes.

I saw her car outside of Luther Jackson Middle.

She has a Gerry Scary bumper sticker on it!

Maybe she could put one on there that insults Sharon Bulova also.

That might be kinda fun when she has her greedy little hands out for more money from the county to "run" our schools. More like "run them into the ground".

Go Tessie! keep up with that whole self improvement crap you have going on.

BREAKING NEWS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> QUICK-turn to channel 21.
>
> Not only is the Clifton closing going to pay for
> all of the renovations AND all day K....IT WILL
> PAY OFF THE NATIONAL DEBT!!!!!!!!
>
> $14 TRILLION PAID OFF.....all becasue we closed
> Clifton.


I am confused. I thought when they closed Pimmit Hills School that it paid off the National Debt. It's amazing what these school closings can do, isn't it?

Two Way Street Wrote:
> How far will anyone have to travel to go to any
> school?
> Kind of a basic question you would think FCPS
> would start by answering before shoving this
> massive study down everyone's throats.
>
> Think I'll go read "Great Expectations" - don't
> know why, I am suddenly in the mood.
> Or "Crime and Punishment"
> Or "1994"
> Or "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
> Nope. I got it.
> "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
> Wonder who I'll picture as Nurse Ratchet?


OK - just could not resist the reference. Here you go, cuz there's nothing better than the image of you know who as Nurse Ratched.
Attachments:

Can't draw, but won't let that stop me:
Attachments:

Liz Bradsher is the most hated and most dishonest women in Fairfax County.

For anyone doubting the water quality at CES, here's your proof, straight from FCPS that the water is ALL GOOD!!!!!!!

Oh and by the way, copper and lead DON'T come from the ground! Copper and lead come from the plumbing. How many other schools in FCPS have copper and lead in their water? CES is NOT the only school with copper plumbing and lead solder. CES is just the ONLY school required to test the water because it's on a well.

This just proves once again that FCPS is sending out FALSE information.



Dear Clifton Elementary Parent:

Since October 2008, students and staff at Clifton Elementary School have used bottled water for drinking due to elevated lead and copper levels in the groundwater system (wells). After careful analysis, a team of experts agreed that the elevated levels resulted from the inability of the corrosion control system to sufficiently control the low pH in the groundwater. This team was composed of representatives from the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Drinking Water, Virginia Machinery and Well Company (a drinking water treatment industry expert), and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) engineers, and maintenance, safety and environmental staff.

As a result of these findings, FCPS staff installed a new corrosion filtration system in May 2010, capable of raising the pH level of the water, which reduces the amount of copper and lead in the water.

We are pleased to report that the water is now safe to drink as the pH level has been raised sufficiently and the water is no longer leaching lead or copper into the distribution system. This report is based on the two most recent tests, the results of which were in full compliance with the Commonwealth of Virginia and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lead and Copper rule.

With the new corrosion control system optimally working and having consistently favorable water results, FCPS maintenance staff will remove the water fountain bubbler covers and replace any missing water fountain spigots. They will also clean and flush these devices to prepare them for use. This work will take place during the upcoming teacher workdays on January 31 and February 1. Drinking fountains will be safe and fully operational beginning on February 2.

For those staff and students who might be concerned about water quality and would like to continue using bottled water, FCPS will provide bottled water for their use.

FCPS staff will be regularly testing and monitoring the water quality and distribution system to ensure the safety of the water supply.

We anticipate that staff, parents, and students may have questions or concerns regarding the well water. Please feel free to direct those questions or concerns to Douglass O’Neill, Coordinator of Safety and Environmental Health, at 571-423-2016 or at doneill@fcps.edu. Thank you very much.




-----About this E-mail-----

This e-mail has been sent to you by FCPS. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FCPS IN PERSON, by US MAIL, by TELEPHONE at (571) 423-1210 or REPLY TO THIS E-MAIL.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2011 05:43PM by herewegoagain.

"a team of experts agreed that the elevated levels resulted from the inability of the corrosion control system to sufficiently control the low pH in the groundwater."

O'Neill, Tistadt, Hunter - Bradsher - you have just told the world FCPS f'd up the corrosion control system and FAILED to properly address the issue. What, on purpose?

You are nothing more than a corrupt school mafia.

The timing of your 'keep in touch' message is so obvious. Tired of people fighting back? We are just 'keeping in touch' - like reaching out and touching someone.

Elliot Ness took out Al Capone over financials - think you will survive the public's scrutiny?

Time for the FCPS Mafia to go.

and worse yet, the email below proves that they knew how to fix the problem long before May 2010.






From: SKYantis@aol.com [mailto:SKYantis@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 4:05 PM
To: Mayorofcliftonva@aol.com
Cc: michael.anton@cox.net; Springfield BOS Email
Subject: Re: Clifton Elementary School

Tom,

I spoke with Bob Edelman, Virginia Department of Health (VDH), today
regarding issues with the well at the school. He is going to fax me
some information. As I understand it, the issue with the well is that
the pipes are old and corrosive; therefore, the pipes affect the water
quality with increased levels of lead and copper in the water. He
mentioned that the problem is variable in that some times the levels are
increased and other times it is fine. However, VDH recommended to the
School system several years ago to install a "corrosion inhibitor"
system to the well. This system is widely used for this purpose and is
very successful in alleviating the problem. It consists of a 50 gallon
tank, metering pump, hose, connectors and wiring...very simple system.
Fairfax Water as well as the water system in DC uses this system for the
aging pipes in their jurisdictions. It is very cost-effective and
simple to add to the system. He estimated maybe $5000 but was not sure
of the exact cost. Bob indicated that the issue of the well alone
should not justify closing of the school.



Let me know who to contact at Bell Well & Pump so I can convey this info
and fax them the information from VDH.



Susan Yantis

From the best of - Fairfax Times, the new PR extension of FCPS.
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904


Does Holly Hobbs work for Barbara Hunter now?
Attachments:

herewegoagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> and worse yet, the email below proves that they
> knew how to fix the problem long before May 2010.
>
>
> From: SKYantis@aol.com
> Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 4:05 PM
> To: Mayorofcliftonva@aol.com
> Cc: michael.anton@cox.net; Springfield BOS Email
> Subject: Re: Clifton Elementary School
>
> Tom,
>
> I spoke with Bob Edelman, Virginia Department of
> Health (VDH), today
> regarding issues with the well at the school. He
> is going to fax me
> some information. As I understand it, the issue
> with the well is that
> the pipes are old and corrosive; therefore, the
> pipes affect the water
> quality with increased levels of lead and copper
> in the water. He
> mentioned that the problem is variable in that
> some times the levels are
> increased and other times it is fine. However,
> VDH recommended to the
> School system several years ago to install a
> "corrosion inhibitor"
> system to the well. This system is widely used
> for this purpose and is
> very successful in alleviating the problem. It
> consists of a 50 gallon
> tank, metering pump, hose, connectors and
> wiring...very simple system.
> Fairfax Water as well as the water system in DC
> uses this system for the
> aging pipes in their jurisdictions. It is very
> cost-effective and
> simple to add to the system. He estimated maybe
> $5000 but was not sure
> of the exact cost. Bob indicated that the issue
> of the well alone
> should not justify closing of the school.
>
>
> Let me know who to contact at Bell Well & Pump so
> I can convey this info
> and fax them the information from VDH.
>
>
> Susan Yantis
Attachments:

Pretty much sums them up.
Attachments:

Don't be fooled by Bradsher's apparent interest in West Springfield High School. This is just a feint so she can really concentrate on her ONLY interest in FCPS, i.e., the schools in the South County pyramid.

This is the worst school board in the history of FCPS. Liz, Tessie and Tina are the corks in the bottle.

Quote-tastic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From the best of - Fairfax Times, the new PR
> extension of FCPS.
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904
>
>
> Does Holly Hobbs work for Barbara Hunter now?

Reporters are mostly lazy, and those assigned to Metro desks are generally the laziest of them all. Same for the hacks who work for papers like the Fairfax Times.

They think a "scoop" is getting five minutes of Tessie Wilson's time to hear her blather about a redistricting that helps ensure that our elementary schools "only" have 950 students.

Pathetic.

SC Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Liz Bradsher is the most hated and most dishonest women in Fairfax County.<

Kathy Smith and Janie Strauss give Liz a strong run for her money for that title.

BTW, someone has announced for the Republican endorsement for the Springfield district seat on School Board: Elizabeth Schultz.

And apparently, Liz is not even trying to get that endorsement.

Has she figured out that she has no shot?

What do folks know about Ms. Schultz?

Don't all the alcohol references in her e-mails constitute some sort of violation of FCPS rules? I've worked with some heavy drinkers, and I've never seen anyone referring to drinking in their e-mail communication like this lady.

Quote-tastic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From the best of - Fairfax Times, the new PR
> extension of FCPS.
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904
>
>
> Does Holly Hobbs work for Barbara Hunter now?


Boycott the advertisers of this driveway pulping rag. Let the advertisers know that if you see ads in this birdcage liner, you'll never by visit there again. This paper is totally in bed with the school board and the entire big-government apparatus of FFX CO.

Believe me, it'll work if just a couple dozen people tell a realtor that they will bad mouth them if they don't back down or a local business that they'll tell their friends not to go there.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SC Parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Liz Bradsher is the most hated and most
> dishonest women in Fairfax County.<
>
> Kathy Smith and Janie Strauss give Liz a strong
> run for her money for that title.
>
> BTW, someone has announced for the Republican
> endorsement for the Springfield district seat on
> School Board: Elizabeth Schultz.
>
> And apparently, Liz is not even trying to get that
> endorsement.
>
> Has she figured out that she has no shot?
>
> What do folks know about Ms. Schultz?


I know that Ms. Schultz and her husband have been interested and involved in education for awhile. Believe they are basically the people who set up the Innovation and Invention Fair at Clifton Elementary that CES has every year which revolves around innovation and science. It would be nice to have someone on the Board that is actually interested in the education of the kids.

Quote-tastic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From the best of - Fairfax Times, the new PR extension of FCPS. http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904<;

Isn't it strange that Brad Center and Janie Strauss have prominent quotes; Bradsher has none; and Wilson and Smith have almost nothing substantive to say. Yet the schools are in Bradsher's, Smith's & Wilson's districts.

Is this another example of Regnier's pr shop in action?

What a maroon!

In the email below, Liz states that many of the reasons for the closing of CES dealt with "matters of education". Really?? Since when do you close an award winning school based on "matters of education"?






From: Bradsher, Elizabeth (School Board Member) [ETBradsher@fcps.edu]
To: Reesie Stukes
CC:
BCC:
Sent: 9/2/2010 3:49:45 PM
Subject: RE: SAVE CLIFTON ELEMENTARY

Attachments:


Thank you for your email. We have many great schools in Fairfax County
and many needs. The action to close Clifton took place in July as a
result of a 9-2 School Board vote. The decision to close Clifton was
due to researched and documented reasons many of which dealt with
matters of education.



Sincerely,

Liz Bradsher



Elizabeth T. Bradsher

Fairfax County School Board

Springfield District

Phone: (571) 296-1875

Debora L. Cain, Executive Administrative Assistant

Phone: (571) 423-1070

herewegoagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the email below, Liz states that many of the
> reasons for the closing of CES dealt with "matters
> of education". Really?? Since when do you close
> an award winning school based on "matters of
> education"?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: Bradsher, Elizabeth (School Board Member)
> To: Reesie Stukes
> CC:
> BCC:
> Sent: 9/2/2010 3:49:45 PM
> Subject: RE: SAVE CLIFTON ELEMENTARY
>
> Attachments:
>
>
> Thank you for your email. We have many great
> schools in Fairfax County
> and many needs. The action to close Clifton took
> place in July as a
> result of a 9-2 School Board vote. The decision
> to close Clifton was
> due to researched and documented reasons many of
> which dealt with
> matters of education.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Liz Bradsher
>
>
>
> Elizabeth T. Bradsher
>
> Fairfax County School Board
>
> Springfield District
>
> Phone: (571) 296-1875
>
> Debora L. Cain, Executive Administrative
> Assistant
>
> Phone: (571) 423-1070

I don't think she could sound more ignorant if she tried.

Sincerely,

Skeptical

What do you have to say for yourselves?
Attachments:

The comments in this thread are phukking awesome, despite what some brainless sock puppet thinks

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Quote-tastic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > From the best of - Fairfax Times, the new PR
> extension of FCPS.
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904<;
>
>
> Isn't it strange that Brad Center and Janie
> Strauss have prominent quotes; Bradsher has none;
> and Wilson and Smith have almost nothing
> substantive to say. Yet the schools are in
> Bradsher's, Smith's & Wilson's districts.
>
> Is this another example of Regnier's pr shop in
> action?
>
> What a maroon!

I noticed this too. The school board is pushing hard to get some positive spin here.

Does any media outlet in the area dare to pull back the curtain around the "Wizard of Oz" ? Declare "the emperor has no clothes on" ?

any enlightened media? Wrote:
> I noticed this too. The school board is pushing
> hard to get some positive spin here.
>
> Does any media outlet in the area dare to pull
> back the curtain around the "Wizard of Oz" ?
> Declare "the emperor has no clothes on" ?


EEWWW! That means we have to picture Dale (or Tistadt) with no clothes on - and we all know what their street rep on that.
No thanks - choosing to be oblivious on that.
On failure to perform (oops. Freudian slip!) will be a dog on a bone, though.

Yep, according to the word on the street, at the retreat the FCPS school board sat around for several hours talking about how to "better relate" to each other.

What about talking about how to help students and teachers?

Nov 2011 is how many months away......

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Quote-tastic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > From the best of - Fairfax Times, the new PR
> extension of FCPS.
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2904<;
>
>
> Isn't it strange that Brad Center and Janie
> Strauss have prominent quotes; Bradsher has none;
> and Wilson and Smith have almost nothing
> substantive to say. Yet the schools are in
> Bradsher's, Smith's & Wilson's districts.
>
> Is this another example of Regnier's pr shop in
> action?
>
> What a maroon!


Center is leaving....he is the new PR spin master for FCPS school board....

Time to send the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys packing.
Attachments:

Animorpher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Time to send the Wicked Witch and her flying
> monkeys packing.


Absolutely hilarious picture! I keep coming back to the list just to see all of these pictures!

any enlightened media? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More Wrote:

> I noticed this too. The school board is pushing
> hard to get some positive spin here.
>
> Does any media outlet in the area dare to pull
> back the curtain around the "Wizard of Oz" ?
> Declare "the emperor has no clothes on" ?


The SB wants coverage, we will give them coverage - which FCPS HS will be producing this come spring?
Attachments:

I tawt I taw a putty tat.

You did! You did tee a putty tat!

Oh, poor putty tat is scared!
Attachments:

Even the staff was doubting the projections for CES, and again didn't use the entire attendance boundary for CES. What a joke.






From: Bradsher, Elizabeth (School Board Member) [ETBradsher@fcps.edu]
To: James, Denise
CC:
BCC:
Sent: 6/28/2010 7:41:23 PM
Subject: Re: Housing Sales

Attachments:


Coincidence?

________________________________

From: James, Denise
To: Tistadt, Dean
Cc: Bradsher, Elizabeth (School Board Member)
Sent: Mon Jun 28 19:30:28 2010
Subject: FW: Housing Sales



This from Larry late last week - Charlie Rau indicated that 36 students were registered for kindergarten for this fall - today it seems to up already







From: Bizette, Larry T.
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 1:59 PM
To: James, Denise
Subject: Housing Sales



Total housing sales in the Clifton, Union Mill and part of Willow Springs areas (20124 zip code) for March, April and May of the following years:



2005 59

2006 56

2007 41

2008 36

2009 29

2010 51



How many of those houses sold were actually of retirees moving out and being replaced with younger families moving in?



Larry

Stay back 300 feet - flammable.
Attachments:

Will the real Liz Bradsher please stand up?
Attachments:

Not sure how Bradsher complains that her children opened hate mail and she was such a victim, when she sends what she thinks is hate mail directly to them.

This just states a mission - not hate. But when you live as a blamer and subscribing to victimology, you are never responsible for your actions.
Attachments:

Very creepy/weird that Liz Bradsher sends these emails (that people have written to Liz) to her daughter's email. Very unprofessional, and WEIRD.

How did Liz Bradsher ever gain acceptance into any college, let alone graduate? She seems to be quite unintelligent and primitive to have behaved in this manner as a school board *representative*.

Wow, she thinks that's hate mail? That sounded like a concerned, frustrated constituent petitioning their government - you know, the rights they talked about in the Declaration of Independence.

Anyone that perceives a policy diasgreement as hate speech really should not be in public life. And even if you perceive it that way, to share it with your child? 'Gee, Susy, look at how all the people that Mommy works for hate her'. Wierd.

I've been reading this thread with great interest. However, I'm now wondering if all this dissent is going to make any difference whatsoever. I hope it does, but haven't seen any difference in the stance of the school board or the FCPS admin.

Since everyone on here seems to have something to say, and you should be saying these things to the school board at the public hearing next week, I thought I'd make it easy for everyone to sign up. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JK798WD

You get 3 minutes, and remember, you may only speak about the SW boundary study. Which leaves the field wide open in my opinion. After all, if Liz B. hadn't gone to such extreme lengths to close CES, the SW Boundary Study would look much different. How many schools would be dropped from the SWBS if CES stayed open? Hmmmm??? Interestingly enough, someone did ask that question, but the staff hasn't answered it yet. Wonder if we'll have an answer before the hearing next week......


http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/southwesternstudy/faq.pdf
Posted January 13, 2011
1. Are there really no questions since 12-22-2010?

The most recent questions and responses have been posted.

2. Is there any procedure to open the topic to include Clifton as was originally in the scope and obviously impacts Option D (and A B C)? I know staff does not want to but can a school board member include?

This question has been referred to the Clerk of the School Board and a response will be provided in the near future.