Thursday, March 22, 2012

Waverly Hills Debate Indicates School Board and County Board Share Serious Problems

Hello, Yupette:

I attended the Waverly Hills candidates' debate last night, which was delayed for a half-hour until Libby Garvey showed up.

Audrey Clement won the debate. Libby Garvey lost the debate when she and Audrey Clement showed that the County Board and School Board share similar serious problems, among them failure to communicate and failure to include parents and citizens in the decision-making process.

Libby again related how many problems she found when she was first elected to the School Board in 1996. But the School Board was controlled by Democrats in 1996, and Mary Hynes was elected in 1994. For much of the remainder of the debate Libby criticized the County Board for a laundry list of failings, most important, to her, the County Board's failure to 'strategize'.

Both Audrey Clement and Republican Mark Kelly (whose children attend Arlington's public schools) focused on 'needs first' priorities, e.g., basic infrastructure needs. However, Audrey attacked the credibility of Libby Garvey's statements about the Arlington School System's management by relating the conversations she had with Tuckahoe Elementary School parents who are outraged by the failure of the School Board and school administrators to communicate with them and include them in decision-making. Libby did not refute Audrey's assertions.

By the end of the debate Mark Kelly was stating that he agreed with Audrey. Only Audrey Clement had a strong platform and stated what she would and would not do if elected to the County Board. Libby Garvey did not commit to anything except to try to make the County Board 'strategize'.

Joan 22207

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm voting for Audrey Clement. We need common sense on the County Baoard, not Libby Garvey's nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Mary Hynes was supposed to make a big difference on the County Board. Things are worse now. County Board would never have voted $320,000 for a designer fence around the wastewater treatment plant five years ago.

Anonymous said...

You should have heard Democratic School Board member James Lander at last night's school capacity meeting. Politics drove the behind the scenes deal making over where new schools would be constructed. Parents and citizens are the last to know. Libby Garvey should retire, not inflict any more of her government by-of-for the insider politricksters BS on us.

W-L Parent said...

Yes, school capacity issues have been decided by a little in-group. That's what Libby Garvey would bring to the County board.

Anonymous said...

How do you make Chris Zimmerman do anything?

Anonymous said...

Not only County Board Democrats but all Democrats should be mad about Libby's relating a laundry list of County Board failures at debate after debate. No wonder they don't like her.

Anonymous said...

The streets in Libby Garvey's community, Fairlington, are a shambles. She could care less.

Deja Vu said...

1996 - School Board is a mess...Libby to the rescue.

2012 - County Board is a mess...Libby to the rescue.

Crumbling Pavement? WHAT Crumbling Pavement? said...

Libby was endorsed by her neighbor, Mr. Conflicts of Interest McCaffrey, who, these days mainly cares about continuing to serve on the Chamber of Commerce's BOD and being re-appointed to the County advisory commission he serves on.

Pike Rider said...

Audrey Clement wants double-deck bus service, like Vegas's, on the Pike, which would cost 7% to 10% as much as a streetcar system.

fed up Parent said...

Decisions about new schools and classrooms were made weeks ago by planners, architects, and consultants, most of them non-residents.

Anonymous said...

Only a corrupt political machine would work to elect a candidate who trashes its leadership.

Anonymous said...

Strategize? W-L High School will cost another $30-$50 million to complete because Libby's strategy was to build a sports-activity center rather than a school.

Anonymous said...

Read Libby Garvey's campaign Web page? She should call it: "Ramblings of a Retired Baby Boomer".

fairgrrl said...

Sun Gazette reported that Abingdon School is going to get a makeover. It's news to Libby's Fairlington neighbors.