Thursday, February 23, 2012

Clement-Garvey AGENA Debate Reveals Garvey Ignores Parents, Communicates With Insiders Regarding School Capacity

Hello Yupette,

I attended the AGENA (Arlington General Employees Association) debate this afternoon between Audy Clement and Libby Garvey (Mark Kelly did not attend).

Libby stressed her management of Arlington's school system. Audrey Clement stressed the need for fiscal responsibility in County Government. Both disagreed with County Manager Barbara Donnellan's handling of the dispute between the County and AGENA over defined benefit vs. defined contribution retirement plans.

One part of the debate that was very interesting occurred when Audrey asked why Tuckahoe parents were left out of the loop regarding new classroom construction. Libby responded by disparaging Tuckahoe parents who did not agree with the capacity planning 'decision makers'.

One of Libby's Fairlington neighbors attended the debate and repeatedly asked Libby when the ambitious plans for Abingdon School (which does not have capacity problems) were going to be revealed to the Fairlington community and when she would appear at a Fairlington Citizens Accociation meeting to discuss plans for Abingdon School with her neighbors. Libby would not only not commit to discuss Abingdon School planning with her neighbors, she stated she already met privately with several members of the Abingdon School PTA.

So, folks, here's the deal...whatever deal is worked out among Democratic Machine insiders about school capacity is gonna be a done deal before parents learn about it.

BTW, Audrey won the debate. I gave her and A and Libby a B-minus.

2100

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Garvey, School System, Are Anti-Environment, Anti-Green

Hello, Yupette,

Want to know how 'green' and 'environmentally friendly' Libby Garvey, the School Board, and School Administration are? Well, they're not. Just check out their 'capacity planning' drawings on the School System's capacity Web pages....apsva.us/capacity.

What you will see are architectural renderings of Libby Garvey's and the School System's preferred plans for Arlington's elementary schools...more of the same kind of energy inefficient and anti-green 'planning' that gave us W-L High School. More parking. More focus on educational amenities rather than classroom learning. More turning green space into impervious surface. No apparent interest in on-site renewable energy, at least none is depicted on the architectural renderings. Extravagant spending on schools that are not over-capacity - e.g., Abingdon School.

Like W-L and Wakefield, it appears that school capacity planning was a result of interactions among the School Board, School Administration, the School System's pet architects, and the School Board's pet 'community leaders'. It was interesting to note - during the meeting at Reed School last night - how many parents and residents who don't have children in the school system are 'out of the loop'.

So, more green charades from Libby and the School Board. Any action Libby would take to be 'independent' of Zimmerman on the County Board would be purely coincidental to their shared status quo agenda.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Garvey, School Board 'Desperate' for Classrooms

Hi Yupette,

You will be interested to know that Libby Garvey and the School Board are so desperate for classroom space that they are looking at using community centers as schools.

All the community centers are under consideration, Fairlington, Walter Reed, Aurora Hills, and so on.

Same school board that approved the ugly energy pig with too few classrooms that is W-L High school and the new sports-entertainment-recreation center that will be Wakefield High School.

Libby Garvey knew years ago that Arlington County was adding thousands of new housing units to the County's housing inventory every year. She's been constantly running for public office for a decade.

Libby Garvey should be running all right...for retirement. So should the other School Board members. The Superintendent should be asked to resign so he can do what he does best...coaching a sports team.

We've had 33 years of one-party rule here. Enough is enough.

K-12 Parent X 3