With election day a little over a week away, the candidates for Falls Church City School Board are vying for your vote. We are fortunate here in Falls Church, to have citizens in our community willing to put in the time to serve on our school board. There are four candidates running this year for three seats. On your ballot you may vote for up to three candidates but you do not have to vote for three candidates. You can vote for one, two or three candidates. That is something that some voters may not know because the directions can be misinterpreted and some people thought they had to select as many candidates as there are seats open and you do not.
Remember it is not easy to create the time to campaign and put oneself out there to seek support so we appreciate these candidates and hope you will take the time to read and share their statements. Polls open Tuesday, November 5th at 6 am and are open until 7 pm. Please remind your friends to vote!
Susan Dimock
My husband, Mike, and I have lived in Falls Church for 19 years. We and our son, Casey, a 7th grader at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School, are fortunate to live next door to my mom and uncle, Ginny and George Cronin. I served as a room parent for Casey’s class every year from kindergarten through 6th grade. I joined the Health and Wellness School Board Advisory Committee in 2013 and have chaired the Committee since 2016. I was also a student at George Mason High School for my ninth-grade year. My 20+ years of working with college students and universities gives me a solid understanding of what many of our graduates will experience after GMHS and the academic, social and emotional skills they will need. My career is focused on experiential learning in higher education. I design, direct, and instruct semester-in-DC university programs, helping young adults successfully launch from school to life to career fulfillment. I hold a PhD in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego, a MA in History from the University of Toronto, and a BA in History from Cornell University.
Why I’m running:
It is an exciting time for Falls Church, with the completion of the Mt. Daniel expansion and the beginning of our new high school. The current school board recruited strong leadership in Superintendent Noonan and our schools are on a great trajectory. I see this as a time of growth and opportunity for our schools and our city. Our focus now is making sure our investments pay off for all students. I see six critical priorities in this progression: (1) ensuring that our new high school is on time and on budget, (2) implementing an evidence-based approach to technology use in our schools that prepares students while minimizing distraction, (3) ensuring that students of all abilities and interests are supported and challenged in their growth, (4) attracting and retaining strong teachers, (5) focusing on a culture of caring and inclusion, and (6) instilling independence, self-confidence and socio-emotional resilience to prepare our students for a complex world. Looking ahead, we must also be mindful that the strong economic growth of the past decade may not continue even as Falls Church attracts new residents and students. These dual challenges will require that the school board plan and think creatively about the future. I am proud to live in a city that prioritizes education and am excited to play a larger role in supporting our schools, students, and community.
Laura Downs
I am running for School Board as I believe the schools are the strongest they have been in years and I want to keep us on a path to success. A good portion of my platform is stewardship: keeping salaries competitive to recruit and retain great teachers; maintaining small class sizes; and smart budgeting to spend citizens’ tax dollars wisely. I also want to make sure all students, especially special education students, non-native English speakers, economically disadvantaged students and students experiencing mental health challenges, have access to academic, social and emotional support services. Finally, I will seek to enhance communication from the School Board and school system and create a standardized process to solicit feedback from parents. Of these issues, I feel the budget is the most important. I understand that citizens do not want additional taxes and yet our school system still has unmet needs such as the need for more social workers, psychologists and counselors. It will take creative solutions such as additional volunteers and working with organizations like the Falls Church Education Foundation, PTAs and community businesses to help fill the gaps.
My husband, Christian, our children and I moved to Falls Church City over ten years ago. We moved from Arlington to FCC because we wanted to take advantage of the small, stellar school system. We have four children in four of the five city schools (MD, TJ, MEH, GMHS). I served as Falls Church Elementary PTA President from 2017-2018 and during my tenure, worked with the other PTA presidents for passage of the GMHS Bond Referendum. I am a current Board Member of the Falls Church Education Foundation and a member of the Architectural Selection Advisory Committee for the new GMHS. Prior to starting a family, I served in two different roles at The George Washington University- Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Executive Director of Student Life. While at GW, I served as Chair of the National Advisory Council on Education and earned a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration. In terms of community leadership outside of the schools, I am a current Board member of the Falls Church Kiwanis Little League.
I feel it is imperative for the School Board and City Council to work closely together as the schools play a vital role in the success of our city. Watching the groups work together on the financing of the new high school and the planning for the commercial development on the high school campus is a great example of the two entities coming together to create a one-of-a-kind project that will greatly benefit the community. I understand our citizens are concerned about taxes and yet we have unmet needs in our school system. As a result, I will work to find creative solutions to help with the budget challenges. For example, many senior citizens have indicated to me that they would like to be more involved with the schools so perhaps having them volunteer to tutor non-Native English speakers would be a great way to engage the community and better support those students without straining the budget. Personally, I would like to be a very visible and accessible School Board member. I will continue to volunteer in the schools as I do now and will send out regular communication to the community.
Philip Reitinger
Hello, my name is Philip Reitinger and I am running for the Falls Church City School Board. I have lived in Falls Church City since 1998 and served on the School Board for four years, two of them as Vice Chair. I have three kids at GMHS who are FCCPS “lifers.” I have come to know many of the teachers and administrators in FCCPS personally, and I am committed to the success of the schools and the entire city.
I am often asked what it the most important issue facing our schools, however, there is no single issue. The most important issues include: (1) Addressing the needs of ALL our students, including those receiving special education and with limited English proficiency. We must recognize that the needs of our students are changing, and adapt. (2) Addressing stress in our students. In a school district such as ours, stress is significant challenge. Eradicating bullying from our schools, and building a caring environment, are a part of this. This requires both programs, like Mindfulness, and resources for counselors, psychologists, and others. (3) Ensuring all FCCPS students benefit from the inclusive, problem-solving IB approach. (4) Successfully finishing the build-out of the new George Mason High School. This is the biggest project in Falls Church’s history, and will and must be a cornerstone of our efforts
That said, at the end of the day, the very most important factor in the success of students and schools are teachers and other staff. Teachers need a number of things, but the two most important are planning time and better access to professional development. The latter requires that we find way to devote additional resources to professional development and continue to work through the Administration to find ways to improve access to the training that is available. The former also depends on the resources to have additional planning time for teachers. Paraprofessionals face these same challenges.
And of course, keeping teacher and staff pay competitive is essential.
As I mentioned at the start, I have served on the School Board for four years. I am proud of what the schools and the Board has accomplished in the time I have served. We completed the Mt. Daniel expansion, kept teacher and staff pay competitive, started construction of the new George Mason High School, and brought in the current Superintendent. But most of all I am proud that we no longer have students in trailers, anywhere in the school system. That is something of which the entire City can be proud.
Douglass Stevens
I think our schools are doing very well. I see ways we can improve, but they are all in the context of a system that is providing an excellent education to our students and is being run in a professional, responsible manner by our superintendent. As always, ensuring each student graduates equipped to succeed in life is the object of all school board activities, and all the issues we address should be prioritized accordingly.
Our schools are very strong academically, but I’ve heard too many stories from students, parents, and teachers about unreasonable levels of anxiety and stress. If our students are suffering socially, mentally, or emotionally, they will not be able to reap the benefits of their high-quality education. If elected, I will ask the school board to lead a community conversation on whether we are truly doing everything we can to identify and help students address the root causes of anxiety and stress.
Social connectedness is essential for our kids’ mental, emotional, and social health. As a school board member, I would like to explore how our policies and practices regarding technology impact our kids’ feeling of connectedness. For example, can we do more to facilitate meaningful interactions during lunch? I recently heard that a student felt depressed during lunch because his peers were busy with their phones and he had no one to talk with.
Polarization and alienation also leave our kids feeling disconnected from their community. My approach to diversity and inclusivity in our schools would include challenging our students to apply the I.B. traits of open-mindedness and risk-taking by getting to know peers who have different religious beliefs or political views, or who grew up in different parts of the world, and share their stories with one another. Our kids are some of the brightest, most creative, and civically-minded students in the nation. I believe they could be forerunners on inclusion that embraces diversity. Wouldn’t our nation benefit from leaders who grew up in that type of community?
As to why I am running for school board, my wife and I fell in love with the City when we moved here four and a half years ago. We had been living on Capitol Hill and longed for a more tightly-knit community in which to raise our family, and Falls Church City has exceeded our every expectation. We enjoy running into neighbors at the parks, library, schools, grocery store, and running trail. And we feel blessed that our kids will be educated in our excellent schools, growing and advancing through the years with many of the same peers they knew in elementary school, as well as the new friends who will join them. We have benefited greatly from the schools and I would like to apply my management skills to help ensure we continue to give Falls Church City’s children the best education possible, equipping them to be healthy leaders in whatever path they choose in life.
I’m the proud dad of Evangeline, better known as Evi, who is in 4th grade at Thomas Jefferson, and her brother Noah, who is in 6th grade at Mary Ellen Henderson. Andrea, my better half, is an attorney and serves on the school board’s Health and Wellness Advisory Committee. As mentioned, we moved from Capitol Hill to the Little City four and a half years ago.
My entire career has been in public service—first as a Naval nuclear propulsion officer, now as a supervisor in a civilian agency. I’ve often managed across multiple organizations and agencies, and I currently manage relations between the executive and legislative branches of government. Through that, I’ve learned to truly see issues from all parties’ perspectives and negotiate solutions that accomplish what is needed without damaging relationships. This will be a useful skill as the school board serves its many “customers” of students, parents, and taxpayers, in cooperation with the city council and school administration.
My academic training is in physics, engineering, administration, and security studies, plus leadership training from the government and Harvard’s executive education program. This background has instilled in me a value for ground truth data when I make decisions, so I will look closely at the details of how the administration plans to implement initiatives such as “IB for All” and standards-based grading. I will also apply a rigorous analytic approach to reviewing school budgets and policy proposals.
I will carefully monitor the new high school construction, watching for issues that could result in delays or added costs. I will help ensure we continue to use taxpayer funds wisely and that all school system work is efficiently directed toward student achievement and well-being.
My leadership style combines a sharp focus on mission accomplishment with respect for each individual. I have a long professional track record of building productive working relationships within and among federal agencies and between the executive and legislative branches. This experience will directly apply to the relationship between the school board and the school administration, as well as between the school board and city council.
I also have a high value for the performing arts as a way to develop well-rounded, balanced lives. When I’m not at work or spending time with my family, I pursue my passion for music as an upright and electric bass player with a variety of groups.
One additional important aspect that is essential as a school board member is fostering and ensuring transparency and open dialogue with those who would be impacted by a new policy prior to voting on it.
Mr. Stevens has a unique approach. I like the fact that he addresses the lack of “connectness” in our schools. With all the screens embedded in everyday life, we seem to forget that school is also about people not just reading, writing and arithmatic. Ms. Dimock seems to have a similar approach to technology and recognizing the impact to the health of the school kids. Thank you for addressing those important issues.
Good luck to all.
Thank you for this excellent information! We really enjoyed reading about each amazing candidate! Our City of Falls Church is fortunate indeed to have bright and caring citizens generously giving their time and energy. We’re so impressed and grateful!
While it’s a nice thought for new families to the City that our schools are ‘the strongest they’ve been in years’ those of us who recall having only eighty students per grade know the challenges our school system faces with graduating classes now triple the size! Still, we certainly do agree that Dr. Noonan deserves praise for his excellent leadership!
Race. We would like to hear more concerning race inclusivity. Principal Paul Swanson and Assistant Principal Amanda Davis of TJ and MEH AP Rob Carey deserve incredible thanks for taking a tough stance with zero tolerance and creative solutions to fight injustice! Carol Seaver is a gentle expert as TJ school counselor for which we give thanks!
We must begin teaching compassion and unity in the preschool years. With our own darling mixed race grandchildren now in FCCPS they have sadly experienced and observed shocking rascism and hatred especially on the school buses and playgrounds.
The good news is that for every one cruelty ten families have stepped in offering care and friendship!
We would like to see more supervision on school buses as a safety factor. Our school bus drivers are fantastic and they deserve to focus on driving!
ESL volunteers, wonderful idea! Mental health and wholeness, more counselors- yes! Stress reduction and kindness, yay!
FCC School Board is an extremely important responsibility in our City and we thank all candidates for their leadership!💛
Kudos to Mt. Daniel Counselor Jed Jackson too! We need lots of wonderful people like Carol and Jed!
Yes Ms. Beyer. Race and other immutable characteristics should not be used to advance agendas, used as means to bully or be a means to demean people. This means every immutable characteristic should be embraced as a gift of God and each child should be accepted by their peers. There should be fairness, compassion and acceptance of all and the more we do things as one group, not singled out because of characteristics we cannot change, the better we understand each other as humans.
I do have to comment on a hateful post that I saw, which has since been taken down on the Falls Church Way, I believe, that Mr. Stevens was being demeaned because he mearly suggested that we provide both sides of a subject to the students so they can make their own opinions and discuss them in a rational way. The behavior by the poster and those that supported the post, singled out Mr. Stevens for simply asking for a discussion on the subject matter. This negative and hateful behavior is one of the reasons there are still tensions in our little city and they pass on this bad behavior to their children. Anyone that doesn’t embrace conversation, debate and learning about all opinions are the very cause of the lack of compassion and acceptance.
I didn’t see the post on the fcw but I wrote a letter to the editor for the fcnp where I called out Douglas Stevens because he said there should be a counter view on lgbtq issues in the schools. He didn’t just ask a question. He is polite and civil but there is no counter view that isn’t based on discrimination. What is the counter view “Hey kids don’t be transgender”.
@Liz Hume – last time I reviewed the constitution it guarantees all people, including LGBTQ people, “equal protection of the laws.” Title 9 also protects students. To automatically dismiss a discussion based on your interpretation that the discussion is about being transgender or not is very limited in scope and not addressing the issue in full. Of course we need a discussion! It’s not discriminatory to discuss the implications. It’s smart.
There should be discussion on how to protect all students, despite their sexual orientation or gender identity. For instanced, some girls may not feel comfortable having biological boys in the bathroom or locker room. Some trans may feel uncomfortable in the same situation. Title 9 protects trans and allows them equal access in sports, locker rooms, educational facilities, etc. The discussion is how to protect all children and it is complicated and I believe you are trying to make this subject about discrimination when it’s not.
Let’s have a real discussion, not calling someone discriminatory for wanting to get all sides of an issue.
I want my kids school to focus on addressing the discrimination that these students face not giving people who are homophobic a platform to spew their hate. You and I clearly disagree so there is no point to continue our discussion.
My point exactly – you don’t want to discuss because you can’t discuss it rationally. You make this about hate, which it is not. You make it about discrimination, which it is not. You make it about sexual preference, which it is not. Clearly you enjoy throwing around terms that are not the issue. We agree that no one should be discriminated against. No one. Not you, not the children, not Mr. Stevens, not I. You are discriminating against someone that wants to have a discussion about making sure all kids are safe – if they don’t mimic your idealogy you automatically reject them without dialogue. You are pre-judging me, and others. That’s discrimination @ Liz Hume and you nailed it.
Great Quote: “Whenever you want to judge someone negatively, pay them a sincere compliment instead. See what happens.” -Neil Strauss
I want to really want to say thank you to all the school board candidates because I know how much work it is to run so thank you for stepping forward to offer to work on behalf of our community!
The 10/17 candidate forum, co-sponsored by VPIS and LWV, is now available on YouTube. The forum was a two hour long event with the first hour focusing on the four school board candidates vying for the three available seats. The second hour of the forum focused on the four candidates running for the three city council openings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQyitHDgxX0&fbclid=IwAR05xsvRK6IGqLBtiBkzpkCOG8Ct9KE_Uu3eciJCmLb4DStz2u1iYAt-WSw
Thank you for this info, Lisa!
I hope everyone has the opportunity to read our school board member Shawna Russell’s great letter to the editor that can be found in your, perhaps now soggy copy of our local paper. I think she raises such an important point.
I think people hear things and interpret it for what it means for them personally. That is fine and to be expected. However that doesn’t necessarily mean that the meaning taken is what was the meaning being communicated. It’s one thing to perhaps inquire further as curious minds do, but to think that one’s personal interpretation is “the truth” and one and only perspective for everyone is at best premature.
I have seen and heard some of the discussion around what has become an “issue” for one of our candidates running for school board. What amazes me, honestly, is that on one hand we are this “liberal” community that is so “open” to diversity. Would that not include “diversity of thought?” Yeah, I know blasphemy right?
I really think we do short change our community and our children whereby we insist that anyone elected to the school board has to be a candidate that has a lock step view “and thinks like us” in every possible way. I think that is not a view consistent with being open to diversity. It’s diversity with limitations. I think there is so much to be gained from opening our minds to different perspectives even when we don’t agree with them perhaps at all. Do we really dismiss a candidate who might otherwise be incredibly qualified and uniquely qualified to make a meaningful contribution based on his or her view on one issue? That seems shallow to me. I think we grow when we listen to views we do not share. I think we grow when we listen for understanding instead of thinking we understand and then just begin to shout.
I know a bit about this from experience. I ran for school board twice and met people, intelligent people I am certain, that literally yelled at me to my face about something they had in their head about what they thought I meant by something they either heard me say or someone told them I said. I was wasting my time to try to convince them of anything else. I ran for school board with the blasphemous viewpoint that $120 million was too much to spend on a high school for a little city with an annual budget of under $100 million. For that I was deemed completely unqualified by some voters. That perspective erased the other experience and qualifications I had. In fact someone actually said to me that their biggest concern was whether I would be able to work with the other members of the school board (given that I just couldn’t support the referendum.) Really? My right as a taxpayer to have a (swear word warning) “conservative” financial perspective when it came to the referendum deemed me now “unable to work with others?” Where does it end?
I agree with Shawna Russell, let’s not crowd out great conversations about the future of our schools, (or anything for that matter,) with “No. no, not that.” Let’s not miss out on the opportunity to benefit from the work of a member of our community simply because we are not lock step with them on every issue. Let us instead listen for understanding, appreciate and model thoughtful consideration of different views because I am pretty certain that is what we want to teach our children to do.
Thank you for all that you have done for the children of our City, Alison! We’re so thankful for your hard work. You discovered the lies of Dr. Jones while saving the Mt. Daniel construction. You fought for mental health awareness and have made changes for the next generation! You amazed us by remaining calm in the face of constant unkindness! Thank you for the countless hours you spent reading every single line of the budget and construction projects. We’re so grateful for your strength, concern and love of our shared community. You’re a passionate citizen and loving friend. We’re so sorry for all you’ve been through.
Our small community is such a fabulous place to live! Liz has fought to protect children. I’ve worked wth her and appreciate her many gifts. The thing is, I’ve also worked with Mrs. Stevens on welcoming diversity in our City. She brings tremendous talents to our community and her husband doesn’t fit this label of hate-monger. He’s devoted to his hometown and family with real concern for all children from what we have seen.
Whatever happens on Election Day may we work to live in harmony with kindness, listening and learning from one another as neighbors and friends. Unity in our Community is a mantra of hope for our future.
June,
Thank you for your kind words and I especially love your words “Whatever happens on Election Day may we work to live in harmony with kindness, listening and learning from one another as neighbors and friends.” I hope we can listen and learn from each other because if we stop to really listen, we might in fact learn something we didn’t know before.
Thank you, dear friend!
You’re right!
We are learning so much and feel grateful to hear such amazing words from everyone…really gets us thinking, hoping and considering all viewpoints about our City and each strong person.
We’re sorry! We have used the ‘special needs’ words perhaps because we grew up hearing even uglier words. Our apologies and thank you for enlightening us.
I personally love everyone here. Love is a healing balm. We have incredibly intelligent citizens which is why we have super bright children gifted in many different ways all attending our beloved public schools!
Working together builds harmony in a community.
Today our grandchild expressed grief over hearing a friend on the bus being bullied every day! It impacts everyone. Cruelty happens every single day be it race, gender and/or political views.
Growing up in my community, teachers and parents DID something when they saw incidents of bullying. In FCC I’ve had parents yell at me in the street over saying something to a child bullying others. When no one steps in to stop the bullying a sense of helplessness can feel overwhelming for these sensitive kids!
Thank you for an opportunity to write and reflect. Peace to all with gratitude for bravely sharing your passion and convictions!
Well said, Alison.! I fear that our society has lost their ability to convince with logic. It saddens me that people like Liz and others use emotion-based attacks with people they disagree with and will try to shut people down because they have no good answers to questions. Just like you said, it shortchanges the community to have idealogues in our city instead of having people who have compassion, logic, integrity and the ability to discuss issues without malice. We should all aim to give our children these qualities as well. At the end of the day, I believe we have more in common than we do differences.
The original issue is that Stevens objected to an author that came to gmhs to talk about transgender issues. The person was discussing the journey and trying to raise awareness and compassion. He objected to the schools even discussing it and bringing it into the schools to begin with. He also said that there had to be a counter view. My question is what is the other view? If you are not transgender or lgbtq then you don’t have to decide anything except whether you are going to be compassionate and accepting. If you are not then that is your choice and you have nothing to decide except if you are going to be compassionate and accepting. Lgbtq kids especially transgender kids experience bullying and high rates of suicide . can’t we address those issues because no one is going to decide that they are lgbtq because of education and awareness raising. Also I find it fascinating that people don’t use their real names on this post even though I know who they are. You are welcome to try and paint me as an intolerant liberal but I am confident that people who identify themselves like June Beyer know my beliefs and my work both personally and professionally speaks for itself.
@Liz I share your view of the importance of standing up for this minority of children that need to be protected from bullying and feeling unsafe. Thank you for doing that! At the same time, I ask you to think about your words “what other view?” I think those words make people feel that you might not be open to hearing what they have to say. As I understand it people who have this other view may also have fears and concerns. While privately we may not agree that many or even all of these concerns and fears are valid, we don’t create an opportunity to even hear what they are, let alone address them thoughtfully, when the response as a community is “Stop, I don’t want to hear from you anymore – go away!” I also think that this response is dispensed to other minority views in our community and that we could gain more by listening and really hearing than is acquired in the victory won by drowning it out.
@Liz,
I hear what you are saying and I understand your intentions and concerns. I understand you want to stand up and protect these students. I get that you feel there is no other view. There are a lot of issues for whom people feel “there is no other view” and there in lies the point. I am just asking you and our community to think about how one is expressing their intentions and concerns might also in fact be a shade of the intolerance we claim to abhor. The way we speak of someone else’s view might in fact be a form of bullying because the persons is belittled for having it. I think if we are going to expect compassion and understanding then we need to model it ourselves as we seek to understand the thinking behind views we do not share.
I will defer to Mr. Stevens to comment on his specific remarks to the issue. I understood the situation differently and only he can clarify his thoughts and statements.
We agree that all types of bullying and stigma needs to be addressed to minimize the impact of the health and welfare of students. Amen to that. WRT your statement that I painted you as an intolerant liberal? Where did you read that information? Not my words, not my post not my thoughts, not my feelings so please do not be presumptive based on a prejudicial view. As I said, I think discussion facilitates positive outcome and people have more in common then not.
Hi everybody, this is Douglass.
Liz, I read your letter in the FCNP, but I don’t count you as an enemy. You and I are alike in our desire to ensure every student is safe, valued, cared for, and welcomed as they are. I think our entire community agrees on that point, and I love that even when we have disagreements, it’s because we’re each trying to serve and protect our students, as best we know how.
You asked why I objected to the school assembly that glorified a 17-year-old’s irreversible sex-change surgery. Quite simply, I think it is unfair to our students to do that without mentioning the experience of others who had that same surgery and lived to deeply regret it,* or that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which governs personality and decision making, isn’t fully developed until about age 25.** I want our schools to help students make fully-informed decisions.
It becomes hard to meet our shared goal of kindness and inclusiveness for all if we allow the schools to endorse only viewpoint on this issue. For example:
· Last September, a member of our school board proposed asking the state to let student athletes compete as their gender identity. Is this showing kindness to girl athletes who could lose their chance for a college scholarship to biological boys, as happened in Connecticut and is currently being investigated by the Dept. of Education as a civil rights violation?***
· One of the other school board candidates says we should adopt Arlington’s transgender policy. It states that for overnight school events, “students may be assigned to a room consistent with the student’s gender identity.” Separately, our school board unanimously endorsed “permitting students to use the restrooms corresponding to their gender identity.” Tragically, one in four girls are sexually abused before turning 18. Have we considered how girls recovering from this trauma will be affected by undressing in front of, sharing a hotel room with, or being alone in a bathroom with a biological boy?
· The Arlington model includes transgender books and cartoons from kindergarten on. Is this considerate of parents who believe that children of that age are impressionable, and gender identity issues should be addressed later in their child’s development?
Some question whether it is possible to truly accept and show kindness to someone who holds a different opinion on this issue. As I look into my own heart, I see the answer is yes. And I am raising my children to go out of their way to show kindness to others, especially others who are hurting or marginalized, regardless of who they are or what they believe, including with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity.
If anyone reading this post has been stigmatized or alienated because of your gender identity, I am so very sorry. That is wrong, and I know it is deeply hurtful. You are a valued and needed member of our community, just the way you are.
I really hope we as a community can pull together in kindness and care for all, regardless of where people stand on this issue, and put our focus back on providing an excellent education for our students and excellent oversight of our school system.
——————————
* See the story of Walt Heyer and others at http://www.sexchangeregret.com
** For example, http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3051
*** https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/06/19/girls-say-connecticuts-transgender-athlete-policy-violates-title-ix-file-federal-complaint/
@ Douglass, thank you for running for school board and for clarifying your thoughts on the matter. It is important that we listen openly to everyone’s concerns and opinions and to discuss our differences to be inclusive and make good decisions for the community. I really like @June’s line: Unity in our Community! Yes, we can find common ground if we discuss issues with an open mind and open heart. @Liz I welcome further discussion with you at anytime as I embrace other opinions. I like to learn about other options and it helps hone my own opinions at the same time.
I will point out the irony that people on this blog who hide behind fake names claim others are being hateful, emotional, have no arguments etc. , and always slam the FCW, claim everyone else in FCC is the problem. I see a lot of projection and again, I will point out that I know who these posters are, and one person doesn’t even live in this community anymore. I will not comment on people who do not use their real names and identify themselves.
Now on to Douglas and your questions statement. I don’t have enemies. You have put your opinions out there because you are running for elected office and you chose to raise this issue. As a voter, I have openly discussed why I will not vote for you and we still live in a democracy and that is my right. I spoke to high schoolers at gmhs who are part of the lgbtq community and I in my responses below I will discuss their views, my personal views and science.
You discussed in your comment that the school glorified an assembly and that their prefrontal cortex isn’t developed until 25 so they can’t make this decision.
The students who I spoke to and who attended the school assembly that you reference, objected to your term that it “glorified” a 17 year old sex change surgery. They said it did not glorify it at all. The author described a conservative family that initially struggled with this issue especially the father and how they found compassion and acceptance. They said there are enough messages in society that being lgbtq and especially transgender is wrong even from their own families but there is very little information about transgender issues. They believe that much more information is needed so that people can get truly educated on these issues and find empathy, acceptance and real kindness. They told me stories about kids at gmhs who are non-gender conforming and transgender and that they are made fun of on a regular basis. There are only a few gender-neutral bathrooms and cisgender kids use them so that transgender kids must wait to use these facilities. Their point was that you (douglas) didn’t have to worry because there is more than enough information out there that they are bombarded with constantly that tells them being transgender is not right and or accepted. They also said that if their decision-making ability is flawed until 25 then why are they allowed to vote, sign up for the military, leave home at 18 etc. I (Liz) believe that this generation of kids has shown better judgement than adults on climate change and the need for gun control. However, I suspect those are areas that we would also disagree on. What they said is irreversible is when an 18-year-old signs up for the military and goes to war and is killed. That is irreversible but we allow 18-year-olds to join the military.
Here is science on this issue. “our genitals and our gender identity are not the same. Sexual anatomy and gender identity are the products of two different processes, occurring at distinctly different times and along different neural pathways before we are even born. Both are functions of genes as well as hormones, and while sexual anatomy and gender identity usually match, there are dozens of biological events that can affect the outcome of the latter and cause an incongruence between the two.”
I encourage you to review the Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People
The Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People are international clinical protocols outlining the recommended assessment and treatment for gender non-conforming individuals across the lifespan or transgender or transsexual people who wish to undergo social, hormonal or surgical transition to the other sex. Some of the criticism of these standards are that they are too strict.
You cited -Last September, a member of our school board proposed asking the state to let student athletes compete as their gender identity. Is this showing kindness to girl athletes who could lose their chance for a college scholarship to biological boys, as happened in Connecticut and is currently being investigated by the Dept. of Education as a civil rights violation?***
My answer is that people don’t become transgender to compete as an athlete to gain an advantage. Cyd Zeigler, the author of “Fair Play: How LGBT Athletes Are Claiming Their Rightful Place in Sports” and a co-founder of news website Outsports, said the petitions in CT were “discouraging.” He went on to say “I’m really tired of hearing about unfair advantages. The way our entire society is designed, transgender people have inherent disadvantages everywhere they turn,” Zeigler told ABC News. “They want to call these advantages unfair, as though if you’re a cisgender person that any advantage that you might have over someone else are fair.”
Do your kids have access to amazing schools? Can you pay for club sports and do you have extra money so that your kids can take sat prep classes? Guess what your cisgender kids have advantages that families that are economically disadvantaged don’t have.
You also cited that “ One of the other school board candidates says we should adopt Arlington’s transgender policy. It states that for overnight school events, “students may be assigned to a room consistent with the student’s gender identity.” Separately, our school board unanimously endorsed “permitting students to use the restrooms corresponding to their gender identity.” Tragically, one in four girls are sexually abused before turning 18. Have we considered how girls recovering from this trauma will be affected by undressing in front of, sharing a hotel room with, or being alone in a bathroom with a biological boy?”
My answer to this question is that The national center for victims of crimes states that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are sexually assaulted. The policy says “may” and therefore, I am confident that parents/kids could opt out if they were concerned. As a victim of sexual assault when I was a young girl, I believe that your argument is aimed to scare parents and is emotional. As a victim I will tell you that what was traumatizing to me was seeing my perpetrator who was a teenage boy neighbor when I was a little girl drive by me while I walked to a friend’s house. Sharing a room with a person who identified as a girl would not have been traumatizing to me. Seeing a penis was not traumatizing or scary but what is frightening is the significant amount of girls and women who are abused by straight cisgender men etc. Penises are not scary and traumatizing but what is scary is straight white men who abuse, harass and assault girls and women. Additionally, these abusers are men that they know and trust. Again, since the term in this policy is “may” I am confident a parent could opt out.
You also stated that ”The Arlington model includes transgender books and cartoons from kindergarten on. Is this considerate of parents who believe that children of that age are impressionable, and gender identity issues should be addressed later in their child’s development?”
For this answer experts say-
“Gender expression is how your child shows their gender. This might be through their name, clothes, behavior, hairstyle or voice. Almost all children begin expressing their gender identity at around 2-3 years old. They do this in the way they talk about themselves and through the clothes they choose. Children can be very firm about their gender from an early age. For example, toddlers often proclaim ‘I’m a boy!’ or ‘I’m a girl!’
Many gender diverse children also express their gender identity at around 2-3 years old. They can be firm about their gender too. For example, a child might get angry when people call them a boy or girl, refuse to wear particular clothes or say that they’re a different gender.Other gender-diverse children might start to talk about their gender identity being different when they’re at primary school. For some, this happens after puberty, and some might not know until they’re well into adulthood.It’s normal for all children and teenagers to experiment with gender roles. For most children and teenagers, experimenting with gender doesn’t mean that they’re gender diverse or transgender. Most children go on to feel comfortable with the gender they were given at birth. However, some kids do know early on that they were born in the wrong body.”
When my kids were in kindergarten one of their friends’ little brother who was 3 only wanted to wear dresses and paint his nails etc. I talked to my kids about it and we discussed why Otto acted like a girl. They asked me if he was going to become a girl. I said I didn’t know but that would be his decision that he would make with his family. they didn’t become transgender and they didn’t get confused. They became more compassionate and understanding. I also talked to my kids when they were 3 about why a little boy in their class had two mommies and why there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.
BUT HERE ARE SOME TRANSPHOBIA STATISTICS that show why we desperately need education and awareness raising.
Transphobia can cause bullying, physical aggression, and other forms of abuse.
Research consistently finds that gender-related discrimination is a problem in schools. GLSEN’s annual National School Climate Survey looked at over 23,000 children in grades 6-12. The study found 42.1% of trans and GNC kids are prevented from using their preferred pronouns. Nearly half of these kids (46.5%) are forced to use the wrong bathrooms.
Other research has found high rates of transphobic bullying.
• Research published in 2017 found trans kids are two to three times more likely than their peers to be bullied.
• A 2016 survey of adult transgender individuals found 60% have avoided public restrooms because they feared confrontation and bullying.
• A 2012 survey found 61% of students have heard peers make negative remarks about gender expression. The same survey found 27% of students face physical abuse because of their gender expression.
CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR TRANS KIDS
Many parents and educators worry that there’s nothing they can do to stop transphobic bullying. Yet research consistently finds that creating an inclusive, gender-affirming environment can greatly reduce bullying. Even when kids are bullied in these environments, they may feel more comfortable reaching out to an adult than they would in less inclusive environments.
According to GLSEN, students at inclusive schools with curricula that feature LGBTQ-affirming content are less likely to experience bullying, hear transphobic remarks, or feel unsafe at school. They are also less likely to be forced to use the wrong bathrooms or the wrong pronouns. Inclusive curricula can also raise self-esteem, reduce the risk of depression, and even improve grades.
Some strategies that promote a safe environment for trans kids include:
• Creating a trans-inclusive curricula. Schools can participate in LGBT History Month, feature notable transgender historic figures, and discuss transgender history and civil rights with students.
• Asking students about their preferred pronouns or names and then using them
• Educating teachers, school counselors, and others who work with students about transgender issues.
• Establishing safe spaces, such as counselor’s offices, where students can safely discuss gender issues and bullying.
• Refusing to tolerate any bullying or transphobia, even from teachers or other adults.
Do you know what isn’t cited by experts as helping transgender kids? telling kids that their brain isn’t developed to make this decision and that they will regret it.
You also stated that “Some question whether it is possible to truly accept and show kindness to someone who holds a different opinion on this issue. As I look into my own heart, I see the answer is yes. And I am raising my children to go out of their way to show kindness to others, especially others who are hurting or marginalized, regardless of who they are or what they believe, including with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity. “
While you can be kind to them you want them to know that they are not mentally able to make a decision that is personal to them because their pre fontal context isn’t developed. Are you afraid that by educating kids about transgender issues that other kids will become transgender or you will encourage it? It is not contagious. It is about educating kids on this issue so they can be kind and compassionate and accepting. The decision about whether a child is transgender is a decision they will take with medical professionals and their family and not the school. However, the job of schools is to raise awareness on this issue so that transgender and gender non-conforming students are not bullied and harassed at school and welcomed.
You also stated that “If anyone reading this post has been stigmatized or alienated because of your gender identity, I am so very sorry. That is wrong, and I know it is deeply hurtful. You are a valued and needed member of our community, just the way you are.”
Students who read your post stated that they thought it was funny that you state they are valued just the way they are but that the school has to make sure they know the other side which is that they could regret this decision and they are not capable of making this decision. They stated that view is the exact opposite of what is needed to create an inclusive and safe environment. they said I hope our community values us enough not to elect someone who has these views that will be harmful to the lgbtq community.
You also stated “ I really hope we as a community can pull together in kindness and care for all, regardless of where people stand on this issue, and put our focus back on providing an excellent education for our students and excellent oversight of our school system.”
A big part of developing an excellent education for our students is providing an inclusive and safe environment for all kids. I believe your views would not promote that environment and harm the lgbtq community in our schools.
I also want to address another issue your raised with me concerning teaching mindfulness. You object to it because it has Buddhist roots even though it has been mainstreamed and secularized. Also there are numerous scientific journals that show its ability to reduce stress etc. One of my kids is agnostic and one is an atheist and every day they listen to the entire school pledge alliance under god. A good friend of mine researched basketball and found that its origins were around Christianity and how to promote it. Therefore, based on your logic then we should not play basketball in ourschools because of its religious origins. if you want anything that has religious roots in our school removed then be consistent. Otherwise it is hypocritical and what you should say is that anything christian based is ok but anything else is not. Please read https://aleteia.org/2016/12/21/how-a-christian-invented-basketball-and-made-it-an-evangelization-tool/
@Liz, this is exactly why we need a discussion. It is good to have diversity of thought and not to shut down those that have a different opinion. It provokes wisdom by allowing each of us to be exposed to more views. I don’t think Mr. Stevens was promoting one view or another, as referenced in your response, he simply said that if one view is presented to the students that it would be beneficial to provide another view. For this, people are prejudging and ostracizing Mr. Stevens as someone who would not provide a safe environment and potentially harm it simply for asking for all sides of an issue. That to me is censorship based on what one person or “the government” believes to be the right stance. If all people have a developed frontal cortex, or not, they have the right to decide for themselves what views they can have and they can be exposed to all views.
@Liz I very much appreciate and respect the passion you have for educating people about this issue and your willingness to put yourself out there to do so. However, I do stand by my position that there can be another view on an issue, even when we don’t like it, share it or even believe that there is another view. I do believe that if we are going to be demanding (and I am) that all people are treated compassionately then that must include people who have views we don’t share even when they use words that actually make us furious. So if Mr. Stevens used the word “glorify” then I might have a discussion with him explaining how the use of that was hurtful to you and the students in the audience who heard it. He sounds like a thoughtful man who would be open to knowing about how he made others feel. I see these intersections of diversity of thought as opportunities for growth and progress in our understanding of each other’s views so thank you for your contribution to this discussion.
@Liz, I also understand your frustration created in part because you know so much about the issue. I can relate to that. I can tell where people are in their understanding of special education law or the process by what they say. I truly understand that deep feeling of “OMG, this person just does not get it!” When I sat in a school board meeting and the Assistant Superintendent was doing a presentation on testing data and referred to the Students with Disabilities as “the specials” I thought I would hit the roof. No one on the school board batted an eye let alone winced.
I still hear people say “special needs students” which also makes me wince. If parents want to refer to their own children with a disability as special needs they certainly can, however I believe that children are students first, people first and any needs or disabilities they have is something they have not who they are. Many in our school district don’t even know about people first language, I see that on the morning announcements, and that is miles before we talk about the policies, attitudes and staff behaviors that need to be changed.
Even in our school district where many work hard to help students with disabilities we had an administration and school board that tolerated violations of the law. Violations not only are still tolerated here but still considered normal. So normal that pointing out this out creates zero calls for meetings on the topic and zero calls for policy changes.
Our Director of Special Education, who was with us for 9 years, Liz Germer was able to keep her job even after she directed staff to alter legal documents. And yet it is I who was bullied and even threatened by Administration for mentioning such things! Well, where does that leave the children who are affected? No.where. So believe me I know what it feels like to be defending a group of children that desperately need to be defended and have people, intelligent people, just not get what they themselves are saying out loud. However, during my efforts to create awareness of how parents and students with disabilities are treated in this school district (still) I was treated with such intolerance, bullied and maligned. It certainly was effective at limiting conversations which was, of course the objective. So now when I go to meetings at George Mason High School in 2019, I feel like I am still in 2009, in the same meeting I sat in ten years ago because while so much has changed much has stayed the same.
So for me personally I don’t want to see someone in our community marginalized or bullied for saying out loud something we don’t want to hear. Instead I want to see tolerance and a thoughtful conversation because maybe there is information there we need to know or the other way around.
Hello,
I felt compelled to say that I know Doug and believe him entirely when he says, “You and I are alike in our desire to ensure every student is safe, valued, cared for, and welcomed as they are.” He is genuinely a nice guy.
That being said, our conversations on these topics have hardly found us in agreement.
I will also say, that it is my sense (and this may be backed up with Liz’s science) that kids are a lot more resilient than parents are sensitive. I don’t know anyone who changed orientation or gender because they heard about it, read about it or thought it looked cool in a movie. I can; however, think of a few folks whose lives would have been much easier had we been more open and able to talk about these things way back in my high school days (Dundalk Senior High – Class of 80, “Go Owls!!!”). And again, it is my sense that in fact it is that way in our schools, no matter how much the old folks bicker.
Hi Jimmy – I met Doug on the campaign trail and he is a genuinely a nice guy and I believe that he is committed to make the school and community a better place. I don’t think anyone would take the time to run and campaign if they purposefully were trying to make the community unsafe or divided.
Thanks Josie and I agree. My concern was more about our trying to characterize an opinion that is different than our own. I’m very glad this forum allowed Doug to speak for himself. When I have heard others describe his position, it sounds quite virulent.
Jimmy, I was glad that Mr. Stevens stated his position so succinctly because he was misrepresented or misinterpreted by many people. I think he would add a lot of value to our community with his experience and diplomacy.
Hi, this is Douglass again. As you know, I lost the election tonight. Many thanks to everyone who listened and debated. We’re a stronger community when we engage each other with open minds. I have high hopes for our future.
See you around town,
Douglass
Dear Douglass, Andrea and family! We’re so grateful for your time, energy and courage. Every good citizen should have the opportunity to run for office, the right to be treated with respect and a voice to be heard.
As we shook the hands of each candidate today at the polls, we felt the loving community of our favorite City. Thank you everyone and continued kindness with peace.