Comments on: PWCPS: Spend, Spend, Spend!

By: Person of Interest

Person of Interest — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:12:59 +0000

Oh, lucas, if there is nothing to hide, why don’t you come clean on the firing of the Freedom Principal?

By: Person of Interest

Person of Interest — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:11:27 +0000

Unfortunately, Ms. Lucas is more than out of touch. She is in denial. Not only does the Pricipal call the parents home, and work number, as they did with me, his lawyer sends out a threatening GAG LETTER that essentially says, “we are a big fat law firm with a wealthly client and will bury you in paper work if you continue to talk about our client.”

By: FOIA

FOIA — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:55:01 +0000

Julie Lucas, you are so out of touch with what goes on in the PWC schools. When anyone contacts the board thru the Walts’ office the first thing that happens is a call to the school principal of the student, the next thing that happens is the principal calls the parent who called Walts’ office and is TOLD to come to the school for a conference. This is Walts’ policy, he is the one that implemented it and will NOT speak to a parent until the parent meets with the school principal. This policy is used to intimidate parents and students in to keeping quiet and not rocking the sinking boat known as the PWC Schools. It’s doesn’t surprise me to learn that you have no clue about what goes on in the schools. Walts rules by intimidation, this policy is only one example.

By: Julie Lucas

Julie Lucas — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:59:49 +0000

FOIA, No principal should be “threatening” any parent. If anyone out there has received this type of call I would hope they would contact their board member immediately. Dr. Walts would not stand for that. I have been on the board before Dr. Walts and was unhappy with the lack of customer service in certain areas. We (as a board) asked Dr. Walts to correct that. I do not and will not support any kind of retaliation, but we need to be made aware of it. Any time someone emails the school division we have the ability to “look up” what school the parent is talking about, but I have always asked upfront because I wanted to help determine if upset parents were at more than 4 schools (which is what we were told). The result was, yes, 26 schools have parents upset about MI. Principals want to help parents, but if parents feel threatened in any way the only way we (the board) can resolve it is to know what is going on. I have a great working relationship will all of the principals in my district (Neabsco). I also have a lot of respect for them. I would have no problem talking to them directly about anything. Please encourage any parent you know who is upset to contact us.

By: FOIA

FOIA — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:16:57 +0000

Julie Lucas, you can twist this mess created by you, the board and walts anyway you want: but Walts was responsible for the EEOC mess in Greece, he did manipulate school constuction funding; he pushed forward with MI, when he didn’t need to, BTW what did MI cost us? As you are aware, when someone contacts a board member, the borad member tells walts who then determines where your child goes to school then you get a threatening call from the principal to come in to the school and discuss your “problem”

By: Julie Lucas

Julie Lucas — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:29:50 +0000

Directly to “FOIA”. I clicked on your link, but was not directed to your web site. I would be happy to talk to you about any item (anything that was not talked about in closed session). You are wrong about Dr. Walts bringing MI here or asking to build the Admin. building, both were initiated under our previous Superintendent. You also seem to forget that I voted “No” to the Admin. building. You are misinformed about the Greece audit. I have seen documents that prove otherwise. About the EEOC complaints many were withdrawn and sometimes cases are settled. I believe it was just one case that ended up being settled, but Dr. Walts was not a part of that. So, Mr. “FOIA” or should I said Ms. “FOIA”, please feel free to contact me if you are unhappy about some of my votes, but anyone who watches me on the board knows I do what I feel is right, not what staff tells me to.

By: FOIA

FOIA — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:10:51 +0000

This is a Board that has been out of control for some time. The majority of the current Board members voted unanimosly to employ Steve Walts without proper vetting that would have discovered that he: 1) he discriminated against teachers over the age of 55 in his former district, Greece, NY, even a very conservative Federal EEOC agency upheld the finding and the district had to pay a huge sum as well as reinstate folks discriminated against; 2) he maipulated funds in a school construction scandal in Greece, although not indicted he clearly violated policy/law. When this character arrived in PWC he promptly initated the “Math Investigations” program that the Greece school system purchased while he was Supt. (something stinks here), then he decided to build a $36 million school administration building that has at least 50,000 sq ft of wasted space, go there take a look, you will throw up when you see how your tax dollars were wasted. Now in a budget crisis in the county Walts and the lackeys who call themselves school board members are spending like crazy. There is perhaps only one or two members on the Board with any sense at all, the worst are Lattin and Lucas who do exactly what Walts tells them to do, neither has an ounce of common sense.

By: Old Soldier

Old Soldier — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:06:31 +0000

Thanks, TPWB. The “half full” perspective is that the County has more time to find new candidates and campaign against the incumbants. Such high profile activities might just change their attitudes a bit (to remind them that “victory is fleeting”.

By: Turn PW Blue

Turn PW Blue — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:02:32 +0000

Old Soldier–

The current PWC School Board was elected in 2007 and won’t be up for re-election until 2011.

By: CONVA

CONVA — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:28:39 +0000

One would think the “NEW MATH” the imbeciles on the school board approved would be a vehicle they could use to figure out how much money they need, or isn’t it of any value?

By: Loudoun Insider

Loudoun Insider — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:30:16 +0000

Glad to see you delving into this in PWC, Greg! I’ve been bashing the Loudoun School Board for some time now. The educrats are really out of control these days. More, more more is always the call, always for “the children”. Times are tough and they need to cut back like everyone else.

By: Turn PW Blue

Turn PW Blue — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:57:57 +0000

Prince William County Schools are funded from the County’s General Fund as appropriated by the Board of Supervisors, by the state as appropriated by the legislature and Department of Education under the Governor’s budget, and by the Federal government through grants.

For the last decade or so, there has been a standing agreement between the BOCS and School Board that the schools would receive 56.75% of the overall county budget.

By: PWC_Gal

PWC_Gal — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:29:20 +0000

How is the school budget funded? I know by real estate tax assessments, but do they have to go through the BOCS or do they have a separate funding stream?

I agree with you — funding is in no way linked to quality or results. If it were, then every pupil in DC would be a Rhodes scholar. Money isn’t the answer.

The answer is to look to those school districts in and out of the US who are kicking our butts and are achieving results. What are they doing, and what do we need to emulate?

With respect to MI and the circling of wagons by the teachers/staff…..hmmm….when something like that becomes such a sacred cow, my next question is…follow the money…who benefited, who got the pay-off for the purchase of MI? Somebody had to get a little somethin’ somethin’ out of it, or it would be such a hotbutton emotional issue.

By: Old Soldier

Old Soldier — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:41:01 +0000

As you stated, school board members are elected officials… Every four years. I believe the next election is next year.

You have the infrastructure to change things in place… why not change the school board? Help Save PWC Schools?

The “saber rattling” alone would get their attention (considering your last success).

If no one cares but you, there’s a message there (and that’s Democracy).