Every election since graduating from Langley in 1971, I have gone to the polls to cast votes for Democratic nominees up and down the ballot, beginning with George McGovern. When it comes to this year's County level races that will not happen. Since my sons graduated from Langley in the mid 2000s I have been less tuned into local politics.
This year as I prepare to retire, I find out that the One Fairfax policy voted into effect earlier has real repercussions for Great Falls residents.
One Fairfax is a "racial and social equity policy that provides both the direction and means to eliminate disparities." While this is very much in line with my values, I had no idea that it could be used to change the process by which Fairfax County creates school boundaries.The school board has floated the idea of hiring consultants to implement boundary changes. Pat Hynes (who endorsed Tholen) says,"to achieve that right demographic mix." This will inevitably mean eventually removing neighborhoods from Langley to dilute the "island of excellence" that exists there.
To get a better grasp of what is really going on I watched the July 2019 school board meeting twice and was surprised to see that Elizabeth Schultz, a Republican member from Springfield, was representing my interests better than my own Democratic representative in Dranesville. I am now left with no choice but to protect my interests and vote for the most qualified candidate to do so: Anastasia Karlotsos.
Amy Sinclair Dahm
Great Falls