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Karen Graf kicked off her bid for School Board on Sunday afternoon, saying performance, process and persistence are key to improving Alexandria’s public school system.
Graf, a resident of Del Ray, said it’s time to turn a spotlight on Alexandria City Public Schools’ central office and better examine which programs are priorities.
“We need to establish a timeline of change versus the amount of time needed for success,” she said, speaking to a room full of supporters, parents and their children.
“We need to establish a process for selecting and implementing programs,” said Graf, whose children attend schools in the public school system. “We need to give programs time to mature. We need to work hard and be collaborative,” she said.
She told Patch that one of the reasons she was prompted to run was her concern over the way ACPS has been handling the modified calendar changes at Mount Vernon Community School and elsewhere. “The communication could have been better,” she said.
City Council candidate Melissa Feld also attended the event at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Russell Road.
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Mount Vernon Community School
2601 Commonwealth Ave, Alexandria, VA -
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
1608 Russell Rd, Alexandria, VA
Nate Rease
11:51 am on Monday, March 26, 2012
What are Mrs. Graf's qualifications for this position? In light of recent financial issues within Alexandria City Public Schools, does Mrs. Graf have experience with fiscal management of a multi-million dollar industry? Mrs. Graf highlights the need for focus on programs within Alexandria schools. Does Mrs. Graf have experience planning and/or implementing educational programs in a public school classroom/district? Mrs. Graf highlights the need for better communication on items such as the changes to the intersession calendar. For a school system with a phone hotline, a twitter account, a facebook page, email alerts, and blog, PTA listserves, paper copies, newsletters, website updates, and local media alerts, how would Mrs. Graf improve upon the communication needs of Alexandria schools? Is the lack of communication really an issue plaguing Alexandria schools or are there other issues which are blamed on the lack of communication? What are Mrs. Graf's opinions regarding the accountability of the Superintendent and the CIP mess? Mrs. Graf appears to support the modified calendar at MVCS and Tucker. Why should the district continue to fund and operate this modified calendar schedule? I look forward to Mrs. Graf addressing these questions and many more during her campaign for school board.
Tara
4:35 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
How can we learn more about Ms. Graf as a candidate? She does not appear to have a website yet.
Drew Hansen
4:58 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Here's a link to Graf's campaign site: http://graf4schoolboard.wordpress.com/
I just added a link to it in the story, too.
Rob S.
9:29 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
The shuffling of administrators continues under the Sherman regime.
http://www.alexandrianews.org/2012/03/superintendent-announces-new-administrative-team-for-mt-vernon-community-school/
If this new leadership structure is anything like the leadership structure at schools like Jefferson Houston (which has already seen it's school CEO jump ship midway through the school year) candidates such as Mrs. Graf will have much more than ill communication to call into question.