Krupicka Officially Announces Candidacy for Englin's Seat
Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka says education is his top priority and promises to fight against "right-wing extremism."
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Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka officially announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the 45th District House of Delegates seat on Tuesday.
Krupicka said in statement that his top priority is education and that he will also work toward environmental and transportation solutions that create jobs and conserve natural resources.
"As a graduate of the University of Virginia, and someone who has worked to increase the number of students ready to succeed in college, I will work to make sure our public higher education system is transparent, affordable and accessible for every resident of the Commonwealth,” said Krupicka, who is also a member of the State Board of Education.
Last week, Del. David Englin (D) announced his resignation from the seat in the 45th district effective Aug. 31, saying it was time for him and his family to leave public life. Englin announced in April he would not seek re-election to focus on his family after admitting to being unfaithful in his marriage.
Englin told Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) last week he hoped the special election for his seat coincides with the Nov. 6 General Election.
Englin then endorsed Karen Gautney to be his replacement and took a perceived shot at Krupicka, saying "any candidate who enters this race as a stepping stone to statewide office will be too concerned with how his votes, positions, and agenda will play with future voters elsewhere who don't share our community's progressive values.”
Krupicka, Gautney and Arlington County School Board member James Lander are the only candidates who have announced their intentions to run for the seat.
Englin endorsed Krupicka in the Democratic primary for the 30th District State Senate seat last year, a heated race that was won by Adam Ebbin.
Krupicka said in his statement that he is running "to ensure that we continue to have a progressive voice in Richmond" and that he would “fight against the right-wing extremism that has rolled back women’s rights and true equality for every Virginian.”
He also listed the names of more than 40 notable public supporters, including U.S. Reps. Jim Moran (D-8th) and Gerry Connolly (D-11th), Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes, Fairfax County Supervisor Gerry Hyland, State Sens. Dick Saslaw (D-35th), Donald McEachin (D-9th), Chap Petersen (D-34th), Dave Marsden (D-37th), Barbara Favola (D-31st) and Dels. Bob Brink (D-48th), Scott Surovell (D-44th) and Alfonso Lopez (D-49th).
“Rob is a strong, dedicated progressive who will fight for our values and won't back down,” Brink said. “I need him as a partner in the General Assembly.”
John Arbuckle
3:35 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Go Rob Go!
Jim Miller
3:37 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I've said it before, I think that Rob is a good family man who should devote his future to private life, because as a member of the Alexandria City Council, he has helped to oversea the Alexandria City Public School System, which is one of the absolute worst in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Yes, I know that the school board is independent of the city council, but in Rob's case, especially with how much of a total embarrassment the Alexandria City Public School System has been, overall, during the time that he's been on council, and with him championing education, I would have thought, as many of my other fellow neighbors have also thought, that Rob would have been aggressively working for dramatic changes that are needed to put ACPS on a much better foundation for the future. I'm sure that there will be one excuse after another, about how Rob can't control anything with the Alexandria City Public School System, with how poorly the system has been run, and how low our students are rated in comparison to other schools are in the Commonwealth, but Rob's appointment to the State Board of Education has apparently done nothing of substance to help students in the City of Alexandria. And if he has, he hasn't helped to make any measurable mark of change for the better, either. I think that Karen Gautney, despite having the baggage of David Englin's endorsement weighing her down, is a much better candidate because she represents progressive liberal values better than Rob ever will.
Peter
4:07 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Arlington has literally poured money into its schools for years, schools in South Arlington (including those in the 45th District) still lag behind schools in North Arlington. Former Arlington School Board Chair (has lived in Fairlington for 35 years) was recently elected to the Arlington Board of Supervisors. So who is responsible for South Arlington schools not catching up to North Arlington schools?
Lee Hernly
5:36 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
If Rob really cared about education, he'd run for School Board to help get the City schools straightened out. As a graduate of T.C. Williams myself, I couldn't agree more that the current state of the ACPS school system is embarrassing on many levels.
William Black
5:55 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
I always think it is a riot how worked up Alexandria Dems get over House of Delegates elections. Whomever they elect, they will take their seat in Richmond and be furniture for the remainder of their terms. Any "progressive" that Alexandria sends to Richmond will be, rightfully so, completely irrelevant to the functioning of the House.
Haunches
7:06 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
There are quite a few Delegates and Senators who refer to us as the "PRA," or People's Republic of Alexandria. We apparently provide great entertainment value but not taken all that seriously, and find our legislative packages amusing.
Look at it this way: Republicans are to the City of Alexandria as the City of Alexandria is to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Jim Miller
8:29 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
That's very true. The City of Alexandria, and most certainly, the 45th District, unfortunately, holds virtually no political sway in the General Assembly, whatsoever. Many of the Republicans who are in the majority of the House of Delegates have unfortunately, easily dismissed issues of concern that have been raised here throughout many years. I will give David Englin credit though, for championing the law, now on the books, of restrictive smoking in restaurants, which virtually pretty much wiped out public smoking inside bars, clubs, and most dining establishments. Who would have thought a so called 'tobacco state', like Virginia, would enact a law to restrict smoking? It's a good law, which, quite frankly, was and is now sweeping across the country, so kudos are in order for David's past work in that effort to help to shepherd it through the General Assembly.
Jim Miller
6:26 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Peter, you're talking about a situation of differences in Arlington County, the smallest county in the United States, and I'm talking about the entire Alexandria City Public School System. It's a proven fact, sadly, that the ACPS is one of the worst school systems in the entire Commonwealth. I'm not making it up. Google it. It just a very sad fact.
Rob Wachowski
8:53 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Jim, you're a troll. Why not be a coward and use your real name? Your posts will never be taken seriously.
Jim Miller
9:26 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Rob, if they had the chance, I'm sure my mother and father would both thank you for your heartfelt compliment to honor our family, but my name is Jim Miller, it's always been Jim Miller, and find your retort quite amusing.
Gail G
9:06 pm on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Lee, we're fortunate to have some good candidates for school board this year. Check out Kelly Carmichael Booz in District B and Chris Lewis in District C. I think you live in A but I'm not sure. Two cadidates in A are Karen Graf and Scott Gordon. I know others are running as well in the various districts. I'll be voting for Kelly here in B and I think Rob will make an excellent Delegate. I like Karen too and I don't know the guy from Arlington. Will Frank Fannon run? If not, will the Republicans put up anyone?
Bill Campbell
11:04 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I’m not a party sycophant, not a card-carrying member of any Del Ray politico machine(s), and I love what I know thus far about Karen Gautney. Given this proviso, I’d like to disclose here, a tidbit about Rob Krupicka. For several years, I’ve been a member of the Alexandria Early Childhood Commission. Alexandria does not lose high school dropouts in high school. We begin to lose these students from 0-5 years of age when they do not have quality childcare and pre-school experiences. Throughout my tenure on the commission, Rob Krupicka, bar none, has been the strongest Council advocate in support of increasing quality pre-school opportunities for our children. I submit that well before and subsequent to the 1954 decision, Alexandria has failed a significant swath of children who have attended our public schools. Given the 50+ years of failures, significant improvements will not happen overnight. Focusing on early-childhood is not “sexy” because we may not see the results for 5, 6 or even 10 years via an emotionally and socially well-adjusted 7th or 8th grader who is well prepared to begin mapping out a positive high school and post-high school future for himself/herself. I applaud Rob’s efforts to increase quality early childhood opportunities in Alexandria and I truly hope that we can find a similarly committed councilperson in the upcoming elections.
John Arbuckle
12:49 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Agreed with Mr. Campbell, sounds like he knows what he is talking about. Glad that you are running for School Board. Hope to hear more about your plans.
Peter
12:23 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Once the new Wakefield HS is completed next year in Arlington the only difference between Wakefield and TC Williams will be the 1 1/2 miles separating them.
Jim Miller
2:34 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Peter, there are HUGE differences between Arlington County and the City of Alexandria, besides geographics. Eighty percent of Alexandria's overall population do not have any children, which puts it at one of the lowest, if not the lowest, adult-to-child ratio in the Washington, DC Metro Area. And Bill Campbell is right in noting that out of the other twenty percent of families with children, many are black and Latino. So the divide and fisures of the problems of Alexandria City Public Schools is very hard to fix, as tragically embarrassing as they might be, in relation to the very low ratings that are noted in comparison to other school systems in the Commonwealth. Some of the issues are cultural, financial, and that is hard for any public agency to govern, because they can't change and reformat parents, or lifestyles, or any other part of our lives in order to try to create balance. Much more of a dramatic infusion of funds, resources, and talent need to be put into preschool, where children are given guidance and are taught at a rate of pace to show success in the classroom can actually help build great work habits for their entire scholastic career. Additionally, parents, no matter what their background, want to all see their children do well, and a continuation of outreach into the black and Latino communities should additionally be given more resources, as we all hope for a great future for all of our children in the Alexandria City Public School System.
Bill Campbell
4:45 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Hey, we do have a movie! It’s ok to gloat about TCW’s “71” state championship, but 41 years after that strife-inspired victory, there remain vestiges of divide. Walk TCW and you’ll find self-segregation. You’ll find, at best, the appearance of segregation in: Honors/AP classes; in suspensions; on the Basketball, Crew & Cheerleading squads; in SOL results; in drop-out rates. Schools generally reflect their municipalities and there is a divide in Alexandria. Today, the foundation of that divide is fiscal vice racial. The 80%+ of households in our city without school-aged children are privileged to have nearly the highest income/household in the country. Of the 20% of households with school-age children, nearly 60% are eligible for free/reduced lunch. The majority of these families are African-American and Latino. While the key divide is fiscal, we cannot be afraid to talk about the disparate results that this divide has on children of color. Neither Council nor School Board can seriously impact the fiscal divide. To significantly improve all children’s outcomes, it’ll take the entire community. Many children not meeting minimum marks, do not have required supports ideally provided at home. Agencies, including ACPS, are working to improve these home structures. Alexandrians can help provide some of these missing items. We can be mentors, tutors, more engaged neighbors etc. Paying more taxes and sniping at ACPS to “get better”, alone, will not work.
Jim Miller
5:36 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Bill, excellent points you have raised, indeed! You deserve to be on the school board, and with your insight, you should look forward to possibly running for the Alexandria City Council in the future, as well. YOU get it, where many in Alexandria don't, or never will.
Lisa
9:25 am on Sunday, July 1, 2012
Amen. I am so tired of reading all these snipes at ACPS and public schools in general. If you don't like what you hear about your city's schools, I encourage any one who has time to go on these blogs to channel that time into volunteering time and talents and doing what you can do to contribute towards making your school system a better place. The teachers can't do it alone, and don't deserve all the blame when state test scores aren't perfect. Good schools have a strong component of community support, support of all types.
Kim Moore
3:02 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
I am very happy that Rob is running for the position and look forward to voting for him. While Rob and I have not always agreed on issues, I appreciate his opinions as being very thoughtful, and he is an excellent listener. I regard those as qualities of a smart politician.
His dedication to our city, our state's schools and his community are examples of his well-rounded desire to improve Cirginia and Alexandria. As President of the DelRay Citizens Association back in 2001-2002, Rob made our neighborhood's needs clear to the City. On City Council, he has sought to find balance.
His record of community, city and state service has continually strengthened my respect for him.
Ken Stevens
7:01 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Go Rob!
Rudy Garcia
6:19 pm on Friday, June 29, 2012
Great to hear that you are running, i'm in your corner and will be working to help you get elected.