Nye should vote “Yes” on healthcare’s final bill and hold his head up and be proud. The long term benefits are worth the fallout the GOP will give him anyway. Even if he votes no, they will attack him and do their best to replace him.

Northern Virginia residents, particularly in Fairfax County, place a high priority on education and are willing to support those priorities with their pocketbooks. You can see the evidence of this priority in the disproportionate representation of Fairfax County kids in the freshmen classes of the state’s more elite public universities.

Hampton Roads voters, on the other hand, place a higher priority on being cheap and keeping the already low taxes as low as possible, no matter what the mediocre outcome of our public education system.

By the way, Warren, local property tax money collected for local schools does not leave localities. That money is never in the State’s hands. Both Hampton Roads and NoVa, on the other hand, underwrite other parts of the state when it comes to state income taxes.

The Democrats passed a bill that launched an economy in which all wage groups grew, 22 million jobs were created, and poverty plummeted. The republicans lied and lied, predicted a depression and used fear and scare tactics to try and defeat the Clinton economic initiative.

Insert HCR for the Clinton economic plan and it is deja vu’ all over again. Republicans once again will be proven historically wrong, regardless of the short term election consequences.

As for a prediction, I have Nye and Boucher voting no and Connelly and Perriello voting aye!

Also, your result seems pretty true too.
One day I’ll make you a believer…one day.

I agree on the importance: if this region is ever to become an economic powerhouse, our schools are going to need to turn out top-notch students.

Good education is still the best route to success and the best way up and out of poverty. To be sure, there are challenges. But the answer is not, as Brian suggests, to point fingers at fatherless homes–such a tired excuse– or simply abandon the system for one in another city. Neither does anything to fix the problem; that the children of affluent households are siphoned out to private schools only further weakens the social fabric of public education.

Success in education lies in allowing good teachers–not mediocre teachers or teachers who are just biding their time or teachers who have to put up with a lot of bureaucratic politics–the time and space they need to do their work well. I’m pretty sure that most teachers felt at least once in their career that they could make a difference. Let’s let them do it. I’ll bet every successful person you know can cite at least one good teacher, if not more, who made a meaningful difference in his or her life.

Many teachers and most teachers’ unions resist the idea of making teachers more accountable because they can’t agree on what constitutes a fair measure of comparison. But if educators wants to be taken more seriously and compensated in a way that reflects their contribution, they must figure this out, isolate the conditions that obstruct their progress and work to eliminate those obstructions. Noting else matters and nothing less should be accepted by citizens of Norfolk.

You and I have talked about what the problems are and how to solve them. Appointed school boards don’t do it.

I’m amazed people have all sorts of studies and statistics about economic levels, demography, and I’ve never seen anyone cite a statistic about fatherless homes. I’ll bet a shiny, new nickel it’s the greatest determinant of student behavior and performance on the aggregate.

You’re right, though. Norfolk hasn’t had education a priority. I think VB’s revenue formula and elected school board has it right. Takes the politics out of budgeting.

Which brings me back to the issue of parental involvement. Norfolk has already returned to neighborhood schools for elementary and middle schools. Certainly not all of the communities are unstable. So that’s no excuse.

I’m convinced that everyone is trying to give their kids an edge – nothing wrong with that – and feel that they cannot do that unless the kids are not in public schools. I think that’s the wrong approach.

(By the way – we didn’t have security in the schools when I was in high school. And while there were different classes for different groups of kids, they weren’t separated by the floors.)

No, you can’t kick the kids out. But perhaps there should be some mechanism to encourage parental involvement – and by that I mean the volunteer time at the school.

Her quick, vituperative response caught me completely by surprise, especially considering my classmate’s prior political work for Democratic and social justice campaigns.

My opinion of Maury, is that it is still the very best of Norfolk’s public schools. However, even thirty years ago, we had plain-clothes cops patrolling the halls and we still had a few minor race-riots. Most students would avoid going into the basement level of the school early in the morning or late in the day, since you were more likely to get robbed or stuck with a knife, during those times.

The way Maury used to deal with the differences in their students’ abilities and aspirations, was like a layer cake. If you were a “troubled youth” your classes were mostly on the first and basement levels. The kids who were trying to get an education or had plans for college, had classes on the top two floors of the building. All of the AP classes were on the top floor. As a consequence, if you were taking the AP classes, you would likely never have to deal with the violence prone characters who haunted the basement.

I can see why parents, who want the best for their children, would pull their kids out of the public schools. We have reached the point where there is so much stratification of our education system, that many areas look like a third world country; with the richer people sending their kids to private academies, while the only folks left for the public system are those who can’t afford any alternative.

I wonder how my high school experience at Maury would have been degraded if the top twenty percent of students had been siphoned off by private, charter, and alternative programs? When I was at Maury, the mayor’s kid was a classmate, as were the daughters of the school board superintendent, and many of the sons and daughters of Norfolk’s most wealthy families. I learned a great deal from those “country club” kids. Now, most of those kids among our current students are off at White-flight academies, special magnet programs, or are home schooled.

One solution that I have heard of, is to return to local control of schools, along with a return to neighborhood schools, where faculty staff and students mostly come from the same part of the community.

Related to this issue is the need to restore community stability, but to get that done, we need to establish more community homeowner’s associations, and/or repeal the Fair Housing Act so that property owners reacquire their right to sell homes to whomever they wish.

Stable communities will lead to better schools, not the other way around; and we will never get there by simply handing over more money to the education establishment.

Private schools can require parental involvement because they have an enforcement mechanism. They can kick the kids out. How can you do that in public schools?

These communities are being hit hard economically partially due to the lack of broadband access in the area.

Some communities on the south side of Virginia have tried to address this before, only to find out that they’re not nearly as important to Virginia’s govt and regulators as Verizon. I hope this new push doesn’t turn into another excuse to shovel (more) money in to the coffers of the Baby Bells.

You are the one putting negatives out there and getting a response.
The citizens of NNews can take care of their city, thank you.

I did indeed work the polls for Tricia Stall in both the Republican Primary when she defeated the incumbent Senator Marty Williams, a Republican, and in the general election when she lost to my friend Sen. John Miller. I supported her for her stand on the King William Reservoir, environmental and several other specific issues. I have nothing at all against Sen John Miller who I think is a nice person and has turned out to be a pretty good centrist leader. I appreciate his nonpartisan caucus efforts in the GA, and other things he has done. The point is that both people are good people despite what their respective supporters like to say. In that general election, despite disagreements I had with some of her social positions, her honesty and steadfast opposition to the reservoir project kept me loyal to her. Though I obviously like John Miller too, he had the baggage of supporting the King William Reservoir, though in some ways he inherited that position. I talked to Miller then and since and I think & hope he has redeemed himself from his earlier position.

These were the first and only times I have ever worked the polls for a person running as a Republican, but I don’t have years of experience running polls for anyone. I have supported, along with many other Democrats, Independents and GOP, both Madeline McMillan and Pat Woodbury for NN City Council in non-partisan elections. I guess you would call them moderate Republicans. During those same elections in 2004, 2006 and 2008 I also supported and worked for the campaigns of my friends, Shaun Brown, Sheryl Holmes Abbott and Priscilla Burnette, who I believe are all Democrats, and I’m pretty sure are African American females last I checked. If there is any pattern in who I have supported for elections, it would be that most of them are female.

If you want to check VPAP, you can see I gave Trish Stall several hundred dollars when she was running against Mr Reservoir, Senator Marty Williams. The Democrats did not have the guts to put up someone against a well-funded 12 year incumbent like Marty Williams. Only when Tricia bravely and successfully challenged the integrity and legitimacy of her own party’s nominee, did the Democrats put up a last minute candidate against Tricia Stall in the General Election. Had it not been for my moderate Democratic friend Steve Corneliussen who managed to get his name on the ballot for the Dems, the Dems would not have even had a candidate elible for the election and Tricia Stall would be your state senator today. Steve gave his ballot place to John Miller.

The past election cycle the only candidate I supported was my friend Creigh Deeds. I gave five or six hundred dollars during the primary and the general, even though I knew he would likely not win. I don’t have much money and that is the most I have ever given to anyone for any race. For some reason only two hundred shows up on VPAP, I guess the rest went to some kind of PAC supporting DEEDS. Do I hate McDonnell? No, just some of his positions like the HRTA, King William Reservoir, old wetlands legislation and some of his decisions as Atty General. The thesis didn’t thrill me either.

Lastly, during the election you are referring to, essentially all I did was watch my table and hand out literature. The vote count was frequently announced by the poll workers as I recall. The only times I went inside was to go to the bathroom since I consider it bad form to interrupt people working inside the precinct. I am not registered to vote in Newport News, but you don’t have to be in order to man a table and hand out literature. I left at poll closing time and did not go in to observe vote counting or anything like that.

I thought everyone in both campaigns got along quite well at Epes precinct, though I could tell the Dems seemed to be expecting some sort of conflict or aggression. I like to think that my friendly and helpful nature on election day, assuaged any such negative expectations. There will likely be times in the future when I support a person from the Democratic Party and vice-versa. I am not a party ideologue. This is a non-partisan election as Vivian says, despite Gene and others efforts to cause divisive partisanship unrelated to the issues in the City election.

I think the way some of my Dem friends have tried to frame Pat Woodbury as an extremist is counterproductive to a civil discourse. Anyone that gets to know her knows otherwise. Everyone who has or does associate with the Republican party is not a right wing extremist. Example, Harvey Morgan. He and Democrat Albert Pollard are my favorite Virginia legislators. Men of uncommon honesty and integrity. Ask them or the Sierra Club if Pat Woodbury is an extremist.

I am a volunteer and have never been paid by any candidate or any party in any election.

My friend Laura asks what did Pat do to stop the illegal reservoir project? I can detail years of activity, but lets just look at the period circa 2004 when McKinley Price was voting for it on council and supporting it socially and politically through the new taxpayer funded group “Citizens for Fair Play on Water”. Dr. Pat Woodbury read, studied and analyzed all the five key reports that were out, including the approx 400 page Recommended Record of Decision from the Norfolk District of the Corps of Engineers issued in 2001. This epic document, along with all the scientific and government reports led her to consistently oppose the project in public and private. I can send you at least one set of testimony she gave in front of VMRC because I have the transcripts archived on my computer. Do you want them?

It should be noted that it took bravery for Woodbury and her best friend, Councilwoman Madeline McMillan to stand up against the big money developers behind McKinley Price and the powerful people in the government who were determined to have the project. She stuck her neck out, and spoke truth to power on behalf of the environment, Native Americans and regular people who would have to pay for the debacle. not McKinley Price, he served as one of many “Yes Men” to the powerful financial and political interests that were apparently willing to push the flawed project to the end.

That was just circa 2004. Most years I can tell you something she did or a public comment she made against it. Including of course, numerous recent votes against it as a member of newport News City Council. She stuck up for the scientists, environmentalists, taxpayers, water bill payers and regular good people like Linda and Gene who were also against the project. McKinley Price did not.

Gene is being untruthful. I have posted all over on Newport News Politics regarding McKinley Price’s votes, connections and active involvement in support of the illegal and unneeded King William Reservoir scheme. Gene is upset that I have said I think the Democrats have made a mistake in endorsing someone who has a record of favoring big business interests over the well-being of the working person and the environment. Not once has he asked for documentation as he suggests above, not once. Now I have no choice but to make it public.

While on Newport News City Council from Jan 2004 to July 2004 he always voted in favor of all things regarding the King William Reservoir, including water rate increases that hurt his poor constituents more than anyone else. His Big money contributors are in many respects the Whose Who of the failed project’s supporters. See here: http://www.vpap.org/committees/profile/money_in_donors/2929

When appointed to City Council he also was a member of a supposed new “non-profit” or “charity” that was just approved by city council with the sole purpose of Supporting the King William Reservoir. Though set up with citizens tax &/or water money, regular citizens could not join unless they supported the KingWilliam Reservoir. In my opinion, many of the members thought they would profit from the project. They were called the “movers and shakers of the region”. Their initial appropriation of $85,000 was part of a sum of $130,000 which was designated to create good PR for the flawed & illegal project.

Vivian, I can email you the Daily Press article announcing the group, I can send you their final membership list(including McKinley Price) and criteria to be a member. I can get you City Council transcripts or minutes if you would like that show Mr Price’s votes. I can find and send you other documents describing activities in support of the reservoir project. I can even get you video if you want, so you can see it with your own eyes.

Dr. Pat Woodbury is an independent thinker with a record of protecting people and the environment from harm. Since Gene insists on Karl Rove-like smear labeling, I would label her a very moderate Republican with a strong record as a consensus builder in education, the environment and government.

Thank you for maintaining a quality blog that is open and free of censorship for appropriate comments, especially those which can be documented.

You’re entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts.

McKinley Price is a “Yes Man” for the Peninsula Corporate Oligarchs. Look at the first big money bomb they dropped on him months before the campaign began. http://www.vpap.org/committees/profile/money_in_donors/2929
These are the same people, along with Price who supported the illegal and unneeded King William Reservoir disaster.

Woodbury was with the Environmentalists, Scientists, Courts, Commissions, Govt. Agencies and thousands of people who tried to stop them. Finally the federal courts struck Price’s illegal and unneeded project down after 22 years of trying to strong arm it through. The abuses they perpetrated are legendary.

With Price’s outspoken help and support, many of his contributors were responsible for costing Newport News about $60,000,000 and rising. Close to $600.00 for the average water bill payer and rising rapidly. All to support their dramatic exaggerations.

Dr. Woodbury was against this unneeded project over ten years ago and is on the record with plenty of testimony that was proven correct. She did her homework, Price did not do his homework. He supported the project despite the facts and now wants to be Mayor? This project Price supported would have been the largest permitted loss of wetlands since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972.

Dr. Woodbury is independent of this group of big money uber-developers. I guess McKinley Price is now the spokesman for the “Big Business Overdevelopment Pollution Club”.

I think Pat Woodbury’s grass roots campaign will beat the big Price money campaign. I think her coalition of Republican’s, Democrats and Independents like me will finally kick the big money shadow government out of power. These people have rapidly driven Newport News into way over a billion dollars of debt and growing.

Pat Woodbury is close to the people and the small businesses they work for. She has shown up at every public forum. McKinley Price didn’t even show up at the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights debate on Friday.

I think Price thinks that just because he has the big financial interests behind him, he doesn’t have to get of his butt.

Sorry, my mistake–Assistant Principal.

Not trying to paint anybody with a broad brush–obviously Tommy is a great teacher. NPS needs to attract more of his caliber.

I still think he needs to address this testing scandal issue with his thoughts since he’s running for Council who appoints NPS School Board. Especially since it seems to be on the front page of the Pilot every other day.

Have you spoken to Smigiel about whether he has a plan to lower spending & taxes?

Tommy is in deep with the Norfolk Public Schools system leadership as a Principal at Granby High School. This speaks directly to his credibility.

Um, the Granby HS principal is Ted Daugherty, not Tommy Smigiel. Granby has not been involved in any testing scandals.

Careful with that broad brush – council appoints the School Board – the “leadership” of NPS.