Sandy Evans brings years of experience and activism to school board race
Sandy Evans hopes to bring her extensive experience as a public school and community activist to the Fairfax County school board. Evans, a former journalist, is running for the Mason District seat on the school board and has been endorsed by Kaye Kory, the current board member. A special election is expected to be held in January or early February to fill the vacancy created by Kory’s election to the House of Delegates. Herb Smith, a former teacher and Obama campaign activist is also running for the Mason seat on the board.
The budget is going to be the main issue for the school board for the next three years, Evans says. Both the Fairfax County Public Schools and the county government are facing huge shortfalls, requiring major program and personnel cuts. Evans is a founding member of the new Fairfax Education Coalition, a group of advocates who “believe we can make positive changes by looking for savings” without having to take such drastic steps as increasing class size or cutting funding for crucial programs.
Evans says she feels strongly about protecting class size and need-based funding for schools with large numbers of at-risk students, such as English language learners and students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. “I would like to make sure everything possible goes to the classroom and teachers, as opposed to the administration,” she adds. Evan also opposes the proposal to eliminate band and strings programs for elementary schools. Cutting that program would have an adverse impact on middle and high school music programs, she says, and research has shown a link between music instruction and math achievement.
Evans’ activism in recent years includes the following: past chair of the FCPS School Health Advisory Committee, member of the steering committee of the Northern Virginia Healthy Kids Coalition, co-founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal (SLEEP), legislation committee chair of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, FAIRGRADE Leadership Team adviser, member of the School Board Transportation Task Force, member of the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council, and president of the Sleepy Hollow Elementary School PTA;.
Noting that she has “more than six years experience in scrutinizing the FCPS budget,” Evans says she was “involved in efforts that resulted in saving Fairfax County Public Schools millions of dollars through transportation efficiencies. Our school system’s shrinking budgets will require continued innovation and imagination to make the best use of our limited resources.”
To explain why she’s running, Evans says, “anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm. But tough times require experienced leadership.” After spending the past 14 years working with children as a parent, school volunteer, and community leader, Evans wants to “continue putting my energy to work for students, parents, teachers and citizens during these difficult budget times.”
While Co-Founder of Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal (SLEEP), she proposed moving up the time for elementary school kids to attend school which meant that children as young as 6 or 7 would have to wait in the dark for buses to arrive. Her shortshightness created a backlash with parents of elementary school children after a survery was presented which rejected SLEEP's proposal.
We need a leader who will represent all views and children and teenagers from K-graduation. Based upon past performance, I am not sure if Sandy can not be a team player, balanced and many not listen to what her other colleagues on the School Board suggest.
A concerned parent
Sandy is a one-trick pony (SLEEP) who is cut from the Barcroft area PTA/political machine. Unfortunately, I see her as another non-culturally diverse candidate who has raised her children and is now pursing her "hobby" full time. The school board is too important to turn it over to another bored housewife seeking a "new direction" in her life. The Mason District seat is not for a poor imitation of Kaye Kory.
In addition, the Democratice party should take a close look at who Sandy and/or husband have donated money to (GOP) over the years. The Democratic party should be very suspect of this candidate.
Winston's rule on branding and name selection is that when a cute (or macho) acronym is selected (e.g., SLEEP) the underlying ideas are suspect.
The proposal Anonymous refers to was a Fairfax County Public Schools STAFF proposal, not SLEEP's. It was based on, but did not adhere to, recommendations of a broad based Transportation Task Force. If SLEEP had been able to develop our own proposal for public consideration, it would have looked very different. In the end, SLEEP did not even support the staff proposal that Anonymous refers to, much less propose it. Everyone on the Task Force, including the two SLEEP representatives, agreed that it was important for safety that young children NOT be walking to and from bus stops in the dark.
Sandy has worked tirelessly with and for children for 14 years. Organizing the majority of parents who believe that 7:20 am is too early for high school to start, and that 5-something am is too early for teens to be on buses, is only one of her efforts. She has worked with School Board members, teachers organizations and parent advocates on a variety of issues, many involving health. She is well-known and highly respected among these groups, and works well with all of them.
Terry Tuley
SLEEP Chair
Terry Tuley confirms it. Sandy is a one issue candidate. SLEEP and Sandy are too polarizing. Our party will not win if we select someone who lacks a fair understanding of the many issues facing the board.
In addition, rumor has it that Sandy Evans and/or her husband have openly supported and/or donated to far-right former school board member Steve Hunt. We need someone who truly believes in progressive ideas. We need a better alternative!
"Anonymous" 's comments are so full of misrepresentations & falsehoods it's hard to figure out where to begin – but here goes for just a few:
I served on the FCSB Transportation Task Force (TTF), chairing the "Tweak" & FCPS Staff Impact Committees. The TTF did recommend Elementary Schools start school first. However, we were adamant about not having a school start time that required the Elementary students to be at their bus stops before 'civil twilight", i.e., in the dark. At the time of our recommendation, there were 35 Elementary schools whose start time did require students to be at their bus stops in the dark.
Furthermore, we then & still do have Middle & High School students at bus stops in the dark for a significant number of days during the year. These students are not immune to the problems associated with darkness & there are a number of documented events to confirm this fact. One of the benefits of later start times was the fact that NONE of our FCPS students would have to walk & wait in the dark to attend school; this safety benefit was recognized by TTF members & was one of the reasons a majority of the TTF supported "later start times" (DON"T confuse the TTF recommendations with the FCPS Staff's proposed Iteration 3 which no one I know supported!).
Regarding the "bored housewife" comment, (wow – does this even warrant a response?), through the TTF & ensuing back & forth with the FCSB & FCPS staff, I can attest to the fact that Sandy is not involved in our schools because she is "bored". The School Board position is anything but "part time". It requires a full time commitment that anyone who has a "full time" job is hard pressed to meet. Based on my first hand experiences, Sandy is definitely not involved because she is "bored". Sandy is one of those 20% of the people who do 80% of the work, and her complete resume demonstrates that her efforts to improve our schools was/is not limited to SLEEP.
"Anonymous" has made a number of inaccurate comments/characterizations (plenty of personal opinions based on what?) on this site, resulting in my questioning his/her motives. What we need is a fact driven dialogue & examination of the School Board candidates' experience & knowledge as it relates to our schools with the candadates' positions AND supporting rationale.
Regarding Jack Winston's branding comment: If you don't have the time or interest to become knowledgeable about something, apply whatever convenient shortcut rationale you want – just don't expect anyone who is looking for substance to make a decision based on your "rule"
Sandy's "years of experience and activism" are all about SLEEP and nothing else.
Check out the County Council web-site. She's the SLEEP liaison.
She wanted any budget savings to be used to further the SLEEP initiative.
Transportation Task Force – You guessed it – SLEEP!
Let's get someone who cares about more than SLEEP!
(And many people who originally supported SLEEP now want no part of it!)
Well Anonymous you're at it again – a little fact out-of-context with unsupported statements stated as fact to make a case that facts don't & can't support.
I noticed you did not address your prior false statements regarding elementary school children having to wait at a bus stop in the dark (totally false) & your characterization of Sandy's interest in being the Mason District School Board rep as a "hobby" (totally unsupported).
I have little interest or time in addressing your false and misleading statements and innuendo any longer – For me your mostly unsubstaniated statements lack credibility.
@Chris-I noticed that you did not address the Hunt rumor posed earlier. If true, it is incredible to believe that she would now expect the Party to endorse her. If the Party endorse a "johnny come lately," I will be most disappointed. One day POOF-there she is volunteering for Kaye. The previous year she displaying a Hunt. Now she's a Democrat? Give me a break.
Well, this is amusing. It is apparent that Anon has never spoken with Ms. Evans and such the pity. Having personally explored the candidate's bona fides and her knowledge on issues that range far, far from merely what time kids are on corners in the morning, I can assure Anon that Sandy's nearly encyclopedic knowledge regarding FCPS matters will impress all who press her.
To be fair, I am not in total agreement with Ms. Evans on every issue. But then, it would be more shocking if I was. What I am in agreement with is that the person whom we choose to perform this mainly thankless and exhausting service must sincerely want the position and be able to handle it. On those two important scores, Sandy Evans is more than qualified.
As for the final comment regarding Sandy's political affiliations or contributions, I admit that I am ignorant as to whether she contributed to Mr. Hunt's past campaign. I can assure you that she did not contribute to his latest and hopefully last campaign. However, as a registered and active Democrat, I will also admit that in the past I have contributed to a Republican candidate. You see, I lived in D.C. when Marion Barry was mayor.