Sandy Evans: Significant donations will support name change for Stuart High School
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| The Oct. 26 school meeting where the board agreed on Justice High School as the new name for Stuart. Left to right: Superintendent Scott Brabrand and school board members Sandy Evans (Mason), Thomas Wilson (Sully), Megan McLaughlin (Braddock), Dalia Palchick (Providence), and Ryan McElveen (at large). |
Now that the Fairfax County School Board has voted to change the name of JEB Stuart High School to Justice High School, board member Sandy Evans (Mason) is hopeful those who supported the name change will contribute funds to help offset the cost.
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| Stuart High School |
The board passed a resolution in July to change the name because of the feeling that naming a school in honor of a Confederate general and slaveholder was no longer appropriate. After reviewing suggested names presented by Superintendent Scott Brabrand, the board voted 7-4 Oct. 26 to rename the school Justice High School.
“Justice” was adopted as a compromise in recognition of the three names – Justice Thurgood Marshall, Barbara Rose Johns, and Col. Louis Mendez Jr. – that together got the most votes as an alternative to Stuart High School in a community voting exercise in September.
“I hope we can get significant financial support for this,” said Evans. A petition calling for a name change was signed by 39,750 people.
Fairfax County Public Schools has put up an online portal to accept donations. According to WTOP, more than $8,000 has been donated so far.
Evans, as well as many advocates of the name change, question the $800,000 cost estimate by FCPS staff.
“They gave estimates based on a brand-new school with no uniforms or anything,” Evans says. “We don’t have to start from scratch.”
For example, the FCPS cost estimate calls for ripping up the end zones on the synthetic turf field. Instead, the new name and logo can be painted on the existing field until it needs to be replaced, she says.
“We need to look at what actually needs to be replaced,” Evans says. “We need to refine the numbers and look at how much the real costs are – not averages and estimates.”
Evans believes the FCPS estimate of $1,500 to $2,000 for a band uniform is too high. Instead, the school could consider replacing only the part of the uniform with the school name.
The marquee in front of the school needs to be replaced anyway, she notes, as it’s outdated. Most high schools now have electronic marquees.
The resolution passed by the school board gives FCPS two years to make the name change official. “I hope we don’t need that long,” Evans says. “I hope we can make the change next summer.”
The school board directed Brabrand to submit an implementation plan by Dec. 14. That plan is expected to cover the cost issues, a procedure for choosing a new mascot, and recommendations on how the school could honor Marshall, Johns, and Mendez.
Students will definitely be involved in selecting a mascot, Evans says. It’s possible that the Raiders mascot could be retained, as Mendez’ battalion during the Korean War was known as the Raiders. She believes the school colors – red, white, and blue – don’t need to be changed.
Evans believes “Justice High School” captures “the spirit of the community vote.” Naming the school “Justice Thurgood Marshall” was her first choice, but some board members thought it was confusing. There already is a Marshall High School, named for former Secretary of State George C. Marshall.
Naming the school for Louis Mendez, a World War II hero, would have fine Evans said, but that would mean “leapfrogging over the two African American civil rights leaders” who got more votes than Mendez.
The conflict over the past two years over whether to change the name of JEB Stuart High School has been divisive within the community.
Advocates who felt strongly about keeping the name JEB Stuart have a filed a lawsuit against the school board, and one or more individuals, who remain anonymous, have launched a campaign to recall Evans.
“Some people feel very strongly,” Evans acknowledges. “It’s been a difficult and long process but at the end of the day, we did the right thing.”
“Naming a school for someone who fought to preserve slavery was a throwback to another difficult time in our history,” she says. “It’s an inappropriate name to have on one of our schools. It simply doesn’t reflect our values.”
As the process continues, “hopefully, the Stuart community will embrace the change,” she says. “I hope we can all come together. We are all neighbors and friends. It’s a great school. It’s a welcoming school. We can’t lose sight of that.”
Evans needs to resign. Move on!
Sandy you are right, we will deliver 100 band uniforms to your house and you can make all the alterations to "change the name", but just don't spend more than $2,000. Law of unintended consequences! Make them look good!
She said 2000 PER uniform was too much and it is. 100×2000 = 200,000$ for the budget. Its a lot.
The Band Boosters raise funds to purchase new uniforms; they were close to having enough funding several years ago when I was involved. If they haven't in the past 3-4 years, it's likely because they've been holding off purchasing because name change was possible. So maybe the band uniform cost due to the name change is closer to zero than anyone imagines. I know the other booster organization I was involved with inflated their predicted costs–hoping they'd get more money if they were going to be supported by the fundraising. Other booster organizations were synonymous with the "no change" faction, so I'd wonder about the veracity of their estimates, too.
I haven't written my check yet, but my family has already made the decision to support this financially. That's putting our money where our mouth is; we certainly have supported the change for many years–including my Class of 2017 child, not excited about launching her adulthood with that traitor's name on her diploma.
Evans is a joke. On the one hand, she's worried that naming a school after Mendez would have "leapfrogged" him over two blacks, but she's fine with leapfrogging all of them over Stuart, the community's top choice, and giving the school a new name that the community never voted upon as a "concept" name – Justice. And then she implies the school could save money by sticking with the "Raiders," without appreciating what "Justice Raiders" would mean at a school with a large number of undocumented students worried about ICE raids. And then, to top it all off, she asks everyone to "all come together" and work past the results of what she's inflicted on what once was a harmonious community. The only way we'll come together is when she's out of office and someone with more common sense replaces her.
Thank you for this. Oh the irony of "Justice Raiders"
Unfortunately, the school board vote, not the community vote, decides the new name. Not enough school board members were willing to vote to keep the name "Stuart HS". Stuart = JEB Stuart = institutional racism = bad. Sandy Evans' cool head and diplomatic manner have led our community through this — it's time for us all to work together as one community, not kick out the ONE school board member who worked for 2.5 years listening to the community. It is painful to have to recognize that racism exists, whether its institutional racism or any kind of racism. She didn't inflict anything on anyone. She shined a light on this, and it has been painful for many. But, it is time for us to come together as one community. Listen to the kids and hear that WE ARE ONE.
Stop being thoughtful and original about this; those delinquents will try to stuff you into a locker.
Having "JustICE Raiders" at that school would be like yelling fire in a crowded movie theatre.
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These numbers are overinflated. The marching uniform is reaching its natural replacement date anyway. My daughter wore their current uniform in 2012 and it probably wasn't new then. "Jeb" only appears in small letters on the jacket, over a larger S. It is on a flap. We can leave it until the scheduled replacement time or cover it. No hats or bibs / pants, gloves or shoes need to be changed. It really doesn't need to cost anything at all.
Agreed. It's important to change only what is needed first.
When I first started in the marching band (flag corps), the musicians' uniforms were actually hand-me-downs from the Annandale Atoms. We were all extremely happy when they got to wear our own school colors!
RRubin, thanks for pointing out the natural "best by" dates for such things.
Evans hope to get significant financial support from the public sector is inappropriate. I supported the name change – still do – and believed that the cost (whether high or low) was one of the considerations for the SB's overall position.
Pretty much all of the "community " ideas were "kicked to curb" so to speak and now the "community" is supposed to fund a name that really speaks no justice. It really should go back to the drawing board for a review and possible new ideas cause this is not a fair resolve.$800.000 to fund a name the community did not vote for.And what an incredible amount of money.How many needy Stuart students could be given college educations/scholarships for $800.000.That kind of money could change a lot lives.There has to be other solutions.
Excellent point.
Anonymous 8:36pm — the name JUSTICE High School is a great compromise that reflects our community's vote to support three people of color and their fight for justice for all Americans in a world where that is sadly still needed. The community voted for this. The community discussed and talked about this for 2.5 years. The real cost will be nowhere near the very rough estimates we have seen — and the resulting philanthropic support, if properly stewarded, will increase future support for our students in the form of scholarship money for college and other needs.
Indeed, an excellent point. Did anyone bother to poll the needy students that attend Stuart to see if they preferred a name change or the money to go towards education and scholarships? I'm not talking about the people that own homes, I'm talking about the truly needy of which there are plenty at Stuart. My guess is that 100% of them would say the latter. This entire thing was driven by politically correct people who try to see a perceived wrong where there none exists. Before you decide to spend taxpayer's money on something this ridiculous and unnecessary, take a look at the fiscal problems our district is facing. Not everyone has the luxury of spending other people's money in this way. If you know where you next rent payment is coming from or where you will find the money to pay for a jacket for your child to walk to school, then you have no business advocating for this nonsensical expenditure. All for political correctness. Ask any needy child going to Stuart. I'm sure they'd rather have education than a name change.
Maybe Sandy Evans and those that voted for this could take out a second mortgage on their houses to fund it. The simple fact of the matter is that no matter where this money comes from, it could be put to much better use for educating the kids at Stuart.
Our family lives in the pyramid and strongly supports the name change. It has been a long contentious fight but I'm hopeful that by the time my children start high school that things will have calmed down. We are thankful to Sandy Evans and the other school board members for their courage. I believe the cost will come in much less than $800,000.
What was "courageous" about taking two years to make up their minds, repeatedly ignoring the preferences of the students and the rest of the Stuart community, and then foisting a name on the community that wasn't even in the top five? This was imperious, not courageous.
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Anonymous 11/6/17, 9:43 AM
Which is why I will refer to this as Injustice High School for the remainder of my days…
My children attend the school and both are happy the new name of the school is JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL. They understand what institutional racism is and they also understand that changing the name of the school is a step toward acknowledging that we have to be pro-active and make changes in order to give all students and all people the same opportunities for success in life. Justice High School!
I am a 1970 graduate of the school, and am glad the school's name will change to Justice High School. I, and many others, are donating to a fund to help this process. It's long been time we moved away from the divisions and of the past. The new name is a beautiful one, and will be a positive force moving forward for the students who attend there. Justice is the exact sort of name that should have been given to the school back in 1959 when it was established. Now justice has been served. We'll pull together as a community and move forward to make it work.
I'm a 1964 graduate and Vietnam veteran and I think the new name is great. I was always embarrassed by having gone to a high school named after someone who fought to maintain slavery. Now I'm proud of the name.
Fully agreed. This is a positive step for our community.
I graduated from Stuart in 1963. I support the name change and have already made one donation toward the cost. I plan to donate more.
Fantastic piece. So proud of our school board for finally changing the name!
I am also happy with the choice for JUSTICE HIGH SCHOOL, and I believe that there will be significant donations to help cover the costs.
I will be glad when the name is changed and then everything will be right in the world.
I graduated in 1986 and though I really don't like the way it came about, I'm glad the name has been changed. Painting over the old confederate flag in the logo was a feeble attempt to mask an ugly identity–Justice is a name everyone can be proud of.
I'll be glad to donate.
If you are interested in this debate, please take a few minutes to read this speech. Thanks
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/opinion/mitch-landrieus-speech-transcript.html
Thank you for the link. Here's another you may be interesting in:
https://eji.org/national-lynching-memorial
It really speaks to the TRUE meaning of "erasing history."
THANK YOU! Thank you for finally correcting an insult and indignity that lasted nearly 6 decades. Can we please move on. Those of you who want to keep fighting after you've lost are expending negative psychic energy, especially on the wrong side of morality and "justice". If you care about the cost, stop adding to them with threats of lawsuits (which you will also lose). Lick your wounds, accept defeat. Justice won.
Justice may have won but justice did not prevail.
Thank you, 7:58. I wish I could give you a "like" for your remarks.
whether you are or are-NOT for the name change, its mute now, We have a board that makes decisions without knowing how they are going to pay for any of the efforts proposed… less than… professional. the money whether, it is $500-800k or 50cents, would have been much better used in a stem, soccer, football etc program. But I am sure the board will forget about the school and any ill effects of this change and move to biz as usual, lack of quality, programs, money and pointing blame. Way to go!!!
You were placed on the board to have 2 responsibilities, quality education and fiduciary. You all have failing grades.
Why should anybody believe a thing that comes out of Sandy Evans mouth? She has lied and ignored community input from the beginning, made no pretense of following any of the rules that the SB set up, refused to engage those who were opposed to the change, and, best of all, ignored the majority of voters that voted for HER compromised name!
"Students will definitely be involved in selecting a mascot, Evans says"… Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha… If the history of this is any indication, they will be asked what they want and then ignored.
#MyKidGoesToInjusticeHigh
Sandy Evans did an awesome job here against very vocal minority that wanted to hold the Confederate flag at all costs. Now comes the bogus recall effort. It will fail too.
I am a 1987 graduate of the newly named, Justice HS. I am so proud! The decision to change the name says we, as a community, support inclusivity. It also represents that we are finally, publicly rejecting the blatant, (and insidious), institutionalized racism attached to the name JEB Stuart. In changing the name, that FCPS publicly recognizes the harm done to young hearts and minds, both past and present, of institutionalized racism. Bravo, FCPS. Justice HS is a perfect name.
I didn't support this name change from the beginning!