Voters in the City of Alexandria will see school board candidates on their ballots this fall for the first time in three years. Alexandria Living Magazine asked candidates for School Board for their answers to eight questions.
Related links:
- Who's Running for Alexandria School Board in 2018?
- Alexandria School Board 2018 Voter's Guide: Answers from District A Candidates
- Alexandria School Board 2018 Voter's Guide: Answers from District B Candidates
- Download the full voter’s guide here.
Alexandria City Public Schools
DISTRICT C
The answers from candidates in District C are below. They are presented in the order we received them from candidates, and the answers have not been edited.
Meagan Alderton — Candidate in District C
What three words would you choose to describe Alexandria City Public Schools?
Diverse. Dynamic. Complex.
What is a major life accomplishment you'd like to share?
I am the mother of two amazing children. I met my husband while we were both teaching at George Washington Middle School, and I would have to say that our marriage and the family that we have created will always be paramount in my achievements.
When you envision what ACPS will look like in ten years, what do you see?
I see a school system where there are no disparities in achievement for students with disabilities, black students, latinx students, and English Language Learners. I believe that it is absolutely possible to significantly reduce performance gaps by implementing pedagogical practices that we know work best for the population that we serve. There are age-old educational theories that give us the answers that we seek. In some ways, we just need to get back to basics.
What was something that you personally enjoyed as a part of your childhood schooling?
I was a French Immersion student from K-10th grade. I learned all of my core subjects in French and that experience totally set the tone for my life. It opened up a world to me that I would have never experienced otherwise. As result, I am fluent in French. I received this type of world class education in a public-school system. This is the power of public education.
Who was your most influential teacher or school official and why?
Mrs Virginia Lloyd. She was my music teacher in elementary school. She saw something in me that sparked her to give me quick little 10-minute piano lessons after school when I was in first grade. One day my mother came to pick me up and saw me sitting at the piano reading music. Needless to say, I ended up taking private lessons from Mrs Lloyd every week for the next 9 years. I love playing the piano and I have an immense appreciation for music, including vocal music, because of her. We are still in touch today and I even enjoy a meal at her home, with my family on occasion.
What extracurriculars were most important to you as a student?
I have 3 that shaped me:
Private Piano Lessons
County Honors Choir (We sang at the Kennedy Center every year).
Cross-County/ Track and Field
To this day I play the piano, sing with a wonderful choir, and implement the strength and fitness techniques that I learned as a cross-country and track athlete. These are the things that I turn to and that always uplift me when I need to destress or unwind.
What would you say to new families, with school-aged or preschool children, considering moving to Alexandria to encourage them to join our city/to entice them here?
If you want your children to experience the power of diversity, send them to ACPS. I have taught in Baltimore, I have taught in 3 of Alexandria City’s schools, and I have done district level oversight in DC. There is no place in the DMV like ACPS. This presents a unique set of challenges but they can and will be overcome, because ultimately, the strength of diversity always wins. You can’t lose.
What is one thing you would like to improve about our schools?
I have and intense passion for student achievement. As a special educator I know that achievement matters to kids. Our job in education is to create opportunities for success for ALL of our students, because success builds confidence and confidence encourages and inspires kids to want to learn more and to do better. As I stated in a previous response, educational theory and pedagogy have already given us the correct lenses through which to look. We need to use these lenses to magnify our issues, pick through them with a fine-toothed comb, be critical friends, and start implementing effective steps toward improvement. It’s not impossible, but it will take courage. Its time be courageous.
Heather Thornton — Candidate in District C
What three words would you choose to describe Alexandria City Public Schools?
Dynamic, Challenging, Distinct.
What is a major life accomplishment you'd like to share?
Although I have since left the U.S. Foreign Service due to family considerations, the steadfast journey I took to get there is one of my greatest accomplishments. I obtained scholarships all the way through graduate school, and with my master’s degree finally in hand, I entered into the workforce debt-free. Along the way, I immersed myself in work as an Education Outreach Coordinator, and obtained internships at a non-profit in India, a Juvenile & Domestic Relations court and the U.S. Senate. These experiences prepared me not only for a career in diplomacy, but also for a lifetime of service.
When you envision what ACPS will look like in ten years, what do you see?
In ten years, I envision that ACPS will have developed solutions to address the capacity issue at many of our schools. Most likely, such solutions will include innovations like retrofitting existing spaces, as was done with our brand new Ferdinand T. Day Elementary school, or creating entirely new buildings, which is an option that should bear serious consideration in dealing with the overcrowding at our only high school. I also believe ACPS will have made significant progress in closing the achievement gaps existing among various segments of our city’s diverse students.
What was something that you personally enjoyed as a part of your childhood schooling?
As much as I gained from learning in the classroom, I really enjoyed experiential learning that took me outside. I will never forget my field trips to museums, zoos, and art performances as an elementary student. In addition to inspiring curiosity and discovery, field trips helped expose me to the real-life application of what I learned in the classroom. Generating this type of excitement is one of the best ways to develop lifelong learners.
Who was your most influential teacher or school official and why?
My sixth grade teacher, Mr. Cobb, taught me one of my greatest life lessons. When I entered his class, I truly struggled with math. Whenever I felt the inclination to give up, Mr. Cobb would display an encouraging smile and show the letter “P” written in marker on the inside of his hand. The letter stood as a reminder that Patience is a necessary virtue in any learning process. By the end of my sixth grade year, I was part of the Gifted and Talented program, and math was one of my strongest subjects.
What extracurriculars were most important to you as a student?
My mother believed I should be exposed to as many activities as possible in order to determine where my skills and passions aligned. As a result, I was involved in just about every extracurricular activity imaginable from the Junior Honor Society and Spanish Club to the orchestra and basketball team. Each activity contributed to my holistic development, but my position as a captain on the high school basketball team helped me realize my leadership abilities. Learning to identify my teammates’ individual strengths, and to maximize them for the benefit of the team, was an indispensable part of my education.
What would you say to new families, with school-aged or preschool children, considering moving to Alexandria to encourage them to join our city/to entice them here?
I would tell prospective families that an education in Alexandria offers the benefits that come from being one of the most diverse school divisions in Virginia. Such benefits include interacting with students from more than 125 countries, and being in classrooms with talented educators who recognize individual student needs. I would talk about our division’s focus on increasing access to early childhood education, as shown by the grand opening of the new Early Childhood Center; and on the other end of the spectrum, about existing opportunities from public-private partnerships like the newly established Health Sciences Academy at T.C. Williams.
What is one thing you would like to improve about our schools?
Being one of the most diverse school divisions in the state is a tremendous advantage, but it also presents unique challenges in ensuring equity of educational opportunities. When looking at the recently released SOL scores for the 2017-2018 school year for example, there are clear discrepancies in the scores between various student groups. If I am elected to the school board, I will continuously focus on the root causes of such achievement gaps in order to steadily close them.
Dianara Saget — Candidate in District C
What three words would you choose to describe Alexandria City Public Schools?
I would use the words legacy, inclusive, and unparalleled to describe ACPS.
What is a major life accomplishment you'd like to share?
I take a lot of pride in being a mom. It is one of my greatest accomplishments. Being a mom has molded me and shaped me into the person I am today. All of my hard work, accomplishments, and aspirations can be seen in my children. I take pride and have great joy in knowing that I mother and raise good and productive human beings.
When you envision what ACPS will look like in ten years, what do you see?
In ten years, ACPS will be one of the top performing school systems. I see ACPS engaging families, teachers receiving competitive pay, and I see more schools being built to help with the overcrowding.
What was something that you personally enjoyed as a part of your childhood schooling?
I enjoyed learning! School was a safe place for me and really gave me a sense of community. My teachers challenged my thinking and helped me to think outside of the box. I can remember when learning was fun and not so complicated.
Who was your most influential teacher or school official and why?
I always say the teachers that are the hardest on you, are the best teachers. Ms. Irma was tough, but in her toughness, she nurtured me into being a great student and taught me to believe in myself. She pushed me to see how important education is, but more importantly she always pushed me to win, thus why I am running for school board.
What extracurriculars were most important to you as a student?
I was good at science and math; however, I’ve always been creative. Art and music have always allowed me to express myself and kept me engaged in school and opened my mind up to different cultures and the world around me.
What would you say to new families, with school-aged or preschool children, considering moving to Alexandria to encourage them to join our city to entice them here?
There is a legacy in Alexandria. This is a great a city, in which the residents are engrained and vested in their community. Success, greatness, and leaders are birthed here; and this is a great city to build and raise a family.
What is one thing you would like to improve about our schools?
ACPS is one big melting pot and our students come from all over the world. As beautiful as that is, there is a cultural disconnect within our schools. This disconnect affects family engagement and the achievement gap. I think it’s imperative that we invest in the proper trainings that will aide in fostering better relationships with our students and their families. Once we improve in this area, I believe that we will see a reduction in the achievement gap and families will want to be more involved.
Ramee A. Gentry — Candidate in District C and current School Board member
What three words would you choose to describe Alexandria City Public Schools?
Diverse, growing, exciting.
What is a major life accomplishment you'd like to share?
I truly consider the opportunity to serve on the School Board of Alexandria as one of the greatest honors of my life. It is both deeply challenging and immensely rewarding. I hope to have the opportunity to take what I've learned over the last term and offer experience and continuity to the community by serving another term on the School Board.
When you envision what ACPS will look like in ten years, what do you see?
I see fully accredited schools, with more exciting career development opportunities such as the newly opened Health Sciences Academy. I also see new, expanded learning spaces to accommodate our growing student population.
What was something that you personally enjoyed as a part of your childhood schooling?I loved opportunities to get up from my desk, such as directing a play we had written, or doing hands on science experiments. Injecting that variety is something that both our students and teachers love to do, and we get to see many presentations before the school board of those types of activities.
Who was your most influential teacher or school official and why?
Ms. Pearson, my U.S. History teacher in 9th grade. She the person that helped me realize by passion for history. I know my current work at the U.S. Holocaust Museum is due in large part to her influence. I love to hear from our students tell similar stories about the incredible, lifelong impact our teachers have on their lives.
What extracurriculars were most important to you as a student?
Drama was an amazing opportunity for me to express myself creatively, and also learn to be comfortable speaking in front of crowds. Cross country taught me the value of working hard every day, that while talent is important, a strong work ethic is even more important.
What would you say to new families, with school-aged or preschool children, considering moving to Alexandria to encourage them to join our city/to entice them here?
Please join us! We carefully researched school options when making the decision to settle our family in Alexandria. As my twins begin their junior year at TC Williams, I am more than ever convinced we made the right choice. The rich diversity of students and incredible dedication of our teachers has provided my children with wonderful school years and prepared them well for life after school.
What is one thing you would like to improve about our schools?
We need to continue our focus on increasing academic achievement across all populations of students in our division. Persistent achievement gaps remain. We must craft a follow up strategic plan to the ACPS 2020 plan that will provide the focus and prioritization we need to address these areas.
Alexandria Living Magazine did not receive responses from John Lennon, a candidate for School Board in District C.
