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Sun Gazette
VOLUME 82 NO. 3 DECEMBER 22-28, 2016
ARLINGTON’S SOURCE FOR HOMETOWN NEWS SINCE 1935
School Board Members Push Back on Criticism
But Leaders Also Offer Conciliatory Message After Boundary Adjustments SCOTT McCAFFREY
A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Staff Writer
The Arlington Special Education PTA on Dec. 15 hosted an event giving local students with a variety of special needs the opportunity to interact with Santa in a quiet atmosphere. Santa, Mrs. Claus and a bevy of helper elves listened to requests, handed out candy canes and new books, and provided the youngsters (including the Markowski sisters, above) with a special way to celebrate the holiday season. It’s the second year that the PTA – which is open to parents countywide – sponsored the event. See coverage inside on Page 3.
After more than a week of being second-guessed and criticized by students unhappy with their decision on highschool boundaries, Arlington School Board members on Dec. 15 promised to engage in a more robust dialogue moving forward. But several board members pushed back – in some cases, hard – against what they complained was faulty information and mistaken assumptions by critics. “The buzzwords are nice, but one of the things we want for you is to become thinkers, to analyze information and take a step back before you speak,” School Board member James Lander said after sitting through student speakers complaining about the outcome of the redistricting process. “Listen twice as much as you talk,” Lander said, quoting his father. “You’re going to have to be open to other people’s points of view. Be thinkers and not followers.” Complaints from students were centered largely at Washington-Lee High School, whose overcrowding led to a Dec. 5 School Board vote that will send some future students to Yorktown High School and others to Wakefield High School. Current students at the school will not be impacted, and those with siblings already at the school will have the opportunity to attend Washington-Lee. Student speakers voiced concern that the redistricting option selected by the Continued on Page 19
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