Fairfax school elections promise change

Twenty-two candidates are vying for 12 open seats on the Fairfax County School Board in next Tuesday’s election, and just six are incumbents – meaning that no matter who wins, this year’s race could spell big changes for county schools.

The new board will determine who replaces Superintendent Jack Dale, who will retire when his contract ends in 2013. But candidates have also clashed over the county’s need-based funding policy – which funnels money and teachers to schools with more at-risk students – class sizes, and how the board handles the school district’s $2.3 billion budget.

The last time the board faced such turnover was in 2003, when six board members decided against re-election bids, said board member Ilryong Moon. And local political parties are taking notice. Fairfax’s Democratic Committee has spent about $150,000 on the campaigns, more than any election in its history, committee chairman Rex Simmons said.

Some candidates are painting the race as a battle between reformers and candidates who embrace the status quo.

“We’ve got to clean house and get people in there who are ready to be partners with teachers, parents and taxpayers,” said Catherine Lorenze, who’s managing campaigns for Dranesville candidate Louise Epstein and at-large candidate Lolita Mancheno-Smoak.

Ilryong Moon, the only incumbent running for reelection to an at-large seat, says it’s not so simple. After the elections in 2003, the new board spent time hosting community forums to listen to stakeholders’ concerns, not clashing over hot-button issues, he said. But he said he’s confident that his experience on the board gives him an edge over his competition.

“With six new faces, there’s going to be a bit of a learning curve,” said Moon’s campaign manager, Andy Henderson. “There are lots of competent candidates, but many are people who come to the school board with an advocacy background. They know a narrow sliver of the school board, not general knowledge for effective governing.”

But Braddock candidate Megan McLaughlin, the founder of the advocacy group Fair Grade, said her background doesn’t mean she’s a one-issue candidate. She and candidates like her – including at-large candidate Steve Stuban, who became involved with the school board while advocating for changes in the school disciplinary code – say their advocacy experiences convinced them they needed to run.

“If we were single-issue, we would have gone away, but we’ve taken on substantive issues,” McLaughlin said. “We shouldn’t have to do that work. We should be able to have faith in school officials and public administration to do the right thing.”

[email protected]