The one and only actual debate among the five candidates seeking election to the Falls Church School Board was held on the Learning Stairs at the new Meridian High School last week, and while there was little of substance that the five women disagreed upon, the biggest matter may turn out to be not issues at all so much as basic qualifications.
That would go to the question of whether or not concrete experience as an educator would be grounds for whether or not someone should be elected to the board.
Currently among incumbents running, there is only one with educator experience, Kathleen Tysse with a masters in teaching from U.Va. Among the five candidates running, incumbents Lori Silverman and Anne Sherwood, both attorneys, are not educators, while both of the new candidates, Sharon Mergler and MaryKate Hughes, both have educator backgrounds.
Mergler has 20 years experience working with students with disabilities and Hughes has 25 years experience as an educator as a National Education Award winner.
Focus at the forum was also on the issue of the unexpected flat enrollment numbers for the system this fall, compared to the robust continued growth anticipated by the board’s consultants. While the flat enrollment number was not as severe as the actual loss in enrollment for the neighboring Arlington County school system, it nonetheless is an issue that will impact the next school board budget request.
The new apartments that have come online in the last year may provide at least a partial explanation, as they are smaller than usual, with many studio and utility options among them.
Some, like F.C. Council member and candidate for re-election Marybeth Connelly stated this week that the enrollment numbers will eventually coincide with estimates, that this fall’s numbers are an anomaly.
The other issue concerned signing the pledge advanced by the City’s venerable civic association, the Citizens for a Better City (CBC). The pledge calls on candidates for local offices in the City of Falls Church not to accept outside contributions. The only candidate who did not sign the pledge is incumbent Lori Silverman.
She explained at the candidate forum that she is a professional fundraiser for Democratic candidates such that the pledge “goes against what I do and what I’ve built a career over 20 years.”
In her first run four years ago, Silverman accepted contributions from outside labor union groups. She said the issue should be where the money is coming from. “To me, there’s a big difference between Planned Parenthood and the NRA,” she said.
While Silverman accepted significant labor union funds for her campaign when she was first elected in 2021 for a total of roughly $23,000, since 2022 she has raised $13,565 with a very small labor union component, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).
According to a new report, as of yesterday, Oct. 21, her overall total this time is still the most among the five candidates, followed by Hughes with $10,723 (from 76 individual contributors), Mergler with $9,132, Sherwood with $8,517 and Tysse with $2,067.
The moderator of the forum last week, PTA leader Mike Sakata, said that “the purpose of the pledge was, and remains, that Falls Church City elections are conducted with civility and remain local, affordable and accessible.”
On the issue of the school systems’ top challenges, in her F.C. League of Women Voters Guide responses, Silverman said “population growth” is the top. “We need to ensure our budget recognizes that growth, provides the supports necessary, and ensures that each new position is going to be filled with someone who will advance our students’ needs.”
On top challenges, Mergler focused on “cell phone use and the integration of artificial intelligence in our schools.” AI, she said, “raises concerns around equity, academic integrity and privacy. Inclusive conversations with staff, families and students are imperative to develop policy.”
Sherwood identified her top challenges as “AI and academic integrity,” as well as “national pressures that include economic uncertainty and changes to the education landscape.”
Hughes, who goes by “MK,” defined top challenges as “managing enrollment growth, supporting and retaining excellent educators, navigating the rise of technology like AI and concerns about screen use and preparing for external uncertainties.”
Tysse said about top priorities, “Falls Church is not immune from current social and political turmoil. Many families of vulnerable children feel less safe, public education is under increased scrutiny, countless community members have lost their jobs and school enrollment is less predictable.”
