Elizabeth Bradsher on Clifton Elementary School
'This is the first time someone said 'No' to Clifton'
Fairfax County School Board member Elizabeth Bradsher lives in Fairfax Station and grew up near Annandale. She represents the Springfield District, was a player in the creation of South County Secondary School, and says she might have ambitions for a political post beyond the school board.
In Fairfax Station, Bradsher is a lightning rod because of her role in the controversial decision to close Clifton Elementary School.
It is easy to find vitriol aimed at Bradsher, but it can be difficult to find articles which give her the time and space to tell her own side of the story
Patch spoke with Bradsher by phone recently. This is part III of resulting series of Q&A pieces. Read part I, which is about the history of the Fairfax Station area, here. Part II, about Bradsher's biography and the creation of South County Secondary School, is up here.
You know that there's a ton of speculation about you in the public realm. It's no secret. Do you have political ambitions beyond this post?
I might.
You do? OK.
I have political ambitions because I've seen a lot of things that are really wrong.
Do you want to elaborate on that?
Not at this time, but sometime you'll know.
OK. You're a Republican?
No.
You're a Democrat?
Maybe.
You're going to have to pick a side you know.
I know.
Alright: This thing with your emails being FOIA'ed - did you have anything else you wanted to say about that or do you want to move on?
I think they've been taken way out of context.
There's one email [where I write] "This isn't easy."
Well, of course it wasn't easy. I mean when you drive up to Clifton it's a bunch of people and children holding up posters that say "save our school" and I wanted the School Board to see the facility and not to see the emotional part of the issue.
I wanted the School Board to see the school, the needs in the school. Well, that never happened. What the school board saw were all these people.
They couldn't concentrate on the HVAC system. They couldn't concentrate on the fact that there was no water suppression system in the school in case of a fire. They couldn't concentrate on the size of the rooms and the problematic issues that the size of the rooms brought forth to education. They couldn't concentrate on the fact that it's on a ridge, it's a high above on a ridge, and that parking is not adequate.
All these things they couldn't concentrate on, because the community was there, protesting the issue.
And what I wanted was to have everybody [have] a chance to look at the issues themselves, and that never happened.
So, it wasn't easy.
It didn't prove to be an easy thing for the school board members to see.
Of course, they're taking that and they're tearing that apart and they're tearing apart the fact that I do represent Springfield high school, and I do tell them how they should advocate for CIP dollars, and I do tell them that you should be respectful, and that these CIP dollars, they're scarce.
I would be wrong not to tell them that.
It has to be an eerie feeling, seeing your emails in the public realm like that — or was that something you always knew was a possibility?
Sometimes you hear that they could be FOIA'ed, but I'll tell you: I kind of know who's behind this and the lack of respect that I've gotten from this person is — it's hard to imagine, and it saddens me greatly. Let me put it that way.
And, yes, it is hard to see my emails out there, because that's the only way a school board member can really communicate, because we do have jobs and we don't always have access by phone, so we are using our Blackberries constantly to tell people in the community, "You might want to do this, you might want to do that."
And I did the same for Clifton, only Clifton didn't listen. The Clifton residents never wanted to listen.
Can you elaborate on that?
I told them that this was a School Board issue. It wasn't an issue for the Board of Supervisors. And if they [advocated through] their supervisor it was going to be a detriment to them, because he does not make the decision and he does not have a good relationship with the School Board.
I've heard that.
And, hey, when you don't have a good relationship to the School Board ... They didn't listen to that. They didn't want to listen to that.
What else did you tell them that they should listen to?
I said, "You need to look at the facts. Don't argue it on emotion, because an emotional argument — when millions and millions of dollars are at stake and we have such a deficit of funding, both operationally and capital-wise — it's not going to help your issue."
Instead they continued to say that the numbers were wrong and this was wrong and they tried to divert the issue.
I mean, we studied this. I studied this for a year — a year — I worked on getting a committee together of people from all over that region.
There was fairness in the way that it was going to be worked out, in the way that they could work out a study and present issues and options. All that is documented, but they don't want to look at that documentation.
They only want to look at the snippets that they think pertain to their issue in a way that favors them, but they don't want to look at the whole issue.
And it's very upsetting to me, because these are extremely smart people, but they're viral and they've harassed me and harassed my family and harassed my friends, and I think it's that's wrong.
I think they've taken it too far, and it's only going to hurt their issue more.
And it's hurt them in a way that they probably don't understand, because the rest of the county's looking at them and they're not responding to them, because they think that they've taken it too far.
In politics a lot of the time the emotion can really be the winning issue. I mean, an emotional appeal will often carry the day over a dry, statistical one. What you need to win in politics is to have the emotion on your side.
They didn't get the emotion on their side because of the way they tried to use it.
So the rest of the county was looking at them and thinking that they were just way out of line with how they were trying to advocate?
No, how they're acting now.
And they lost the issue because they didn't have the facts on their side?
Well, they didn't have the facts on their side and they didn't appeal show a great appeal to the School Board and the members that were making this decision.
They said their kids don't need what other kids have. Well, this is a public educational system. We have to be fair to all children, even their kids.
Is it fair for their kids to [attend] a school, [where] when you walk inside you're in a time warp, back in the 1960s? Is that right when every other school has been updated? Is that fair?
We're a public school system. We have to use our dollars wisely and we have to be fair to those students, those very students who live in Clifton.
If it's just looking like it's from the 1960s I don't see a problem with that. If it looks different, if it looks antiquated, that's looks, and honestly maybe that's kind of charming.
They're not up to program specs. We have different specifications for the programs that are now implemented in our schools and all that's on the website. We have specifications for our buildings that they have to reach code. If we did a renovation on that school it must reach code: It's not in code right now.
In a number of different ways, right?
Exactly. So, if it was a perfect world, I would have liked to have a done a modified renovation, but it turned out the modified renovation was just as much or very close to [the cost of] a full renovation. I couldn't find a differential there to make it work.
I'm not going to going to try to ask you about all the specific issues and specific things that should be done with the school because I don't have the context or the information — I just moved to the area two months ago.
... They're writing you letters criticizing your personal affect?
Just criticizing. I'm not representing them and how dare I do this and how dare I do that and you said this and you said that. Explain this. Explain that. I don't even respond to that anymore.
Well, you can't spend all your time responding to people.
... And you know, you talk about Fairfax Station, you should know that originally that Clifton school was for the town of Clifton, and then they couldn't fill that school so the boundary got bigger and bigger and bigger, and as it got bigger, the Clifton-Fairfax Station area and certain areas of the watershed were granted a low density population area.
In other words: one home every five acres. That means there's going to be very minimal, if any, growth in there. There's not going to be building in there. There's not going to be new homes or town homes or apartments in there.
So we would be operating the school for a limited amount of students and the operational budget of that school would be like [that of] a school with 500-600 kids, because we have to supply custodial help, we have to supply an assistant principal: We have to give that school everything that the other schools have and the other schools have 500-600 kids.
So it costs more to operate that school, and in this type of time, with the issues with that facility, a decision had to be made. And I made it.
And you should also know that Fairfax Station used to go to Fairview Elementary, and it wasn't until the mid-1980s that they moved part of Fairfax Station into the Clifton boundaries, because once again Clifton's population was plummeting.
How many times are we going to do that? How many times are we going to upset other communities for Clifton?
And I can guarantee you, Tim, this is the first time someone said no to Clifton.
What do you see as the future of that building?
I've been talking to Senator Barker and some others who are interested in a charter school, and if they want a charter school in that area, obviously those who are seeking the charter in that area have to do the background work on it and if it can become a charter school, those that hold the charter would probably be in charge of transportation and perhaps even the facility itself — that would be part of the charter school's charter. If that's what they want to do, I support it.
If they find a void and they feel like they can fill that void with a charter school I don't have an issue with that.
I think that's a long-shot, but who knows?
But the school system has said that they would work with the Town of Clifton, to work with them on that school, but so far the town has been nothing but antagonistic toward the school system.
Why do you think that is?
Because nobody has said 'No' to them. And I don't really think they thought of themselves as a public school.
The irony of it was they wanted a small school and they believed in a small school environment and yet they had no problems sending their children to Robinson, which is the biggest secondary school in the state. I find that somewhat ironic.
I guess a small school's nice when you can get it. I'm sympathetic to the idea that a small school is a nicer environment for a child to grow up in. What do you think of that idea?
I think it's a great environment if you can have it, but the reality of Fairfax County is that we don't have very many small schools, because they are so expensive to operate and most of the elementary schools operate 500 or 550 to 900 students.
And my own children went to a very big elementary school and when you walked into it you didn't see the bigness, because it was a very caring environment and it's all about that administrator and how that administrator fits the climate of that school. And when you have good administrators a child can certainly learn in a large school, and it's kind of a great community feel in itself.
There are pros and cons but it's all about the administrators. You have to have that strong administrator.
maryann
7:43 pm on Friday, November 19, 2010
Mrs. Bradsher isn't sure if she's a dem or a republican b/c neither party will endorse her. She is a political "hot potato" and an opportunist of the lowest ilk. She misled her constituents and now the students in the SW part of the county stand to suffer as a result. She claims vast experience in school financing and knows how to build schools on asbestos-laden property, but could not renovate a school b/c it's built on a "ridge?" Yet, she has no problem putting students in trailers while they await renovations at some undetermined time in the future.
Her emails were not taken out of context, she's just really that shortsighted and arrogant. And, she "got caught" saying some very telling things: "Dean, I owe you a keg!"
As a member of the Board, Mrs. Bradsher was well aware that she was conducting the business of the people, and that her communication could be made public at any time. The public has a right to know the who, what, when and why's of its elected officials. If Mrs. Bradsher doesn't like that, she should step down and resume her paper route.
Ava
8:40 am on Saturday, November 20, 2010
Moms and Dads, forewarned is forearmed. When you see the name "Elizabeth Bradsher" up for any elective post whatsoever, do not walk, RUN to every venue possible and educate yourself on her methods, her approach and her character and competence as revealed therein. A dictator in waiting is a dictator in waiting.
Virginia Fitz Shea
8:43 am on Saturday, November 20, 2010
The reporter said, "You're going to have to pick a side you know." Since the reporter just moved into the area two months ago, perhaps he is not aware that school board elections are "nonpartisan" in Virginia. Therefore it is incorrect to say, "you have to pick a side." In theory, endorsements by local Democrats or Republicans are just the same as endorsements from any other group of people. In theory Republicans and Democrats could both endorse the same candidate. In reality, school board elections in Fairfax are partisan--perhaps the law should be changed to recognize this reality. Then the voters in Fairfax would have a voice in the selection of those who will run as endorsed by the two parties. As it is now, a small group of Democratic and Republican committee members make these selections. If we don't change the law to end this hypocrisy, we should return to appointed school boards. I ran as in independent candidate for school board in Mason District in the very first school board election in Fairfax in 1995. I don't plan to run in any future elections.
Brian Schoeneman
8:13 pm on Saturday, November 20, 2010
I don't think the fact that Tim moved here two months ago led him to ask that question. The fact is, without having a party endorsement, running for any office - even a non-partisan one - is much more difficult.
Personally, I believe it would be best to end the non-partisan nature and make them partisan elections, but doing so excludes the chance that those folks covered by the Hatch Act could run for office - not a small problem in a county like Fairfax with so many federal employees.
Catherine
9:01 am on Saturday, November 20, 2010
Ah - now I get it. People don't matter. Buildings do. Nice. Luckily for taxpayers, buildings can't vote. But people can Bradsher. Get ready to find a new job!
Therese Tuley
10:20 am on Saturday, November 20, 2010
Liz Bradsher led the move to close Clifton based on insufficient and erroneous data. Don't think that this doesn't affect you just because you live in another part of the county. As a constituent of Ms. Bradsher's (but not a Clifton resident) I have been shocked and saddened by the quality of her representation. Whether as a "Republican" or as a "Democrat" (please be sure to read Shea's post above) she is unfortunately a divisive element and does not serve the best interests of the school system or taxpayers (over half of the county budget goes to our schools). Seeking higher office? Would her methods serve the best interests of any other constituency?
jcarn
6:49 pm on Saturday, November 20, 2010
Bradsher's being a product of the FCP system herself, is further proof we must review and revise its curriculum. Let's start with an Ethics class. Brasher has, as stated above, based the closure of Clifton based on erroneous data, and this article is full of that. The lies and distortions continue.
John Vittori
7:17 pm on Saturday, November 20, 2010
When are we supposed to see these additional options? There was no mention of these follow up options at the community engagement meetings and the issue was 'suggested' by attending School Board members at the PTA meetings. If the vote is still being held Feb 24, we're running out of time!
Mrs. Bradsher's replies lead to more questions rather than provide necessary information: How much will these options cost? When will the end plan be implemented? For how long will kids be taught in trailers? Why was the first decision in this process to close a school without knowing where to send its students?
And with a FCSB member who is not speaking to her constituents, how and when are we supposed to learn about the next steps in this process?
Brian Schoeneman
8:16 pm on Saturday, November 20, 2010
As I noted on my blog, I find it unfathomable how anyone - regardless of party - who reads this interview can believe that Liz Bradsher is fit to hold public office. Her attitude is completely condescending, treating her constituents as if they were petulant children, rather than rational adults who disagree with her on policy. This isn't the kind of attitude we should ever want to see from an elected official, regardless of which party she's in.
I am happy, however, to see that she has renounced her Republican endorsement - that saves me and many like-minded members of the Fairfax County Republican Committee a lot of time in fighting her attempt at a repeat endorsement.
Gina CH.
12:37 am on Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wamu.org just ran a story about current tensions in Fairfax County’s Public School System, underscoring the discontent among residents of the Springfield Area with their SB rep Liz Bradsher. As a resident of Fairfax County and w/ children currently enrolled in FCPS, I can categorically affirm that Bradsher has not only misrepresented her constituents, she has exercised abuse of power bullying a small school out of existence by “playing” the parents of a larger school to do her bidding. Via the FOIA we know that she colluded with WSHS parents to close Clifton.....She can try to paint herself however she wants. The TRUTH is out there for people to form their oppinions. Bradsher guided and led the group SOAR into advocating for Clifton’s closure and their advance in the renovation queue.....
Isn't encouraging a larger school (WSHS) to write letters that will hurt a smaller school (CES) essentially promoting "bullying"? Perhaps she didn't get the memo that it's supposed to be discouraged?
Did Liz Bradsher hurt Clifton Elementary by suggesting it be closed because it is a smaller school? Got Trust in this SB representative? Got Trust that she has your children’s interest at heart? Got Trust that she has the integrity to be in charge of a Boundary Study that affects 23 schools, 17500 children to gain less than 500 seats?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are not paying attention!
Laurie Dalton
11:51 am on Sunday, November 21, 2010
What every parent in the surrounding community needs to realize is that in her zeal to close Clifton to direct resources to her school, Liz has insisted on disrupting the lives of families at other schools, by moving their boundaries. So because Clifton families will now need to go to Fairview, Sangster, Union Mill, etc, etc (a huge ripple effect) - many of those families who enjoy friendships, teachers and commutes those schools will now need to move out of the schools they know and love !!!!
You don't hear her express concern or empathy about these massive changes and their impact on our lives. This is NOT just about Clifton at all.
Support having Clifton remain open so that this disruption does not happen. Clifton children have a safe school, it has been proven. Sure, the county has not invested in it over many years for unknown reasons, so it is not new and modern. But remember, parents are OK to leave it essentially as is. So, be clear that no one there wants special treatment just fair treatment for their children and community like every other community. Get the facts at http://www.savecliftonelementary.org/
Momof3
9:52 am on Monday, November 22, 2010
Liz Bradsher is a moron.This process has been a farce. It is disgraceful that Liz Bradsher is given any power or respect by her fellow school board members AT ALL! Being a "fiscal conservative" and having already established her "tea-party credentials", Liz should be all about going back to the small town ties that combine family values and a tight knit community.Taking emotion out of any argument that involves the future of our children is a flat out STUPID concept.This article CLEARLY shows that she is out of touch with the communities she is dividing. One of the comments that has my head exploding is the nonsense about wanting the Clifton students to have the same amenities as other students, even if they are not asked for, or wanted... My son had perfect SOL scores.The 1960's decor didn't seem to affect him AT ALL!Considering that Clifton is one of the best performing schools in the county, perhaps the School Board should be raising Clifton up as an example of a succesful elementary school, and not trying to shut it down.Furthermore - the reason many of us can send our children to a monstrosity like Robinson, is that we KNOW Clifton has prepared them for a larger environment; giving them the tools and values to succeed anywhere.There is a BIG difference between sending your 5 year old to an enormous elementary school, and sending a 13 year old to an enormous secondary school.That Liz cannot grasp this concept, is further proof that she is an idiot. Emotional?Oh yah!
Mark
11:57 am on Monday, November 22, 2010
My kids don't go to Clifton, but I certainly will not vote for Liz again. If Clifton is too small, upgrade it and allow more kids to go to it. I don't think that the people of Clifton are mad because their kids can no longer go to a small school. They are mad because of how they've been treated and because their kids will have to spend more time on a bus to go to schools that will soon all be overcrowded.
ABC
9:10 am on Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Bradsher finds it ironic that we send our kids to Robinson. Ironic? Uh, what choice do we have, it's the school designated for our area, and Fairfax County isn't building new schools in this area, oh, except for South County HS and now South County Middle School, thanks to Liz. If she thinks that Fairfax County parents love having large schools with thousands of students, she is delusional. Robinson staff & teachers do the best they can to maintain a decent school, but would it be a better school at half the size? Absolutely. Last year's US News & World Report Top 100 schools in America contained 2 schools from Fairfax County (#1 TJ, #47 Langley, based in the wealthiest part of the county, coincidence?) For one of the wealthiest counties in America, Fairfax County should have 10 schools on that list.
Rob Jones
5:37 pm on Tuesday, November 23, 2010
As one of the leadership members of the effort to save Clifton Elementary (Clifton RED), I find her comments to be laughable. Mrs. Bradsher told our leadership team to find alternatives that would lower the costs for renovation to between $10 - $12M, resolve the water quality issue and focus on the facts. The group did just that (and more). We reviewed all data provided by FCPS and USING THEIR DATA we addressed cost, attendance figures and even through independent analysis received a recommendation for the EXACT LOW-COST SOLUTION to the water issue that FCPS put in place. We even said we were willing to WAIT for a renovation behind other more urgent facility needs. The options presented delivered a win-win for Fairfax County and Liz Bradsher, but instead she lead the charge to head for a losing proposition for many in and out of Clifton. Yes Liz, I and many others in the Clifton Elementary attendance boundary have been told no before. But in those cases, there was a justifiable reason for saying no. For someone interested in future political office, I'd suggest you reasses your methods of public engagement. Your condescending remarks will get you nowhere as everyone in the county can now see who you really are online and in print.
Finally Liz, you abandoned the Clifton Elementary community so we turned to the only alternative available. It is truly sad to see the youth of Fairfax County impacted by your own personal squabble with Pat Herrity. And that is a fact.
John P Jones
8:39 am on Thursday, November 25, 2010
I find Ms. Bradsher's hypocrisy blatant: Read the following letter to the editor she wrote in 2006:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=280209&paper=72&cat=110
carolyn leetch
10:46 pm on Wednesday, January 19, 2011
So, the people of Clifton are angry because no one has ever said "No" to us? Does it inflate Bradsher's ego to feel she is the "first" to say "no" to us? So, let's close it because it sits on a "ridge." And because, when one walks in, they are in a "time warp." She states emotion should not influence this issue. However, it is quite obvious she is angry. That is not a reason to institute huge decisions which affect many lives. Robinson High is huge; however, I believe it is good for elementary schools to be small.
Carolyn Leetch
Liz Downing Revell
7:29 pm on Friday, February 4, 2011
Liz Bradsher emailed my mother and said that FCSB was not responsible for the financial health of the town (Clifton)....now isn't that an odd statement to make to a grandmother who was asking her to reconsider her decision to close Clifton ES?
Rick S
9:54 am on Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Liz-Don't waste your time (and ours) running for any office in Northern Virginia. I do not go to Clifton, nor ever have. We were one of the schools displaced in the ripple effect, in a last minute decision based on a proposal by Liz Bradsher. Too many huge ego's on that school board. Time to clean house...
Evelyn O
4:32 pm on Monday, April 11, 2011
My two children attend Clifton Elementary School and have had a wonderful education. One of my son's did attend Willow Spring Elementary School for one year for the advanced academic studies and we intensely disliked to uncaring environment. We sent him back to Clifton where he has continued to thrive academically. Liz Bradsher and the Fairfax County school board decided on their agenda prior to having the facts. They then contort the facts, even lying to the public, to push their agenda through at the expense of the people they are supposed to represent. The only member who seemed to be approachable, friendly and receptive was Tina Hone. The rest of the board members seem arrogant and heartless.
Evelyn O.
Jill
8:40 am on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I only started scruntinizing the School Board's actions when Clifton Elementary was on the line, because my kids are very young. I have watched and read and investigated and weighed the issues as objectively as possible. I have read the FOIA'd emails. They left me with the impression that the School Board has forgotten that they are elected to serve the families of Fairfax County, not to make FCPS happy. Ms. Bradsher is one of the worst offenders in my opinion. We need a School Board that listens to the Families of Fairfax County, not FCPS. They are supposed to be our voice.