Liberty Middle School Mourns Loss of Civics Teacher

Rebecca Donlon died unexpectedly Monday.

Liberty Middle School is mourning the loss of eighth-grade civics teacher Rebecca Donlon, who died unexpectedly Monday.  Donlon, an award-winning teacher, had also worked with Centreville High School students as a cheer coach and teacher cadet sponsor.  "Mrs. Donlon was a wonderful and talented teacher who had the ability to make positive connections with each child in her class. She was loved and admired by her colleagues, parents and especially her students," Principal Catherine Cipperly wrote in a message to parents. "We were all privileged to know and work with her since her arrival at Liberty Middle School in 2006, and she will be greatly missed." In 2011, Donlon won the Virginia Historical Society's Brenton S. Halsey Teaching …

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President Obama Campaigns at Centreville High

Thousands pack into Centreville High School for a campaign appearance by President Obama.

"Hello Wildcats!" On Saturday afternoon, President Barack Obama ended two days of campaigning across Virginia at Centreville High School, where he spoke about the need to renew the American middle class and the economy. Central to his theme was his call to Congress to extend a Bush-era tax cut to families that make less than $250,000. Republicans want to see that cut applied to all, including families making more than $250,000. Obama has said previously that he would veto anything that includes tax cuts for all. Photo gallery of today's campaign stop at Centreville High "What I’ve said is, look, middle-class families, folks who are making $250,000 or less, 98 percent of Americans, you shouldn’t see your taxes go up one dime," Obama said in…

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Mary C. Stachyra

7:25 am on Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Thank you all for joining in on this discussion. The thread is now closed.   more ›

Poll: Should Obama Propose Extending Tax Cuts to All?

President Obama wants to extend tax cuts only to those making less than $250,000.

As President Barack Obama prepares to visit Fairfax County, one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, on Saturday, members of Congress are debating whether to heed his call to extend a Bush-era tax cut to families making less than $250,000. Republicans want to see that cut applied to all, including families making more than $250,000. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who represents Virginia's 7th Congressional District, said he would schedule a vote later this month to extend the cuts to all, including the wealthy. Obama has said he would veto anything that includes tax cuts for all. Former Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat and friend of the president, disagrees with Obama on the cut-off point. Instead of just extending the tax cuts for …

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T-Bird

10:53 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

When you say "poor" do you mean the 47% of the population Romney dismissed? I love this new party line where ONLY the rich create jobs. That IS rich! Perhaps you never heard of a guy named George Romney. Living on welfare and food stamps at one point, he made some money and is now rich and employs people. You speak of opprutunity, but it seems you mean only for the rich. While the rest of us …   more ›

Obama to Speak at Centreville High School Saturday

Free event will require tickets, distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis starting Thursday

President Obama will be speaking at Centreville High School on Saturday, reportedly the last stop in a two-day campaign swing that will take him through Virginia. Tickets to the campaign event are free but must be obtained beforehand. The Fairfax Obama for America office, located at 11215-P Lee Highway, will distribute tickets starting Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are first-come, first-served. Tickets are also available at the Falls Church OFA Office at 7285 Arlington Blvd.
, Falls Church. Doors at the high school will open Saturday at 2 p.m. Attendees should allow extra time for security checks. Obama will spend two days, Friday and Saturday, traveling throughout Virginia on a campaign swing conducting grass-root events, according to his…

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Centreville High School Athlete Signs with Va. Tech

Ken Ekanem, of Clifton, signs with Virginia Tech.

At National Signing Day at Centreville High School two-time All-Met defensive end Ken Ekanem announced his decision to attend Virginia Tech. Ekanem, of Clifton, had 20 offers from other colleges and decided to become a Hokie. Read more about how recruiters spent significant time and energy recruiting Ekanem, even as early as his junior year.  Five other Centreville top athletes signed to play in college. Zach Sakora signed to play lacrosse for Rutgers. Connor Coward signed to play soccer for James Madison University. Three baseball players also committed to play: Bobby San Martin signed to play for James Madision University, Kevin Lachance for UMBC and Texas Williams for Temple University.

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This Teen's Life

'Challenge Index' Measures Quantity, Not Quality

The perspective of the Challenge Index from an IB student

Each year, Jay Matthews of the Washington Post takes it upon himself to value and rate quantity rather than quality. This great endeavor is the Challenge Index. Schools are ranked by dividing the number of AP/IB tests given by the number of seniors.  This produces a ratio that falsely indicates the quality of the school. Jay Matthews writes of the glory of schools, particularly lower income schools, who push students to take AP classes. The method of ranking is flawed, and much debated, but the real problem is in its wake.  Fairfax County launched a recent initiative to have every student graduate with one AP/IB credit. Hm.  That sounds like a ploy to get a higher ranking, considering the index is determined by dividing the number of tests…

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