To the Editor:
Dan Storck, a current Fairfax County School (FCPS) Board Member from Mt. Vernon District is running for supervisor of that district. Will he listen to you and use essential reliable information to make informed decisions on issues, particularly controversial ones, if elected?
Dan Storck at the May 7, 2015 FCPS Board meeting seconded a motion to postpone adding “gender identity” to FCPS policy to Oct. 15, 2015 so that the board could be provided with the draft regulations and handbook language and determine the overall impact of the proposed revision to the FCPS policy 1450. The impact of the many unanswered questions included the scope of the issue affecting students, teachers, employees, safety, security issues, and potential budget impact, facilities modifications, staffing needs, professional development requirements and possible risk of losing Federal funds. Although Dan Storck voted to postpone any action on adding “gender identity” because of the many unresolved issues, he then voted against the motion to postpone action. Then Dan Storck voted to add “gender identity” to the FCPS policy despite the lack of essential information, including the number of medically identified “transgender students” in the 185,000 student enrollment at FCPS in 2015, to make informed decision about “transgender identity” policy revision and considerable parent opposition to such policy revision.
At the June 25, 2015 FCPS Board meeting Dan Storck voted against postponing Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum revisions until July 23, 2015 to optimize transparency and informed board decision-making. And, Dan Storck voted against a motion to align the FLE proposed revisions with the Virginia Department Education Health and Family Life Education Standards and defer consideration of the FCPS FLE revisions until the 2016-17 school year. Then Dan Storck voted to revise FLE despite an overwhelming disapproval by parents who petitioned the board by a 435 opposed to 54 favors to not include changes in the FLE.
Dan Storck’s voting pattern, the lack of essential reliable information to make informed decisions and other issues, as described above, indicates that his values, desires and views trump the overwhelming opposition by parents and doing what is best for all taxpayers.
Keep that in mind when you go to the polls in November 2015 to elect a supervisor who will represent you and not ignore the will of the people that the supervisor should represents.
Frank Medico
Mt. Vernon