Regarding my Jan. 19 column, “Fairfax School Board’s Gateway drug,” this from an ESOL teacher in Fairfax County:
“You should see the Gatehouse 1 building. I was there the other day for a class and it is so luxurious it made my head spin!! It even has this state- of-the-art parking lot that indicates the location of available parking spots. Unbelievable.
“Meanwhile, at my school I can’t even get a relacement printer cartridge. This coming, of course, after the e-mail from [Supt. Jack] Dale to all employees saying how wonderful we all were to support the no pay raise! Huh?? I guess he forgot to ask anyone I know.
“People in the FCPS administration are so, so detached from the realities of the classroom it is pathetic.”
And some corrections and clarifications to my column from eagle-eyed Examiner readers:
1. Graham Road Elementary was supposed to be renovated with a 2005 bond referendum that was approved by voters, but the Fairfax County School Board subsequently decided to renovate the Devonshire Center and move the Graham Road kids there instead. This reversal angered many Graham Road parents, who have filed a lawsuit against the School Board.
2. Instead of spending $73 million on extensive renovations to Gatehouse II that include a health spa and an indoor/outdoor cafeteria for Dale and his staff, it will only be $65.8 million. My bad.
3. The Red Cross vacated Gatehouse II on Oct. 31, 2008 and the building is now apparently empty. Which means that instead of paying more than what it was purchased for in 2006 at the height of the real estate bubble, FCPS should have been able to negotiate a much better deal for county taxpayers.
