Terri, the publisher is doing what a publisher should - stand up for the rights of a free press, and challenging a close-minded, bullying school system that uses OUR taxpayers dollars to shut down criticism and any scrutiny. He did you more of a favor than you’ll ever know. Good editorial…

Since when does a publisher’s personal inconvenience warrant an editorial?

What a load of ########!

Gramma (sp? hmm?) police:

That was totally lame.

(I think that is spelled and punctuated correctly.)

I see now: when you can’t win on the base issue here, you go after word choices and make petty comments.

You got a lot of time on your hands - you must either work in LCPS administration, or you’re a recently canned newspaper guy ;)

@Anon 2
You’re criticism of someone else’s spelling might be more effective if you used punctuation correctly in your post.

anon: seems like you need a thesaurus - AND a dictionary - if you can’t even correctly spell “geez”—because it’s not “Gee’s”, pal. Maybe you’re the one that needs the “exceptional” LCPS education you tout in your post? Looks like you need help on the small words - forget the big ones which you clearly can’t handle! :)

Gee’s… I thought Republicans like authoritarian states, a la the Patriot Act.

The bottom line results of Hatrick’s administration have been outstanding. The level of education both my son and daughter have gotten has prepared them well for their college years.

Teaching has become a totally thankless undervalued job.  When someone making only $30 to $60k a year needs a million dollars liability policy just to go to work its nuts.

Finally, next time leave the thesaurus closed on the desk. Your desire to reach for the “big words” doesn’t impress anyone.

Dear Anon 2: Let me take your point, and hit on the critical issue:

- what Wayde did: not just inappropriate, but UNETHICAL;
- what Peter did: unprofessional, NOT unethical.

THAT is the absolute core difference here!

Wayde’s threat against free press is inappropriate; however, Arundel calling Wayde a ‘lowly bureaucrat’ is unprofessional.  No one cares about this small time stuff and LCPS does a great job all need to recognize.  I bet FireWatcher would burn up out if put under the microscope.

While TruthSeeker is right (it would be nice to see the entire sports topic email exchange) Lee, Anon, Witness, Sarah and others bring up important points.  Hatrick obviously would prefer recent LTM-Byard tussle to remain the single focus of these posts.  But Folks - an excellent opportunity to clean house is rising to the surface here.  The Byard example is just the accelerant to a slow burning fire that if tended and fueled will hopefully disinfect and maybe even burn up LCPS’ dead wood by identifying penny-pinching ideas LCPS prefers to keep hidden. Bullying is well-known defensive move used by vulnerable heavyweights.  I say, Bring-on the personal experiences of LCPS bullying and waste!

Lee,  Assuming your kids are no longer in the system and you didn’t sign a gag order, share with the class your personal experience with the bully pulpit that sadly is beginning to define LCPS. 

Everyone benefits from spring cleaning from time to time and LCPS has lots of skeletons in their closets that need to come out for healthy change.

We were bullied too - by the Special Education system.  Simple 504 requested (no IEPs, no teachers aides, etc…) and it became a huge circus.  After several eligibility meetings and straight A-student required to take barrage of cognitive and psych tests, we were repeatedly denied a 504.  Called the US Dept of Educa’s Office of Civil Rights.  They immediately were very anxious to take on Loudoun Schools, noting similar prior problems.  After OCR became involved, LCPS totally changed track and we were mircaculously deemed eligible for 504.  Such a huge waste of resources.  Considering all the other students system-wide who probably go through the same garbage, LCPS probably doesn’t need all their eligibility and testing coordinators.

The public needs to see the entire e-mail dialog in its entire context before anyone can try to determine which side is being the bully w/o anyone’s opinion being inserted between the two parties.

The LTM or LCPS should post it.

I am so glad this story has legs.  People need to know the truth.  I personally have been bullied by the school system and the way we fought back was to threaten to take our story to the press.  The upshot was my child got one year at a private school paid in full complements of the LCPS.

By the way, I’m no longer allowed to post comments in this forum under my registered account.

Guess I’m winning.

@Sarah -
I did read your story and thought the criticism was about Dr. Adamo and not Mr. Byard.  Procurement issues are very important and should be investigated.
However, that does not seem to be what LTM is saying is the “final straw” with Mr. Byard.  It’s an e-mail asking for LTM to monitor their message boards better.

TuskieBobbie, another winner. No one cares about the stupid Wayde Peter exchange…every one cares about Wayde’s fisrt email…every reporter, blogger and parent ive spoken to…just keep going on the posts…love to see this get to 10,000 pageviews and the click-thrus are gonna show up in next months ltm report for advertisers - just keep feeding it all into the ltm cash register - love seeing local papers like LTM thrive. Good boy…roll, Rover, roll!

ps: thx for the report of my post - that was truly original…..now, “Save”, where aaaare you? Heere boy, [whistle sound here]

Been watching and not posting for several days now.  After the nth time of seeing someone like Tuscarora Bob state, “In any case, no other facts are being offered - just these claims that someone heard something from someone who really truly knows the whole story.”
I respond as follows:
Please scroll on down to details I provide from my personal experience (not hearsay) in comment posted on 10/13 at 3:33pm.  How does LCPS care to respond?

Ugh…another meaningless post from “anon”; can’t your browser or refresh button please break already…boring, vapid, vacuous, no substance…it’s like death by a thousand posts…zzzzzz….someone else, please?

@Dave R
Where’s your proof of any single thing that you mention?  I got mine from dullesdistrict.com.  The contents of the e-mails are published there.  Yes, the author put some comments in between the e-mails, but LTM is not refuting the contents of these e-mails posted there - in fact Jana Wagoner (assistant editor for the LTM) afirmed the content on that site by simply adding a refining point to the content.
There was no nasty threat - the only thing Byard said was some ADs don’t want to have LTM on the sidelines at the games.
And while I believe that there are more than 2-3 of us that side with Mr. Byard even in these forums, I don’t believe that the number of anonymous posts in a forum dictate who is right and who is wrong in any argument.  How do I know that all of the other posts aren’t from one other person changing their name each time?  In any case, no other facts are being offered - just these claims that someone heard something from someone who really truly knows the whole story.
Well, to use your strategy - I heard that no reporter is allowed to talk to anyone unless they get approval from the editor at LTM and that they’ll get fired if they send out e-mails with lies in them.

And if anyone is in their swan song, it’s LTM and local papers in general.
LTM sold off all of the other editions (Fairfax, etc.) last year, and this year merged with the independent.  Publishers like LTM are on their way out and editorials like the one published here are cries for help.
I feel bad that I’m helping to feed the page hits on this site, but I just can’t sit silently when an arrogant publisher and his henchmen say outlandish, unsupported, and infantile things.

Ugh…another meaningless post from “Save”; can’t your browser or refresh button please break already…boring, vapid, vacuous, no substance…it’s like death by a thousand posts…zzzzzz….someone else, please?

@Dave R.

Again, I get amused when people that are always looking for a conspiracy are faced with someone that disagrees.  It’s amazing to see how quickly they simply resort to the basic emotion of trying to scream louder than those that are actually logical and observant (nice caps…. very brave of you and nice use of the letter F.  That certainly shows how passionate you are and angry at someone that simply asked LTM to monitor the situation and wanted to sit down and discuss it as adults). 
One of your buddies said that those if us that are supportive of the schools and offended by grown people try to hurt kids verbally and under the cloak of anonymity should simply “man up” and accept criticism without whining.  If we follow that to its logical conclusion, don’t you think the LTM and Mr. Arundel should “man up” and accept criticism and a request from Mr. Byard to look into ways to monitor what is a concern for adults that work with kids.  Amazing how you want everyone to suck it up when it’s on the other foot and yet when someone challenges LTM practices, this guy cries like a baby and abuses his power in the paper to write an editorial that looks like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum because his feeling were hurt.  WOW!  There is a joke here, but unless you can do more than try to yell louder, I win!  Read the email exchange, educate yourself, and “Man up”.

WAYDE BYARD AND HIS HENCHMENT CONTINUE TO BE DERIDED AND GREATLY CRITICIZED AROUND LOUDOUN FOR WHAT THEY DID IN THEIR EMAILS.

Remember, Wayde issued a nasty threat against a free press that should have ALL media outlets outraged. He used and abused his position of authority in a totally unethical way. Arundel calls Wayde a ‘lowly bureaucrat’...who the F cares!!! Those two issues are night and day as far as I am concerned. It is utterly hilarious how people like “Save” (joke) and TuskieBob here are one of 2-3 people out of like 50 plus who are apologists for the lcps. the rest know what the real issue is - an out of hand spokesperson, a dark and sinister and secretive LCPS and a very abusive and intimidating school leadership.

I have heard that there’s more stuff coming soon about Wayde, and also that someone has filed a complaint with the Virginia Press Association, as well as the state AG’s office on this matter..it’s getting serious.

Wayde - BIG mistake to go after the LTM…this coule be the last chapter of your career…nice swan song!

PS: by the way Tuskie Bob and Save…we’re all still waiting for all the proof, evidence, supporting material and examples of all this crap your dissing around about LTM online comment sections…oh, the lies!

@happy
My criticism about LTM rests on two things - their allowing children to be the subject of uncontrolled insults and the publisher’s bullying remark.
I understand that coaches will be insulted.  However, that is bad behavior and has no place on the sidelines.
I assert that if someone can’t control themselves on the sidelines and not yell at the coach, they don’t have any business there and quite possibly don’t have any business being a parent.
I’ve been a coach - not at the high school level but with Little League, Soccer, and youth football.  I know for a fact that those who yell at the coaches from the stands are among those that don’t show up for practices, pick their kids up late, and have no idea what’s really going on.

@happy
The LTM policy is to not allow posts that are “harmful to minors in any way.”  Not your definition of harmful - where some name calling is ok, but no name calling.  Everyone in High School is not fantastically adjusted - some unfortunately are on the edge.  If LTM’s policy was “little harm” or “some harm” then you may have an argument.  Their policy is “no harm.”

I’d like to point out that the post I was refering to was finally taken down.  As were a handful of others.  Seems that LTM is feeling a little heat as well about their hypocracy.

I’ll agree the baby remark was tame.

However there were some horrendous remarks up - mainly racist remarks until LTM screened them yesterday.

As I read these articles, I am amused at how anytime someone supports the schools, they are told they are stupid, don’t live in the real world, drink kool-aid(I don’t understand that reference, but assume it’s negative), are told to provide FACTS (when the people requesting FACTS have provided nothing and don’t accept your personal experience and observation as valid), or suggest you are using different names, and even funnier, they discredit your viewpoint as simply marching orders from higher up.  Please understand all of these are innaccurate portrayals of who I am and why I choose to write.

Here is my point from yesterday.  The article title is: “A School Bully of a Different Kind”.  And, yet, it is apparent that Mr. Arundel is using his access to LTM to threaten a school official… oh yes, let’s see the exact wording again from the person…. “I asked that you cease correspondence with me. Lowly bureaucrats such as yourself often regret such disrespect.”  WOW!  You decide for yourself who has a bad temper…...

Signed,

A well educated (in public schools mind you) individual that can think for him/herself, and is very pleased with our schools and officials, and does enjoy kool-aid as a refreshing drink in the summertime but also likes ice tea and lemonade.

TBob,
Anyone who cries when their school is called “babies”, really is a baby and shouldn’t even be on the sports field because even elementary schoolchildren hear that on the soccer field.  Too funny!  If it is the coaches that are getting called out, so what?  They get yelled at during the game too so if they are that thin-skinned they have no business being coaches.  I have yet to see an example of the kind of specific disparaging remark about a child, just general drivel, nothing substantive. 
Also, agree with Truth Seeker, where is the undistilled Byard-LTM email string?

The public needs to see the entire e-mail dialog in its entire context before anyone can try to determine which side is being the bully w/o anyone’s opinion being inserted between the two parties.

DullesDistrict.com is competing against LTM and I would like to review the entire dialog myself w/o having someone’s opinion inserted.

The LTM or LCPS should post it.

@Anonymous -
You’re missing the point.  John Steven’s blog certainly isn’t aimed at 14-17 year old kids (while the Loudoun Times High School sports section is).
If you have examples of the same type of drivel that’s on these pages (still) - like calling one school babies, please point it out to John Stevens and I’m sure he’ll remove it.
LTM hasn’t.
The double standard is at LTM - calling someone a bully just after you called them a “lowly bureaucrat” and threatening them because they disagree with you.

Please - go to dullesdistrict.com and read the e-mail exchange and decide for yourself if the “final straw” merited the “free press” diatribe.  Yes, the press is free - but they must act responsibly.

Tuscarora Bob - Even Chairman John Stevens’ blog allows anonymous posts, so have you encouraged him to prohibit anonymous posts?  Should be no double standard to protect LCPS.  Students of course should be protected, but comments here are significantly more pointed to staff than LCPS claims’ of student harassment.  Anon posts protect LCPS staff who want to share their valid concerns (of which there are clearly many), assuming they know to use a non-LCPS email address.

@Broadway Joe -
Best Comment Here. 
@TruthSeeker - Any company owns the e-mails any employee sends - LCPS is no different.  If your e-mail is truthful and maintains students confidentiality then you are protected by whistle blower laws.
@TruthSeeker - Stop the inuendos.  If there’s something factual then say it. 
@Lowes Island - You’ve got that half right.  The other half is don’t piss off parents.

And again, I repeat this bullying phrase attributed to the LTM publisher:

“Lowly bureaucrats such as yourself often regret such disrespect”

Remember, the LCPS spokesperson is the LCPS admin’s “anti-virus, spyware killer and firewall”.

So if you can infiltrate that firewall, then you guys might be onto something, until then, one-by-one will not get it, that Yankee will put you in a virus vault to be destroyed.

Only way it’s going to change, if it’s done by a group.  A group speaks volumes and makes a very hard impression that cannot be ignored.

Someone stated is LCPS trying to hide something?

“Anything that is not of the truth, is in the dark”

Sounds like a big spot light has been turned onto somebody ... wonder who?

Fact is that you guys can’t handle the truth. 

Would not surprise me to see the LCPS system that is rolling along just like the previous housing boom to implode sometime within the next 3yrs …

The spokesperson for LCPS is a darn Yankee from up north and some are having a very difficult time because he puts you in your place.

LCPS has a terrible track record of hiring inept AD’s with no coaching experience background, so you get what you ask for.

What kills me is that the majority of the LCPS employees do not realize that your e-mail account is NOT yours; the LCPS owns it, so anything within your e-mail box is OPEN for review at anytime the officials deem it necessary to review your account.

IMHO, the LCPS has thrown some gas on the pilot light by contacting the LTM with those idle threats.  What’s the ole saying, if you ignore it, it’ll eventually go away.

Well, way to go LCPS officials … looks to me some folks are going to get burnt on this!

After reading through LTM’s sports articles, it became clear that this whole thing may stem from LCPS’s problem with the comments about the firing of Jason Eldredge from Freedom last spring after he won two state championships. There was a huge uproar on this article here at LTM, and the South Riding Community used this forum to voice their displeasure with the AD and the principle for their decision to part ways with their coach.

If you read the comments in that article…They are quite intense, and can be construed as nasty on several occasions. The fact is, the LCPS admins and the “Thin Skinned AD’s” as some have put it, don’t like to be criticized, and want to get rid of any forum that openly discusses the job they are doing.

For those that have come across both Peter Arundel and Wayde Byard in the past, the truth is, both guys are bully’s and are being painted correctly. Arundel believes the LTM is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and Byard is living in the 70’s with his approach to handling controversy.

Anyone that knew about the Freedom situation was familiar with the fact that the coach did not resign to look for another job, he was forced to resign. Yet Byard came out and was quoted in the Post saying he was just doing what successful coaches do, and was exploring other opportunities.

With that said, are we surprised that a spokesperson is putting a spin on stuff in the media? That’s what they are paid to do, and Byard is just doing what he has been instructed to do, put out fires…

As for Arundel, he’s responsible for what goes to print in his newspapers, and online on this forum he’s created. I’m almost sure that he’s got no problem with thousands of people coming on here and slamming fellow competitors, coaches, and teams, because ultimately, it means more site trafic, which equates to more advertising dollars.

The real goones in this entire process are the people, like me and the rest of you clowns that actually enable this bush league service to continue by typing in anonymous postings.

Free speech or not, this is bad journalism 101 by the LTM. Just like many of the other shady conversations they have allowed to continue in the past.

There are plenty of professional websites here in Loudoun that do a great job covering the kids, so it won’t be much of a loss if LTM isn’t able to be at the games.

Some posters are right on about how LCPS would never threaten the Washington Post like this. Because the Post would tell them to stick it up their ***.....Cutting back the two articles they write a week would probably please them anyhow, and then nobody in the newspaper business would be able to cover Johnny’s touchdowns in Loudoun each week.

The whole thing is quite comical, and if anyone believes this is going to just fade away, they are mistaken. My guess is that it only gets worse, and the LCPS people are pretty concerned that they have started a fire they can’t put out.

The parents of the student athletes are the ones that really have the power in this situation…And the customers who advertise on this site can get LTM’s lack of responsibility and oversight changed in about 30 seconds by pulling their ads.

My guess is that if either group stood up and demanded answers and created a huge uproar, this posting forum would disappear, and the LCPS spokesperson might resign and take another job.

Then Loudoun County could return to normal…..Wait, isn’t this normal????

Ive worked in media before too, not in journalism, but know enough about it to ask this, Isnt the cardinal rule of being a good spokesperson to NOT piss off a blogger, reporter, editor or publisher?? No one ever wins a figth against a paper or wire service or whatever. This guy Byard seems to have the total wrong approach and terrible instincts that are tarnishing the school board and the entire system. Isnt there a personnel committee or something that reviews his actions? If he cant be fired for whatever reason, he should resign. I just dont see how he can carry on in the position he’s worked himself into at this point. It was totally stupid to get into a fight with the local paper…why did it get to this point? - Lowes Island Reader

As a former press secretary for a the NJ state legislature and a brother of a journalist who used to work at the Star-Ledger, let me just say this of what I read about the school spokesperson here: in my state, he would have been fired immediately for any idle threats against a media franchise like your paper here. And if this paper is right - and I have no reason to doubt it isnt raising this out of 100% pure experience - that youve got an out of control press guy at the school helm, youve got a seriously bad problem folks that needs to be dealt with in this Mr. Byard. This would never be allowed to continue in my experience - granted its from another state, but the fact that this guy is supposed to serve local media appears to be a total joke! Good luck.

I would like to thank this paper for bringing this behavior to the attention of the public.  I agree that a taxpayer-funded entity - especially one that we trust our children with - must be completely open and transparent.  It is very disturbing to hear that teachers and other employees are being gagged.  What is the administration trying to hide?

“Lowly bureaucrats such as yourself often regret such disrespect”

Ok - there’s a lot of other bad things that Mr. Byard and LCPS has done that I don’t know about but seemingly everyone else does.  The school system has screwed up in other ways.  I’m certain that facts will come out some day to support all of the inuendo in the comments and editorial.

However, since the editor of LTM is quoted as saying this: “Lowly bureaucrats such as yourself often regret such disrespect” to Mr. Byard - regardless of the other un-reported transgressions of Mr. Byard and LCPS and the teachers and Mr. Hatrick and all of us overprotective parents - I stand by the assertion that Mr. Arundel from LTM is in fact a bully.

On this issue itself I stand firmly in the corner of the school system.

It would take no time at all to disable comments in the High School sports section (where comments still remain about how some of the football players are babies).

It would take a bit more time to ensure that no anonymous posting occurs.

It would take a bit more time to approve each comment before being posted.

Honestly, let’s say you’re a coach and your team’s record is bad.  You get childish and obscene comments on a website.  Would you want to talk to the reporters from that website?  This isn’t about a threat not to cover the sports - it’s a threat not to force the coaches and our kids talk to the press - the press being the only party in a High School football game making any real money from the conversation.

I’m just a lowly reader so punish me also for my disrespect Mr. Arundel.

Dear Save et al,
The OpEd focuses on one small example of LCPS bullying.  This issue is WAY beyond the sports thing, and the clock is ticking for even more examples of LCPS strongarming to surface.  Hold onto your skirt Wayde!
The old guard is moving out and Hatrick’s time at the helm is very very limited.

Wow, Dean, that is a lot of exclamation marks for just one post.

Hood3/Confused - your alias names say it all!! When a senior bureaucrat in a taxpayer funded system boorishly threatens to shut down a free press and media rights, uh - DUH! - yeah, media will speak up and go after the perp - Wayde Byard. But he’s just a puppeteer to his boss, who is behind all the secrecy and short down of opinion - teachers say so, parents say so, bloggers say so, kids say so, lcps empoyees say so - again, and again. Its got to STOP! Fortunately, this editorial and the LTM are helping to turn the tide and this story has legs - I am SO glad the LTM editorial has now over 8,400 pageviews and so many comments. (Love an editorial page with a spine, unlike Leesburg 2day).Boy, has this hit a nerve! Wayde and Hatrick will never recover and this blemish will follow them and their careers forever. Deservedly so! Yess!!!

Wow. I can’t believe an entire editorial was dedicated to complaining about a spokesman. And it also managed to compare the Catholic religion to a dictatorship.
Sensationalistic!
BTW, I am reading this in the online edition.

@Crony
What?  Save is 3 different people all with the same argument?  But it’s really the same person?

Ahhh, I see now “Save” is three different people with the same lack of brain cells and evidence and data-based arguments. This is laughable. No need to spend any more time on this drivel. The posts below from the same person dont even make sense…ahhhh, wish there was a truly sane person out there to parry with. ‘Cause it ain’t “Save” (rename: “Loss”?) LOL!

Definition of a Bully:
“I asked that you cease correspondence with me. Lowly bureaucrats such as yourself often regret such disrespect.”

@not drinking -
It’s not ok for kids to be scrutinized.
That’s the purported “last straw.” 
Don’t add other ad hominem arguments to the basic premise LTM is after - free and irresponsible access to our kids.

I believe LTM is the bully.
Access to children playing football is not in the Bill of Rights.  LTM should know better - they have a pulpit to spin the story how they choose.  Recommend truly interested people visit dullesdistrict.com to read the e-mails that were the “last straw.”  It was eye opening to see how arogant the LTM publisher really is.

Dearest “Save” with waaaaay too much time on your hands (you must work for Wayde…):

If LTM is allowing jersey numbers and schools to be identified, they are allowing users to break policy #3 and #5.

>>WHERE?????????????

If LTM is allowing others to vent against a football team or coach, it could certainly be viewed as violating #4.

>>WHERE?????????????

If LTM is allowing vulgar language, you are allowing users to break policy #1

>> WHERE??????

If LTM is allowing someone without factual knowledge to criticize a coach or team, they are allowing users to violate policy #6 because they are using misleading information “in any way” that is almost always inaccurate.

>> DING-A-LING, CRITICISM IS ALLOWED ON WEBSITES…DEAL WITH IT AND MAN-UP!!! :-/

If LTM is allowing users to name coaches specifically or providing information that is identifiable, they are allowing users to violate #2 and 3.

>> WHERE???????
HMMM… maybe more people should be aware of all the policy infringements that LTM are violating in the name of “free speech”.

>> WHERE????????

The policy say “we won’t allow”……“without limitation”  Therefore, based on your own policy, it is YOUR (LTM) responsibility to monitor and/or remove the information and ONLY allow those that meet your policy guidelines. 

>> WHERE???????

Dude, are you for real? I mean, you’re not just sipping the Kool-Aid you’re punch-drunk on it! Seriously, pls PROVE, SPECIFY, SHOW EVIDENCE—YOU HAVE NONE.

Oh, and Mr. Terms of Service expert - pls identify how other News sites (washingtonpost.com) do anything different - is the stuff they have up about LCPS schhols and teams ok? You seem to keep avoiding that point - not to mention facts. Youre a lonely voice out there on this one - most people get that the pronblem is and remains, HATRICK, BYARD AND ADAMO AND too many thin skinned ADs…its ok for everyone else in the county to be scrutinized (BoS, corporations, groups, lawmakers etc) but not sports teams or coaches or other adults in lcps sports? I mean, are you for real?

Cant defend that can ya…didnt think so…

Be careful what you ask for…. I read the policy and here is what it says of the user:
There is some Content that we won’t allow. Times Community News will make the sole determination as to whether Content is acceptable for the Service. We may include, edit or remove any Content at any time without notice. Without limitation, you agree that you will not post or transmit to other users anything that contains Content that:
1.  is defamatory, abusive, obscene, profane or offensive;
2.  infringes or violates another party’s intellectual property rights;
3.  violates any party’s right of publicity or right of privacy;
4.  is threatening, harassing or that promotes racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual;
5.  is harmful to minors in any way; 
6.  is inaccurate, false or misleading in any way;
If LTM is allowing jersey numbers and schools to be identified, they are allowing users to break policy #3 and #5.
If LTM is allowing others to vent against a football team or coach, it could certainly be viewed as violating #4.
If LTM is allowing vulgar language, you are allowing users to break policy #1
If LTM is allowing someone without factual knowledge to criticize a coach or team, they are allowing users to violate policy #6 because they are using misleading information “in any way” that is almost always inaccurate.
If LTM is allowing users to name coaches specifically or providing information that is identifiable, they are allowing users to violate #2 and 3.
HMMM… maybe more people should be aware of all the policy infringements that LTM are violating in the name of “free speech”.
The policy say “we won’t allow”……“without limitation”  Therefore, based on your own policy, it is YOUR (LTM) responsibility to monitor and/or remove the information and ONLY allow those that meet your policy guidelines.  Thanks for educating everyone to the fact the LTM is NOT following their own editorial guidelines.

Could you please tell me what facts you want… you keep saying I haven’t offered any facts but I really don’t get what kind of facts you are suggesting I provide.  My entire article is about the few experiences I’ve had working with both gentlement and a preview of the email exchange in which Mr. Byard appears to be making a reasonable request on behalf of kids.  Again, it is about kids and trying to protect them from harmful attacks and my experiences which from an anctedotal perspective are facts and reality. 
If you want something to prove the arrogance of LTM, read the final email from Mr. Arundel as he ends the e-mail conversation with this:

  I asked that you cease correspondence with me. Lowly bureaucrats such as yourself often regret such disrespect.

Read the entire email at http://www.dullesdistrict.com .  It is obvious that he attacks, belittles, and is arrogant about the request to monitor the site.  Lowly bureaucrats….WOW… can you say professional with a straight face.

Dear “Save” (puh-leease!): Your idea of ‘reality’ isn’t supported or documented whatsoever. Dont try and fabricate an issue when there isnt one. You have YET to show any examples, proof, incidents or specifics here. Nothing. Nada.LOVE the dodging of the real issue here. If you cant prove your point, dont make it. LTM has terms of service and they implement them. Nice job trying to change the subject - but it ain’t working. You should educate yourself by reading the terms of service governing web comments that are enforced here:

http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/contact/terms_of_service

I certainly don’t see you and your buddy Wayde threatening and intimidating, say, washingtonpost.com and their sports site - which, if you look at their online sports comments, truly is the ‘wild wild west of the web’. have you and wayde yanked their sideline passes? No, instead you go after the leading hometown paper of record which fills its pages with LCPS sports events every week. Thats a really nice and strategic way of showing your thanks. Get real, and get off your high horse about protecting kids - everybody cares about that and sees to it. Keep the pressure on Wayde, Hatrick - theyve been called out and its about time…there’s no escaping the scrutiny and search for answers now…kudos to the LTM (and KUDOS is all Ive heard in the past few days)...

That is the difference between someone that supports children and our student athletes and someone that doesn’t.  It is about kids, it’s about protecting kids, and it’s about trying to stop people from being cruel to them in a format that allows obscenities and rudeness. 
Yes, I stand behind my comments as someone inside LCPS that doesn’t see, feel, or experience what you (someone with a agenda) simply states as fact.  And, please don’t discount my claims because they go against your viewpoint. I have a right to my reality as well.

OMG - this post below by “Save ourkids from ltm” will be the laughing stock of this string for the rest of the week!!!! THANK you for the hilarious PR stunt clearly from Wayde or Sam A. or a school board member - it is SO drenched in Kool-Aid…holy smokes!! You could write this with a straight face??? Wow. Obviously, the overwhelming anti-Wayde and lcps comments below have struck a nerve! the silliest thing is how these inside lcps henchmen want to try and make an issue of ltm sports comments on their site, and its falling SO flat…no one buys that - its not the issue…the issue is Wayde, Hatrick, the threats and intimidation, the nasty secret system of fear they have build and protect, and how this whole incident is a HUGE black eye for them and their careers and record that people will be talking about for weeks/months/years to come…in the diatribe below, not ONE example is shown to back them up…not ONE incident…not ONE specific data point…its all a farce and a show of trying to deflect from the real issues within lcps…

by the way, i and a group of other parents in PTO are thinking of starting an online (yes! online!) petition regarding wayde and dr. hattrick to present to the school board - more to come…i think we could collect thousands of signatures based on the huge impact of this great editorial!

I work for LCPS, am in a mid level position, and find the insinuations that I see stated as facts in the editorial attack and responses completely inaccurate.  I have never been told, as an employee of LCPS,  not to provide information to any news media.  On occasion, I have sought and been given sound advice that has been provided to protect our children, schools, community, etc. from poor journalism and journalist that simply want to get the story written and often bring in their own bias when writing the final product.  Dr. Hatrick, in my opinion, is one of the very best superintendent in the state of Virginia and possibly the nation.  I have been in education for over two decades, have worked for numerous superintendents and leaders, and unlike many people that simply dislike him, I can actually back up my comments with comparisons and inside experience.  He is honest, he is totally focused on what is best for kids, and he is determined to lead our schools effectively, efficiently, and in a manner that is honest and transparent.  When I read the first article, I was somewhat puzzled by the innuendo that the schools were bully’s since I actually know both of these individuals and bully is not even remotely close to describing them.  THEN, someone actually linked the email exchanges and guess what, LTM was the true bully and has in effect publicly stated that it is just fine to use vulgarities from anonymous people to vent about our children in sports and their coaches that put in a full day of instruction and spend countless hours on weekends and nights either on a bus or working to make the team better.  They (LTM) have said that it is just fine with them that our students, who cannot protect themselves, are demonized by adults or others that are upset over a GAME.  People that probably never work with children and don’t understand how critical it is for kids to make mistakes, practice, improve, and yes, sometimes fail in order to achieve are rude enough to send hate mail that is hosted by your paper.  And, through an inaccurate portrayal of email exchanges, your paper has said, yes, this is fine and we encourage this kind of abuse of children and you have every right to use our paper as a source of hate speech.  What I find really interesting is that you provide that message under the cloak of bullying by an administrator that simply asked you to MONITOR it remove those that identify children specifically.  I have been interviewed at different times during my career in Loudoun by LTM and the final version of every article has been inaccurate with mis-identification of quotes, names, dates, etc.  During some interviews the reporters have brought recording devices and in others they simply took notes and in a few, I provided them with paper and pencil because they had neither.  The articles have ALWAYS had major errors and in some cases provided false information because the reporter didn’t provide enough information for the interpretation of what was written to be accurately portrayed.  I rarely read any article in LTM to gain factual knowledge because I am certain other articles that are written also contain errors of sloppy and lazy reporting. 
For those of you that don’t like Dr. Hatrick for whatever reason, I suggest you take over a leadership position, make decisions that you believe are in the best interest of others (not yourself) and then have people disrespect you week after week after week, year after year, and see what kind of leadership it requires to keep carrying the torch without being bitter and giving up.  I am an LCPS employee, I was not asked to write this email, and I’m proud of the accomplishments of our student athletes and the leadership of this county.  Shame of LTM for not monitoring your sites more professionally and allowing true bully’s to attack those that cannot defend themselves and have to be ridiculed by others simply because they are playing a GAME.  After reading the email exchange, I would expect an apology to Mr. Byard and Dr. Hatrick.  You got caught in your own web of deceit and misinformation and fortunately someone had the foresight to look into the situation deeper and get some facts.  As I noted from my own experiences, it is hard to trust an organization that misrepresents issues consistently.  Get the story right next time!

Hey Still Fed Up: are you a complete ding-dong? You were obviously testing LTM comment filters…which they caught, realized it violated their terms of service, and promptly removed it (on a weekend no less!) within hours. And now you’re unhappy…you lost out, man. Now who is Mr. “Dish-it-out-but-cant-take-it”? They are doing their job. Get over it. They TOTALLY debunked your tactics and POV. Ya cant have it both ways, pal. Be constructive. By the way, seen the comment section at washingtonpost.com lately and the # of TOS violations there. Oh, so its okay that they leave them up, but LTM is wrong for actually taking post violations DOWN and having a clean website??? Wow - just don’t get it…

Funny how I copied comments that were on this website in another article this morning and posted them to this article’s comment section ot illustrate the lack of editorial control this paper has when it comes to screening inappropriate remarks.  Now those comments I copied and my comment is gone.  Could it be because I was critical of the LTM and their lack of editorial control?  Who is against freedom of the press now?  OK to dish it out, but can’t take it?

Ola! Senor Joe!  Yes, Frank Lloyd Wright, like you and Texan was perfect.  If only more people could be architects like you and Wright:

In 1903, Wright designed a house for Edwin Cheney, a neighbor in Oak Park, and immediately took a liking to Cheney’s wife, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Mamah Cheney was a modern woman with interests outside the home. She was an early feminist and Wright viewed her as his intellectual equal. The two fell in love, even though Wright had been married for almost 20 years. Often the two could be seen taking rides in Wright’s automobile through Oak Park, and they became the talk of the town. Wright’s wife, Kitty, sure that this attachment would fade as the others had, refused to grant him a divorce. Neither would Edwin Cheney grant one to Mamah. In 1909, even before the Robie House was completed, Wright and Mamah Cheney eloped to Europe, leaving their own spouses and children behind. The scandal that erupted virtually destroyed Wright’s ability to practice architecture in the United States.

Pase un buen dia, Senor!

So Loudoun teachers, what are you prepared to do? Keep taking this stuff, or stand your ground and do something? My teacher friends in the county complain and moan constantly about this or that, so I ask them, “what are you prepared to do?”

It seems that LCPS teachers like to complain, but are too scared to take action. Believe or not, Central Admin and the others are MORE scared of YOU! Here is some advice:

1. There are a few SB members that need to go. In Nov., vote them out (I love the ploy of “staggered terms” right before the election).

2. Go to your reps in the LEA or VA Professional Educators groups and let them know what is going on, especially with central admin and a few principals.

3. If any of you know lawyers, let them know about all of this and see if there are grounds for a “class action lawsuit.” If he/she digs deep, perhaps something could be uncovered.

Thank you for the exposure of the system, LTM! Like a few suggest, perhaps an undercover story to get other facts about how the system treats their teachers.

agree with Dee - LTM hit the ball out of the park this week for me…I have heard COUNTLESS examples of Wayde shutting people down internally and outside LCPS too…almost every teachers or lcps employee i have worked with has negative things to say and feels like they can never speak up or speak out. i have heard people driven to tears and fear for their jobs because they arent allowed to say anything constructive for fear of being silenced and shut down by Wayde Byard specifically or Hattrick. this has to stop. thank you times-Mirror for shining a light on this - its about time someone had the GUTS to do this and hit back in-kind to Byard and the school system…you became a hero to a lot of current and ex-LCPS folks this week. - Disgusted longtime Loudouner

Kudos to LTM!!!!  Continue your reporting irregardless of the dictatorship of LCPS and its leader, Ed Hatrick.  Look into the “gold ole boy” system, the covering up of abusive football coaches, of lying and covering up.  The non-responsive attitudes to FOIA requests.  This system and the people that run it act like they are above the law.  It is time to expose this school system for what it really is.  Your use of the word “Bullying” is spot on.  Keep up the good work there are many in this community that would support you 100 percent.

Please, Loudoun Times Mirror…  Look into our school system.  Here is a tip.  There is a Leesburg school which, in several cases, busses it’s students past nearby schools with less than stellar AYP pass rates to a predominately affluent and homogeneously white school.  These enclaves of relative wealth are busses past their neighborhood to attend a school with higher pass rates (despite that the schools they pass may be under-enrolled).  There is a political problem here in that a small group of parents have politicized PUBLIC education to the point where boundaries are a subjective decision made without regard to clear geographies.  There are schools actually SUFFERING because LCPS keeps back burnering this issue.  Does anyone realize that the richest county in the nation actually has more than a couple THROW-AWAY schools?  If citizens understood the bizarre districting that went into making these schools the dustbin of the county, the reasonable among them would be OUTRAGED.

Please Loudoun Times Mirror, please look into the disparity between schools walking distances apart and how they district their populations!

GreenDay;;;;

you make my point the government employees all feel entitled and in charge of the cookie jar no matter where they live and eventually this comes to a ugly end.  ;-)

No matter I can make a decent living in Texas unlike here :-) many here talk about their expensive track home like it is special that a good amount of people live in the same model. so what.

I designed and built a true custom home for my family here. :-) no big deal live in your neighbors model of one of two or three around here. and think blindly it is special. there is no room for me here get like before get your Toll brother home of one of three of the same homes instead of a true custom home like I will build in Texas. ;-) for far less. you all ran me out of town and I have no problem with that. ;-) people in the dc area just suck off the government one way or another. I need to be where the real people are not the suckers. People that create real companies that again do not suck off the government. I am being a bit outrageous here but it is all true,

People here just want to eat sh*t and die (retirement) most people that retire usually die die not many years after retirement. Personally for me retirement means death and I will never retire no matter how much money I make I will work forever. Then again I have a job self employed that never feels like work. ;-)  Just like my kids when they were young told their teachers out in Santa Monica their dad did not work he just draws pretty pictures all day long just like they do in school. That says it all in life do what makes you happy and you don’t have to retire. Architect Frank Loyd Wright never worked a day in his life into his nineties because he loved what what he did and did not suck off the government. Wonder why Frank never was really sick or and lived a full productive life that long “”“he loved what he did and made a true difference in the world “”” that simple. he will live on in history far beyond most of us because he loved what he did not war and destruction he made the world a prettier place. ;-) not killing and invading other countries.

Ola,Senor, Leej!  Que pasa?  Dude, when do you leave for Texas where everything is perfect?  Can you believe what these school supers are making in Central Texas?  Better start doing your homework and see what you can do to get these salaries reduced and stop the teaching of evolution!

$276,000 Austin Independent School District

$250,372 Round Rock ISD

$236,150 Lake Travis ISD

$225,428 Eanes ISD

$179,000 Hays Consolidated ISD

$178,511 Pflugerville ISD

$175,000 Leander ISD

At $175,000 a year, Leander’s Superintendent Bret Champion earns the least.

@leej
Wow.
Nothing else I can think to say.
Wow.

lets get real hear about our kids.

some are over protected so when they get in the real world they can’t function.

some kids manage a breakthrough in spite of their over protective parents.

what I saw in Dallas where I grew up and played sports I did not ever see what i see here. parents coddling their kids to the point the kids can’t function. we all want to feel safe and protected. and of course we want our kids safe and protected. but there is that fine line and kids will have to deal with reality one day. that is part of growing up. believe me I don’t want to hear about kids being abused or ridiculed. But it is said when some commit suicide when they don’t like what they hear.  perhaps a bit of tough love, I don’t know. I do know a parent who lost his daughter and a friend to suicide in this county in a car some of you might recall they did not find them for awhile. it is so sad. but the world can be very cruel so perhaps parents need to prepare their kids for it. look at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now those poor kids really grow up in hell. and I shed tears everyday for those kids and think how lucky I was growing up in this country and how lucky my kids have been. those countries have the real bullies.

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck ITS A DUCK. As a teacher in this school system I am sick of the garbage that comes out of Administration of LCPS school system. The bullying and intimidation: that comes from the top down! this is a good ol boys system long outdated and the superintendent is the leader of the pack! You wont find many teachers opinions due to ‘the code of silence around here’ because we would all get fired.

@Rick -
The issue is that LTM is not deleting comments that they say they will delete.
The reporters attract kids to their site by covering high school sports and then allow anonymous posting of hateful things.

Like a swimming pool without a fence.

@Leej
Of course not everyone is evil.  But there are mean spirited kids who post things in the forums picking on other kids.  These posts, in violation of the Loudoun Times TOS are not removed - kids read them and get upset.  Why is this allowed to happen?  Because LTM is understaffed or whatever.  LTM decides to report on kids and the things kids do but shirks the responsibility that goes with that.  When the school system says “hey - could you please do a better job doing what you say” then they get mad and say “it’s a public forum - not our fault.”

Well - it’s someone’s fault.  Someone is responsible.  And if no one else will stand up and say “enough” then us overprotective parents will.  And if that means that LTM can’t speak to the overprotected minor / student athletes then that’s too bad for the rest of the community.

And plenty of bad stuff has happened in High School sports in Dallas.

For once, I actually agree with LeeJ.

Keep coddleing your children and they will have one heck of a wake up call once you kick the bucket and cant hold their hands through their lives anymore. I guess ignorance really is bliss and TuscaroraBob has no clue.

Real easy fix to that then Bob.  Tell your kids not to talk to reporters.

Its not the reporting that is the problem.  LTM reporters aren’t writing pieces criticizing the local HS QB for his game last week. The problem appears to be LCPS wanting LTM to ban commenting on these stories.  In that case, I support LTM to tell LCPS to kick sand.

TuscaroraBob

not everyone is evil out there and you are a control freak and I feel sorry for your kids. being so over protective. all kids will have to eventually live in the real world. just like we did. and i played sports back in Dallas Texas and I can tell you nothing happened ever with anyone. It is the freak out parents today that cause the most problems not the real world.

@loco journo -
It’s not the right to cover the school system that’s in question.  It’s the right to go down to the field - to the locker rooms and talk to minors.  Those minors are my kids and my kids’ friends. 

Frankly, I’m surprised that reporters are allowed to talk to the kids at all without a parent present.

Ok - my previous two comments were meant to be a joke.
I want my kids - our kids - to be protected from all of the stupid people out in the real world for as long as possible. 
If there were an offensive comment on loudoun times mirror or any other website I would ban it from my home, and certainly ban my kids from speaking to reporters who - perhaps not condone but certainly don’t prevent this behaviour.

And I expect nothing less than the people we put in charge of watching our kids for 8+ hours a day.

Loudoun Times Mirror only gets playing time because their dad sucks up to politicians.

Erica’s post below hits one point, but misses another.
Most imptly, Erica’s post below confirms 100% what not only the LTM stated in its editorial, but confirms the many many many stories from bloggers, other media outlets, and regular folks who have come away with dealing with Wayde in past years feeling demeaned, maligned, snubbed, abused, belittled, and crudely treated.
It is shameful and intolerable. Its about time he was called on this.
Wayde does a terrible disservice to the rest of the hard-working LCPS staff, to parents, to students and to the free press by his boorish style and caustic process.
As for the LTM sports coverage online issue – that is NOT the issue here!!!!!!
The LTM has Terms of Service (TOS) it applies firmly to the online sports section. Minors are protected, and that’s spelled-out in the LTM TOS. Comments that are bullying are removed. Comments about coaches that violate TOS are removed – as quickly as possible. So, there is absolutely NO issue there.  There is agreement by ALL!
That is not the point. The point is, as Erica should well know, intimidations and threats about removing a media outlets’ right to cover schools is appalling and shameful. This move, in addition to Byard’s dictatorial style, is at stake here. Nothing more, nothing less. He is protecting NO ONE by being allowed to make this kind of a threat. In fact, by Wayde causing Loudoun’s largest paper to not carry any LCPS sports coverage, it would be severely damaging to parents and children (and Coaches and Athletic Directors!) who love reading about all the sports LTM covers every week (see their sports page lately? wall-to-wall LCPS events and sports stories and photos).
So, focus on the real issue here – not emails, not online sports comments – but an out of control, out of line LCPS spokesperson who directed a terrible infraction of public trust and a free press (and taxpayers everywhere) by a dangerous threat to revoke media credentials if he “cant get his way”.
For shame…

You suck

I see no problem banning the paper from high school games, if the paper is going to publish stories and allow anonymous posters to post hurtful/abusive/offensive “opinions” which happens all the time.  These children are not public figures, and do not deserve to be flamed by anonymous bloggers.

Parents are banned from fields for rude behavior or rude remarks to players/coaches/other parents/other teams.  Players are punished for this as well.  If the paper is not going to protect our young athletes from hurtful comments that would be inappropriate on the field or to a players/coach’s or other team’s face, then I see no problem banning the paper from the field.

I really do not see why we need to be chiming in on opinions about high school play—-especially in an anonymous forum, where people feel more freedom to say things they would otherwise not feel appropriate to say—and where many inappropriate things are said.

The guy running the Dulles District site relies on having a good inside relationship with LCPS.  Of course he’s going to make the Loudoun Times Mirror look to be the bad guy in this conflict.  Take that opinion and selective quoting with a grain of salt.

The fact is, that the school district has no business telling the LTM how to run their website.  If they have a problem with students reading it, than maybe the students should be directed not read here.

When I was in HS there was an issue with a forum on a local newspaper’s website becoming ground zero for a flame war between rival schools.  Athletes at my school were warned that if comments were ever traced back to them, then there would be penalties.  The war died down. 

I could care less about HS sports at LCPS.  Yet if some parent wants to be a troll and complain about some other kid getting playing time on the LTM’s boards, then why should the LTM be responsible for stopping them?  I am glad to see the LTM believed the internet is a place where speech is free.  Does LCPS send similar letters to the Washington Post?  Or WTOP if they post a local story?  I doubt it.  But clearly Byard thinks he can push around the small time newspaper into doing what he wants. 

While I don’t agree with the tone the LTM representatives used in those emails (a bit too hostile too quickly), I support the basis for their argument.  Even the Washington Post and WTOP don’t appear to have staff that constantly monitor the site’s comments.  Why should Byard expect the Loudoun Times Mirror to have those resources?  It is ridiculous.

How much does this guy make to obstruct the public’s knowledge of what goes on within a taxpayer funded organization?  Is LCPS the NSA or CIA now?  Unless it is truly a personal matter (e.g., name of a student who was a victim of a crime) which is typically protected information by law, then the information should be made available to media outlets or citizens who choose to inquire. 

If Hatrick or Byard have a problem with that, then they should be replaced with people who are better liaisons to the public who pay their salary.

During my past employment with a national media outlet as a Loudoun daily blogger and columnist, I had the opportunity to work with Wayde Byard on several occasions to get information from the Loudoun County Public School system.

In Feb. 2008, I broke the “And Tango Makes Three” story when it was learned that the children’s book was quietly removed from the schools’ library shelves because of its implied themes of homosexuality. It became national news.

In Sept. of the same year I worked extensively with Byard and Mr. Sam Adamo (LCPS Planning/Legislative Director) to clear up some misconceptions about the school system’s land purchase in Dulles South.

Many times, sadly, I called Byard’s office to get information about a student who had been accused of a heinous crime or who had died unexpectedly.

Yes, Byard is intimidating, not warm & fuzzy, and he’s extremely critical if he doesn’t like a reporter’s work. He chided me several times when he deemed that what I was writing about an LCPS incident was inappropriate.

In one instance he told me, “Erica, you shouldn’t be asking that question…” I ignored him and probably joked, because my job was to ask him questions. His job, as Public Information Officer, is to answer questions or not answer them.

Admittedly (and on several occasions), I’ve described Byard with some choice words behind his back. And, most likely, he’d be the first to agree that they are true!

But, always, always, in my dealings with him, he was extremely prompt returning my calls/emails and getting me the information I requested. If he couldn’t give me the information—and, by law, much student information cannot be disclosed—he would explain why that information could not be disclosed.

His job, as his title suggests, is to provide information to the public. His other job as PIO is to protect the students, families of students, and the integrity of LCPS.

Does more “light” need shining on LCPS? Certainly. Especially—in my opinion as an LCPS parent—on the school budget.

I’m not sure exactly where I sit on the sports coverage debate at hand (not being a sports fan). But, it seems to me that minors playing school sports should not be victims of name-calling and obscenity-laced ridicule by anonymous posters in a news media outlet’s forum—if this is happening. Experts say that being a bystander to bullying is often as damaging as the bullying itself. Not doing anything allows the bullying to continue.

I don’t have all the facts here, but after reading some of the emailed exchanges between Byard and LTM execs at DullesDistrict.com, Byard is doing his job to protect LCPS students (and his staff) from online bullying, and that’s important information to send to the public these days.

Erica Garman
Ashburn

people - get your info correct…the emails are NOT from the editor at ltm - instead they are actually from the publisher

So, will Wade speak up to John Stevens about his blog? He allows anonymous posts. As for the posting of emails at Dulles link, Hard to tell whether any information is missing since it isn’t a true copy and paste. How many back and forth emails are missing? By Byard stating he’d pull credentials, that is basically saying you play by my rules or else. And believe me, I’ve dealt with Byard on a number of occasions as a parent asking questions on several different issues and he is not a pleasant professional person. Especially when you point a flaw in their process. It’s unfortunate that common sense isn’t in his vocabulary. His tactics are more goon like. And only adds to the distrust with the School Board and Dr Hatrick since he/they condone this type unprofessionalism from their school system.

From the moderator:

This post has been deleted because it violates the Loudoun-Times’ terms of service.

Wow!  We may be critical of LCPS at times, but the editor of the LTM is way out of line with his email exchange with Wayde Byard.  Check out the emails at dullesdistrict.com Interesting how he is calling Wayde Byard a bully.

Who do you think wrote the editorial? Arundel or Graham?

Sarah,

You say, “I only mentioned Sally’s name because she (and perhaps others) seem to believe there are no local consultants that are qualified to conduct water-supply studies.” 

I have NEVER said that.  I have said that there are some tests that are sometimes requested that no one in Virginia performs.  I know this for a fact because I could not find anyone in Virginia to do certain health department required tests.  And I have asked you what tests you are talking about… there are plenty of local consultants but not for all tests.  Some tests require that you look outside of Virginia.

Please, I can speak for myself.  You do not need to paraphrase what I have said.  You do a disservice to yourself and to me by your statements.

I have a problem with people who do not know what they are talking about, who make knee jerk, uniformed accusations on blogs—as serious as the accusations you have made.  You should be more careful, use more decorum, be professional and educate yourself.  I think you have some good issues, but lose all respect for you when you go on with unsupported accusations.   

And I have a problem with technical boards who have people on them who are not professionals and not qualified to be making technical policy recommendations.  Who then make recommendations to our BoS that are supposed to somehow be a technical recommendation, when there are plenty of people in the general public much more educated on the issues, who are then ignored.

Again, Sarah, I would like to know how you are qualified to be a political appointee to the Water Resources Technical Advisory Committee?  What professional qualifications do you have?  I suspect you have none, and you were only put on that Board to stack it with political agenda to stop certain school sites? and that is truly disappointing to me.  That is not the right way to do things, in my opinion.

Emery and Garrett are the highest quality of people/company, and we should be very grateful they volunteer their time, they are the true professionals here. 

It is a shame that in a blog like this you flame professional colleagues on your Committee, when you don’t even know the tests that were required.  To me, that destroys working relationships, and is wrong. 

Just like Gem Bingol flaming the public for “falsehoods” in her mass email, taking true statements, distorting them and attributing them to opponents.  Then making a very deceptive argument, using PCB’s and e coli, which have nothing to do with our own stream assessment or the proposed buffers…

I am very disappointed in your Committee,  its attacks on truth and disregard of essential facts…

Not really sure you have any standing to complain about anyone else….

A public school system or group of athletic directors that try to control the media’s message is a horribly bad idea. It always backfires in the face of those that try it. Look at what Daniel Snyder has tried to do with his Radio Stations…While it is conceivable that you can purchase the message and spit it back out in a less harsh way, understanding how to utilize the media partnerships, and building on that is a much better route.

I’m familiar with many people in the local media, and have heard some interesting stories about threats of credentials being pulled and such. It’s bad business on the LCPS side because it only adds to the fire.

With that said…There should be a moderator on this web system for the LTM. It’s great for site traffic to keep it unfiltered, but it could ultimately cost the LTM in reputation, despite the fact that they do a pretty decent job of covering the county.

LTM, do your homework on figuring out another way to drive traffic to your site, this reflects poorly on you in the long run. Comments are fine, but many sites are cutting out anonymous postings because there is no accountability. Shouldn’t that be the first fact that you care about as a news group?

As for LCPS….this group of people at the top of the chain are backward thinkers. Largely unaware and behind the times in technology, and hardly progressive thinkers. It’s time for a young Super to get into the job, one who loves sports, and acedemia, and can see the value of building both into prominence in our schools.

Loudoun County has outgrown its leadership, and it’s time for some new thinkers at the top, and more importantly, people who have vision and a knowledge of how to do things big time….

David makes an interesting point.  LCPS has wisely purchased software from a company called Edulog for the purpose of bus routing.  Edulog’s website http://www.edulog.com/products/bop/
advertises their software modules for boundary planning and optimization, as well as capability to prepare enrollment projections. 

There is something to be said about removing the political aspects of establishing boundary lines.  Furthermore, School Board and Supervisors who are tasked with deciding where new schools are to be placed should be provided with a report such as the kind Edulog can generate, so they (and the public) can see the long-term transportation costs of each site alternative.

I mean absolutely no disrepect to Sally or E&G and apologize if offense was taken.  The only thing I am complaining about is LCPS, and more specifically their bias with respect to site acquisition.  I only mentioned Sally’s name because she (and perhaps others) seem to believe there are no local consultants that are qualified to conduct water-supply studies.  Mr. Emery is a very well respected member of WRTAC and graciously donates his time and expertise to Loudoun.  All are free to attend any of the advertised WRTAC meetings and interview members regarding their quals. 

In order to minimize dilution of the topic at hand, i.e., sunshine on LCPS, I ask you Sally to please contact me directly if you want to discuss other comments/questions which are unrelated.  Thank you.

While this has little to do with Byard, I implore the Times to examine the LCSB further and attempt to understand the logic behind the criminally gerrymandered school boundaries in Leesburg.  Many have been asking for YEARS why one area school receives bussed students to create an Aryan Nation enviable population of students, while just a walking distance away, the school’s population is disproportionally ESL, underperforming, and regularly tests below county average.

Something is VERY wrong in Loudoun and the School Board is reluctant to deal with the reality.  They say they will deal with the issue someday, next year, when a new school is built, yadda yadda.  Imagine your bright and knowledge hungry student being on the wrong side of a drainage creek which determines whether you go to the Aryan Nation school or the throw away school.  At the throw away school, all efforts are made to keep the neediest students on track.  Unfortunately, the scores of education hungry kids are reading in the corner or are tacitly expected to help with peer remediation efforts.  Why can’t we have fair, diverse, and equitable borders?  Integrate Francis Hazel Reid!

PLEASE LOUDOUN TIMES - look at the current Leesburg area elementary school boundaries!  Be fair - call us out if we are getting the data, cultural geography, strategy wrong.  It would be a breath of FRESH AIR if it weren’t simply concerned parents versus a School Board.  We’d be more than appreciative to read your investigative analysis!  - Thanks for having the GUTS to run your original story.  VERY inspiring.

Sarah, you made a statement about me, calling out my name in this comment section, specifically saying that I had made a statement I did not make, and blogging that somehow I was incorrect based on your apparent misunderstanding of what I actually said.

Your statement was disparaging of me, and of E&G suggesting somehow they were involved in some sort of collusion working for Cangiano and the School Board. 

I do not appreciate what you have written. 

And I think you, as an appointee to the Water Resources Technical Advisory Board, should act with more decorum, professionalism and make an effort to be correct in your assertions.

I supported some of the things that you have said that I felt were correct, but I cannot support your blindly lashing out without all your facts and think this discredits you.  I am not convinced you have all the necessary facts with respect to the E&G contract and your accusations about that.

I would like to know what tests they did, and what the basis of your assumption is that that particular contract should have been publicly bid. 

You might be right, but I am not convinced, yet.  My point was that the County requires some testing that NO ONE in Virginia does, and that could be the reason the School Board went to E&G.  Or there could have been other appropriate reasons.  What were the tests that you are complaining about not being bid?

I would like to know what your qualifications are to be on the Water Resources Technical Review Committee, because I will be very disappointed if you are just another person with no expertise,  and appointed simply to stop new projects and insert an unfair political agenda into a supposedly scientific committee, that is supposed to be filled with professionals.

what is hatricks new salary and benefits ;-)

he laughs all the way to the bank at everyone in this county.

he is a old fart that needs to go so this school district can gt in the real world. like I have said I am starting the next national business but it will not based in Loudoun, it will be Austin. and as said before two major businesses are leaving here. so less tax dollars for the schools.

Sally - Unless you are defending LCPS’ procurement practices, I’m not sure what point you are trying to make.  If you read my full post you will clearly see I make no negative comment about E&G whatsoever, and the technical aspects of the testing is totally irrelevant, I am simply giving specific examples of how LCPS freely bends the rules and intentionally misleads the public to advance their site acquisition agendas.

Constructive criticism is appropriate; however, I have been surprised at the level of abusive comments that the LTM has permitted on a variety of topics.  My husband and I support the school system and the incredibly dedicated employees throughout.

I’ve taught in the school system for over 15 years.  My family has been Loudoun residents for several generations.  The school system I started teaching in is NOT the school system I work in today.  The editorial is true.  We are gagged, and we are never, ever listened to by administration.  The strength of this school system is built on the backs of the teachers.

Why don’t you tell me what tests were required, and I will tell you if I think E&G is the only company that does this kind of testing.  I know for a fact that they do testing that no one else does in Virginia. And they are nationally recognized for not just good, but excellent work and professionalism. 

What are your professional qualifications to sit on the Water Resources Technical Advisory Committee?  I am just wondering. Your continued unsupported insinuations about them, does not seem to me to be especially professional.

Sally, you said they were the only ones that could do that work - or that was how I interpreted you.  The point I think is clear - reform reform reform.

Sarah,

I have vocally supported your efforts against the school board in your FOIA quests, and your taping of public meetings, etc.  I only suggested to you that Emery and Garrett is an excellent company that performs tests that many others in Virginia do not have the expertise to perform.  One site is not always the same as another, different tests could be required, and all I said was that maybe E&G was the only company that could do whatever tests the County required.

I don’t know what tests were required—You are a member of the Water Resources Technical Review Committee.  What are your professional credentials in water/water resources/water testing?  What exactly were the tests required of E&G, or is that what you are still trying to find out?

You have some good points, why don’t you stick to them?

P.S. I appreciate the excellent education my kids have received at LCPS.

thanks Bessie for link to the emails.  They are not particularly exciting, frankly.

I’ve mentioned this example of wrongdoing by LCPS Administration on other blogs before but will repeat here to illustrate a point.  Emery and Garrett (a very well respected groundwater consulting firm located in Vermont) did the hydrogeologic study for Sal Cangiano’s subdivision in Wheatland.  Some months later LCPS enters a contract with Sal Cangiano to buy his Wheatland Farm, a contract that has a contingency clause requiring favorable hydrogeologic study results.  LCPS then hires WHO to conduct their hydrogeologic study?  Emery and Garrett.  Now I’m not saying Emery and Garrett are unprofessional - it is undisputed that they are a very well respected highly qualified consultant, but LCPS’ sole source procurement of that consultant is absolutely inappropropriate.  Contrary to Sally Mann’s statements on TC, there ARE other consultants that do that work in this County.  Anyone in attendance at the Loudoun County Water Forum last week would know that GeoTrans has done such studies for the school system.  The school system previously hired a completely different firm to do hydro studies on the Grubb Farm.  Their sole source procurement of Emery and Garrett indicates a problem exists in the LCPS site acquisition department.  When we asked LCPS for the scope of work and bids they received for the hydro study, they were unable to provide any such documentation.  Was the work done for a reasonable price without getting competitive bids?

LCPS used their favorite appraiser and paid him $5000 for an appraisal of Burgess’ 10-acre (1 house on 1 lot + 2 unimproved lots) property in Wheatland.  The following year LCPS paid same appraiser $4000 to update the prior Burgess appraisal.  Does anyone know if that is a reasonable price? 

Without obtaining competitive bids, taxpayers will never know if they are receiving the best value for their money.  And I am certain that without SOME competition, a disincentive exists for consultants to provide the best value to clients.

When an organization is free to procure whomever they please, enter contracts with non-RFP responders under a RFP procurement (see story below), is allowed to withhold public information (it took over a year for Adamo to provide enrollment data on a spreadsheet) and lie to the public (LCPS presentation indicated condemnnation of the Moore’s home would be required to access schools on Lovettsville Park despite their consultant’s sketch (and VDOT’s recommendation) of alternative alignments), something is wrong and desperately needs to change. 

And as a final note to my rep and Mr. Byard (both of whom I sincerely respect), if LCPS admitted to their past wrongdoing and expressed a sincere desire to reform, there would be no need to bring up the past.

I just read the email exchange between Mr. Arendale and Mr. Bayard at dullesdistrict.com and it does appear the school board is reasonable and polite, whereas the editor of this paper is a fairly rude bully.

I don’t agree with the School Board very often, but this time the paper is off base/

Everyone….stop the guessing…go to www.dullesdistrict.com and see for yourself the dialogue that took place.

Hatrick engineered a successful coup at LCPS to oust his predecessor, a reformer. Byard has long been a ferocious gatekeeper, even to the point of filtering emails sent to the School Board. The problem isn’t only Hatrick. A weak board kowtows to Hatrick. Throw the rascals out! Elect a school board that takes charge. Time to retire Hatrick!

oh blowhard do a drive by my home you will be recorded if not already. ;-) which most likely you have done. :-) you have some weirdo fascination but you will be caught.

Blowhard says what?:

you have one of those blowhard titles totally fake.

Most likely you use a different title every time ;-) you might even be the blackout person :-) who changes his name every 5 seconds. does not matter all these names will be exposed soon with their phone numbers so people can call them directly. :-) i am a open book and people know who i am and know where i live. ;-)

if you want to see some of the emails visit dullesdistrict.com

Leej, you’ve been misspelling about moving to Texas for a while now. Please do so, remove the LTM bookmark from your computer, and happy trails.

Leave it to the Catholics to get butt hurt over a simple analogy made to show the similar tactics used by both LCPS and the vatican (left uncaplitalized on purpose) and Soviet era Politics. Grow up, it was not intended or even written as an insult.

ok reading thru some these repilies looks like Hatrick is getting his PEOPLE to defend him.

the article is real and people need to get their heads out of the sand. Two major companies are moving out of here first Geoeye and another that is going to announce in the next day or two. More tax dollars gone while our BOS is fooling around with the bay act and the environment and energy. Again ok save the world when you can afford it and Loudoun is going down hill at the speed od light. Glad i am moving back to Austin Texas the can DO land :-)  not the make believe land here which is falling apart faster then most realized here

My question is what kind of information is being asked for?  I work for LCPS and have never been told or implied not to talk to the paper nor has the paper ever contacted me or anyone I work with.  I work in the admin building and have never seen a newspaper reporter waiting in the lobby or parking lot ready to ask questions to our staff.  Some info is in fact confidential (student info, records, etc…) so what was the reporter after when they were denied is my question.  As I can’t speak for Mr. Byard I think that Dr. Hatrick is very open to criticism by staff in LCPS.  He is very open minded and does listen to suggestions from staff.  He really isn’t this villain some think.  He really does care for the kids and our staff.

“I commend LTM for writing this Opinion piece”

So LTM opinion is that comparing the head governing body of tens of thousands Loudoun County families religion/faith (catholic church) to that of the Soviet regime or prison wardens is justified.

That to publically attack a fellow human beings(s) without providing one ounce of fact to support is acceptable and professional.

I commend LTM for writing this Opinion piece because those of us who have gone head on with the LCPS Administration see a systemic problem with the “command and control” way of running this school system.  This is a top down problem that begins with Dr. Hatrick and is a management style that is tolerated from within. Information is to be controlled and manipulated to further the expansion of the LCPS kingdom as it has been deemed from the top. 

Do we have a great educational system for our kids?  Yes—the teachers and principals can take credit for that!  Is LCPS being run effectively from a management standpoint?  NO, and something needs to change because we can no longer accept or afford business as usual.

A former Board insider has stated that Hatrick has something on each and every School Board member,  with one exception.  In other words, most members have some personal tie to LCPS (like family members are employees), not to mention Hatrick is reknown for his kool-aid.

As a parent, I am thrilled with the level of education in Loudoun schools.  My husband and I bought a smaller house, which cost more money, just to live within Loudoun so our children could attend Loudoun County Public Schools.  Dr. Hatrick works hard to ensure that our kids have the best teachers, the best materials, and the best schools.  In regards to Mr. Byard, I wouldn’t want the stress of his job and I couldn’t imagine anyone doing a better job of representing the school system.

Where is the School Board? Top school officials are there because the Board hires them and keeps them in their positions.

This is an editorial, not an article.  Most understand the difference.

The teachers at LCPS can be commended for doing a good job, despite the dictatorship that they work under.  Hatrick and Byard can not take credit for their hard work.  Conversely Hatrick has a fundamental work ethic and responsibility to the citizens of Loudoun County.  Some of LCPS Administration’s historic actions can truly be defended as being in the best interest of the students; however, many of the negative comments being made here are not related to the fundamental task of LCPS - educating children, the criticisms are regarding how the system is managed.  Think how much more could be done if the system were managed such that internal (and external) ideas for improvement were fostered instead of defensively shot down.  Hatrick’s administration is entrenched and defensive and it is simply time for a change.  The County just got a new Administrator and the world didn’t end - a change in leadership is overdue for LCPS.

While I understand that the definition of an editorial is an article expressing an opinion or point of view, I am appalled at the inaccuracies contained within your article.  I have worked as a teacher within LCPS for 11 years and never, not even once, have I ever felt “gagged” or “bullied” by Mr. Hatrick, Mr. Byard, or anyone who is my superior.  Furthermore, I have never heard of any of my fellow teaching professionals having that experience either.  Having experience working in other school systems, I know just how lucky I am to have an administration that is supportive, responsive, and open to my input in school matters.  You are most certainly entitled to your opinion, but please; get your facts straight first.  However, if you find yourself confused about the difference between facts and opinions, any one of my well-educated, product of the Loudoun County Public School System, students can teach you.

Lots of brash statements. But lets ask to see some facts.

1.)  Who wrote the article for LTM. Sign your name and stand behind what you wrote.

2.) you mention you have all of these bullying emails. Let the readers see these emails and where LTM has been getting bullied.

Besides knocking indirectly the faith (catholic) of many tens of thousands Loudoun citizens by comparing the Vatican to the Soviet or prison regimes, you use the term bullying at a time where children deaths are occurring by bullies. To equate what the LCPS is doing to LTM (bullying) may be a very wrong use of words.

But in any case, lets see these emails that you state exist in your editorial.

Regardless of your concerns, this article is unprofessional, sets a poor example for stating your case appropriately and is a dissapointing piece of of op-ed.  In my opinion, you have abused your position and missed an opportunity to make your case in a constructive way that would result in real, collaborative resolution of your concerns. In fact, you have now put yourself in the position of being a bully, without even signing your name.  Shameful.

@wow, great point!  I would like to read some real news now please. 

Someone at the LTM needs to get off their “soap box” and start doing some real reporting.  Maybe if they had reporters go out to the schools someone would talk to them.  Maybe cover some of the good things the students and teachers of Loudoun are doing and gain some creditability back.

@Lois Lane and @Angry Loudoun Taxpayer,
Sorry, you guys might be missing my point.  I am NOT sticking up for the school system or any individual who works for it.  I am simply stating that with the poor reporting that is currently going on in the LTM this editorial holds zero weight.  Yes the LTM was an award winning paper and I do read it diligently but recently the only content you get from them is in the print edition.  The website is useless!  I do check it every day to see the news in my community however the web edition of the paper provides no more information then I receive in my Loudoun Alerts.  And I find it humorous that the information is exactly the same as the alerts.  It’s simply forwarding information on that is released by our local authorities or local government.  The LTM website is real joke in my eyes.  I am simply stating that this editorial is difficult to buy when we haven’t heard a single follow-up to many of the real news worthy stories in our community.  It seems that the LTM has a much better way with opinions and editorials then reporting the real news and facts.  Please step it up LTM!!!!  I have been a faithful reader for 20 years and you’re really letting us down in the past couple.
 
Again I am not defending the School System in any way BUT,

@Lois Lane, and you have to be kidding me with the quote “They have also confided in us a deep fear of being punished or downright fired by school officials.”  WHO? WHERE? Everyone knows that the school system as with any local government would have the lawsuit from hell if they fired one of their staff for talking to the paper.  Everyone knows the “Red Tape” hell that local governments are held by.  Firing is hardly an option in any local government.

This level of control seems more akin to the Vatican, a prison warden or the Soviet-era Politburo. It’s wrong.

WOW… I cannot beleive the above was written by a professional news publication. What an insult to the tens of thousands (if not more) catholic faith.

LTM could have handle and even written about this issue with LCPS in a much more professional non vindictive manner.  Seems there is also an EGO and bully problem at LTM

The Vatican???  And then equated to a prison warden and the politburo???  All credibility is lost with those comments.  See ya later.

Disagree with most of this editorial. The school system is in business to do one thing: equip our children to learn and become tomorrow’s leaders.  On that front Dr. Hatrick and his support staff get an A. He has maintained and brought in excellent teachers from across the country. So what if Dr. Hatrick may not have a winsome personality.  He is doing his job and many families like ours are grateful to him.

See what happens when you let doctors out of the operating room and into the schools?  Go back to practising medicine “Doctor Hatrick.”  And Jonathan, you are a pansy.  A laughable pansy!  Amazing by the way how some can see this Doctor as the savior of Loudoun while others see a vindictive totalitarianist.  Something tells me this guy falls somewhere in between?

@Jonathan or Dr Hatrick or Wade Byard or any School Board member using Jonathan name to post. WHAT the heck you been smoking? Anyone that has ever had to deal with Wade, knows the unprofessional responses/tone you’ll receive. His ego gets in the way and feels he doesn’t have to answer to anyone. You expect the information officer of the county school to show respect and have a personality. Hopefully, the school board will do the right thing and fire Wade. It’s been long overdue.

Thank you for exposing or what most of us already know to be a good ol’ boys club and/or you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours system.

It is pathetic that one of the richest counties in the country has an educational crisis. Schools are overcrowded and failing students and no one in the Admin Building listens to parent concerns. The School Board continues to make poor strategic decisions to address boundaries and overcrowding. Where is this so called climate of success for our students?

Maybe Hatrick was effective 15 years ago but the landscape of Loudoun has changed. It’s time for an outsider to come in, someone who has an open mind and can bring innovation to LCPS.

Jonathan, then why the in the hell do you read it then?  You have no clue do you?  I say we remove the entire board now.  If not legally, then we should do it illegally.

@ Johnathan…maybe you missed this parto or not reading the artice and understanding the contents:

“When researching school-related stories or editorials, we have encountered teachers and school officials who have been gagged at the behest of Byard. They have also confided in us a deep fear of being punished or downright fired by school officials. Few principals, teachers or other employees are allowed to discuss school matters without first securing a preordained blessing from Byard.”

This is not about the LTM and it’s reporting.  No one is allowed to talk at the LCPS employees!  One person makes all comments?!?!?  This article is about the continued regime of terror that the LCPS continues to dish out to the employees, teachers, student, and parents of Loudoun County.

Hold on just a second, I have not read all the comments so I’m not sure if this has been said or not, BUT this paper’s reporting is terrible!!!! 

I’m not sticking up for LCPS but really?!?!?!  Your reporting is nothing more than we receive in Loudoun Alerts, basically forwarding on the exact wordage that is used in the alert system.  Your paper does no research and provides no updates/follow-up to news events in the county.  This entire article is a joke because even if LCPS allowed transparency you guys wouldn’t have a single reporter reporting! 

I’m sorry but this paper and website is nothing better then the alert system and your reporting when done is more opinionated then facts so until you guys improve your paper this kind of complaint holds no weight.  You’re a joke in the community right now and that is probably why LCPS and other are not allowing you access.  Your reporting is often incorrect and based on individual’s statements not facts. 

This article is really laughable!!  Sounds like an excuse for the rest of the poor reporting going on “boo hoo, we can do good reporting because organizations in the community won’t give us access”

LAUGHABLE!

I just sent an email to the School Board and Dr Hatrick on this issue and my past dealing with Wade.  It’s time for him to move on, resign or be fired. In this economy, we need to see a better attitude from someone in his position(His ego appears to be whatever and he can’t be touched). Replacing this guy with anyone, won’t affect the Loudoun School System one bit.

Wade is a clown. He’s the 2nd person that should go within that admin. And his voice is the creepiest when he calls to leave a voice recording. Please find someone with a little more personality. This guy should retire and move on. And I bet he makes over $100K, which is way too much for what his job description is.

An absolute spot-on editorial and pervasive agreement among the commenters - this is exactly why we’re spending tens of thousands of dollars to buy the education our children need and deserve, that they absolutely cannot receive from LCPS - and we’ve tried (but actually can get in Fairfax). The “top-down” problem is absolutely correct - the failures we’ve experienced have been directly caused by appalling behavior and nonexistent management skills in the Principals and senior administrative staff. We found out many years ago, that “waiting for Superman” is truly a pipe dream around here.

As a 15+ year employee of LCPS, I’m sorry it has taken so long for the public to figure out how LCPS works.  The attitude comes from the top down - don’t criticize and don’t ask questions.  Most of us need our jobs so we don’t speak up.  Ten years ago we might have been considered a leader among school systems.  Those days are over.  It’s time for 21st century leadership.

Purely Nixonian.  Haterick and the good ole boys have to go.

Ed Hatrick is a ‘good ole boy’ who is part of the problem.  He has established a regime that allows people like Byard to perform as he does. The school board needs to act like ‘leaders’ and get Byard to exhibit some professionalism or find another position.  Taypayers deserve no less.  ARE YOU READING THIS, DR. HATRICK???

I see how everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but I do not see what is so bad about Dr. Hatrick and Byard.  Without Hatrick LCPS would be in substantial trouble, it is not that bad right now, maybe we have two furlough days, but with the way the economy is and how many people are affected by the economy, why isn’t the school district going to be?  Do you realize how much more the schools in Loudoun have compared to other school districts in America?  Also lets talk about the taxes, everybody in Loudoun complains about the taxes, but have they lived anywhere else?  I am from Connecticut and let me tell you taxes are cheap here compared to much of the country(personally I do not like high taxes, but do not complain when you have low taxes, saying how high they are). For what you get in Loudoun with these low taxes I find it to be quite amazing(clearly the school board is stretching the dollar).  I would not say the education in LCPS is the best, but I would say the facilities are very nice.  One thing I would like to point out is how the middle schools get so many “AWARDS”, yet they cannot even make the Federal AYP.  I know why it is!, it is because of the inflated grades that middle school students are given for going to class and completing minimal work. So maybe LCPS is not going to be producing the smartest students, but at least the facilities are nice.  Maybe you get what you pay for! New England public high schools constantly rank as the best schools and look at the taxes they pay there!  So all you people can stop complaining, because you are getting what you pay for.  The superintendents up north also make the same salaries, and they only manage schools for one town!  Hatrick does a whole county!  So look at the facts before you complain about the “horrible”(in my own opinion I believe he is doing a great service for LCPS) job Hatrick is doing and how he needs to be removed!  Also if you do not like LCPS you can enroll your children in private school!
*Also sorry for any grammatical errors.  I do not have the time to reread my comment.

Thank you Loudoun Times Mirrow for having the courage to say what should have been said a long time ago.  Dr. Hatrick and the Loudoun County School Board do not serve the citizens of Loudoun County well.  The school administration and the School Board need to be cleaned out.

I applaud and commend the Loudoun Times Mirror for its courageous and accurate reporting of the serious abuses of power and intimidation tactics regularly employed by the LCPS regime.

In my countless dealings with LCPS and Mr. Byard, I also encountered rudeness, bullying, threats, and severe retaliation.  So I can fully and completely substantiate everything the Loudoun Times Mirror stated in its editorial about the manner in which LCPS and Mr. Byard have treated the newspaper and its staff because I was treated exactly the same way.

LCPS is used to pushing people around and getting its way regardless of whether or not its “way” actually comports with Virginia laws and statutes. 

LCPS sees itself as an entity onto itself where the Constitution and Virginia statutes simply do not apply.  I was actually told by an agent of LCPS that the Constitution does not apply to LCPS and LCPS can and will do whatever it wants. 

And this is exactly how LCPS operates——above the law, untouchable, and not accountable to anyone, most especially the good taxpayers of Loudoun County.

The Loudoun Times Mirror editorial is a great start in changing and dismantling the absolute power and authoritarian infrastructure LCPS currently enjoys within this county.

With regard to the mentioning of the Vatican in the editorial, please don’t take the reference the wrong way. 

I was raised a Catholic, married in the Catholic Church, and baptized my children Catholic, and I still take absolutely no offense to the reference at all.

The reference was made to draw a parallel and analogy to other all-powerful and all-controlling institutions that have taken great strides to cover-up the truth and that have also engaged in an entrenched pattern of clear-cut wrongdoing. 

Catholics know the tolerance and cover-up of the rampant pedophilia in the Catholic Church was wrong.  No one can deny this.  The Church itself has paid huge legal settlements and apologized for the agony the campaign of sexual abuse caused so many innocent young people within the Catholic community.

The editorial was not attacking the Catholic Church in any way.  The editorial was simply pointing out a well-established fact that too-much power and not enough accountability in centralized, all-powerful entities leads to a loss of voice and freedom for the people at the mercy of such an entity.

That is why our democratic system provides for checks and balances; so the concentration of power is not too much weighted in a single entity’s hands.  Unfortunately, there are no checks and balances when it comes to governing our school system. 

The school board governs itself and answers only to itself.  No one else.

And because the superintendent is appointed, rather than elected, his reign will continue as long as he is allowed to intimidate and cajole the school board members into doing his bidding and supporting his appointment for another term.

That is the reality.

With regard to the comments that the Loudoun Times Mirror only brought these pressing concerns to the forefront because of the sports issue, the editorial clearly states how the problems with LCPS had been building for quite awhile, particularly during budget cycles when the paper criticized some of the actions of LCPS.

I really believe the editorial is of a general and wide-sweeping nature with regard to its complaints of how LCPS conducts itself and how it treats its constituents.  Clearly the issues raised extend well beyond a sports column comment section matter. 

The editorial most certainly conveyed the paper’s general disapproval of how LCPS treats EVERYONE in the community.

Please review this excerpt from the editorial:

“Moreover, our editorials this spring laying out the facts about the previous school budget as well as an editorial offering positive remedies to a slew of budgetary concerns was brutally and snidely attacked by Byard in a series of tactless and peevish e-mails. Our takeaway: criticism is not allowed.

After the fracas that came from our school budget editorials last spring, we were hoping to meet with Byard and his boss, Superintendent Edgar Hatrick, to address the lack of access and the mistreatment of Loudoun’s premier media outlet.  After several follow-ups by us, the meeting never came about.

The final straw in all this may have come last week.

In separate e-mails sent to the Times-Mirror’s editor and also its publisher, Byard took offense to the fact that we allow our website users – within the guidelines of a firmly applied and industry-standard terms of service – to publicly comment on LoudounTimes.com about sports teams in the county. We were told criticisms of school teams and coaches were off limits and should be taken down, even if they do not violate our LoudounTimes.com Terms of Service.

Much more perniciously, in his e-mail Byard tactlessly insinuated that the school system might seek retribution by revoking the right of Times-Mirror reporters and photographers to cover LCPS athletic events.”

Thank you for reading my comments.

I leave you in peace.  My peace I leave you.

The author of this article is rude, demeaning and should be reprimanded for the nastiness displayed in the story.  I have never heard such negativity and nasty comments from Dr. Hatrick in 25 years! You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Loudoun County Public Schools have been a wonderful environment for my children and grandchildren.  Can you really complain about our schools that demonstrate tremendous success each year both in the classroom and on the sports field?  I don’t understand the whining.  Are you trying to destroy our schools?  Dr. Hatrick has shown care, concern and been the one leader who has built many quality and effective schools. You sound like children.  Give the LCPS School Board, Mr. Byard, and yes, Dr. Hatrick applause for a job well done!

You are out of your minds!!!  LCPS is a reputable and a world class educational institution.  Dr. Hatick is a leader who does listen to his principals and employees.  He has shown over the years that he truly cares for employees and the students! You have no clue what it takes to run a school system.  LCPS does an amazing job of educating the thousands of students in its schools year in and year out!  You should be proud of the School Board and the administration, teachers, staff and students!  Stop bashing your schools!

FIRE HATRICK AND ALL THE SCHOOL BOARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
These people are not for the education of our youth they are there because they are pompous demigods who think they are above everyone else and getting paid to screw up Loudoun County.
It’s time to clean house in the LCPS.

I just want to be like the author of the editorial and most of the commenters and comment without a face or real name and thus get to speak freely, somebody have the guts to use a real name with some of these comments, that is if you really feel as stronly as you do.

Loyal to LCPS, thank you for telling it like it is, the veiled threats of termination and career limiting questions when one ask why.  If only more former LCPS employees would come forward and reveal what they know is wrong because as you states it is a tremendous risk to speak out if you are a LCPS.  Retribution and career limiting questions are a very real concern. 

I also agree that some with in and at the top of LCPS are doing a tremendous disservice to its residents.  You only have to look past the window dressing they present to the public. 

I do applaud LTM for putting it out there about what are the dirty little secrets of LCPS. 

Keep it up!

Thank you, LTM, for this editorial.  It is time to bring to light the arrogance and uncontrolled spending of the LCPS system and particularly Adamo and Hatrick.  None of us would put up with the actions we have seen in the school administrators if they were demonstrated by family or friends…so why are we PAYING these officials and not booting them out??

Yes.  I have seen the “unprofessional actions and communications by the spokesperson of the school system. No more.” myself at a public forum in Hillsboro last year.  You could speak forever if you agreed with what was presented, but were cutoff if you had constructive feedback.

100% agree with Stan, Byard just does as he is told by Hatrick, who micromanages the system.  On balance Byard is very professional, but he is loyal to a fault.  What’s sickening is how the entire administration and School Board prop-up Hatrick like he is a God.  I hope some motivated citizens step to the plate to run in next years’ elections to replace the current slate of rubber-stampers and, as their first order of business, force the long-overdue retirement of Saddam Hatrick.

In no way am I spuporting Byard right now or LCPS I think their public relations are horrible, but the LTM needs to get one thing straight. 

To quote that they are “The very same taxpayers who foot the bill for Byard’s salary, and who depend on the Times-Mirror for coverage of kids in sports. After all, the Times-Mirror has the only dedicated sports section in Loudoun.” IS COMPLETELY INSANE.  LTM covers sports for STONE BRIDGE AND BROAD RUN FOOTBALL, COUNTY VOLLEYBALL in the fall.  In the winter it will be FREEDOM GIRLS BASKETBALL, BR AND POTOMAC FALLS BOY’S BASKETBALL.  Spring will be whatever baseball and soccer teams are hot. 

Those of us who care about high school sports know where to get our information on what is happening in county sports, and it’s not the LTM.  Much of the time, it takes them a week to get you the scores of games.

While I understand their frustration, LTM should not claim sake to being the only magazine with a dedicated sports section.  That would mean they would consistently cover ALL high school sports at ALL schools in the county

It is time for Hatrick to go. Michelle Rhea is on the market..

First let me say, I believe the author(s)of this article did not mean for the Vatican comments to be taken with ill-intent. Simply, the Vatican operates under its own laws, not the laws of the land in inhabits.

Stan was dead on about Wayde, he is simply the mouthpiece for the school system, and is directed step by step by the puppet master or minions of.

LCPS has turned into a kingdom all it’s own and a blackhole that devours tax dollars of the residents of Loudoun. It’s rather disgusting, most of the admin staff(director level or higher) seem to be bent on building their own mini-kingdoms within LCPS. Dare to question a director of why they made a decsion, or to cut some fat of their department, and you might as well have slapped their mother. But I digress….

I have been an LCPS employee for a long time, and in the recent years, I have been sometime ashamed to admit it, due to the negative association that resides in the minds of Loudoun residents(of which I am one) Progressive ideas and thoughts are frowned upon by most, and dare to step out and push a progressive idea, and you could be threatend with termination, and or pigeon-holed in your current position. I am greatful for my job, and love serving the residents of Loudoun, but LCPS is not protecting the intrests of it’s residents.

I can only hope for the sake of the residents of Loudoun and the employees of LCPS that this editorial brings to light the problems that have plagued the community in regards to the school system.

Kudos to the Times for publishing this, this is the kind of journalism that the indusrty was built on, and the type that helps America evolve.

Oh and about the Dictatorship removing the comments from the sports article, students names were not mentioned, and what sparked the removal was when a LCPS coach(at least that was the name used) spouted off in the comments himself….

The proper channel for communications to media is the NORMAL POLICY in a lot of institutions. Private and Public. The main reason for this of course is the that most Private and Public institutions do NOT keep they employees informed of all the facts, or even all the things that are being discussed let alone the details of each of those discussions. How can they communicate with the employees when they do not know what they want to communicate?
THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.
EVEN worse is that LCPS has a policy and procedures manual that all employees are suppose to follow.
However even if they follow it to the letter, Principles and Higher ups will criticize them for not being open to ideas and having some flexibility, if it means being able to make that person happy and the problem go away. So then the next time the employee of LCPS will have some Flexibility and they get criticized for not following policy and procedures.
Of course the criticism comes only after a Parent, or Student, or tax payer complains and then the higher ups BLAME THE LOWEST person they can to deflect any responsibility on themselves.
They should have the policy and procedure manuals and should follow them to the T up and down the chain. Teachers (following the procedures) should have the backing and support of the administration all the way to the top. They should be rewarded or complimented for following procedures even when it was a tough thing to do.
However the Administration does NOT HAVE THE BACKBONE to stand behind their own policies and procedures so therefore the teachers can not feel like they have the support of anyone.
This is the way Dr. Hatrick runs his schools, and it will eventually be the reason we will not have the best teachers possible, even if the pay is as good as or better than other areas.
The Administration from Dr. Hatrick on down should stand by the policies and procedures and not make any exceptions for anyone, they everyone from the teachers to his most senior staff will know what to do and expect.
This is not to say the policies and procedures cannot be changed, if something is wrong or new conditions or requirements made change needed then so be it, but it should NOT BE special exceptions made because a parent has a special request for their child.
There is a lot more problems in this school system that just not wanting to be upfront with budget and how money is spent.

VERY ADMIRABLE EDITORIAL. KEEP UP YOUR FIRST AMENDMENT STANDARDS. THANK YOU.

Sarah, your story is the one that should have been written, the one that should cause outrage—but it is ignored by this paper.

Instead they focus on a threat about high school sports, where the School Board may be credited with protecting its students from the comment section of this paper…

Wayde is but a pawn, Hatrick is the puppet master.  If anyone believes for one minute that information is withheld or given out that is of any great consequence without Hatrick’s approval has no idea how things are done in Loudoun County (and that has to end).  Look at HS-3 and what Purcellville went through! 

Let me quote Dr. Hatrick from an email FOIA’d by Purcellville dated 7/26/06.  “Please do not respond to requests for information or help in evaluating the Round Hill site unless you talk to me first”.  The School Board and staff were cc’d. 

To me that sums it up.  Focus on Hatrick, his relationships with the School Board, the manipulations, and less on worker drones.  Dig deep enough and long enough, you’ll find something.

P.S. When I was setting up a video camera in the rear of the Lovettsville Elementary cafeteria the night LCPS was making a public presentation on their Wheatland school proposal (April 29, 2009), Dr. Adamo approached me with his strong disapproval, saying I should have “asked for permission”.  I calmly, respectfully responded that it is a public event and I have a right to record it and obtaining his permission wasn’t required.

More examples exist, but I think you get the idea.

anon

this is a wake up call

keep your head in the sand

I have personally experienced the bullying tactics of LCPS when making requests under FOIA.  Last year, following my submittal of a FOIA request focused on the LCPS-Cangiano contract for Wheatland Farm, Mr. Byard asked me to come to their offices to meet with him, Dr. Adamo and LCPS’ attorney.  Because I felt somewhat intimidated by this, I brought my tape recorder and a friend.  They kept asking me what I was looking for.  My response was to read the words of my initial request, which I crafted very carefully to ask for very specific information, and then ask them what it is they didn’t understand.  I left with the clear impression that they were trying to get me to change my request.  They had significant push-back on the item which requested copies of correspondence between Mr. Cangiano and LCPS’ attorney regarding land in western Loudoun, so I relented to their pressure and didn’t push that particular item. Particularly since the fees LCPS was charging me were approaching over $1,200.

When I asked Dr. Adamo about how he procured his contractors, he became very defensive.  When I asked him when they were going to initiate the pump test for the hydrogeologic study, he refused to answer stating he had already provided me everything he had on the subject.  As it turned out, the pump test started the following week and I have a difficult time believing he had no knowledge of what his contractor was doing. 

After that meeting concluded, Mr. Byard, Dr. Adamo and Mr. Chapman left the room and my friend and I sat there collecting ourselves and noticed engineering drawings labeled “Wheatland Farm”.  As we were reviewing the document in plain sight (not trying to hide what we were doing), Dr. Adamo walked in and became extremely and visibly angry, stating we had no right to look at the drawings, and in fact, he equated it to him “looking in my purse”.  We thought that very odd since our tax dollars were used to pay for those engineering drawings and my FOIA request had included engineering drawings, whereas my purse was my personal property.

In their response to my FOIA, numerous items were missing and conflicted with prior information they had provided.  In come cases it took 3 to 4 follow-up responses for me to finally get the information. 

When I repeatedly asked why LCPS had disregarded a proposal for a property in Hillsboro that had been submitted to them in response to their 2008 RFP for land, Mr. Byard finally revealed that the proposal was not considered because it wasn’t a “formal RFP response”.  Months later, Dr. Adamo contradicted Mr. Byard and said it was considered but it was withheld from the Supervisors’ briefing packet because the proposal had not included soil study results in time to be included in the BOS packet.  Note: other RFP responses didn’t have to submit soil study results but they were “considered”.  During the RFP 2-week response window, Mr. Cangiano (nor his agents) never submitted any correspondence referencing the RFP, yet his land was considered under that procurement.

When officials from the Town of Lovettsville, LCPS and Board of Supervisors were making a presentation to our community about future schools, I specifically asked our Parent Teacher Organization to advertise the meeting to their members.  Mr. Byard responded that PTOs were explicitly prohibited by LCPS from advertising the event because it wasn’t an “official school event”. 

In addition to the procurement irregularities noted above, I have identified what I believe to be other blatant violations of standard procurement policy and no one in this County seems to care.  School Board members and Supervisors continue to enable LCPS to do whatever they please. 

Thank you LoudounTimes for raising this issue.

I agree with Ric James.

The editorial seems hasty and knee jerk, like the author lost his temper and swung blindly back at Mr. Adamo.  Like the author just wanted to hurt him, instead of rationally building a true fact based, credible case against him and the school board.

The Vatican remark is discrediting to the paper, and a total insult to Catholics and a lot of others.  The paper should apologize.  How can the paper be trusted to monitor remarks when its own editor has so little judgement?

The vague unsupported statements that are the real meat of the contention, ie that school officials have confided in ‘fear” they are being “gagged,” give no detail as to what they were afraid to disclose.

We do have a problem, and I agree with Leej as well.  But this poorly written editorial makes the writer look sloppy, emotional, childish and a little out of control.  It does not well serve the point the paper is trying to make, by focusing on comments about student athletes—where the school board is right to protect these young players.

@Ric James:  clearly you weren’t one of the thousands of children who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a priest and were then told to never tell anyone about it even as the priests were transfered to other locations where they could prey on other children.  Lucky you.  The Vatican has more than earned the criticism that has come its way.  Find something else to complain about.

Ric james this is a wake call not a stunt.

I don’t know where you are coming from but this serious problem is coming to a major serious end. You can ignore it in la la land but but it is coming like a tidal wave. just keep your head in the sand. ;-)  then your reasoning will explode like a atomic bomb. The financial situation of the schools will never be solved with throwing more money at it. These over educated idiots at the top SB and hatick have become the peter principle :-)

I will second the comment about the ludicrous grouping in of the Vatican with Soviet government and prison systems. It would have taken just a few seconds to come up with an example from other taxpayer-funded organizations that have a duty to remain accountable to the public. It was, apparently, just far easier to insult the many Catholic readers of the LTM. And what a shame! This is a serious topic that deserves the attention of all Loudouners as well as their unified voice to the LCPS and School Board that this situation will not be tolerated. To toss in a deliberate smear like this just derails the effort and distracts from the point. I had hoped the LTM would have been above this kind of stunt.

Sometimes I look at my depleted bank account and wonder if I wasted a LOT of money sending my children to private schools.  But mostly, I just sit back and smile; it was worth every penny.  Stuff like this and the Michelle Rhee story confirm it every day.

I’m sure there will be a ton of comments on this story.  Why is the Editorial Board surprised?  The school system is a government run monopoly where no one is allowed to critize without being decried as mean spirited. It’s funny how the Editorial Board only stands up when it comes to sports coverage and not the real problem of out of control spending, unaccountable administrators, etc.

I think this says it all:  “Here’s why. When researching school-related stories or editorials, we have encountered teachers and school officials who have been gagged at the behest of Byard. They have also confided in us a deep fear of being punished or downright fired by school officials. Few principals, teachers or other employees are allowed to discuss school matters without first securing a preordained blessing from Byard.”

Can we overthrow them?  Can we have a revolution?  IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN STOP THEM?!?!?!  Unless someone takes drastic measures against the current rouge posse LCPS is doomed and so are the kids!

I’m curious if anyone here knows of any business, public or private, in which its employees are allowed to make public comment on behalf of the business without first contacting the public relations office?  My guess is, no.
In regards to getting the real story, that takes hard investigative journalism.  If you run into road blocks, report them.

I read this as mostly a conflict of personalities.  Please provide at least one concrete example of information that the LTM is being denied.  What has been requested and not provided?  If you actually have such an example, then I encourage the LTM to sue under the Freedom of Information Act and get the policies changed.  There is NOTHING that the county and school board fears more than lawsuits of any kind.  If you don’t actually have an example of specific information that you are being denied then you should step back or retract some of the innuendo in this editorial.

Having lower level employees not talking directly to the press is standard procedure in virtually all companies and most governmental organizations.  You can’t have clerks and such quoting policy when they don’t really know what they are talking about.  In what world can an employee go to the press and complain about official policy or criticize their administrators publicly without reprisal? 

It sounds to me like an idealistic journalism major right out of school doesn’t know how the real world works.

@Mtcva:  unlike the schools and the LTM, the Vatican does not protect children.  They covered up sexual abuse of children on the part of priest pedophiles over and over and over until they just couldn’t stonewall any longer.  I think the Vatican was a very good illustration of muzzling leaders and hiding hideous truths for selfish purposes.

There is no freedom speech in a Hatrick run school system!  It’s time for Hatrick and all his “good old boys” to be shown the door.  Enough already!!

Let ‘em have it, LT eds!  Looks like some teed off journalists just dropped trou and whizzed in some LCPS administration cornflakes.  Ta-dow!

When will the people of Loudoun County get there heads out of the sand and realize it is time for Hatrick to go!!! This guy runs a dictatorship and know one will do anything about it!!

This should have been reported a long time ago, that teachers are not free to talk, and feel the threat of reprisal. 

It looks like the paper covered it up, in its own self interest, to be “collegial”—and did not report the whole truth—until this issue about comments on sports articles. 

The children on those teams are not public figures.  I agree with the school board, they should be protected.

The paper waited too long to report the whole truth, and looks bad here, because it seems they would have covered it up forever, if Mr. Adamo had not threatened the comments section of the sports coverage… it might have helped with some of the budget/site selection/other school board issues… to know the truth and how it is being muzzled…

I’m going to exercise my right to comment right here: I am disappointed to see this editorial take a gratuitous swipe at Catholics. The Vatican reference lumping it in with the Soviets and prisons wasn’t necessary to make your point.

Expect absolutely nothing to change as long as Hatrick and his supplicant School Board run the show.  We need viable alternative candidates and an entirely new school board in 2011.  Get working, people!

Thank you for this editorial, and for bringing this serious matter to the attention of our community.
  Anyone who doesn’t believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the press doesn’t believe in the United States Constitution either.  Such a person shouldn’t be employed by the school system which educates the children of this community.
  His salary is paid by the taxpayers here, and he owes the taxpayers full disclosure of how their money is being spent and how the school system is being operated.
  The public comment system of this newspaper is a very important way for all of us to make our voices heard and exercise our right to free speech.  It’s vitally important to preserve this essential forum in a free society.
  If school bullies of any age don’t like it, that’s their problem.
  We the people of the Loudoun community appreciate the courage of the Loudoun Times Mirror in standing up for our freedom.

It is time for Mr Hatrick and his posse to vacate the premises.  The good-ole boy doesn’t work as well when the pond keeps getting bigger.  Loudoun needs fresh minds and new ideas to deal with the school system.  This is just another example of Hatrick reigning over the county with no accountability.

Dont worry, Hatrick will inevitably try to shove this under the rug and sit on his hands while his cronies keep sucking the life and drive right out of lcps.