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Incumbent Doreen Phillips is challenged by former School Board member Noreen Crowley in Hartwood District School Board race Date published: 10/29/2009
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Both candidates for the Stafford County School Board's Hartwood District seat have held elected office. Incumbent Doreen Phillips is vying for her second term on the board in the Nov. 3 election. Her opponent, Noreen Crowley, served the Falmouth District on the School Board from 1998 until 2002. She moved to Hartwood in 2007. Crowley also ran as a Democrat against Del. William Howell, R-Stafford, in 2001. Phillips said she's established rapport with many people in Hartwood and wants to continue serving them. "I feel like I was able to make a lot of progress with the constituents in my district and form really good relationships with many of the neighborhoods," Phillips said. Crowley points to her work in all three levels of government. In addition to her term on the School Board, she has been the state's assistant secretary of education and was a policy analyst for the Educational Testing Service in Washington. "I think what I bring is an understanding of the local, the state and the federal dynamics involved in education policy and how we can work on these issues to move Stafford County public schools forward," Crowley said. Phillips said she thinks it's "fantastic" that the division didn't lay off employees this year as did some other school systems around the nation. Now, she said, her first priority is to give school employees raises. Stafford teachers did not receive cost-of-living or step raises this year. "Spending needs to be kept under control so that we can afford to give raises," Phillips said. Crowley's priorities also include what she calls the "fair compensation of school staff." She noted that teacher salaries remained the best in the region during her previous term on the School Board--even with unprecedented student growth. "That took focus by the School Board--that took prioritizing," Crowley said. Phillips said another one of her goals is to build the county's first career and technical center using a public-private partnership. Such a facility would alleviate overcrowding in high schools and provide recreational opportunities for the entire county, she said. A real-estate agent and property manager, Phillips said her job experience helps with what she calls the "business side" of running a school system. Her Web site criticizes the School Board for not consolidating schools to save money and better use space. "I think that I bring vision and common sense in smart spending at a time when it's absolutely critical," Phillips said. Crowley said the School Board needs a more long-term approach to issues such as redistricting and student-teacher ratios. For instance, she said the division should address better ways to use its facilities, noting that some schools are overcrowded and others are underutilized. "Student achievement needs to be the primary goal of School Board members," Crowley said. Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Read more stories about Stafford Date published: 10/29/2009
Falmouth how Crowley represented them- then vote. You will find out that she cared less about the citizens and worked for "her boss" Superintentent Watson. She is way to liberal in her thinking and actions to ever work for the taxpayers of this county. Its because of previous school boards disregard for citizens dolkars that the school budgets got so out of hand- and never questioned by anyone. Now we have some board members who want to question and scrutinze the publics money in school spending.
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