Wheeeeeee. World gone mad. Not fun. Crazy every day. Today crazy included events at two West Chester Area School District schools, and one event at a Tredyffrin Easttown school. Last week a similar brand of crazy at a Great Valley School District school.
So it has to be wondered about, doesn’t it? Why now? Random acts of a similar nature or some weird thread of coordination not yet apparent? You know like a Tik Tok challenge or something?
Why Chester County schools? So many questions, so many fears on the part of parents and teachers.
I just watched a replay of a Radnor Township school Board meeting. It was a special hearing about a proposed charter school. Now charter schools are always a hot button topic with school districts because essentially, they have to share money and resources. School districts never share well or necessarily willingly with charter schools.
Charter schools are publicly-funded, tuition-free schools, but they differ from traditional public schools in key ways. Comparing charter schools to public schools requires weighing a few different considerations.
First, charters have more flexibility. Rather than being part of a public school district, which dictates curriculum and standards in all schools, charters operate autonomously through individual agreements, or charters, with state or local governments that dictate rules and performance standards.
Given the ability to operate through these agreements, individual charter schools can tailor their curriculum, academic focus, discipline policy and other matters generally decided at the school district or state board level. In return for that flexibility, charter schools are supposed to be more accountable to parents and the state or local governments that authorize them….
The charter school movement, which gained prominence in the late 1980s and has been gaining ground ever since, began as a way to close the achievement gap between white and non-white students. Many charters still view that as a core mission.
But many of the same problems that plague traditional public schools are found in charters as well. New Orleans, where nearly all public schools became charters after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, still deals with the stratification of students and a pernicious racial achievement gap, says Adamson, who has studied the impact of charter schools in New Orleans…Education experts recommend that parents do research into the charter, visit the school and compare it carefully to the public-school alternative. Look beyond test scores and talk to educators who work at the school and parents who send their children there….Quantitative data includes test scores, graduation rates, college attendance rates and similar metrics, he says. Qualitative information could include surveys that measure student and family satisfaction, the type of curriculum they use, their beliefs and their policy on discipline.
So. I will state for the record, I do not have a problem with charter schools. Our child attended a very good one. But it was inclusive. Based on the Question and Answer segment after the presentation here, I am not sure what to think.
I did record it:
I do not know how this will play out, and honestly, I am not sure this concept will fly in the Main Line of today, even if it is proposed to be on the campus of an existing military school and college. One thing I do not get however is why the JROTC or whatever would go to Norristown, versus creating something on Valley Forge’s Campus?
The reality is Valley Forge Military Academy and College seems to be dying, doesn’t it? They have already sold off land, haven’t they? The school when you drive by no longer seems as crisp and tidy as it once was, does it? So what happens if there is no charter school approved? Do they keep slicing off bits of land and selling, or close up shop altogether and sell the whole kit and caboodle?
Valley Forge Military Academy and College itself has had a LOT of bad press in recent years. But in November an article in the Washington Post, was surprisingly positive. It was about Wes Moore, who was recently elected Governor of Maryland. Earlier this year, however, there was a scathing Mother Jones article about VFMAC
It’s not a stand alone idea that no one has done, I just don’t know how it will fly on the Main Line. Face it, Main Line School Districts don’t even ever want charter schools in my opinion. It means fund and resource sharing and it also is an ego thing since public schools especially on the Main Line are supposed to be the greatest period.
The sticking point here I feel will be what was raised by that parent who asked about how the school would handle sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. This resident did not see it in their mission statement. Mr. Johnson responded that gender identification and name would be the same as found on a student’s birth certificate.
OK ummm…Pentagon seems to feel differently these days, yes? Or are supposed to?
The Pentagon’s policies on this topic are discussed in an NPR article I found from 2021. (CLICK HERE FOR NPR ARTICLE.) Essentially this reversed the Trump era rules, which were what’s on your birth certificate. Biden lifted that ban in 2021 which is in the NPR article, so I do not know how this will shake out for this charter school. It’s an uncomfortable military topic. See CNN article (CLICK HERE.) See Military Times article (CLICK HERE.)
If this charter school wants a real chance, then they need to align with what the Pentagon now says, right?
I will also note that in 2021 Valley Forge Military Academy and College was DENIED a similar charter school application. (CLICK HERE.)
The Valley Forge Military Academy, a long-standing Main Line private school that in recent years has faced declining enrollment and allegations of mismanagement, has been denied in a bid to open a publicly funded charter school.
The Radnor school board, which rejected the application Tuesday, said the proposed Valley Forge Military Academy Charter School wasn’t sufficiently independent from the private school. The charter was proposed to be located on the academy’s campus and would have paid rent to the academy.
“It appears that representatives from VFMA applied to form a charter school in an effort to subsidize VFMA and make VFMA available to students through the use of public funds,” the board said in its denial, which was posted on the district’s website Wednesday. It called the application “plainly against the spirit and the letter” of Pennsylvania’s charter school law….The school has been accused of overlooking sexual abuse and hazing. Enrollment has declined, and the school has incurred financial losses. Alumni have accused trustees of mismanagement, though the board has denied those claims and maintained the academy is on the right track….During hearings before the Radnor board, representatives of the military academy said some students interested in their school had been rejected due to their inability to pay tuition.
That isn’t a rationale for the school to form a charter, Radnor’s school board said — adding that the purpose of the charter law “is not to subsidize private school tuition through the use of public school funds.”…The school board cited other faults with the application, including that the academy had failed to respond to community concerns about hazing and abuse allegations at its school….And because some of the proposed charter’s facilities would be in Chester County, it erred in failing to also apply to the Tredyffrin/Easttown school board, according to the Radnor denial.
I found their presentation on Radnor Township School Board’s website, which I found cumbersome to noodle around on, so I will share below. I wonder since part of this VFMAC campus is in Tredyffrin, are they presenting a charter application to that school board as well>
I have no dog in this race, my goal here is to inform only. There is a meeting scheduled about this for in the new year. It is actually a continuation of the public hearing on this Charter School. The date the school board lady announced was Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 at 7 PM . If interested in this, pay attention to the meeting schedule and contact THEM. NOT ME. A new charter school is a relatively big deal, let alone a military one, so I am kind of surprised about zero media coverage. Have a good night.
“ Good manners is nothing they’ve ever suffered from“ ~ Joe Biden Philadelphia 9/1/2022 in reference to the MAGA megaphone types trying to shout down a U.S. President Democracy. It is our birthright and like our freedoms, isn’t subjective. #VOTE
Ahhh September in an election year! I am starting with a screenshot from the Presidential address from Independence Hall last evening. And here is the Reuters video of speech:
So I actually listened to this speech last night. I wanted to hear what President Biden had to say.
Bravo.
That was a speech, and it went on in spite of the MAGA megaphones trying to shout down a U.S. President. And that is a conversation ALL of us need to have. It’s not just what MAGA Megaphones and their ilk have to say. WE ALL HAVE A VOICE AND WE ARE A DEMOCRACY….unless of course they really do wish to delve into socialism, communism, dictatorships, totalitarianism.
These people who have bastardized the Republican Party and U.S. politics, think the ONLY rights that matter are THEIRS.
These people who have bastardized the Republican Party and U.S. politics, think the ONLY voices that matter are THEIRS.
The objectives of these extremists can be seen everywhere as we as Americans prepare for midterm elections. Republicans as in the party of Lincoln, Democrats, Independents. We all need to come together and shut this crap down. It will take more than one election, start here with midterms 2022.
These people use dirty tricks and other chicanery to try to advance their message, and quiet the voices of others by always wanting to shout the other person down. They tried to do it to me today on Facebook.
Facebook is always amusing on whom they decide to tag for spam and fake news. Today they did it to me. On something that ACTUALLY HAPPENED, no less.
To follow is a slideshow of screenshots from the post and the video I included that Facebook deemed I am not sure what. Fake news, essentially. Here are the screen shots of original post, comments on said post, and a video to follow that was taken by Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism the day the Conestoga High School anti-masker students walked out encouraged by adults who would face no repercussions like suspension, etc. The video was filmed AS IT HAPPENED. As in live, not fake news.
Now before I post the video, allow me to say that these were all of the screen shots I collected earlier today. So I think I captured all of the comments, but am not positive because this was one of those posts that people kept saying they couldn’t see comments, although no comments were deleted or hidden, and then they couldn’t see the post, so I got what I could and moved on with life. Facebook does this all of the time, no matter what the topic. Their algorithms are fakakta.
Here is the video which they said was fake:
Yup a video that was even REPORTED ON BY MAINSTREAM MEDIA was fake news. Seriously, what a hoot, right?
After about 50 students staged a walkout Friday to protest having to wear masks, Conestoga High School in Chester County — in the top-rated Tredyffrin/Easttown district — closed its doors Monday after administrators declared it could not operate in-person safely.
In a statement on Sunday, the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District said it was working with police to address “threatening statements directed toward other students, including racist and homophobic slurs and insults” that broke out on social media after the protest…..
On Friday, the band of Conestoga students opposed to masking chanted “USA” and “Freedom!” in the school’s atrium before walking out of school, slamming doors and yelling on their way out of the building, according to the high school’s student newspaper, The Spoke. A father who has been a leading critic of masking in the district said Monday that his son helped organize the demonstration.
The Spoke also reported that “pro-mask and pro-science students” had planned a sit-in for Monday.
By FRAN MAYE | fmaye@dailylocal.com | Daily Local News PUBLISHED: February 15, 2022 at 10:07 a.m.
BERWYN — Conestoga High School returned to in-person education Tuesday after it had briefly switched to virtual learning following threats that were made by some parents over a student masking policy.
Over the weekend, interactions among students on social media devolved to include harmful speech and potential threats to the school, the district stated. The social media threats forced officials at Tredyffrin-Easttown School District to switch to virtual learning, in an abundance of caution. Local police were notified, and following a sweep of the school, no threats were discovered.
“We followed our established threat assessment procedures and at this point, we have resolved any potential threats, and will apply the Code of Conduct as appropriate,” said Dr. Richard Guisick, superintendent of schools. “We are continuing to investigate other matters that have been reported to school officials.”
The school opened Tuesday on a two-hour delay, to provide time for staff to prepare additional support for students as they returned to school. There was an increased police presence at the school Tuesday.
Guisick said school officials will address the student body as a whole during homeroom to review expectations and provide reassurance that support is available. Counselors were on hand to provide support to students with concerns.
“Harmful speech, including racist or homophobic speech, has no place at Conestoga, or anywhere in TESD, and will not be tolerated,” Guisick said in a statement.
On Friday, about 50 students staged a walkout to protest the school’s mask-wearing policy. All students must wear masks in the school, as required by current policy.
Yes I am being repetitive. Some of these disrupters filed a lawsuit against Tredyffrin Easttown School district. Sarah Marvin, Andrew McLellan, Alicia Geerlings and David Goveranti specifically filed a lawsuit against T/E School District in the Pennsylvania Eastern District Court alleging that the mask mandate is unlawful. They hired a big name Philadelphia white shoe law firm, and then put up a bullsh*t Go Fund Me asking people to defray their costs. Sorry not sorry, it was offensive that they did that since every taxpayer was already paying the price for them disrupting meetings taxpayers pay for, and would be paying for the school district to defend themselves, etc.
Anyway, I had posted because now that Sarah Marvin is running for office, her part in the anti-mask debacle is being massaged. What was in the court filings seems different then what is now being put out there, OK? And for someone who runs on a platform of “common sense” and I assume that means fiscal common sense too, well what about the costs to taxpayers she and her anti masking crew amassed between being disruptive at meetings, manpower over so many Right to Know forms, and the anti-mask litigation?
I have the filing in two forms, here is the second one:
I have been watching the campaigns unfold, and the anti-masking stance has indeed been politically massaged to try to make the crazy seem more palatable, more mainstream. To follow is a slide show. One slide is from court summary in first court thing posted, second is Ms. Marvin today/yesterday on the topic, and the third is from her political website.
I chose to show the video of the student walk out because to me it speaks of parents grooming kids to their political objectives, instead of letting kids be kids. In my humble opinion, Sarah Marvin is one of those people. So guess what? I don’t think she would be able to legislate fairly in Harrisburg. She is part of those who have divisive agendas. No thanks. It IS that simple in my mind.
Needless to say I like to oblige political candidates in their quests for personal glory (yes, that is indeed sarcasm), so as per the request of Sarah Marvin who is running for State Rep in the 157th, I put the screenshots up here. Yes really, she said it was OK. See below:
Now I am happy to oblige Ms. Marvin yet I find her perspectives confusing…and again, the company she keeps? See next thing. A real, honest to God, fake news interview.
Here are some other video snippets of things that actually happened. Some kind of gathering with the Man from Oz. Can we say the Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism AKA the MAGAettes (not to be confused with maggots although perhaps related?) It says the location was Berwyn, was this actually filmed in a public school somewhere?
Below are some additional thoughts on candidates for State Rep in Chester County Gail Newman and Sarah Marvin .These little reels are elsewhere on social media as well. Neither woman is equipped to equally represent any Pennsylvanian intelligently.
I am not sure I have anything else for you. We will get who we vote for, so no time for voter apathy this November. Send these people packing, and we will need to keep sending these people packing every election until they stop.
Donald Trump is working to have ANOTHER January 6, 2021. Why? Because he is a malignant narcissist who wants to rule us like an oligargh of evil. These candidates who suck up to him or adopt his brand in any way, shape or form? Not for us. Mastriano, Ciarrocchi, Sarah Marvin, and Gail Newman are all a BIG NO. We are designed as a democracy with a two party system. Two parties which require BALANCE. We have a lack of balance and need to get away from extremism in politics. We need moderates back. On both sides of the aisle. None of these candidates are actual moderates. Check out the Lincoln Project if you don’t believe me.
Let’s all focus on pink fuzzy bunnies like Facebook actually wants. Thanks for stopping by to my little den of iniquity.
Today started about a TikTok I shared. Above is an image from it. So this woman contacts me at 6:50 AM. Here was the opening salvo:
My 6:50 AM pen pal. Conestoga mom
Let us start with 6:50 AM. Who contacts anyone at 6:50 AM unless it is an emergency and you were calling family or 911?
Homophobic image of minors.
What?
Homophoblic and misleading?
What?
Blames me for photo.
I did not take the photo.
It was in an article I did not write covering mask wars at Conestoga months ago. I guess everyone who writes looks alike or something, but really? Oh no wait…you have to blame me, it’s me. I think you can’t get into your Facebook groups of choice unless you hate me, right?
So there was this back and forth with this woman, accusing me of something I did not do….over a photo I did not take in the first place. It took one of my readers to tell me where I had seen the photo used before it appeared in the TikTok thing. It looked familiar, sure, but I didn’t take it. I wasn’t at any of those meetings. As a matter of fact, I have never been on the property of Conestoga High School or the Middle School that hosted that summer meeting – Valley Forge maybe?
Yes, even when I was in high school, I was never, ever on a campus of a school in the Tredyffrin Easttown School District. I went to a couple of events at Radnor (there used to be this wrestling tournament over Christmas vacation that back then friends of mine wrestled in and another thing may have been a play), I went to something at Harriton (a soccer game maybe and that was where we went for SATs), and I took summer school math at Lower Merion High School the summer I was transitioning to Shipley because the math wasn’t enough coming out of Welsh Valley and I had to take an extra class. As a matter of fact one of my former Welsh Valley classmates who was transitioning to Baldwin was in the same class.
This was the Tik Tok I shared that upset her, but hey why go to TikTok when you can blame me, right?
The student Tik Tok.
You will notice I have chosen not to identify this woman. as of now. She contacted this blog in an unsolicited manner, so I could if I wanted to. Just like I have all of the screenshots with her name, only I am choosing to share just one at this point. Without showing her name. She tells me among other things “I know you have posted the original photo because that’s on your blog.”
Wuuuut? No it was onSavvy. It is actually a photo owned by that author’s company. They made no secret of taking photos and covering that whole debacle and MANY others were taking photos that day, except for me, because I wasn’t actually there.
Then I shared these stills because I just didn’t get why I was to blame:
Here is a screen grab FYI of the OTHER TikTok:
The Conestoga alum Tik Tok (don’t know him)
So one thing I also did ask this mom accusing me of being homophobic etc. this morning if she knew why the gentleman heard in the audio recording taken at Conestoga in the OTHER widely circulating TikTok was even in a practice room or locker room or wherever not public space it was that he was addressing these kids in? Was he a coach or a parent volunteer helping the coach? Did he have permission of all of the parents and the school to speak to these kids in such a manner? Were kids given the opportunity to leave who may have felt uncomfortable? I mean why would there be a recording if not as a cry for help for adults to remember they were kids there not little soldier bots?
She chose not to answer the questions about that. Of course if she does know something or if any parent knows something about this or any of the other crap going on at Conestoga, they should tell the school, do the right thing. However, it appears the school district is NOT happy about that and they issued a release or incident report they called it:
We have become aware that on February 11 a parent of a member of the wrestling team entered the boys’ locker room after school without any authorization by or the knowledge of the wrestling coaches or any school administrator. This parent then delivered a speech to the team members to discourage mask wearing in schools. The District is banning this parent from being on any District property and has reported the incident to the police.
As always the safety and security of our students is paramount. Entering the locker rooms by anyone other than authorized students or staff is prohibited. We have enhanced security in this area and have reinforced appropriate procedures with all coaches.
~ TESD 2/15/2022
Now I said to this woman and this morning to my readers on my Facebook page that I felt the kid with the TikTok blip of a video with the photo shop was reacting to the crap that students have been putting up with at Conestoga. To me it screamed a kid taking back their power and/or a cry for help that it’s gotten THAT untenable. Adults tell me the atmosphere at Conestoga is bad. I have to wonder aloud can’t you see where kids who are just tired of this crap and want normal school days for once, might wish to express themselves?
The anti-masking often anti-vaxxing parents are also among those who want to ban books, expecially books which speak to teens exploring their sexuality, etc. So I went back to that TikTok video and read some comments:
So to ME, not knowing the players but reading this is YES a kid taking back his power but it’s not him who did photoshop? Ok, so once again, NOT me. Should the kid who photoshopped taken the photo from Savvy? Maybe not, but totally get their frustration with all the craziness. But it is easier to attack me with everything, like take today’s love note:
These comments come in every day from these people. Yesterday I was snobby and elitist. A few days before that I was a dirty liberal and a community. Today I am the hunchback of Notre Dame, miserable and nasty. Also ridiculous, fat, and nasty and “everybody hates me” , and I can’t write. And people wonder why I think the Stepford Wives for Totalitarianism and their ilk are pretty much just basic, bullying bitches? (Semi rhetorical and the answer is because they are.)
➜ ➜➜➜➜ And they wonder where kids learn about bullying and then they complain about that too don’t they?
And these people? They crave attention, they want the spotlight, only when it happens and it isn’t what they want exactly, then what? Quick answer: always nasty.
When the Conestoga walk-out was happening, the self-righteous “conservatives” publicized it all over including here:
Ok sure you hear about these things quickly if you have friends with kids in a district, but you also hear because these people tell everyone. They post public photos and videos. They belong to extra special groups that have more leaks than the Titanic.
And let’s touch on last night’s media coverage of the Conestoga virtual day due to threats:
I will say it again, that no kid should be threatened or harassed the way the CBS3 report indicates. But the kid interviewed by CBS 3 who purportedly led the walk out? Should he have been attacked?NO and NONE of these kids should be attacked.
Kids shouldn’t be bullied, period.
My sources tell me Conestoga High School is in crisis. From what we see that is leaked out via media, it is a school in crisis. And it is but one of many schools experiencing this. Downingtown district, Great Valley, Radnor (and Radnor even has lawn signs.) Radnor has like three Facebook groups now: Reimagine Radnor, Unmask Radnor, and Radnor Parents Union.
When does the madness stop? When do those who have been driving this train off a cliff take responsibility for their actions?
Every day, it is something new with these people. It’s old, we’re all tired. Your rights do not supersede the rest of the population. You all don’t like me? That’s on you. You do not get to tell me how I should think.
These alt groups? THEY created this. THEY groomed your kids to do the craziness at Conestoga. THEY are grooming kids in other districts. THEY want attention but if they can’t control the narrative with their skewed and limited world view, THEY freak out. THEY project – everyone else is mean, racist, homophobic, and so on and so forth. I realize people like this are as old as time itself, but wow it was nice not knowing they existed in the days that were pre-internet. And they could also just behave differently. But they act self-important, overly entitled skitzoid tornadoes. Take the meeting from January where these people were even rude to kids speaking.
I think all adults and the students deserve better. In all of these schools. I completely expect that as soon as I hit publish, more of you will come at me with your basic, bullying drivel. You put things out into the public, and you don’t like anyone who doesn’t agree with you. You call people fascists and communists and it’s actually hysterical because you all should check yourselves: you are the ones behaving as such. You spout big thoughts like civil rights, freedom, patriotism. You seem to fail to understand the people who suffered an died so you could have the freedom to behave like jackasses. No one can educate you, because you are never wrong. That’s on you.
But you don’t get to tell the rest of us how to think, nor do you have the right to try to make us capitulate to your will. That is actual freedom. Not hunting those who disagree with you like big game.
Public education has limits, but people like you limit it more.
I will close with a little something from the Conestoga student paper. A screenshot from their Instagram. I am sure these kids are taking heat too. I would say “just stop” but you can’t, can you? If it isn’t masks, it will be something else. But enough already. Your ilk is turning all of our communities into three ring circuses and nothing gets done. And the greatest of bitter ironies is you are actually hurting the kids you claim you are protecting.
I do not understand this woman. She started off almost a month ago by posting a 10 year old photo of me that I don’t even know where it came from it’s so old right as breast cancer awareness month was beginning. Again why that is important is she posted a photo of me in a hospital gown either right before my breast cancer surgery or right before I start a treatment after surgery. Nice lady, right?
And yes I wrote about it.
She has made herself a public figure by making herself a public spectacle. She flips out in public meetings, she has this crazy litigation against a school district, she gets quoted by the media. And then she posts all these things publicly hence the little globe on Facebook so I don’t know why she thinks no one‘s going to comment.
So I don’t know what happened to this darling woman today, but she’s kind of delaminating, isn’t she?
She posted this thing about me which obviously I don’t see because I block her everywhere but people sent me screenshots. Then I hear this screenshot was taken down or made private. Of course one of the things that comes to mind is is this like a bad blonde joke that all brunettes look like? The woman in her screenshot above isn’t me. I’m a cancer survivor, I don’t smoke. Most importantly I literally have not been to a public meeting in person since COVID-19 hit.
It’s kind of like in the category of whatever it’s just so crazy. I don’t even smoke so who is the picture of at or outside some meeting? And she’s stalking my gardening group? Why? Gardening is a happy thing, so why on earth would that interest her? She’s not even a member.
Submitted video
On one level you have to feel sorry for someone so miserable. Then you have to wonder what it’s like living with her?
Her behavior is absurd. She calls me now useful idiot and more idiot and less useful. It’s just astounding how she goes off. Makes you wonder if you are safe around someone like her even in a public place doesn’t it? Not being a drama queen she’s a very angry person or that’s the persona she gives off isn’t it?
Here are some of what’s been sent to me. The last screenshot is something she flipped out about. I do not know the lady in question.
Alicia, Alicia, Alicia are you still moving to the Netherlands, or did they close the borders to you? Can you do yoga or meditate? Tranquilizers? Do you just need attention good, bad, or indifferent? The funny thing is because I had blocked you, I had kind of forgotten you existed.
I think the only thing I can say at this point is kiss kiss, Alicia 💋
I am starting this post with humor. Why? Because by the END of this post, you will appreciate a little humor.
Saturday Night Live had a skit recently on what school board meetings have become from coast to coast.
Why?
Because from coast to coast, people have just plain lost their damn minds.
I have written about the school board meetings here. I have written about the anti-masker, anti-vaxxer protests. I have written about the QAnon school board candidates…and the anti-masker, anti-vaxxer candidates.
Now it occurred to me with posting the cartoons and Saturday Night Live skit and cartoons that this is what I find unacceptable. Ummm, no, and nice try. I find the election season bull sheit unacceptable.
“For the last month, we’ve been trying to decipher the new forces in play in local school board races.
It hasn’t been easy.
We sought answers from four new groups: Reimagine Radnor PAC, Back to School PA PAC, Pioneer PAC and Neighbors United PA. In an age when campaigns clamor for “transparency,” our questions were straightforward: Who are you? Do you have ties to statewide or national groups? How are you funded? What is your purpose?
At the same time, we reached out repeatedly to Conservative Women of the Main Line (CWML), a one-year-old PAC with T/E roots that hosts monthly speakers for paid members.
CWML’s September speaker was high-profile Stop the Steal activist Scott Presler, who’s been traveling the country helping the GOP “take back the school boards.” A lightning rod for progressives, Presler has been blasted for his work supporting the anti-Muslim group, Act! for America, and for calling the January 6 insurrection “the largest civil rights protest in American history.”….For weeks, we didn’t know if we’d even run a story. We were simply gathering information to see if there was a story worth reporting.
And then a few days ago, we received this from an encrypted – and therefore, untraceable – IP address. A pre-emptive strike to scare us off the story? You decide. Here it is, copy-pasted, unedited and word-for-word:
Now before I get to THAT, let’s talk about the other part of this article:
About that photo with far right activist Scott Presler:
Tredyffrin Republicans Chair Raffi Terzian and CWML President/Tredyffrin Republicans Vice Chair Rosanna Hagg ignored our repeated questions. We tried three times.
We did, however, hear back from T/E’s best-funded school board candidate, Deana Wang, who was also pictured with Presler. Wang said she was “not aware of any of those events associated with Scott Presler” and attended the CWML event “to meet more voters.”
When we asked in a follow-up email if she regretted posing with Presler, Wang suggested that Presler may have been mistreated by the press. “We should stop basing all our opinions about a person … based on what the media publishes,” she said.
We also took the opportunity to ask about her funding. Wang had already amassed $16,000 in the spring and who-knows-how-much since then – huge dollars for a school board candidate. Hence, her omnipresent yard signs and polished mailers.
Deana, Deana, Deana…if you expect us to believe that you knew NOTHING about this long haired conservative Jesus, is the Tooth Fairy your running mate? If you actually for reals know nothing, you are a dangerous candidate for your ignorance alone, but my take? You all in that dumb photo thought you would enjoy 15 minutes of Internet fame, so honey how is that working out for you?
These people are exhausting. PACs popping up faster that dandelions in June.
So now this journalist is getting nasty comments threatening her publication?
This is unacceptable. I will note that I have had comments come in from protonmail as well. The latest one was from someone who didn’t like me mocking the anti-masker anti-vaxxer protest I saw on 100 in Exton in front of the mall.
These people told the writer to stick to writing about Kentucky Derby Hats and her writing was poor and she was political, etc. etc.
Really Trolls? She’s a great and seasoned writer, is polite and respectful to those she writes about and interviews, and then you threaten her site and advertisers?
And her writing isn’t remotely political – she is covering local stories and hey now y’all do your crap for attention, right? And then you complain when you get attention and threaten? Nice. Pretzel logic. Awesomesauce.
These are total troll moves, what many of you attempt with me a blogger quite often. It’s not acceptable with me either, which is why some comments over the past few months have actually been reviewed by police in more than one jurisdiction, and PS they came to me after they read them. I actually didn’t go to them.
The first amendment entitles me to my opinions and Savvy to their local reporting of whatever THEY choose to cover. It’s not Pravda on this bus, Comrades.
This is why no matter where you are in Southeastern Pennsylvania whether it’s on the Main Line or in Chester County you need to send these school board candidates that these threateners, meeting disrupters, and harassers are backing… packing.
I will also note that although Caroline O’Halloran has always written about fashion and style (she had an awesome section once upon a time when Main Line Media News/Main Line Times was still a real newspaper, as opposed to the hedge-fund eviscerated shell), that is not all she has ever done. And for what it is worth, she has never written about Kentucky Derby Hats BUT she has been a guest judge at Devon Horse Show’s Ladies Hat Day. THAT makes me laugh because I am sure many of those broads in Conservative Women of the Main Line have paraded in front of her and other judges like tarted-up Thanksgiving turkeys and well the humor in the hypocrisy of it all much?
Keep exposing the nasty comments, Caroline. Bullies breed in the darkness. Bring them into the light. You keep doing you, it’s why we think you are wonderful, no matter what our political persuasion. With the distinct lack of local news reporting, you keep us in the know, accurately and fairly. You share all sorts of things with us of all topics, and we thank you.
For more on the crazy that is West Chester Area School District candidates please visit HERE. And HERE.
There are all sorts of pages and blogs cropping up which seem to be targeting West Chester and Downingtown. Can’t keep up with them, don’t want to it’s like the fake news express with a few thees and thous thrown in and potential “a-ha” moments that are more accurately “D’oh we already knew that so what?”
In the Great Valley School District the “Republican” candidates are as scary as their counterparts in Downingtown School District and West Chester Area School District. Here is their latest propaganda (their mistakes included):
I like fiction, don’t you? So is Lauren Dicranian able to legally drink yet? You have to laugh at the home printed literature that is being distributed by the 2 Region 1 candidates- ZERO attempt to look professional by having a real flyer. A bunch of nonsense put together on lunch break or something, with typos…By the way…The survey mentioned has been around for years and it is not mandatory, it’s an easy opt out; students also have the option to skip questions they don’t want answered.
Now onto the other “unacceptable” because the Great Valley School District loving hands at home literature isn’t unacceptable, merely pathetic. West Chester Area School District’s triplets of crazy (Whomsley, Nestor, Edgarian) are also ridiculously predictable in their onbviousness. Everyone knows they are generally unacceptable, but we go next to Downingtown.
Yes that sign is popping up all over the Downingtown Area School District.
This is the crappiest campaign stunt yet from the lunatics in Downingtown. These women referred to (Rebecca Britton and LeeAnn Wisdom) also happen to be friends of mine. They are among the nicest, most genuine, thoughtful women I know.
I stand with them, and condemn the bull sheit being hurled and spewed at them. No one is claiming production of these signs and a lot of them are appearing where not invited, so I am guessing a lot are disappearing, as well they should. One little child of one of these candidates keeps asking their mommy why these people say these things? How do you explain to an innocent child that there are just people as mean as snakes? Oh wait, I just did.
But these signs? Unacceptable.
Folks this is all I have got on this topic. At least for now. Send the nutters packing on election day. Our democracy and public school system depend upon it.
Peace, love, and candy corn (it is almost Halloween, after all.)
Oy vey, my dear, this isn’t very Christian of you now, is it?
There is a massive difference between opinion and slander.
I offered opinion, not slander, based on things publicly out there, that YOU put out there including but not limited to flipping out at public meetings, things in the media, and the judge’s public opinion last week on your law suit with the others where YOU are named plaintiff, correct? (Please note the phrase “flipping out” is opinion, a descriptive opinion.)
If your lawyer wants to play with my lawyer, I can’t stop you from pursuing that but remember YOU took a photo of me, that I am not quite sure how you obtained (maybe it was public, maybe it wasn’t) of me in a hospital gown taken a decade ago as I was either preparing for breast cancer surgery (partial mastectomy), or after the surgery as I was getting ready for (back then) several weeks of intense radiation treatment.
You posted this photo as #Pinktober or #BreastCancerAwareness month was beginning. To an extent, life is about optics. Those, in my opinion, are not productive, positive optics for you, especially as a woman.
I did not create your issues, I expressed my opinions along with lots of others over what you have put out there in #MaskGate . I will ask people to pray for you. God’s Grace is always a good thing to discover.
Ok so we know about school board meeting disrupters, right? Anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, cuss at the board at public meetings, but the board makes them feel like children nevermind children behave better than they do? Protesting that their kids have to wear masks yet as is the case with a lot of these folks, is it about the kids, or them?
So a few weeks ago, these disrupters filed a lawsuit against Tredyffrin Easttown School district. Sarah Marvin, Andrew McLellan, Alicia Geerlings and David Goveranti specifically filed a lawsuit against T/E School District in the Pennsylvania Eastern District Court alleging that the mask mandate is unlawful. They hired a big name Philadelphia white shoe law firm, and then put up a bullsh*t Go Fund Me asking people to defray their costs. Sorry not sorry, it was offensive that they did that since every taxpayer was already paying the price for them disrupting meetings taxpayers pay for, and would be paying for the school district to defend themselves, etc. And are these destitute people?
Anyway….anyway….let’s start with this delightful snippit from last evening’s TESD school board meeting:
About Last Night. It was delightful watching them tell that “gentleman” (I use that term loosely) to essentially sit down and shut up. I laughed out loud when I first saw the video snippit.
Now that is not the best thing about this. The aggrieved snowflakes have been DENIED by the judge:
CONCLUSION: “Because Plaintiffs have not shown that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims, Plaintiffs are not entitled to the extraordinary remedy of a preliminary injunction. I will therefore deny Plaintiffs’ motion. An appropriate order follows.
~ Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg 9/27/2021
And here, someone was so kind to send me the filing:
Last night was more of the same: pro-mask, anti-mask, with the anti-maskers spitting, sputtering, screaming, and cursing. Makes me think of the Crosby Stills, Nash, & Young song “Teach Your Children” every time. But what are these people teaching? What is their message?
Anyway, last night was tame, at least outside. But inside? Flip out city.
Flip Out 1:
Now one thing gave people pause. Check out this screen shot someone posted and asked if this was the same person:
Who is this person and where do they actually live?
Is this also the guy outside Valley Forge Middle School cussing out a handful of high school students calling them “Soyboys” and more offensive things? Is this the SAME person???
So here, check this out:
Another perspective:
A snippet from the Great Valley School District School Board UNsanctioned meeting:
So yeah, the sound is not great. People were recording in large rooms off of their phones. But if you turn up the volume, you can hear.
But it’s odd, isn’t it? People who say they live in one school district who appear to have twins or doppelgängers in other school districts? Coincidence or a road show? And what of these people who don’t live in school districts showing up everywhere? Who is organizing them and to what end? Is a political party paying for this? It sure is troubling.
Iwill note that law enforcement agencies are following these events.
Storm clouds have arrived again on all of our horizons.
What is this world today in which we live? I actually ask myself that question because in spite of my friends and family, the world outside is ugly and out of control so much of the time.
At the bottom of this post is the UN-school board meeting in Great Valley from last evening. It was not the scheduled meeting of the Great Valley School District, these people stormed the meeting, disinformation in hand, were nasty and angry and took over a meeting of a large school board. The recording missed a lot of the angry and pejorative comments, and some even wrote to me how this was just a “community discussion.” Oh hell to the no. No business of the Great Valley School Board was conducted, just air time for the ill informed.
Among the ill informed, nurses. That blows my mind. One of the ill informed nurses is a Republican candidate for Great Valley School District, Sallie Campbell. She read a Psalm (Psalm 27) at a public school meeting. Separation of church and state much? She also tried to use that phrase “color blind”, and if she really understood what racism was, she wouldn’t use that phrase, would she? (See 1:12:36) She is a complete nut. She also doesn’t seem to understand she is running for political office and people can indeed comment on her demeanor as a candidate. She is mock worthy to a level that Saturday Night Live could make a skit about her.
Unionville Chaddsford School District also apparently had a similarly disruptive school board meeting. Other people elsewhere are reporting similar behavior at school board meetings everywhere. West Chester Area School District is also having issues.
This behavior is not acceptable and these adults are not misbehaving on behalf of the welfare of the children. This is all about them.
What happened last night was completely abhorrent and unacceptable. Given the angry and disrespectful people except I wondered why theycould not have had some of those people removed for being disruptive at a public meeting?
The behavior, expletives, and pejorative comments directed at the school board were a bit much (“pussies” “little bitches” whatever all grossly inappropriate.) As were the comments directed at those attending from the public who were wearing masks, some of whom were friends of mine. Some yelled at these people saying they were “retarded” (yes that word was used) and were wearing “face diapers”. Also other comments that had unpleasant racist connotations. None of that is OK.
I am not naïve and I have seen many a heated school board meeting but none where in essence people operating with disinformation in hand exhibiting mob mentality literally took over a school board meeting and had a non-sanctioned meeting. Some described it as a “community conversation” or other such drivel. It was not. And it prevented the business of a large school district from progressing. As a taxpayer, I object to that. If they want to have a “community conversation” they can go rent a hall or meeting space.
Do I like wearing a mask? Honestly no, but it is a small inconvenience in the bigger picture.
And the bigger picture is simple: if we suffer from large enough COVID resurgences, the reality is we go back to lock-down, and kids are deprived of the normalcy of everyday school they were deprived of in 2020.
The ugliness in this country as a whole right now again, is staggering. The behavior of some, simply appalling. Its like social mores no longer exist. I realized that even after lockdowns lifted I personally started going out less and less because I don’t wish to deal with the anger and vitriol that permeates everyday life. And I have to ask, how do our kids view all of this?
Today I feel world weary. And sad. And I am not a depressant. It’s watching how human beings are treating each other. I mean I am a realist and don’t expect world peace by the end of the summer, but I really wish for less ugliness in our communities. Next week the anti maskers anti vaxxers are taking their road show to a Tredyffrin Eattown School Board meeting and is any of this about the kids or just the egos of the parents?
And I am tired, so tired of the politics of political bullshit. Yes I cursed, but it is beyond ridiculous. I realized the other day I never hear anymore from some I used to speak with quite frequently. And I think it is because politically we have moved apart, and I am not exactly super liberal. But I don’t subscribe to the cult of fake news and 45 was Jesus with a bad rug. And it breaks my heart that intelligent people literally take fake news as the Gospel. (And I have to ask is it wrong to feel slightly gleeful that nasty Texas Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for COVID? Asking for a friend.)
At 57 I find myself yearning for simpler days, or maybe some of the innocence of childhood where we didn’t notice the ugliness of the overall world permeating our day to day existence. But I guess that isn’t possible and I will just keep on keeping on… and gardening. Yes gardening. It’s a happy thing devoid of craziness except what is found in nature.
Yes I know we can only control our own behavior, but it is hard to swallow some days how the behavior of others affects us. Common sense and most aspects of a sense of decorum no longer exists at all.
Be safe and be peaceful out there. And garden more.
