It’s time to lead with people.
Early in the 2000s at a meeting of some of America’s wealthiest philanthropists, I was standing by a window in a meeting room at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. At the front of the room were several very wealthy, well-intentioned individuals talking about how philanthropy could address poverty in America.
Each brought a particular political point-of-view, an unsettling level of confidence in their approaches, and a wealth of anecdotal evidence that supported their political orientation. What none appeared to bring was a first-hand experience of poverty — either lived, or experienced — nor a willingness to engage directly with the poor.
About halfway through the conversation, one of the conference participants came and sat next to me. We quietly exchanged pleasantries, and he then said — and I’m paraphrasing here — “If these people really wanted to fix poverty, they could. Just move into an impoverished area. They’d never accept anything about living there.”
What this individual was calling out was the difference between leading with politics and leading with people.
When we lead with politics, we lead with solutions molded to a particular political philosophy. When we lead with people, we open ourselves to a range of ugly realities and transformative solutions that politics doesn’t allow.
In Spotsylvania, leading with politics has failed everyone involved.
Good on Judge Gene Woolard for stating it plain.
‘The Only Thing Important Is the Child’
In what we hope proves to be the denouement of a years’ long cycle of lawsuits, countersuits, and spending on attorneys, Judge Woolard, a visiting General District Court judge from Virginia Beach, this morning dismissed the lawsuit brought by Lisa Phelps against Nicole Cole for misdemeanor assault and battery.
Anyone who has watched School Board meetings — at least, as much of such meetings as they’re able to stomach — would not be surprised to know that, as Adele Uphaus reported today, Judge Woolard castigated both parties for constantly trying to justify one point or another with some reference to a backstory of conflict.
His concern was only the facts from the events of May 20, 2024, alone. And based on those, Judge Woolard found no grounds for the case to move forward.
What he was sure of, however, is that this Board is not doing the work it has been charged to do.
“Clearly and unfortunately,” Judge Woolard said, “it appears there is a lot of hostility among School Board members. This case reminds me of things I tell couples [during divorce proceedings]—the only thing that is important is the child. This is kind of the same situation. The only thing that should be important to the School Board is the education of children.”
We should all take heed of this outsider’s perspective. The School Board isn’t working, and that needs to change right now.
‘Just Fix the Damn Road’
To change it, we must replace politics with people. And that means listening to all parties involved, working to solve problems, and putting self at the bottom of the proverbial barrel.
As my close friend and political sparring partner Scott Mayausky, who serves as commissioner of the revenue for Stafford County, likes to say — “There’s no Democratic or Republican way to fix a road. You just fix the damn road.”
Schools aren’t as simple as road repair, but what they share in common is that partisan politics will fix neither.
It’s time for this School Board to focus laser-like on the district’s problems. And the problems in Spotsylvania are legion.
- Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors has for a decade severely underfunded the schools. Moreover, it continues to underfund schools and, in so doing, is undermining a school system that until relatively recently had been seen as one that was annually getting better.
- Teachers, for a variety of reasons ranging from pay to working environment, have been leaving the school system in droves. Skilled teachers are not plug-and-play. It will take years for the county to regain the instructional caliber that has been lost.
- Demographic patterns are shifting radically, and that means necessary shifts in the way schools meet children’s needs and help elevate them to brighter futures.
- Physical plants are in decay. It’s going to take money, and a concerted effort, to fix our aging infrastructure.
- Hunger and homelessness are increasing areas of concern that must be addressed. Organizations like Loisann’s Hope House, and parents gathering to provide snacks, are critical to meeting this need. But they’re one piece of a more-complex puzzle.
These are real problems that people from across the political spectrum both agree on and can find ways to address them.
Enough politics. Enough pointing to the past. And enough with the lawsuits.
This county has serious work to do. And the way to do it is not to lean into politics.
This Board — all of them — must lean into students and the teachers charged with teaching them.
To that end, the Advance is issuing a challenge to this Board. With a new superintendent coming aboard, we invite this Board to spell out clearly for this community its vision for how they plan to solve the problems before the school system by leading with people.
The Advance will gladly print this vision for our readers. We have just one stipulation. The vision must be signed by all seven members.
It’s time to put the past — as well as its lawsuits and blame games and bickering — aside and get to work.
The education of 20,000-plus children depends on you.
Thank you Judge Woolard for reminding us of that today.
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