From: Daniel Newberger
To: Julie E. Schruefer; Leslie M. Brickner
Subject: [External] Question about a flier that came home today
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2019 9:32:56 PM
Attachments: Flier from PRES, Nov 19, 2019.pdf
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Good evening, I hope all is well with you both!
I had a question about a flier
It’s from Glen Mar Church, advertising a Christmas event (attached below). There’s
a “not endorsed by HCPSS or the school” disclaimer at the bottom but it still struck me as
really odd for a religious event at a religious institution to be distributed through the public
school. Can you share if this is standard practice? Are there guidelines for vetting materials
that go home with the kids? I‘m not shocked or offended or anything like that, but it does
seem a little strange/inappropriate.
Thanks!
Dan Newberger
From: Daniel Newberger
To: Julie E. Schruefer
Cc: Laura ICE Newberger; Leslie M. Brickner
Subject: Re: [External] Request
Date: Friday, November 15, 2019 12:46:57 PM
Thank you so much for your principled stance! As always we are so glad at your
school. Have a great weekend!
On Fri, Nov 15, 2019 at 8:59 AM Julie E. Schruefer <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello. Thank you for writing us directly and sharing your thoughts. Here is what I just sent a
few families from PointersUnited that reached out to me:
I know this process has been very difficult for many of our families and community
members. As you know, our PTA determined from the start of the school year that they
were not taking a stand since in all scenarios members of our community would be
impacted. They determined to remain neutral.
Administrators are also not to take a stand and need to remain neutral as we are proud
employees to serve our entire county. I am not able to attend work sessions, public forums
about redistricting, or be involved. Even if the PTA held a meeting (still determining not to
take a stance), the administration would not be in attendance. I do not want any family to
feel I am not supporting them but I also must do what is asked of me as the proud principal
of PRES. We teach and welcome every child that enters our doors and it would not be right
to take a stance for one over another. I will be sad to see any of our families and students
leave PRES.
I can not speak to what other schools have done or why a board member came to one
school vs. another. I do know that Cara Mahoney did reach out to Kirsten Coombs for our
community to see what possibilities are available. I have been following the redistricting
plan and have heard many of our families and students testimonies. I also reached out to
my community superintendent to share how our community is feeling. Thank you for
reaching out to me. Have a good day. Julie Schruefer
Thank you-Julie Schruefer
Julie Moraz Schruefer
Principal
Pointers Run Elementary School
6600 S. Trotter Road
Clarksville, MD 21029
Harmony~Responsibility~Positivity~Consistency~Woo
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From: Daniel Newberger <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2019 12:37 AM
To: Julie E. Schruefer <[email protected]
>; Leslie M. Brickner
>
Cc: Laura ICE Newberger <[email protected]
>
Subject: [External] Request
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Hi Julie,
I’ve heard that the Pointers United group has asked you to set up a meeting with Kirsten
Coombs. We really hope that you don’t agree to do that.
Laura and I have been very passionate supporters of the superintendent’s plan to use
redistricting to address the educational inequities in the county. We strongly believe that
redistricting is a powerful tool to help economically disadvantaged children. While we both
love PRES and would be so sad to have to leave this wonderful school, if our polygons
moving will help improve the inequity problem, then we are in favor of the move. Maybe
it’s because we both are products of diverse public schools growing up, but we just don’t
think that moving to Swansfield as opposed to Clarksville will be in any way a negative
outcome for
I know the P.U. group is citing the Clemens Crossing meeting with Jen Mallo as precedent
for you asking for Kirsten to meet with them, but they are very different situations. The CC
polygons only came into play with the BOE very late in the game, so their community didn’t
have a chance to publicly testify to the board. Our situation is the opposite—the Pointers
Run polygons move to Swansfield was part of the original superintendent’s plan, and
hundreds of us in the neighborhood took advantage of the opportunity to speak to the Board,
in person at the public hearings and in writing. There is no reason for them to meet with
Kirsten, other than to try and pressure her to move the Pointers Run polygons to Clarksville
in accordance with their desired outcome.
We are so disappointed that the P.U. group has put you in this position. They have asked
you, in effect, to support their efforts to lobby the board for their desired redistricting
outcome by arranging for this meeting with Kirsten. This is a really unreasonable and, I
think, unethical thing for them to have done, since everyone is aware that HCPSS personnel
need to stay neutral in the redistricting fray.
We hope that you will not agree to arrange for this meeting.
Warm regards,
Dan & Laura Newberger
From: Daniel Newberger
To: PRESPTA Committee
Subject: [External] Fwd: Request for PTA to ask Kirsten Coombs to meet with PRES community regarding redistricting.
Date: Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:30:48 PM
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Thanks for your input, Matt.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Matthew Levine <
>
Date: Thu, Nov 14, 2019 at 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: Request for PTA to ask Kirsten Coombs to meet with PRES community regarding redistricting.
To: Daniel Newberger <[email protected]
>
Why don’t u just send your kids 30 min in a bus we don’t all need to cause you want to.
On Nov 14, 2019, at 8:06 PM, Daniel Newberger <daniel [email protected]
> wrote:
I strongly disagree with this. The PTA should continue to maintain an impartial stance in regards to
redistricting.
On Thu, Nov 14, 2019 at 7:53 PM Amy Bree Becker <[email protected]
> wrote:
As a Co-Chair of the Literacy Committee and someone impacted by these moves, I support Syma's request in full and
would ask that the PTA ask for a meeting with Ms. Coombs our cluster representative.
I'm sharing with the full Board group
Amy Becker
Dear PTA Board Members:
As you are likely already aware, the BOE voted this afternoon to move our four polygons in the Pointers United group
from PRES to Swansfield Elementary.
We are shocked and extremely disappointed by the BOE's action.
We need the PRES PTA's support in reaching out to BOE members asking them to rescind their vote. We have
only ONE WEEK until this action will be final.
We understand that the Clemens Crossing PTA was able to successfully meet with Jen Mallo, which prompted Ms.
Mallo to propose that our polygons be moved.
We are hopeful that our PTA will opt to support parents who currently
send their children to PRES.
Please advise if you can help us in approaching the BOE. And please pardon any and all
typos - sent from the BOE work session.
Thank you,
Syma Siddiqui
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From: Daniel Newberger
Cc: PRESPTA Committee
Subject: [External] Re: Request for PTA to ask Kirsten Coombs to meet with PRES community regarding redistricting.
Date: Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:28:06 PM
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Hi Amy,
Your email said you fully support Smya’s request, which stated “We need the PRES PTA
support in reaching out to BOE members asking them to rescind their vote.” I read that as
asking the PTA to take a stance, which I do not think we should do. The Clemens Crossing
situation seems different; their polygons were not in play until late so they didn’t have the
opportunity to provide oral testimony to the Board, as opposed to our polygons where we have
had sufficient opportunity to be heard.
On Thu, Nov 14, 2019 at 9:10 PM Amy Bree Becker <[email protected]> wrote:
I am simply asking that the PTA request a meeting with our cluster rep, Kirsten Coombs. I
was not asking for the PTA to take a stance. That was pretty clear.
On Thu, Nov 14, 2019 at 9:06 PM Daniel Newberger <[email protected]>
wrote:
I strongly disagree with this. The PTA should continue to maintain an impartial stance in
regards to redistricting.
On Thu, Nov 14, 2019 at 7:53 PM Amy Bree Becker <[email protected]>
wrote:
As a Co-Chair of the Literacy Committee and someone impacted by these moves, I support Syma's request
in full and would ask that the PTA ask for a meeting with Ms. Coombs our cluster representative.
I'm sharing with the full Board group
Amy Becker
Dear PTA Board Members:
As you are likely already aware, the BOE voted this afternoon to move our four polygons in the Pointers
United group from PRES to Swansfield Elementary. We are shocked and extremely disappointed by the
BOE's action.
We need the PRES PTA's support in reaching out to BOE members asking them to rescind their vote.
We have only ONE WEEK until this action will be final.
We understand that the Clemens Crossing PTA was able to successfully meet with Jen Mallo, which
prompted Ms. Mallo to propose that our polygons be moved.
We are hopeful that our PTA will opt to
support parents who currently send their children to PRES. Please advise if you can help us in approaching
the BOE. And please pardon any and all typos - sent from the BOE work session.
Thank you,
Syma Siddiqui
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Professional Web Site: http://www.amybreebecker.com
Twitter: @amybree
The Book: Political Humor in a Changing Media Landscape
From: Daniel Newberger
To: Hcpss Redistricting
Subject: [External] Written testimony
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 9:54:30 PM
Attachments: Redistricting testimony, Newberger.pdf
Please see the attached written testimony.
Warm regards,
Daniel Newberger,
