Baird Tops Espenoza in School Contest
by KRISTEN ARMSTRONG and BRIAN TROMPETER, Staff Writers
Tuesday, November 7, 2006

A year ago, Sally Baird was an unknown to the local political establishment.

On Nov. 7, she won an easy victory, if not a landslide, to succeed Mary Hynes on the School Board.

Baird, running with the support of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, defeated independent Cecelia Espenoza by a margin of 60 percent to 39 percent. Baird won 35,677 votes to Espenoza’s 23,001 votes (not including absentee ballots, which had not been reported by the Sun Gazette’s deadline).

“It’s an incredible testament to a great campaign team and grass-roots effort,” Baird said. “I had a lot of people working together all over the county. I’m just excited to get to work to make decisions for the future of all our kids.”

To win a spot in the general election, Baird earlier this year defeated Sharon Davis in the Democratic Party’s preference poll. (Under state law, political parties cannot formally nominate School Board members, but can endorse their candidacies.) She then had to defeat Espenoza, who ran for School Board in 2005 and had built up a large group of supporters.

But Espenoza’s efforts fell short, as Democrats sided with Baird.

[Read more...]

County Democrats Savor Election Victories
by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Arlington voters on Tuesday returned County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman to another four-year term, and elected Democrat-backed Sally Baird to the School Board.

Democrat Zimmerman, a board member for 10 years, won easily over Republican Mike McMenamin and Green Party candidate Josh Ruebner.

The margin was closer for first-time candidate Baird, who was running against Cecelia Espenoza for the School Board seat being vacated by retiring School Board Chairman Mary Hynes.
[Read more...]

School Board Candidate Seeking Pulse of the Public
by KRISTEN ARMSTRONG, Staff Writer
Thursday, September 28, 2006

If you hear a knock at your door, don’t be surprised if it’s School Board candidate Sally Baird.

Baird embarked on an aggressive door-to-door campaign in February, and plans to keep at it until the Nov. 7 election. “I want to hear what the random person is thinking about the schools,” she said in a recent interview with the Sun Gazette.

From those discussions, Baird has determined that early-childhood education and County Board-School Board cooperation are priorities she will pursue if elected.

Giving youngsters quality education in preschool has very positive effects on their performance throughout their academic careers, Baird said. But she recognizes that the gains made in early development years have to be nurtured.

“The schools need to help maintain a level of support,” she said.

Among other issues Baird is focusing on:

• She wants to see the school system’s Title I schools (those with large number of underprivileged students) provide more nutritional meals to its students.
• She thinks transition programs for middle-school students entering high school are sufficient, but is concerned about students’ transitions from elementary to middle school.
• She believes Arlington’s policy on sending students to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology is sound. If Arlington schools are not the perfect fit for certain students, they should have the chance to meet their educational needs elsewhere if necessary, she said.
• She wants to make sure enrichment programs in schools with higher-income students do not put lower-income students at other schools at a disadvantage.
• She voiced concern about the lack of affordable housing in Arlington and the impact it has on teachers.
• She advocates for making school spaces more available to the community during off-school hours.

Read the full article here.

Divergent Styles Arise in School Board Debate
Two candidates try to distinguish themselves through experience, leadership qualities.
By Seth Rosen, Connection Newspapers
September 27, 2006

Baird said she is “a collaborator” and “a manager” who “wants to reach out and hear what people are saying.” “I work with people to create a common vision,” added Baird, who is endorsed by the Arlington Democratic Party. “I don’t come in and pound people over the head.”

Baird is using her experience as the vice president of a tax publishing firm – where she oversaw “multi-million dollar budgets and multi-year projects” – to demonstrate her ability to better manage the school system’s finances in a period of flattening revenue. Her time as co-chair of the Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee and as vice president of the Drew Model School Association, taught her that the school system isn’t doing enough to engage parents in their children’s education, Baird said.

Two contenders discuss plans to reduce minority achievement gap, rein in construction spending and keep students out of gangs.
By Seth Rosen
Connection Newspapers
September 13, 2006

Baird argued that the only way for Arlington to improve the scores of minority students is to ensure they all have access to pre-school, which she called “the sounded investment a school system can make.”

Numerous studies have shown that students who are enrolled in early childhood programs have higher achievement rates and are less likely to be placed in remedial classes, Baird said.

“Kids who go to pre-school perform better,” said Baird, who has served on the Early Childhood Advisory Committee for the past five years and has two young sons, ages 3 and 6. “When you spend the money early on, you save much more later.”

and

Baird highlighted her time as the vice president of the Drew Model School and service on the Early Childhood Advisory Committee. Her experience managing large budgets at a tax firm will help her bring a measure of fiscal discipline to the board, she added.

“I understand the necessity of staying focused on the long-term vision, while [being] practical about day to day priorities.”

School Board Candidates Focus on Gangs
by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Sun Gazette Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 6, 2006

A resurgent gang problem across Northern Virginia can be blunted by effective programs in local schools, the two candidates for Arlington’s open School Board seat said on Sept. 5.

“Gang intervention needs to start earlier, not waiting until adolescence,” said Sally Baird, the Democratic candidate for the seat being vacated by retiring School Board Chairman Mary Hynes.

and

Unlike debates for County Board and U.S. House of Representatives, held the same night, the School Board debate was a low-key, few-fireworks affair. The two candidates addressed issues as varied as early-childhood education, the achievement gap among students of different races, and problems with heating and air conditioning in schools.

Baird said she was concerned that the school system was putting construction projects before the voters without providing a full accounting of their ultimate cost.

“We should know what we are voting on before we vote for bonds,” she said.

Read the full article at here.

Davis Jumps into School Race
Democrat lost 1999 School Board election, but hopes to win seat being vacated by Mary Hynes.
By Seth Rosen
Connection Newspapers
March 8, 2006

DEMOCRATIC voters now face a stark choice between one candidate with more than two decades worth of experience with Arlington schools, and another who has young children in the system and believes she would bring a fresh perspective to the board, Democratic leaders said.

Baird, 41, lives in South Arlington and is the parent of two sons, a 5-year-old at Drew and a 2-year old. She is vice president of a nonprofit tax publishing company and also serves as vice president of the Drew Model Elementary School Association.

Baird, who has been endorsed by School Board member Fendley and County Board member Jay Fisette, said her involvement with Drew and early childhood education issues have caused her to run for School Board.

“One of the things that has hit home to me working with Drew parents and teachers is how important the school community is to setting the stage for learning,” she said in an interview last month. “It’s not just about teaching students, but helping engage parents and help connecting them to their children’s education.”