Why exactly did he announce at the ARCC? School board is a non-partisan office. Is he active in the ARCC? He says "My knowledge of the details is at the level of the general public." I think he should figure out the details out before he runs. It seems the "general public" that he references actually do know a lot more about the details than he does. Witness all the people in town who know "the details" because they pay attention, and as a result of "the details" are actively calling for Sherman's resignation. I won't vote for someone who avoids the hard questions. Either read up on "the details" and declare that you will dump Sherman, like the rest of us, or maintain your allegiance to him...like the current school board.

Gail - thank you for your comments. I'd welcome the opportunity to speak personally. Please email me at chrisyianilos@yahoo.com if you are interested.

I'd like to take a moment to address your questions and make sure the record is accurate.

1) I plan to formally announce my candidacy in the next several weeks among friends and family. I was invited to speak with the ARCC and did so. I hope to also be invited to the Alexandria Democratic Committee. I am not a member of either party in Alexandria. I plan on asking all Alexandrians regardless of party affiliation to support my candidacy, which will be non-partisan.

2) I am well versed in the public details of our school system and the Superintendent. The point I was making in the interview with respect to this article was that I would like to speak with the Superintendent and have a conversation with him before making any public judgement. To me, that is the responsible approach for any public official or aspiring public official. Perhaps if we all sat down and actually spoke with each other and listened to each other we all could make better decisions. I recognize that the politically easy thing to do is to either oppose him or support him from the outset. I'm not interested in scoring political points. I'm interested in improving our school system, enhancing accountability and respecting access to our neighborhood schools.

Thank you for your comments. I look forward to speaking with you.

Chris

Chris, I do know Sherman and have spoken with him...many times. I also sued him. Look into his past. There is a very good reason many people want him gone. An administrative court judge in New York State admonished him nearly 20 years ago for dirty administrative shenanigans. What more do you need to know? In any event, you'll have to make up your mind about him prior to the election. The voters will insist on knowing where you stand. Good luck to you.

Why pass judgement only after a personal meeting with the Superintendent? The track record of our school system over the last three years should provide enough guidance to form a political opinion about the leadership of ACPS.

Chris-I commend you for throwing your hat in the ring and for entering the race with an open mind and a genuine willingness to learn about ACPS and the many complex challenges and opportunities we face as a school system.
Linda Kelly, President, PTA Council of Alexandria

Kudos to Chris for taking a level headed approach to this. Good luck.

All - thank you very much for your comments and constructive feedback. I look forward to a continuing dialogue. Each of you now has my email, and I hope you will use it to keep in touch.

Linda - given your official role with the PTA, I hope we can set aside some time to talk in person. Please let me know.

John - thank you for your kind words. I appreciate them.

Beth - you are absolutely right. I do intend to speak with and listen to parents and teachers. I grew up in a single parent household. If it wasn't for my own Mom and the wonderful, caring teachers I was privileged to have educate me, I wouldn't have made it through high school. The foundation they helped build gave me the tools to succeed in college and law school and beyond.

Pat - thank you for your comments. I appreciate them. And, Gail, thank you for your follow-up.

Chris

Chirs, I encourage you to some research on Sherman. He was admonished by an administrative judge in NYS for siging contracts without authorization in a school system there. According to people in New Jersey, he was loathed in school districts there as well and has quite a history of leaving bad blood behind. It's all online and some of it has been posted on various websites. Look at the Parker Gray Growl, my online postings, etc. The info is out there and you can search court decisions on line as well. You don't need to meet Sherman to know he's a snake oil salesman. I will await your statement on whether you support his continued employment at ACPS or not.

Chris - if you're still following this thread...someone told me that your school age kids are in private school. Is that true? Were they ever in ACPS? Would you put them in ACPS if elected?

Gail - the facts are important. I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. When they are K-12 school age, of course they will go to the Alexandria public schools.

Thanks Chris. I sent this info to the person who told me otherwise.

Sounds like an interesting candidate with some good ideas and enthusiasm. I particularly appreciate his willingness to engage on a comment thread like this. I will certainly be finding out more about Mr. Yianilos.

All - I am pleased to announce that I have been formally endorsed by Alexandria's Teachers - the Alexandria Political Action Committee for Education. I interviewed with them last night and am honored to have just received a phone call this morning sharing the good news.

For more on my views on teachers, here is a good article.

http://delray.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-yianilos-on-mothers-and-teachers