We recently invited the candidates running for local office in the Nov. 4 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from James “Vell” Rives IV, who is running for School Board.
I have lived in Arlington 26 years. My wife Carmen and I are parents of a Wakefield High School graduate and a Wakefield freshman.
I am not a Republican. I have never voted for Donald Trump. I am not a Democrat, but I care about Democratic values, like transparency and accountability from our leaders, and protecting civil rights for everyone, including women and girls.
Too often our School Board, the School Board caucus, and their endorsee, my opponent Monique “Moe” Bryant, have lost sight of these core values. I’m running for School Board because we need somebody to stand up for girls and to get our focus back on education.
Our graduates have to be prepared for real-world jobs or college. I want to see all Arlington students making measurable gains, outpacing their peers in Virginia and other leading states.
I don’t disagree with the School Board on everything. But every board needs one outside voice – someone who will ask the hard questions and ensure that different ideas are truly considered. That’s essential to transparency, and that’s how I will build trust and strengthen our schools.
We have to stabilize our budget. If I’m elected, I won’t be stingy, but I will be smart, insisting that we spend where it matters most – on instruction. That’s classroom teachers and the materials they need to succeed, not bureaucracy or pet projects. We spend more per pupil than any other Virginia county or D.C., and we deserve to get our money’s worth.
We need to bring our School Resource Officers back. Drug use in our schools has surged since their removal. Arlington had an exemplary SRO program viewed favorably by every demographic group, including Black and Hispanic students and their parents: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GgXvitG82/ Every day that goes by without our SRO’s, our kids are more vulnerable to the kinds of tragedies we’ve seen elsewhere.
About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.): Diversity is a good thing, but our School Board lacks diversity of thought. Equity is a good thing, but we should not turn equity into rigid uniformity or lower academic standards. And inclusion is a good thing, but inclusion goes too far when it means boys and girls in the same locker room. I support Arlington’s 2017 nondiscrimination policy. At the same time, Federal Civil Rights law guarantees exclusive sports teams and facilities for girls. We should amend our local policy to clarify this.
As a physician with over 20 years’ experience practicing adolescent and adult psychiatry, I know there is a lot of distress and suffering over gender issues. I believe we can find solutions that respect and serve everyone.
I may not be from the School Board caucus, but I am not a stranger: I am serving my 7th year on Arlington’s School Health Advisory Board (as Co-Chair 2021-22), and I know Bethany, Miranda, Kathleen, and Zuraya, the continuing School Board members. I would be honored to work alongside them. I am the candidate who would complement their strengths and make a more effective Board. I hope you can see that too, and I respectfully ask that you vote for me, James Vell Rives IV, for Arlington School Board. Thank you.
My website includes information in Amharic, Arabic, Mongolian, and Spanish:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rives4sb
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080615153852
Hay información en español en mi sitio de web:
https://www.rivesforsb.com/espanol
Adicionalmente, tengo un vídeo breve en español: