Progressive Voice

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

By: Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz

As previously expressed in this column, my wife and I are proud to call ourselves Arlingtonians. One reason for this pride is that we believe our community recognizes the importance of creating opportunities for all to succeed. Ours is a community that gets involved proactively and effects positive change.

Understanding and celebrating the many benefits diversity has brought to Arlington is a core element of what makes Arlington unique in the commonwealth.

On Sept. 23, you are invited to attend a multifaceted program — combining performing and visual arts, history, and public dialogue — that will explore the past, present and future of immigration in Arlington. This event will place a special focus on immigrant experiences and milestones of the past 40 years.

Arlington’s reputation as a welcoming environment is owed to years of immigration policy and outreach, but the cultural fabric of Arlington is complex and in its making are immigration stories of freedom, pain, and opportunity.

We Are All Arlington! seeks understanding and appreciation of the diverse narratives that connect our past to the present and to our common future. We hope you will join us at Wakefield High School (1325 S. Dinwiddie Street) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for an engaging program that will explore the legacy of immigration in Arlington — and what opportunities and challenges it presents for individuals and as a community today.

Over the past five decades Arlington has been transformed from a suburban, largely racially segregated environment to a mixed urban and suburban one with racial and ethnic diversity.

According to a late 2015 urban studies report from the Wilson Center, Arlington “is at the forefront of demographic processes changing the face of American communities as well as the United States in its entirety.” Furthermore, the recent “The Changing Face of America” report describes Arlington as “being at the leading edge of a diversity explosion sweeping the USA.”

However, this rapid growth of diversity has come with consequences, such as at the economic, educational and housing levels.

The overall economic well-being of Arlington is very strong. At 6 percent, we have one of the lowest income poverty rates in the nation — less than half of the nationwide income poverty rate for families.

Yet African Americans and Latinos face a different income situation in Arlington. Their poverty rates are 14.7 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively.

Another indicator of the socio-economic well-being of a community is its residents’ ability to deal with adverse personal financial events. According to a new data analysis from the Family Assets Count Project, 23 percent of Arlingtonians are financially vulnerable.

Communities of color in Arlington fare even worse: 50 percent of African American families and 58 percent of Latino families are poor in terms of liquid assets. This means that one in every two African American and Latino families does not have enough savings to live above the poverty line for just three months if they face loss of a job, a medical crisis or a similar substantial income disruption.

Because we understand and celebrate diversity, we can recognize that as a community there is much we can do to create conditions whereby success is achieved more broadly. The success of today’s diverse communities will fuel the future growth and strength of our county and our country — much as what we consider American success and cultural achievement today comes directly from earlier immigration experiences.

One significant step in building equity in Arlington is how for the past 40 years, Arlington has been a gateway community for thousands of immigrants settling not only to the commonwealth but across the United States. Immigrants from nearly 120 countries have settled in Arlington, creating vibrancy, opportunity and a multicultural legacy that has changed what it means to be an Arlingtonian.

The Sept. 23 event is organized by the We Are All Arlington! Committee and is sponsored by Dream Project Inc. and Arlington Public Schools in partnership with Arlington Libraries, Arlington Historical Society, StudioPAUSE, REEP, ECDC, Comité ProBolivia, John Marshall Bank and The Urban Alternatives Foundation.

We can be a stronger community and a more stable and equitable community by recognizing vulnerability and sharing more broadly the tools for success for all Arlingtonians, regardless of race, ethnicity and/or country of origin.

I look forward to having our community further build bridges and tear down walls among the multiple racial, ethnic and national groups that make up Arlington. How about you?

Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz works for an asset-building and financial capability organization in Washington, D.C., and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Arlington-based non-profit organization Dream Project.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

Arlington can, and sometimes does, play an outsized role in the politics and governance of our Commonwealth and nation – given the number of people in high levels of government and politics who live here. Yet many in our state and around the country live far different lives than we do. And the despair and anger they feel cannot and should not be ignored.

In that regard, J.D Vance, a former Marine and graduate of Yale Law School, has written an essential book on America’s political culture in 2016. “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of Family and a Culture in Crisis” is an autobiographical account of growing up in the Rust Belt. The book has spent the last six weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list. It has garnered acclaim across the political spectrum: Fareed Zakaria of CNN and The Washington Post, David Brooks of The New York Times and PBS, and American Conservative‘s Rod Dreher have all praised Vance’s writing and perspective on this moment in our history.   

Mr. Vance self identifies as a hillbilly and does so proudly. He recounts his story, from fighting to defend his family’s honor as a 6-year old, to countless father figures entering and exiting his life, to a mother trapped in a cycle of drug addiction and dependency. But Vance also praises the foundations that led to his success, including the powerful and stabilizing influence of his grandmother (Mamaw) and his service in the Marine Corps.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Vance’s writing is his honesty. He bluntly captures the despair of his community. Many of the people Vance grew up with no longer believe in the opportunity for positive change and upward mobility. They believe the American Dream has passed their part of the country by, migrating permanently to the Acela Corridor and West Coast. 

Vance also views the core fabric of American society as fractured. His culture has no heroes — certainly not in politics, but not even in the military. He laments the loss of common purpose that followed World War II and recounts how “after seventy years, filled with marriage, children, grandchildren, death, poverty and triumph, the thing about which Mamaw was unquestionably the proudest and most excited was that she and her family did their part during World War II.”    

Vance found his way out of the cycle of despair when he enlisted in the Marine Corps two years after Sept. 11. His four-year tour included a deployment to Iraq and an assignment working in Public Affairs at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

Both were important and formative experiences, but it was his experience at Cherry Point which stands out in the memoir. As a young Marine, he was assigned the significant responsibility of serving as the media relations officer for one of the largest Marine Corps bases on the East Coast. He started slowly, but quickly learned to do the job very well. Eventually he earned a commendation medal for his efforts and built the foundation of confidence necessary for his future successes. 

The issues facing Vance’s self-described, hillbilly demographic are real. From economic stagnation to opioid addiction, these issues require effective action by our elected leaders and public officials at all levels of government. Across the political spectrum, these issues deserve attention, not dismissal or condescension. If we want to move our country forward, we must acknowledge the diversity of perspectives and ideas we hold as individuals – not just based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, faith, and national origin, but also by geography and economic circumstance.   

Hillbilly Elegy is a story of our divided politics. It is a book that is both honest and sympathetic, with the goal of educating both liberals and conservatives about topics that have not received sufficient attention from the political establishment and require creative and sensible solutions rather than appeals to darker and more desperate instincts.

Will reading this book solve the serious issues facing Vance’s hometown and the people who live in other Rust Belt communities? No, it will not. But it is a story that people across the political spectrum would be wise to hear, and will hopefully be one that starts many conversations in Arlington and beyond.

Paul Holland is a lifelong Arlingtonian who lives in Waverly Hills with his wife and two children. He has long been active in Arlington civic life and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

By: Gillian Burgess

Over Labor Day weekend, thousands of people enjoyed Arlington’s awesome network of safe, pleasant bike trails. Too often, however, the routes connecting our beautiful trails to the cafes, coffee shops and retail in the more urban parts of Arlington do not feel safe and comfortable for most people to bike on. Thousands of people stick to the trails and miss out on a lot of what Arlington has to offer.

The Bike Friendly Ballston wants to change that: The Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Arlington Action Committee is calling on Arlington County to build protected bike lanes on North Quincy Street between the Custis Trail (along I-66) and Glebe Road.

Protected bike lanes provide the experience of biking without cars, but at a fraction of the cost of building a trail.

Most protected bike lanes, like the ones Arlington already installed in Pentagon City, flip the painted bike lane and the parking lane, so that the streetscape become sidewalk, curb, bike lane, then a buffer, parked cars, moving cars and the double yellow line — with the reverse order for traffic traveling in the other direction.

Some protected bike lanes, like those on 15th Street NW in D.C., put both bikes traveling in both directions against one curb, so the streetscape is sidewalk, curb, two-way protected bike lane, buffer, parking, one direction of moving traffic, the other direction of moving traffic, parking, curb and sidewalk.

To install a protected bike lane, the county needs only to put down some paint, put up a few flex-posts and add signage. When a street is repaved, installing protected bike lanes is practically free.

On Quincy, protected bike lanes would give people a low-stress route from the Custis Trail into the heart of Ballston. They would also connect to 5th Street North, which ends just before Quincy and Glebe, and is a great neighborhood road to bike on through Ashton Heights and Lyon Park.

By replacing the painted bike lanes that currently appear and disappear on this stretch, they would give people who do not feel comfortable riding a bike alongside moving cars the opportunity to connect to Washington-Lee High School, the Central Library and surrounding parks, and all of the shopping, dining, and coffee available in Ballston.

Protected bike lanes on Quincy would be good for everyone using Quincy Street. Because protected bike lanes feel safer, people would bike on the sidewalk far less, leaving the sidewalks free for people walking. Having a clear space for bikes would also reduce the complicated and confusing interactions that currently take place between people driving and biking on Quincy, especially around Washington Boulevard, where the current bike lanes suddenly disappear.

Protected bike lanes are also good for business. Already, about four times as many people bike on the Custis Trail as bike on Quincy. With a safe option, people would be enticed to enjoy all of the amenities Ballston has to offer. And study after study shows that people on bikes shop locally more often and spend more locally overall than people in cars. A quick stop at Buzz is easy on a bike, when you don’t have to worry about parking your car.

This proposal was brought to the County Board in February, and the entire Board was supportive of the project (discussion starting around nine minutes in the video). In March, the county manager told the board “we can do it” (discussion starting around 1:17 in the video). This month, we should finally get to see some plans.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee is set to meet with county staff to walk through some options next week (Monday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. on the Quincy Street side of the Central Library) and the Arlington Action Committee will meet with county staff the following week (Monday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at a yet-to-be-determined location). Both meetings are open to the public.

Bike Friendly Ballston already has the support of over 600 people, most of the businesses along the route, and two surrounding neighborhood associations. You can find out more and lend your support by heading to http://www.waba.org/advocacy/campaigns/bike-friendly-ballston/.

Gillian Burgess is the current chair of Arlington County’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, the founder of Kidical Mass Arlington, and the former vice chair of APS’s Multimodal Transportation and Student Safety Special Committee. She lives in Cherrydale with her husband and three children.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com. 

By: Abby Raphael

Arlington is one of the wealthiest counties in the nation, with a median 2016 household income of $110,900. Yet 8.8% of all Arlington residents live in poverty, with an income of about $24,000 or less for a family of four. Twelve percent of Arlington’s children live in poverty. Arlington must address the effects of this economic inequality, particularly on our children, in a coordinated way so that all children and families can be successful.

During the last school year, nearly 8,000 students in Arlington Public Schools (APS), 30% of all APS students, were eligible for free or reduced price meals. Families of four with an annual income of about $45,000 or less qualify for this program.

While Arlington students across income levels score well on standardized tests, there remains a relationship between socioeconomic status and achievement that should be addressed. For example, in 2015-16, 71% of economically disadvantaged school students in Arlington passed the English standards of learning tests (SOL), compared with 87% of all Arlington students. For the math SOL, the pass rates were 73% versus 87%.

National efforts to address achievement gaps as part of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have focused on standardized testing, charter schools, and national standards, known as the Common Core. Diane Ravitch, a former Assistant Secretary of Education and NCLB proponent, concluded in a recent New York Times article that these efforts have failed. Ravitch wrote that one of the main causes of low student achievement is poverty and “[w]hat is called ‘the achievement gap’ is actually an ‘opportunity gap’.”

So, how do we address childhood poverty and the opportunity gap to help all students achieve at higher levels?

First, we must recognize that this is a responsibility of the entire Arlington community and not just APS. Through a shared vision and coordinated efforts of County government, APS, non-profits, businesses, the faith community, and individuals, we can make a real difference. This is the power of collective impact: a model that brings people together in a structured way to achieve positive results.

Community schools, a form of collective impact, bring together school and community resources for children. They integrate academics, health and wellness, social services, and family and community engagement to improve student achievement for all students, especially low-income students. Carlin Springs Elementary School is a community school, supported with federal funding. In addition, Barcroft Elementary School, Gunston Middle School, and Wakefield and Arlington Mill High Schools are community schools, with staffing from Communities in Schools of Northern Virginia, part of the national non-profit network, Communities in Schools (CIS).

CIS was founded 40 years ago by Arlingtonian Bill Milliken, who writes in The Last Dropout that to be successful, students need: “a one-on-one relationship with a caring adult; a safe place to learn and grow; a healthy start and a healthy future; a marketable skill to use upon graduation; and a chance to give back to peers and the community.”

Whether assisted through CIS, federal grants, or other similar programs with track records of success, community schools bring existing community resources together to provide greater opportunities for students and families. National research shows that the community school model works for all of us – improving attendance and performance on standardized tests, reducing behavioral problems, and reducing the dropout rate.

In Arlington, we have many non-profit organizations, faith communities, businesses and individuals partnering with APS and County government that do excellent work to help low-income students. They provide mentors, tutors, food, after-school programs, and more. However, these efforts need to be coordinated in a more systematic way to identify which students have the most need, evaluate what efforts are most effective, and best match the community’s existing resources with those needs.

To best serve our low-income students and families, and to be equitable, Arlington should expand the community school model from five schools that now have it to all schools with significant populations of students eligible for free or reduced price meals. This requires additional staffing to leverage the community’s existing resources, coordinate efforts, establish and monitor measures of success, and communicate effectively.

As APS and County government leaders consider their priorities for the coming budget, I urge them to expand community schools, which have demonstrated effectiveness in improving outcomes for low-income students. Such a strategic investment aimed at economic inequality will benefit the entire community. 

Abby Raphael is co-Chair of Arlington’s Project Peace Prevention Committee, which addresses domestic violence and sexual assault. She also serves as a member of the Board of the Arlington YMCA and the Second Chance Advisory Committee. She was a member of the Arlington School Board from 2008-2015, including two terms as Chair, and is a former Arlington Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

By: Paul Friedman

When Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued an executive order returning voting rights to over 200,000 ex-felons, it led to some 13,000 people around the commonwealth — including Arlington, Alexandria,, Fairfax, Fairfax City, Prince William, and Loudoun residents – successfully registering to vote.

After a Republican legal challenge, the Virginia Supreme Court voted 4-3 to invalidate that order. Now, the governor has issued individual restorations of rights to the 13,000 who had registered and announced procedures for restoring rights for approximately 200,000 additional ex-felons by the end of his term designed to withstand further legal challenge.

At the heart of this issue is whether voting is a right or privilege. A right can only be limited under special circumstances. A privilege is granted by those in power.

Democrats believe voting is a right that should be restored upon completion of a felon’s sentence.

By contrast, Republicans legislators in many states have treated voting as a privilege — leading various federal courts to reject Republican measures discriminating against African Americans and others perceived as likely Democratic voters.

Given Virginia Republican legislators’ efforts to limit people — especially Democrats — from voting, it’s not surprising they thought McAuliffe’s goal was to help Hillary Clinton win Virginia in the upcoming presidential election by expanding the number of people eligible to vote.

In reality, the governor sees voting as a fundamental right and wants to overcome Virginia’s sad history of limiting ballot access. That is why he wants every Virginian who has paid his penalty to society to be able to exercise their Constitutional right to vote — “I personally believe in the power of second chances and in the dignity and worth of every single human being.”

Such votes — even if they skewed Democratic — would not likely change the outcome of the 2016 election in a state Barack Obama won decisively in 2008 and 2012. Given new polls showing Clinton-Kaine with double digit leads in Virginia, Republicans can no longer plausibly pretend that restored voter rights are likely to affect the 2016 outcome.

The governor also wants to end current de facto discrimination and continue moving us forward on the civil rights path — likening voting discrimination to segregation, poll taxes and bans on interracial and same-sex marriages.

Politifact reported the Virginia Department of Corrections’ most recent racial breakdown of its prison population in mid-2014 showed that of “almost 37,000 inmates . . . 58.5 percent were black, 38.6 percent were white, [and] 2.2 percent were Hispanic … [whereas, the] U.S. Census Bureau estimates blacks comprised 19.7 of Virginia’s population in mid-2014.” Thus, the discriminatory impact of depriving voting rights to ex-felons speaks for itself.

This comes on top of Virginia’s tragic treatment of African Americans over the course of its history.

The Virginia Historical Society describes some of it this way:

After the Civil War, African Americans were free but not equal. The Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875, and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution, were made virtual dead letters by hostile court decisions, culminating in 1896 in Plessy v. Ferguson, which gave legal sanction to the principle of “separate but equal” facilities segregated by race.

In Virginia, the South, and some northern states, Plessy v. Ferguson both confirmed the status quo and gave impetus to even more rigid segregation laws. For example, Blacks had to sit at the back of streetcars or stand if there were not enough seats for whites. They were made to sit at separate sections of theaters, libraries, and train stations. They could not use water fountains, bathrooms, beaches or swimming pools used by whites. They could only order takeout food from restaurants that served whites. They attended separate, usually ramshackle schools. Social life and everything from sports teams to funeral parlors were segregated.

Even after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, where the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” was neither equal nor Constitutional, Virginia fought to retain a Jim Crow world. Its opposition was so infamous it was named “Massive Resistance.”

Through the actions of great Virginians such as former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton (the father of former Education Secretary Anne Holton and father-in-law of her husband, current U.S. Senator and Democratic VP nominee Tim Kaine), Virginia has taken steps to overcome its blatantly racist past.

Now, under McAuliffe, Virginia is taking an essential further step toward overcoming other vestiges of past racism that remain in place today. We should be proud, but far from complacent. There’s still more work to do.

Paul Friedman is the President of Paul Friedman Strategies, a Democratic political and non-profit consulting firm. He also does development work for business clients. He and his wife Lori, long-time Virginia residents, live with their black lab rescue dog Sadie and three-legged tabby rescue cat Martin.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com. 

By: Niharika Chibber Joe

It was a proud week for Virginia when our Senator and former Governor Tim Kaine accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for Vice President of the United States.

That same week was also one of shock and grief as we learned that Joe Montano, one of Senator Kaine’s key aides – and his staff representative in Arlington and across Northern Virginia – had passed away. Senator Kaine’s moving remarks at the Virginia delegation breakfast was a testament to the love that so many felt and feel for Joe.

I would like to put into my own words what the loss of Joe meant to so many people in this area – especially to Asian Americans:

Our dearest friend, Democratic Asian-Americans of Virginia (DAAV) co-founder, AAPI stalwart, community leader, Virginia Democrat, and all-round inspirational kuya Joe Montano was laid to rest in his beloved Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday, August 7, 2016. He was 47 years old.

Hundreds of friends and colleagues from all walks of life joined the Montano family amidst crying, hugging, laughing, and even dancing and basketball to bid farewell to Joe. Only Joe, say his friends, could pack a church and a high school gym to capacity; shut down major streets; have his Senator and boss, Tim Kaine, deliver a heartfelt eulogy for him; and have everyone in tears and laughter at the same time.

The outpouring of camaraderie, love, and support from Washington, D.C., through Northern Virginia, and all the way down to Norfolk and Virginia Beach in the wake of Joe’s passing has been nothing short of remarkable. But then, Joe was a truly remarkable person.

He was the guy whose laugh long preceded his entrance into a room. He was always the first to jump up to serve his community and the first to lend a hand. He brought people together. He was a uniting presence in the way he lived. And in death, he has united a community of friends and family from each facet of his wonderfully spirited, indefatigable life.

A proud Filipino American, Joe was passionate about social justice issues. He most recently served as Northern Virginia Regional Director of Constituent Services for Senator Kaine.

In a statement released shortly after Joe’s death, Senator Kaine said, “Joe was an outstanding representative of this office, enthusiastic servant of the people of Northern Virginia, and admired colleague by all who worked with him. We will remember him by his positive energy, tireless work ethic, and infectious smile.”

Joe’s best friend Marlan Maralit spoke of him with passion. “Joe Montano’s was a purpose driven life where his actions were explicit and not far from his vision for the world — a world where he was quickly becoming an emerging voice for communities fighting for a seat at the table.”

Virginia Delegate Mark Keam eulogized Joe on his Facebook page. “Joe was one of my closest friends and fellow foot soldiers on the battlefield of civil rights and progressive politics.”

At DAAV, Joe was our go-to guy. He was our sounding board, our adviser, our galvanizer, our rock. He was selfless and dedicated and he immediately put everyone at ease. He was the commanding presence in a room full of people, yet, he was quietly comfortable chatting with high school students.

He fired up volunteers the same way he fired up elected officials — like no other — with a passionate, loudly delivered call to action. He mentored and inspired the next generation, led by example, and encouraged them to give back to their communities. And he did it all with kindness and compassion – with that bright Joe Montano grin, never uttering a negative word.

With Joe’s passing, the Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia have not only lost our star community organizer and activist — we have lost our best friend. Joe is irreplaceable. We miss him dearly. Yet in his honor DAAV members look forward to building on his decades of hard work to elect Democrats at every level across the Commonwealth of Virginia and at the national level.

Maraming Salamat, Joe Montano! Thank you for your tireless service. Rest in peace, dear friend. Your spirit will live on with us. We will not let you down! #LiveLikeJoe #BeLikeJoe

Niharika Chibber Joe is a South Arlington resident. In 2014-15, she served as Secretary of the Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

By: Max Burns

A little over a month since its blockbuster launch, Arlingtonians have probably seen the massive crowds of people engaging in the latest summer trend — Pokémon Go.

Now the most popular mobile game in history, Pokémon Go encourages players and their friends to venture into community parks and open spaces to capture the 151 Pokémon that became a global craze in the mid-1990s.

There’s a massive thread on Reddit’s Northern Virginia board sharing the best locations for catching Pokémon, battling other players in “gyms”, and meeting up for conversations and Happy Hours. It’s difficult to visit a local park — or even walk Wilson Boulevard — without encountering hundreds of eager players striving to be the very best.

But Pokémon Go may be more than just a mobile game. It’s also an opportunity for Arlington County officials to engage a tough-to-reach demographic on an issue that is often not at the forefront of their attention: community parks.

Look around a County Board meeting or any meeting of parks advocates and you likely won’t see many Millennials. Discussions about projects like the Long Bridge Park Aquatic Center largely target other demographics. But with the surge in youth utilization of parks after Pokémon Go’s release, younger Arlingtonians may be primed to think about parks as their concern.

There’s evidence that Arlington’s Pokémon Go players are increasingly conscious of the greenspace and public land that makes up the game’s field of play. I reached out to several players hunting Pokémon in stop-rich Clarendon and along Columbia Pike for their experiences playing in Arlington.

“It’s brilliant seeing parks that used to have three or four people and their dogs now have four or five times as many Pokémon fans using them,” a level 33 player who goes by Fulliautomatix, said. “The game has spurred a greater connection — a real connection — between folks in the neighborhood and the parks in the community.”

There’s merit to Fulliautomatix’s sentiment. A casual tour of Pokémon gyms and stops in Arlington shows a diverse collection of ages, races and genders swapping stories from the hunt and commending the accessibility and safety of Arlington parks. Nationally, Pokémon Go also received commendations for bringing players with Asperger’s and other social disorders into their communities.

Pokémon Go has mobilized a broad demographic of players who previously paid little attention to dry debates about Arlington parks. It’s a unique opportunity for the Arlington County Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, and County staff to develop and promote entertaining and educational events and programming targeting an often overlooked audience of young Arlingtonians who during this time are much more aware of and more likely to use community greenspace.

They wouldn’t be alone in such a response. Nationally, the National Parks Service has leaned into the Pokémon Go craze by urging rangers to engage tourists visiting national forests and monuments. Last month, Fairfax County hosted a community “Pokethon” that combined neighborhood walks with discussions of safety and the importance of maintaining community spaces. Hundreds turned out.

“I don’t know if I cared about parks around here as much before Pokémon Go,” level 24 player LiteraryCritic said between captures at Windy Run Park last weekend. “I went on the Parks and Rec website to find good spots, and actually found a lot of things I’d get involved with.”

Pokémon Go may be a summer trend destined to fade. But its growth shows no signs of slowing, and the enthusiasm of its players shouldn’t be overlooked by County officials. Engaging even a fraction of active players in Arlington County would represent an incredible change in the community audience engaged on greenspace issues.

And it’s the kind of tech-forward experiment in civic engagement that could encourage more Millennials to participate in County processes and make a long-term commitment to involvement in their community. We’ve already heard multiple County Board members — including new members Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey — urge innovation in County outreach to Millennials. Here’s a tailor-made opportunity. Piggybacking discussions of community greenspace onto a mobile game may seem like an unorthodox method to start public policy conversations, but if creating new support for parks and park resources are a priority for Arlington County, it’s an attempt worth pursuing.

Max Burns is the Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia Technology Working Group. He is also a former President of the Arlington Young Democrats.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

By: Emma Violand-Sanchez

The following is an adaptation of an end of school year address:

Good morning! Buenos Dias! It has been a privilege to serve as School Board Chair for the 2015-16 school year. I am proud of our world-class school system and our top priorities of student achievement and meeting the needs of the whole child.

I am also proud of APS’ recent accomplishments. All 31 schools are accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. The 2015 Washington Post Challenge Index listed all APS high schools in the top 3 percent in the U.S. This is the seventh year in a row all APS high schools made this list. In 2014 and 2015, almost 92 percent of all student graduated on time. The dropout rate has declined by two-thirds since 2010. These statistics show that our students are thriving and taking advantage of multiple options provided to help them succeed academically.

This year the School Board supported our students with initiatives such as the Arlington Tiered System of Support and enhanced opportunities for our students to succeed in a global economy.

We have set a goal to have our students be proficient in more than one language. Bilingualism is a social, economic and educational asset.

In that regard, we reached our objective to offer foreign language at all elementary schools. New language courses have been added at the middle school level. The number of students enrolled in world language courses – including sign language — is steadily increasing. This year, over 550 students received the Board of Education Seal of Biliteracy certifying that they graduated high school proficient in one or more world languages.

To help Arlington students prepare for a successful future in the 21^st century — including the importance of technology and innovation — our schools have partnered with universities as well as non-profit organizations such as The Dream Project. Dual enrollment between our high schools and Northern Virginia Community College has increased by 20 %. Over 50% of the students in Grades 2-12 have received computer or IPad devices to enhance personalized learning.

The opening of Arlington Tech provides additional progressive educational opportunities for our students. This program will provide our students with integrated hands-on, project based learning, ultimately preparing our students for different paths toward success after high school.

As a school system, we wholeheartedly believe in supporting the whole child. Our Whole Child Working Group developed a framework to ensure that each child is healthy, safe, supported, academically engaged and challenged.

The local historic designation of Stratford School is another proud accomplishment. It was an honor for me to help celebrate the courage of those who helped APS play the historic role of being the first school system in Virginia to integrate its schools on February 2, 1959.

Without a doubt, the struggle and bravery shown by the young African-American students attending Stratford that day and the ongoing efforts of Black and White supporters of school desegregation laid the foundation for greater educational opportunities for all students, not only in Arlington but across our nation.

With all of the accomplishments of our schools, the Board recognizes the challenges presented by our growing enrollment — especially at the high school level.  This year we worked hard on an adopted budget that continues a commitment to excellence. We designated funds to invest in instructional support, infrastructure, and staff and benefit compensation.

Another important way to address the challenges was our approval in June of the FY 2017-26 Capital Improvement Plan. The plan focuses on providing seats for students in the areas of most critical need in light of the continued, sustained growth in student enrollment. Our commitment to investment in APS facilities this year included opening Discovery Elementary School and investing in maintenance of APS facilities to provide optimal learning environments.

I am thankful to staff  and citizens who are always willing to step in and help us with our work, such as the South Arlington Working Group, Arlington Facilities Planning Council, and Building Level Planning Committees for projects at Stratford, Wilson, Abingdon, McKinley, and the new elementary school in South Arlington.

It has been an honor to serve our community on the School Board and our community. Thank you for your support. Arlington’s school system is a reflection of our commitment to success in our culturally, linguistically, and racially inclusive school community.

Emma Violand-Sanchez will complete her service on the Arlington County School Board in December after serving as Chair during the 2015-16 school year. Emma joined the Board in January 2009 and previously served as Chair during the 2012-13 school year. She is a career educator and has lived in Arlington since 1978.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

By: Elizabeth Jones Valderrama

At a time of increasing partisanship, we see people from across the political spectrum coming together to promote the re-entry of individuals into society after incarceration. Assisting individuals to re-enter society after their release from incarceration in a responsible way reduces recidivism and thereby makes us all safer.

Our organization, Offender Aid and Restoration of Arlington County, Inc. (OAR), was established in 1974 by a group of Arlington women who volunteered in jails and saw a need for ongoing support of individuals incarcerated and being released who remained largely ignored and forgotten by society.

Today, OAR serves Arlington County and the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church. We serve those currently incarcerated by offering life skills courses and case management in local correctional facilities, as well as offering emergency services, case management, and employment services to individuals recently released. OAR also manages the court-mandated Community Service function for Arlington and Falls Church courts.

We hope to remove needless obstacles to the success of individuals impacted by the criminal justice system.

Did you know, for example, that when individuals return home from incarceration they are unable to get back their driver’s license until they pay all court fines, costs and restitution in full, or establish a payment plan with the court? That means that many individuals in Arlington are trying to put their lives back on track, including finding a job, without having a driver’s license.

Hundreds of the participants coming to OAR owe thousands of dollars in court fees and fines. Every time they have gone to court, they are assessed a fee. It is not unusual for a participant to owe $10,000 or more. With a job, they could approach the Court and create a payment plan. However, getting a job without a driver’s license makes coming home and staying out of trouble that much more difficult.

While inside jail and prison, the unpaid fines and costs accrue at an interest rate of 6% a year, which continues accruing until paid. If a person owes fines and costs to multiple courts (not unusual in Northern Virginia), each Court’s judgment must be satisfied or each Court must agree to the establishment of a payment plan.

In fiscal year 2012, 401,504 suspension orders were issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Of those, approximately 37% (over one-third) were for unpaid fines and costs, which constitutes the single largest cause of license suspensions.

The Supreme Court of Virginia reports that in fiscal year 2012 over $352 million in fines and costs were assessed but that over $164 million were uncollected. This suggests that the use of license suspension as a collection method may in fact adversely affect the ability to collect unpaid fines and costs; as such suspensions may limit a person’s ability to obtain or retain employment and, therefore, the ability to pay.

One OAR participant came out of the Virginia prison system three years ago with every possible certification in horticulture. When no one would hire her in spite of outstanding credentials, she started her own landscaping business.

However, with no driver’s license, she had to take Metro and the bus, with her tools, to get to job sites. She was able to buy a scooter and started looking for a trailer she could pull with the scooter. Finally, the judge agreed to give her a driver’s license limited to use on the job.

Today, while working full-time and continuing her landscaping business part-time, she is not only paying back the fines, she is hiring others with similar backgrounds who are able to pay their fines as well as taxes.

Think of those living in rural areas and even areas in Arlington with limited public transportation. Their chances of securing employment are reduced considerably when they cannot be at work at odd hours or on-call because they have no transportation.

The recent report from the Governor’s Commission on Parole Review recommended a change in the state law to allow individuals to have their driver’s licenses reinstated prior to completing all payments of court fines and court costs. The Commission members understood that there is no need to make it harder for those coming home to find employment, pay their fines, contribute their gifts to the community, and get on with their lives.

We hope that Arlingtonians will feel inspired to encourage the General Assembly to adopt this vitally important change in law.

Elizabeth Jones Valderrama is the Executive Director of Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR), serving Arlington County and the Cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and has been on the OAR team for over 11 years.  Born in Costa Rica, she relocated to Arlington in 1989. Elizabeth holds a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Virginia and has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management. She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Arlington and was honored as one of its 40 under 40 Emerging Leaders inaugural class.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

By: Emma Violand-Sanchez

Arlington takes pride in its outstanding public school system whose top priority is student achievement and meeting the needs of the whole child. We support great schools with our tax dollars, our time, and our attention.

Our public schools are first and foremost a place to educate our children. Yet they benefit many other people. Home buyers and sellers pay close attention to school quality. As a result, strong schools enhance property values. Arlington’s economic development officials know that the quality of our schools is a key factor in where businesses choose to locate. School facilities serve as the home of many community programs as well.

There are many factors that contribute to the success of our schools. One of those factors is having sufficient classroom capacity. I am pleased that during my time as School Board Chair we have worked cooperatively with the County Board to address our capacity challenges.

Another key to school success is creating an atmosphere conducive to learning. We have outstanding teachers and principals who make that possible in Arlington. We work hard to recruit and retain top notch educators. Where schools are of high quality, students and parents value stability – there is pleasure in seeing familiar faces as a new school year begins.

As Board Chair, I looked at ways to enhance our ability to attract and retain talented educators. Considering my own personal experiences as a mother who has worked all of my adult life as well as conversations I have had over the course of my career as an educator, I chose paid parental leave as an important initiative. I am pleased that APS now offers two weeks of paid parental leave.

As a school administrator, I saw the stress involved for educators – women and men – who are getting ready to welcome a new child into their home, whether by birth or by adoption. Knowing that they have some paid parental leave once they have a child reduces stress levels and helps maintain focus on the educational mission during the time leading up to childbirth or adoption.

The vast majority of our employees want to return to their school, but the early weeks welcoming a new child are incredibly important ones. Parents want to be sure that their child is healthy. They want to establish an early bond with their child. And it takes some time to develop new routines that accommodate having a new child.

Many of our employees are from two-income families and having time to make adjustments in schedules and finding childcare solutions are very important to facilitating a return to work.

Moreover, studies show that early childhood development is important to the brain development and life success of a child. And we all benefit from maximizing the number of children who develop the tools and character for life success. Through paid parental leave, vacation, and other unpaid leave options, a new parent can maximize their ability to provide a strong start for her or his child.

As a start, we are providing two weeks of paid parental leave. I hope that my successors on the School Board are able to do more. I know, for example, that the District of Columbia schools provide up to eight weeks of paid parental leave. In many other countries, they have made a decision to support longer parental leave to support mothers or fathers who are able to guide their children through the very important early months of development.

We are blessed in Arlington with the quality of our school employees. I am hopeful that our paid parental leave initiative will give them support as they do their work on behalf of our children, an additional reason to continue their service as successful educators, and help them raise their children in ways that increase the prospects of life success.

Emma Violand-Sanchez will complete her service on the Arlington County School Board in December after serving as Chair during the 2015-16 school year. Emma joined the Board in January 2009 and previously served as Chair during the 2012-13 school year. She is a career educator and has lived in Arlington since 1978.