Really appreciated the school-board piece Dear Adele and Martin, Not gonna lie — school-board work sessions aren’t usually on my radar. But there I was yesterday, coffee in hand, reading your latest piece on the board updating their norms and protocols, and I couldn’t stop. (We have grandkids in the public school system, so suddenly I care a lot more!) As a brand-new subscriber who’s only just started poking around your archives, I have to say: thank you. The Advance is exactly the kind of local journalism I’ve been missing. Straightforward, no spin, just enough quotes and details that I felt like I was sitting in the back row of the meeting myself. You made “unfinished work” feel like an invitation instead of a complaint, and that’s a gift. Reading it felt like walking into a coffee shop where everybody already knows each other and is talking about the city they love. I’m the guy from Minnesota who married a Fredericksburg native, moved here years ago, and is finally paying better attention — especially now that we’re part of Grace Fellowship Church (right downtown near UMW, where our granddaughter goes to college). Your article spotlighted words like humility, stewardship, and grace, and it got me wondering out loud: as the board keeps shaping these norms, how could they tap even more of a local church's wisdom (we love this city) so the rules don’t just make the system run smoother, but actually help it feel more life-giving for our kids and families and future? I love that “public service with grace” line — could that open real doors for partnerships that reflect the best hopes we all have for peace and flourishing in FXBG? Anyway, thanks for sparking good thoughts and for doing work that makes conversations like this possible. I’d love to know the simplest way for regular folks to stay in the loop (or even show up) as this keeps unfolding. Gratefully,
Dave
New subscriber, proud Spotsy resident, grandparent of grade school students. P.S. Keep the coffee-shop vibe coming — I’ll keep reading.
Really solid reporting. The personal email vs school-issued account tension is fascinatng because it shows how governance norms collide with practical workflow preferences. Kay's point about needing consistent access while traveling is legit, but the FOIA burden this creates for staff is real overhead that compounds with every request. The broader issue here is that without uniform communication protocols, the board cant operate transparently even if individual members are acting in good faith.
Really appreciated the school-board piece Dear Adele and Martin, Not gonna lie — school-board work sessions aren’t usually on my radar. But there I was yesterday, coffee in hand, reading your latest piece on the board updating their norms and protocols, and I couldn’t stop. (We have grandkids in the public school system, so suddenly I care a lot more!) As a brand-new subscriber who’s only just started poking around your archives, I have to say: thank you. The Advance is exactly the kind of local journalism I’ve been missing. Straightforward, no spin, just enough quotes and details that I felt like I was sitting in the back row of the meeting myself. You made “unfinished work” feel like an invitation instead of a complaint, and that’s a gift. Reading it felt like walking into a coffee shop where everybody already knows each other and is talking about the city they love. I’m the guy from Minnesota who married a Fredericksburg native, moved here years ago, and is finally paying better attention — especially now that we’re part of Grace Fellowship Church (right downtown near UMW, where our granddaughter goes to college). Your article spotlighted words like humility, stewardship, and grace, and it got me wondering out loud: as the board keeps shaping these norms, how could they tap even more of a local church's wisdom (we love this city) so the rules don’t just make the system run smoother, but actually help it feel more life-giving for our kids and families and future? I love that “public service with grace” line — could that open real doors for partnerships that reflect the best hopes we all have for peace and flourishing in FXBG? Anyway, thanks for sparking good thoughts and for doing work that makes conversations like this possible. I’d love to know the simplest way for regular folks to stay in the loop (or even show up) as this keeps unfolding. Gratefully,
Dave
New subscriber, proud Spotsy resident, grandparent of grade school students. P.S. Keep the coffee-shop vibe coming — I’ll keep reading.
Here for the school board reports
Really solid reporting. The personal email vs school-issued account tension is fascinatng because it shows how governance norms collide with practical workflow preferences. Kay's point about needing consistent access while traveling is legit, but the FOIA burden this creates for staff is real overhead that compounds with every request. The broader issue here is that without uniform communication protocols, the board cant operate transparently even if individual members are acting in good faith.