Republican Women of Clifton

The Sixth Annual Membership Tea of the Republican Women of Clifton, held at the home of First Vice President Alice Butler-Short on March 24, was a huge success! Over sixty members and potential members attended the tea. It was a grand sit-down affair and ten guests signed up to become members of the club. RWC membership is open to both residents and non-residents of Clifton.

The keynote speaker was Star Parker who is one of the names on the short list mentioned when anyone speaks of national black conservative leaders. Star has established herself as a thoughtful and energetic leader in Washington DC and in the national conservative movement as well as a powerful writer. She is frequently seen on Fox News on the Hannity and O’Reilly shows. Her talk was informative, inspirational and entertaining. Star left everyone wanting more!

The club President, Marianne Gearhart, welcomed VIP guests: former First Lady of Virginia Susan Allen; Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; and Martha Ann Alito, wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Also recognized by Marianne were three former Presidents of the club, Elizabeth Schultz recently elected to the Fairfax School Board, Terrie Rollins, and Lynn Falk.

As a parent of four children in the Fairfax County Public School system, I applaud the efforts of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and members of the General Assembly for working to improve the quality of public education in our state (“With assembly control, GOP pushing through its agenda,” Web, Feb. 13).

Having both a kindergartner and a high school senior who is headed off to college in the fall, I know the importance of a good education, and Fairfax County undoubtedly has one of the best education systems in the country. Mr. McDonnell continues to strive for excellence as he implements measures that will both enhance teachers’ professional development by rewarding good teachers and train others so that they will reach our high academic standards.

Integrating technology into the curriculum and replacing permanent contract status for teachers and administrators with term contracts will help us reach this goal.

Our public school teachers and administration are second to none. They are dedicated, hardworking, compassionate and do a phenomenal job educating our students and preparing them for college or the workforce. Effective professional development of our educators, combined with implementation of term contracts that require fair but firm performance review, are the best ways to ensure our public school students are receiving the education they need in order to successfully compete in a demanding, challenging and increasingly globalized economy.

Congratulations to Mr. McDonnell and members of the General Assembly for courageously making these important and necessary reforms.

LAURA MURPHY

Fairfax Station