Official Statement of Endorsement
of the Arlington Education Association
"Mr. Fishtahler has decades of experience advocating for students and educators in Arlington County.
He has valuable experience on the ground, teaching in Arlington Public Schools.
Mr. Fishtahler has spent his life in public service through his
career at NASA and serving in an educator union himself.
It is clear that Mr. Fishtahler understands the challenges faced by
Arlington Public Schools and has a dedicated plan to solving them."
"El Sr. Fishtahler tiene décadas de experiencia en la defensa de los estudiantes y educadores
en el condado de Arlington. Tiene una valiosa experiencia sobre el campo educativo,
enseñando en las escuelas públicas de Arlington.
El Sr. Fishtahler ha pasado su vida en el servicio público a través de su carrera
en la NASA y sirviendo él mismo en un sindicato de maestros.
Está claro que el Sr. Fishtahler comprende los desafíos que enfrentan las
Escuelas Públicas de Arlington y tiene un plan específico para resolverlos."
Send a Teacher to the School Board -
They Need One
Larry is a certified teacher - post-COVID teaching Physics and Earth Science at W-L and Wakefield for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners.
Re-endorse Larry, he has unparalleled breadth and depth of experience - 30 years of service for APS:
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Successful advocacy for inclusion, equity and academic success for students of color as LULAC Council 4046 liaison to APS, and in collaboration with the NAACP
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Proven leadership including as Chair of the Science Advisory Committee, co-Chair of the Advisory Council on Instruction, and an elected President of the County Council of PTAs
We made real progress in closing achievement gaps and rising outcomes for everyone. For his work, Larry received an APS Honored Citizen award.
Larry is the partner of Elva Verastegui, a retired Yorktown Spanish teacher. Elva and Larry are the parents of Eduardo and Camila, K-12 APS grads - our experience with parenting through high school is important.
Larry is experienced in governance from his work on NASA programs at the highest levels: at the Space Station Program Office, and on Climate Change Research at Goddard's Earth Science Directorate.
We have serious work to do: reduce class sizes, make educator workload and stress manageable, retain and recruit teachers, address inequitable Learning and Socialization Loss, budget constraints, etc.
"The role of School Board should not be a part-time job - not now. I can, and I will devote myself full-time with the same intensity I am known for in my teaching."
Larry knows our schools and knows how it feels to be in the classroom working with students. Larry understands the burden that our teachers and students are carrying. He is the most qualified candidate for the School Board. Our educators have spoken - they chose Larry - show them that their voice matters.
Full Website In Progress!
Thank you for your patience while I put meat on the bones.
Helpful Voter Links, Tips, and Transcripts
Click on these helpful links to help understand my platform and this years electoral process
SEPTA Questionnaire
March 24, 2024
The Arlington Special Education PTA issued a questionnaire and collected our responses. In this PDF are all my answers to their ten questions relating to students with disabilities and the special education community.
ArlDems / AYD Forum
April 16, 2024
ArlDems / AYD Intro
April 16, 2024
The Arlington Young Dems hosted a forum where the School Board candidates responded to questions on a variety of topics including the
APS budget, capitol improvement projects, and drugs in schools.
((NOTE: Transcript incomplete as the host's forum recording was cut short))
In an email notification for the forum above, the ArlDems Latino Caucus provided a short bio for each of the School Board candidates.
NAACP Forum
April 15, 2024
The NAACP Arlington Branch held a forum for the School Board candidates with a focus on learning loss, closing achievement gaps, and providing equity. A full transcript will be made available as soon as they post the recording, but until then the NAACP Bio for myself, as well as my opening and closing statements are available for your review.
Sierra Club Questionnaire
April 3, 2024
The Sierra Club - Potomac River Group issued a questionnaire with prompts focusing on climate change, sustainability, and environmental concerns and goals and how they factor into APS operations.
((NOTE: For more information on Arlington County’s Community Energy Plan (CEP) and Clean Energy Plan Implementation Roadmap visit their webpage.))
Get in Touch
Feel free to share your questions or comments. Don't worry, you won't be added to a mailing list. As a believer in transparency and communication,
I will respond within 48 hours.