Photos
A school board candidate has been removed from the board of Fairfax County Council of PTAs due to alleged improper use of her position to further her campaign.
At-large school board candidate Sheree Brown-Kaplan was removed from the Fairfax County Council of PTAs executive board last month, after recipients of an email reportedly complained, the president confirmed Thursday morning.
The council’s president, Ramona Morrow, said in an email Brown-Kaplan sent a letter soliciting support for her campaign to emails she obtained either through her position as the special education chair or through the “specialedfairfax” Yahoo! Group listserv, of which she is the moderator.
Brown-Kaplan, who said she has been involved with the special education committee since about 2005, maintained that she did nothing wrong.
“I wrote people I had contact with over the years and the FCCPTA does not ‘own’ every contact I made,” said Brown-Kaplan in an email.
Morrow said Virginia PTA and the council’s bylaws prevent the organization or any members acting in their official capacity from participating in a political campaign, “including the publishing or distributing of statements.”
The bylaws would apply to those members acting in favor or against a candidate for any political office. The regulations also apply to residents who hold offices in local school PTA chapters.
Morrow also said IRS 501(3)c rules forbid non-profit organizations such as theirs from involving themselves in political campaigns.
“A fine or loss of our 501(3)c status would be devastating to our organization,” she said.
After the council received five written complaints about Brown-Kaplan’s actions, the FCCPTA Board held an emergency meeting on June 30th to vote on a motion to remove her from the board.
Morrow said the board asked Brown-Kaplan if she wanted to resign, but she said no. She was allowed to make a statement in her defense.
"We didn't do this very lightly. Believe me, I do not think Sheree thought she was doing anything wrong," said Morrow in an interview.
Brown-Kaplan said the email was sent from a personal email account, not her special education committee email. She argued she was not acting in her “official capacity” as special education chair.
“A lot of people come to me for advice. If you come to me for advice would I be giving you FCCPTA advice?” Brown-Kaplan asked. “If that advice turned out to be wrong who would be responsible?”
The email Brown-Kaplan sent, which was dated June 7, 2011, Morrow said had the following line:
"You’ve known me a long time through our work together on special education issues in my role as chair of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs (FCCPTA) Special Education Committee."
Morrow said members of the FCCPTA, Virginia PTA, and National PTA felt the sentence whether intentionally or not showed Brown-Kaplan was using her role as special education chair to promote her campaign.
Morrow said during their discussion some argued that the initial complaints “could be politically motivated.”
Brown-Kaplan said she doesn’t doubt that the complaints and her subsequent removal were about politics.
“Isn’t this interesting that it’s coming out less than a week before the endorsement process?” she asked. “It’s just too much of a coincidence.”
But Virginia PTA president Debi Abadie said PTAs have to tread carefully when their members become involved in local politics.
“We are non-partisan. We have to consider all points of view,” said Abadie.
Abadie said she couldn’t recall another candidate who was removed from a local PTA board for getting involved in a political campaign.
She said PTA board members who run for political office “will generally will run their campaign but remove themselves from the office.”
Abadie said the Virginia PTA will vote tonight on a memorandum that provides guidelines for local PTAs on what members can and cannot do in regards to political campaigns.
The Fairfax County Republican Committee is scheduled to vote on whether they will endorse her candidacy on July 20th.
“In the end, the action the FCCPTA took is really not relevant to this campaign,” said Brown-Kaplan. “These tactics aren’t going to work. Parents don’t want political tricks or dirty politics. They want a quality education for their kids.”
John Farrell
4:25 pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011
Is it true that a member of FCPS central office staff voted on this issue?
Concerned Parent
5:41 pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011
Yes it is true. I have also heard that Mrs. Morrow didn't even have a conversation with Mrs. Brown-Kaplan before asking her to resign. Talk about getting involved in politics!
Volunteer
10:40 am on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
At the June FCCPTA Board meeting, the FCCPTA President specifically addressed the rules on running for school board. She explained that the issue is delicate for someone currently serving in the PTA. Including past PTA experience in a letter is fine. She asked anyone considering running for the FCPS Board to be very careful and not associate a political campaign with a currently held PTA position, explaining that would be a violation jeopardizing our non-profit status. Why can one not include a current PTA experience in a campaign? Because it implies that the PTA is endorsing the candidate and would violate the non-profit status of the organization per our by-laws.
The following day, Ms. Brown-Kaplan sent her campaign letter seeking support and donations via email announcing the letter recipients would know her through her current position as FCCPTA Special Education Chair. Including her currently held position was in obvious conflict with the information provided to the Board in the meeting the evening before.
Volunteer
1:40 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
In a conversation with Ms. Brown-Kaplan, the FCCPTA president asked her to resign. She refused. Thus, the President called a special Board meeting on June 30th. She presented the case that Ms. Brown-Kaplan had violated the FCCPTA Bylaws. The President again asked Ms. Brown-Kaplan to resign, but she refused. Thus, a motion was put forth and seconded to remove Ms. Brown-Kaplan as the FCCPTA Special Education Chair. Ms. Brown-Kaplan had ample time to respond to the written allegations and present her side. There was discussion and debate. A vote was held resulting in Ms. Brown-Kaplan’s removal by majority vote.
Catherine
1:51 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
To Volunteer - Don't you think voters are sophisticated enough to know the difference between someone's association with a group and when a group has officially endorsed a person? Voters in this area are quite intelligent and perhaps you are not giving them the credit they deserve. There are few organizations I know of that take FCCPTA's stranglehold approach to what their members can and cannot do. One would think FCCPTA would be proud to have one of their members seeking office. That member can be a lot more effective as an elected official to the interests of that organization. It is very disturbing FCCPTA took this as far as they did. The fact that FCPS has decision-making power within FCCPTA is very telling, however.
Volunteer
2:07 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Catherine, yes, the Fairfax voters are intelligent. You are supporting some excellent candidates for office as well. This situation is unfortunate. The situation, however, has nothing to do with the FCPS administration. PTA volunteers should be able to put their experience on their resumes and shout proudly and loud about it -- if it is PAST experience. If I were to run for office, I could put my past experience on my resume but not my present experience. Otherwise, as stated earlier, it would appear as an endorsement from the PTA, which it would and could not be. That's the problem. Promoting current experience violates the by-laws. Ms. Brown could have stepped down and then she absolutely could have (and absolutely should have) included her experience on her resume. She had every right to be proud of her experience. Unfortunately, she violated the by-laws.
Concerned Parent
4:04 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Volunteer, if the FCCPTA President said candidates for office can't include their current PTA position in their campaign materials, she was wrong. The FCCPTA president said nothing about current PTA positions, however. She cautioned against using the FCCPTA email addresses and/or signing campaign materials with the volunteer's FCCPTA signature. Sheree followed those instructions, as did one of the candidates who sought the Democratic party endorsement. He is a PTA leader, had not resigned his positions and referenced them in his fundraising materials and candidate bio/CV. Another "fact" you have wrong: the nonprofit status of the organization is not jeopardized in the bylaws, it's jeopardized by violating IRS regulations.
And, too bad the FCCPTA president never talked to Ms. Brown-Kaplan as you suggest. Ah, what are a few FACTS when it's so much easier to make things up? Who told you there was a conversation?
You were obviously at the FCCPTA meetings. Again, it's too bad you weren't actually listening to the discussion and debate. No one ever accused Ms. Brown-Kaplan of violating the bylaws. Why spin it that way now?
Volunteer
10:52 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Concerned parent -- you are right. The President did discuss that there needs to be a complete wall between contacts gained while a PTA member and personal contacts. Another problem was with the contact list. Several complainants stated that the only way Ms. Brown-Kaplan could possibly have their email contact was through her role as the FCCPTA Special Education Chair. They mentioned they had no personal relationship with her and only knew her through her PTA role. Others mentioned they had never met her. Unfortunately, Ms. Brown crossed over that line. Again, had there not been a meeting about it, she could have easily have been warned about it. Since there had been, the majority of the Board (based on merely looking at the vote) felt differently.
Catherine
7:27 pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011
Read more about issue at my blog: www.RedAppleMom.wordpress.com. FCPS clearly is afraid of this very effective parent volunteer. Honestly, a PTA "firing" a parent volunteer? Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous FCCPTA should write themselves some guidelines about not getting too involved with FCPS for one. It's incredible that FCPS even has voting power on the FCCPTA. THAT is just wrong!
Lorraine
7:31 pm on Friday, July 15, 2011
I was a member of the Yahoo! group listserv that Sheree managed. She sent me an e-mail requesting campaign contributions. When I objected to this, and told her that I thought this was a misuse of the e-mail addresses she had access to as moderator, she kicked me off the group. She has since taken over the listserv, and I don't think she has posted a notice to the members that it is no longer authorized by FCCPTA. This is not a situation where someone is a victim of a system. This is not a situation where FCPS put pressure on FCCPTA. What it is, is an example of someone misusing and abusing a position of authority and trust. Just because someone has been an effective volunteer does not mean that they are above standards of behavior.
Dobby24
8:38 pm on Friday, July 15, 2011
I also received a letter and I have had no contact with Ms. Kaplan other than signing up as a Special Education rep. for the PTA. I didn't write a letter but I wish I had. I find it very interesting that she and others who two months ago were huge PTA supporters now trash it because it's convenient. I find it extremely hypocritical that Sheree was willing to risk the non profit status and FCCPTA's charter for her own personal gain. She should have resigned immediately because THAT is what is in the best interest those that the PTA serves, the students. Shame on all of you who are trying to spin this as something it's not. You definitely do not speak for me or any body I've talked to about this. Stop being hypocrites.
Catherine
10:18 pm on Friday, July 15, 2011
So what - you received an email/letter/solicitation you didn't want. So delete it. Whoppee. This was not an abuse of any position as Sheree Brown-Kaplan sent this from her own email and DID NOT use her FCCPTA title and/or address. Listen - running for School Board is a difficult and expensive undertaking. They can't afford radio and television ads. They can barely afford direct mail advertising and yard signs. Cut these people a break and let them send emails to other people who are familiar with School Board issues who MAY want to get involved. If you don't, delete the solicitation. Bottom line - FCCPTA ought to be ashamed that they now have a reputation for firing parent volunteers. That IS shameful. No rules or "laws" or policies were broken here. It may smell bad, but it doesn't make it wrong.
Volunteer
2:15 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
As stated before, the by-laws were broken. That's something that should not be taken lightly by any Board. You're right that running for the School Board is difficult and expensive. Best of luck to your candidates!
Maria Allen
5:26 pm on Saturday, July 16, 2011
This affair won't help school PTA's around the county win the respect of parents that they are struggling to recruit. Sheree asked parents that she has worked with and served for years to support her campaign for school board. What is wrong with this? It is precisely Sheree's tireless work as chair of the special education committee and her knowledge of special education issues that make her an excellent school board candidate, so of course she would mention her position as committee chair. With all due respect to the FCCPTA, this isn't how you treat a dedicated volunteer.
Volunteer
2:11 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The situation is unfortunate. Ms. Brown-Kaplan was a devoted volunteer who did much good work. No one took this lightly. The FCCPTA Board, however, is filled with many committed volunteers who spend countless hours to improve FCPS. We are very interested in the Honors versus AP issue, the SLEEP, Safe Routes to School, School Nutrition, Student Health and Safety and many more.
There are important reasons to have PTAs versus PTOs. I, for one, will support the PTAs and I see the good work they do.
Dobby24
2:06 pm on Sunday, July 17, 2011
Catherine, Actually rules and policies have been broken and I find it interesting that both you and Ms. Allen are spinning it otherwise. Aren't the two of you big "transparency" advocates, at least that's what you've said in the past. Sheree violated the rules pertaining to Section 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Organizations of the Internal Revenue Code, also Article IV, Section 3 of FCCPTA Bylaws and Article III, Paragraph 6 of the Virginia PTA Bylaws. In addition she did not send it out to "parents that she has worked with". I was just a name with an email on a list generated by the FCCPTA and I had no other previous contact with her. I did not submit info to her "own personal contact list" so to say otherwise is a lie. Also another Special Ed Rep. who got the letter happened to be at a forum where she spoke about how politically active she was and various campaigns she had worked/lobbied for so to say that she didn't know what she was doing is also a lie. The only good thing to come of this is that I had no previous opinions about who I was going to vote for before. I do now, Ms. Kaplan seems to have some serious character flaws and I would definitely not want her or her supporters, including all the campaigns that are run by the "Red Apple Mom", representing my family on the School Board.
Catherine
4:09 pm on Sunday, July 17, 2011
I beg to differ on your "spin" of "the facts." The fact is that one person demanded that FCCPTA vote on this issue before FCCPTA ever received any official clarification from the IRS on the interpretation of the IRS code. So what you have here is one single person making allegations based on his interpretion of the code. And as far as I know, this person does not work for the IRS and is in no position to be dispensing legal interperations of such codes to FCCPTA leaders. Therefore, no action should have been taken against Ms. Brown-Kaplan. It is important to note that eight FCCPTA Executive Board members disagreed with her removal. Lastly, you bet I support transparency and continually advocate for these principles. I also support justice and find this type of witch hunt - especially by a respected organization like the FCCPTA - to be nothing short of disgusting. As I stated in my blog, FCCPTA has done itself a great disservice here. Is it any wonder so many PTA's are becoming PTO's? Parents are tired of this nonsense. These elections should be about what is best for our students, teachers and taxpayers - not this type of nonsense!
Volunteer
1:58 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The FCCPTA President did, in fact, seek counsel. Both the Virginia and National PTAs reviewed Ms. Brown-Kaplan's campaign letter and advised the FCCPTA that she should be removed in an effort to protect the membership should IRS investigate the situation. She consulted several experts, including a non-profit attorney, who counseled the FCCPTA of the wrong doing by Ms. Brown-Kaplan and strongly suggestion they take immediate action to protect their 501(c) 3 non-profit status.
Carmen
7:19 pm on Sunday, July 17, 2011
I have known of Ms. Kaplan's "tireless advocacy" for students with disabilities for many years now, and these latest incidents are in keeping with what I know of her and her actions. She said that she is interested in serving families in Fairfax County, but my experience has been that she’s only interested in serving herself. A little over a year ago, the FCPTA vigorously defended her as their representative on the Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities, citing in particular her commitment to Roberts’ Rules in carrying out committee business. Yet they could not get her to do what’s customary and step down prior to pursuing an elected office, threatening their non-profit status. And now Ms. Kaplan, and her surrogates such as RedAppleMom, speak tirelessly against the PTA. Did the eight people who support her on the FCPTA do so because they believe her or because they fear the damage she can do when she publicly accuses organizations and individuals of what she now accuses the FCPTA? This issue is about whether or not Ms. Kaplan believes in following the rules just as much as she believes others should. I am saddened that others should see Ms. Kaplan as the public face of advocates for special education when so many of us follow the very rules we ask others to abide by.
Concerned Parent
4:14 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Carmen, you certainly know of what you speak when you accuse others of serving themselves. The FCCPTA didn't ask Ms. Brown-Kaplan to step down prior to announcing her candidacy because it is not required by the organization, just as they did not ask one other FCCPTA board member to step down after his announcement. Since some of us have seen the distribution list used as well as the list serve list Ms. Kaplan was accused of abusing as FCCPTA property, we would naturally believe the facts.
warwick
9:33 pm on Sunday, July 17, 2011
Clearly Dobby24 didn't pass a bar examination. Simply noting in one's email that you've known them from FCCPTA or wherever is not a violation of any IRS regulation.
Are you saying that one can never state they headed a PTA committee for the rest of their lives without placing that organization at risk? I haven't seen any candidate for any office not mention public service, offices held, etc. It provides the potential voter a better understanding of the individual's qualifications--in this case, service that is clearly relevant.
Since the email appeared on a listserv that the PTA does not control nor operate, Ms. Brown Kaplan did not violate any IRS restriction.
The Executive Committee did not obtain a ruling from counsel--a few hundred dollars certainly is not going to set the group back--and, instead, ran scared of a deadline set by the complainant, Scott Campbell.
Interestingly, the complaint came only after the subcommittee Ms. Brown Kaplan headed did not choose him for an ACSD office.
Carmen
7:00 am on Monday, July 18, 2011
I don't see warwick's law degree posted on this either. Warwick's comments are indicative of the slipper arguments made by Ms. Kaplan and her surrogates. When Ms. Kaplan sent the solicitation, she was the Special Education representative on the FCPTA. She did not speak of a prior association, she spoke very much in the present tense of what was then her position, and therefore gave the impression that she was acting in an official capacity. That is the issue and the violation of the rules that Dobby24 mentions. To talk about the possible reasons for why someone might bring up the complaint (without mentioning that several letters were received by the FCPTA), is just smoke and mirrors to obscure the fact that whatever motivated the complaints, Ms. Kaplan violated the rules, period.
Concerned Parent
4:22 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
What's most sickening about this "article" and the commentary is how the FCCPTA Facebook page is linked to it. But there was nothing personal about their decision! Where are the links to Donna St. George's wonderful series about school discipline, supported by several positions adopted by the FCCPTA, but at times potentially critical of FCPS? Is there really an effort to inform PTA members, or to further some other, hidden agenda?
Contrary to an earlier comment....FCCPTA volunteers aren't "working countless hours to improve FCPS." At least, they're not if they're following the bylaws. Maybe you need to reread the purpose and mission of the PTA because it is not to improve the school system.
Volunteer
10:42 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Absolutely the PTA stands for getting involved and improving the schools. The belief is on the FCCPTA homepage under “commitment.” Commitment: We are dedicated to promoting children's health, well-being, and educational success through strong parent, family, and community involvement.
Volunteer
10:58 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Regarding the first question -- does anyone from FCPS administration have a vote on the Board? Yes, there is one voting member (out of over 20 voting members). Principals/teachers regularly vote on PTA boards on the school level. A principal generally has the right to vote on the PTA Board or to assign a representative to do so.
Scott
12:58 pm on Thursday, July 21, 2011
This is a simple issue made complex by the candidate's apparent lack of understanding of the issue. Regardless of the PTA's laws, it looks odd if a PTA board member is also running for the school board. It looks like a conflict of interest. She should have exhibited better judgement and resigned from the PTA board when she decided to run for an elected position.
Jeanne O.
2:47 pm on Thursday, July 21, 2011
Scott, I don't understand how being a PTA board member is a conflict of interest when running for School Board. Also, should there be a distinction between FCCPTA board members and individual school PTA board members? I thought the question was whether she used resources gained through her position on the PTA board to advocate her school board race. I know the PTA president at my daughter's elementary school is running for School Board. I have no problem with her running for office and being PTA president, other than I wish her luck because she is taking on a lot of extra work! I must say, however, that she has NOT used our PTA email list to solicit anything.
John Farrell
1:54 pm on Thursday, July 21, 2011
This exchange gets more strange by the minute.
Janie Strauss sits on the board of a private school which I assume has a 501c3 status. Does her campaigning for a non-partisan seat on the school board with FCDC's endorsement threaten the 501c3 status of the private school?
If you serve as a member of the Trustees of your church, will continued service as trustee during your campaign threaten the church's tax exempt status?
Having served on the board of any number of 501c3 organizations, been the national president of Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, and advised many 501c3 organizations, the restrictions the PTA is imposing on it's board members exceed any reasonable understanding of the IRS Code that I've ever read, written or heard.
The Tax Code prohibits the organization from explicitly endorsing a candidate. That's it. 501c3 can and do endorse positions on issues of public policy all the time.
Where is the Revenue Ruling that upholds this extreme view that service on a charity's board during the board members campaign costs the organization its status?
cont.
John Farrell
2:25 pm on Thursday, July 21, 2011
PTA and its subsidaries are free to adopt whatever reasonable by-laws they wish and whether those by-laws prevent a sitting board member from seeking public office can only be discerned through review of those by-laws which have not been included in any of these comments.
There is no conflict of interest in any sitting board member of any public charity (aka 501c3) from running for public office, especially a non-partisan office. Without more, that allegation in this circumstance is reckless.
Unauthorized use of an e-mail list is troubling assuming the aggregator has adopted clear rules on use adopted by person's with access to the list. It's hardly a "firing" offense in these particular circumstances.
It would have been better if the FCPS staffer had not participated in a vote affecting a PTA Board member who has been critical of FCPS's performance relative to special education students.
What's troubling is that in my year's of service to 501c3's, these kinds of disputes often are pursued to advanced vendettas against the alleged transgressors by their adversaries either in the campaign or within the organization.
I certainly hope that is not the case here.
Maria Allen
12:53 am on Friday, July 22, 2011
I stumbled upon a website called "Nonpartisan Advocacy" that specifically addresses this and related issues.
http://www.npaction.org/article/articleview/396/1/276
"Though 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations cannot take sides in elections for public office, the leadership, board, and staff retain their First Amendment rights and ability to directly engage as individuals in campaign-related activity-- so long as their actions are not attributed to the charity by the IRS. (Fall 2003 publication; PDF, 3 pages)"
Truth Teller
4:59 pm on Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sheree touts community and parent involvement while stealing the Special Ed Fairfax email list serv from the Fairfax County Council of PTAs after she was REMOVED from their board for unethical behavior. It was one of the primary means for parents of special education children to comunicate in Fairfax County. It was started and used by those parents for years until she unethically spammed parents for political contributions, while "acting" as the sole moderator of that list. She did what she was supposed to prevent others from doing as the moderator. When the parents objected, she removed them from the list and then stole the whole thing for her own personal use in a continuance of her usual pattern of vindictive behavior. She is simply a thief and a liar. Ethics- YES! Sheree- ABSOLUTELY NOT!
John Farrell
5:11 pm on Sunday, October 16, 2011
Really 3 months later and this comment has any relevance?
Turns out Sheree was the subject of a smear by another parent who wanted her slot on the SB Spec Ed. committee and the FCCPTA allowed the smear to succeed.
It's exactly this kind of nonsense that undermines FCCPTA's credibility as effective advocates for kids and makes them look like sycophants for Gatehouse.
Shame on the FCCPTA for allowing themselves to be used this way.
Will Radle
5:21 pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
As an Independent candidate for Fairfax County Chairman, I hope to help bring our community together in honoring our highest values and investing in our highest priorities.
Thank you for your consideration.
A. Will Radle, Jr. (I)
Independent Candidate for Chairman,
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
FairfaxAdvocates@gmail.com
YouTube.com/WillRadle1
571-358-9711
Michele Menapace
11:13 pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I am the former recording secretary and president of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs. I have conducted a search of the minutes I took and those issued during my complete tenure on the FCCPTA board, which goes back nearly a decade. I cannot find and do not recall any reference to a vote by the FCCPTA Board approving the formation or authorizing the use of SpecialEdFairfax as an official FCCPTA effort. There is nothing about how it would be administered. No records show the Board asking for details about how the list serve was run, including limitations or restrictions. The Board regularly applauded the efforts made by the FCCPTA Special Education Committee and its chairs, including Margaret Fisher and Sheree Brown-Kaplan. There was no control exerted over the work the chairs elected to pursue individually. It was all self-generated based on the level of interest by each successive chair, and the FCCPTA did not put a claim on any personal initiative of its volunteers.
Truth Teller
11:19 am on Friday, October 21, 2011
Ah, Michele! I would expect nothing less than spinning of lies and useless information from Sheree's campaign manager. A campaign in which ethical behavior and doing the right thing seem to be foreign concepts. The SpecialEdFairfax email list serv was developed by the two previous chairs of the FCCPTA Special Education Committee for use originally by the local Special Education PTA representatives at each school (hence the name of it) for years, and everyone viewed it as such. Until Sheree was removed from the FCCPTA board and stole the list serv as its sole moderator, it was also clearly referenced on the FCCPTA website for that purpose. So, do the ethical right thing and return the list serv to its rightful, historic owner, or continue do deny the truth in Sheree’s usual pattern of vindictive and spiteful behavior. Doing the right thing is really not that hard; Sheree should try it someday