School Board Update

Dear Friends,

We are in a very busy season on the School Board, preparing to approve a budget for FY2013, reviewing student discipline policies, preparing for graduation ceremonies and a myriad of other issues.

Budget: We are scheduled to approve the $2.4 billion budget at our regular meeting on Thursday, with the key issue being employee raises. We are having to grapple with a new requirement by the state to have employees pay more contributions to their retirement plan and to give them equal salary increases to cover that cost. But the Board also wants to provide our teachers and other dedicated employees a real increase in their paychecks, particularly when for two of the last three years their salaries were frozen.

            The Board of Supervisors provided a 4.5% increased transfer over last year versus the 8.4% increase we requested, so we must reconcile that difference, as well. Much of the increase will go simply to increased enrollment at our schools.

            I am hoping that my amendment to eliminate athletic fees, approved as part of our package in February, will stay in and that we can remove this extra burden from high school families. I also will offer an amendment to increase the amount of summer school or other extended learning time for our neediest students.

Later High School Start Times: The Board, in a 10-to-2 vote, approved my Resolution setting a Board goal of starting high schools after 8 am to help students get the sleep they so desperately need and currently aren't getting. Changing our 7:20 am start times (with bus pickups starting at 5:45 am) is important to the physical, mental and academic health of our adolescent students. The Youth Risk Survey shows that two-thirds of our adolescent students get 7 or less hours of sleep per school night, far less than the 9 hours research shows they need for good health and to be ready to learn. Research also shows that most teen students, who are biologically on a later sleep cycle than adults, do use the extra time for sleeping rather than just staying up later.

            The goal won't affect start times immediately--that is, not this fall--but sets us on a path to explore the best options for future years. The Resolution calls on Superintendent Dale to bring us information on June 11 about how other jurisdictions have achieved later high school start times, how they have arranged bus schedules and worked sports around their later end times.          

            The Board realizes how important sports and other extracurriculars are to students, so that is one of the key areas we'll be looking at as we move forward. (Loudoun and Arlington counties have later high school start times, for example, but do have the same sports we have.)

             Once we receive the information in June, we will consider our next steps. Throughout the process, we will need to have public engagement on what works best for our students and families as we look for ways to provide a healthier schedule. To see the Resolution and hear the discussion, here is a link:

Item: 4.01 Resolution on the goal of the Fairfax County School Board to start high schools after 8 a.m.  

URL:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8T3CVB32C9C8    

School To End for Students June 15: The Board voted to end school for students on June 15, eliminating June 18 and 19 as student days. At the same time, we agreed that these should be designated teacher work days to give teachers the time they need to close out the school year.

Student Discipline/Parent Notification: We will be reviewing student discipline issues at our June 7 regular Board meeting when we approve Student Rights and Responsibilities. We made positive changes last year to our policies, and I hope we can make more this year.

             I plan to offer an amendment to strengthen parent notification when a student finds him or herself in serious trouble at school. I'll be talking with parents, principals, administrators and my colleagues on the best way to achieve the earliest involvement of parents in these serious cases while also ensuring safety at our schools.

             I also support efforts to further reduce the amount of time that students are out of school pending the resolution of their discipline cases. Another issue is the length and complexity of the SR&R, which has grown a great deal over the years.

Stuart High School Principal Retirement/Selection:

Congratulations to Principal Pam Jones on her retirement after 33 years at Stuart High School. A hearty thank-you to Ms. Jones for her years of dedicated service to this wonderful school.

           The process for choosing the next Stuart principal has started, including a community meeting on May 15 at Stuart, which I attended. A panel that includes parents and school staff will meet with qualified candidates on June 6, and a new principal will be selected with the help of the input from that panel. Cluster Assistant Superintendent Dan Parris said he would like to be able to make an announcement before school ends on June 15.

           Parent and school staff input is important to this process to find the best match for the school in its next leader. Please let the school system know your views on the skills, experiences and leadership characteristics needed at Stuart, as well as challenges and issues you believe the new principal will need to address.

           You may email your input to Beth Boivin at Beth.Boivin@fcps.edu or mail it to her at Suite 1114, Gatehouse Administration Center I, 8115 Gatehouse Rd., Falls Church, VA 22042.

           Please provide input by this Tuesday, May 22.

Falls Church HS Improvements: Falls Church High School has been getting some significant improvements recently, and will be getting more this summer. The Board approved a plan to renovate bathrooms at several high schools, including FCHS, that aren't currently near the top of the queue for a renovation. Of course, I continue to work to see how we might accelerate the timing of the much-needed renovation for this school.

Mason Crest Chooses Mascot/Colors: Principal Brian Butler visited with incoming students at the four schools feeding into Mason Crest and took their votes for mascot and school colors. The results: they are the Mason Crest TIGERS and colors are red and black.

          The new school, opening in September, is looking great. Want to visit? The public is invited to tours of the new school (at 3705 Crest Dr., Annandale) at these times: 9-11 am and 5:30-7:30 pm on June 7, 12, 14, 19 and 21, as well as 9 am to 1 pm on Saturday, June 16.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Sandy 

School Board Update

 Budget, First-Period Opt-Out,  

Early End to School Year, Mason Crest ES and More! 

Dear Friends,

I hope you're enjoying the lovely spring weather we've been having! The School Board has been busy with a number of issues. Here's a rundown:

FY2013 Budget:

The School Board on Feb. 9 approved a $2.4 billion FY2013 Advertised Budget, which asks the Board of Supervisors for an 8.4% increase in our transfer, much of the rise needed just to cover the cost of a continuing increase in our number of students.

We made no cuts in the Superintendent's budget proposal, which included pay raises for teachers and other employees, more funding for extended learning time for students either during the school year or in the summer, and expansion of Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES).

The School Board added several items, directing the Superintendent to find funding for them by redirecting funds rather than adding to the transfer request. These additions included:  

--My amendment to eliminate the $100 per sport athletic fees, something I've been trying to do since I joined the Board two years ago.

--An assessment of our food services to see if we can find cost-effective ways to make school lunches fresher and healthier.

--My amendment to start recording the School Board's work sessions (held on Mondays when few community members can attend), so that people can see for themselves what happens at these meetings where major issues are discussed and decided.

--Increasing the number of substitute (field) custodians to help deal with the impact of previous cutbacks of custodians at our schools

--An early education working group to assess early literacy skills and kindergarten readiness

--A placeholder to provide more staff to support the work of the School Board, including a passion of mine--a visible Ombudsman position to help parents navigate our large system and get their issues dealt with efficiently and effectively. (Montgomery County has an Ombudsman, and I will be meeting with him soon to discuss this role)

--Printing and distributing a Parent Advocacy Handbook

The next steps are for the Board of Supervisors to tell us what our county transfer is and for us to get clarity about how much funding we will be getting from the state. Almost surely we will have to find cutbacks in the budget before approving a final version in May.

In the meantime, the Board has asked the Superintendent to bring us his recommendations on how he will fund the items the Board added and where he would suggest cutbacks when we deliberate in May. We will hold a work session on this on April 30 to hear his report. (Again, this is why we need to record these work sessions, so people could see our discussion of these crucial recommendations.)

Here's a link to budget information: http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2013.shtml

Early End to School Year?

Superintendent Dale has recommended that the school year end on Friday, June 15, rather than Tuesday, June 19. This is because, with the mild winter, we didn't use two of our snow days this year.

The School Board will see this as New Business on March 29, with a vote scheduled at our regular School Board meeting on April 12.

Your views on an early end to the school year? Please write me with your opinion at ssevans@fcps.edu.  

Mason Crest Elementary!

At long last we have a great new name for our wonderful new elementary school at the Lacey Center site, approved unanimously by the School Board on Feb. 23:  

Mason Crest Elementary.

I was very impressed with the thoughtfulness parents, students and community members gave to the naming process. A number of names were raised at the community meeting at Falls Church High School in January, but Mason Crest and Masonville emerged as the top vote getters. I asked that both be put on our agenda item, so that I could seek out more public input before the Board made its final decision. After getting quite a good response, I was confident that Mason Crest was the preferred name. It combined tradition and history with a desire to signal a fresh start.

Have a question about Mason Crest? Whether it's about Advanced Academic Programs, bell schedules, walking to school or other, a wealth of information now is available at the Mason Crest web page in its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. Check it out!

http://www.fcps.edu/masoncrestes/

Annandale High School/Mason Crest Transitions:

The boundary changes approved last summer will go into effect in the fall. Happily, those who entered AHS this school year are "grandfathered" in and won't have to change schools. If you are a Wakefield Forest or Bren Mar Park ES area parent with a rising 9th grader affected by the high school change, you should have received a letter giving you details.

One piece of information you should know is that AHS is again open for pupil placement for certain reasons. For example, if you live in the BMP area and have an older child attending AHS and would like your younger child to attend as well, you may be eligible for pupil placement, even though your younger student is scheduled to start attending Edison HS. If you live in the Bren Mar Park area and want more information about how to do this, please contact me. (Wakefield Forest ES is represented by Braddock District School Board member Megan McLaughlin.)

Elementary school parents whose students now are assigned to Mason Crest, or who are transferring from Annandale Terrace ES to Woodburn ES, should also have received a letter detailing the transition. Again, please see the link in the above section to answer a number of questions.

Opt-Out of First Period/Waiver of Full Day Schedule at High School:

The Board decided at its Feb. 13 work session to make it easier for high school students to opt out of their first period class if they can make up the credit with an online course, dual enrollment or other methods. The intention is to help at least some students get more sleep on school nights.

Right now, the very early high school start times (7:20 am) make getting adequate sleep difficult for many of our adolescent students. The Youth Risk Survey shows that two-thirds of Fairfax County teens get 7 hours or less sleep per school night, though sleep experts say they need about 9.25 hours a night for optimal health. This chronic sleep deprivation has a major impact on teen physical, mental and academic health.

As most of you know, I have advocated for later high school start times for some time now. The current schedule runs counter to adolescents' body clocks, which are on a later cycle than adults or younger siblings. I strongly believe that we must fix this too-early schedule to give relief to all of our students, so they can feel their best and do their best in school.

In the meantime, the opt-out of first period is a modest step to helping some students but is certainly no panacea. Families taking advantage of this option are responsible for getting their student  to school in time for second block classes. If you are interested in this for your student, please talk with his/her counselor.

The opt-out for online credits is also available to students who need to leave school early to go to work.

Since the school system is just getting started on this option (which has been available for some time to students with documented medical issues), please let me know if you have any questions or run into difficulties if you request the opt-out plan.

Here's a link to the Next Steps the School Board decided on:

(Look under Instruction 3.02) 

https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8RKVQB81D312/$file/02-13-12%20Meeting%20Manager.pdf

Environmental Forum, March 22:

Please join me this Thursday night at 7:30 pm at Peace Lutheran Church, 6362 Lincolnia Rd., for an Environmental Forum to discuss how to deal with litter and trash in Mason District. The Forum on this important topic is organized and sponsored by the Mason District Council. Other participants are Del. Kaye Kory, Parklawn Civic Association President Mollie Loeffler and Culmore Clean-Up Organizer Pricilla Weck.

Various Mason District clean-up efforts are planned. I'm working with the community organizers to see how they can work with our area schools to make sure we all pitch in!

Student Discipline Issues:

The Board will again be taking up student discipline policy in April. Last year we instituted some changes but will again be reviewing our policies to see if they are effective and fair.

At a recent School Board Forum, I let my colleagues know that when this comes up again I want to revisit several issues. These include:

--Parent notification procedures to see that parents are notified right away when their child is in serious trouble

--Support for students on suspension, so they're not just sitting home in empty houses doing nothing during their suspension period. We may need a "bricks and mortar" solution.

--Clarity on how we deal with marijuana possession at school. Whatever the Board decides about this, we need to get a handle on this serious concern and be consistent.

--Ways to reduce the time that students are out of school while they await the findings of their disciplinary procedures. Having students out of school for long periods helps no one.

Falls Church High School:

I'm very pleased that the strong advocacy for Falls Church High School has resulted in some significant facilities improvements. These include:

--Extensive repainting inside with the exterior to be painted this summer 

--Better regulation of temperatures throughout the building

--New water fountains

--New window blinds throughout

--Ceiling and ceramic floor tiles replaced as needed

--Improvements in accessibility for physically disabled students (restrooms and doors)

--New auditorium seats to be installed this summer 

Kudos to UPROAR, the parent advocacy group. Together we're making real progress. Facilities staff should be commended for all their incredible energy and efforts in bringing us these upgrades.

This certainly doesn't take the place of a renovation, but helps in the short-term. The Board will be reviewing criteria for the renovation queue in the summer.

The application for a proposed charter school, the Fairfax Leadership Academy, is still at the state level. I have attended several meetings organized by UPROAR voicing the community's concern over the potential impact that a 7-12 charter school so close to FCHS might have on that school.  The Board will need to take those concerns into account, and I've asked FCPS staff to do an impact assessment when the proposal comes to the Board, probably later this spring.  

Anything else on your mind? Contact me at ssevans@fcps.edu.  

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Sandy

School Board Update

Budget, Honors and a New School Name

Dear Friends, 

I hope everyone had a wonderful first semester! Here are some updates on important School Board issues. There's a lot going on.

 

The Superintendent announced his proposed $2.4 billion FY2013 Budget on Jan. 12, starting a budget process that ends in May. Among the major items in his proposal were raises for teachers and other employees, more funding for extended learning time for students either during the school year or in the summer, and expansion of Foreign Language in Elementary Schools. Much of the funding increases would go just to pay for a continuing increase in students throughout the county.  

The School Board has a budget work session scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 2, when Board members will discuss amendments they would like to make to the Superintendent's plan. It will be televised on Channel 21 starting at 7 pm. On Feb. 9 the Board will approve an Advertised budget to send to the Board of Supervisors. After the Board of Supervisors determines in April how much the county transfer to FCPS will be, the School Board will approve a final budget in May.

The School Board held hearings on the budget on Monday night, with 46 speakers testifying. Some main themes of the hearings were support for benefits for parent liaisons, expansion of foreign language programs, increased teacher pay, a renovation for Falls Church High School, increased custodial positions, pre-K programs, summer school, budget transparency and later high school start times.

Here's a link to budget information: http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2013.shtml

Athletic Fees: As in past years, I'd like to eliminate the athletic fees, though the Superintendent's budget still keeps them. I'll be asking my colleagues to support ending them in the upcoming fiscal year. Stayed tuned.

Capital Improvement Program:
On Jan. 26, the Board approved the CIP, which this year includes a plan to build another new elementary school in Mason District. Several of our schools in Mason remain overcrowded, especially Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, with most requiring trailers to use as classrooms. FCPS expects to see continuing increases in student enrollment, particularly in our area. One amendment to the CIP, which I supported, asks the Board of Supervisors to increase the amount the school system can spend in capital costs from the current $155 million a year to $180 million a year so that we can speed up our much-needed renovations. We have a unique opportunity to take advantage of low construction costs and low interest rates if we can increase our capital expenditures.

In discussing the CIP, I pointed to the desperate need for Falls Church High School to get a renovation. I will be discussing with my Board colleagues ways to speed up renovations at all our schools in the queue. At my urging, the Board will be reviewing the criteria by which renovations are prioritized at a June or July work session.

Here's the link to the CIP and background information:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip.shtml

Boundary Change Impact: One of the issues I plan to watch most closely this year is the impact of the boundary changes approved by the Board last year for AHS and schools feeding into the school at the Lacey site. As many of you know, I had tried to keep Wakefield Forest and/or Bren Mar Park west at AHS and remain concerned about the impact of moving these areas out of AHS. Fortunately, we were able to "grandfather" in all current students, so no one at AHS now will have to go to another school, as often happens in boundary changes. I am having ongoing conversations with FCPS staff and parents on ideas for helping students, families and the school as we move forward, both in the Annandale pyramid and at those schools affected by the "Lacey" decision.

Name for the New School at Lacey: Yesterday I toured the new school, still under construction, along with principal Brian Butler and a group of parents and community members. It's looking great!

Soon we'll no longer have to refer to the "school at the Lacey site," as we'll have a real name for our wonderful new elementary school. As a result of community input, I'm confident we will soon be receiving a recommendation from the Superintendent to consider two possible names for the elementary school, Mason Crest and Masonville.

The naming of the school will be put on the School Board agenda as New Business on Feb. 9 and will be voted on as an Action Item on Feb. 23. In the meantime, I look forward to getting more public input into the name, now that we are down to two candidates. I welcome hearing from PTAs, community associations, individual parents and community members. Please write to me at ssevans@fcps.edu. In addition, you may sign up to testify at the Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 School Board meetings to express your view. Signup starts at 6 am the Monday before the meeting. For more details and to sign up, here's the link: http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/meetings/requestspeak.shtml

As background, a community meeting was held at Falls Church High School on Jan. 18 to discuss possible names of the new school and to have community members voice their preferences. Citizens brought forth nine names: Masonville, Mason Crest, Mason, Ruby Bridges, Crestview, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Obama, Mason Hills and North Annandale. After two rounds of voting, Mason Crest emerged as the top vote getter and Masonville as the second.

I appreciate all the thoughtfulness that went into the naming process. As your Mason District School Board member, I'm happy to see that whichever way we go, "Mason" will remain in the school's name.

Honors Classes: At our Jan. 26 meeting, the School Board voted 11 to 1 to include five specific Honors classes in the high school course curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year. The vote was part of a larger discussion about whether we should have a two-tier or three-tier system for our students. In recent years, the school system had been eliminating Honors classes where Advanced Placement (AP) courses were available, leaving students to choose between standard-level and AP (college level) courses. Many students, parents and advocates came to us to say they needed a middle offering between standard-level and AP courses.

I strongly supported inclusion of the Honors courses. Students shouldn't have to choose between being overwhelmed or bored, which was what was happening to some of our students. One of my objections to the two-track system was that too many students were being pushed into college-level courses and then doing poorly in them and/or getting very low scores on the final standardized AP test. I did not buy the argument that a student was better off taking an AP course and doing poorly in it than doing well in an Honors level course. That reasoning defies common sense, research and what parents and students themselves were telling us.

The Board also decided to take a broader look at the issue at a work session in February, including how International Baccalaureate (IB) programs will be handled. I support offering several levels so that each student can choose which is right for himself/herself. We need to encourage all students to take courses that challenge them without setting them up for failure.

School Lunches: I've  been working with a group called Real Food for Kids, which is advocating for healthier school lunches, such as more fresh fruits and vegetables, fewer preservatives, salad bars and freshly cooked food. The Board will get a report soon on the results of a Nutrition Task Force and will consider a request that we do an assessment of our food services.

Biking, Walking, Bus Safety Education: The Board last month approved my amendment to retain and expand our safety education for students walking, biking and taking the bus to school. I worked on the amendment with the Safe Routes to Schools citizens group.

School Board Update

News for 2012:

FY2013 Budget, Capital Improvements,  

Name for New ES 

 

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.

January is a very busy time for the School Board, as we consider the Capital Improvement Program and begin work on the budget. This year we start as a brand-new Board, all of us elected in November to four-year terms, including six new members. This Board will have a particularly important task this year of starting a search for a new Superintendent to replace Dr. Jack Dale, retiring in June 2013.

As we are a new Board, I also anticipate that we will revisit our goals and processes, so this should be an exciting and busy year. As always, I will look to parents, teachers, students, and community members for your input on the major decisions we will be making to move our stellar school system forward.

We will have any number of issues and proposals to discuss this year, and I'll outline more of them in future newsletters, but this time I'm going to focus on the major pieces we will be taking up right away. If you have issues you want to bring to the Board, please don't hesitate to let me know or to testify before the Board at one of our regular meetings or at budget hearings.

Budget Timeline:

The Superintendent announces his proposed FY2013 Budget on Jan. 12, starting a budget process that ends in May.

The School Board will hold public hearings on the budget on Jan. 30 and 31. Those wanting to speak may start signing up on Jan. 13 by going to this link:  http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/meetings/requestspeak.shtml  

The School Board will hold a budget work session on Feb. 2, when Board members will discuss amendments they would like to make to the Superintendent's plan. On Feb. 9 the Board will approve an Advertised budget to send to the Board of Supervisors. After the Board of Supervisors determines in April how much the county transfer to FCPS will be, the Board will approve a final budget in May.

The budget plan is important because it shows where any increased emphasis will be, new or expanded programs and any funding cuts. As Budget Vice Chair,  I will be even more deeply involved in the process this year.

Capital Improvement Program:
The big news this year is that the CIP includes a plan to build another new elementary school in Mason District. Several of our schools in Mason remain overcrowded, especially Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, with most requiring trailers to use as classrooms.  FCPS expects to see continuing increases in student enrollment, particularly in our area.

Here's the link to the CIP and background information:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/cip.shtml

CIP hearings will be held at 6 pm on Mon., Jan. 9.  The Board has scheduled a work session on Monday, Jan. 23, and will vote on the CIP at its business meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.

To sign up to testify on Jan. 9, here is the link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/32F7MSD

Falls Church High School: FCHS is in desperate need of a renovation but at this point is not scheduled for one any time soon. One of my goals is to figure out how to move renovation plans forward at this school, and I have been having discussions with colleagues and other leaders on this issue.

Parents at FCHS recently formed a group called UPROAR to raise awareness of the major facilities needs at this school and to advocate for a renovation. I applaud their efforts and look forward to working with them. If you would like to be involved in this effort, please let me know and I will connect you to UPROAR leaders.

Naming the New Elementary School at Lacey Site:

Soon we will have a name for our brand-new elementary school at the Lacey Center site. How nice it will be to finally call it by its own name! The School Board ultimately approves the name for the school, but first we want to get the community's input and proposals.

A public meeting has been scheduled at 7 pm, Wed., Jan. 18 at Falls Church High School to consider suggestions. After community input and a recommendation from the Superintendent, the Board will approve the name. I'm hoping this can be completed in February.

If you would like to propose a name for the new school, please plan to attend the Jan. 18 meeting to make a formal recommendation.  (If you cannot attend the meeting but wish to submit a name for consideration at the meeting, send an email with the proposed school name to cluster3admin@fcps.edu   no later than January 16th.)  Please keep in mind that elementary schools usually are given geographical or historical names. Anyone attending the meeting may suggest a name for consideration, and will be given an opportunity to make a presentation. After all recommendations have been presented, community members that reside within the school boundaries will be asked to vote for their preferred choices. Please bring proof of residency (such as a drivers license) if you would like to vote. Each residing household will be allowed one vote for the first, one vote for the second, and one vote for the third choice names. More than one round of voting may be needed to reduce the number of suggested names to an agreed upon number before taking the final vote.

If you have questions, please contact the Cluster III office at 571-423-1130. To view the full process for naming a new school, see Regulation 8170:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=867SUG2AB08D  

Web Site: Keep informed on news about the school by visiting the recently reactivated "Lacey" web site: http://www.fcps.edu/clusters/c3/LaceyES/index.html  

I'm looking forward to working with all of you in the coming year!

Sandy

School Board Update

Special Invitation: School Board Swearing In

You're Invited!

Please join me for my Swearing In for a new four-year term on the School Board.

Time:  7 pm

Date: Monday, Dec. 19

Place: Luther Jackson Middle School,  

3020 Gallows Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042

I'm honored to be starting a new term representing Mason District on the Fairfax County School Board. Come and see new members sworn in and take a photo with me.

Last community office hours of the year:

Time: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Date: TOMORROW, Sat. Dec. 17

Place: Thomas Jefferson Library

Del. Kaye Kory will be joining me!

School Board Update

News: Superintendent Search, New School Board,  

"Lacey" Principal and PTA, Budget, Surveillance Cameras, Charter School Proposal and More! 

Dear Friends,

I hope you're enjoying a lovely fall and are looking forward to family and friends at Thanksgiving.

Here are some School Board news items and issues:

Superintendent Search:

As you know, Superintendent Dale has announced he will not be asking to renew his contract when it ends in June 2013. This means that one of the new Board's top priorities must be starting the process for the Superintendent Search. As a member of the School Board's Public Engagement Committee, I'll be involved in helping create the community input process for this effort, which will be critical in making sure our new superintendent is the right fit for our system in the future.

New School Board:

With the Nov. 8 elections, we will have a new 12-member School Board in January. I am honored to have been reelected to serve Mason District for a four-year term, and appreciate the confidence and faith you've shown in me by reelecting me.  Thank you, Mason District!

Five other incumbents were reelected: Janie Strauss (Dranesville), the current School Board chair; Ilryong Moon (At-Large), the current School Board vice chair; Dan Storck (Mt. Vernon); Patty Reed (Providence); and Kathy Smith (Sully). To see their bios, here is the link to the current School Board web page: http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/members/bdmembers.shtml

Our new members include:  

Ryan McElveen (At-Large) http://www.ryanforschoolboard.com/

Ted Velkoff (At-Large) http://tv4sb.org/

Megan McLaughlin (Braddock), http://www.mclaughlinforschoolboard.com/

Pat Hynes (Hunter Mill), http://hynesforschoolboard.com/

Tammy Derenak Kaufax (Lee), http://kaufaxforschools.com/

Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield). http://www.elizabethschultzforschoolboard.com/

I'm including links to their campaign web sites, which include biographical information and issues they are interested in, so you can learn a bit about the newest members.

I welcome all newly elected members and look forward to working together in the next four years.

School Board Retreat: If you'd like to see members of the old Board and the new Board interact, please plan to attend our School Board all-day retreat on Sat. Dec. 10 at the Mt. Vernon Estate near Alexandria, starting at 8:30 am. As with all School Board meetings, it's open to the public (though it won't be televised or recorded, unfortunately.)

 "Lacey" Elementary School News:

I was pleased to tour the school construction site recently and can report that the project is going very well. We're on schedule for completion in the spring. The new school is set to open next fall with an estimated 500 students, and will grow as grandfathering of students at their old schools is completed.

Brian Butler Named Principal: The principal for the new elementary school will be Brian K. Butler, currently the principal at Mount Eagle Elementary School. Mr. Butler, whose appointment is effective Jan. 3, is a great match for this school. He brings with him many years of experience as an educator in FCPS and, before that, in Arlington County. Here is his Letter to the Community upon receiving the appointment:  http://www.fcps.edu/clusters/c3/LaceyES/docs/principallettertocommunity112111.pdf

To meet Mr. Butler and welcome him to our new school, please join me at Annandale Terrace Elementary School on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 pm or Tuesday, Dec. 6, at Woodburn Elementary School, also at 7 pm.

Web Site: For more information about what's going on with the new school, including a general timeline, please visit the newly reactivated "Lacey" web site: http://www.fcps.edu/clusters/c3/LaceyES/index.html

PTA Forming: Parents have already started working on creating a PTA at the school. About 35 parents from the four schools feeding into "Lacey" attended a planning meeting on Nov. 15 at Falls Church High School. (If you're one of the parents whose students will be attending the new school, you should have received a notice of the meeting through your child's current school.) Fairfax County Council of PTAs President Ramona Morrow, who conducted the meeting and explained the process of creating a new PTA, said our school is getting an earlier start than most.  A PTA Planning Committee is being formed, and Mrs. Morrow is helping to organize that effort. Anyone wanting to participate, please email Mrs. Morrow at president@fccpta.org .

What will the school be named? Now that Mr. Butler has been appointed, he and I and the Cluster Assistant Superintendent will work on community engagement to get input into what the school should be named. We will be looking to the four school communities with families moving to the school (Beech Tree, Belvedere, Woodburn and Annandale Terrace) as well as to the neighborhoods feeding into the school, such as Broyhill Crest. Elementary school names generally have geographic or historical names, by the way.  I will be back in touch about this process, which we hope to complete by February or March, and families will get information about it through Keep In Touches and backpack letters. Ultimately, after consulting with the community and getting recommendations from the Superintendent, the School Board will vote on the new name.

Budget Priorities:

The School Board recently set budget priorities to guide Superintendent Dale in creating his budget recommendation, to come to the Board in January.  Among the top priorities are: class size, including the needs-based staffing formula that's so important to our schools with large numbers of needy students; teacher pay and workload; and core academics.

The budget outlook isn't as bad as it was two years ago or last year but we're still facing serious budget concerns, including a significant projected increase in our number of students.

The Superintendent will provide his budget recommendations in January. The School Board will hold budget hearings on Jan. 30 and 31 and Feb. 1. We will approve an Advertised Budget to send to the Board of Supervisors in early February.

Student Leadership Development Program: The School Board approved a new Student Leadership Development Program for students interested in learning more about how the school system is governed. The program is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and each School Board member will choose one student to participate. Applications are being taken now by principals, who will make recommendations to School Board members.

To learn more, see this link:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8M6R5G6BC1D0/$file/Student%20Leadership%20Development%20Program10-6-2011.pdf

Special Topic: Surveillance Cameras:

It looks like this School Board will be taking a vote on the issue of putting surveillance cameras inside our high schools in December, and most likely will approve them. I believe this issue, which is an important one, should be decided by the Board that was just elected rather than the outgoing Board, but a majority of this Board wanted to make the decision before the end of the year.

After much thought, I will be voting against putting surveillance cameras inside the schools. Here are my objections:

            We have no measurable goal for why we want to install cameras in cafeterias and a few high-traffic "hot spots" in the schools. Staff acknowledges that we have no way of determining if the cameras are effective or not. Their expectation is that it would deter bad behavior and/or serve as proof of what happened during an incident. But no studies or evidence backs up the assertion that it is a deterrent.

            This costs money, an estimated total of $885,000 for school cafeterias and selected "hot spots." While we're told these are "noninstructional funds," what does that really mean? It's money from a high school's account that could be used for other needs at that school. Many parents and teachers are telling me they can think of better uses of these funds at their schools than putting in surveillance cameras in a hallway or two--school supplies for kids in need, reducing athletic fees, adding a salad bar with fresh food, to name a few that have been mentioned.

            Since none of the high schools suggest surveillance throughout the school (which would cost $120,000 per school), but only in a few spots, bad behavior could just move to another hallway. Since they are proposed for high-traffic areas, they won't impact incidents that take place in out-of-the-way, harder-to-monitor areas.

            We still don't have strong enough parent notification rules in our schools. Until we have this in place, so parents are notified before students are asked to write out statements that can serve as confessions in discipline hearings, I worry about adding more tools designed to help us punish students.

            Adding surveillance cameras does change the school environment. Students have raised this issue repeatedly during discussions of the issue, the sense that surveillance cameras destroy a fundamental sense of trust at a school.

            The rationale has gone from a concern about food fights in a few high schools last year to the notion that this will prevent another Columbine or terrorist attack. First of all, Columbine High School HAD surveillance cameras, and they did not avert that tragedy. If violent attacks are really the issue, why are the cameras only proposed for high schools?

            Another rationale is that the community uses our facilities after hours and that we need to protect the schools and students from errant community members. If that's a major concern, why are these not being suggested for elementary and middle schools, which are routinely made available for community use, as well.

           

Parents, students and teachers who weighed in on this issue had a mixed reaction. In Mason District, the Annandale High School PTSA was opposed, the Stuart High School community was considered "split," and the Falls Church High School community was supportive. The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology PTSA did a school-wide survey, with parents split but more than half opposed (53% to 47%), students overwhelmingly opposed (90%) and teachers split down the middle (50-50%).

Of course, I also believe it should be the just-elected Board that decides this. It appears that the current Board will approve the use of surveillance cameras inside our high schools. It's unclear what the new Board would do. School Board member Dan Storck and I plan to raise the issue again with the new Board regardless of the outcome of the December vote.

To see the proposal and the staff rationale for it, here is the link:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8NAM3S58B2D5

I appreciate the thoughtful views I received on this issue and welcome any others you have.

Fairfax Leadership Academy Charter School/

Falls Church High School:

An application for a charter school proposal, called the Fairfax Leadership Academy, has been sent to the Virginia Board of Education for review.  As currently proposed, the Academy would be located at the site of the current Graham Road Elementary School and would serve at-risk students in grades 7 through 12. It is designed to start in fall 2013 with 7th and 8th grade and then grow by a grade each year until it reaches 450 students.

The application has caused concerns within the Falls Church High School community, with fears that if approved the charter school would compete with the high school for students and would have a negative impact on FCHS.

First of all, I apologize to all concerned that I didn't alert you to the proposal sooner, as it was being developed, feeling as strongly as I do about transparency in all that we do. The plan wasn't a secret--it was discussed briefly at a public School Board work session last December, when the proposal was to put the charter school at the Willston Center--but it wasn't publicized, either.

I recently attended a FCHS PTSA meeting about the charter school idea and heard and understand the issues raised there. After the meeting, I consulted with FCPS staff about doing an impact study and have been assured that staff will be assessing all potential impacts as the proposal works its way through consideration.

Here's where the charter school stands. The application was filed with the Board of Education on Oct. 28. (If you would like to see the application, write to me at ssevans@fcps.edu )

The state board has set a discussion of the proposal for Feb. 22 at 2 pm in Richmond. The state board will review it and advise whether it meets the necessary requirements for going forward. If it does, it will then come to the Fairfax School Board for consideration. Fairfax Leadership is seeking tentative approval from the School Board in spring 2012 so it can start taking applications in December 2012 for a fall 2013 proposed opening for 7th and 8th graders.

The official process is just beginning, though a significant amount of preparatory work has been done. Parent, teacher, student and other community input will be important, and I'm glad the FCHS community has become involved.  

I was delighted to see the energy in the room at the PTSA meeting. Regardless of what happens with the charter school, we need to harness that energy for FCHS, and especially to work on getting it a much-needed renovation. That needs to be a priority goal, and I'm looking forward to working with UPROAR, the newly formed parent advocacy group, to bring more attention to FCHS and help make that happen.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! One thing I'm thankful for is the support and thoughtfulness of the Mason District school community.

Sandy

School Board Update

Dear Friends,

I hope you're enjoying the fall weather and that the school year is going well for all of you. Here are some updates on School Board issues.

This Weekend! Education Summit on Customizing Public Education:

Come join the conversation about how to move to the next level of Customizing Public Education to suit your child's needs.

Time: 8 am - noon

Date: Sat., Oct. 15

Place: Woodson High School

Educators, parents and students join a panel on this subject. Breakout sessions will explore:

• How to help students keep balance in their lives
• Helping your student find his/her passion and gaining marketable skills
• Student goal-setting and learning plans

For more details and to register (we'd like to hear from you, but still feel free to attend if you haven't registered): 

http://www.fcps.edu/news/summit.htm 

 

Surveillance Cameras in High Schools: Thanks to all of you who responded to my request for your comments on surveillance cameras.  All of the high schools are having dialogues with parents about this issue. I've attended two of them (at Falls Church HS and Thomas Jefferson HSST) to hear directly from parents, students and teachers. Annandale HS will have its dialogue at 6:30 pm on Tues., Oct. 18, and Stuart HS will hold a meeting on the subject at 7 pm, Monday, Oct. 24.  For my previous report on the issue, please go to my web site at  http://evansschoolboard.blogspot.com  

   

After we finish getting public input, which several of us on the Board felt was critical before considering this further, I will report back to you on how the School Board plans to proceed.

"Lacey" Principal Selection:  FCPS has started the process for choosing a principal for our wonderful new elementary school at the Lacey Center site by asking for parent and other community input on what type of principal will be the best match for this school.  Parent and staff perspectives are used to screen resumes and develop interview questions. What skills, experiences, and leadership characteristics are needed at the new school? What are key challenges and issues? To give your input, please write to beth.boivin@fcps.edu.   

The deadline for comments is Oct. 12.

The principal panel, consisting of parents and staff from the four schools where incoming students are attending now (Annandale Terrace, Woodburn, Beech Tree and Belvedere), will meet on Nov. 1. The principal will be announced two or three weeks later.

After the principal is in place, we will start the process of choosing the name for the new school.

In the meantime, some parents are already starting to organize a PTA. If your students will be attending the new school and you'd like to participate in the PTA, please contact Monica Buckhorn at monica.buckhorn@verizon.net.

Ad Hoc Boundary Process: If you were part of the Annandale Regional Study and have ideas on how the process could be improved the next time we go through a boundary study, please email me with your comments (ssevans@fcps.edu).  

As the new chair of the Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee, I'll be asking for review of what worked well and what we can do better. I have ideas of my own, but want yours too!

High school students and parents:  

Have a wonderful Homecoming Week!

All the best,

Sandy