School Board Update

What is Your View on Surveillance Cameras  

Inside Schools?

Dear Friends,

Last Monday, Fairfax County high school principals brought to the School Board a proposal to allow them to install surveillance cameras inside high schools.

I would like to get your views on this proposal.

While the high school principals said they were unanimous in wanting this measure as a matter of safety and security in the schools, others have argued that cameras would be an unwarranted intrusion and would just move problems to areas of the schools without surveillance.

I voiced several initial concerns. When I asked if parent or student views had been sought on this idea, it turns out there had been no meaningful effort to get input nor any plan to do so.  This is simply too important a change in policy not to have full discussion by parents, students, teachers and others.

After the meeting, I talked with Fairfax County Council of PTAs President Ramona Morrow about making sure all PTAs were informed of this proposal, so they could get it out to their school communities. I also plan to contact Mason District PTA presidents to make sure they know about it and can inform their parents.

Since the work session, there have been some efforts to get input. Superintendent Dale mentioned the proposal when he spoke to the Student Advisory Council (consisting of student representatives from all high schools) at their first session last week and said he would like their views. Some principals plan to discuss the proposal at upcoming PTA meetings.

My second concern was about what the goal is here and how we would measure effectiveness in achieving the goal. If prevention of problems, how do we determine success? Would this really be better at deterring incidents than having adults in charge throughout the school?

Or is this just about catching and punishing? If so, at the very least we first need to complete our reform of student discipline procedures. We have not finished that process yet. We still need stronger parent notification procedures, so that parents are called as soon as a student is suspected of a serious violation, not after the student has been extensively questioned and provided a written confession. I also want to see our students better informed of their basic civil rights when they are accused of serious offences at school, ones that can get them recommended for expulsion or face criminal charges.

How does this effort fit in with the school system's new emphasis on Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) as a means of encouraging positive behavior through reinforcement? Some would argue this runs counter to that approach.

A bit of background on cameras in the school system. According to FCPS staff, we have cameras on all the school buses. We also installed cameras OUTSIDE schools to reduce vandalism and theft, and staff tell us this has been effective in deterring property damage and defacement. On the other hand, the school system piloted cameras in lunch lines a few years ago to reduce food theft, but there was no substantial reduction in theft, and the cameras were removed.

The most recent proposal was occasioned in part by food fights this spring in a few high school cafeterias, some of which caused significant damage.

The principals themselves have different ideas on what they want to do if allowed to install cameras. Some want them just in the cafeteria. Others want them in "hot spots," such as hallways and lobbies. None are suggesting putting them in classrooms, and bathrooms and locker rooms would be off limits. Cost ranges from $8,000 per school for just the cafeteria to $120,000 per school to have surveillance throughout the school (with cafeteria plus "hot spots" being somewhere in between).

Here is a link to  the principals' proposal presented at last Monday's work session: http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8L9PG9647F28

and for data for specific high schools. There was also a piece on the front page of The Washington Post about it Sunday. 

As you can tell, I have several significant concerns about this proposal but want to know your views. Please let me hear from you by writing to me at ssevans@fcps.edu.

Thank you for your feedback.

Cordially,

Sandy

School Board Update

Dear Friends,

Welcome back to a brand-new school year!  I look forward to working with you this coming year to make your school and our school system better than ever. 

Some of my priorities for this Fall include:

• Creating an ombudsman role within FCPS to help parents and others navigate their way around the school system and its processes. My proposal is coming up for discussion at a School Board Forum this Thursday, when I will ask my colleagues to consider pursuing this idea to improve communications and transparency.
• Continuing to reform student discipline procedures, especially parent notification requirements so parents will learn right away when their student is in serious trouble at school.
• Keeping honors classes in high schools (and not merely online), rather than making students choose between standard-level and AP (college) level.
• Establishing budget priorities that are classroom-focused. As the School Board's Budget vice chair, I will be involved in all aspects of budget decision-making.
• Working with teachers on ways to reduce their administrative and other non-classroom-related burdens.
• Making it easier to get a waiver of a full-day schedule for students wanting to take online classes rather than attend first or last periods of the day.
• Finding other ways to create healthful school environments for our students, from truly adequate recess time for little ones to improved school meals to reduction of stress and depression among our teens.
• Working with communities due to transition as a result of boundary changes next year to connect them with their new communities.

Annandale/"Lacey" Boundary Decisions: The School Board approved the boundaries of the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site and new boundaries to relieve overcrowding at Annandale High School (AHS), both set to go into effect in Fall 2012. Here is the link to the final decisions:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/annandalestudy/regional/index.htm

            Boundary changes are among the most difficult things the school system does, and this was no exception. However, we were able to achieve many goals that were important to Mason District students and parents: the AAP center stayed at Glasgow MS, no areas attending Glasgow/Stuart were reassigned to other middle or high schools, and the changes will relieve serious overcrowding at some of our elementary schools.

            Importantly, the boundary changes included liberal "grandfathering," something I strongly supported. This means that, despite the boundary changes, anyone entering 9th grade at AHS this year can continue through graduation, students entering middle school this year can stay at that middle school through 8th grade, and elementary students entering the top grade at their school in Fall 2012 will be able their last year at their old school.    

            New Elementary School: The new school at the Lacey site will draw from four  elementary schools: Annandale Terrace, Woodburn, Beech Tree and Belvedere.

            An amendment of mine to reassign the Columbia Pines neighborhood to Glasgow MS and Stuart HS, to put that area with its neighbors in Sleepy Hollow Woods, was successful.  I was also able to restore a small area back into the Belvedere ES boundary, since it is just across Sleepy Hollow Rd. from the school.

            This coming year I will be working with all the affected school communities for a smooth transition and to make sure we keep all our schools strong and vibrant after the change.

            AHS: I sponsored amendments to the Annandale boundaries that would have kept the Wakefield Forest ES area and part of the Bren Mar Park ES area at AHS, but both amendments failed (the first on a 6-6 vote and the second on an 4-8 vote).  As a result, Wakefield Forest will be reassigned to Woodson HS and Bren Mar Park to Edison HS. At the School Board meeting, I voiced serious concerns about the future of AHS with both of these vibrant areas removed. As a result of the Board's failure to keep either of these areas at AHS, I ultimately could not support the boundary changes and voted against the package.

            Despite this, I remain confident in our ability as a school system and a community to work together to overcome challenges and move forward. In particular, I will be working with the Bren Mar Park area to connect them with their new friends at Edison HS. This is a wonderful high school, in the process of completing a beautiful renovation. I have already spoken with the highly regarded Edison principal, Greg Croghan, about ways to make these connections through this school year. I can report that Mr. Croghan was very enthusiastic about welcoming Bren Mar Park into the Edison family.

            A final note as we wind up more than a year of debating these boundaries. I couldn't be more proud of a community than I am of Mason District. Over the years I've watched quite a few boundary deliberations and seen many of them  turn truly ugly. This didn't happen here. I believe this is a tribute to our community, which understands and embraces different viewpoints.  Despite strong emotions and some difficult and contentious decisions (some of which I strongly disagreed with myself), our community members maintained their civility while advocating strongly and rationally. Well done!

Future Boundary Studies: We did learn from this experience. As the new chair of the Comprehensive Planning Development Committee (CPDC), I plan to make proposals for future ad hoc regional boundary studies to improve on this effort. One will be to officially include all elementary schools that could potentially be reassigned from their MS or HS, rather than rely on parents at the MS/HS level to represent them. (If that had been done last year, Bren Mar Park, Parklawn and Weyanoke ES and all other ES feeding to AHS would have had representatives in the Annandale Regional Study.) Also, I'm going to suggest more time between the release of Options and community dialogues, and between community dialogues and the final staff recommendation. This would give parents and other community members more time to absorb and respond to specific suggestions. Have other recommendations as a result of the Annandale Regional Study?  Email me at ssevans@fcps.edu. 

Please remember to come visit me at my community office hours or email me to let me know your views on issues or concerns.

   In the meantime, here's to a great 2011-12 School Year!

All the best,

Sandy

School Board Update

SPECIAL: Annandale/"Lacey" ES  

Staff Recommendations Posted

For School Board Work Session Monday

Dear Friends,

The staff recommendation for relieving overcrowding at Annandale High School and for creating a new elementary school at the Lacey Center site was posted yesterday, with maps and background information, in preparation for a School Board work session on Monday.  Here's the link to the Recommendation and Background:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8JJCPW320A99

 

Considering the challenges involved, there is significant good news in the staff  proposal, much of this as a result of advocacy from the community.  The staff recommendation, which would go into effect in Fall 2012, includes:

• Keeping the AAP Center at Glasgow MS
• Full grandfathering at Annandale High School for all students who enter AHS by fall 2011, so no high school student would have to switch after making the transition to high school.  (High school changes would start with rising 9^th graders in fall 2012.)
• Full grandfathering for all middle school students who enter their middle school by fall 2011, so in fall 2012 both rising 7^th and 8^th graders at our 6-8 grade middle schools would remain at their current middle school. (Middle school changes would start with rising 6^th graders in fall 2012.)
• Grandfathering of elementary students who are entering the top grade at their school in fall 2012, allowing them to finish at their old school.
• Continued transportation for grandfathered students.
• Bren Mar Park ES will not have its own elementary school boundaries changed as part of this process, as was proposed in some earlier options.
• The Sleepy Hollow Woods community will remain assigned to Glasgow MS and Stuart HS.
• Beech Tree ES will remain at Glasgow/Stuart.
• The Parklawn ES split feeder, one area identified by the Ad Hoc Study Committee and in staff options for potentially moving out of AHS, will remain at AHS.

At the same time, as with any boundary change, there will be disruption and disappointment for some under this recommendation, including but not limited to:

• High school students who live in the Bren Mar Park ES area would be reassigned to Edison HS starting with rising 9^th graders in fall 2012. I continue to work with this community on what options might be available to us to either modify the recommendation and/or to ease the transition to Edison.  The main concerns I'm hearing are not about Edison HS itself, which is a fine school completing a beautiful renovation, but about traffic and travel safety issues as well as going from inside to outside of the Beltway to go to school.
• High school students in the Wakefield Forest ES area that now attend AHS would be reassigned to Woodson HS.  Many in Mason District who will continue at AHS fear that the loss of both this area and Bren Mar Park could impact the vibrancy and special character of the school in the future. I share those concerns.  
• Likewise, the loss of neighborhoods from Belvedere ES, Beech Tree ES, Woodburn ES and Annandale Terrace ES raises issues about maintaining and enhancing the level of energy and volunteerism at those schools. Keeping these schools strong and vibrant in the future will be a paramount issue to consider as we continue this process.
• The Annandale Terrace ES portion north of 236 would not only leave Annandale Terrace but would be split between the new school at Lacey and Woodburn ES, while all of the Woodburn island would be reassigned to "Lacey."

I'm looking at the possibility of amendments to the proposal to benefit Mason District families and schools, including of course AHS itself. In doing so, I appreciate the many emails I've received about the boundary issues as well as thoughtful conversations with community members and principals. In the next two weeks, I will be talking with other School Board members to determine what modifications to the staff recommendation are both desireable and feasible.

The School Board will hold its work session on the recommendations on Monday, July 18, at Gatehouse Administration Center, 8112 Gatehouse Rd., Falls Church, starting at about 11 am. This is open to the public but is not televised or recorded.  

The staff recommendation, background material and maps can be found at:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8JJCPW320A99

Of particular interest are the answers to questions posed by the public and School Board members:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/annandalestudy/regional/pdfs/faq.pdf

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8JSPF5642F3C/$file/Work%20Session%20Questions%207-18-11%20FINAL.pdf

As always, I welcome your views on these recommendations by writing to me at ssevans@fcps.edu. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the staff recommendations on July 28 at the regular Board meeting, which is televised on Channel 21.

PTA Presidents and Civic Associations, please help get this information to your members.

All the best,

Sandy

School Board Update

Dear Friends,

The budget and boundaries continue to dominate our School Board work as we wind down the school year.

Budget: The Board approved our FY2012 budget on May 26. It includes teacher pay raises (step increase plus 1%), eliminating AP/IB testing fees, putting full-day kindergarten in the remaining schools that don't yet have it, adding a needs-based funding addition to our neediest high schools (such as those in Mason District), and setting aside $500,000 for any changes the School Board decides to make on student discipline policies and procedures.

Sports Fee Cap Approved: As you know, I'd like to eliminate the $100 per sport fees as soon as possible, but we didn't have the resources to do it this year. In the meantime, I supported a cap of two fees per student per year to at least give some relief to three-season athletes and their families. The Board unanimously approved the two-fee-per-student cap, and that will go into effect in the new school year.

Athletic Fee Waivers for Seniors: In addition, high school principals have been informed that each high school has received $1,200 from Capital One game nights to allow them to waive athletic fees of senior students who have extenuating circumstances and can't pay them. Principals have until June 6 to request these waivers for specific seniors.

Annandale/Lacey Site Boundary and NonBoundary Options: You should have received my special report on the posting of the 4 options for boundary and nonboundary solutions to the overcrowding at Annandale High School and Poe Middle School, as well as for the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site. The School Board is scheduled to make final decisions on these on July 28, for implementation in Fall 2012.

Since the postings, and before, I have been working with parents, teachers and other community members to develop the best possible approaches. In particular, I've set up meetings with Facilities staff and a delegation from the Belvedere ES community, including representatives from Sleepy Hollow Woods and Columbia Pines, as well as for Bren Mar Park ES (which would be significantly affected by all scenarios on the table). I've also been meeting with and working with the Glasgow MS community, at risk of losing its Advanced Academic Program (GT) Center in some of the scenarios. I plan to reach out to the Parklawn ES community, as well, since they would be affected by two of the high school scenarios.

The final recommendation by FCPS staff will be posted as New Business for the June 23 regular School Board meeting. When that recommendation is posted, I will send you a special report. After we receive that recommendation, the School Board will consider it and can accept or amend it at its regular meeting on July 28. Hearings on the proposal will be held July 11 and 12.

A great deal of background information, such as the Ad Hoc Study Committee's high school report and elementary school report, is on the FCPS web site.

Who should pay special attention? Anyone with students now attending, or scheduled to attend, Annandale HS, Poe MS, Glasgow MS, Holmes MS.

Elementary schools whose students may well be most affected by possible AHS/Poe boundary changes: Bren Mar Park, Parklawn, Wakefield Forest.

Elementary schools whose students may well be most affected by options for the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site: Annandale Terrace, Beech Tree, Woodburn, Belvedere, Pine Spring.

Two community dialogues on these options have been held and one more remains:

June 6:   Specifically for speakers of other languages and will include interpreters for Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese and Cambodian. At Annandale Terrace Elementary, 7604 Herald Street, Annandale (use entrance 1). The meeting will be held in the gymnasium, adjacent to the Parent Resource Center.

To register (you won't be turned away if you don't, but this helps for planning purposes):

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/annandalecommunitydialogue  .

These changes will have a significant impact on several schools in our area.  Please keep informed and express your views to the School Board by writing to schoolboardmembers@fcps.edu   

All the best,

Sandy

School Board Update

The four options developed by staff for consideration as ways to deal with the overcrowding at Annandale High School and to create boundaries at the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site have been posted. Here is the link:

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/planning/annandalestudy/regional/index.htm

When you review them, please keep in mind that we do not have to pick one of these scenarios in its entirety. The final staff recommendation to the School Board may  very well be a combination of options from different scenarios or even involving something new that comes out of community dialogues.

Please plan to come to community dialogues to give your views.  This is a very important part of the process and will be taken into account when staff goes back to make a final recommendation for Annandale HS and "Lacey."

The dialogues will be 7-9 pm on Mon. May 16 (AHS and Edison HS) and Mon. May 23 at Falls Church HS and Lake Braddock Secondary School.  A dialogue for non-English-speakers will be held 7-9 June 6 at Annandale Terrace ES.

I am also scheduling special meetings at Bren Mar Park ES, tentatively set for Sat. May 21 9-10:30 am and Mon. June 13 at 7 pm.

PTA presidents and civic association presidents, I would appreciate it if you would get these out to your communities.

I look forward to hearing from you and working with you on finding the best approach for these schools.

Sandy Evans

Fairfax County School Board, Mason District

School Board Update

Dear Friends,

           

May is especially busy this year.  The School Board will be working on making changes to the FY2012 budget to account for a flat transfer from the County this year as well as working on boundary options for our new elementary school and to relieve overcrowding at Annandale High School. We also continue our work on reforming student discipline policies and practice.

Budget: Superintendent Dale has given us his proposed options for amending the budget that includes teacher raises, paying for AP/IB test fees and putting full-day kindergarten in all of the remaining schools that don't yet have it. He has also recommended setting aside $500,000 for any changes the School Board decides to make on student discipline policies and procedures.

AP/IB Fees: Approval of the proposal will end the AP/IB test fees, and I strongly support doing so (an amendment of mine in January called on the Superintendent to find a way to do this as part of the budget).  You should have received your refunds by now of any AP/IB test fees you had paid this year.

Sports Fees: The superintendent's options don't reduce or eliminate the $100 per sport fees. I am working on an amendment to cap these fees at two per student per year, so at least we will have a bit of a break for some athletes and families. I plan to offer this when we vote on the final budget on May 26.

Timeline: The Board will have work sessions on the budget May 16 and May 19. We will hold budget hearings on May 17 and 18. On May 26, we will approve a final FY2012 budget at our regular School Board meeting. If you would like to speak at the budget hearings, you may sign up online.

New ES Math Sequence: FCPS will have a new math sequence in elementary schools starting in the fall. The changes are intended in part to align with new state math standards but also are intended to allow for greater differentiation within a classroom so that each student can learn at his or her own pace and level.  This should enable students to accelerate in math more easily and seamlessly.

For those of you familiar with "Compacted Math," the new terminology will be "Advanced Mathematics."  One hope of the new sequence will eliminate gaps when students advance more quickly then average. The new advanced math sequence will be available in all elementary schools.

Here's an overview with a link to a PowerPoint on the topic: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OEIAS/math/math.htm

Here's a chart that shows the sequence: http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OEIAS/math/EMISCHARTfinal.pdf

As someone with a great interest and support for advanced math, I welcome any change that enables students to go as far and as fast as they can and should go.  One concern I have heard, and which I will be monitoring, is how well multiple levels of differentiation can work in one classroom.

Student Discipline: On Monday, May 16, the School Board will hold a work session on Dr. Dale's10 recommendations for changes to student discipline procedures and policies. I support these proposals but also want us to expand them to include other revisions, such as more parent notification and more academic support for students when they are on suspension. The work session will start at about 2 pm at Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Rd., Falls Church 22042, and is open to the public.

Individual high schools and middle schools are hosting dialogues on discipline issues for their school communities. As always, I welcome getting your views directly via email or visits to my office hours as we consider various proposals for change.

Stuart Raider Run: The 14th Annual Raider Run is this Saturday, May 14, at JEB Stuart High School, 3301 Peace Valley Lane, Falls Church. Starting at Stuart, the run winds through the neighborhood. Please come and join us for a family friendly and healthful event to support the school.  Race day registration begins at 6:45am, and the race begins at 8am. To preregister online: http://raider5k.com/ . Adults are $25 (pre-registered by Thursday, May 12) or $30 on race day and students are always $10.  I'll look forward to seeing you there, where I will serve as starter and then enjoy watching the run.

Annandale High School's Red and White Golf Classic:  At 8 am Wed., May 18^th, at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, VA. This is Annandale's main PTSA fundraiser. Please consider putting together a group to come out and play some golf, or consider being a sponsor or donor. No need to be affiliated with AHS to participate in this fun outing. For more information:

www.annandalehsptsa.org

Honors Courses: At my request, the School Board will hold a work session on July 18 on honors classes at our Advanced Placement (AP) high schools. Several school PTSAs have expressed concern about elimination of some honors courses, leaving only standard level and AP courses in some areas. The Superintendent will provide more information on the rationale behind going from a three-tier to two-tier course structure where we have done so, and the Board will discuss which approach is preferable.

Annandale/Lacey Site Boundary and NonBoundary Options: Later this week, FCPS will release specific options for boundary and nonboundary solutions to the overcrowding at Annandale High School and Poe Middle School, as well as for the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site. The School Board is scheduled to make final decisions on these on July 28, for implementation in Fall 2012.

When the options are posted, I will issue a special report with a link so you can review them right away.

Who should pay special attention? Anyone with students now attending, or scheduled to attend, Annandale HS, Poe MS, Glasgow MS, Holmes MS.

Elementary schools whose students may well be most affected by possible AHS/Poe boundary changes: Bren Mar Park, Parklawn, Wakefield Forest.

Elementary schools whose students may well be most affected by options for the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site: Annandale Terrace, Beech Tree, Woodburn, Belvedere, Pine Spring.

Community dialogues on these options will be held from 7-9 p.m. on:
 

May 16

• Annandale High School cafeteria, 4700 Medford Drive, Annandale

(use entrance 7)

• Edison High School cafeteria, 5801 Franconia Road, Alexandria

(use entrance 1)
 

May 23

• Falls Church High School cafeteria, 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church

(use entrance 8)

• Lake Braddock Secondary School cafeteria, 9200 Burke Lake Road, Burke

(use entrance 15)
 

June 6

• Specifically for speakers of other languages and will include interpreters for Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. At Annandale Terrace Elementary, 7604 Herald Street, Annandale. The meeting will be held in the gymnasium, adjacent to the Parent Resource Center.

(use entrance 1)

To register (you won't be turned away if you don't, but this helps for planning purposes): 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/annandalecommunitydialogue.

These changes will have a significant impact on several schools in our area.  Please plan to attend one of the community dialogues on the proposals to voice your views!

School Board Update

Dear Friends,

Happy Spring Break! Here are some of the things the School Board is working on.

Student Discipline: Thank you to all of you who attended my Town Hall meeting, held jointly with Supervisor Penny Gross, to express your views on student discipline issues. To date, that meeting is the only one I know of expressly inviting the public to speak to this issue, though I have been advocating that the School Board involve the public more broadly as we review and consider changes to our policies and practices.

Since that meeting, Superintendent Jack Dale has made 10 recommendations for changes, which the Board discussed at our April 4 work session.  I applaud these proposals, such as immediately starting to audio record all disciplinary hearings, but I also believe we need to expand upon them. Among the issues I plan to pursue as we continue our revisions are:

• Notifying parents as soon as their children are called in for questioning for infractions that could lead to explusion or criminal charges
• Minimizing or eliminating the amount of time that students are out of school while they are awaiting the resolution of disciplinary proceedings, as long as their behavior does not present a safety risk to other students.
•  Expanding supports for students who are out of school on suspension, so they don't get into an academic hole they can't get out of.
•  Reviewing whether involuntary transfers from one base school to another as a disciplinary measure actually helps put the student back on the right path, whether this helps keep schools safe, and whether there are better options.
• Making sure the punishments fit the infractions and that common sense decisions can be made

To see some background materials used at the Board's March 14 work session, as well as specific issues identified by School Board members, please go to this link. We will be getting more information about the Superintendent's proposals and will hold another public work session on this topic on May 16 at Gatehouse Administration Center.

I appreciate hearing from those of you who wrote to me, talked with me personally or attended my town hall meeting to give me your views.

Annandale/Lacey Site Boundary and NonBoundary Options: In the next few weeks, we should be getting some specific options for boundary solutions to the overcrowding at Annandale High School and Poe Middle School, as well as for the new elementary school at the Lacey Center site. The elementary school piece will also look at whether the school should be K-5^th grade or K-6^th, as well as where students there will attend middle and high school.

At the April 4 work session, the Board agreed that we should pursue one nonboundary proposal for Annandale HS, while also offering several traditional boundary-change plans. The scope of the study is set for approval at our April 28 regular School Board meeting.

The nonboundary option being considered (1A) would turn AHS into a 10^th-12^th grade high school, with 6^th and 7^th graders in the Annandale pyramid attending Holmes Middle School and 8^th and 9^th graders going to Poe Middle School. This was one of the very creative suggestions raised by the Ad Hoc Study Committee made up of community volunteers. For a good discussion of the issues, go to this link:

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=8EMQ3664ADBA

May and June will be the time for extensive public engagement on these options. Community meetings are tentatively being set at area high schools for May 16 and May 23, so please mark those on your calendars to be involved in weighing in on specific options. In addition, I plan to meet with constituents through PTAs, civic associations and other organizations to go over the options and get input, especially from parents. If you would like me to attend a community meeting about this issue, please let me know and we will schedule it.

Timeline:

• Early May, specific draft boundary options made public
• Mid- to late May, community meetings to discuss proposals and get public input
• June, FCPS staff will create one recommendation, taking into account public input
• June 23, recommendation posted on School Board regular meeting agenda as New Business
• July 11 and 12, public hearings on recommendation
• July 18, School Board work session to discuss recommendation and any proposed changes to it
• July 28, final vote at regular School Board meeting on recommendation and any proposed amendments to it.

Fall, 2012: Changes to go into effect (NOT this fall)

For more background information, reports, etc. on this study, here's a link.

New Elementary School: I've enjoyed meeting with community members at schools, community centers and apartment complexes to discuss the long-awaited opening of our brand-new elementary school at the Lacey Center site in Fall 2012. While a new school is an exciting prospect, it also brings about understandable questions and concerns about change. Some students will be leaving their current schools for the new one, and I want to ensure we have the smoothest and happiest transition possible as they enter the inaugural class.

Construction is on schedule. Principal selection should begin this fall, so he or she can be in place by the end of this year or early next year. The principal will engage parents, students and the community to plan for a triumphant opening. Programs are expected to include full-day kindergarten, School Aged Child Care and a Base-School Level IV Advanced Academic Program. Other decisions yet to be made are whether the school will be K-5 or K-6, what middle and high school it will feed to, what other programs will be included and what the new school will be named.

Honors Courses: An emerging issue at some of our Advanced Placement (AP) high schools (as opposed to International Baccalaureate schools) is the elimination of some honors courses in recent years. The Woodson High School PTSO last week passed a resolution asking for the restoration or creation of six honors courses where now there are only standard level and AP courses, such as English 11 and 12 and some Social Studies courses.

I have asked that the topic be considered at an upcoming Board Forum (a session where the Board discusses what direction it wants to take on issues). The Superintendent has said he will be getting the Board more information on the rationale behind going from a three-tier to two-tier course structure where we have done so.

Chocolate Milk: On Monday, May 2, chocolate milk will return to our elementary schools.  The removal of chocolate milk had been a controversial decision earlier this school year, with strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Food and Nutrition Services announced recently that it had negotiated with the vendor for a product with less fat and no high-fructose corn syrup. The old product contained 1% low-fat, 150 calories and high-fructose corn syrup. The new product is no-fat, 130 calories, with no high-fructose corn syrup.  Sugar content remains the same at 22 grams.

This followed a lively debate over whether eliminating chocolate milk was an important health change or whether kids would end up just drinking less milk overall and whether high fructose corn syrup is any worse than other sugars. 

It was fun hearing from students on this one, such as the letters from 5^th-graders in Mr. Garces-Foley's class at Weyanoke Elementary. They were clear in their advocacy, telling me they wanted to bring back chocolate milk. No doubt they are looking forward to May 2.

AP/IB Fees: At our March 24 regular School Board meeting, we voted to refund all AP and IB testing fees collected this year, a move I strongly supported. The vote came on the approval of the third-quarter review, which set aside money to make the refunds of the $75 per test fee.  The refunds are due to be paid this month.

In addition, the Board has directed the Superintendent (by a budget amendment of mine in January) to identify revenues in the upcoming budget, to be finalized by the Board in May, for FCPS to continue paying for these fees in future years.

Sports Fees: Considering our budget constraints, it unfortunately seems unlikely we can also find a way to eliminate the $100 per sport fee at our high schools.  I am working on an amendment to cap these fees at two per student per year, so at least we will have a bit of a break for some athletes and families. The loss of revenue would be $200,000, and I will work with my colleagues on where to find this revenue.

Budget: The Board will make final decisions about the FY2012 budget in May. The Board of Supervisors has given us a "flat transfer," meaning we will receive the same amount from the County as we received last year, when they reduced our transfer by $16 million from the year before.  This gives the School Board some tough decisions to make, particularly as we have a significant increase in our number of students.

We have promised our teachers and other dedicated employees that we will give them a raise this year, after putting in a pay freeze (and a reduction of beginning teachers salaries) for two previous years. I believe strongly that the Board must keep this commitment for employee compensation. We will be grappling with how much and in what form next month.

Timeline: The Board will have a work session on the budget on May 2. At that time, the Superintendent will present a revised budget plan. It will include recommendations on employee compensation, how to pay for the AP/IB fees and a plan to complete our transition from half-day kindergarten to full-day kindergarten at the remaining 37 elementary schools over the next three years. The last piece will not affect Mason District schools, all of which already have full-day kindergarten, but it is important to reach this goal at all Fairfax schools.

The Board will have work sessions on the budget May 2, May 16 and May 19. We will hold budget hearings on May 17 and 18. On May 26, we will approve a final FY2012 budget at our regular School Board meeting. 

All the best,

Sandy