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Greetings,
I hope the New Year is off to a good start for you and your loved ones! In recognition that we all spend far too much time reading emails, I will keep my remarks brief.
Listed below is important information related to:
* January Braddock “virtual” town halls (Thursday, Jan. 28)
* Return to School work session (Tuesday, Feb. 2)
* FY22 Budget Public Hearing (Tuesday, Jan. 26)
* FY22 Budget Work Session (Wednesday, Jan. 27)
There are also additional topics related to a Braddock District teacher, the introduction of my new Staff Aide Donna Nelson-Schneider, and how best to reach me.
As always, I welcome your questions and feedback and appreciate this wonderful opportunity to represent our Braddock District community.
In service,
Megan
Monthly Virtual Town Halls - Thursday, Jan. 28th
In lieu of my monthly office hours, I will once again offer two virtual town halls (morning and evening sessions) in order to hear constituent input.
These town halls will be conducted in the format of an open discussion that you may join at any time during the virtual session.
My goal is to hear your concerns and improve my ability to represent you.
Logistical information and login instructions will be sent early next week.
Thursday, January 28, 2021
(Morning) 10:00 am - 11:30 am
(Evening) 7:00 pm- 8:30 pm
Superintendent's Draft Return to School Timeline
Upcoming Return to School Work Session: Tuesday, Feb. 2nd
Superintendent Scott Brabrand released a new draft Return to School Timeline at last night's School Board Meeting. Click here.
 The School Board will consider this revised Return to School timeline at its Work Session on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The meeting will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website.
In advance of this Feb. 2nd meeting, I welcome feedback from our community on this latest proposal, including any questions you may have.
As with most localities throughout our nation, Fairfax County experienced a significant increase in COVID cases during the Winter season. As a result, Superintendent Brabrand and the School Board agreed to temporarily pause in-person instruction.
Now that FCPS teacher and staff vaccinations have begun, I am hopeful public health conditions will quickly improve as we work towards a safe return to in-person instruction.
With the one-year mark looming (since in-person learning was first halted on March 13th), forward progress is incredibly important. Please know that I continue to strongly advocate for science and data-driven decisions related to in-person learning.
To learn more about FCPS’ Return to School plans, please click here.
Superintendent's Proposed Budget for FY2022
Next week, the School Board will hold two meetings to consider the Superintendent's proposed FCPS budget for next year:
Tuesday, Jan 26 - FY22 Public Hearing - 6:00 pm
Wednesday, Jan 27 - FY22 Work Session - 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
The $3.1 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Proposed FCPS Budget represents an increase of $0.4 million, or 0.01 percent, over the FY 2021 Approved Budget.
It includes funds to continue supporting student technology and instructional needs by enhancing digital instructional and web conferencing tools, cybersecurity protection, and the continuation of the lease obligation for FCPSOn. Click here for the full FCPS news release.
To "virtually" speak at the FY22 Public Hearing on Tuesday evening, please visit the citizen participation webpage to sign up. The speaker list will close at 4:30 pm on Monday, Jan. 25. (While video testimonies are not accepted for public hearings, there is no limit on the number of speakers.)
Both Tuesday’s Public Hearing and Wednesday’s Work Session will be broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. The meetings will also be recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube page.
To view Wednesday's Work Session agenda, click here.
For more details on the FY22 Proposed Budget, click here.
Double Duty Dedication for FCPS Teacher/National Guardsman
 I am excited to highlight this wonderful story about one of our Braddock District teachers. He is a remarkable example of FCPS’ highly-dedicated and caring educators.
Frost Middle School and Canterbury Woods Elementary School band teacher Dr. Jake Kohut has been performing double duty as a member of the D.C. National Guard protecting the U.S. Capitol while continuing to teach his students.
“The last thing these students need is a disruption in their teaching,” Kohut told The Washington Post. “I would rather teach the class, even if that means I’m very tired.”
And his dedication has been noticed not just in our community, but nationally too --
In The Washington Post and by NBC’s Today Show & Nightly News.
Introducing my new School Board Staff Aide: Donna Nelson-Schneider
I am so pleased to introduce my new Staff Aide Donna Nelson-Schneider. Donna comes with a wealth of experience, including a decades-long career in television journalism. During her extensive tenure as a producer for NBC News and NBC Nightly News, Donna and her team were nominated for 3 Emmys (including 9/11 and Anthrax Attacks) and won an Emmy for their coverage of Hurricane Katrina.
In addition to her career accomplishments, Donna is a parent of sophomore twin daughters who began their FCPS educations as Canterbury Woods ES kindergarteners. Donna is highly active in our community, including her current volunteer service with Woodson Athletic Boosters (co-Field Hockey Team Rep), Woodson Choral Boosters, Woodson Orchestra Boosters, Woodson Swim & Dive Team, and Co-Leader of a local Girl Scout Troop. She is also a member of the Long Branch Civic Association Board.
Please see Donna’s new Contact Information at the very bottom of this e-news message.
I also want to offer high praise for my former Executive Assistant Cristy Coffey. As part of the new School Board staffing structure, Cristy will now work full-time for School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson. Over the past 12 months, Cristy provided fantastic support for me and our Braddock District community. While I will miss working closely with her every day, I am grateful that her many talents will continue in service to Chairman Anderson and the Mason District community.
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Contacting Me
Due to the high volume of emails, I am prioritizing responses to Braddock District constituents. If you are unsure of your county magisterial district, you can look for that information here.
To contact me, it is most helpful if you can please use the official School Board contact form. This form prioritizes emails from my constituents and helps me track communication to ensure you receive a response.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© 2021 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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