September 2021 Newsletter

September 2021 Newsletter

Dear FCPS Families,

Happy September and welcome back to in-person learning! In the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit schools and chat with our FCPS family. Joy and excitement are clearly in the air. I have also seen our community pull together to support a healthy and safe return to schools. Thank you. As we continue on this journey, please know that the Board has asked for regular reports on the health of our students and staff and we are working closely with the Health Department. Reports on COVID concerns are published regularly. Additional information is included in this newsletter. 

I’m also looking forward to hearing from you.  In the next few weeks, I will continue my visits to local schools and I have Town Halls set up to receive community comment. My first Virtual Town Hall will occur on September 28th as I join Board Chair Stella Pekarsky to discuss your questions.  Please find information on this Town Hall and other such opportunities below.

The Board has also focused on investments to support students in their return to school endeavors. This funding effort identifies categories of investment, such as Learning Loss. Please find the proposed allocations below. 

I continue to advocate for support of all students and staff. Of particular note are continuing efforts to improve our delivery of a world class education. For this reason, I have recommended the following initiatives that target needed growth.

  • I strongly support the proposed Literacy improvements and support the forum topic that is scheduled for October 5 and described below.
  • As the former Audit Chair, I initiated and oversaw the expansion of the Auditor General’s role to include the Special Education Review Study. Last week, we received an interim report and I continue to listen to our community to make sure that these efforts are expansive and effective in providing information that will result in needed improvements for our SPED community. 
  • On October 19, 2021, this Board will hear a review of all FCPS programs. That review allows the Board to examine what programs are offered in each of our schools and assist us in improving access to programming. The results of that review support my advocacy for the Board to establish the John Lewis Academy as specialized programming. This additional programming will allow our students to develop a greater focus on civic education. Both community members and FCPS have been collaborating on this initiative and this vital work should continue. Please find additional information on the proposed John Lewis Academy below.

(Additional information on all of these equity focused initiatives can be found below.)

The September 23 School Board Meeting included a report from our Superintendent on the State of our Schools. Please see a copy of his presentation below. I also noted that a number of parents are requesting a more vigorous virtual program. Dr. Brabrand addressed that concern during the question and answer period. In summary, the Board and our Superintendent have heard this request and are looking for ways to address these concerns.  Brabrand also stated that a staffing shortage has impacted this effort. The Board also voted to increase bus driver salaries. I supported this effort to improve travel times for our students and to reduce the incidence of late arrivals to schools. We are concerned about all employees and took this action to address the bus driver crisis/shortage. 

It has been quite an eventful month. Thanks to everyone who reached out with words of encouragement and questions. I am pleased to hear and address your concerns

I look forward to seeing you in the community.

Karen Keys-Gamarra Signature

Inside this issue:

  • 9/28 Virtual Town Hall with School Board Chair Stella Pekarsky
  • Opening of Schools 2021 Report Now Available
  • School Board Approves Federal Funding Request to Support Pandemic Recovery Efforts
  • Ensuring Equitable Access to Literacy
  • Comprehensive Review of Special Education Services
  • Exploration for an Academy at John R. Lewis High School Underway
  • Board Approves Adjustment to Transportation Salary Scales
  • Upcoming Opportunities to Engage with the School Board:
    • 10/6 Virtual Town Hall with Mount Vernon School Board Representative Karen Corbett Sanders and At-Large Member Karen Keys-Gamarra
    • 10/7 School Board Public Hearing at Luther Jackson Middle School

9/28 Virtual Town Hall with Stella Pekarsky and Karen Keys-Gamarra

I am delighted to join School Board Chair Stella Pekarsky for the Sully District Virtual Town Hall to address any questions or concerns you may have.

To respond to as many questions as possible, we invite you to use this online form to submit your questions in advance. You may also submit questions through the form during the town hall. If time permits, we will address questions submitted via chat during the town hall.

When: Tuesday, Sept 28th, 2021

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST

Where: ZOOM Web Link - Click here to join


FCPS Opening of Schools Annual Report

Opening of Schools 2021 Report Now Available

Superintendent Scott Brabrand delivered the Annual Opening of Schools Report at the School Board Meeting on September 23. The report provides an overview of FCPS' demographics, hiring statistics, budget, technology systems, capital improvements, and other key information. 

Visit the FCPS website to view the full presentation


School Board Approves Federal Funding Request to Support Pandemic Recovery Efforts

The Fairfax County School Board approved a $188.6 million spending plan for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) grant funds at its Board meeting on August 26. 

The funds will be used to address expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the safe reopening of schools and to sustain the safe operation of schools. The spending plan also outlines how the division will address the impact of COVID on students by addressing their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.

“Our ESSER III spending plan is focused on supporting the whole child and ensuring that staff have the tools to support student academic, social, emotional, and mental health,” said Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand. “We know, and national studies confirm, that students experienced significant unfinished learning. Our plan identifies clear and consistent expectations for what schools should offer as high quality academic content, addressing gaps in standards from the previous year and standards to cover this school year.”

The grant funding requires the spending be focused in four areas: 

  • Unfinished learning
  • Student academic, social, emotional, and mental health/wellness needs
  • Prevention and mitigation strategies
  • Other use of funds including technology, multilingual engagement and equity needs

The majority of the ESSER III spending (82%) will address learning loss and student academic, social, emotional, and mental (wellness) health needs. The remaining funds will be used for prevention and mitigation strategies and other uses such as communication, technology, transportation, program management, and school monitors. 

The plan includes $10 million to support monitors who can help with cafeteria lunches and outdoor learning. The funding can also be used for additional substitute coverage as needed. The Board also directed the Superintendent to communicate the expectation that students will be provided the opportunity to eat outside whenever possible and staff will be encouraged to utilize outdoor learning too.

Funding of $1.0 million will provide 10.0 ESOL teacher positions to provide direct student support to English learners. 

Each school will receive funding allocations as well as stipends for academics and wellness. The academic and wellness allocations are to be used to directly support students. The amount each school receives is based on its projected enrollment and need. Need was determined using the following factors: 

  • Free and reduced meals 
  • Percent of English Learners 
  • Percent of Students with Disabilities 
  • Reading and Mathematics achievement reverse index
  • Graduation and Completion Index (for high schools). 

The funding will be used to support academics and wellness, including the use of tutors, monitors to support school services, additional instruction for students in need of hands-on and other preparatory learning for industry credentials and Career and Technical course completion, additional English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), transportation for before school, after school, and Saturday programs, family engagement, materials and programs, hourly pay for teachers, professional development, additional collaborative planning time, and hiring of monitors. 

All schools will create a plan that outlines how they will use their ESSER III funding to support students’ academics and wellness, and they will post information about their plan on the school website. 

The ESSER III plan also includes additional financial support for special education teachers whose scheduled daily work hours will be increased from 7.5 hours per day to 8.0 hours per day. Their salary will increase in line with the additional 30 minutes per day. 

To help attract additional bus drivers, funding will also be used to increase the starting hourly rate for bus drivers to $22.91. 

The spending plan was based on extensive public engagement resulting in participation from more 1,600 community members in June. The plan also reflects the priorities of the School Board and needs identified by the FCPS leadership team. 

The ESSER III Plan is available online for details and information.


Ensuring Equitable Access to Literacy

FCPS is beginning a process to collaboratively develop an Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) Plan. The School Board will discuss the literacy plan in more detail at its Work Session on October 5 at 3:30 p.m.

As a dynamic document, the EAL Plan will strive to eliminate gaps in opportunity, access, and achievement for all students. It will include desired outcomes and an action plan for continuous improvement of PreK -12 literacy practices toward the following goals: 

  • Closing the achievement gaps in literacy among student subgroups
  • Decreasing the number of students found eligible for special education services
  • Decreasing the number of students requiring secondary reading intervention
  • Streamlining data collection and progress monitoring across the district

While this requires a long-term, sustained effort, there are some evidence-based, shorter term improvements to PreK-2 Literacy that will be implemented in school year 2021-22, including:

  • Required explicit and systematic phonics and phonological awareness instruction in grades PreK-2
    • Designated instructional time as part of Language Arts block
    • Clearly defined scope and sequence of instruction
    • Centrally provided lessons
  • Required professional development on foundational literacy skill development for:
    • PreK-2 Teachers
    • School Based Literacy Leaders
    • School Based Leaders
  • Engage in Basal Resource Adoption Process for Elementary Language Arts (Potential Purchases FY23/24)

These are just first steps in changes to our literacy program as we deepen our learning and work with community stakeholders to determine our final outcomes. FCPS staff are collaborating with external partners to leverage their expertise for development and implementation in areas such as structured literacy and literacy considerations for English Learners. As we work to establish a multi-year comprehensive plan, FCPS administrators are considering input from several stakeholder groups, such as ACSD, CASA, Decoding Dyslexia, Edu-Futro, NAACP, SEPTA.


Comprehensive Review of Special Education Services

American Institutes of Research (AIR) and FCPS Auditor General Esther Ko presented the Comprehensive Special Education Review –First Year Report at the School Board’s Work Session on September 21. This review was conducted at the request of the School Board and is focused on four objectives:

  1. Evaluate the design, structure and established processes of special education services, degree of fidelity of implementation and continuous monitoring;
  2. Evaluate the adequacy of human capital resources;
  3. Analyze alignment with evidence-based practices; and
  4. Evaluate the effectiveness of communication strategies.

Below is a brief overview of the interim findings:

SPED Interim Report Summary Findings

Access the Interim Report Presentation and Year 1 Interim Report for more information.


We Are John Lewis School Rock

Exploration for an Academy at John R. Lewis High School Underway

At a School Board forum on December 1, 2020, the Board directed staff to explore the development of an Academy at John R. Lewis High School focused on public service and the principles of John R. Lewis’ leadership. Currently, staff from the Instructional Services Department are partnering with staff and other stakeholders of John R. Lewis High School to develop one or more models to propose to the School Board for an Academy at Lewis High School.

Consistent with the model of a FCPS high school academy, the proposed Academy at John Lewis High School will be a center within an existing high school that offers specialized and/or advanced technical courses in the area of government, public policy, leadership, and human rights along with opportunities for work-based learning such as internships and connections with public officials. Through the Lewis Academy, students will have access to relevant academic experiential learning opportunities through a curriculum that is both accessible and challenging. The Academy would provide multiple pathways for those whose next step is college or career.

As a bridge to the business community, the Academy is an opportunity to invest in a future workforce of graduates possessing both soft and tangible skills that are and will continue to be in demand. For the Central Springfield Community, the Academy will be a model high school that reflects and connects the rich diversity of the surrounding community. Staff hopes to prepare a report to the Board and schedule a work session in the mid to late fall.


FCPS Bus

Board Approves Adjustment to Transportation Salary Scales

On September 23, the Fairfax County School Board voted to accept the recommendation to apply a 2.5% market scale adjustment (MSA) to the schedule H transportation salary scale. The Board voted to reduce the fuel contingency reserve by $1.5m to fund the cost of the salary scale increase.

The 2.5% MSA will benefit any bus driver whose salaries were not increased when FCPS raised the hourly salary to $22.91 in August. The MSA approved by the School Board last night will be applied to the salary scale effective for the pay period from October 9 to October 22. 

This increase recognizes the amazing work of our transportation team during the pandemic and every day and helps us to be competitive in the current market to recruit and retain staff. It follows actions in August that increased the starting hourly pay to $22.91 and provided a $3,000 recruitment bonus.

Finally, the School Board also directed the Superintendent to examine salary scales to recognize years of service for existing transportation employees in steps 1-5 as a result of this change. They directed the Superintendent to return to them with a plan to include the necessary modifications, after consultation with key stakeholders, as a part of the market scale study findings scheduled for presentation in December.

A market review of bus driver and bus attendant salaries and benefits among Washington Area Board of Education (WABE) school divisions will be completed later this fall. 


Community Participation Instructions

Upcoming Opportunities to Engage with School Board Members

On October 6, join me and School Board Member Karen Corbett Sanders for the Mount Vernon Virtual Town Hall, 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Registration information and web links to submit questions in advance will be shared later this week. 

On October 7 at 7:00 p.m., the Board will hear public comment on the 2021 Division-Wide Comprehensive Plan in the auditorium of Luther Jackson Middle School.  The speaker list for this Public Hearing will opened at 6 a.m. on Thursday, September 23, 2021. Register to Speak


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.

© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia