Brookfield Elementary School Teacher Catherine Sayen helps a student with a math problem.
Superintendent to Announce FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Proposed Budget at the School Board meeting on Thursday, January 12, at 7 p.m. Dr. Reid’s presentation, as well as other budget documents, will be available after she presents to the School Board. Highlights will be shared with employees next week.
See the complete regular meeting agenda (English only). The meeting can be viewed on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel, and on the FCPS website.
Recordings of School Board meetings and work sessions can be viewed on the FCPS YouTube channel. To watch School Board meetings dubbed in Spanish, you can visit the FCPS en Español YouTube channel.
If you need language interpretation or American Sign Language support for any School Board meeting, please contact the Board clerk. Find your School Board member and how to contact them on the School Board Members webpage.
Woodson Graduates Return to Begin Teaching Career
Seth Spero (left) was working in the private sector for a year after college but wanted a more fulfilling career. Alex Clark (second from left) knew from a young age he wanted to work in education. Will Cogan (second from right) had never thought about becoming a teacher. Jackson Miller (right) planned on pursuing a career in marketing.
For these four teachers at Woodson High School, the route to becoming a teacher looks very different. But they now share a common bond: teaching together at the school from which they graduated. Read about their journey to teaching.
What brought you to FCPS? Tell us about your journey and the individuals who inspired you on the Employee News blog.
Volunteers Needed for Strategic Planning Community Forums
FCPS will host nine in-person and three virtual Community Forums, where community members will be able to help shape the school division's future. Performance Fact, Inc. will facilitate the events. Volunteers are needed to serve as table facilitators to support virtual breakout and in-person small group discussions. All FCPS staff members are welcome to volunteer.
Table facilitators will receive advance training to prepare them to lead a diverse group of stakeholders in framing their input toward the development of FCPS’ new Strategic Plan.
Table facilitator training will be held on Tuesday, January 24, at 4 p.m., and Wednesday, January 25, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Volunteers should only attend one of the training sessions, which will be held on Zoom.
If you are interested in being a table facilitator, please complete the Google form for your preferred event(s) no later than Friday, January 20, at 4 p.m. You will receive a link to the training after submitting the form.
Thank you in advance for your support. Visit our website to learn more about FCPS’ Strategic Planning process.
COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan Informational Meetings
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to implementing a plan for COVID-19 compensatory education as part of its obligation to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities. Please join us at an informational meeting for parents/guardians and other stakeholders:
Visit our website to see what language interpretation services will be available at each meeting and to learn more about the COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan.
Benefits Reminders for the New Year
Please take a few minutes to review these important reminders about benefits:
- Benefit elections for 2023 are now effective. Please check your pay advice to ensure your 2023 benefit deductions (health, dental, FSA, and life insurance) are correct.
- The Cigna Open Access plan is now in effect. Employees enrolled in the Cigna plan received new ID cards via U.S. mail in late December. Plan participants should provide their new ID cards to all treating providers to ensure their claims are billed correctly.
- Plan year limits reset on January 1. Deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket limits are based on a calendar year. These amounts have been reset for 2023.
- VRS Hybrid members employed on or before August 1, 2022, who are contributing less than the maximum of 4% will see an increase in their Hybrid 457 contributions with their January pay, unless they opted out of the “auto escalation” increase.
Questions? Please contact the Office of Benefit Services by email at HRConnection@fcps.edu or by phone at 571-423-3200 (choose Option 3, then Option 2).
Only at FCPS: Two Pensions–VRS and ERFC
Are you dreaming of what retirement will look like? If you’re a full-time educational, administrative, or support employee, you have TWO pensions—Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and ERFC.
ERFC is a supplemental pension to your primary VRS pension. Stay with FCPS for five years (or more!), and you’ll become a vested ERFC member. Being vested means that after retiring, you can collect an ERFC pension for life. Your hire date determines which plan you’re in. Log in to your ERFCDirect account to verify your plan.
When you are eligible for retirement, turn in your HR-2 to ERFCRetirement@fcps.edu at least six months before your last day, so you can receive assistance with the necessary paperwork. Watch How to Fill Out Your HR-2 Form for a quick tutorial.
What about VRS? Log in to your myVRS account today for additional resources. For more information, contact ERFC at 703-426-3900 or ERFCRetirement@fcps.edu.
Upcoming Teacher Leader Learning Opportunities
The contributions of teacher leaders have impacted cycles of continuous improvement across FCPS. If you are interested in growing your capacity as a teacher leader, the educational specialists in Professional Growth and Career Development invite you to consider registering for an upcoming teacher leadership opportunity. Click on the links below to learn more:
-
PLC After-School Specials: Monthly, virtual two-hour sessions with skills and strategies leaders can employ when working with novice teachers in Professional Learning Communities (PLC).
-
Teacher Leadership Cohorts: Current and aspiring teacher leaders who are interested in building their skills in leading others are invited to enroll in either Emerging Teacher Leadership or Developing Teacher Leadership Academy Courses. Registration opens on Tuesday, January 17, at 5 p.m.
The spring Academy Course Program offers over 35 offerings that address the following topics:
- Supporting Students' Diverse Needs
- Engaging Families and Communities
- Adopting Culturally Responsive Instructional Practices
- Developing Students' Portrait of a Graduate (POG) Skills
- Implementing Effective Instructional Practices
- Pursuing Career Development and/or FCPS Endorsement
All courses are designed to enhance teacher knowledge and skills. Details including course syllabus, outcomes, and assignments will be listed in the Academy course catalog in MyPDE. Registration begins on Tuesday, January 17, at 5 p.m. Visit the Employee Hub to learn how to register or email Academy@fcps.edu for questions.
Other professional development opportunities are also currently available including:
- Virtual Supporting New Teachers Series
- Virtual Instructional Coaching Program Information Nights
- Administration and Supervision M.Ed. Cohort with UVA.
Learn more on the Employee News Blog.
Tuition Reimbursement Window Is Open
The portal to apply for reimbursement of Fall 2022 courses is open through Tuesday, January 31. Interested and eligible contracted employees may apply for up to $700 in reimbursement for one course that ended between September 1 and December 31, 2022. Detailed information is available on the Tuition Reimbursement page on the Employee Hub.
Tuition reimbursement is available on a first-come, first-served basis using the current priority list. Apply through the Tuition Reimbursement Portal (VPN Required). Remember to have your Tuition Paid Receipt and Grade Report handy to complete the request. Please email Tuitionbenefits@fcps.edu for more information.
Employee Wellness
Get ready for some more friendly competition! The virtual OLA Wellness Challenge is the most fun you can have (short of visiting the islands) while improving fitness and overall health to feel your best. OLA has both individual and team competitions, an interactive message board, helpful wellness resources, and prizes to be won! Get the details on the Employee Wellness webpage.
Kaiser will sponsor a webinar on Wednesday, January 11, at noon, for Wellbeing Wednesday: Ready, Set, Goal. In this webinar, you can learn how to strengthen motivation to create habits that stick.
Calendar Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Learn more about Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service Opportunities
FCPS students continue to find incredible ways to serve their community while building Portrait of a Graduate skills such as becoming an ethical and global citizen. FCPS is excited to collaborate again with Volunteer Fairfax for the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service, Saturday, January 14, to Monday, January 16. This service opportunity helps empower individuals and strengthens communities while honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Volunteer Fairfax will host several ways for the community to get involved including volunteer activities for students and adults of all ages. To learn more about the MLK Jr. Weekend of Service and specific service activities, visit Volunteer Fairfax’s website.
Calendar Reminder: Quarter End
Wednesday, January 25, is the last day of the quarter and a two-hour early release for students. Also, schools will be closed for students on Thursday, January 26, for a staff development day (food services and 181-day personnel do not report) and Friday, January 27, for a teacher workday (food services, transportation, and 181-day personnel do not report). See the 2022-23 School Year Calendar or the Employee Calendar.
Calendar Update: Eid Al-Fitr
Eid Al-Fitr has historically been one of the days with the highest impact from absences. This year, Friday, April 21, will be a holiday for both students and employees (except 12-month employees). View the updated 2022-23 Employee Calendar.
To make up this day, the work schedules for less-than-12-month employees have been adjusted. Be sure to review the “last workday” list in June to see when your work schedule for the year will officially end. Additionally, Tuesday, June 20, and Wednesday, June 21, have been designated as “optional work from alternate location” days for teacher-scale personnel.
Regulation 4817 - Religious Accommodation for Employees remains in effect and provides options for employees scheduled to work to use leave or make up time taken off to celebrate a religious or cultural observance.
The 2023-24 School Year Calendar is under development. Visit the Calendar Development webpage for information on the process.
See Something, Say Something: Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline
FCPS provides a way for employees and the general public to report any suspected wrongdoing related to FCPS’ assets and resources. Reporting will help ensure taxpayers’ money is spent in the proper way–on our students’ education. It can also help improve employees’ work environment. Reports can be made in person, by phone, by email, or online. All reports are taken seriously, and every effort will be made to investigate the reports according to the applicable laws, codes, policies, or regulations. Employees can assist investigations by providing as much information as possible. Please visit the Office of Auditor General webpage to learn more.
How to Access VPN Remotely
Some FCPS applications (UConnect, the Online Travel portal, RequestLine, etc.) require employees to be connected through a secure server before connecting. To access the VPN (Virtual Private Network) on an FCPS laptop, simply click the Secure Pulse VPN icon (shown on the right). From other devices, you can connect to the VPN using Pulse Secure VPN. Email ITServiceDesk@fcps.edu with questions.
|
Staff Staples
Note: Some links in this email require a VPN connection. You can connect to VPN using Pulse Secure VPN (Virtual Private Network). Email ITServiceDesk@fcps.edu with questions.
Please email EmployeeNews@fcps.edu with potential submissions or questions. Submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Thank you!
|
