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Hello Braddock families -
I want to start my newsletter this week by offering some reassurance to you, as I understand there is misinformation circulating throughout Fairfax County that has some families worried that their school boundaries are changing.
Let me be very clear: There is no current proposal to change the boundaries of any school.
Here is what is going on:
The School Board Governance Committee, of which I am the chair, is in the process of updating Policy 8130 as part of our regular review of policies to establish a clear roadmap for future boundary changes and provide the safest and most effective instructional experiences for students. This work began in 2018, with the Board in 2019 directing the superintendent to hire an outside consultant to provide best practices for boundary policies. That report was delivered in late 2021 but continued work on the policy was delayed due to COVID, hiring a new superintendent, and prioritizing completion of the strategic plan. The governance committee resumed its review in February 2024. You can read the latest draft here.
This policy has not been holistically updated in nearly five decades, and our school system is experiencing the negative results of that, in the form of overcrowding at some schools, transportation problems, facility issues, inequities in resource allocation, and more. Our county has grown, programming requirements have changed, and population shifts have occurred, and our policies must be updated to reflect our current state.
Once the committee finalizes and approves the draft policy, it will be referred to a full School Board Work Session for discussion. Like Regular School Board Meetings, School Board Work Sessions are open to the public and available via the FCPS live stream and on the School Board Meeting YouTube channel. During a Work Session, the Board determines a policy's next steps. If the Board decides to move a policy forward, the full Board must vote on it at a Regular School Board Meeting. If the policy passes with a majority of votes at a Regular School Board meeting, the Board will hand the work to the Superintendent, who will use the updated policy to review and propose any future changes to school boundaries. A huge component of that work will be robust public engagement before any potential boundary changes are proposed.
The Governance Committee is scheduled to continue work on Policy 8130 at its next meeting on June 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the Gatehouse Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church. The meeting will be open to the public.
My hope is a cyclical holistic review of FCPS boundaries will address community concerns over a host of issues including temporary classrooms (trailers), instructional program locations, overcrowding, and transportation, among others. For more information on the benefits to students and the community of maintaining an up-to-date boundary policy, you can visit the FCPS website.
I assure you I will do my part to ensure that you and the entire community have full opportunity to have a say if any actual school boundary changes are proposed. Again, there is no current proposal to change the boundaries of any school.
I hope this helps to allay any concerns. If you still have questions, please feel free to reach out to my office at braddockconstituent@fcps.edu.
All my best,
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 Rachna Sizemore Heizer
Braddock District School Board Member
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IN THIS ISSUE …
Budget Corner
Focus on Braddock
Neurodiversity News
More from the School Board
FCPS News
Out & About
Coming Up
More Stuff Parents Should Know
 Approved 2024-25 Spending Plan Includes 4% Raise for All Employees
The School Board voted on May 23 to approve the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget, including a 4% pay increase for all employees.
I am disappointed that we were unable to fund the full 6% raise that had been proposed by the superintendent and supported by the School Board. However, the chronic underfunding from the state - to the tune of $1900 a student less than West Virginia and Kentucky, or nearly half a billion dollars owed to Fairfax, as well as less funding than our request this year to the county Board of Supervisors - unfortunately tied the School Board’s hands. I am grateful that once the state released its funding, the Superintendent was able to find additional funding to fund a 4% raise.
Attracting and retaining quality educators is my top priority as your representative to the School Board, but we cannot do that without better pay for our teachers, which will require additional funding. I will be working closely with my colleagues and others to change the flawed state funding formula, and advocate for other ways to pay for our schools’ critical needs.
Stay tuned for more on this work.
Volunteer to Serve on a Citizen Advisory Committee
As a reminder, I am now accepting applications for appointments to represent the Braddock District on seven citizen advisory committees that serve one-year terms, work on a variety of specific topics, and provide annual recommendations to the School Board.
I look forward to hearing from those interested and developing strong working relationships with selected appointees. Before I was elected to the school board, I served on one of these committees for eight years. I found it an invaluable experience both in learning more about FCPS from a systemic perspective and sharing my own experiences and expertise.
Learn More and Apply by June 4.
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Graduation Schedule
Following is the upcoming graduation schedule for secondary and high schools located in the Braddock District:
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Robinson Secondary School, Monday, June 3, 2 p.m., Eagle Bank Arena.
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Lake Braddock Secondary School, Tuesday, June 4, 2 p.m., Eagle Bank Arena.
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Woodson High School, Thursday, June 6, 2 p.m., Eagle Bank Arena.
See you there! Visit the FCPS website for the full schedule.
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Braddock-Based State Counselor of the Year Offers Mental Health Tips
Valerie Peters, middle school counselor at Robinson Secondary School, was chosen by the Virginia School Counselor Association as the 2024 Secondary School Counselor of the Year.
May is Mental Health Month, so Valerie offered some tips for FCPS families on improving or maintaining good mental health, including:
- Celebrating each other’s accomplishments;
- Checking in with each other during family meetings; and
- Having a family activity night once a week.
Read more.
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Lake Braddock Secondary School Educator Earns Top Award
Congratulations to Dr. Susanne Cook, speech and language pathologist at Lake Braddock, for winning the very prestigious 2024 Deso Weiss award for excellence in the field of cluttering!
My understanding is only one person in the world each year wins this award. We are very lucky to have such highly qualified people working with our students.
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The school year is almost over, and as we move into summer it is important to remember children with autism and other forms of neurodiversity will still need structure even as they aren’t reporting to a classroom.
“Summer break is here, which often leads to increased downtime for our kids,” writes Children’s National Hospital (CNH) in Washington, D.C. “While this break may be beneficial for some, it can also pose new challenges for many children with autism who rely on predictable routines.”
Among CNH’s recommendations are to limit screen time and prepare your child in advance for summer plans, especially when travel may be involved. Read more.
Job Openings
The FCPS School Board is seeking to hire a full-time Support Technician I. This position will provide wide-ranging meeting support, including setting up and breaking down meetings, assisting with proclamations, preparing minutes, handling exhibit files, and other duties as assigned. The position may require flexible hours. Please note that while the listing says “One Year Only,” it is intended to be permanent.
The School Board is also continuing to recruit for the position of Deputy Clerk.
Learn more about FCPS job opportunities here.
Student Advisory Council Elects 2024-25 Student School Board Representative
Megan Sawant, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), has been elected by the countywide Student Advisory Council (SAC) to serve a one-year term as student representative to the Fairfax County School Board, beginning July 1.
Sawant will participate in School Board meetings as a nonvoting member, filling the position currently held by Rida Karim, a junior at Woodson High School. She will be the 54th student representative to the School Board.
Sawant has identified three main focuses for her work as student representative: increasing student engagement with the School Board, identifying and tackling academic recovery, and addressing student alcohol and drug abuse.
Congratulations, Megan, I look forward to working with you!
- May 29, 7 p.m. - Comprehensive Planning Development Committee
- June 6, 5:30 p.m. - Public Engagement Committee
- June 13, 7 p.m. - Regular Meeting
- VHSL WInter/Spring Recognitions
- Executive Limitation #7: Asset Protection Report and Policy Review
- FY25 Risk Assessment and Audit Topics Presentation
Contract Approval for Dranesville Elementary School Renovation Project
- New Business: Reappoint/Appoint Board of Trustees for the Educational Employees' Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC)
- June 18, 10:30 a.m. - Governance Committee
- June 18, 2 p.m. - Public Engagement Committee
- June 18, 4:30 p.m. - Audit Committee
- June 18, 7 p.m. - Comprehensive Planning Development Committee
- June 20, 4 p.m. - Committee Report Work Session (ACE, MSAOC, FPAC, HRAC)
- June 24, 5 p.m. - Committee Report Work Session (ACSD, AAPAC, SHAC, ECPPC)
- June 25, 10:30 a.m. - Work Session
- FY25 Risk Assessment and Audit Topics
- Family Engagement Survey Results
Agendas & Materials | Watch Meetings Live | Meeting Video Archive
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Family Life Education Materials Available for Review
Recommended Family Life Education instructional materials are available for community review through Monday, June 10, at 4:30 p.m. All comments will be provided to the School Board which must vote on the recommendations. View details and a feedback form.
FCPS Names New Chief Human Resources Officer
Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid has named William Solomon, who currently serves as executive director of Talent Acquisition in Houston Independent School District (ISD), to the role of chief human resources officer, effective June 3.
An experienced education executive, Solomon comes to FCPS with a track record of transformative leadership in Houston, one of the largest school divisions in the country. His leadership accomplishments demonstrate creative responses to division-wide challenges. He spearheaded projects that had a positive impact on teacher recruitment, such as improving the accuracy of vacancy projections, decreasing the time to hire, expanding the use of visa programs, and increasing the volume of role-qualified applicants.
“As one of the largest school divisions in the U.S. — and one of the largest employers in Virginia — Fairfax County Public Schools is uniquely positioned to transform the lives of students, employees, parents and caregivers, and the broader community,” Solomon said.
Solomon has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management, with a minor in Human Resources Management. He also earned an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources and Law from the University of Houston.
Read more in FCPS News.
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 The cast of Peter Pan Jr. at Oak View Elementary School
Bummer! I missed out on much of the last round of music and theater performances this year due to illness last week. However, my staff aide was able to sub for me at an Oak View Elementary School performance of Peter Pan Jr. last week, and offered a glowing review: “What a show! Even just looking at the program, lights and stage before the kids even came out in costume, all of the hard work that went into the play was obvious. The students were so fun, and the sets and songs were great.” Apparently, they had everything but Sandy Duncan swinging from the rafters. Congrats, Eagles!
Congratulations also to Lake Braddock Secondary School Band for their 50th anniversary concert which featured band directors from the past and present to celebrate this amazing milestone! Go Bruins!
I am looking forward to fun end of year events and especially to celebrating our Class of 2024 graduates at graduation ceremonies. And I cannot wait to see all the amazing performances and see who wins the coveted awards at the Cappies! Congratulations to all the 2024 Cappies Nominees.
Early Dismissal on the Last Day of School, Wednesday, June 12
The last day of school is Wednesday, June 12. All secondary and high schools will have a two-hour day with dismissal at 10 or 10:10 a.m. on the last day of school. Elementary and middle schools will be dismissed two hours early on this day. Look for communications from your school on their bell times/schedules for that day.
FCPS Summer Extravaganza
Don't miss a day of family fun and learning at FCPS' Summer Extravaganza!
Stop by Woodson High School on Saturday, June 1, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., where students will take part in engaging educational activities designed to spark curiosity and inspire growth.
Representatives from local businesses, Fairfax County Public Library, and the Fairfax County Park Authority are participating in the Summer Extravaganza. Community organizations, such as Neighborhood Community Services, will be at the event as well. All will have learning activities, tips, and helpful information for families. Enjoy face painting, food, music, a moon bounce, a petting zoo, storytime, and student performances — all at no cost!
Visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage for more details and register to attend. Registration is not required, but it's helpful for planning purposes.
Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow. We All Belong Here!
In FCPS, we all belong. From the first day of school, to the last day of school, every child matters. If your student is having a hard time finishing the year strong and attending school, please contact a trusted adult at school—a teacher, counselor, or administrator. Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GzQcRkXbqo
Don’t Forget to Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance!
It’s a busy time of year, and we know there are many priorities on families’ plates. As we approach the end of the school year, it is important to remember to check your students’ MySchoolBucks account and pay any remaining school meal balance.
Families that earn less than 185% of poverty level qualify for free and reduced-price meals. However, an application must be completed and submitted each school year to receive that benefit. The application for the 2024-25 school year will be available this summer.
If families have a current balance and think they may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, please fill out the FRM application for the 2022-23 school year. Get more information about free and reduced-price lunch.
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.
© 2024 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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