Clermont Elementary School Teacher Sheila Brown works with students in a small group on a math lesson.
School Board Votes to Adopt Fiscal Year 2025 Approved Budget
The Fairfax County School Board voted last week to adopt Fairfax County Public Schools’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Approved Budget. The FY 2025 Approved Budget totals $3.7 billion — a net increase of $233.2 million or 6.6% over the previous year.
The approved budget includes a 4% compensation increase for all employees, funding to maintain class sizes in light of projected enrollment growth, continuation of key multi-year initiatives, and resources to support student well-being outside the classroom.
Budget items that will be prioritized in the FY 2024 Year End Budget include 30 additional minutes for extended day contracts for special education teachers and funding for the ERFC Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP).
Read the budget news release.
New Employee Badges Make Their Debut
All FCPS employees will receive new badges within the next year. The new badges will improve how we manage secure access to buildings and will eliminate the need for fobs used by many schools. They will also allow all employees to access cloud printing services at any FCPS location.
New, redesigned badges will be distributed in phases beginning in June with staff at the Dunn Loring and Alan Leis centers. Each work location has a badge administrator who will share the timeline for implementation and distribution of new badges through late 2024 and early 2025.
Update Your Information in UConnect
Please note that employees’ preferred first name (as stated in UConnect) and legal last name will be printed on the new badges. Be sure to log in to UConnect to verify you have your preferred first name listed correctly.
Update Your Badge Photo!
If your badge photo is more than eight years old, stop by the FCPS Welcome Center at Gatehouse to take a new photo.
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💻 Inspiring Students to Explore Technology and Coding
Congratulations to Kathleen Fugle, STEAM resource teacher at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. The Virginia Department of Education announced her as their 2024 Computer Science Educator of the Year!
Kathleen was recognized for her passion for computer science and her proactive involvement in promoting it within the Sleepy Hollow community. Her efforts are appreciated by both her students and the wider school community. Read about Kathleen and this award. Watch how she inspires her students.
Tuition Reimbursement Window Opening
The portal to apply for reimbursement for spring 2024 courses will be open Saturday, June 1, through Sunday, June 30. Contracted employees may apply for up to $700 in reimbursement for one course that ended between January 1 and May 15, 2024.
Tuition reimbursement is available on a first-come, first-served basis using the current priority list. Detailed information on the priority list, how to submit the request, and the documents needed for upload are available on the Tuition Reimbursement page.
Apply through the Tuition Reimbursement Portal (VPN Required). You will need your Tuition Paid Receipt and Grade Report to complete the request. Please email TuitionBenefits@fcps.edu for more information.
🌱 See How We Grow Our Own Special Education Teachers
Explore FCPS' Grow Your Own Program, which fosters a pipeline of special education teachers. Hear from participants benefiting from tuition assistance and personalized coaching, and discover the power of collaboration within supportive cohorts. With a remarkable success rate in achieving licensing goals, witness how FCPS is advancing excellence and equity in special education.
The Grow Your Own program speaks to Pillar C of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan: a Diverse, Adaptive, and Supported Workforce. Superintendent Dr. Michelle C. Reid presented information on the program at last week’s School Board meeting.
For more information on the program, email TeacherPathways.OPL@fcps.edu.
🍎 Become a Teacher!
Interested in becoming a teacher? Learn about opportunities on Saturday, June 8, 9 a.m.-noon, at Oakton High School. Registration is required to attend.
Survey on Divisionwide Usage of Performance Matters
The Instructional Services Department will conduct a voluntary, anonymous survey on Performance Matters for all school-based professionals and leadership. The survey window is Monday, June 3, through Friday, June 14. The survey will be delivered through eNotify.
Ms. Vivi’s Principal Steps in on a Sick Day
In the sixth episode of the My First Year video series, Ms. Vivi takes a sick day. Watch how her principal steps in to support her and builds community at Shrevewood Elementary School. Read more about her sick day and Principal Josh DeSmyter.
Register for the 2024 Summer Equity Symposium
This year’s FCPS Summer Equity Symposium — Creating Connections, Cultivating Capacity — will be held on Tuesday, June 18, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Keynote speaker Nicole Tucker-Smith, CEO of Lessoncast, will explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and equity. The event will also feature a conversation with author, musician, and entrepreneur Marcus Johnson.
For more information, including how to register, please visit the 2024 Equity Symposium website.
Website and Division Calendar Updates Coming Soon!
As mentioned last fall, FCPS is redesigning our central website, fcps.edu, and preparing for the redesign of school websites. Our primary purpose for this work is to improve user experience — helping families quickly find the tools, information, and resources they need.
We plan to launch the redesigned central site in July. School sites will be rolled out in phases at a later date. Details on how to provide feedback on the new site design will be coming soon.
A divisionwide calendaring tool that provides a master schedule of events is also on the way. All schools and offices will use it to help ensure consistency in design and delivery. An FCPS mobile app is in the works as well!
Learn more about the web redesign. If you have questions, please email web@fcps.edu.
🎓 Share Your FCPS Graduation Memories!
As we celebrate the class of 2024, we invite you to look back at your own high school graduation or middle school promotion.
Did you graduate from a Fairfax County school? What year did you graduate from high school? What was the highlight of that day for you? Share your memories with us in the Employee Blog, or email photos and stories to EmployeeNews@FCPS.edu.
💵 Earn Your $100 Employee Wellness Incentive!
Employees enrolled in an FCPS health plan as the primary cardholder may earn a reward worth up to $100 by completing their annual physical and laboratory screenings. This incentive is in addition to the prizes you can win by participating in wellness challenges that occur each year.
Cigna members earn a $50 gift card reward for completing the annual preventive exam and a $50 gift card reward for completing the biometric screening.
Kaiser Permanente members earn a $100 gift card reward for completing the total health assessment and biometric screening.
The Wellness Incentive Program is available through December 31. Visit the program’s webpage or email EmployeeWellness@FCPS.edu with any questions.
Schedule Your Annual Physical
If you have not already done so this year, contact your primary care physician (PCP) to schedule your annual physical. If you need help obtaining a PCP, contact Cigna at 877-501-7992 or Kaiser at 800-777-7902.
🗳️ 2024 ERFC Trustee Election Results
The election for the Educational Employees’ Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC) Board of Trustees to fill one three-year term trustee vacancy was conducted electronically May 14-16. Congratulations to Kimberly Adams, librarian at Shrevewood Elementary School, who will serve as an ERFC trustee for three years beginning July 1.
🤠 FCPS Rounds Up Bus Drivers and Attendants for Road-eo Competition
The Office of Transportation Services recently hosted its annual Bus Road-eo competition.
Drivers of both big and small buses and attendants competed. Participants took a written test, then a driving challenge which included maneuvering through nine difficult stations.
Read more about the event and see a list of Road-eo winners.
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📊 Academic Matters: New SOL Growth Reports
In the Academic Matters segment of last week’s School Board meeting, Dr. Reid presented information on the Virginia Department of Education’s new Standards of Learning (SOL) Growth Reports for families of students in grades 3-8.
These new reports are designed to give a yearlong look at student performance by combining information from earlier Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) results with SOL results. Dr. Reid also discussed how FCPS’ reporting plan for spring assessment results was created with accessibility in mind.
Watch the video of the Academic Matters presentation or view the slide presentation.
💐 Save on Gifts for Dads and Grads with Savings for Staff
Find the perfect gift for anyone with Savings for Staff, offered by PerkSpot!
Spoil the father figure in your life with a gift he deserves this Father’s Day. Save on events, apparel, outdoor recreation, electronics, auto, and more items that he’s sure to love!
For the graduates, find deals on gift baskets, flowers, or whatever the perfect gift is to honor their achievements.
🔍 Free Classifieds for Employees
The FCPS Online Classifieds is a free way for employees to post ads for personally owned items that they are seeking to buy, sell, or give away. It's also a great tool to help an employee look for someone to share a ride to work, find a roommate, or rent real estate.
FCPS’ classifieds system is self-service and allows users to post new ads, or update or renew existing ads at any time. The classifieds are for FCPS employees only and are available on the Hub. View rules and frequently asked questions. Contact Andy Grunig for more information.
📅 Looking Ahead: Early Dismissal June 16
As a reminder, the last day of the 2023-24 school year is Wednesday, June 12. Students will be dismissed early. See the complete school year calendar or the 2023-24 employee calendar.
The 2024-25 employee calendar is also available.
📰 Last Issue of Employee News for the 2023-24 School Year
The last scheduled weekly issue of Employee News will be Tuesday, June 18.
Staff Staples
Note: Some links in this email require a connection to the FCPS network. If you have any questions, please visit the FCPS Tech Support Portal to search for self help articles or submit a ticket.
Submit an Employee News request. Submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Thank you!
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