Shea Hestmark (center), a second grade teacher at Columbia Elementary School, walks across the stage at FCPS Honors to receive her award for Outstanding Elementary Teacher. Also pictured are category finalists Hadley Harrison, fourth grade teacher at Union Mill Elementary (right) and Meg Brinkhuis, librarian at Cunningham Park Elementary (left).
🏆 Recognizing Outstanding Employees
Fairfax County Public Schools is all about excellence in teaching students, leading schools, and providing support. Each year, the Department of Human Resources sponsors the FCPS Honors ceremony to recognize outstanding employees who seek to create and demonstrate the best instructional and support practices.
From a pool of 76 finalists, 12 employees were honored for being outstanding, including Photographer Karen Bolt, pictured above, who was this year’s Outstanding Nonschool-Based Professional Employee. See the FCPS Honors webpage for a full list of winners and to read about the finalists.
Academic Matters: Limited Early Release Mondays
During the Academic Matters segment of last week’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed limited early release Mondays for elementary schools for the 2024-25 school year. This initiative will provide elementary teachers with additional time on site to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act and other demands on their time.
A steering committee of school leaders, teachers, and families is being created to ensure that this work is both supported and implemented with fidelity across all of our elementary schools. If you are interested in being a part of the steering committee, please complete this form by Friday, June 28.Â
An Employee Conversation about early release Mondays will be held Thursday, June 20, 10-11 a.m., at Gatehouse Administration Center. Register here. Language interpretation and childcare will be available as needed. If you have immediate questions, please email ESPlanning@fcps.edu. Visit the Early Release Mondays webpage.
🔄 Results of Cyclical Review of 17 School-Based Jobs
FCPS has completed its first cyclical review, analyzing the job descriptions and salary levels of 17 school-based job titles representing approximately 4,900 individuals.Â
Updated job descriptions with competitive and equitable salaries will take effect on Monday, July 1, in combination with the market rate adjustment in the adopted FY 2025 budget. Impacted employees should have received an email today, Tuesday, June 18, from Human Resources’ Classification and Compensation Office regarding their updated job descriptions.Â
For more information about the review, please visit the Employee Hub.
🍎 Former Student Now Works in Classroom with Pre-K Teacher
Aisha Farooq is a pre-K helper in Janelle Ali’s classroom at Dogwood Elementary School. This isn’t Aisha’s first time in Janelle's class, however. Janelle was also Aisha’s special education preschool teacher in 2005 at Clearview Elementary School. Fast-forward nearly two decades, and the duo now collaborate daily as colleagues. Read more about Aisha’s experience from the Secondary Transition to Employment Program (STEP) to full-time employee on the Employee Blog.
Change to Employment Verification Process for Loans
Need to verify your employment or income for a loan? A new method for these verifications using the Verifent platform is currently being piloted. Visit the employment verification page to learn more.Â
If you are filing for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) on the Federal Student Aid website, please use Verifications@fcps.edu for your employment verification contact.
Professional Development Opportunities
Find more information on these opportunities and others on the Employee Blog.
Supporting the Mission Application Window Opening
Gain a better understanding of how offices, departments, and schools within FCPS work together to support the mission of our division. Apply for the 2024-25 cohort of Supporting the Mission. This program is for teacher leaders, school-based administrators, and Schedule B and C staff.Â
Both the interest and recommendation forms are due by Wednesday, August 21. For more information, visit the Supporting the Mission site.
Leadership Skills for Middle Managers
The Middle Managers Roundtable (MMRT) is a seven-month collaborative leadership development program for both operational and school leaders. Apply by Friday, September 20.
Get more information on the MMRT Google site. Please email Tu Phillips with any questions.
Family and School Partnerships Training for Educators
The following Academy classes are available for teachers this summer:
Click the links above to view the schedules and register in MyPDE.
CodeVA Professional Learning Opportunities
CodeVA offers computer science professional learning at no cost for Virginia public school teachers. Registration is now open for summer. Learn more on the CodeVA website.
Communications, Connections, and Creativity: A Senior Internship Experience
Anna Claire Sheehan, a recent graduate from Oakton High School, interned with the Office of Communications the last few weeks of her senior year. One of her assignments was to write about the office, what it does, and what she experienced. Learn more about Anna Claire’s time as an OC intern and what the office staff does on a day-to-day basis. Hear her talk about her experience once she was back at Oakton.
🗳️ Support Services Employees’ Advisory Council (SSEAC) Election Results
Congratulations to the unopposed candidates in the following job groups. Please join us in welcoming the new Support Services Employees’ Advisory Council (SSEAC) representatives from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026:
- Group 3 – Food and Nutrition Services: Andrea O’Shea, kitchen manager, Edison High School
- Group 7 – Management and Administration: Aron Sterling, senior manager, Educational Technology, Willow Oaks
Group 4 – Custodial and Plant Operations, Group 5 – Trades/Maintenance/Security, Group 8 – Educational Support, and Group 9 – School-Based Clerical did not receive petitions and will remain vacant until an interim representative is placed.
Visit the Employee Hub for more information on all of the Superintendent’s Support Employee Advisory Councils.
🗓️ Juneteenth Holiday, Offices Closed
Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 19, is a holiday. All schools and offices will be closed.
Independence Day
All schools and offices will be closed Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, for Independence Day.
See the 2023-24 employee calendar and school year calendar. The 2024-25 employee calendar and school year calendar are also available.
2026-27 School Year Calendar Posted
In accordance with the School Board’s preference for publishing a school year calendar three years in advance, a draft of the 2026-27 school year calendar is now available.
Remaining School Board Meetings for 2023-24
The School Board will hold regular business meetings on Thursday, June 27, and Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. Visit BoardDocs the week of each meeting to view their respective agendas. Find out how to watch and participate in School Board meetings.
đź“° Last Issue of Employee News for the 2023-24 School Year
This is the last regularly scheduled weekly issue of Employee News. Enjoy your summer!
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!Â
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