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Dear Community Members,
Here we are, at the end of 2024. Reflecting on the year that’s been, I want to share these highlights of the School Board’s work and the work that I’ve led, in the effort to ensure each student has a meaningful education.
2024 in Review:
- Provided a 4% raise for FCPS employees
- Worked to Get The Money for our chronically underfunded schools, presented about it to 40+ Virginia School Board Members at state conference
- Renewed Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s contract through June 2028
- Updated two critical policies: School Boundary Policy, which began a full boundary review process; and Grading and Reporting Policy, which spurs further review of grading practices by the Superintendent
- Considered changing middle school start times
- Held inaugural seasons of boys volleyball and girls wrestling
- Initiated full, independent review of athletics transfer practices
- Served as Vice Chair for the new Board at start of the year
- Attended five graduations in spring, and 20+ back-to-school events in fall
- Helped retain crossing guards in Vienna
- Ensured facilities upgrades where Hunter Mill students attend: Louise Archer renovation completed, Crossfield and Armstrong underway; outdoor classrooms at Herndon, Kilmer, Thoreau, Madison, Marshall, Oakton, South Lakes, Westfield; stadium bathrooms at South Lakes, Marshall, Thomas Jefferson; playgrounds for Wolftrap and Flint Hill
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What’s coming in 2025:
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Working to Get the Money continues with the General Assembly beginning on January 8; know who your state legislators are, find them here.
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Boundary review process continues - draft scenarios expected to the Board publicly in the spring, followed by much community engagement in summer and fall (decisions for changes expected in 2026)
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Considering middle school start time changes continues
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Review of athletic transfers process per delivered report
- Elect Virginia’s next Governor, Lt Governor, and Attorney General, plus vote on local school construction bonds, on November 4.
And more!
I wish you a joyful and peaceful winter break and holiday season.
🚧 School Board Updates and Recent Work
Boundary Review Work: Community Meeting this Wednesday, December 18, then onward into 2025
Please join me at the community meeting this month about the boundary review process, at Madison High School on Wednesday, December 18, beginning at 6:30 and ending at 8:00pm. This will conclude this segment of community meetings, but more will continue in 2025. To remain updated, subscribe to the new Boundary review update News You Choose newsletter, and also visit this webpage, here.
Consideration of Earlier Middle School Start Times
The Board considered publicly on December 3, findings from research and community engagement conducted throughout this year on options for adjusting middle school start times to be later than the current 7:30am, with the goal of improving adolescent health by increasing time for sleep. See materials here. I remain committed to implementing adjustments that prioritize students’ health, per the undeniable research about the impact of sleep on adolescents. However, I also am committed to providing plenty of advanced notice to the staff and the community in the event of changes, and making any changes as smoothly as possible - including in conjunction with any boundary changes. The Superintendent will return to the Board publicly in February with her recommendations on how to proceed.
Directing a Comprehensive and Independent Review of All Student Athlete Transfers And Eligibility Practices For All High School Athletics
I voted publicly on December 5, to approve an external, comprehensive, and independent review of all student athlete transfers and eligibility practices for all high school athletics across FCPS schools, starting with a review of Hayfield High School, and to report its findings to the School Board and Superintendent. The details of that action are found here. As I shared in my public remarks, I made decisions and raised conversations with the Board and Superintendent over these last months, using the information I had best available to me at those times. Ultimately it is the Superintendent’s responsibility to implement athletics programs and as such, the Board has directed that this situation be fully examined and resolved in our duty to hold the Superintendent accountable for fair athletic competitions among FCPS teams.
I am eager to receive the results of the report in the new calendar year, and ensure that changes happen so this situation never occurs again.
Kicking off 2025 with Facilities, and Pedestrian Traffic and Safety
The Board’s work of 2025 begins with a huge topic: our facilities. This is the heart of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that offers a five year capture of all things facilities related (including boundaries and school capacities). The CIP is the topic of the Board’s first public Work Session of 2025, January 14.
Then, the Board will vote publicly on approving the CIP, as this is connected to the Fairfax Board of Supervisors’ work to set the public bonds that will be on your ballot in November, determining funding for our schools. Note: the annual FCPS budget of over $4 billion does not include the costs to renovate nor build new facilities. The $4 billion is what it takes to run our schools annually, and most of it funds the employment of over 40,000 employees who make FCPS work for students.
Stay tuned for more info about the CIP and bond process in the new year. Please learn about this critical aspect of FCPS, share your thoughts and advocate - to FCPS and to the County Board of Supervisors who are ultimately responsible for the Bond Program.
📅 Upcoming School Board Meetings
All times and topics subject to change
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Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 3 p.m. - Closed Meeting
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Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 5 p.m. - City/County Board Meeting
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Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 7:30 p.m. - City/County Dinner
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Thursday, December 19, 2024, 7 p.m. - Regular Meeting
How to watch meetings and sign up to speak
Hunter Mill Happenings
Lego Leaders from Floris Elementary
The Rainbow Radishes, comprised of 5th grade students at Floris Elementary, are building big success, as the First Lego League Division 1 Champions!
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🐦Cardinals Caring for Cardinals
The mentoring of first graders by sixth graders at Cunningham Park Elementary School is the brainchild of 6th grader Ruth Gaffiney, with the support of Principal Allison Hoak and the Cardinal staff. Read about this inspiring effort here.
Play On at Flint Hill Elementary
Outdoor play will soon have a new look at Flint Hill ES, since the School Board approved installation of a new playground here! Recess and outdoor play must be part of the instructional program, and this is why I keep advocating for play spaces that are safe, accessible, and developmentally appropriate for students - including middle school students and even high school students!
Other Info of Interest
Update on Hiring and Retaining Educators
- Over 2,000 teachers hired in 2024, as of December 1, 2024.
- Teacher departures decreased by 37.6% from School Year (SY) 2022 to SY 2024, with 22.6% of 2024 departures due to retirements.
- The vacancy rate has halved from July 2023 to July 2024. In addition, there are currently fewer than 120 instructional vacancies remaining. Weekly hiring trends show consistent progress in reducing vacancies, even with 16,000+ teaching positions.
Services for Hearing-Impaired and Visually-Impaired Students
Students with sensory disabilities require specialized services and support to access instruction that is typically presented visually and audibly (by means of hearing). FCPS provides educational services to students who are deaf, hearing-impaired, or visually impaired. They are supported in various settings, including at their school or through itinerant specialists who travel to different schools to work with students, rather than being based in a single school. Learn more about Services for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Services for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.
Visit the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) website for Resources for Serving Students with Sensory Disabilities.
School Board’s Student Representative receives VSBA Scholarship
At the Virginia School Boards Association's (VSBA) annual convention, in Williamsburg, my Board colleagues and I were thrilled to publicly congratulate our Student Representative, Megan Sawant, for receiving a $1,000 scholarship from VSBA!
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Reston Planning & Zoning Committee Seeks New Members
New members are sought to serve starting 2025. This independent advisory committee reviews land use and planning proposals in the Reston Comprehensive Plan area, making recommendations to me and the Hunter Mill District Planning Commissioner. Reston residents interested in serving should apply by Jan. 10. Application form.
December is...
National Special Education Day
National Special Education Day is recognized each year on Dec. 2 and commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. We celebrate our teachers and staff who serve and support our students with special needs, as well as our families who are partners in the education and support of those students!
Learn more about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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Budhi Day
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Bodhi Day, December 8, is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.
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Christmas
🎄 A very Merry Christmas to those in our community who celebrate! Christmas is an annual holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the person who stands at the heart of the Christian tradition. It is celebrated in many unique ways across the U.S. and the world, most commonly by the joyous giving of gifts.
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Chanukah
🕎 Happy Chanukah to all in our community who celebrate! This Festival of Lights is an 8-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple, and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple's menorah for 8 days.
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Contacting Me
I prioritize responses to Hunter Mill constituents, so please be sure to identify yourself as such if you contact me. If you are unsure of your county magisterial district, you can look that information up here.
To contact me, it is most helpful to please use the official School Board contact form via my website (click "Submit a Question"). This form prioritizes emails to me from constituents, and helps me track communication so I can be sure you receive a response. Thank you for your cooperation.
Best,
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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.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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