Mason District Updates

Greetings,

I am honored and excited to serve as your Mason District School Board Member. My first month has been extremely busy. In addition to regular Board business, I have enjoyed visiting many of the Mason District schools, as well as attending PTA meetings at Bailey's ES and Glasgow MS, and participating in curriculum nights at Glasgow MS and Poe MS.

I wanted to update you on items currently being discussed by the School Board, highlight a few upcoming school events, and invite you to visit with me at my February community office hours. Please see details below.

A Little Bit About Me I am a parent of two elementary school students and an experienced educator. I have had the privilege to serve as a teacher, school principal, and central office administrator for over 20 years. I am excited to continue my service in my new role as your School Board representative.

Community Office Hours I want to hear from you!

Each month, I plan to hold community office hours around the Mason District. This is an opportunity to ask questions, discuss concerns, and offer ideas and suggestions. There is no need to RSVP, but please note that I will speak with individuals in the order in which they arrive. Each conference will be limited to 15 minutes so that I can speak with many of you. If more time is required, I will schedule a follow-up meeting.

February Community Office Hours

FY 2021 Proposed Budget

Superintendent Brabrand presented a $3.2 billion school operating fund Proposed Budget for the 2020-21 school year (FY 2021), with a focus on employee compensation, to the School Board at our regular meeting on January 9. The FY 2021 Proposed Budget represents an increase of $172.2 million, or 5.8 percent, over the FY 2020 Approved Budget.

The proposed budget includes $50.1 million for a step increase for eligible employees, $15.4 million for additional salary scale enhancements, and $25.3 million for a 1 percent market scale adjustment. The FY 2021 budget also includes $2.7 million for the second year of a three-year plan to bring the salaries of instructional assistants and public health training assistants to 50% of teacher salaries in the salary scale for teachers with a bachelor’s degree.

The proposed budget requests a county transfer increase of 4.2 percent or $89.7 million, primarily to fund compensation and benefit increases and to cover the costs associated with enrollment increases and student demographic changes.

The School Board will adopt its Advertised Budget on February 6 and present it to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 14.

Learn more about the FY 2021 Proposed Budget

What's Happening in Our Schools?

Bren Mar Park Elementary School Family Dance Night Friday, February 7, 2020 6 - 8 p.m. Bren Mar Park Gym Join us for music, dancing, lights, pizza, snacks, and drinks! Please remember that each child must have an adult parent/guardian present throughout the event.

Columbia Elementary School Family Heritage Night Wednesday, February 19, 2020 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Columbia School Cafeteria Enjoy a variety of foods from around the world and perhaps some performances from the many cultures represented in our Columbia families! Please bring a labeled dish to share from your culture!

Luther Jackson Middle School Winter Dance Friday, February 21, 2020 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Help is needed to sell tickets, provide snacks, and chaperone the dance. Food donations are also welcome. Please sign up today to make the Winter Dance successful.

Black History Forum at Justice High School Saturday, February 22, 2020 2 - 5 p.m. The program will feature KaNikki Jakarta, Alexandria's first African American poet laureate. It will also feature a performance by the Edison HS Step Team and a student debate competition that will include several Fairfax students.

Welcome and Congratulations! Mr. Shawn DeRose has been named the new principal of Annandale High School, effective February 3, 2020. Mr. DeRose has been the principal at Glasgow Middle School since 2015 and has over 15 years of experience as an administrator within FCPS.

Also effective February 3, 2020, Ms. Katie Madigan will serve as acting principal of Glasgow Middle School. Ms. Madigan has been an educator for 18 years and has served as an assistant principal at Glasgow since 2016.

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) FY 2021-25

Each year, Fairfax County Public Schools develops a five-year planning document known as the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to address future facility needs. The CIP assesses requirements for new construction, capacity enhancements, renovations, and site acquisition. Actual completion dates for CIP projects depend on cash flow and debt service limitations established by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Click HERE to view the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for the Fiscal Years 2021-2025.

AAP Program Update

A team of outside experts, enlisted to create a set of recommendations for improving equity across all four levels of FCPS' Advanced Academic Programs, presented preliminary results to the Board at our work session on January 21st.

The goal is to close the gaps in opportunity, access, and achievement in FCPS’ Advanced Academic Programs.

A final presentation of the research team's recommendations is expected in March.

Electric Buses at FCPS Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has been selected to receive funding assistance to purchase eight electric school buses as part of Dominion Energy’s initial deployment of 50 buses across the Commonwealth. These buses will join FCPS’ current fleet of roughly 1,625 diesel-fueled buses.  Find out more about this exciting initiative HERE.

Teen Job Fairs

Open to all teens in Fairfax County looking for employment or tips on career-building skills like networking, building a resume or LinkedIn profile, and interviewing. Register to attend HERE.

First jobs are important, and these events help connect teens with employers and prepare our youth for the workforce. Please view the Fairfax County Teen Job Fair schedule below:

Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m. to noon
Woodson High School

Saturday, March 7, 2-4 p.m.
South County High School

Saturday, March 14, 2-4 p.m.
Chantilly High School

Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. to noon
Mount Vernon High School

Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. to noon
West Springfield High School

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.

© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia

E-mail: Ricardy Anderson  |  Phone: 571-423-1083

Cristy Coffey, Executive Admin Assistant, 571-423-1064, cmcoffey@fcps.edu