Subject: 2022 FCSB State and Federal Legislative Program
Staff Contact: Michael Molloy, Director of Government Relations
Meeting Category: Final Action
School Board Action Required: Approval
Ignite Link: Goal 4, Resource Stewardship
Problem Statement:
Fairfax County Public Schools is both directly and indirectly impacted by policy and budget decisions made by local, state, and federal officials. As such, it is critical that FCPS provide input to policymakers as they debate various policy options; sharing the possible programmatic and financial impacts of legislative and policy decisions on Fairfax students, teachers, staff and the broader community.
Summary/Background (Key Points):
The School Board annually adopts a legislative program and legislative priorities to inform local, state and federal public officials and others of its positions on legislative policy and budget issues of potential importance to Fairfax County Public School students, teachers, staff, and community. The program contains the School Board’s positions on state and federal issues of major and current significance.
The Fairfax County School Board 2022 State and Federal Legislative Program will include additions, deletions, and formatting changes (if applicable) from the Board’s 2021 legislative positions. These changes and updates are intended to adjust position statements to reflect actions taken over the past year by state and federal governments; to reflect the Board’s current approaches to policy debates and issues; to anticipate potential future actions from state and federal policymakers, and to clarify and simplify existing position language where appropriate.
The Board discussed recommended changes to the State and Federal Legislative Program at a Legislation work session on October 25th. Additional edits to clarify both existing and newly proposed position language will also be made in the final document included with this agenda item. The Board will also adopt both state and federal priority positions within the Legislative Program as part of Final Action on this agenda item.
Recommendation:
That the Board adopt the 2022 Fairfax County School Board State and Federal Legislative Program and Priorities
Attachments:
2022 FCSB Legislative Program Approval Draft
2022 FCSB LP Approval Draft Changes Table
Board member proposed amendments:
1. I move to amend the main motion; under "Fairfax County School Board 2022 State Legislative Positions", change item T. "Standards of Accreditation/Standards of Learning" by adding new language as follows: 17) The FCSB supports literacy instruction that is grounded in the science of reading. (Meren)
2. I move to amend the main motion as follows:
Under “Fairfax County School Board 2022 State Legislative Positions,” change items 1-3 under “I. Environmental Sustainability/Renewable Energy” to
1) The Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) supports state efforts to reduce the County’s greenhouse gas emissions and operational demand for energy through efficiency, conservation, renewable energy, and education.
2) The FCSB supports state resources, incentives, opportunities, and targeted goals for the expansion of expanding renewable energy, and energy efficiency and net-zero construction; and removing existing barriers to such efforts.
3) The FCSB supports state resources to support the deployment of deploying electric school buses and related charging infrastructure in local school divisions as well as state capital funding dedicated to net-zero and sustainability-related building construction, renovation, and infrastructure.
4) The FCSB supports additional dual enrollment and work-based learning opportunities focused on careers related to environmental sustainability.
5) The FCSB supports state resources to encourage school locations and school access developments that maximize the ability for students and staff to bike and walk to school.
6) The FCSB supports state resources to develop and promote outdoor classrooms and learning spaces at schools. (Tholen/Frisch)
3. I move to amend the main motion by adding;
Under “Fairfax County School Board 2022 State Legislative Positions,” add item “11” to “Z. Student Safety” as follows:
11) The FCSB supports comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation to help protect the health and safety of our students, families, and staff.
Under “Fairfax County School Board 2022 Federal Legislative Positions,” add item “39” to “Other Funding and Policy Issues” as follows:
39) The FCSB supports comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation to help protect the health and safety of our students, families, and staff. (Cohen/Frisch)
4. I move to amend the main motion by adding the following language to Item S. Special Education: The FCSB supports additional state resources and staffing dedicated to improved academic and career planning, postsecondary transition planning services, and postsecondary employment options for students with disabilities, including potential extensions of service eligibility for certain students where appropriate who would have aged out of special education programs in the spring of 2022, 2023, or 2024. (Sizemore Heizer/Corbett Sanders)
5. I move to amend the main motion by adding the following language to item D. College and Workforce Readiness; The FCSB supports the creation of employer incentives to make work-based learning and workforce development opportunities available for students, including students with disabilities and low income students.(Sizemore Heizer/Corbett Sanders)
6. I move to amend the main motion by adding the following language to item T. Standards of Accreditation and Standards of Learning; The FCSB supports ensuring that eligibility for state and federal financial aid for post-secondary and workforce development programs and opportunities is available to recipients of all of Virginia’s diploma types.(Sizemore Heizer/Cohen)
7. I move to amend the main motion by adding, under Fairfax County School Board 2022 State Legislative Positions, item T. Standards of Accreditation/Standards of Learning, the following new language: 17) “The FCSB supports the continued access to rigorous and advanced mathematics instruction in grades K-12.” (Corbett Sanders/McLaughlin)