School board meeting 01/25/2022
During the meeting on Tuesday night, the board received a presentation on the sustainability academy, discussed the budget, and was provided updates on the new masking policy and vaccine rates. To highlight the vaccination rates: FCCPS staff have a vaccination rate of 99% and students in the age groups 5-11, 12-15, 16-17, and 18+ are vaccinated at rates of 85%, 94%, 99%, and 91%, respectively. The vaccination rate for all students is 91%.
CTE and science teachers presented how they have integrated ideas about sustainability into their courses (water quality monitoring, building Adirondack chairs from reclaimed pallets, various design projects, urban farming, and more)
Future steps include partnering with surrounding districts to enroll Arlington and City of Fairfax students in FCCPS courses (similar to how some of FCCPS enroll in course at the Arlington Career Center) and adding additional courses
Future goals: establish a Governor’s school and offer an IB-CP (IB career-related program)
What is the enrollment in current courses and projected enrollment in the academy: schools will follow-up with more detailed info (there was an emphasis on ensuring that these courses were accessible for students at all levels)
Why IB-CP? Courses offered are accessible for all and are integrated with each other, acts as an umbrella for courses
What are the long-term budgetary implications? Program maintenance (particularly staffing); work with Falls Church Education Foundation and partnering with Arlington and City of Fairfax would potentially offset the materials cost
My thoughts: this sounds like a great program, though given flat enrollment and the needs of students still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, we should think carefully about adding on a new program for which funds will be expended in perpetuity. Additionally, it is not clear to me what the time allotment between teaching and administration is for the program coordinator. Regardless of whether the board chooses to go forward with this initiative, it is clear that the teachers are currently providing several hands-on opportunities for FCCPS students to get involved in thinking sustainably, and I want to applaud them for the work they have put in.
You can find the pdf of the answers provided to the boards previously submitted questions here. These included questions on teacher pay comparisons to other districts, professional development, playground attendants, and much more.
Can we spend $190,000 (which is an increase of $100,000 relative to last year) on professional development effectively? Schools are looking at embedding professional development more to allow for more team-level meeting time (possibly by hiring substitutes to allow for that)
Regarding electric buses: Dominion Energy will be paying for the charging infrastructure
FCCPS will be submitting another request to receive 2 more electric buses (in addition to the 2 electric buses FCCPS was awarded)
These buses would replace to current diesel buses that are at the end of their life cycle.
The policy allows parents to opt their students out of wearing a face mask as of February 14.
The main form of mitigation stressed by public health officials is vaccination.
Fewer than 5 people came to school with no mask, and they were aided in getting masks.
All adults will continue to mask. Each staff member will be provided with 3 N-95 masks.
Students need to remain masked on buses.
All extracurricular activities require students to wear masks (unless otherwise governed by VHSL)
FCCPS is now part of Virginia’s test-to-stay pilot. (Jerrod’s interjection: Hopefully more info comes out on this and that it gets scaled up, especially for the preschoolers.)
Remote learning remains only an option for students in quarantine or isolation.
