The following is a letter posted by 4 Public Education Board Member Robert Rigby to Loudoun County Public Schools in response to their devastating advancement of Youngkin's anti-transgender "model policies" last week. In the face of the revelations of horrific beating death of nonbinary 16 year-old Nex Benedict on school grounds in Oklahoma, we feel that the sentiment in this letter needs to be public. Please consider standing up to be counted and speak out for our most vulnerable students no matter their gender, gender identity, race, ability, income-level, or language. Robert sets an example that all of us should follow. February 15, 2024 Dear all, in Loudoun County Public Schools, Let me be the fool who tells the emperor that he in fact is unclothed. Your proposed changes of Policy 8040 are one of the greatest withdrawals of human rights that a class of people have previously had that I have seen in my 60 years on the planet. It’s not a routine policy adjustment. Speaking truthfully: When the governor proposed his “Model Policies” by fiat in 2022, some children in our area lost their lives. I attended a number of wrenching memorial gatherings. More deaths of children happened around the state when that “model” policy was enacted by executive order last summer. Many folks who did not die physically on the outside died on the inside. I caution you that similar loss of life and permanent damage to psyches and souls will likely occur if you pass this proposal in committee, more so if it passes the school board itself, and in a great way once it is enforced: The proposal is a massive withdrawal of Human Rights from a defenseless population. It is a response to a wavering, unstable period in state government. That is, the suggested changes to 8040 are an answer to a proposal given by fiat by a one-term-governor that has been rejected by the courts and the legislature. It will result in some death among children, and much harm that may be physical, emotional and spiritual. If you pass the proposal or any part of it you will be a powerful, policy-making contributor to that harm. Families will flee Loudoun if they are able; others will hide. Some children will try to get out as they are able, whether they are voting with their lives or with their feet. Again, this will be your doing. No teacher respectful of children will want to come and work for you; it turns out that Fairfax next door has chosen to be an humane place, so decent people have a place near-by to work. You radically reduce the viability of your county as a place for businesses to locate, for people to live and for people to work. Who would choose to locate a business in a place that diminishes its most vulnerable residents? You will be clearly, openly, expressly and with great effort creating a safe space for this particular type of bigotry. Playing with authoritarians never works; appeasement never works; this ends up being a creeping but real threat to the democracy of which you are a part. To repeat the statement above, children will die in their bodies, children will die inside for life, families will flee, children will flee, and you are encouraging and are complicit in home-done reparative therapy. If you vote in favor and are a perpetrator, I have no idea what to say: how does one approach a soul so indifferent to the least among us as you would be then. If you oppose, but appease and compromise and so remain in the room while this is being approved you should remind yourself that history will not remember the vitriol of the bad people but it will remember the criminal silence of the good people. If this passes against your will, I recommend expressing your unwillingness to remain in a room where such Nuremberg Law-like policies are being enacted, and leaving after having declared why. If you stay in the room out of politeness, you look like what is going on is OK with you. It’s not about parents’ rights, it’s about scapegoating a disliked, vulnerable, defenseless group of children to foster unrelated goals. The same people (ADF, M4L, PDE, IWF, Parents First, Shapiro, Farris, Walsh, etc.) who are pushing parents’ rights here are elsewhere working hard to deny parent’s rights to support their queer kids. I call BS! It’s not about parents’ rights, it’s about scapegoating a disliked, vulnerable, defenseless group of children to foster unrelated goals. What is this attempt to abnegate the existence and reality of transgender children from a 10,000 foot perspective. It is most certainly not democracy. It is demagoguery and authoritarianism, which are steps on the road to totalitarianism. You all can make the analogies to 1922 in Italy; 1933, 1934, and 1938 in Germany; and Spain in 1936-39 without my help. Here are my recommendations: 1) Do not vote for this; 2) Loudly proclaim why not; 3) If it passes despite your opposition, do NOT remain in the room; rather, resign from the committee, refuse to be complicit, and leave the room. You really can do no other while still remaining worthy of the people whom you represent, the families whom you serve and the children in your care. Robert Rigby Jr. Retired teacher LGBTQIA+ person

The 2025 FCPS budget is worth reading. This 211 page document is extraordinary for its length, surely, but really for its fully integrated structure that includes the strategic plan, quality standards, and performance benchmarks. It provides details on every aspect of where the funds come from and how the money will be spent and basically how each dollar will forward the goals for our children. Most families may not have the time to read this hefty tome, so FCPS also created an easily digestible summary. The only issue that I see with it is that the total amount of funding is inadequate. But this is NOT the fault of FCPS. We all know that the recent JLARC study found that Virginia underfunds our schools. State support for public education is severely and chronically underfunding when viewed against the US average (we are down 14%) and three of our neighboring states (KY, MD, WV). If we wish to be competitive, we have to do better for our kids and the state economy. All school systems rely on a balance of federal, state, and local funds for public education. Fairfax is unique in that over 70% of its funding comes from the county government and only about 19% comes from the state, which means that Fairfax County sees a net outflow of tax money to Richmond. Sales tax provides an additional 6.7% of the budget and the federal government provides about 1.3% of the FCPS revenue. My takeaways from a topside review of the FCPS proposed 2025 budget are: Our school system is doing a great job with the approved funds. The FCPS proposed budget is a tribute to the management's dedication to excellence for our kids. FCPS management is doing everything possible to optimize the use of our money, but there is not enough money to stay competitive in the modern economy, this is a State of Virginia issue, not FCPS’s fault. FCPS is doing a great job of balancing all of the demands aimed at them, despite a seemingly endless set of desires, but too little money. It is impossible to make everyone happy, as each advocacy group wants more money for their particular focus, The 0.8% rate for management positions is by far the lowest in NOVA, by far! Great management! 86% of resources are fully invested in instructional staff and facilities. Other major costs include security, capital investments, and environmental investments such as e-buses and solar which will save money when implemented. It is important for the public to read the proposed budget to see that it is complicated and expensive, but worth it, and it is important to focus on the right target for any issues that you have. In the end, we want our kids to have as many opportunities as possible with their skills, yet we want our kids to locate near us if at all possible–I know that I sure do. Additionally, we know that businesses start and often re-locate based primarily on the available pool of skilled labor. Therefore, we want our local schools to build skills and confidence in our students, to prepare them for a range of opportunities to support themselves, their families and communities. We know that our local businesses and governments hire and promote the best of the available talent. I want my kids to be well-positioned to compete with any other kids–to get the best opportunities and to excel at them. Also, I want your kids to be their best so that maybe when your kid starts a new business here in Fairfax County, then they might hire my kid, or vice versa. Yes, it takes money, a lot of money but we all know that investment in the education of our kids is the best investment that we can make. I don't want our kids to have to move to a state that has better business opportunities–instead, I want them to find opportunities in our Commonwealth: to grow the Virginia economy, to generate taxes that pay it forward by their investments in the future. If we do not lead in the education of our kids, then someone else's kids will lead the way into the next generations. We here at 4PE encourage you to: Read the budget (or skim it), and understand the complexity of managing a huge operation under tremendous scrutiny and competing interests, but all are focused on the best for our kids. Participate in the public comment period for the County-wide budget on April 16-18, and/or the public comment period for the FCPS budget on May 14. Write or call your FCPS board member to thank them for their service, to voice your support for the proposed budget WRITE, CALL and VISIT your state delegate and senator to demand more resources for Virginia public schools. Rick Clayton worked as an economist at the US Bureau Labor Statistics for 40 years. He worked to improve the monthly payroll survey, to accelerate and improve data quality of the BLS business register, to publish and analyze structural business statistics such as business births, openings and closings. He also built the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). He has studied entrepreneurship and the role of a quality labor force as a driver for attracting businesses. He is the chief economist at Clayton Economics specializing in business surveys.

Budget Amendments are a Critical Part of the Legislative Process Things are certainly heating up in the General Assembly! Not only are both chambers busy hearing the bills that crossed over from the other chamber, but the money committees (House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees) have been preparing budget amendment packages in response to the Governor’s proposed budget. Here are the comprehensive budget amendment reports for the House (HB 29, HB 30) and Senate (SB 29, SB 30). Many of the amendments to the K-12 education budget items are in direct response to the Governor’s proposed cut of $300 million relative to last year’s K-12 education budget. The Governor’s cuts to the 2024-2026 budget seem tone-deaf in response to his “parent’s rights” mantra and the 2023 Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission’s report that showed Virginia public schools are seriously underfunded and need between 66 to 93 percent more funding. A side by side comparison of the Governor’s, House and Senate budget versions are available at this link. The success and effectiveness of education bills passed this session depend to a large extent on whether funds are provided for implementation of those bills, so the state budget for K-12 public education is critically important. A number of organizations have expressed displeasure with the K-12 education portion of the Governor’s budget, including Fund Our Schools, Virginia Education Association, the Commonwealth Institute, and 4 Public Education. There is intense competition for limited funds and Virginia’s economic forecast has declined even further since the Governor released his budget. To make matters even worse, the temporary covid relief funds from the federal government soon will end, producing what some will call a “fiscal cliff” for public education in Virginia, which will be detrimental to students, teachers, and families. Communities will suffer, as they need to “make up” the expected budget shortfalls to ensure quality public schools. Budget Amendment Process Explained In the 2024 General Assembly, a number of the education bills proposed changes that will require increased funding to Virginia’s public schools, including bills that would change tax code and education policies. One bill that is still being considered by the Senate (as of Wednesday, February 21) would allow individual districts to vote on whether they wanted to increase sales taxes by 1%. Another bill would have created another upper tax bracket to increase revenue from Virginians with more than a million dollars in taxable income, but it was continued (i.e., delayed) to the 2025 session. By last Sunday, February 18th, the House Primary and Secondary Education and Senate Education Subcommittees produced budget reports that are those chamber’s proposed amendments to what is considered an unacceptable Governor’s budget. By next Sunday, February 25th, the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will each use their chamber’s subcommittee reports to produce a budget bill from each of the chambers. Over the next few weeks, both chambers will consider and vote on their amended budget bills, then pass their approved bills to the other chamber for consideration as was done for the legislative bills during crossover. Usually the next step is for the bills to go to a joint Conference Committee and where a Conference Committee report will be returned to the House and Senate for another vote before going to the Governor as the joint budget bill for his decisions. The Governor's Role in the Budget Process Once the joint budget bill is approved, it will go to the Governor who will make one of four decisions: Sign the budget bill, Recommend amendments to the bill, Veto certain line items in the bill, or Veto the entire bill. If Governor Youngkin does anything but sign the bill outright, his amended bill will go back to the General Assembly in a reconvened special session where disagreements will be resolved. Rinse and repeat. It should be noted that in 2023 the budget bill was not resolved until the fall of that year. How to Advocate for YOUR Public Schools View and click on updated calls to action at this link.

School Board Matters, February 8, 2024 meeting School Board meetings are ground zero for the culture wars. Our “School Board Matters” blog will include analysis and links to video, agenda, and votes that affect you and your student(s), including links to primary source documents to support involvement in your student’s experience and education. We hope this will provide better access to and understanding of the Fairfax County School Board, including their powers and duties, as governed by the Code of Virginia. Although this blog will primarily focus on Fairfax County, we will share school board meeting reports from around the state, when possible. Before we get into last week’s meeting, please note that the Fairfax County School Board has been busy since then with additional meetings, which I’m very sorry that I missed! 2/13/24 Public Hearing on the 2025 Budget 2/13/14 Work Session on the 2025 Budget 2/10/24 Board Retreat Before the meeting, about 15-20 students from the Pride Liberation Project (@PrideLiberation on Instagram and Twitter) held a rally against book bans and in support of libraries and books that represent all students. The 2/8/23 Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) meeting began with a lovely performance of the National Anthem by Rachel Carson Middle School Bella Voce and Lift Every Voice and Sing by the Mount Vernon Voices. We all felt the power of these two groups. Dr. Ricardy Anderson (Mason District) read the proclamation honoring Black History Month, focusing first on Carter G. Woodson’s accomplishments as the father of Black History Month, reminding the crowd that W.T. Woodson will be renamed in his honor next year. Dr. Anderson focused on the trials and triumphs of African Americans over the last four centuries, including dismantling Jim Crow segregation in the South and contributions to the history, society, and arts of this nation, with specific contributions to the rich and vibrant culture of Fairfax County, including through the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and the Gum Springs community. She reminded us that we need to name and intentionally dismantle the structures that oppress and inhibit accomplishments and contributions of our citizens. Ms. Sandy Anderson (Springfield District) read the Custodians and Food Nutrition Services Appreciation proclamation honoring FCPS’s custodians, field custodians, and building supervisors “who are responsible for the daily care and safe operation of all facilities and buildings on a year-round basis.” She detailed the training and certifications attained by these workers who “nurture and nourish” our students. (sniff!) Public Input Public input was once again dominated by regular Fairfax County citizens who care about improving safety, education, and inclusion which is a nice contrast to the past couple of years: A student leader of the Pride Liberation Project (@PrideLiberation on Instagram and Twitter) spoke of the need to protect FCPS libraries and classrooms from book bans. Schools can’t teach empathy and emotions, which can only be found in books. Through books, we learn about other cultures and experiences. Through reading books, she was able to find herself, as a queer Asian woman; however, most of the books bans are about queer characters and by queer authors. (I look forward to hearing more from her this year!) A number of teachers spoke to critical funding needs for: ACE teachers asked for continued investment in student success through adult programming that enables adult students to develop new skills and learn English. A staff member spoke against a policy that harms teacher pay rates due to inequitable salary proration in some months which means that the prorated costs of leave disproportionately places some staff (e.g., disabled) at risk. Dave Walrod of the local teachers’ alliance sounded the alarm about the shortage of special education teachers. He shared that one of three special education teachers are not fully certified. Burnout is pushing teachers out of the profession around the country. A parent referred to the dilapidated and unsafe state of Luther Jackson Middle School where the School Board meeting is held. The school campus is open and exposed to traffic while the narrow hallways and mold endanger the students inside, yet Luther Jackson is continually passed over in the queue for full renovation despite being built in 1954, as the first Black high school in Fairfax County. School Board Business Student Representative Matters: Ms. Karim shared actions and meetings from the past weeks. The SEALS have come up w/the idea of a student advisory council to the school board. She hosted a Town Hall bringing students together from Region 2 and 3 where students raised dietary needs, meal debt issues, and the need for more safety drills. FY 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP): Holy cow! This was an exciting and complicated discussion. Check out the agenda for more details, but it started with a motion from Mr. Ryan McElveen shared a mother’s testimony from 1950 for the first FCPS School Bond. However, 70 years later, years of failed leadership have forced our schools to "economize" which works for no one. The first school bond in FCPS history enabled FCPS to accommodate post world war II growth. Mr. McElveen shares that we have more than 10 times the trailers than we did in the 1950 when the biggest building spree. The number of FCPS students in trailers equals the number of students in Arlington County or Richmond City. Amendments were added and voted upon: Dr. Anderson (seconded by Mr. Ilryong Moon, At-Large) asked to amend the CIP Parklawn Elementary School to Priority Recommended Boundary Adjustments to adjust for huge, rapid increases in enrollment. Vote: 9 Yes, and 3 Abstaining (Ms. Seema Dixit, Ms. Anderson, Ms. Rachna Sizemore Heizer) Ms. Robyn Lady, Dranesville District (seconded by Mr. Kyle McDaniel, At-Large), asked to amend CIP to add Coates Elementary School to Priority Recommended Boundary Adjustments due to Vote: 9 Yes, and 3 Abstaining (Ms. Seema Dixit, Ms. Anderson, Ms. Rachna Sizemore Heizer) Most of the school board members expressed frustration, concern, and alarm at the increase of the construction queue from 37 to 42 years, the need for long-term fixes, the decades of underfunding and poor management, and the impact of community advocacy that sometimes results in inequitable allocation of resources. As Mr. Karl Frisch (Providence District) said, the system is “irreparably broken” and he decried the need for boundary adjustments when there are so many students who need relief for overcrowding. It seemed that the entire school board agreed that they need to avoid boundary adjustments in the future due to impacts on the community and the creation of “school islands.” Subsequently, three school board members abstained from voting on the amendments. Based on the discussions, Ms. Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill District) proposed two critical and innovative amendments to the CIP (seconded by Dr. Anderson and Ms. Sizemore Heizer, respectively) that were unanimously accepted: The Superintendent will present to the School Board by April 25, 2024, options to fund capital projects that maximize current funds, identify new fund sources, and obtain cost efficiencies including the evaluation of public/private partnership opportunities, an analysis on the use of “swing spaces” during school renovations to decrease project time, and local revenue-generating options available under Virginia law though not currently used in Fairfax. Directing the Superintendent to transmit to the School Board by April 25, 2024, a plan to create a facility infrastructure policy for FCPS, including a summary findings from a review of relevant FCPS policies and corresponding regulations FY 2025 Proposed Budget: Dr. Reid began by thanking the FCPS staff who worked countless hours on the budget, “The budget is the engine from which all of the work is derived.” Her FY2025 Proposed Budget presentation was high level and shared great information about the school system, how $220 million of the budget is invested in our workforce, and why the budget includes a $301 million increase (hint: the increase is primarily for staff compensation!). She included a calendar of future discussions, which every parent, teacher, and citizen should look at, particularly: Board of Supervisors Public Hearings in mid-April and School Board Hearing in mid-May. Listen to the dynamic discussion and dozens of questions from the school board members after the presentation. Academic Matters: Dr. Reid gave a presentation focusing on School Counseling, in honor of National School Counseling Week (Feb 5-9, 2024). Ms. Sizemore Heizer (Braddock District) lifted up thanks to school counselors for their social-emotional support of students and she shared concerns about the adequacy of the counselor to student ratio and how we are supporting counselors. Dr. Anderson asked about other burdens on the counselor's schedule–Dr. Presidio answered that for counselors and other specialists, they may be placed on the Master Schedule to deliver lessons for up to 10 hours per week–Dr. Anderson said that she has heard how counselors are not available for students due to this (I have also heard that this distracts from the ability of counselors to address student needs when they are deployed to pinch hit and teach classes instead of working with students). Ms. Lady, a former school counselor, echoes concerns about the burdens on counselors and cites the worries about the ratio of social workers to students which forces counselors to do social work. Mr. Mateo Dunne (Mt. Vernon District) asked if state support staff limitations are affecting our ability to hire more counselors–Dr. Reid said that the state does not fund, but Fairfax has chosen to allocate funds toward increasing the number of counselors–Mr. Dunne advised that FCPS looks to the nationally recommended ratios, which might require doubling the numbers that we currently have. Ms. Seema Dixit (Sully District) has found that counselors are overburdened and unable to provide the career and college advising that is needed. Superintendent Matters: Dr. Reid spoke about recent events. Board Matters: School Board members shared important news about their districts. This was the third general meeting of the School Board elected in 2024–it adjourned at approximately 10:40 pm. Collaboration and innovation were on display tonight!

School Board Matters, January 11, 2024 meeting School Board meetings are ground zero for the culture wars. Our “School Board Matters” blog will include analysis and links to video, agenda, and votes that affect you and your student(s), including links to primary source documents to support involvement in your student’s experience and education. We hope this will provide better access to and understanding of the Fairfax County School Board, including their powers and duties, as governed by the Code of Virginia. Although this blog will primarily focus on Fairfax County, we will share school board meeting reports from around the state, when possible. Please take a moment check out our blog to familiarize yourself with the new 2024 Fairfax County School Board. The 1/12/23 Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) meeting began with an incredible and unique performance of the National Anthem by the Herndon High School Guitar 4 Ensemble. The new school board started off with tough votes on the agenda regarding student assaults, showing that they are prepared to make the hard choices to ensure the safety and discipline of FCPS students and staff. Then, the board voted unanimously on the new Chair (Mr. Karl Frisch), Vice Chair (Ms. Melanie Meren), and Committee Assignments. Public Input Public input included sincere students, parents, and community members speaking about concerns or wishing the new School Board well, including: A middle school student requested more gluten-free food options in schools for students with Celiacs disease, because right now there is one hot gluten-free meal a month (nachos) and the salad bar. Ms. Leslie Houston and Chuck Bronco (President and Vice President, respectively) of the Fairfax Education Association welcomed the new board members and offered to work with them on building an environment that benefits all stakeholders while growing a supportive and caring educational environment. An active PTA and community volunteer and parent from Herndon middle and high school who supports the Strategic Plan with equity at the center of the plan. She asks them to address the numerous inequities on all academic factors between Herndon middle and nearby middle schools. She submits a report to the clerk and offers a dire picture that needs to be addressed. Cheryl Binkley, President of 4 Public Education, gave a moving speech about how public schools had given her sustenance and salvation during trying times in her life. She thanks the new School Board for standing up to ensure that FCPS can offer similar opportunities and refuge for our county’s students and teachers. Robert Rigby spoke about the terrible happenings in Shenandoah and Rockingham counties where the school boards are banning books, outing kids, misgendering students, and removing the privacy of students. Firmly, he asked that this new School Board stand up for our schools, because appeasement does not work. Of course, there was the usual crowd of angry people making dubious claims, sharing disinformation, and/or attacking the school board. One particularly egregious speech by a failed political candidate maligned the students, parents, and community members of the Family Life Education (FLE) committee; Unitarian Universalists; Catholics; and other people of faith while purposefully misrepresenting the words and actions of the same. (How do I that the speaker was untruthful? I just so happen to be a member of the FLE committee. I do not know this speaker's intent--other than ill intent--or why he misrepresented the words, actions, and intentions of close to 25 other people in the room. I guess only time will tell.) There was also a speech by a well-known parent who is running a recall campaign; however, this recall is unlikely to be successful based on the number of signatures required (nearly 3,000), Virginia law, and recent precedent. A parent new to FCPS school board meetings expressed concern and surprise about the political nature of so many of the speakers. Another audience member commented that all of the angriest speakers left after public input, which means that they missed the hardest work of a school board. School Board Business Academic Matters: Dr. Reid shared a comprehensive presentation on graduation rates and diploma outcomes that shows some improvement in increased graduation and reduced dropout rates since 2019 despite the loss of flexibility offered during the pandemic. Dr. Anderson and other school board members asked hard and revealing questions about the presentation including about the disparity of rates for lower income, disabled, and English as a second language (ESOL) students. Student Representative Matters: Ms. Karim shared expectations of collaboration with the new school board and shared information about SEAL activities, Navigant difficulties, the need to include ESOL student perspective, school security, and more. Superintendent Matters: Dr. Reid welcomes the new board and shares happenings around the county. Proposed 2025-29 Capital Improvement Program (CIP): There was a thorough discussion of the current CIP that was presented by Ms. Szymanski, the Chief of Facilities Services and Capital Programs. This presentation revealed that the 37 year lag has increased to a 42 year lag in improvement projects which inspired significant discussion. The public can provide in-person input on this draft plan on 1/18/24 to the School Board. Consent Agenda: Typically, the consent agenda is agreed to; however, newly elected school board member from Mt. Vernon, Mr. Matteo Dunne challenged six of the eleven items based on his experience as a procurement expert (wow!!). A friend observed that Mr. Dunne “brought up some excellent points, and it started a very thoughtful dialog in which people really listened to each other and worked through a challenging topic to get to some very good conclusions about what needs to be done.” Board Matters: Each School Board member gave a succinct personal statement to introduce themselves to the audience, some of which were quite moving. I strongly suggest you listen to see what caring, knowledgeable people have been elected to our board. This was the first meeting of the School Board elected in 2024, and it adjourned at approximately 11:04 pm. Observations of those remaining in the room agreed that everyone was genuinely open and respectful and willing to do the serious work of the School Board. A couple of people remarked how different the meeting would have been if some of the earlier speakers, who were also candidates, had won. Thank you, Fairfax County, for choosing wisely for our students, staff, and public schools!

School Board Matters, January 25, 2024 meeting School Board meetings are ground zero for the culture wars. Our “School Board Matters” blog will include analysis and links to video, agenda, and votes that affect you and your student(s), including links to primary source documents to support involvement in your student’s experience and education. We hope this will provide better access to and understanding of the Fairfax County School Board, including their powers and duties, as governed by the Code of Virginia. Although this blog will primarily focus on Fairfax County, we will share school board meeting reports from around the state, when possible. Please take a moment check out our blog to familiarize yourself with the new 2024 Fairfax County School Board. The 1/25/23 Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) meeting began with a lovely performance of the National Anthem by Buzz Aldrin Elementary School (Resont, VA)–for me, it was nice to see a friend’s kids sing! Dr. Ricardy Anderson read the proclamation honoring Ms. Michelle Leete, President of the Fairfax NAACP who had dedicated her life to the pursuit of a more just and equitable society, and whose death leaves a gaping hole in our community. Dr. Anderson shared the many accomplishments of this remarkable leader whose legacy shall forever live in the hearts and minds of the Fairfax Community. Seemingly, there was not a volunteer position that Ms. Leete hadn’t held, including the PTA at the school, county, and statewide levels. She also served as President of Jack and Jill and a decades long leader and volunteer with Fairfax NAACP. Mr. Frisch detailed Ms. Leete’s crusade to ensure every individual is treated with respect and dignity. Ms. Leete knew that the future is in the hands of our children and worked tirelessly to raise their voices. Her legacy will live with those she touched. We pledge to carry forward her vision. Public Input Public input was dominated by sincere educators and citizens, many of whom spoke to the proclamation recognizing Ms. Leete: A music educator and therapist described inequity in music education. She shares the need for adapted music lessons and to help exceptional students, and to support music teachers who do not have the training needed to share the music curriculum with all students. Jenna White spoke on behalf of the Fairfax PTA to thank Dr. Anderson and the board for honoring Michelle Leete. She spoke to how Ms. Leete was always ready to say "yes" no matter how much she did, and that she was a powerful leader who was full of grace. An ESOL adult educator at ACE described their programming which involves teaching adults of all ages, the majority of whom are immigrants. They are hardworking people, many of whom are parents and FCPS current/future employees. Vanessa Hall thanked the new school board for running for election instead of running away. She says the community should partner with them because to make good change, one needs partners. She then spoke of Michelle Leete, a fiercely brave woman, a champion in our community. She asks that we take a page from her book to give back to the community and fight for civil rights. Sujatha Hampton, VP of NAACP, welcomed the School Board and thanked them for running. Dr. Hampton described Ms. Leete’s bravery in the face of attacks based on a dishonest representation of her civil rights speech which resulted in personal death threats and threats to the Fairfax NAACP. In the face of these threats, Michelle said, "I've survived much worse." School Board Business Academic Matters: Dr. Reid shared an interesting presentation on Academic Advising and Advanced Coursework. Any parent of a middle or high schooler should definitely look at this presentation and listen to the revealing questions by the entire school board afterward covering: other advanced programs in the arts and STEM, academy classes, costs of dual enrollment, the difference between AP and IB, how to share this information with parents, etc. I was happy to hear Ms. Dixit discuss the actual cost of dual enrollment at GMU, which my family has found is much closer to $900 than a “small administrative cost” shared by Dr. Presidio. Strategic Plan: Dr. Reid shared an update on the Strategic Plan as she will share during the second meeting of every month. Student Representative Matters: Ms. Karim provided a written update. Strategic Governance: Dr. Reid shared the Instructional Program report. Action Items: The Board voted on Personnel Appointments and Separations. The motion passed by 10 voting yes and 2 not present (Dunne and Lady). Board Matters: School Board members shared important news about their districts–it is worth a listen. This was the second meeting of the School Board elected in 2024 which adjourned at approximately 11:00 pm. Once again, I’m loving how well these folks work together and listen to each other. This is only the second public general meeting, but things are looking pretty darn good. There is sincere congeniality and support among the school board. There also seems to be mutual respect between the Superintendent and the School Board, which is nice since there was some rancor with the former Superintendent. It is nice that they are able to focus on academics without far right culture warriors interrupting or a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic derailing everyone’s education plans.

Black history is American history. Our schools should integrate Black, Asian, Hispanic, and queer history throughout our history books and curricula so that we don’t have to rely on single weeks or months throughout the year to highlight important events, contributions, and history associated with often overlooked Americans. But until that happens, we need to raise up cultural and historical contributions from all of our great Americans and American immigrants to this nation.  Many do not know the origins of Black History month. It was started by a man who believed that history belonged to all of us: Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a Black Historian.  Early in his studies, Dr. Woodson recognized that Black scholars needed to be able to study and preserve Black history, but that to do so he would need to create a separate institutional structure ., To accomplish this he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 and later the Journal of Negro History , now known as the Journal of African American History . Dr. Woodson knew that African-American contributions "were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use[d] them." Woodson was determined to convince the general public to embrace the past — including the dark chapters on slavery and segregation. The 1920s saw a rise in African American arts and culture through what was considered a golden age of African American culture during the Harlem Renaissance . It was in this atmosphere that Dr. Woodson created Black History Week in 1926, which purposefully coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, to highlight the accomplishments of two men instrumental to freedom in this country–a freedom beyond enslavement for African Americans. In Virginia, the former seat of the Confederacy, we see the change that began with Woodson over 100 years ago. Monuments to the Lost Cause and slavery have been toppled. We have renamed streets, schools, and districts to recognize the worth and decency of all of our citizens. The boundaries that were gerrymandering and which diluted the voting power of so many for so long are slowly being corrected  so that all of our votes will count no matter where we live.  Nowhere is this change more evident than in our General Assembly where the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus  is 32 members strong. You can’t help but see the march of history toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future when you look at the photos of the 2024 Black Caucus versus the first Black Caucus in 1968 which was the lone Dr. W.F. Reid. On January 10, 2024, Virginia Delegates voted unanimously for Democrat Don Scott  to become the first Black Speaker of the House in Virginia Legislature's 400-year history. During Black History Month 2024, we have a lot to celebrate, yet we need to continue to fight for civil rights and equality for all. There are those who mistakenly believe that teaching Black History is divisive , and there are those who are dissatisfied  with a diverse, inclusive future we are working toward; therefore, we need to continue to fiercely defend our successes and stridently work for future change. Carter G. Woodson’s passion was history, because he knew that we needed to truly understand our history to move toward a greater future. Be like Carter G. Woodson: make the change you wish to see in the world. Vanessa Hall is one of many local citizens in Fairfax County who successfully advocated to change the name of her children’s high school from W.T. Woodson to Carter G. Woodson. You can learn more about who these men were here in A Tale of Two Woodsons .

February 13th, Crossover Day, is the “halftime” of the General Assembly. This is the deadline for bills to be passed in each chamber so they can “cross over” to the other chamber for consideration. That is, bills that passed in the House of Delegates go to the Senate, and bills that pass in the Senate go to the House. Monday and Tuesday this week were long days on the floor of the House of Delegates and the Senate as the last bills came to a vote. Bills that did not pass in the original chamber are done for the year, but they could be “continued,” meaning that their consideration is intentionally delayed to next year. Other bills may be defeated–“laid on the table”–meaning they are passed over for this session, or are “left in committee” because time has run out for them to be considered. Priority Education Bill Updates Not all the priority education bills survived their first trip through a chamber. Check the status of our priority bills below. Endorsed priority education bills that passed in their originating chamber: HB 187 Teachers and support staff; compensation at or above national average salary. HB 398 Public elementary and secondary schools; student discipline, etc. HB 624 Public school funding; places several parameters on SOQ funding calculations performed by DOE. HB 625 Office of Community Schools; established within the Department of Education, etc. SB 14 Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in all counties & cities to support schools. SB 104 Teachers; required to be compensated at or above national average. SB 272 Public schools; staffing ratios of teachers for English language learner students. Endorsed priority education bills that passed their originating chamber but are incorporated (bundled) into other bills: SB 127 School counselors; public school staffing ratios, increases specialized student support positions. (Incorporated into SB105) SB 128 Public schools; Standards of Quality funding calculations. (Incorporated into SB105) SB 227 Public school funding; places several parameters on SOQ funding calculations performed by DOE. (Incorporated into SB105) SB 228 Public schools; funding for English language learner students and children with disabilities. (Incorporated into SB105) Endorsed priority education bills that did not advance in their original chamber: HB 145 Virginia Teacher Residency Training Corps; established. HB 458 Sales and use tax, local; additional tax authorized in all counties & cities to support schools. Opposed priority education bills that were defeated in committee SJ 9 Teacher retention, etc.; JLARC to study the effect of salaries, employment benefits, etc. SB 37 Sage's Law; minor students experiencing gender incongruence, parental notification. Endorsed priority education bills that were continued (consideration delayed until the 2025 General Assembly). HB 181 School counselors; decreases public school staffing ratios. HB 386 Public schools; increase staffing ratios for specialized student support positions. HB 624 Public school funding; places several parameters on SOQ funding calculations performed by DOE. HB 865 Income tax, state; establishes a new tax bracket beginning on and after January 1, 2024. As the surviving House bills begin to be heard in Senate committees, and Senate bills begin to be heard in the House, those who support public education will be asked to address new calls to action to advocate for education bills. You can access the most current calls to action at this link.

The pace has picked up in Virginia’s General Assembly as we approach some key deadlines. ‘Crossover’ is February 13, the deadline by which legislators must complete work on bills originating in the House of Delegates or the Senate. Any bills that have not passed their respective chamber will be left behind for this legislative session. In addition, deadlines loom for each chamber to complete their budget amendment bills. The House Appropriations and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees must finalize their budget reports by midnight February 18 and finish consideration of their budget bills by February 22. Priority Education Bills This year 4 Public Education's priority bills have focused to a large extent on recommendations from two reports recently published by the Joint Legislation and Audit Review Commission (JLARC): Virginia’s K-12 Funding Formula and K-12 Teacher Pipeline. The priority bills address revising the funding formula, improving staffing to student ratios, raising the salaries of teachers, and allowing communities to increase their sales tax to support public schools after a referendum. Unfortunately, some of these bills have been “continued” (delayed for consideration) until 2025 so if we are to fix the serious underfunding of Virginia’s public schools it will depend on successful budget negotiations. Other bills we have prioritized include changing the Virginia code to increase restorative over punitive discipline, and the initiation of an office of Community Schools. One bill that we oppose, an anti-trans student bill, is expected to be left in committee. The status of each of our priority bills can be followed at this link. Calls to Action for bills to be heard before the crossover deadline (Feb 13) are at this link. Priority Budget Amendments At the time of this writing (Wednesday, Feb 7) many of our priority bills are being heard in appropriations committees because the bills have budget implications. Many of those that clear the respective chambers will also be addressed in budget amendments to secure funds needed to enact the bills. Currently, legislators are submitting candidate budget amendments to the appropriations committees for consideration in their respective budget bills. The legislature is gearing up for what may become heated discussions over Governor Youngkin’s budget. The Governor’s tax package was defeated in the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, at least in part because the tax package would benefit the wealthiest and increase taxes for low income Virginians. Also, the bill that would have increased the tax rate for the upper tax bracket, called the Millionaire’s Tax, was “continued” (delayed) until 2025. The revenue generated by that increased upper income tax rate was to fund public schools (50%), the Child Care Subsidy Program (30%), and the Virginia Housing Trust Fund (30%). Competition over funds in the budget will be exacerbated because public schools are facing a ‘fiscal cliff’ this year. The covid related emergency federal subsidies are ending in September. Many school districts, especially those that serve high-needs students, will face painful budget cuts as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds for public schools end. Opportunities to Advocate for Public Education Future communications from 4 Public Education will provide updates on priority education bills that are being heard in the other chamber and budget amendment bills coming out of the appropriations committees. Opportunities to advocate for these bills will be shared by 4 Public Education in Newsletters and email messages. Please be sure you are on our mailing list so you receive those announcements. Also, please remember that February 19 is public education lobby day at the statehouse. Public education advocates should register below to participate.

School Choice Week 2024 January 21-27 this year was the 14th year of National School Choice Week. Twenty-eight Governors across the country, and federal officials spoke declarations and held press conferences to tell parents how wonderful and necessary “school choice” is to their families and children. Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has made “school choice” a cornerstone of his administration, was among the officials. National School Choice Week is a cross between a carnival and an all out celebration, the equivalent of Fashion Week for designer labels, only for K-12th graders. It also is reminiscent of the full-court press tobacco companies did for cigarettes across the 1950s and 60s, bringing out wholesome looking smokers and doctors who would tell the public smoking was good for their health. School Choice week was started in 2011 by the Gleason Family Foundation, and this year it is estimated that the foundation gave over $14 million dollars to support the more than 27,000 events of 2024 National School Choice Week. Don’t look for it under the Gleason imprimatur though. The operational wing is NASCAF (National School Choice Awareness Foundation) which shows a staff of 26 on its website . The Gleason family was not alone in its contributions. The list of contributors is a virtual Who’s Who of ultra-wealthy maligners and critics of local public schools. The DeVos Foundation, and the Charles Koch Foundation’s yes.every.kid Foundation, EdChoice which is the former Friedman Family Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation were all contributors through various programs and subsidiaries. In 2024 the Invest in Education group even launched a national ad campaign to promote a federal school choice act that would embed a private school tax credit into federal law, called ECCA (Educational Choice for Children Act). According to Open Secrets, they spent $461,500 lobbying in 2023. They recognize that heart rending stories capture people’s hearts and use individual sad stories of children whose parents were in jail or who saw trauma in their families and attribute their salvation to the chance for a new school, but the reality is that most vouchers are used for students already attending private schools. The changes in this year are that they have shifted the pitch from charter schools to vouchers, also called Education Savings Accounts, and the target market has shifted from primarily white families to ethnic communities and communities of color. The new vouchers and education savings accounts make big promises about helping “free” parents and students “trapped in government schools,” but the reality is that the average cost of a private school in Virginia is between $13,000 for elementary and $15,000 for high schools, while the average per pupil funding from state resources is $5,623 for each of the state’s 1.2 million elementary and secondary school students. Where is the average working family supposed to find the $8,000 to $9,500 difference? What school choice proponents overlook is that local public schools belong to and are run by the communities whose children use them. They are not “government schools.” They are our schools for our children, and there are hundreds of built in safeguards and benefits we have structured into them, from electives to technology, and sports to arts programs. Public schools provide higher math than most private or homeschoolers can provide. Our schools, even in small counties, have global diplomas and AP courses that students can choose who want access to the best international universities. We have Career and Technology programs in 17 clusters of different certifications that serve 670,000 students a year. That’s over half of the 1.2 million students in Virginia who are able to access career training. Through elected school boards we can draw from parents and community members who want high quality schools for all the children in their area. Here in Virginia we literally have a world class education system far beyond what out-of-state billionaires will provide for our children, in exchange for our hard earned tax dollars they don’t pay, and the missing school busses they won’t drive as part of their broken school choice promises.