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The Situation August 19, 2025 the US Department of Education announced they would withhold $50 million in Title IX funding from five of the largest school districts in Virginia if the districts did not change their Title IX regulations to conform to recent presidential executive orders. The Department of Education labeled the five districts as “high risk”, and is  demanding that the localities pre-pay for all Title IX expenses and apply for reimbursement item by item. The penalty will harm women's sports teams throughout the region. The only way to avoid the funding restrictions and loss is for the districts to alter their Title IX and gender policies to strictly define all students as male or female with no exceptions, and not provide gender neutral bathrooms or locker rooms. At this time, all five districts have refused to alter their policies, which they maintain conform to the actual laws, not un-legislated executive orders.  Rather than supporting their districts, the Virginia Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General are turning the issue into a battle in the political culture wars and the impending November state elections. In the recent week they have made speeches and statements attacking the school boards of their own five largest and most successful school systems, and in response internet social media platforms have erupted in a raging culture war outbreak. 4 Public Education’s Position When 4 Public Education formed, it was because we believed in the critical importance of high quality public schools that are inclusive of all students. We saw that public schools were under attack from radical ideologues who sought to destroy the idea of schools for all, and destroy the chances to be and become for all sorts of kids in the process.  Across the last five years, we have seen many attacks against our democratically elected school boards and the locally run schools they administer. The attacks have been rooted in the idea of exceptionalism: the idea that some kids are better than others, that some are more worthy, while others are of less human value.  The attacks have been against truthful history that reflects many voices, against programs and materials that reflect multiple perspectives, against teachers who dare to teach ideas like All Are Welcome Here , indeed, against anyone who challenged their beliefs of special status and rightful privilege. The attacks have intensified and taken many forms from name calling to physical threats, to legal actions and threats against people’s livelihoods. People in 4 Public Education have been recipients of these kinds of attacks.  Though they come from multiple levels of government and widespread media outlets, the source actually is a relatively small enclave of well financed extremists who see an opportunity to normalize and capitalize on an assumed superiority. Though their number is not large, their reach is far due to powerful connections, even to the highest levels of government. The transgender debate, like all biases, is filled with simplistic lies that sound plausible but are not true. It is based on false dichotomies of either/or which are not the whole reality. It practices a circular reasoning that relies on reasoning from a falsehood to validate that falsehood. “You are not like me, therefore you are less.”  It may seem evident when the Lieutenant Governor declares, “there are only two genders,” but scientifically we know that gender is much more complex than that. There are many elements that go into making gender, many genes, many individual traits, both physiological and psychological. Even beyond physiology, what “makes” gender differences changes across time. What was considered “feminine” in one generation is considered gender neutral in another. What is “manly” can be very different depending on the time period, class, and culture.  Whether it be based on ethnic heritage, neurological conformity, or gender characteristics, defining difference as damning is wrong. Every major religion declares it so, and science confirms it.  Let us be clear: anti-transgender rhetoric is bigotry, based in bias born out of ignorance; no different from the other isms that hold anyone different from me is not as worthy as me.  Let us also be clear: every child deserves the chance to learn and thrive. Every child deserves to live their days with dignity and kindness. There are no exceptions. EVERY CHILD. 4 Public Education will continue to support locally selected leaders and schools which provide a strong and generative education for all students without exception.  Cheryl Binkley President 4 Public Education

Before you read , if you are from Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William, click here  to sign a petition to tell your School Board that they must fight back to protect the safety and wellbeing of transgender youth! Last week, the US Department of Education (US ED) informed five Northern Virginia school districts (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William) that the US ED investigation  found that the school districts’ policies “violated Title IX”  due to inclusive policies for transgender students. The US ED threatened "imminent enforcement action" and possible referral to the US Department of Justice, if the districts don't comply in 10 days.  According to the US ED, compliance requires the school districts to: Redefine “male” and “female” vis-a-vis Title IX to represent the newspeak  from Trump Executive Orders which redefined male and female . Use the US ED “novel” interpretation of Title IX that essentially excludes transgender students from sports and bathrooms. Write memos to all of their schools reflecting this new, upside-down interpretation of Title IX by the Trump US ED. The five school districts offered initial responses  acknowledging receipt of the letter and their intent to determine next steps. Loudoun  (and Alexandria) confirmed their commitment to students, “LCPS will continue to ensure full compliance with state and federal laws. LCPS remains committed to maintaining a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where every student can thrive and reach their fullest potential." It has been reported  that the school districts have asked for a 90 day extension.  It will surprise no one that this US ED investigation was triggered by demands from America First Legal  (AF Legal), a Project 2025 group founded by Stephen Miller  who is President Trump’s Chief of Staff and architect of Trump’s immigration policies). AF Legal has filed unsuccessful lawsuits  against Fairfax County over bathroom access for transgender students and the right of Christian students  to misgender other students. It feels painfully ironic that the US ED has been weaponized against blue, progressive school districts after Trump announced its elimination. He needs to make consistent decisions: Is he planning on eliminating it or have it do his culture war bidding?  Is he going to conduct lawfare against school districts at the federal level after complaining for months about the importance of state and local government rights? Is he going to support parents’ rights to ensure public education access for transgender students, or will he violate those rights? That being said, this overreach violates the civil rights of our students and violates Virginia law. Our school boards  are tasked with policy and running public schools at the local level. The Commonwealth Virginia Human Rights Act  prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in places of public accommodation, including educational institutions like our public schools. Also, the US ED order is discriminatory and flies in the face of human and civil rights.  Of course, we are well aware that this President flagrantly violates the rule of law and balance of powers, so we shouldn’t be surprised that his US ED would misinterpret Title IX to violate the civil rights of transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming students. Honestly, I just don’t understand what the fuss is about bathrooms, since most students just want to go to the bathroom as quickly as possible and then get back to class. Whether a student is transgender or not, no one wants to linger in a public restroom–they just want to go to the bathroom and wash their hands in peace before going back to class to engage in learning, hang out with friends, and go to afterschool activities. There is no room for compromise here. These five school districts should just say NO to these threats from Trump's US ED, as their demands are unlawful and violate human rights. Students have the right to their names, pronouns, and access to restroom facilities that align with their gender identity, which applies to transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex students. As co-leader of FCPS Pride, I urge families and the five Northern Virginia school districts to stand their ground and ensure that “Schools must be safe places where all students—regardless of gender identity—can thrive without fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence. FCPS‘s current policies, such as R2603.24 , are vital for affirming the identities of all youth and fostering a safe learning environment.” No matter how this falls out, it is obvious that this will be costly to taxpayers of Virginia and the nation, as anti-LGBTQIA legislative and lawfare  efforts have proven to cost millions  in direct and indirect costs . The economic impact  should not be discounted by anyone. As I said during the Transgender Day of Visibility Rally to Micheal O’Connell of The Patch , “Civil rights are under attack for so many groups, but particularly, really, in the transgender community.” We all need to stand up and fight back, because they will not stop with segregating bathrooms and school rooms for transgender students.  FCPS Pride is working in cooperation with partners in Arlington, Alexandria, Loudon, and Prince William. Transgender students in Northern Virginia are under attack from the Trump Administration. If you live in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, or Prince William, sign one of these petitions today to tell your School Board that they must fight back to protect the safety and wellbeing of transgender youth! Arlington -   https://tinyurl.com/ArlingtonStudents Alexandria -   https://tinyurl.com/AlexandriaStudents Fairfax County -   https://tinyurl.com/FairfaxStudents Loudoun -   https://tinyurl.com/Loudounstudents Prince William -   https://tinyurl.com/PrinceWilliamStuden

By Passing Reconciliation Bill (H.R.1), Congress Made the Fight to Fund Public Education Even Harder The furious battle between Democratic and Republican senators and House members ended with the passage of the reconciliation bill (H.R.1) on July 2, 2025. The bill was highly unpopular  for a number of reasons, including its addition of at least $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit.  In addition to being a budget-buster, the bill includes countless provisions that harm both individuals and communities. One dangerous provision establishes a national school voucher program using tax credits converted to scholarship donations. The net result will be a drastic reduction in funding for public education. The original version of the provision was truly horrendous, making it mandatory for every state to participate in the voucher/tax credit program. Thankfully, the Senate parliamentarian forced changes to that provision, making it optional  for each state. Residents in states that don’t opt in will not have access to the program. The final provision   provides a 100% tax credit for contributions up to $1,700 (joint filers $3,400) to private scholarship organizations. Those organizations can then award potentially unlimited private school scholarships  to families, based on generous income guidelines. The Virginia Education Association (VEA) warns  “ This means students attending expensive private schools in Virginia could have potentially all of their tuition covered by these new vouchers at taxpayer expense. That could be over $50,000 for each eligible student, per year, in backdoor public funding for some elite private schools in Northern Virginia."  The school choice lobby will undoubtedly be energized by these financial incentives.  T here are many reasons for states to resist voucher programs.  For example, this tax shelter and voucher scheme benefits wealthy families  at the expense of working- and middle-class families. Diverting school funds to private schools via vouchers also starves public schools of the funds necessary to provide a high-quality education. In addition, these programs disproportionately impact rural communities , which tend to have small budgets for public schools, rely heavily on state and federal funds, and provide few private school options within commuting distance. The diversion of public school funding often leads to school closures and less educational opportunity in rural communities. Furthermore, private schools are not required to follow the same laws as public schools. For example, private schools may use discriminatory criteria, and they may choose to avoid supporting students with disabilities. In addition, these schools are not subject to strong accountability or standards of quality. In fact, the evidence shows that switching from public to private schools does not improve students’ academic achievement.  Organizations and individuals that advocate for public education were quick to respond to the passage of the reconciliation bill. For example, Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association (NEA) stated : “ This budget is a direct attack on the very people our public institutions are meant to lift up. Instead of investing in our children’s education, as well as their health and their future, this law hands billions in tax breaks to the ultrawealthy—while pulling the rug out from under America’s students and families. This isn’t just a policy failure—it is a moral disgrace. Trump and congressional Republicans undermined our public schools and every student in them…. They’re not just slashing budgets—they’re taking food away from hungry children by cutting SNAP. They’re stripping health care from millions by dismantling Medicaid. This isn’t just irresponsible—it’s a complete betrayal of America’s students, families, and core values.” Robert Kim, Executive Director of the Education Law Center (ELC), stated , “Study after study shows that vouchers sweep aside civil rights protections, support segregation, decimate public school budgets, and do not improve student outcomes. Vouchers undermine public education, the cornerstone of our democracy, and have no place in federal policy.” The ELC, through their anti-voucher campaign, Public Funds Public Schools , plans to continue to fight vouchers using every tool at their disposal.   Diverting public education funding is just one way this disastrous legislation hurts students in public schools. As Kim points out : “Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, the food benefits program for low-income families, will affect American students in multiple ways… hungry students have a difficult time concentrating and learning. Medicaid, for its part, funds much needed school-based health services, reimbursing schools for services provided to students with disabilities and low-income students. The loss of these critical benefits is devastating.” What can be done? You are not alone if you are wondering how to respond to this brazen attack on public education policies and funding. The pressure to privatize public education will only increase with the financial incentives this legislation creates. Taxpayers who are proponents of school choice will seize the chance to use this new dollar for dollar tax credit; why not direct their funds to scholarship organizations rather than Uncle Sam? Vouchers provided with tax-sheltered scholarship funds will tempt parents to abandon their local public schools. And the lure of potential profit will kindle investors’ interest in establishing new private schools, while existing institutions will increase their outreach. Refusing to participate in this voucher scheme is critical to protecting the availability and quality of public education in Virginia; Public school advocates realize this fight just got harder In Virginia, it is the governor who decides whether or not to opt in to the program, and 2027 is the earliest opt-in opportunity.  If Virginia wants to continue its reputation as a leader in K-12 public education, it will be absolutely essential to elect the right governor in 2025; the children of our Commonwealth deserve someone firmly committed to public education, one who will refuse to sell out, even under extraordinary pressure from lobbyists and school choice proponents. These children are Virginia’s future. It falls to us to protect them and to protect their future.

The Fourth of July commemorates the day a group of ordinary people turned radicals risked everything to break from tyranny and chart a course for a nation governed by the people . This holiday isn’t about fireworks or a barbecue; it is grounded in the audacity to declare that no ruler, no government, no oppressive hand has the right to dictate the destiny of a free people. As we mark this Independence Day, we are staring down threats to freedom that would make those early patriots’ shudder. The dangerous and destructive policies of the Trump administration are hollowing out the very promises that brought this nation into being. Across America, families live in fear of sudden detention and deportation. Women’s bodies have become battlegrounds, stripped of autonomy by politicians who see their lives as pawns in ideological wars. Members of the LGBTQ+ community — and trans people in particular — face relentless attacks on their right to live openly, safely, and with dignity. None however is as grave and intolerable as the systematic dismantling of our public education system because all the others depend on this to survive. Education is not just another social service. It is the mechanism by which a democracy sustains itself. Through education we learn not merely to read and compute, but to question, to analyze, to discern fact from propaganda. Public education provides every child, regardless of wealth or origin, the tools to participate in civic life, to hold leaders accountable, to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Public schools are the crucibles in which democratic societies are forged. Stripping away education by starving it of funding, replacing it with innocuous sounding privatized schemes that serve sanitized myths and partisan dogma — and we undermine the very foundation upon which this country rests . An uneducated, unquestioning populace is easy to manipulate. It is ill-equipped to challenge abuses of power, and more willing to accept tyranny disguised as patriotism. That is why autocrats throughout history have feared free and robust education: because it breeds citizens, not subjects. A child who grows up curious and learning to think critically will grow into an adult who demands reproductive freedom, who stands up for immigrant neighbors, who defends the right of every person to live and love openly. On this Fourth of July, let us honor the revolutionary spirit of 1776 with a renewed commitment to safeguarding the most radical idea our founders put forth: that power derives from an informed, engaged, and empowered people. That starts — and quite literally ends — with education. Without a public education system that meets the needs of every child we are merely spectators, watching the last embers of liberty flicker out. And that is something no true patriot should ever accept.

Our country was founded on revolution and activism, yet for some reason the far right wants to suppress the teaching of history and civics in school that reflects the founding of this country.   Over the last five years, I have witnessed and protested the efforts of far right groups like Moms for Liberty, Parents Defending Education, and Independent Women's Organization to suppress student voices, whether those voices were at TJ, West Springfield, West Potomac, or in front of the School Board. They criticize student speech and actions, sometimes even denying that student speech was written by students! Why in the name of the founders of this great nation would they do this, all while trying to remove K-12 civics lessons that teach students how to advocate for themselves and their communities? It is because the far right fears students. They know that students are the future and Gen Alpha is not going to go quietly into the night as fascism descends. K-12 students will conduct walkouts, speak truth to power, and organize for change. However, this spark starts with schools teaching kids to advocate for themselves in class, with their peers, and in their school community. Whether it is scouting, group projects, academic competitions, or student government, kids learn to be leaders, how to organize projects, and how to be part of a team in their public school. Members of the Carter G. Woodson 2024 Government Class on their class field trip. (from woodsonhs instagram)

Trump Loses in Court but Continues to Gut Dept of Ed Trump’s 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) continued his goals to deeply cut and eventually eliminate the ED. This is even after a federal judge ruled against Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Department of Education and ordered the Department to rehire fired staff. These actions needed Congressional approval, which Trump does not have. Nevertheless, many essential programs in the Department are unfunded or severely underfunded in the budget request. Meanwhile, even though charter schools are notorious for fraud, waste and benefiting the wealthy at the expense of those with low incomes, Trump has requested an additional $60 million for a Charter Schools Program. McMahon Cannot Answer Basic History and Policy Questions 4 Public Education identified early on that Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, had no idea what she was doing when she couldn’t even define one of the most critical education laws, the Individual With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which ensures that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment in public schools. However, she trumped that display of inadequacy today, June 4, 2025, when she refused to answer the most basic questions about U.S. history from U.S. senators. Senators asked clarifying questions about DEI after Secretary McMahon’s confusing anti-DEI directives which threatened withholding of federal funds without clear definitions of what was considered to be “DEI” and what was not. ALthough judges blocked McMahon’s attempts to ban DEI in schools, many questions were left unanswered. Today, Senator Lee pressured McMahon to clarify what is considered “illegal DEI.” She asked McMahon specifically whether lessons on Tulsa race massacre would be considered “illegal DEI.” Repeatedly, McMahon said would have to “get back to you on it” to Lee, making it very clear that McMahon did not know policy or American history. Hear more of Senator Lee’s line of questioning here. McMahon left questions unanswered, including whether social studies standards could teach that Biden won the 2020 election. McMahon Gets a Failing Grade at Senate Budget Hearing Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, struggled and failed at this week’s June 2, 2025 Senate Appropriation hearings on budget cuts at ED. A lack of transparency and accountability in her answers and actions should be concerning to all education activists and parents. 4 Public Education will provide highlights below, but one can watch the hearings here. Office of Civil Rights (OCR): Senators voiced concern about the enforcement of civil rights in schools after ED lost more than half its staff through early retirement buyouts and other staff reductions (a.k.a., layoffs). Senators were rightfully suspicious when McMahon claimed that her staff had become more “efficient” enabling them to reduce the OCR backlog of cases by nearly 90% in a few short months despite laying off half of OCR. Everyone should be leery of McMahon's vague claims that she has “an efficient staff that has changed programs” which enabled them to deal with the backlog. “Changed programs” sounds like it could involve violating civil rights of students and other laws. Low Income Student College Grant Program Cuts: Besides failing students by permitting cuts of $1.5 billion per year to grant programs (TRIO and GEAR UP) that assist low income students to enter and graduate from college, she also failed basic math when she agreed that 10 year cuts to those programs would save over a trillion dollars when 10 years times $1.5 billion is only $15 billion. The cuts to these programs will have devastating effects on students. Senator Susan Collins of Maine shared that she had “seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country… changed by the TRIO program.” Literacy Program Cuts: Senators grilled McMahon on cuts to literacy programs, despite her claims that the proposed budget would improve literacy performance with a $4.5 billion cut to K-12 education. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., questioned how the Education Department plans to make literacy a priority with a 15% cut in funding? McMahon did not have a satisfactory response, except to say, “we’ll spend it more responsibly.” Mental Health Grant Cuts: McMahon’s budget included cutting about $1 billion in multi-year school-based mental health grants previously awarded. Sen. Chris Murphy commented, “It’s extraordinary because you didn’t cut off new grants. You cut off existing grants…. So in states all across the nation, blue and red, there are now mental health programs for kids that are shutting down.” McMahon’s response claimed that the grants weren’t cancelled, but that the recipients will need to submit new applications. (Sounds like another way of saying the grants were cancelled, right?)

Despite efforts by the President and his administration, Pride Month will be celebrated across the country. Nowhere is that more evident than in Virginia where Pride events are scheduled all day long for the next couple of weekends.  Fairfax County has a great list of pride events here . These are a few family friendly (free) events where you may find other FCPS folks: * June 7th 9:30-11:30am: Fairfax City Pride at Old Town Hall Fairfax (3999 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030) June 7th 2-6ish pm: World Pride Parade  (begins at 14th Street & T Street, NW and ends at 919 Pennsylvania Ave) *June 7th and 8th 12-10pm: World Pride Street Festival  with booths and other events (located on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Between 9th and 3rd Streets) Note: most events are family friendly, but some are specifically for adults. June 14th 3-9:00pm: Mosaic Pride Festival  (Mosaic District, 2910 District Ave, Fairfax) *June 14th 4-5 pm:  UUCF Hope Rising Concert . Click the link for cost. FCPS Pride will have a booth at these events marked with an asterisk (“*”). Additionally, in Fairfax County, both the Board of Supervisors and School Board have Pride proclamations next week. Consider attending to show your support for our LGBTQIA friends, family, neighbors, and selves because it is a great time to meet your representatives and be in an official photo. Tuesday, June 10th, at 9:30 am: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Pride Proclamation at the Fairfax County Government Center Board Auditorium (12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax) Arrival at 9:15 is recommended. Proclamations are held in the early part of the day’s agenda, between 9:30 and approximately 10:30. Thursday, June 12th 7:00 pm: Fairfax County School Board Pride Proclamation in the Luther Jackson Middle School Auditorium (3020 Gallows Rd, Falls Church). Please consider signing up to speak in honor of the proclamation or pride here . Signup is open from 6/5-6/10 5 pm.  4 Public Education would like to extend many thanks to the leaders and elected officials who resist the pull toward silence this month of Pride. Fairfax County’s support for respect and equality of all people, including the LGBTQIA community, is especially important now when rights, freedom, and equality are under threat .  In the words of one of FCPS Pride ’s leaders, Chris McCormick : “Right now, there’s a need for visibility. There’s a coming together as a community.”

Challenge the Voucher Scheme Stuffed into the Reconciliation Bill The 2025  reconciliation bill  narrowly passed (by one vote) in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22, 2025. Now the bill has passed over to be considered by the U.S. Senate when members of that chamber return Monday, June 2.  Click to Read Earlier Call to Action That bill contains many unpopular provisions including one that would provide private school scholarships  to some students while depriving public schools of critical funding. Because this provision is part of the Reconciliation bill, it can pass with only 51 votes in the Senate instead of the 61 votes needed if the same provisions were to go through the normal legislative process with bills S.292  and   H.R. 833 .  The Senate Parliamentarian can challenge provisions in the reconciliation bill that are inappropriate for inclusion in a reconciliation bill, and the provision for private school scholarships should certainly be considered inappropriate for this bill.  According to Section 313 of the Congressional Budget Act, also known as the Byrd Rule , there are limits on the kinds of legislative provisions that can be included in a reconciliation bill. That rule prohibits provisions  that are “extraneous” to the budget, such as if the provision does not change outlays or revenues. Sometimes legislators try to include unpopular, but non-budgetary, provisions in a reconciliation bill just to make the provision easier to pass, and this current provision appears to be an example of that move by GOP House members. If the Parliamentarian’s challenge to this voucher provision is successful, the scholarship provision will be removed from the Reconciliation bill, which would result in the House and Senate considering S. 292 and H.R. 833 using the normal legislative process. If this happens, a required 61 votes for cloture will be needed before either bill can come to a vote in the Senate.  To date, neither Senators Kaine nor Warner have challenged this inappropriate provision under the Byrd Rule with the Parliamentarian. On June 4, 2025, 4 Public Education made a formal request to both senators that they initiate a challenge on this provision (SEC. 110109, pg 784 of H.R.1) to the Senate Parliamentarian. Under the Byrd Rule it should be judged inappropriate for a reconciliation bill. Advocates can help by asking their senators to challenge that provision. Also advocates can ask their Senators to vote against HR1 , by answering this quick and easy call to action. Click on image to learn more about the impact of private school vouchers

Please Note: In this blog, I am speaking on behalf of myself and no one else including the Boundary Review Advisory Committee (BRAC), Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), 4 Public Education, FCPS Pride, or any other organizations of which I am a member. These are my opinions and observations. You may know that we are in the middle of the first ever holistic boundary review of the more than 200 public schools in FCPS. The process started late December 2024 with the first meeting of the BRAC. It is now in the process of public review of initial boundary scenarios, so if you haven’t already, you should attend one of the remaining public meetings (e.g., Glasgow Middle School on June 6 6:30-8pm register here) to discuss boundary scenarios and/or review the boundary scenario maps to provide input. Boundary Review Process Everything you need to know about the boundary review process (e.g., timing), can be found here. At this time, the FCPS community is about midway through the process with expectations of final potential boundary scenarios expected at the end of this calendar year prior to further public comment and School Board approval. Goals of the Boundary Review are outlined in Policy 8130 and the accompanying presentation which include: Transportation (times and safety), Under/Over-crowding, Access to Programming, Split Feeders and Attendance Islands (Proximity). Please notice that test scores are not mentioned anywhere in the policy, despite the pervasive rumor that boundary analysis and changes were being driven by improving test scores of schools. This rumor is old, tired, and a lie. It was floated during the 2019 School Board campaign by a right-wing PAC and was wrong then, as well. Please know that the BRAC, FCPS, and the FCSB care about the process and outcomes. They care about children, education, and success. They are all taking this seriously, as this affects their neighborhoods, kids, neighbors, and friends. What is the BRAC’s role? One key component of the boundary review process is the BRAC, which is made up of multiple representatives from each pyramid and other community members. The BRAC is expected to offer detailed local knowledge of schools, travel times, and neighborhoods. Additionally, they are expected to interact with the community to answer questions and collect feedback. Click here for the list of BRAC members and their emails. The BRAC has met about ten times since December 2024, and the first couple of meetings had full tables around the room, but the more recent meetings have had less attendees. There has been great support by Thru Consulting and FCPS during the meetings when we had questions or concerns. At the BRAC meetings, Thru Consulting and FCPS have presented information to allow the BRAC to do the following: Review and categorize public input to date. Learn about the full range of programming available in FCPS. Analyze best practices for decision-making. Evaluate different boundary scenarios using our knowledge of our schools, regions, programming, and traffic patterns. Thus far the scenarios evaluated have been: impact of moving 6th grade to middle schools, impact of all students remaining at their base schools (excluding TJ students), attendance islands, split feeders, and severe over/under-crowding. Only the last three scenarios are included in the current public review. Unfortunately, the scenario reviews conducted by the BRAC lacked significant information, thus it was hard to provide informed and accurate input on the boundary scenarios. In future reviews, many BRAC meeting attendees asked for the following to be provided when reviewing boundary scenarios by Thru Consulting: Travel distance and time; Relevant capacity of and impact on affected schools (i.e., this was not provided for all schools affected by a change, just some); Key demographic data about schools and the neighborhoods; Walkability of neighborhoods to the school; Bus information (e.g., travel times, number of buses per school, etc.); and When affected schools were going to undergo or complete renovation. Additionally, some schools impacted by split feeders (e.g., Greenbriar East) were not included for analysis, which was confusing and irritating for BRAC members whose kids attend those schools. It is important to know that BRAC members are a diverse group of individuals with differing opinions, but two things many on the BRAC seemed to agree upon was that: We lacked necessary data when we reviewed the boundary scenarios to make decisions on whether the suggested changes were appropriate. Our input on the different boundary scenarios was not incorporated prior to recent public input opportunities; therefore, the maps presented to the public only reflect the consultant’s work, not the knowledge of local parents, staff, and community members. (Below are my personal views on boundaries after reviewing a couple dozen Region 5 boundary change maps and attending all but one of the BRAC meetings.) Next Steps of the Process Click to test out the Boundary Scenario Tool Those who have attended the BRAC meetings have worked hard to understand school boundaries and neighborhoods at multiple levels; however, we don’t live in all of the neighborhoods, which is why your input is important! These are the next steps: Fairfax community members should check out the Sample Boundary Scenarios: These are draft scenarios for your review, developed by the consultant, Thru Consulting: They involve solving for split feeders, attendance islands, and severe over/under capacity schools with some additional changes by the consultant. However, these boundary scenarios: Were not developed by the FCSB, FCPS, or BRAC. Do not incorporate critical input from the BRAC. DO NOT include a number of considerations including: travel times, travel safety, buses, AAP centers, language immersion, special education, etc. In Person Public Input: Seven meetings were scheduled around Fairfax County. The last meeting is on Friday, June 6, 6:30-8 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School. If you haven’t already, you should: Attend the remaining public meeting (register here) to discuss boundary scenarios, and/or Review the boundary scenario maps to provide input. Additional BRAC Review: The BRAC will review the responses and concerns to develop final scenarios to be completed by December 2025. Final Opportunity for Public Input: Public notice for additional public input should occur sometime in January 2026 before the School Board votes on the changes. Outstanding Community Concerns Finally, there have been intense community concerns about this process and possible outcomes: Current Boundary Scenarios: I’ve heard both concern and relief about the current boundary scenarios. One big issue, I’ve heard is with the Crossfield feeder split, which involved recommendations that would drastically increase bus rides at all levels, irresponsibly split neighborhoods, and move students around for little benefit.That being said, I (personally) feel that the three scenarios out for public input are somewhat immature and will change greatly over the next several months, but I strongly suggest people offer input…specific input about the positive or negative impact of changes. Phasing of School Changes: Everyone I’ve spoken to supports phasing (formerly known as “grandfathering”) which permits students, especially those in middle and high school to remain in the school they started. In the last 20 years, nearly every boundary change included phasing boundary changes, and phasing is included in Policy 8130. We all understand how devastating it can be to move a middle or high school student to a new school. In fact, when I was a student in FCPS, they did this to my class–ripped seniors out of our high school and moved them to our high school rival. This had a devastating impact on students and families. Mental health concerns soared, and four students took their own lives. Rumors about Boundary Changes: Rumors have instilled unneeded fear in neighborhoods and have ignored the facts. For example, there has been a rumor that the intent of Policy 8130 isn’t to address decades of failure to address boundary issues, but is to move kids around just to raise test scores at some “poor performing schools.” Some sharing this rumor refer to these as “equity boundary changes,” meaning that somehow “equity” would invite uprooting children from their schools just to increase test scores at other schools. Of course, this is an unfounded and ridiculous rumor, because: That is not how equity works. It would be harmful and disruptive, and wouldn’t be fair or equitable to anyone. Moving kids around to “improve test scores” has never been suggested and it would never work. Finally, the school board, BRAC, and communities wouldn’t permit it. Poor versus High Performing Schools: These are terms used to reflect schools overall standardized test scores, not the capacity or quality of students, much less the quality of the school. In fact, When you listen to the stories of success and warm communities of the so-called “poor performing schools” you might realize that you and your family would feel at home there. Thus, it may be acceptable to use the terms “high” and “poor” performing schools when describing their test scores, but not as a pejorative to describe the students or the school, because one standardized test score does reflect how great or smart the students are in a school. For more information: Feel free to read two previous blogs by 4PE about the New Boundary Policy and History of Boundaries and Policy in Fairfax County, because they may answer some concerns or questions.

Those who control the purse, control the future of our schools   In the case of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), families and staff are at the mercy of Governor Youngkin and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BoS), yet neither are listening to our desperate pleas to FUND OUR SCHOOLS! This blog will be short as possible so as to avoid a hailstorm of cursing by the author about the fact that FCPS was forced to make tough choices because neither the Governor nor the BoS considered our schools important enough to bridge the $121 million FCPS budget shortfall. Their decisions forced the Superintendent to make difficult choices which will ensure raises for staff, but will involve larger class sizes at all school levels and likely reduction of staff at the Elementary level, specifically the advanced academic resource teachers and elementary special education department chairs on staff. The FY2026 budget process will be discussed at the end of this blog, but first we must discuss some major issues with the budget and the overall process. Serious Issues with the BoS Budget and Process Every year Spring Budget season is a circular firing squad among the Board of Supervisors, the State, and Fairfax County School Board (FCSB). Of course, the FCSB always loses, which means school-aged children, their families, and the future of educated employment in Fairfax County are put last in the BoS budget.  Thankfully, all of the FCSB have been communicating about the budget issues with their constituents, but Hunter Mill FSCB representative, Melanie Meren, really knocked it out of the park with her  educational Facebook reels , which really deserve more attention. She also wrote an incredibly brief, but detailed explanation of the historic decrease in funding to FCPS citing the following :  Historically, FCPS’s annual transfer of funds from Fairfax County has been a little over 52% of total Fairfax County funds. For the last two yea rs, it’s been below 51% which results in close to $50 million less per year disbursed from Fairfax County to FCPS.  The Superintendent based her budget on the historic percentage - which has been consistently provided by the BoS, except the last two years, which resulted in a $120,000,000 short fall. FCPS has asked for a set percentage of transfer, with no success.  It is pretty clear that calculated disinformation campaigns swayed the BoS, which was most evident with Mr. Herrity’s comments. Mr. Herrity reiterated the Fairfax Times anti-FCPS talking points about the some of the executives in FCPS, including our hardworking Superintendent. However, observers were saddened that many of the other Supervisors had been influenced by the repetition of Fairfax Times cherry picked data, which only looked at the salaries of FCPS education professionals, while ignoring the salaries of their Fairfax County counterparts--for example, the fact that Fairfax County employees make 20% more  on average than FCPS employees. Even for the top 10 executives, Fairfax County executives make about 15% more than the top 10 FCPS executives. In fact, the top Fairfax County attorney makes 27% more than the FCPS general counsel. (Note: this is all based on 2023 figures ). Also, there seems to be a transparency differential between the BoS and FCPS. It may just be a webpage issue, but for FCPS, all of the necessary documents and links are readily available in one place: https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/budget . On the other hand, the BoS webpages are hard to navigate. In fact, it was hard to understand how to participate in the public hearings, and it has been nearly impossible to find BoS public hearing videos. At least the BoS, FCSB, and FCPS Superintendent know that the process is flawed, and they seem determined to do something about it…we hope. Fairfax County and FCPS Budget Process Here is the abbreviated version of the Fairfax County budget process timeline, but please read our blog, “ Raise Your Voice about the Fairfax County Budget ,” for more information: BoS and Fairfax County School Board (FCSB) met on November 26, 2024  and several other times during the budget planning process. BoS and FCPS created their budgets: January 23 FCPS FY2025 proposed budget  which included staff raises negotiated with the teachers’ associations. February 18 BoS FY2026 proposed budget  included a 1.5 cent increase in property tax rate and a 4% meals tax . The budget threatened numerous cuts to critical services to working parents, disabled young adults, elders, successful middle school after school programs, etc. to try to “balance the budget.” These cuts outraged (and possibly distracted) the community. (Anti-tax groups grumbled, made yellow shirts and signs, and yelled “no new taxes” on social media.) Stop raising taxes folks in their yellow shirts The BoS held budget meetings the last week of April, and had a record number of speakers. 4PE was there and spoke in defense of our schools, staff, and students, as were hundreds of parents, students, teachers, union representatives, yellow shirts, and nonprofits speaking their minds. Hundreds attended each of the meetings, the vast majority of which spoke AGAINST cuts to positions that directly serve students and families. Teachers and parents showed up in force to support our schools! On May 6, the BoS  presented and voted on their budget markup . There were less than 100 attendees at this meeting, and 4PE covered some of this meeting here  which resulted in: 4% meals tax to diversify revenue streams and reduce burden on property taxes. Eliminated proposed 1.5 cent increase to reduce the Real Estate Tax rate by ¼ cent from the current rate of $1.125 to $1.1225 per $100 of assessed value.  No additional money to FCPS budget, but they did expound on failures by FCPS to communicate needs earlier, despite months of meetings and communications between the BoS and FCPS.  A reiteration of the need for a formal process to address the FCPS budget. (It feels a little late, but better than never to make this decision.) A lack of respect for the collective bargaining agreements of teachers, while respecting collective bargaining of police and fire unions. After thousands of responses, they restored funding to the middle school after school programs, but plan to force FCPS to pay for these programs in the future. Look who I ran into on May 6th! FCPTA Officers! The BoS budget choices triggered entreaties by FCPS staff and leaders, including this from the President Elect of Fairfax County Federation of Teachers on May 14 , which highlights the impact of the BoS choices, including a broken contract with staff and anticipated cuts in Special Education and Advanced Academic services leaving students with less support and larger classes.  On May 22, the Fairfax County School Board passed their budget  which included negotiated increases for staff, reducing FCSB and central office budgets by 3%, half non-local travel for professional development, and more outlined here .