How does this end?

[Anonymous]

The new budget shows $10 mil for new Cybersecurity department plus $14.6 for technology, , https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/fi...%20Fiscal%20Forecast%20v13.pdf

Is the county coordinating on the cybersecurity or are we paying for a stand-alone? Who's monitoring cybersecurity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

Could you please explain how $10 million will be spent on the laptops and the schools?

I thought kids being out of schools for COVID taught everyone that students need human interaction and physically present human teachers to develop into healthy adults. So why is FCPS still prioritizing tech over teachers? For example, I thought FCPS could have put more effort into finding human tutors for students or given more incentive for teachers to work extra hours tutoring students, but they didn’t. They purchased a contract with tutor.com.

Now they are going to freeze step increases to cover cybersecurity costs? I’d rather they just get rid of laptops for the students, altogether if the technology consumes such a large portion of the budget. In fact, I think doing so might be a positive step. I am not a luddite, but kids spend too much time looking at screens these days.

You are a luddite if you think that schools should get rid of laptops.

+1, everyone (old and young) use laptops in their daily lives. Going forward, use will increase not decrease.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watching SB meeting…. Rachna Sizemore Heiser asked HR to prep information on how FCPS may be lagging many other counties on pay and benefits and then Megan McLaughlin shot her a withering look with a protest. Why does this woman never go away? I am not sure she gets it, and seems to think we can continue to attract a workforce when many are already leaving.

McLaughlin represents the Braddock district which is largely good schools located close to more affordable parts of the county and an easy commute from Prince William. I doubt her schools are having as much trouble as other areas of the county

Yup and she strikes me as the "I've got mines" type. So over that mentality. If this is the attitude let's break the county down into smaller pieces. FCPS is too big and it's a mess!

So your solution to the "I've got mines" mentality is to permanently cement it? I guess if you cut loose the poor parts of the county it will be easier to increase salaries and building funds for the richer parts

Don't speak for me or insert what you think are my opinions. I think this county is too big. I think decisions are made that hurt certain areas and certain schools-we are not the same as you have mentioned so decisions that are one size fits all do no work. I grew up in an area with smaller districts-they were good schools but people could do their job because there were clear paths and an understanding of what was needed to be successful. Please stop with pretending not to understand that this county is too big and a lot of kids and teachers are lost in a broken system. Teachers are leaving. I know people in this county want to bury their head in the sand and say not my school....well it's happening at the school ten minutes away. So just stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

They could (should) outsource cybersecurity and have a personal tutor for every child who wants/need one for $10 million.

This is the same person who would freak out if there is a hack or privacy breach of FCPS systems. Like it or not, organizations have to seriously plan for cybersecurity needs. Look at all the stories of even small cities and town being hacked and the huge problems that brings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new budget shows $10 mil for new Cybersecurity department plus $14.6 for technology, , https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/fi...%20Fiscal%20Forecast%20v13.pdf

Is the county coordinating on the cybersecurity or are we paying for a stand-alone? Who's monitoring cybersecurity?

There is no "new budget" yet. The budget will be introduced in January - there will be tons of meetings and hearings about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watching SB meeting…. Rachna Sizemore Heiser asked HR to prep information on how FCPS may be lagging many other counties on pay and benefits and then Megan McLaughlin shot her a withering look with a protest. Why does this woman never go away? I am not sure she gets it, and seems to think we can continue to attract a workforce when many are already leaving.

McLaughlin represents the Braddock district which is largely good schools located close to more affordable parts of the county and an easy commute from Prince William. I doubt her schools are having as much trouble as other areas of the county

Yup and she strikes me as the "I've got mines" type. So over that mentality. If this is the attitude let's break the county down into smaller pieces. FCPS is too big and it's a mess!

So your solution to the "I've got mines" mentality is to permanently cement it? I guess if you cut loose the poor parts of the county it will be easier to increase salaries and building funds for the richer parts

Don't speak for me or insert what you think are my opinions. I think this county is too big. I think decisions are made that hurt certain areas and certain schools-we are not the same as you have mentioned so decisions that are one size fits all do no work. I grew up in an area with smaller districts-they were good schools but people could do their job because there were clear paths and an understanding of what was needed to be successful. Please stop with pretending not to understand that this county is too big and a lot of kids and teachers are lost in a broken system. Teachers are leaving. I know people in this county want to bury their head in the sand and say not my school....well it's happening at the school ten minutes away. So just stop.

I understand we're probably on the same "side," but I don't think splitting up the county is the solution that would help the schools that are most in need. I agree with the other poster, that would permanently create areas of white flight in Fairfax County (more than already exists). We can learn from the situation in D.C. Although with good intentions, a plan to focus needy kids into one system to streamline their support doesn't tend to go as well as one might think and we can look at D.C. public schools as proof.

[Anonymous]

I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

Families move to Loudoun all the time. Especially those with young kids because you can get so much more housing wise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

Families move to Loudoun all the time. Especially those with young kids because you can get so much more housing wise.

Well, and teachers, too, I guess, if the county pays more. FCPS sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

Families move to Loudoun all the time. Especially those with young kids because you can get so much more housing wise.

Well, and teachers, too, I guess, if the county pays more. FCPS sucks.

I live in Loudoun and moved over to FCPS when it paid more, now I often consider transferring back. I’ve never considered moving there or have I regretted sending my kids to LCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

They could (should) outsource cybersecurity and have a personal tutor for every child who wants/need one for $10 million.

This is the same person who would freak out if there is a hack or privacy breach of FCPS systems. Like it or not, organizations have to seriously plan for cybersecurity needs. Look at all the stories of even small cities and town being hacked and the huge problems that brings.

I’d trust outsourced security more than FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

They could (should) outsource cybersecurity and have a personal tutor for every child who wants/need one for $10 million.

This is the same person who would freak out if there is a hack or privacy breach of FCPS systems. Like it or not, organizations have to seriously plan for cybersecurity needs. Look at all the stories of even small cities and town being hacked and the huge problems that brings.

I’d trust outsourced security more than FCPS

Yep, I have to work at one of those cybersecurity companies. It’s not normally a skill set the company-based IT guys can (or want) to handle themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$10 million for cyber security? Tell me why this much?

How much is cyber security for over 200k laptops and 200 schools supposed to cost?

They could (should) outsource cybersecurity and have a personal tutor for every child who wants/need one for $10 million.

This is the same person who would freak out if there is a hack or privacy breach of FCPS systems. Like it or not, organizations have to seriously plan for cybersecurity needs. Look at all the stories of even small cities and town being hacked and the huge problems that brings.

I’d trust outsourced security more than FCPS

Likewise, but I am also not sure I’d trust who they would outsource to. They have a history of awarding contracts to companies who put forth a problematic product.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

I don't know....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I expect the quality of schools and teachers will be in decline in the coming years, but most likely it will pick up at some point in the future. Fairfax has the advantage of being very large and centrally located, so a lot of people will work there in spite of the fact that working conditions are poor and the pay is less than surrounding areas. Eventually, they are likely to be able to match the pay of most of the other districts. Loudoun pays a lot more and is likely to attract single teachers who can move easily, but those with families and kids can't drive that far every day and can't move. So Fairfax won't suffer too much.

I don't know....

When did Loudon start paying a lot more than FCPS and how did that happen? What are they doing that we aren’t?