FCPS: Preliminary Menu of Potential Reductions and Fees

[Anonymous]

Also, please cite the positions cut for next year.

[Anonymous]

These are just options, not necessarily options that the school board will implement. They are just laying out all ideas. It's good that they are putting this out there... doesn't make it reality... it's just a starting point for discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No, actually the money hasn't magically appeared. Step increases were deferred. School-based positions were cut. Central office positions were cut. Those of us inside the schools are really feeling it. If you're a parent, you're probably not really feeling it. Yet. On top of the cuts that have already been made, this list shows what else could go. Decide what you're fine with letting go. The cost projections are right there. Put a package together and post it PP.

All of the above have been cut before. Step increases have been deferred in many previous years. FCPS claims that it has already cut 3,000 positions even though the number of positions increases each year. The song is the same. Sorry, but it's true.

We used to have a full-time technology resource teacher. Now we only have on half-time. It's loads of fun when all of our SOLs are administered on the computer and we only have someone there 2.5 days a week. The Naglieri moved to online testing. And next year, all of the WIDA tests for our ESOL students will be online. Is it impossible to administer these tests with a half-time person? No, but it pulls others away from their typical duties and impacts everyone. I know our principal in the past has asked for and received assistance from the content area offices when a teacher has been struggling. Someone could come out and work with the teacher or a team for a few sessions with planning, etc. Now those people don't exist because the positions were eliminated.

You're correct PP--there are more teachers hired each year. FCPS hires classroom teachers. Our school has more classroom teachers than we had in the previous year because our population increased. But the number of support and resource staffing hasn't necessarily kept constant. Nothing by itself is huge or crushing our instruction. But slowly cuts are happening, and they are impacting how business happens.

[Anonymous]

They never have FLES on the list. It is the number one wasted resource in schools IMHO.

Also , ditcht the time change.

DON"T ELIMINATE BAND.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, actually the money hasn't magically appeared. Step increases were deferred. School-based positions were cut. Central office positions were cut. Those of us inside the schools are really feeling it. If you're a parent, you're probably not really feeling it. Yet. On top of the cuts that have already been made, this list shows what else could go. Decide what you're fine with letting go. The cost projections are right there. Put a package together and post it PP.

All of the above have been cut before. Step increases have been deferred in many previous years. FCPS claims that it has already cut 3,000 positions even though the number of positions increases each year. The song is the same. Sorry, but it's true.

We used to have a full-time technology resource teacher. Now we only have on half-time. It's loads of fun when all of our SOLs are administered on the computer and we only have someone there 2.5 days a week. The Naglieri moved to online testing. And next year, all of the WIDA tests for our ESOL students will be online. Is it impossible to administer these tests with a half-time person? No, but it pulls others away from their typical duties and impacts everyone. I know our principal in the past has asked for and received assistance from the content area offices when a teacher has been struggling. Someone could come out and work with the teacher or a team for a few sessions with planning, etc. Now those people don't exist because the positions were eliminated.

You're correct PP--there are more teachers hired each year. FCPS hires classroom teachers. Our school has more classroom teachers than we had in the previous year because our population increased. But the number of support and resource staffing hasn't necessarily kept constant. Nothing by itself is huge or crushing our instruction. But slowly cuts are happening, and they are impacting how business happens.

There are a lot of retired teachers willing to help out for pay during SOL testing.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of retired teachers willing to help out for pay during SOL testing.

This sounds like a reasonable solution. It's ridiculous to hire people full-time when they only work full-time during the standardized testing season.

On another note, maybe we have too dang many tests! They use a lot of resources . . . personnel and computers (not to mention the cost of the tests and the prep materials and time) . . . and to what end? Cutting the testing would save a ton of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There are a lot of retired teachers willing to help out for pay during SOL testing.

This sounds like a reasonable solution. It's ridiculous to hire people full-time when they only work full-time during the standardized testing season.

On another note, maybe we have too dang many tests! They use a lot of resources . . . personnel and computers (not to mention the cost of the tests and the prep materials and time) . . . and to what end? Cutting the testing would save a ton of money.

Ding ding ding!!!

Weighing a pig every week with a poorly designed scale doesn't make it fatter. Test at the middle and higher.

[Anonymous]

Playing devil's advocate here. Why does the school pay for AP tests for students? Or SAT or PSAT? That is for college and optional. I feel like students should pay for that or apply for payment forgiveness. Same deal with Athletics.

[Anonymous]

But the number of support and resource staffing hasn't necessarily kept constant. Nothing by itself is huge or crushing our instruction. But slowly cuts are happening, and they are impacting how business happens.

Maybe "how business happens" needed to change. I have heard many teachers complain about too many support and resource stafffing people and not enough teachers in the classrooms. It sounds like there should be reductions at the central administration level and additions to the teaching corps.

Have the SAT scores declined over the past years of cuts? What is this "impact" you are talking about? We still have band, chorus, orchestra, the 7 period day, etc.

If things are really dire, why aren't they charging for the AP tests? Oh, yeah, because of the Jay Matthews ranking scale. That's important . . . NOT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Playing devil's advocate here. Why does the school pay for AP tests for students? Or SAT or PSAT? That is for college and optional. I feel like students should pay for that or apply for payment forgiveness. Same deal with Athletics.

Based on comments I heard at the June and May School Board meetings, paying for AP tests will be one of the first things to go. One of the things that would change would be that the schools can no longer require students to take the AP test to get the GPA bump up- as tying it to taking the test requires the school system to pay for it. If done, it will affect the HS ranking where AP test takings is a factor in the evaluations- so FCPS HS will drop in ranking (if that is important to you).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Playing devil's advocate here. Why does the school pay for AP tests for students? Or SAT or PSAT? That is for college and optional. I feel like students should pay for that or apply for payment forgiveness. Same deal with Athletics.

Based on comments I heard at the June and May School Board meetings, paying for AP tests will be one of the first things to go. One of the things that would change would be that the schools can no longer require students to take the AP test to get the GPA bump up- as tying it to taking the test requires the school system to pay for it. If done, it will affect the HS ranking where AP test takings is a factor in the evaluations- so FCPS HS will drop in ranking (if that is important to you).

I think this is a good thing. Too many kids getting stressed over taking so many AP tests.

[Anonymous]

The rankings are not important. There are already many good high schools across the USA that are not on the rankings list for this reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Playing devil's advocate here. Why does the school pay for AP tests for students? Or SAT or PSAT? That is for college and optional. I feel like students should pay for that or apply for payment forgiveness. Same deal with Athletics.

Based on comments I heard at the June and May School Board meetings, paying for AP tests will be one of the first things to go. One of the things that would change would be that the schools can no longer require students to take the AP test to get the GPA bump up- as tying it to taking the test requires the school system to pay for it. If done, it will affect the HS ranking where AP test takings is a factor in the evaluations- so FCPS HS will drop in ranking (if that is important to you).

I think this is a good thing. Too many kids getting stressed over taking so many AP tests.

I think it is a good idea to have students pay if they want to take these tests. I'm also okay with switching IB to AP and charging $50 to pupil place. Some of these options make sense.

[Anonymous]

I am the devil's advocate. I am in Fairfax and would love to see our high schools stay high in rankings. However, the Jay Matthews challenge index has had the negative impact of encouraging schools to have students take AP tests just for the sake of taking them. As I understand it, one of the factors Matthews uses in formulating his rankings is the number of students that take AP tests (total AP tests taken). To me, that is just silly. AP tests should be taken by students who have take AP courses and who have a chance of achieving a score that might get then college. What is the point of having students take the test to get a 1 or 2. I know people whose children took 3 and 4 AP exams after doing OK in the classes but not great and basically there was no downside to taking the test. Kids didn't score high but parents hadn't paid for the test so they didn't really care. The school paid and got to check that box for Matthews formula. Tail wagging the dog if I have ever heard it! So, if Fairfax has to be the first to get realistic about this, that is fine. I would prefer that the county cut stupid stuff like that rather than cutting actual programs.

[Anonymous]

What is the maximum walking distance allowed by the state of VA, I wonder?