How would you cut the budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

+1


And the person you responded to is attempting to make the ridiculous claim that SPED services in FCPS exist only through the DEI office (which is not true at all).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

when?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cut:
the entire AP program, including TJ
all instructional coaches and generic resource teachers
half the Assistant Principals
all the dual language programs
and at least half of Gatehouse bureaucrats.

I'm not sure if I wold cut APs. Good ones make a huge difference in a school. They are the ones that deal with discipline issues for the most part. I've been lucky as a teacher and had very supportive admin and have often wished for an extra AP or two at the schools I've worked in.

Which school deals with discipline issues effectively? Please tell me so I can move, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school board needs to cut the increases over the past several years AND teachers should not get a 7 percent increase. Most jobs around the area are more like a 2 percent increase and many lost their jobs all together. Treat it like the 2009 crash.

Does anyone know what the police and fire departments are getting as far as pay increases, or is that not yet set?

Not finalized yet, but uniformed police are scheduled for 6.58% next year. Their increase was 10.69% this year and 12.83% last year before because they moved through the collective bargainig process a little more quickly than the teachers. Uniformed fire is scheduled for 5.58% next year. They got 7.85% and 7.83% last year, also due to collective bargaining.

Teachers got 4.00% this year, so less than their county counterparts who are also eligible for collective bargaining. The 7.00% for next year is their first increase under collective bargaining. Given the teacher shortage and the superintendent's recent significant raise, not a great idea to cut the teachers' collectively bargained increase, especially after fulfilling collective bargaining agreements with police and fire.

Everything can and should be revisited with Trump slashing federal jobs and destroying the savings of many Fairfax families.

400000. 400000 Fed positions cut under….Clinton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

when?

80s and 90s, been going down hill to its current state ever since.

[Anonymous]

I would definitely get rid of ALL the green initiatives Karl Frisch and other DEMS got FCPS involved in. For the next four years, the new administration will implement changes to previous initiatives, rendering them obsolete or no longer a saving, or a tax deductible incentive:

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-the-trump-administration-means-for-sustainability-efforts/

I can absolutely relate to this reality, as in spite of the many green practices we implemented at home, our power bill has doubled this past year, as have the rest of our utility bills. I can only imagine how all the electric school buses, and integrating solar energy into its operations, including installing solar panels on buildings and exploring potential for solar-powered vehicles are already a costly and useless investment for Fairfax county taxpayers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

when?

80s and 90s, been going down hill to its current state ever since.

Not for dyslexia, they couldn’t even say the word until the 2010’s. There has been progress on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

when?

80s and 90s, been going down hill to its current state ever since.

Not for dyslexia, they couldn’t even say the word until the 2010’s. There has been progress on that.

I haven't taught in years. However, in the '70's, I taught two extremely bright boys in first grade who were diagnosed with dyslexia. We really did not know how to handle it. I hope things are better now. These boys were both intellectually curious and ultimately scored high IQ when tested by the professionals.

FWIW, I always placed a strong emphasis on phonics. I have read some things on forums that think that phonics instruction is the answer for dyslexic kids. It did not work for these two boys. This was first grade in two different school systems.

I sure hope there is help now for these dyslexic kids with effective instruction for them. It is really sad to see a child who really wants to learn to read, and cannot seem to get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

BS… families with special needs students move to FCPS from other DMV districts because of the districts reputation of doing an above-average job with SN students, which is a big part of why FCPS SN student ratio and spending are above-average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

+1


And the person you responded to is attempting to make the ridiculous claim that SPED services in FCPS exist only through the DEI office (which is not true at all).

“helps” = “exists only”… not sure if that’s intentional misrepresentation, exceedingly poor reading comprehension, or just being so blinded by your preconceptions that you can’t engage rationally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much chicken littling... and obvious political hackery. "Let's cut 0.1% of the budget by eliminating an entire department that helps FCPS provide some of the best special needs services of any public school district in the DMV because we find the name of the department to be triggering!"

While FCPS at one time did offer great special needs services, those days are long gone. All in favor of keeping the services but they need to be managed and implemented competently, something that is not happening today.

BS… families with special needs students move to FCPS from other DMV districts because of the districts reputation of doing an above-average job with SN students, which is a big part of why FCPS SN student ratio and spending are above-average.

+1. I wish they would stop cherry picking our system. The expenses for special education are through the roof and the feds don’t pay their share for IDEA.

[Anonymous]

+1. I wish they would stop cherry picking our system. The expenses for special education are through the roof and the feds don’t pay their share for IDEA.

I've no idea how the funding for IDEA works. However, many years ago, I taught Title I kids. The resources we were given was mostly equipment--and this was long before computers. You only needed so many tape recorders in a classroom.
We had a very talented teacher who wrote up a grant for more teachers (you would have thought that the people running Title I would have done that.) And, our school did get the funding for additional teachers--paid for through Title I.

I cannot help but wonder if FCPS is including grant applications for funds--in addition to how the money is dispersed through the law.

Later, I taught in another school where a teacher wrote up an application for a grant. Sadly, I cannot remember what it was for, but I do think we got it.

Looking at the FCPS website, I am having a hard time figuring out who is in charge and where.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely get rid of ALL the green initiatives Karl Frisch and other DEMS got FCPS involved in. For the next four years, the new administration will implement changes to previous initiatives, rendering them obsolete or no longer a saving, or a tax deductible incentive:

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-the-trump-administration-means-for-sustainability-efforts/

I can absolutely relate to this reality, as in spite of the many green practices we implemented at home, our power bill has doubled this past year, as have the rest of our utility bills. I can only imagine how all the electric school buses, and integrating solar energy into its operations, including installing solar panels on buildings and exploring potential for solar-powered vehicles are already a costly and useless investment for Fairfax county taxpayers.

Green isn’t about saving money. It’s about helping our environment. That’s expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would definitely get rid of ALL the green initiatives Karl Frisch and other DEMS got FCPS involved in. For the next four years, the new administration will implement changes to previous initiatives, rendering them obsolete or no longer a saving, or a tax deductible incentive:

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-the-trump-administration-means-for-sustainability-efforts/

I can absolutely relate to this reality, as in spite of the many green practices we implemented at home, our power bill has doubled this past year, as have the rest of our utility bills. I can only imagine how all the electric school buses, and integrating solar energy into its operations, including installing solar panels on buildings and exploring potential for solar-powered vehicles are already a costly and useless investment for Fairfax county taxpayers.

Green isn’t about saving money. It’s about helping our environment. That’s expensive.

Your premise is perfectly described here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4NvDaMQs6g