What do I need to know about the Fairfax County School Board?

[Anonymous]

We just moved here and I have a child who is about to start Kindergarten. I am totally new to schools in general and overwhelmed by this giant school district (as big as some entire states!). Where can I go to learn more about recent issues regarding schools (other than the school board website which I found already) and how do I keep up to date with everything?

[Anonymous]

Hi, my child is starting K too. Welcome. What issues are you worried about -- like school-specific ones, or rezoning, or something else?

[Anonymous]

I'm not worried about anything in particular, I just want to maintain awareness of what is going on in case any issues do arise that I am concerned about. I'm too new here to know what to worry about!!

[Anonymous]

So far the most useful information has come from my elementary school's newsletter, which I signed up to receive last year even though we weren't enrolled yet. Your school PTA may also have a newsletter or a facebook page. There is a FCPS school board email list that will send you the board meeting agendas.

If something contentious is happening you will probably see it on DCUM and get emails from any local interest groups you may belong to.

[Anonymous]

The school board has agendas posted online and videos of meetings online if you ever want to watch.

I’m involved in my kids classes and the pta so I don’t really have time for school board also but I pay attention to some things I care about like the calendar

[Anonymous]

There is a cable local access channel that shows the school board meetings and some fcps events like pyramid concerts and the Cappies.

The school board is very one sided politically, which is a bad thing when it comes to anything involving money or when one of them gets a bad idea or poorly thought out pet project. It also means that they can get away with only giving lip service to the lower performing pyramids.

[Anonymous]

Join the PTA. Follow the Board members on Twitter. Subscribe to the Fairfax County Democrat and Republican websites. Learn to use the FCPS 'BoardDocs' website with calendars, meeting audio, meeting materials etc. Some more websites and info are provided below.

Information for Policy Activism at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) May 2018
General Info at FCPS website: https://www.fcps.edu/
FCPS is overseen by a Board comprised of 12 members with one from each of the magisterial districts in Fairfax County and three that are designated as “at large” and represent the whole county. Board terms are four years with the next election scheduled for Nov 2019. Currently, 10 of the members are affiliated as members or by ideology with the Democratic party while 2 are Republicans. The Board makes all policy decisions regarding FCPS and oversees the Administration which is led by the Superintendent (Scott Brabrand).
School Board Members - https://www.fcps.edu/school-board/school-board-members
Palchik, Dalia: [e-mail]
Derenak Kaufax, Tammy: [e-mail] represents LEE District
(R) Schultz, Elizabeth: [e-mail]
At Large - Moon, Ilryong: [e-mail]
Strauss, Jane (Chair): [e-mail]
Corbett-Sanders, Karen: [e-mail]
At Large - Karen Keys-Gamarra: [e-mail]
Megan McLaughlin: [e-mail]
Hynes, Patricia: [e-mail]
At Large - McElveen, Ryan: [e-mail]
Evans, Sandy: [e-mail]
(R) Wilson, Thomas: [e-mail]
Clerk to the Board: Ilene Muhlberg – [e-mail] 571 423 1060
Deputy Clerk: Beverly Madeja – [e-mail] 571 423 1061
FOIA Officer: Brandynn Reaves – [e-mail] 571 423 1223

All Board meetings, actions and documents are gathered on BoardDocs: https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto? Video of biweekly Regular Board Meetings, all Public Hearings and Work Sessions are also posted to YouTube. Audio files of Committee Meetings are archived on BoardDocs. All meeting minutes, presentations and work documents are archived on BoardDocs.
BoardDocs also has; Meeting Calendar, Policies library, Quarterly Budgets, Forum topics, Budget Questions and Superintendent Updates – lots of useful information.
WABE Guide has good data (class sizes, salaries etc.) on Fairfax and neighboring peer school districts - https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?
Other sources of information on education issues and policy debates:
McLean Citizens Association - http://mca-va.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=86&club_id=942659
Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance - http://www.fcta.org/
Fairfax Education Association - https://fairfaxea.org/
Fairfax County Federation of Teachers - http://www.fcft.org/
The Association of Fairfax Professional Educators - http://afpefairfax.org/
Fairfax County Council of PTAs - http://www.fccpta.org/
Fairfax Democrats - http://fairfaxdemocrats.org/
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/boardofsupervisors/
Class Size Counts - http://classsizecounts.com/

Find your elected officials at Federal, State and Local levels - https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/
For Virginia legislators: http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Join the PTA. Follow the Board members on Twitter. Subscribe to the Fairfax County Democrat and Republican websites. Learn to use the FCPS 'BoardDocs' website with calendars, meeting audio, meeting materials etc. Some more websites and info are provided below.

Information for Policy Activism at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) May 2018
General Info at FCPS website: https://www.fcps.edu/
FCPS is overseen by a Board comprised of 12 members with one from each of the magisterial districts in Fairfax County and three that are designated as “at large” and represent the whole county. Board terms are four years with the next election scheduled for Nov 2019. Currently, 10 of the members are affiliated as members or by ideology with the Democratic party while 2 are Republicans. The Board makes all policy decisions regarding FCPS and oversees the Administration which is led by the Superintendent (Scott Brabrand).
School Board Members - https://www.fcps.edu/school-board/school-board-members
Palchik, Dalia: [e-mail]
Derenak Kaufax, Tammy: [e-mail] represents LEE District
(R) Schultz, Elizabeth: [e-mail]
At Large - Moon, Ilryong: [e-mail]
Strauss, Jane (Chair): [e-mail]
Corbett-Sanders, Karen: [e-mail]
At Large - Karen Keys-Gamarra: [e-mail]
Megan McLaughlin: [e-mail]
Hynes, Patricia: [e-mail]
At Large - McElveen, Ryan: [e-mail]
Evans, Sandy: [e-mail]
(R) Wilson, Thomas: [e-mail]
Clerk to the Board: Ilene Muhlberg – [e-mail] 571 423 1060
Deputy Clerk: Beverly Madeja – [e-mail] 571 423 1061
FOIA Officer: Brandynn Reaves – [e-mail] 571 423 1223

All Board meetings, actions and documents are gathered on BoardDocs: https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto? Video of biweekly Regular Board Meetings, all Public Hearings and Work Sessions are also posted to YouTube. Audio files of Committee Meetings are archived on BoardDocs. All meeting minutes, presentations and work documents are archived on BoardDocs.
BoardDocs also has; Meeting Calendar, Policies library, Quarterly Budgets, Forum topics, Budget Questions and Superintendent Updates – lots of useful information.
WABE Guide has good data (class sizes, salaries etc.) on Fairfax and neighboring peer school districts - https://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/goto?
Other sources of information on education issues and policy debates:
McLean Citizens Association - http://mca-va.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=86&club_id=942659
Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance - http://www.fcta.org/
Fairfax Education Association - https://fairfaxea.org/
Fairfax County Federation of Teachers - http://www.fcft.org/
The Association of Fairfax Professional Educators - http://afpefairfax.org/
Fairfax County Council of PTAs - http://www.fccpta.org/
Fairfax Democrats - http://fairfaxdemocrats.org/
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/boardofsupervisors/
Class Size Counts - http://classsizecounts.com/

Find your elected officials at Federal, State and Local levels - https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/
For Virginia legislators: http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

Great info. Thank you for posting.

[Anonymous]

Email lists: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/VAEDUFCPS/subscriber/new?qsp=VAEDUFCPS_1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just moved here and I have a child who is about to start Kindergarten. I am totally new to schools in general and overwhelmed by this giant school district (as big as some entire states!). Where can I go to learn more about recent issues regarding schools (other than the school board website which I found already) and how do I keep up to date with everything?

Here's all you need to know about the School Board: Hold onto your wallet because they are constantly reaching for it. Also, they don't care about your input.

[Anonymous]

The most important thing you need to know is that they are run by the local Democratic party - and to some extent the national Democrats. Under Obama, FCPS became the laboratory for crap like transgender bathrooms. Once they got FCPS on board, they went around saying, "Fairfax County - one of the largest in the country is doing it, you must too..." If there is a liberal social initiative to be pushed, you can bet FCPS kids will be the first guinea pigs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most important thing you need to know is that they are run by the local Democratic party - and to some extent the national Democrats. Under Obama, FCPS became the laboratory for crap like transgender bathrooms. Once they got FCPS on board, they went around saying, "Fairfax County - one of the largest in the country is doing it, you must too..." If there is a liberal social initiative to be pushed, you can bet FCPS kids will be the first guinea pigs.

It's actually the right-wing Republicans who are obsessed with the issue. The local Republicans are also quite racist, as evidenced by the continued need to bash Obama even though we now have far and away the worst president in American history, Trump.

Truth be told, Fairfax County is overwhelmingly Democratic now, but it's a moderate strain - more Clinton than Sanders.

The School Board has one over-the-top liberal Democrat (Pay Hynes) and two over-the-top conservative Republicans (Elizabeth Schultz and Tom Wilson). The other nine members are garden-variety local politicians. They'd actually be more progressive when it comes to school policy if they were appointed, like the old School Board, not up for election every four years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important thing you need to know is that they are run by the local Democratic party - and to some extent the national Democrats. Under Obama, FCPS became the laboratory for crap like transgender bathrooms. Once they got FCPS on board, they went around saying, "Fairfax County - one of the largest in the country is doing it, you must too..." If there is a liberal social initiative to be pushed, you can bet FCPS kids will be the first guinea pigs.

It's actually the right-wing Republicans who are obsessed with the issue. The local Republicans are also quite racist, as evidenced by the continued need to bash Obama even though we now have far and away the worst president in American history, Trump.

Truth be told, Fairfax County is overwhelmingly Democratic now, but it's a moderate strain - more Clinton than Sanders.

The School Board has one over-the-top liberal Democrat (Pay Hynes) and two over-the-top conservative Republicans (Elizabeth Schultz and Tom Wilson). The other nine members are garden-variety local politicians. They'd actually be more progressive when it comes to school policy if they were appointed, like the old School Board, not up for election every four years.

The SB is filled with Democratic party players. That is a fact and to pretend otherwise is simply a lie. They all participate in local politics even when the SB is supposed to be nonpartisan. McElveen worked for Obama. He is the source from which all this liberal crap foisted on our kids - at great expense mind you - has come from. And then Sandy Evans with her re-naming purge at Jeb Stuart HS... all money FCPS should have put towards teacher pay. But who cares about teachers when stupid liberal causes must be pushed on our kids?!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The most important thing you need to know is that they are run by the local Democratic party - and to some extent the national Democrats. Under Obama, FCPS became the laboratory for crap like transgender bathrooms. Once they got FCPS on board, they went around saying, "Fairfax County - one of the largest in the country is doing it, you must too..." If there is a liberal social initiative to be pushed, you can bet FCPS kids will be the first guinea pigs.

It's actually the right-wing Republicans who are obsessed with the issue. The local Republicans are also quite racist, as evidenced by the continued need to bash Obama even though we now have far and away the worst president in American history, Trump.

Truth be told, Fairfax County is overwhelmingly Democratic now, but it's a moderate strain - more Clinton than Sanders.

The School Board has one over-the-top liberal Democrat (Pay Hynes) and two over-the-top conservative Republicans (Elizabeth Schultz and Tom Wilson). The other nine members are garden-variety local politicians. They'd actually be more progressive when it comes to school policy if they were appointed, like the old School Board, not up for election every four years.

The SB is filled with Democratic party players. That is a fact and to pretend otherwise is simply a lie. They all participate in local politics even when the SB is supposed to be nonpartisan. McElveen worked for Obama. He is the source from which all this liberal crap foisted on our kids - at great expense mind you - has come from. And then Sandy Evans with her re-naming purge at Jeb Stuart HS... all money FCPS should have put towards teacher pay. But who cares about teachers when stupid liberal causes must be pushed on our kids?!!

Lots of BS there. The Republicans invariably oppose taxes and increases in school funding. Just read the crap that Pat Herrity has spewed over the years. The Republicans are the ones who force teachers to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.

But when the School Board actually wakes up and decides to rid a school of its albatross of a Confederate general name, they fall all over themselves pretending that the cost is somehow taking money directly out of the teachers' pockets. Such hypocrites.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax County is blue, and has been for a while, and the elected board reflects that. I don't know why PP expects the population who voted Dems in, to be mad that they are Dems.

Referring to changing an overtly racist school name as a "stupid liberal cause" shows pretty clearly where the R minority stands. If you wanted more money for schools, you should have voted for the restaurant tax.