WAPO article about sever FFX school budget cuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would start cutting ESOL

The largest change in the budget was an additional 48 million in 2013 for ESOL.

Obviously this is the problem no one wants to deal with. Imagine the savings of eliminated 1/2 of ESOL, Remember 48 million is just the increase in 2013.

http://www.fcps.edu/fs/budget/docs/ApprovedBudget13.pdf

"Membership and Demographic Adjustments
In FY 2013, $48.0 million including 700.2 school-based positions are required
to accommodate membership and demographic adjustments. These costs
and the corresponding positions are based on staffing formulas and perpupil
allocations and driven by the change in the number and composition
of students from the FY 2012 Approved Budget projection to the FY 2013
Approved Budget projection. The FY 2013 projection includes 3,907 students
more than the FY 2012 projection. Additionally, due to a much higher than
anticipated number of ESOL services provided in FY 2012, FCPS is projecting
that it will need to provide 7,652 more ESOL services in FY 2013 than had been
projected for in FY 2012. Finally, FCPS has projected a continued shift in special
education toward greater levels of service (both intensity and hours of service
provided). These three factors are the largest contributors to the $48.0 million
cost of membership growth and demographic adjustments."

[Anonymous]

As far as the busing for AAP, does anyone have the data? Or, is FCPS so incompetent, they don't even have data? That is what I fear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the area of the county I live in, the overcrowded schools with trailers all have AAP centers.

In my area ALL the schools have trailers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree about FLES cut. Nice to have program. With the budget money like it is, it has to go. Kids do not learn language with a class once or twice a week.

Agreed. And I say this as someone whose kids were born overseas and spent a significant portion of their lives in a non-English-speaking country. I hated when we moved back here and my kids couldn't continue their language in FCPS. But given that they couldn't have taken a language until 8th grade either way, it hasn't made that much of a difference. It would be one thing if foreign language was in all the schools, but again when you're making hard choices that could affect all students getting essential services is it really fair or sensible to have foreign language in some but not all schools?

7th grade. Students can take languages in 7th grade in Fairfax County.

Again, maybe at some immersion schools, but not at the majority. In Vienna, for example, Wolftrap Elementary has a Chinese program, but when the kids go over to Kilmer (a center, no less) they can't take Chinese I until 8th grade. The only language class offered is Intro to Foreign Languages, a sorry throwback to a U.S. that hasn't existed in decades.

[Anonymous]

Are people aware that we'll voting on a FCPS Bond Referendum on November 5 that could bring $250 million to the school system, much of it to increase capacity?

http://www.fcps.edu/news/bond/2013bond/bondbook2013.pdf

I wonder why we haven't heard more about this? I only happened to see links about it on the FCPS website yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Here it is the elephant in the room that no one will address. Over 50% of students can't speak english and the majority are NOT from families that are educated (Asians)

"The number of Fairfax County students who speak a foreign language at home is likely to surpass 50 percent of the school population for the first time this month, reflecting a surge of immigrant families in Northern Virginia, school officials said. As total enrollment reached an all-time high of 181,500 students when school began Tuesday, Fairfax also saw a major increase in those who will need English language lessons. This year, about 31,500 students are projected to enroll in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), representing 17 percent of the total county student population and an increase of nearly one-third from last year."

http://www.fairfaxeducationcoalition.org/content/fairfax-schools-system-faces-growing-budget-challenge-more-students-need-esol-classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here it is the elephant in the room that no one will address. Over 50% of students can't speak english and the majority are NOT from families that are educated (Asians)

"The number of Fairfax County students who speak a foreign language at home is likely to surpass 50 percent of the school population for the first time this month, reflecting a surge of immigrant families in Northern Virginia, school officials said. As total enrollment reached an all-time high of 181,500 students when school began Tuesday, Fairfax also saw a major increase in those who will need English language lessons. This year, about 31,500 students are projected to enroll in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), representing 17 percent of the total county student population and an increase of nearly one-third from last year."

http://www.fairfaxeducationcoalition.org/content/fairfax-schools-system-faces-growing-budget-challenge-more-students-need-esol-classes

Well there's your problem righ there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as the busing for AAP, does anyone have the data? Or, is FCPS so incompetent, they don't even have data? That is what I fear.

I posted the 2012 information at 9:55, though source is only a previous DCUM thread:


Here is a figure for AAP bussing costs from a 2012 thread:

"Bussing to the AAP center is the only measurable cost: it is about $225,000 for the county, which is not high."

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/225/256400.page#2742243


It does seem like a drop in the bucket compared to a $140,000,000 budget shortfall. I don't think the savings would justify eliminating AAP. Even for those who don't have a child in AAP, think of your property values.

[Anonymous]

The $225,000 transportation figure is only for students to have a bus to the AAP Center where the students have Local Level IV at their base school.

The $600,000 transportation figure came out of a follow-up question re: that $225,000 figure -- and is the net amount for bus transportation for AAP students in grades 3 - 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people aware that we'll voting on a FCPS Bond Referendum on November 5 that could bring $250 million to the school system, much of it to increase capacity?

http://www.fcps.edu/news/bond/2013bond/bondbook2013.pdf

I wonder why we haven't heard more about this? I only happened to see links about it on the FCPS website yesterday.

Here also is a link to the Bond Referendum page, which has links to a video and other info:

http://www.fcps.edu/news/bond13.shtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here it is the elephant in the room that no one will address. Over 50% of students can't speak english and the majority are NOT from families that are educated (Asians)

"The number of Fairfax County students who speak a foreign language at home is likely to surpass 50 percent of the school population for the first time this month, reflecting a surge of immigrant families in Northern Virginia, school officials said. As total enrollment reached an all-time high of 181,500 students when school began Tuesday, Fairfax also saw a major increase in those who will need English language lessons. This year, about 31,500 students are projected to enroll in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), representing 17 percent of the total county student population and an increase of nearly one-third from last year."

http://www.fairfaxeducationcoalition.org/content/fairfax-schools-system-faces-growing-budget-challenge-more-students-need-esol-classes

Well there's your problem righ there.

So how should they address this problem? it isn't going to go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree about FLES cut. Nice to have program. With the budget money like it is, it has to go. Kids do not learn language with a class once or twice a week.

Agreed. And I say this as someone whose kids were born overseas and spent a significant portion of their lives in a non-English-speaking country. I hated when we moved back here and my kids couldn't continue their language in FCPS. But given that they couldn't have taken a language until 8th grade either way, it hasn't made that much of a difference. It would be one thing if foreign language was in all the schools, but again when you're making hard choices that could affect all students getting essential services is it really fair or sensible to have foreign language in some but not all schools?

7th grade. Students can take languages in 7th grade in Fairfax County.

Again, maybe at some immersion schools, but not at the majority. In Vienna, for example, Wolftrap Elementary has a Chinese program, but when the kids go over to Kilmer (a center, no less) they can't take Chinese I until 8th grade. The only language class offered is Intro to Foreign Languages, a sorry throwback to a U.S. that hasn't existed in decades.

Longfellow offers language class in 7th grade to ALL students, not just immersion students. My DC took them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here it is the elephant in the room that no one will address. Over 50% of students can't speak english and the majority are NOT from families that are educated (Asians)

"The number of Fairfax County students who speak a foreign language at home is likely to surpass 50 percent of the school population for the first time this month, reflecting a surge of immigrant families in Northern Virginia, school officials said. As total enrollment reached an all-time high of 181,500 students when school began Tuesday, Fairfax also saw a major increase in those who will need English language lessons. This year, about 31,500 students are projected to enroll in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), representing 17 percent of the total county student population and an increase of nearly one-third from last year."

http://www.fairfaxeducationcoalition.org/content/fairfax-schools-system-faces-growing-budget-challenge-more-students-need-esol-classes

Well there's your problem righ there.

So how should they address this problem? it isn't going to go away.

right. the feds control (well, are supposed to) the borders. Maybe ask the federal DOE for a grant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The $225,000 transportation figure is only for students to have a bus to the AAP Center where the students have Local Level IV at their base school.

The $600,000 transportation figure came out of a follow-up question re: that $225,000 figure -- and is the net amount for bus transportation for AAP students in grades 3 - 8.

Sorry, are you saying that $225,000 is to transport local level IV students to their base schools, where they would have been going anyway? In other words, the cost would exist whether they were going to their base school for LLIV or gen ed?

Where was the $600,000 AAP transportation figure previously mentioned? Thread/date/time? I assume that includes some costs that would exist either way for students to be bussed to their home school, if their home school is their AAP center?

In any case, I could not imagine AAP bussing as a whole being the target of budget cuts. Perhaps if LLIV were increased, for schools that had the critical mass, that could reduce some of the cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here it is the elephant in the room that no one will address. Over 50% of students can't speak english and the majority are NOT from families that are educated (Asians)

"The number of Fairfax County students who speak a foreign language at home is likely to surpass 50 percent of the school population for the first time this month, reflecting a surge of immigrant families in Northern Virginia, school officials said. As total enrollment reached an all-time high of 181,500 students when school began Tuesday, Fairfax also saw a major increase in those who will need English language lessons. This year, about 31,500 students are projected to enroll in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), representing 17 percent of the total county student population and an increase of nearly one-third from last year."

http://www.fairfaxeducationcoalition.org/content/fairfax-schools-system-faces-growing-budget-challenge-more-students-need-esol-classes

Well there's your problem righ there.

So how should they address this problem? it isn't going to go away.

Create an in-school or after-school language exchange program where native English-speaking kids learn from kids who speak other languages, and vice versa. Two problems solved at once -- ESOL students learn English, and native English speakers learn foreign languages. We have the diversity to do this.