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.

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).

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.