Coraggio Consulting Fairfax County School Board Meeting, Thursday, March 9, 2023 Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023 Place: Fairfax County School Board, Virginia Length: 3h 35m (video) Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WBEYp5oftM Official School Board page (FCPS): https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/leadership/school-board Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting. Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-11-04. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [00:00:19] This March 9th, 2023, regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board will now come to order. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence, and a performance of the National Anthem by the Terracet Tiger Chorus under the direction of Jonathan Andert. [00:01:35] That was beautiful. Thank you so much. [00:02:41] Agenda Item 2.02, Certification of Closed Meeting. In order to comply with section 2.2-3712D of the Code of Virginia, it is necessary for the board to certify that since the Fairfax County School Board convened a closed meeting on March 9, 2023, to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements, and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by the board during the closed meeting. [00:03:13] Do I have a motion? Ms. Corbett Sanders, do I have a second? Ms. Omeish, all those in favor? That is Ms. Bukarski, Ms. Cullen, Mr. Frisch, Dr. Anderson, Ms. McLaughlin, Ms. Corbett Sanders, Ms. Omeish, Ms. Marin, and thank you. [00:03:32] Do anyone abstaining? Opposing? Ms. Keith-Gumar's abstaining. Anyone opposing? That motion passes with Medera and I-Koufax, Ms. Tolan, and Ms. Away from the Table. Agenda item 2.03 announcements. Ms. Tolan has submitted a written request to virtually attend this evening's meeting due to a medical conflict. All those in favor of approving her request, please raise your hand. That passes unanimously with Ms. Daronak-Koufax away from the table. [00:04:02] Welcome Ms. Tolan. Can we do a mic check just to make sure your mic works okay? Yes, good evening. Can you hear me okay? Yes, we can. Welcome Ms. Tolan. Thank you. Ms. Daronak-Koufax is absent this evening. Please join me in recognizing the city Fairfax school superintendent mr. Jeff Plattenburg school board chairman miss Carolyn pitches vice chair Amit Hickman and members miss Sarah Kelsey and miss Stacy Hall who are with us this evening welcome thank you for joining us we [00:04:39] would also like to welcome former school board member Il Young Moon who is in the audience with us tonight welcome mr. moon if you would like to review a copy of the agenda and any agenda item that is being discussed tonight that information may be found at the back of the auditorium or on the website FCPS dot edu backslash school board backslash board docs tonight's meeting is being broadcast on channel 99 and live stream on the website fcps dot edu backslash tv backslash channel 99 i call [00:05:15] on ms togby for an announcement national foreign language week the week of march 5th through 11th 2023 has been designated as national foreign language week the alpha mu gamma foreign language Honor Society has sponsored National Foreign Language Week since 1957 and the theme for 2023 is boost your brain with languages. Fairfax County Public Schools secondary programs offers 11 languages. American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Spanish, [00:05:50] Russian, and Vietnamese. FCPS is committed to cultivating global citizens who engage and connect with the world in the five C's of the world readiness standards, communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. National Sleep Awareness Week. The National Sleep Foundation is celebrating their 25th anniversary of Sleep Awareness Week this March 12th through 18th, 2023, to raise awareness of the health benefits of sleep and to recognize the importance of sleep as a crucial measure of overall health and well-being. The National Sleep Foundation [00:06:26] believes that the value of a good night's sleep, which carries into one's day to improve not just health, but mood, productivity, well-being, and overall quality of life. Sleep needs vary across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. To determine how much sleep you need, it's important to examine which lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your sleep, such as schedules and stress. Thank you, Ms. Togby. Just as a reminder, we do have an overflow room set up in the gym so if you feel you'll be more comfortable we'll have the meeting [00:07:03] live streamed in the gym as well. Thank you. Agenda item 2.04 National Board Certified Teacher Recognition. Tonight we are pleased to honor the Fairfax County public school teachers who have earned or renewed National Board Certification for 2022-2023 school year and we recognize their dedication and contributions to the education of our students. I call on Dr. Reed for the introductions thank you madam chair and good evening I would like to congratulate each of you on achieving or renewing your national board certification as [00:07:41] Fairfax County Public School teacher leaders and accomplished education professionals your impact on student learning is unmatched as reflective practitioners you have enhanced instruction developed and demonstrated advanced teaching knowledge and continuously implemented best instructional practices, all of which lead to achieving our goal of educational equity so that all children can achieve portrait of a graduate skills. I want to acknowledge and thank the families, friends, administrators, and National Board course instructors and support providers who are here celebrating [00:08:17] tonight and would ask that all those to stand and be recognized. I think all of you who are educators in the audience know just the time commitment that your families also give as you go through that process and simply being an educator today. [00:08:54] So to those families, friends, colleagues, and support staff, your loved one's accomplishment required a level of commitment and dedication that encumbered precious personal time. And I want you to know how much I, our board, and all of us appreciate the support and grace you gave to each of the honorees so they could achieve at this level. And to you, our 2023 honorees, you are part a very elite group of education professionals who can say they have achieved national board certification. Over the last 23 years, over 500 teachers in Fairfax County have earned national [00:09:29] board certification. As classroom teachers, you are 38 of the 218 currently teaching in Fairfax County classrooms. We are proud of your commitment to continuous learning and striving to be the best you can for our students. Your focused work and reflective practice support us in achieving the goals of our plan. Our Office of Professional Learning and Equity is proud to support those seeking initial certification or renewal by offering professional development and candidate support. Kathleen Waltz, Executive Director of the Office of Professional Learning and Equity, will come up now to share some highlights about the rigorous process leading to national board [00:10:08] certification. Ms. Waltz. Thank you Dr. Reed. I am so delighted to be with you this evening to participate in the recognition of the accomplishments of our distinguished teachers along with our school board leadership team administrators and guests the national board program was designed to develop retain and recognize [00:10:44] accomplished teachers and generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide national board certification is the most recognized voluntary professional certification available in education teachers are certified in 25 different areas pre-k through 12th grade national board standards and assessments were created by teachers for teachers teachers who have gone through the board certification process say that it is the most valuable and transformative professional development they have ever received i see some [00:11:22] heads nodding. The opportunity to connect professional learning with classroom practice brings to life a teacher's experience helping them reflect on individual student learning needs. The teachers we recognize tonight have earned or renewed their certification by successfully completing a rigorous assessment program designed to recognize effective and accomplished teachers who have met high standards based on what teachers should know and be able to do. [00:11:53] The process is designed to assess a teacher's ability to put into practice the five core propositions which demonstrates that teachers are committed to students and their learning, know the subjects they teach, and how to teach those subjects to students, are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, think systematically about their practice, and learn from experience, are members of learning communities. [00:12:21] In order to earn certification, teachers analyze their instructional practice and ability to meet the needs of their students, submit videos of their teaching, and provide student work samples that demonstrate academic growth, all of which are examined through a process of reflective analysis. [00:12:41] At this time, I would like to introduce you to one of our newly certified National Board teachers who will share more about her journey to National Board certification. Reyna Rossini is a third grade teacher at Camelot Elementary School. [00:12:57] She has also served as Camelot Social Studies Lead, ESSER Lead, and Summer Site Director. Reyna is an FCPS graduate with a degree in Psychology and a Master's in Teaching. Please welcome Reyna as she shares about her experience with National Board Certification. [00:13:22] Thank you, Ms. Waltz. When I first heard about National Board, I started the process as soon as I was eligible. [00:13:39] because of the significance that the certification and its process brings. National Board is an extremely unique, rigorous professional development experience. National Board says high expectations for achievement, and certification signifies that we have proven with clear, consistent evidence that we demonstrate accomplished teaching in all areas of our work as educators. [00:14:04] The immense growth as an educator and profound impact on students is unmatched. I will always remember my class of 2021-2022 fourth grade students and their families as the class that I taught in my journey to certification. [00:14:20] That year, becoming National Board Certified helped me appreciate student voice even more. I ask students who they are as individuals and use the information within my instruction, such as math practice questions that incorporated activities they enjoy, and writing instruction that provided space for student choice of intended audience and topic based on their passions, and development of portrait of a graduate skills, such as researching historical figures of their choice to create new ideas. [00:14:51] Through their personal interests, students can more readily achieve writing goals, grow their mathematical understandings, develop portrait of a graduate skills, and more. Being a National Board Certified Teacher means I am intentional about continuing to apply what I learned. [00:15:10] My current third graders and I meet daily for morning meeting and closing circle. So I asked my third graders an important question. If there was an award for being a great teacher, what would a teacher have to do to earn it? My students' responses varied, but all of them were aligned with what National Board has developed. [00:15:32] Make sure all students learn what they need to. Yes, differentiation must be demonstrated, especially in Component 2. Do fun stuff. Yes, engaging hands-on learning required by Proposition 2. Listen to what kids say. [00:15:50] Yes, knowing our students is required by Proposition 1, and monitoring learning and student needs is encompassed by Proposition 3. Do anything they have to, like paperwork. Yes, here is just one of my binders for National Board Certification in addition to over 20 documents submitted. [00:16:13] I see many connections between what National Board values and what we believe in FCPS. FCPS's collaborative team cycle revisits reflection on student learning as opportunities to inform next steps. [00:16:29] National Board's process is built upon active reflection. FCPS values student-teacher relationships. Everything in National Board starts with knowing your students. Every child deserves to be taught by an accomplished teacher, a National Board-certified teacher. [00:16:47] I want to congratulate the eight new National Board-certified teachers and the 28 that renewed their certification this evening. Each one of you has and will continue to impact hundreds, maybe even thousands of students during your career. [00:17:02] To me, to us, the national board journey doesn't end when we certify. Instead, achieving national board certification signifies our commitment to continued growth and reflection for the next generation of students. [00:17:18] Thank you. Thank you, Raina, for sharing your experiences with us, and I especially appreciated hearing from your students, so appreciate you. [00:17:46] At this time, we'll recognize teachers who have achieved national board certification honorees when your name is called please come forward to accept your certificate and walk towards the raised step dais and wait for the group picture we would ask the school board to come down to the dais to greet our national board certified teachers and remain until we take pictures with our new and renewed teachers dr reed would you join us to present the certificates to [00:18:16] honorees. All right, all right, here we go. Nadine Zorba of Shrevewood Elementary School, certification in English as a new language, early and middle childhood, Principal Joshua Desmiter. [00:18:56] Congratulations, Nadine. Rayna Rossini of Camelot Elementary School, certification generalist, middle childhood principal aileen flaherty kareen nuttle of edison high school english language arts [00:19:33] adolescence and young adult adulthood principal pamela brumfield hey young lee of mount vernon high school certification exceptional exceptional needs specialist early childhood through young [00:20:03] adulthood principal jovan rogers pam miles of edison high school certification english language Arts, Adolescence and Young Adulthood, Principal Pamela Brumfield. Rebecca Edmondson of Key Center [00:20:35] School, Certification Exceptional Needs Specialist, Early Childhood through Young Adulthood, Principal Ann Smith. Gretchen Snyder of Westfield High School, Certification Social Studies, History, [00:21:05] Adolescence and Young Adulthood, Principal Tony Dabari. Michelle McCartan of Daniels Run elementary school certification music and chorus specialist principal Christopher Smith thank you [00:21:36] please join me in recognizing the accomplishments these are our new national board certified teachers we ask that you just wait just a minute because we're going to have some photo opportunities at the end with principals and with region leaders and other leadership team members [00:22:10] as well as school board so we're asking well if you want to go ahead and take a picture that would be fine. Absolutely, let's take pictures. Smile everyone. Principals, region leaders, leadership [00:22:37] team may join our new nationally board certified teachers for a photo opportunity. We're going to [00:24:03] recognize the renewed candidates for national board so we ask our school board to stay on the raised dais. The professional development offered by professional learning and equity relies upon a group of teacher leaders who facilitate learning around the national board for professional teaching standards and support the candidates throughout the intensive certification process [00:24:35] we'd like to recognize those support providers tara sands of glasgow middle school kareen pinkerton of shrevewood elementary school jessica stebbins of woodley hills elementary school Sabra Devers of Edison High School, Julia Varvange of Fairfax High School, [00:25:15] and Faiza Alam of Katherine Johnson Middle School, who is instrumental. And now I'd like to invite Faiza up to the podium to recognize those honorees who have renewed their certification. [00:25:36] Faiza. - Thank you, Ms. Walts. Good evening, good evening to my second family, the FCPS family here. [00:25:53] The following national board certified teachers have renewed their certificates. Orneries, when your name is called, please come forward to accept your certificate and walk up and shake hands with wonderful people up here. First person going up is Daniel Knoll. [00:26:11] Daniel Knoll of South Lakes High School, Renewed Exceptional Needs Specialist, Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Kimberly Retzer. [00:26:37] Melissa Grant of Flint Hill Elementary School, renewed Exceptional Needs Specialist Early Childhood through Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Eben Montekela. [00:27:01] Nancy Walker of Herndon High School, renewed World Languages Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Elizabeth A. Noto. [00:27:27] Angela Rizzo of Marshall High School, renewed Science Adolescence and Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Jeffrey Litz. [00:27:53] Karen Eclairino of Pine Spring Elementary School, Renewed Art and Early and Middle Childhood Certificate. Principal Nikki Yakubovich. [00:28:17] Catherine Yagiacomo of Bailey's Elementary School, Arts and Science Renewed Literacy, Reading Language Arts, Early and Middle Childhood Certificate. [00:28:35] Principal Satonya Dews. Gloretta Durant of Bailey's Upper Elementary School, Arts and Science, Renewed English as a New Language, Early and Middle Childhood Certificate. [00:29:05] Principal Marie Lemon. Jennifer Hitchcock of Thomas Jefferson High School, Renewed Social Studies History, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood Certificate. [00:29:33] Principal Anne Bonita Tibis. Kathleen Mathis of Annandale High School, Renewed English Language Arts, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood Certificate. [00:29:59] principal Sean DeRusse. Michelle McKenna of Columbia Elementary School, Renewed Arts and Early and Middle Childhood Certificate, principal Michael Astolidu. [00:30:37] Sydney Riffey of Westlawn Elementary School, Renewed Generalist, Middle Childhood Certificate, principal Christophe Hill. [00:31:01] Jennifer Orr of Fort Belvoir Upper School, Generalist, Middle Childhood Certificate, principal Jamie Chianetta. [00:31:24] Kristen Reynolds Nittel of Crestwood Elementary School, Renewed Literacy, Reading Language Arts, Early and Middle Childhood Certificate, Principal Margarete Siata. [00:31:51] Andrea Trumbull of Ravensworth Elementary School, Renewed Generalist, Middle Childhood Certificate, Principal Erica Aspuria. [00:32:18] Bradley Webster of Robinson Secondary School, Renewed Science, Adolescence and Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Tracy Phillips. [00:32:46] Emily Vanderhoff of Hunt Valley Elementary School. Renewed Generalist, Middle Childhood Certificate. [00:33:02] Principal Keowana Hightower. Eola Davis of William Haley Elementary School. [00:33:25] Renewed Generalist, Early Childhood Certificate. Principal Kerry Pierman. Rosemary Nevin of Terra Center Elementary School. [00:33:50] Renewed Generalist, Early Childhood Certificate. Principal Rebecca Dedoni. Debbie Nix of Virginia Run Elementary School. [00:34:16] Renewed Generalist Early Childhood Certificate, Principal Liz Bumbrey, Karen Molloy of Chantilly High School, Science Adolescence and Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Amy Goodlow, [00:34:56] Lisa Greaves of Fairfax High School, English Language Arts, Adolescence and Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Georgina I. [00:35:21] Additionally, we would like to honor the following individuals who are being recognized for renewing their national board certification, but they're not here right now, I would still read their names and we can clap for them. Dale Ranallo of Catherine Johnson Middle School, Renewed School Counseling, Early Childhood through Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Tammy Sillipini. [00:35:44] Jackie Diggs of Kings Park Elementary School, Renewed Generalist, Early Childhood Certificate, Principal Dottie Lynn. Lisa Choi of Fairfax Villa Elementary School, Renewed Literacy, Reading Language Arts, Early and Middle Childhood Certificate, Principal Dave Gerstner. [00:36:11] Michelle Shearer of Bonnie Bray Elementary School, Renewed Science Early Adolescence Certificate, Principal Morgan Burge. Kathleen Limbaugh of Chesterbrook Elementary School, Renewed Generalist Early Childhood Certificate, Principal Stacy Kirkpatrick. [00:36:35] Emilia Rastrick of Liberty Middle School, Renewed Physical Education Early and Middle Childhood Certificate, Principal Adam Erbright. [00:36:50] Richard Hoppock of Lake Braddock Secondary School, Renewed Social Studies, History, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood Certificate, Principal Lindsey Kearns. Congratulations to all renewed certified teachers here on the podium. [00:37:15] Can we please wait for a photograph? And we're going to get really creative and cozy. So region leaders, principals, assistant principals, leadership team, come on up to the dais [00:37:30] and have a photograph taken with our renewed candidates. [00:39:55] We have one final photo opportunity for our NBCTs from Fairfax City, Fairfax City administrators, and Fairfax City school board members, please come and join our school board members [00:40:09] and our superintendent for one final photograph. [00:43:32] - School board members, please take your seats. School board members, please take your seats. [00:43:52] On behalf of the school board, I want to congratulate this year's national board certified teachers. They are to be commended for their dedication to helping students achieve success in and out of the classroom. So thank you very much for your hard work and let's give them another round of applause. Thank you. [00:44:14] Agenda item 2.05, Women's History Month resolution. I call on Ms. McLaughlin for the resolution. - Thank you, Madam Chair. Whereas March is Women's History Month and this year's theme, celebrating women who tell our stories, encourages the recognition of women, past and present, who've been active in all forms of media and storytelling, including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media. [00:44:50] This timely theme honors women in every community who have devoted their lives and talents to producing art and news, pursuing truth and reflecting society, decade after decade. And whereas Women's History Month began as Women's History Week in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978, to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8th. [00:45:16] The goal of this event was to bring attention to women's historical achievements. Many communities across the country adopted this special recognition, and this movement became so widespread that in 1987, Congress ultimately designated the month of March as Women's History Month. [00:45:35] And whereas we honor those who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 for the first Women's Rights Convention, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, launching the women's suffrage movement. The convention's manifesto, the Declarations of Sentiments, drew its inspiration from Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, but added the words women and woman throughout to call upon women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed right to equality as U.S. citizens. [00:46:11] And whereas the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which provides the rights of citizens of the United States to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. [00:46:28] And the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which extended the protection of the right to vote to women of color and language minorities. And whereas Susan B. Anthony, one of the most known suffragists, traveled the country giving speeches to persuade people to support a woman's right to vote. [00:46:48] Virginia's own Ellen Glasgow, an author who won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and is the namesake of our own Glasgow Middle School here in Fairfax County, was also active in the suffrage movement. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County School Board, on behalf of the Fairfax County Commission for Women and all of its residents, hereby proclaim March 2023 as Women's History Month and a time to remember and honor the countless women who fought relentlessly for the rights of all women in our great nation. I so move. Is there a second? Second. Miss Corbett [00:47:26] Sanders. Miss McLaughlin, would you like to speak to your resolution? I would. Thank you. I made the emphasis on Santa Rosa, California, where this all began, because that's my hometown where I was born and raised, so I do take a special sense of pride knowing that tiny little town, before the wine country took over for Sonoma County, it was just a sleepy little place, and to know that it helped give rise and birth to Women's History Month, that when we know in [00:48:01] our nation that approximately 50% of our population, we as women, have for too long had to also fight to be seen and heard and recognized and captured in our history, our incredible national history, and our incredible global history. [00:48:21] And I would be remiss if I didn't say that as we celebrate Women's History Month, and I'm so proud to be here in the United States with all the rights and privileges that we've continued to have over the decades and the centuries, we know that women around the world are still fighting to have those equal rights and so I hope that we can mark this month, we can mark yesterday, March 8th, which was International Women's History Day, as a reminder to all of us and especially to my incredible female colleagues that are up here representing [00:48:55] our community, fighting hard for our children and our families and our employees, led by our female superintendent, the only second one in the history of Fairfax County Public schools. I hope that we can continue that legacy of, as they say, women who behave badly are the ones who make history. So there you go. Thank you, Ms. McLaughlin. Ms. Corbett Sanders, would I speak to your second? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. It is an honor to speak to this [00:49:31] motion tonight. We live in a country and an estate in which women have excelled under difficult circumstances since its inception. We have Martha Washington, who traveled by her husband's side, offering care and support not only for her husband, but that of his soldiers. [00:49:48] And in Mount Vernon, the district I represent, it is rich in women's history. And I urge all of you to visit the Lucy Burns Museum at Lord & Workhouse and the new Turning Point Suffragist Memorial at Occoquan Park. Tonight I would like to recognize women from Virginia who may not receive as much attention in our history curriculum. [00:50:12] We have Ona Judge, whom followed the call for freedom by fleeing her enslavement by the same family I just mentioned during the convening of our first government in Philadelphia. I had the pleasure of speaking at the unveiling of her historical marker in front of Mount Vernon. [00:50:28] We have Katherine Johnson, the master-minded mathematician worked in the all-black section of Langley and ensured that our astronauts were able to explore safe space and return safely. We have Barbara Johns, a fierce 16-year-old who stood up to segregation in Petersburg schools and will now be commemorated in Congress with a statue. [00:50:53] We have Mildred Loving, whom with her husband Richard successfully fought Virginia's ban on interracial marriages in the 1960s. And we have Henrietta Lacks of Roanoke, whose cells were taken without her permission and led to many of the advances in medicine today. [00:51:10] And now, we have Jennifer McClellan of Richmond, the first black woman from Virginia to serve in the U.S. Congress. I speak about these women tonight because of the importance of telling their stories and that of others in our social studies curriculum and our advanced placement courses in the the state of Virginia. And I urge all to learn the story, the history, and the contributions [00:51:41] of these women. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Corbett Sanders. Ms. Tolan? Yes, thank you. Given my career in science education and promotion of girls with STEM, I thought I would concentrate my remarks here tonight. Although we have made some progress, women still make up only one-third of our STEM workforce. But I really want to highlight an SCPS grad that we are about to induct [00:52:15] into our hall of fame. He is currently making big advances in science and business and is making history as we speak. Adrienne Randolph graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 1995. Dr. Adrienne Randolph is professor at Kenesha State University and the Michael J. Coles College of Business. He is also the founder of Brain Lab, an innovative research-based enterprise that combines cognitive neuroscience tools with cutting edge applications and information [00:52:52] systems brain labs seeks to employ brain computer interface systems to uncover the underlying characteristics that affect users control and cognitive performance its three major goals are to understand the individual's control of brain-based devices to design devices that improve quality of play and to assess the usefulness of brain-based applications in organizational settings. Dr. Randolph was invited to attend President Obama's White House Frontiers Conference [00:53:26] and to be an original Google Glass Explorer. He has been named to the Atlanta Business Chronicles list of 40 under 40 young professionals on the rise. A member of Leadership Georgia, he has been lauded by Entrepreneur Magazine as one who is transforming the world. Dr. Randolph earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Georgia State University and a B.S. in Systems Engineering with distinction in the University of Virginia. Here's one of our own amazing [00:54:00] reviews in history. Now, if you want a chance to see more young women here in FCPS in STEM and in action, our Regional Science Fair is held in just a couple weeks, March 17th through 19th at Robinson High School. You can visit the fair from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday the 19th. And if you have science expertise of your own, please join me as a judge at the Science Fair. [00:54:26] To your SCPS News, to sign up as a judge to promote the work of our incredible young scientists making this work. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Cohen? I will say I so appreciate the comments of my colleagues on the board, and it is not lost on me that we have these conversations and this recognition, right as we're in the middle of a pretty pivotal time to be a woman in this country. We live in a place where we've just [00:55:06] been told that period tracker apps cannot be protected as health care data. We live in a place where our bodies are intended to be regulated by people who believe that there ought to be politicians in between a woman and her doctor and her family's decision. And it's such a sad time to me that in 2023, that while we recognize these incredible accomplishments of the women that have come before us, while we celebrated a couple weeks ago some outstanding women, including our own [00:55:45] Michelle Togby, when FCCLA, FBLA, DECA, and TSA came, and we were able to lift you all up in the amazing work that you're doing in our schools um i will just say we have an awfully long way to go thank you miss cohen miss pokarski thank you i will just quickly i think it would be remiss if we did not mention today as we're speaking about all these incredible women and i believe you two will probably speak up to this and this size more hyzer um it's miss judith uh human who [00:56:21] Just passed a few days ago, she was known as the Mother of Disability Rights Movement. She was an incredible human being who used a wheelchair after she contracted polio as a baby. [00:56:36] But she did not allow that to hold her back. Of her experience, she said, Disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives. JOB OPPORTUNITIES OR BARRIER-FREE BUILDINGS, FOR EXAMPLE. [00:56:56] IT IS NOT A TRAGEDY TO ME THAT I'M LIVING IN A WHEELCHAIR. HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE MANY. SHE MAINSTREAMED DISABILITY RIGHTS NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY. SHE HAS LEFT AN IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING MY OWN CHILDREN. [00:57:16] AND FOR THAT, I'M GRATEFUL TO REMEMBER HER TONIGHT. THANK YOU. Thank you, and I will take my, Ms. Misha, do you want to speak? [00:57:32] Yeah, I will. Thank you so much. And I'm happy to follow that in honoring many underrepresented women. I would be remiss not to mention, of course, my mother, who is the first woman I have the privilege of thinking about and thanking in the tremendous sacrifice of women across generations and around the world. [00:57:50] Setting aside her PhD in molecular genetics in a time when exciting developments like the Human Genome Project were underway, choosing to raise me and my siblings was a real sacrifice. And a sacrifice, sacrifice in general, is nothing unfamiliar to women across generations. [00:58:05] It really is a defining feature and a consistent theme in women's history. It's timely to celebrate Women's History Month the day after International Women's Day, of course, which was yesterday. And special to me is to celebrate it just a few days before the birthday of Girl Scouts, which is March 12th coming up. [00:58:27] Everybody is familiar with the cookie hustle. I know people can buy today and you'll see girls in front of stores. Be sure to make sure you're thinking of your health while you're doing that. But I certainly had to knock on doors once upon a time. But I mentioned the movement of young women and girls for the opportunity it really gave me to reflect on the value of learning women's history and supporting its legacy in many, but two primary ways that I'd like to share tonight. [00:58:54] First, women's history taught me important lessons about the ability to center teamwork, bonding, and shared values above our differences. It brings women from all walks of life, worldviews, and backgrounds to come together around something much deeper. A commitment and an idea that our sisterhood and its capacity to bridge divides and bring us together is far more powerful than anything that might divide us. [00:59:19] And today I celebrate women like Meha Rebecca Abihuela, who started her career supporting our most vulnerable Fairfax families here in Northern Virginia, and went on to become the first Asian American woman to be a judge in Virginia's history. Indeed, and she's a Fairfax native. And whether or not we agree all the time, I'm obligated to celebrate women like our own lieutenant governor, who is the first woman to ever serve in the lieutenant governor position in Virginia's history. And in great timing, after honoring so many of our educators and appreciating [00:59:57] Ms. Pokarski's remarks, in particular women like Helen Keller, who emphasized education and its importance, I celebrate global women like Fatima Al-Fahriya, who was the founder of the world's first university. And second, women's history reminds me too of the importance of celebrating wins just as much as we reflect on the pains and the triumphs of the difficulty that history shows us and the critical steps in moving forward together in this movement. [01:00:27] Ms. Cohen spoke to some, and I still remember stories from women living alive today who would tell me about how they couldn't get a bank loan without the signature of their husband who are alive today. And so let us remember both the joys and the difficulties and commit today as we celebrate to advance in all the ways that we can, the women in our lives and across differences for our community. Thank you, Ms. Amish. Ms. Kees-Gamara? Yes, I really appreciate all the people who have [01:01:04] been brought forward today but I really want to thank those women who are working every day who are really heroes particularly in our schools a woman-dominated profession who are raising the next generation who are not always acknowledged not not listed on anybody's program but you rock you make it happen for our community and you have raised the next generation to be whatever we have needed scientists doctors lawyers i want to say thank you because i know that you don't always [01:01:43] hear that and we could not possibly do what we need to do without you thank you miss keys gamara seeing no other board member who wishes to speak i will briefly take my turn and and as miss pokarski predicted i was going to lift up the works of judy human so i will add on to what my colleague said um she is often considered the civil rights um pioneer for disability rights of our generation. She was instrumental in legislation that eventually became IDEA which provides a lot of safeguards for our students with disabilities. She led [01:02:22] sit-ins and protests when the Secretary of Health refused to sign the Rehabilitation Act of 1977 which is commonly referred to as Section 504 where many of our students receive accommodations in our schools as well as in colleges and beyond. She led sit-ins when they banned food and medication And from the building in which she was sitting in, they found the Salvation Army. [01:02:45] They taped bags to air conditioning units to keep medication in. And they got the 504 Act passed with Seminole in passing IDEA. And she was really the pioneer in what's called the social model of disability, which states that people with disabilities are more disabled by the society they live in than the condition of their disability. [01:03:08] And that is what she promoted. When she was two and diagnosed with polio, and then was in a wheelchair, her parents were first told to put her in an institution. And while we like to think things have changed from disabilities, when my son was two and diagnosed with autism, I was told to put him in an institution. [01:03:25] So things, as Ms. Cohen said, have often advanced but also remain the same. But what I also want to lift up is one of my role models in women's rights, which is my own mother. And my mom, who's an immigrant to this country, received her Ph.D. in mathematics with an emphasis on computer science in the 1960s from Indian Institute of Technology. [01:03:46] She often joked there were seven women and 7,000 men at the time she had received her Ph.D. When she came here and tried to get a job, the first question she got asked is, do you speak English? even though she was fluent in English, she could not get a job in the STEM field at all and got her first teaching job by volunteering in the computer lab. [01:04:08] And it wasn't until she volunteered for a while and they saw how good she was that they allowed her to teach. She eventually became one of the early women at Intel in the 1970s, went back to teaching at higher education, and for a long time was the only woman in the computer science department, and I think the first female chair of her computer science department. [01:04:26] And so when I say these heroes all around us, when I say women are quietly doing really amazing things like Judy Heumann and people like my mother who came here judged for her accent, judged for her gender in the career that she was in, amazing women are all around us. [01:04:43] Amazing women are at the dais with us. And amazing women are teaching our next generation. So thank you, Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Corbett Sanders for bringing this. Thank you for my colleagues. And to the women everywhere, keep doing amazing things. and to the girls behind them, do even more amazing things. [01:05:01] So, thank you. And with that, I will call for the vote. All those in favor, please raise your hands. That is Ms. Keith Gamara, Ms. Marin, Ms. Amesh, Ms. Corbett Sanders, Ms. McLaughlin, Dr. Anderson, Mr. Frisch, Ms. Cohen, Ms. Bukarski, and myself, and Ms. Tolan. [01:05:21] That motion passes with Ms. Darinak Koufax away from the table. Thank you all very, very much. The next agenda item is Agenda Item 3.01, Community Participation. The next order of business is community participation. Speakers must limit the remarks to no more than two minutes in length. [01:05:38] At the conclusion of two minutes, the microphone or video will be turned off. School board members will be listening, but not responding to individual speakers. The school board will not hear statements involving issues that have been scheduled for public hearings, such as the capital improvement program, budget, and boundaries. [01:05:55] Comments targeting, criticizing, or attacking individual students are not permitted during public meetings. Complaints regarding school-based employees should be directed to the appropriate school principal or other school officials. Speakers should refrain from using personally identifiable information in connection with an individual student or school-based employee. [01:06:17] Additionally, speakers should be respectful and observe proper decorum in their statements, avoiding profanity, inappropriate gestures, shouting, and comments that run counter to the spirit and letter of the school division's non-discrimination policy. The school board welcomes community members to provide comments at its regular business meetings and public hearings on school board deliberations, school-related issues, and particular topics. [01:06:42] All statements should be directed to the school board, and speakers should remain at the podium until concluding their remarks. As a reminder, speaker substitutions are not permitted. A speaker may not yield their time to another individual before or during their remarks. Shouting and outbursts from the audience will not be tolerated. [01:07:00] We are grateful for all of those who've come to speak to us today, and thank you for your cooperation. Madam Clerk, please call the first speaker. Our first speaker is student number one. I'm a freshman at South County High School, and today I'm here to address creating an official boys' volleyball team across FCPS. [01:07:30] Being a freshman in high school and knowing virtually nobody other than freshmen was really hard for me. The volleyball team that we unofficially created connected me to different people and men across the entire school. They gave me a place to belong in such a big school. I've met role models, seniors, upperclassmen that have really helped me in my high school career but also helped me to feel like I had a place to belong. I feel like being a freshman really is like swimming in [01:08:06] a big group of fish and I'm just floating along. I really felt that these upperclassmen were role models to me and they really helped. They helped me with everything almost. I believe given the opportunity for a boys volleyball team would give other kids a place to feel like they belong just like it did for me. We had so much interest in our unofficial team actually that I myself contacted the lead director and we created two separate teams for how much interest we had. [01:08:44] I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to talk up here today and represent my team and my school. So thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is student number two. Good evening to everyone here tonight. My name is Shane Camaro. I am a freshman at WT Woodson. I wasn't invested. [01:09:21] Oh, when I first discovered boys volleyball, I was in middle school. At first, I wasn't really invested. But after going on and on, day after day, I got really invested. Playing volleyball after school led me to meet a lot of great people who I now call friends. Playing volleyball with others is the fun and best experience you can ever have. [01:09:49] This sport, you must play with others and communicate with others. Each game you play with the team, you grow it with each other and be closer. For us freshmen, this sport can create bonds that can last a lifetime, which will eventually help us through college and maybe even through adulthood. [01:10:20] Me and my friends have been invited to coach a middle school. After coaching these middle schoolers, we wanted to give them the opportunity for next year, hopefully, if this sport became approved as a varsity sport, to give them the opportunity to join an official sport for their high school. [01:10:44] Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak with you tonight. Thank you. Our next speaker is student number three. Good evening. [01:11:03] My name is Ray Vervita. I'm a freshman at Woodson High School. I'm here before you tonight, together with my volleyball friends, to ask your help to sanction boys volleyball in Northern Virginia. My volleyball story started in middle school. [01:11:18] I played several sports, but volleyball is the only sport I've fallen in love with. Ever since I discovered boys volleyball, I've been passionate about playing the sport for my high school. Volleyball has been a big outlet for me. I've met a lot of wonderful people whom I've become friends with. Volleyball helped build my confidence as a person and strengthen my social skills and teamwork. [01:11:36] My passion for playing volleyball grew, and I invited a lot of my friends to join me in this growing sport. This passion grew to the point that I continued to play outside of my high school league. To date, I've only played volleyball for a year, and I'm already teaching and coaching students at Frost Middle School. [01:11:53] The biggest participation we had at Frost Middle School was 53 kids, and there is a continued growing interest to play volleyball. I'm volunteering time and sharing all the skills I've learned from my coaches because I've seen firsthand how volleyball is making a difference in the lives of other kids. [01:12:10] I want to continue to encourage others and help develop their skills for playing volleyball. I'm very thankful to the coaches I had and the opportunities I've been given despite having an unofficial Boys Volleyball League. They have developed my leadership skills, and I'm hoping that I can continue to contribute to my community. [01:12:28] I'm hopeful that I'm coach... I am that the middle school... Okay. I'm hopeful that the middle schools I'm coaching right now will experience volleyball as a recognized sport when they reach high school, and that can only happen with your support. [01:12:48] Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is student number four. Good evening. I am sorry that I'm not able to attend this in person because I just got back from volleyball practice. [01:13:09] I'm a seventh grade student at Thoreau Middle School, and I'm here to support the inclusion of boys volleyball and Fairfax County Public High School. I was very disappointed to hear that boys volleyball was not a varsity sport in high schools, and I am here to help try to change that. [01:13:26] According to the Olympic Program Commission, volleyball is now the most widely played sport in the entire world, even passing soccer. Including volleyball as a high school sport will create opportunities for equity and inclusion. Finally, creating an official varsity program will increase opportunities while also increasing opportunities without increasing costs, since the facilities will already be there for the existing girls volleyball team. I hope that you take all of our requests into consideration. [01:14:08] Thank you. Our next speaker is student number five. Student number five. I'm going to start with thank you to the Fairfax County School Board for letting us speak about the potential varsity team or interest group. [01:14:36] But I'm an eighth grader going to James Madison High School next year. I've been playing volleyball since I was nine years old, and I would love the chance to represent my school at playing a varsity sport. There's massive growth in boys volleyball around America, also in Fairfax, Fairfax County. [01:14:54] There's steady enrollment numbers in both elementary and middle school boys volleyball teams locally. However, some of my teammates and I drive over an hour away to practice and play at a highly competitive level. We need highly competitive levels at our high schools. There's already Northern Virginia High School Recreation League, so there's active interest in boys' volleyball. [01:15:16] Some surrounding counties already have boys' volleyball in place. Also, a boys' high school team can lead to college-level play. Thank you for your time and thought. Thank you. Our next speaker is Joanne Sears. [01:15:32] First of all, as a high school volleyball player, I commend these guys. Let's do it. Let's go for boys' volleyball. [01:15:49] And I'm also so excited about the teachers who got their national board certified certificates. I just wish the same was true for all of those kids who didn't get their accommodations for scoring high on the PSATs. It's been a month for Fairfax County Public Schools. [01:16:06] You guys continue to be in the news domestically and internationally. Here are some of the headlines, in case you missed them, that tell a story about how our school district continues to slip into a deepening crevasse of failure because of you guys. Virginia's school district walks back letter that appeared to exclude whites, Asians from college prep services. [01:16:28] New Asian exclusion app pops up an FCPS program. 84% of Fairfax County parents oppose gender combined education classes. Fairfax County Public Schools get funding from Chinese government. Fairfax County Public Schools continue to violate FERPA. [01:16:47] Fairfax County Public School board member labels World War II Battle of Iwo Jima as human evil. Hmm, that's pretty sad. Fairfax Public Schools tell students they're inherently biased. Those are some of the news headlines this past month. [01:17:02] And what is this board doing about this mess? You've decided to run for higher office because you actually believe that you have the maturity to serve that level. Some of you have decided to run for re-election. Please don't. Just take your bat and ball and go home. You've made a mess. And finally, some of you have decided to not run for re-election because you know just how badly the school board has performed in the past three years. Thank you for going quietly into that good night. Your legacy of anti-science school closers will follow you and your shredded reputations for the rest of your lives you've hurt our kids [01:17:41] you've hurt our future thank you our next speaker is brian lucas brian lucas um yeah so uh my name is brian lucas and before i coached youth sports for over a decade um 20 different seasons all the way up to high school volleyball high school basketball i learned how to play volleyball in Santa Cruz, California. [01:18:17] And throughout all that process, all that coaching, all those years, we always had to take the Positive Coaching Alliance training. It's where they teach us to emphasize youth sports organizations to see their cultures become more positive, everyone have more fun, help the kids experience improved life skills and character development, coaches and parents to become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons. [01:18:47] And throughout that entirety, that was almost immediately forgotten as soon as that training was over, except in volleyball. Volleyball is the one sport in which I have participated where that has maintained throughout. [01:19:03] It is the sport that I have experienced as a parent and a coach at the high school level here in Fairfax, where it actually accomplishes those goals. And it is because of the volleyball parents, coaches, and players that are here today supporting this. [01:19:19] Fairfax County varsity sports will benefit by including that culture and these people into its varsity sports program. [01:19:32] - Thank you, our next speaker is Kathleen Mallard. [01:20:02] - Good evening, school board. Wow, it was an impressive acknowledgement of those teachers and educators who have been renewed and newly certified. Very impressive, I mean, you know, you all have just fabulous people in your schools. [01:20:21] Please help them. do their jobs please help them teach history according to truth and fact we know that governor youngkin has just submitted with vdoe the new standards of learning for history and social studies in fact governor youngkin's on tv right now i think on cnn i guess they wanted to to elevate their ratings or something, I'm not sure. [01:20:54] But anyway, Virginians have the opportunity to share thoughts and support and make comments on these new revised standards of learning. So I hope that when that is all done, that you all will duly implement them. [01:21:15] I also wanted to speak-- I spoke with some five long fellow middle school students today. They really want you all to focus on academics, Sports, yes, of course, but stop the social engineering, if possible. Also, a friend of mine, Bonnie Kenney, has put together an informative piece on early Virginia history. [01:21:32] We're so lucky to live in this wonderful commonwealth. Virginia was actually considered a country when it first started. Also, Jeff Hoffman, Fairfax County School Board candidate, believes in true freedom and he will preserve education excellence. [01:21:51] And he reminds us that efforts to revise history or worse, remove history of the most radical Islamic terror attack against our country by one of our school board members. Thank you. [01:22:13] Thank you. Our next speaker is Stephanie Lundquist-Aurora. Good evening. [01:22:36] Parents and community members are interested in the way that you will vote on the proposed changes to the family life education curriculum. I think you had some ideas in mind, stacked a committee with activists supporting these ideas, and subsequently surveyed community members about the very predictable conclusions of that activist committee. [01:22:53] Perhaps to your surprise, parents, teachers, and students all said no thank you on that survey to the extreme proposed changes. The results, likely purposefully not made available to the public, showed that 84% of parents responded that they were not interested in a co-ed environment for FLE. [01:23:08] I personally have a fourth grader. He was just showing me how to do big seven division, and I can promise you that he and his friends are definitely not interested in learning sensitive topics in a co-ed environment. This is a big test for you now. You've been accused multiple times of not listening to us, like when you closed the schools for nearly a year and a half. Will you listen this time? You've seen the survey data, so how will you vote? Speaking of listening to parents, I have reviewed your strategic plan survey. If you were listening, you certainly didn't hear us. I attended your strategic plan listening tour on February 15th at West Springfield High School. Overwhelmingly, we emphasized academic [01:23:45] goals in the survey all of your stated goals are about equity and let's talk about those sessions you used equity partial staff moderators at each table i also learned that you specifically invited students from the student equity ambassador leadership program to attend these meetings in other words your staff and student participants at this listening session were meant to guide community members toward the conclusions you had pre-selected the ones that appeared on the latest survey in fact your game plan is to stack the deck the committees the moderators the student participants the survey questions if that doesn't work you proceed the way you want equity at all costs and hope that parents don't notice [01:24:22] just an FYI we are noticing so please vote no on the proposed changes to FLE like we've asked finally I'd like to commend you guys actually for making a concerted effort to raise community awareness on the fentanyl crisis it's injuring thank you very much thank you thank you very much madam clerk to have [01:24:58] our next speaker? We do. We're having a minor technical issue. Our next speaker is David Benson. Hello, David Benson. First of all, I want to say how thankful I am to be able to speak to you in person and be here. You know, I think it's amazing that we have this opportunity. And also to share my feelings as a parent, volunteer soccer coach of U7 boys, and a local business owner that is [01:25:34] raising the next generation. Additionally, thank you to the board individuals that put up, you know, put their time into this because, you know, I like doing my business and I wouldn't prefer to do this. So thank you for spending the time doing it. I know that everyone's desire is to help make our children's lives better at the end of the day. I'd like to speak to the upcoming agenda item on March 30th regarding this combining the genders and sex ed. Now, I am a father of three children and I live locally in Vienna in the Wolf Trap Elementary School District. My two daughters are [01:26:09] 11 and 8 and they're in fifth and third grade and my son who's six is in kindergarten. I would like to speak specifically to the grades four through eight. These children range from 10 to 14 typically and during this time it is my understanding that they can participate or not participate in the family life education. I do enjoy the fact that you can opt out of this program or opt into it and as a Christian my wife and I would like to speak with our children about many of these things directly versus that others that share maybe different beliefs or values. Now regarding those [01:26:46] classes that we feel like they could opt into, I believe that it would be best to split those boys and girls only. My opinion is that they be assigned to the class of the sex they were either labeled at birth or their birth certificate, something like that. It should not be how they identify at that age since they're so young. Regardless, I have love for others, and I just [01:27:15] want to say that, you know, okay. Thank you. Our next speaker is Diana Smith. Good evening. I'm here to speak in honor of Mr. Harry Moranian, my McLean High School teacher, 50 years ago. He taught that understanding the zeitgeist of the times was critical to understanding our present and impacts our future. I speak in admiration of his ability to help us develop skills to [01:27:54] understand complexities. This is his desire that we know not only what happened, but to understand the context, undercurrents, and groundswells. Who, during the height of the Cold War, one year after the Czech invasion, took us to Moscow so we could see firsthand the differences between life in a democracy in life in the Soviet Union. He taught every facet of history righteously. He taught us to think and assess based on common human values and to call out views that were not fact-based. The Virginia [01:28:30] proposed SOLs on history and social studies are the antithesis of Mr. Moranian. No student will realize 50 years later the powerful gifts of history if these are allowed to dominate teaching in Virginia. The SOL's glaring loss of context, events, and social movements undercuts students' ability to make use of history lessons. The word fascist is never mentioned, suffragettes are ignored, as are labor unions. I trust FCPS has reviewed these SOLs and found the developmentally inappropriate content, the mistakes and omissions, the rote learning, and other issues, and that these [01:29:10] concerns were delivered to DOE. I hope to see FCPS curriculum developers at the Virginia Department of Education road trip on March 14th at Mount Vernon to speak out. If we don't speak out now, the zeitgeist of our time will be known for our acquiescence to ignorance and fear. Superintendent Reed, please make sure [01:29:32] Fairfax speaks up. Thank you. Our next speaker is Jennifer Litton Tidd. I went to the funeral yesterday of Judy Heumann, our mother of the disability rights movement. [01:29:56] As a child in the 50s, she was denied access to school as a wheelchair user. She brought the first disability civil rights case to federal court in 1970 and won. She and disability rights activists protested nationwide to force Nixon to sign the Rehabilitation Act, then shut down the U.S. Capitol in 1990 to force Congress to pass the ADA. [01:30:20] said of disabled activists, for we are leaders of inclusiveness, of community, of love, equity, and justice. Equality isn't about treating everyone the same. It's about fairness. It's about equity of access. The rhetoric from those intent on exclusion, ending equity, and dehumanizing children on the margins is disgusting. Those attacking diversity are denying the intellect and aptitude of diverse learners. Those attacking equity don't get that [01:30:56] some kids need more supports to access school. Those attacking inclusion think our schools are the province of non-disabled kids that disabled kids are invading. Those chanting anti-merit engage in persistent ableist dog whistles that dehumanize and shame disabled users. [01:31:17] Ableism is anti-merit. I have an autistic ID son in 11th grade who reads at a 4th grade level. An 8th grader in level 4 who reads at a 12th grade level. Their outcomes likely won't be equal, but their access to education must be equitable. [01:31:33] Nobody will erase the work of Judy Heumann and the Disability Rights Movement on my watch. We are loud, we are fierce, and we will never stop demanding equity and justice for our people. thank you our next speaker our next speaker is Moy Drake good evening I'm Moy Drake and I'm here on behalf of my son who's actually at volleyball practice [01:32:13] and his teammates as well as the 400 boys within the county in Nova that are currently playing volleyball but before I go on with my comments since the boys here have already done half of my job for me I really want to be able to to applaud them for the amazing job that they did so that being said I'm going to skip through half my comments because I've already run out of time so why am I here I am here because these kids are [01:32:49] champions for change when my son didn't have an opportunity to play volleyball for South County he created a team and I guarantee that many other students as well have done the same and so they have inspired me and I hope that you will be inspired as well as their dedicated school stewards within the school system recently an alliance of advocates for boys volleyball to become an official sport has been created and our kids just want to be recognized as part of an official part of their school we hope that you can help validate them by supporting our mission I'm going to [01:33:28] share with you parts of the letter that we help to join a coalition to support these kids that they are the biggest stakeholders of the SPS strategic plan as you develop your plan please hear and listen to what they've said so highlights of this letter since I have 20 seconds left okay so 35 teams have formed almost 400 boys 200 percent increase we are asking there's already 16 of the 25 FCPS schools that have been in interest clubs but we need your help. So we are going to propose an action plan that's going to go out to all the principals, [01:34:07] superintendents, and everybody else. Thank you. That was our final speaker. We also have two video testimonies. The first is from student number seven. Hello, I'm Andrew Drake, a sophomore from South County High School. I started the unofficial boys volleyball team here with a friend. I think volleyball is a really fun and engaging sport that requires teamwork and communication. I think [01:34:42] volleyball is important to become a school-sponsored sport because there's many boys out there who want to play volleyball but don't have the opportunity i think having volleyball become a school-sponsored sport will allow students to play a sport they love with their peers and it'll increase school pride and strengthen the community and our next video submitted by taylor brock hello my name is [01:35:19] Taylor Brock. I'm a military spouse and a mother who loves her children more than anything in this world. Recently, my son appeared in a video that was seen by millions of people in the United States and around the globe. In this video, my son was not kicking the winning field goal, winning the spelling bee, or welcoming his father home from a deployment. My son was being strangled by a fellow student aboard his Fairfax County school bus. After being summarily dismissed by the school administration, I was forced to go to the police, report the crime, and was issued a protective order which i gave to the school that stated the girl who tried to kill my son was to remain 50 feet [01:35:56] away from him at all times not only did the school not take this seriously they didn't even tell my son's teachers who were horrified to find out that a restraining order was even put in place the judge who issued this restraining order was also shocked to hear that the girl was still in school according to fairfax county schools strangulation is a level f category 5 offense pd9 malicious wounding without a weapon meaning the child who tried to strangle my son using her bare hands should be completely removed from the school and a year-long expulsion should [01:36:34] be considered immediately not only did you put my son's life in danger you are putting other children's lives in danger by dismissing these violent acts you say in your safety handbook fcps is committed to the consistent and equitable implementation of discipline policy regulations, and practices across all schools and educational programs. But I say that it's completely false because you never protected my son, and the perpetrator that tried to strangle my son still remains in your school while the victim of this crime, my son, was forced to leave his friends and transfer to another school because you ensured he was in a constant state of fear and [01:37:12] trauma. Fairfax County schools do not care about military families or the victims of violent crimes. thank you very much agenda item 3.02 strategic plan update i call on dr reeve for the strategic [01:37:35] plan update so madam chair it's my pleasure to present an update on the strategic planning [01:38:18] process uh laura if you could go to the first text slide uh one of the things i want to make sure is that the board knows that we've had a number of activities occur over the last several weeks our faith team alignment team and instructional focus teams have all met to to provide feedback on the draft goals and pillars. [01:38:38] And again, a reminder that the draft goals were compiled at the core planning team after looking at a variety of data sources and survey feedback. In addition, the instructional focus team began to draft the professional practices for instructional effectiveness. [01:38:56] And the board will have a chance to look at that at the next retreat that reviews that. This document talks about the teaching, the leadership and organizational practices we'll need to have in place across the division in each and every one of our schools last week schools and departments began meeting with their teams to share the draft goals and pillars and get feedback from all employees through an exit ticket we've also launched a parent and caregiver survey as well as a community survey on monday to get feedback and here is the data so far you can see the participation rates which community members are those in the community who are not [01:39:33] currently parents or caregivers and then we of course we have families and staff both the surveys remain open until March 20th so we look forward to hearing from our families educators and community members here are upcoming milestones with meeting dates next week is a big day on Monday our core planning team and student voice teams will reconvene as well as instructional focus and family teams our board retreat mark your calendar will be March 28th where the board will have an opportunity to dig into the work that's been done and see the feedback that's been coming in finally we'll be hosting a second round [01:40:11] of virtual community forums in April to gather feedback on the draft plan so please share your feedback using the let's talk tool that's available and so far we've received over 600 submissions on that information which again the board will see all of those as well as the core planning team additional details about the April community forums will be available on the website in the coming days and we hope to see as many of you as can make it there and that's our strategic plan report this evening thank you very much dr. Reed and we are very very excited as we continue the work and all the community engagement so thank [01:40:48] you to your team for all the hard work they've done to organize all of that so thank you and I will continue to call on you for agenda item 3.03 academic matters all right thank you madam chair and of course as we know academic matters is one of our favorite opportunities to review topics of high academic interest and as you recall february was cte month career and technical education month so we're excited to share some of the highlights of our work-based learning experiences that we have for students we know there's immense value in developing career readiness and according to the u.s bureau [01:41:22] of labor statistics report there are 9.3 million unfilled jobs currently in the united states many employers across the country report that there is a skills gap for middle skilled jobs with an insufficient number of applicants having the qualifications training or education needed to fill these roles and often skilled trade positions are those that our career technical education staff are so talented in terms of inspiring our students we know that developing Having these skills are imperative for our students as they leave Fairfax County Public [01:41:58] Schools both with a healthy appreciation for the finer things and fun things in life as well as the ability to earn a family wage job. So I want to share that in FCPS we offer a continuum of work-based learning experiences. [01:42:13] We recognize that not all learning happens in the classroom alone, but job shadowing, fairs, exploration options such as internships and career mentoring are all fabulous ways for our students to put their classroom learning into application and practice. [01:42:32] Also we have a significant work-based learning experience that took place during February's CTE month. It was the third annual Regional Instruction II Industry Career Expo event for high school students. We had over 50 professionals from 10 different industries that participated in panel discussions over the course of the first three nights. [01:42:53] And on the last three, 30 professionals provided college and career advice to students in breakout rooms. We had a total of over 3,000 session registrations. And it was really exciting for our high school students. Several quotes that we have from that, from our high school students, was that failure is necessary for success. [01:43:14] It's okay to fail because no one is inherently a master at anything. Sometimes you aren't even taught subjects. So it just requires persistence and initiative to get it right. Another student said this is totally worth it. It helps you become more certain of what you may want to do later on in life. [01:43:31] And the panelists have great pieces of advice. So we have a number of recordings that are on our Fairfax Network YouTube channel under Instruction 2 Industry Playlist. And we thank our panelists and continue expanding our career awareness events in the future. [01:43:47] Finally, on March 3rd, which was a student holiday, a high school academy school students were provided with the opportunity to go out and shadow a professional in the workplace. Students were encouraged to visit with a professional who shares the same career interests and works in a career field related to the student's career goals. [01:44:06] It was a great way to spend March 3rd. And then these job shadow days may lead to future high-quality work-based learning experiences such as externships, service learning projects, and internships. As we move into the new school year, work-based learning and the team will be working to expand these opportunities perhaps to quarterly events accessible to all students across the division. [01:44:29] And last, just a sample of our industry partners. We know that learning happens best in community, and we really appreciate our work-based learning partners and thanks to those community members who make this work possible and that is academic matters. Thank you Dr. Reed I see Dr. Anderson Dr. Anderson thank you so much one of the things that I wanted to kind of connect to as you're talking about opportunities for our students is to perhaps for you to talk about how we are elevating our two programs here that we run in Fairfax [01:45:08] County the trades for tomorrow and the apprenticeships programs because those are dwindling I know from speaking to those individuals in those various trades they too are suffering a shortage working overtime to maintain buildings that have long since expired their lifespan and so those two programs we know are important to grow our pipeline and I'd like to elevate that in this conversation today and hear a little bit more in terms of how do we see this being integrated with what you've offered this evening or beyond so I think you raise some really critically important issues around the integration [01:45:47] of that work and really I think sometimes our students aren't aware of the programs that we have available trades for tomorrow for example which we really count on honestly as part of an integral and critical part of our division work so dr. Presidio do you have a comment in terms of following up into the preparing our students for the awareness of those programs and our integration into the work-based learning yeah thank you dr. Reed and thank you dr. Anderson for that question we are continuing to try to grow both the trades for tomorrow's program and the teachers for tomorrow program those are [01:46:24] both kind of homegrown local initiatives here where we recognize that we could integrate some of the learning opportunities that students have right to learning experiences here in FCPS with our construction department our education opportunities and classes that we offer for students so we're really working to expand those teachers for tomorrow for example we anticipate that we're going to have that program in all of our schools next year and we have only had a few sections of that offered previously the trades for tomorrow program we continue to work with facilities and transportation services to [01:47:00] try to expand that as well and I really appreciate you asking the question because back in the fall we had a whole presentation on expansion of career pathway programs and those are just two of 16 different career pathway programs that we offer in FCPS so at some point you know we'll need to brief the board on additional opportunities for expansion of those programs but we continue to appreciate all of the support of community members and trying to expand those work-based learning opportunities because what you get in the classroom is important but what you get in the workplace sometimes is really transformational for the students and and that's what we were trying to highlight here tonight is that work based learning component but we'll [01:47:39] continue to work on program expansion opportunities no thank you for that I'm very excited about the expansion of the teachers for tomorrow program because again it fills a need we have to grow our own but we also I don't think are elevating the need that we have in our trades and facilities in addition in IN ADDITION TO IT BEING AN AWARENESS ISSUE, IT'S ALSO AN ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE. [01:48:01] THE PROGRAMS ARE LOCATED IN PLACES WHERE MANY OF OUR KIDS WHO MAY BE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN THOSE AS FEELS FOR THEM TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE CAREER IN, THEY JUST ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THEM. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES THAT I'M ALSO HOPING YOU CAN SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT. [01:48:17] OKAY. IN TERMS OF ACCESSIBILITY, DR. PRESIDIO? I THINK THIS GETS BACK TO SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD BACK IN THE FALL WHEN WE PRESENTED the career pathways expansion report I mean a lot of this is opportunities for increased funding and supports to increase access so if you think about some of the trade programs for example that we can offer they're really facility dependent right so if you're thinking about HVAC or if you're thinking about construction so we really need to be thoughtful about how we're thinking about program expansion and really budget for those types of programs [01:48:53] and really think about the facility costs because not all of our base schools right now have the facilities and the equipment to be able to do that so what we've tried to do in the interim is think about opportunities again for students to experience some of those work based learning opportunities here with our staff and FCPS so we can continue to try to expand the pipeline and access for students to have those experiences working kind of on the job site here in FCPS with staff or working on the job site with community based partners until we can get those facilities and equipment expansions that we need to have to be able to offer the programming in students-based schools [01:49:30] thank you and of course everything has a dollar amount I wonder how can we pursue some additional resources to help with those expansions because again it's hard to tell who is not coming into these programs because they cannot get there so I'm also curious in terms of how can we survey the interest of our kids and those programs to better know where to place that because again resources are limited no I think that's I mean that's the question right and as we prepare master schedule work for the coming academic year I would trust that our counseling staff our career and technical education team is working with [01:50:09] our base high schools to really think about how we're serving students as per the master schedule and quite honestly we're gonna have to be really thoughtful ABOUT THAT BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION HAS LIMITATIONS AS WELL AND WHAT I KNOW WHEN WE'VE VISITED SOME OF OUR ACADEMY COURSES STUDENTS STRUGGLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GIVE UP A SECTION BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION AND TRAVEL TIME SO WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT MORE BASE SCHOOL SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING SO I WILL TRUST THAT WE'LL DO SOME SURVEYING DURING THIS MASTER SCHEDULE WORK AND HAVE SOME DATA BACK TO YOU IN A FUTURE MONDAY LETTER AND OR WORK SESSION ON THE TOPIC. [01:50:46] Thank you. I'm looking forward to that information. And I will also, as an aside, mention that Dr. Ivey and I had the opportunity to hire one of our 2019 Teach for Tomorrow candidates Saturday at the job fair, Annika. [01:51:03] And it was really a proud time for Annika and also for us as a division. Dr. Ivey was, we were pretty excited Saturday. That's very exciting. And that also ages you. MR. SMITH, IT AGES ALL OF US. WERE YOU GOING TO ADD SOMETHING? [01:51:20] I WAS GOING TO ADD, AND THANK YOU. I WAS GOING TO ADD THAT AT MID-YEAR, AS A REMINDER TO THE BOARD, THERE WAS INCREASED INTEREST IN OUR TRADES FOR TOMORROW PROGRAM, AND THE BOARD DID RECOGNIZE $128,000 SO THAT WE COULD EXPAND OUR TRADES FOR TOMORROW PROGRAM. [01:51:36] WE WERE AT A POINT WHERE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO TURN STUDENTS AWAY, AND WE FELT THAT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE BROUGHT THAT FORWARD TO THE BOARD AND YOU DID APPROVE THOSE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS SO THAT WE COULD INCLUDE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS FOR THIS YEAR'S TRADES FOR TOMORROW CLASS YES THE BENEFIT TO US IS EXPONENTIAL AS WE GROW THEM WE ALSO HIRE THEM TO RUN OUR SYSTEMS AND WE KNOW WE HAVE SHORTAGES YOU KNOW I HEARD FROM THE FOLKS FROM FSEAC EARLIER AND THEY'RE SHORTHANDED AND SOME OF IT CREATES INEFFICIENCIES AND ALSO IT CREATES MANY OTHER CHALLENGES THAT I WON'T GET INTO RIGHT NOW, BUT I WILL AT SOME POINT. [01:52:14] YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, DR. ANDERSON. MS. CORBET SANDERS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, DR. REED, FOR THIS OVERVIEW. FIRST, BEFORE I GET TO SOME OF THE CONTENT, I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THAT VERY FIRST SLIDE OF THE GENTLEMAN EXPLORING OUR PHARMACEUTICAL COURSES IS ACTUALLY THE HONORABLE SENATOR Kane who visited West Potomac's Health Sciences Academy and was just amazed at the work that these kids were doing and what's so wonderful about it is students from that program are [01:52:52] immediately put to work in our community in our local pharmacies and many of them use that opportunity to pay for their way through college. But I actually wanted to just point out and I'd I'd like a correction if I'm wrong, but I believe that over 65,000 enrollments are done every year by our students enrolling in individual courses in the CTE area. Is that correct? [01:53:23] I will take your word for that. I don't have that number on the top of my head. I just wanted to point that out because that's a pretty amazing data point that our students have access to these great opportunities. [01:53:38] but there's always more to do and I would also encourage when you're looking at ways of expanding the opportunities looking at partnering with some of our local businesses who can provide spaces for our students to to accomplish these skills and so when I look at that slide with all those great partners I see a ANOVA there but I would also urge that we have a number of firms in the trades [01:54:13] that could provide those experiences as well and I would be remiss having signed the compact with Fort Belvoir today that Fort Belvoir was saying that they are in dire need of opportunities to train people in these areas because they have a lot of open slots so that would be an area that we might want to pursue thank you thank you thank you very much and seeing all the board members who wish to speak i would just say [01:54:46] i really appreciate sorry sorry to stop you um this um conversation and i really appreciate lifting up the fact that many of our students either aren't aware of it or have as dr anderson said difficulty accessing some of our great programs and the thought of having more school BASED PROGRAMS AND HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I VISITED MARSHAL ACADEMY WHERE WE SAW AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THE GOAT OR THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME IN MICROSOFT CERTIFICATIONS A YOUNG MAN WHO HAD NINE ALREADY AND WAS WORKING ON MORE AND I JUST THINK THERE'S SUCH GREAT OPPORTUNITIES BUT ONE THING I'VE MENTIONED TO DR. PRESIDIO BEFORE AND OTHER STAFF IS THE [01:55:21] IDEA OF DOING SOME SORT OF EXPLORATION FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, YOU KNOW, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS go to Finance Park as part of you know for a day to explore finances and I wonder if there's space somewhere for them to you know I know there's you know open houses and things like that but really explore a little bit of survey of some of the great CTU offerings because sometimes you don't know what you don't know and you get far down a path in high school and I think for some of our middle schoolers just experiencing a little bit of what we have and knowing the options might also be helpful so just an idea yes ma'am for thank you very much Dr. Reed I appreciate it and I will then call on Miss Togby for student [01:56:00] representative matters thank you madam chair and just to quickly piggyback off of that I mean I can't I really can't stress more how important it is to have more school-based programs and academies and opportunities I'm a student that really wants to take an Academy but I couldn't because I also realized that it required me to lose a block of time that I really needed so it's really hard to kind of pick and choose what you want to do and there are like tons of opportunities that we offer but also at the same time it's almost like restricted because accessibility can be an issue time can be an issue the financing can be an issue so I just wanted to just stress that a little bit real quick but [01:56:39] good evening and happy Thursday everyone I want to shout out all the students that came to speak at tonight's meeting you guys were the true superstars and I'm so proud of each and every one of you guys I've watched for months how hard you've worked to spread these programs despite it not being an official sport in the county so especially working directly with Ryan from my own school has been really just a great opportunity for me it's been a busy and exciting last few weeks I've got a couple things to unpack I had an amazing school visit to Lake Braddock with board member Cohen where I got to join them for their monthly principals cabinet meeting which was very fun and exciting it was very great to be [01:57:18] a Bruin for the day, and I'm very grateful for that opportunity. I also got the chance to chat with a few students across the county to just really have an opening conversation about prayer rooms and the implementation of them. Specifically, what I was really hearing was just the inconsistencies. [01:57:36] I was able to take a lot of that information to a space where I was able to make sure that they were making note of those concerns in a serious and also respectful manner, so I'm very glad that had that opportunity. I've also been able to meet with students these past couple weeks to talk about how to advocate for just various needs across the county a recent one of course being boys volleyball and then of course student leadership opportunities and this past weekend many FCPS students attended conferences for their CTE related co-curriculars specifically FBLA and DECA. We have over 175 students from both organizations attending [01:58:13] international competition for that, so I'm very excited to see how they do. And I want to talk about an amazing teacher, Mr. Wardinsky, over at Lake Braddock. He is a marketing teacher there, as well as a DECA advisor, and at the convention center, I saw him walking around without any shoes on, and I was wondering why he was walking around without any shoes, and he told me that there was a student who pretty much wasn't following the DECA dress code, and he gave him his shoes, And I just couldn't help but think to myself like, wow, that's just such a great example of like just how awesome our teachers are in Fairfax County. [01:58:49] So shout out to Mr. Wardinsky. And of course, I wanted to talk a little bit about how the Superintendent's Advisory Council is gearing up for its presentation to Dr. Reed and the leadership team next month. They are working so hard and the list of changes and implementation that they want to see in the next school year is honestly really inspiring. [01:59:08] So I'm really hoping that it's all taken into consideration and hopefully executed soon. Currently, right now, on the dot, actually, our governor is hosting a town hall to address education. And I have to say that I'm really proud of my peers who are boldly speaking up against the Governor Yunkin's harmful education policy. [01:59:28] Students deserve to see themselves in the libraries and have access to an array of perspectives. And what he's encouraging is not doing that. So thank you to all of my peers who are out there asking questions right now at that town hall. And, of course, in a little over a week, yes, yes, in a little over a week, I will be with Dr. Reed and board members Cohen and McLaughlin for a joint Braddock and Springfield District Town Hall on Tuesday, March 21st, from 7 to 8.30 p.m. [02:00:01] The town hall will be held at Lake Braddock, and I hope to see many of you there. So thank you all so much for your time, and let's have a great end to the week, FCPS. thank you Ms. Togby I appreciate that as always I will move on to agenda item 3.05 superintendent matters I call on Dr. Reed thank you madam chair and I think it's like getting really close to spring I just got a text about snowflakes in the air so there are I think snow there is snow in the weather forecast but we're still having school tomorrow so I know I know I [02:00:38] I know, all right, all right. Maybe I shouldn't have started quite that way. I will say that I'm already lamenting the loss of an hour this weekend. And so I'm planning to get up extra early so I don't miss out on anything. I wanna thank the staff at Cedar Lane School for inviting me to a Black History Month celebration. [02:01:00] And there was a fabulous photo gallery and some great brunch and just really nice community. get together just a lot of fun to visit cedar lane and visit with staff and students also had an opportunity to visit foxmill elementary school on read across america day and read to mr hong's sixth period class and if you're watching you shouldn't be you should be in bed but to those staff members i met we had a great time and just it's so great to be out in our schools where so much so many amazing things are happening this past week school board member [02:01:36] Ms. Keys Gamara and I visited Rolling Valley Elementary School and had an opportunity to hear a little bit about early literacy work and also just the challenges right now in our special education department and work. So I was able to attend the Fairfax County Council of PTA Reflection Student Awards Ceremony. This year's theme was Show Your Voice and we have some amazing artists that really are inspiring. Also had the opportunity to attend the 2023 Regional Scholastic Art Award Ceremony at the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. Again, [02:02:16] there were students from over 3,500 submissions of just amazing art. Last Saturday, had the opportunity to join students, staff, and families and community volunteers at Thomas Jefferson high school for science and technology where we had 750 students competing in the technology student association northern virginia regional fair a fabulous event i had students touring me around there was a lot a lot of activity i also had an opportunity to in it to attend an event [02:02:50] celebrating the tibetan lunar new year lozar and many of our students and families were there it was really a fabulous evening. Again to round out Black History Month I had an opportunity to attend an event sponsored by the NAACP where our step team from Edison High School was performing and they are amazing if you haven't had a chance to to see them. This week Dr. Boyd and I and Dr. Presidio, Mr. Foster, we took an opportunity to meet with our teachers, our educators who work with our special education students and 504 students counselors and case [02:03:29] managers both in a hybrid meeting to address concerns and really hear about their experience right now which is very challenging just want to shout out to our teachers and case managers just working really hard and just I don't think I'm going out to two different schools actually just sit down and learn how the data sheets or what that work entails because I am hearing that there's just it's just a lot so I just appreciate our staff for going getting going through that I also had an opportunity to meet with our families [02:04:08] part of our SEPTA group for twice exceptional students and heard their stories and concerns and we have a lot of work to do I think in that area as we improve our support for our twice exceptional and neurodivergent students i want to remind our community that we have our opioid awareness event community-wide event in partnership with our fairfax county colleagues monday evening from 6 30 to 8 30 and it's an opportunity where the dea will be there we'll be hearing from individuals and family members that have been [02:04:43] impacted by the epidemic medical experts and law enforcement representatives it's going to be I think a really candid conversation that couldn't be more timely about the fentanyl issue that's in our community our neighborhoods in our schools and what we can do about that so I really encourage you to attend it's only by coming together that we're going to be able to address this issue you. Finally, I'm excited tomorrow night to head to Richmond and watch our championship basketball teams. We have both in the girls basketball championship game and the boys championship [02:05:22] game. So we're hoping to come back with two big wins for Fairfax County. And then to top off my weekend, I'm going to play a little chess at McNair Elementary School Saturday morning. So I'm going to have to remember that it's which way the night moves, I guess. I'll have to revisit that. But ANY HOW THAT WOULD BE SUPERINTENDENT MATTERS THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR THANK YOU VERY MUCH DR. [02:05:45] REID GOOD LUCK WITH THE CHESS THANK YOU AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM 3.06 FISCAL YEAR 23 THIRD QUARTER BUDGET REVIEW AND I WILL CALL ON DR. REID FOR THE INTRODUCTION THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THIS EVENING ALICE WIDINGTON OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF BUDGET SERVICES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES WILL PRESENT THE THIRD QUARTER BUDGET REVIEW MISS WIDINGTON THANK YOU DR. REID AND GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD I'M HERE to present the FY23 third quarter budget review the purpose of the quarterly budget review is to provide the school board with information about nine of the school board funds that are under your control the third quarter review offers [02:06:23] an opportunity to review the current year's budget make revisions as necessary based on trends or new requirements the third quarter review reports on activity and recommendations that have been made since the major budget review that was approved by the board on January 12th of 23 the agenda item is organized with descriptions of recommended changes followed by updated fund statements for each of the school board funds which is located in the appendix section once the third quarter budget review is approved by the school board it is forwarded to the county for inclusion in their third quarter package [02:07:01] for any necessary supplemental appropriation for FCPS's funds the revised supplemental appropriation for each of the funds are also included in the appendix section the county is scheduled to present their third quarter review on Tuesday March the 21st so I'd like to begin here as you can see on page one we don't currently have any recommended adjustments for our school operating fund but what I'd like to do is use this opportunity to to clarify the General Assembly's resolution to the VDOE calculation tool error and why we're not [02:07:38] recommending any changes to our state aid for the operating fund at this time as many of you might recall at the end of January VDOE notified school divisions that the amount reported on our calculation tool did not accurately calculate how much school divisions would receive in state funding that was related to the elimination of the grocery sales tax that began in 23. [02:08:02] The General Assembly adjourned on Saturday, February the 25th, and they did not finalize their amendments to the biennial budget. Instead, they passed what they referred to as a preliminary budget, also referred to as a skinny budget. For FY23, the General Assembly did not directly fix the error itself, but instead largely relied on new sales tax revenue that was available to eliminate the effect of the error however there were about 48 school divisions where new sales tax revenue did not completely eliminate the entire [02:08:41] effect of the error and therefore there was a hold harmless to ensure that those school divisions received the sum of both their basic aid and sales tax that was identified in the calculation tool in june of 2022 it is anticipated that videoe will provide updated estimates based on the general assembly's recently passed skinny budget but as of this presentation that calc tool was not yet available to school divisions typically the state superintendent's memos are released each friday so tomorrow we will look to see if there are updates for school divisions therefore we're [02:09:19] not recommending any changes to the state aid budget for FY23 at this time there has not been a direct hold armless that's impacting 24 and I think that's where some of the confusion is is that but there was something specific in the skinny budget for FY23 moving on to our two additional funds as you can see from this chart there are only recommended changes for two other funds and both of those are related to grant awards that I'll highlight and our adult and community education fund our revenue reflects a change of four thousand [02:09:57] eight hundred and twenty dollars and that was due to an increase for an integrated English literacy and civics education grant this grant is a federally funded program it's intended to provide non-native English speaking adults with English instruction as well as work preparation work training skills needed to succeed in the workforce you will also see that we have a recommended change for new and revised grant awards and our grants fund that total 3.4 million dollars those grants are primarily due to revisions that were [02:10:33] provided through videoe for adjustments to title one we also have some grant programs that we were awarded for school-based health workforce a teacher resident residency partnership through vcu we have some state funding for our career switchers program as well as a school security equipment grant and then in our other funds we receive funding with our partnership for korean language grants through the korean embassy we also have a small grant through dominion energy for our get to green for digital publishing for fcps gardens as well as an [02:11:10] outdoor learning guide so at this time this concludes the formal presentation on the third-quarter budget review I thank you for the opportunity to present this information to you the school board is scheduled to take action on Thursday March the 30th thank you very much Miss Whittington Dr. Reed did you want to add anything to that no just to thank you and I appreciate the clarification on the hold harmless as well there seems to be a lot of miscommunication on that topic yes absolutely thank you very much miss [02:11:45] McLaughlin yes thank you miss Whittington I just want to make sure we're all sort of seeing us and the public what the net result of this proposal is that it is increasing our spending by 3.4 million dollars and adding 5.5 positions that is correct for our you're referring to the adjustments that are in our grants and self-supporting fund that is correct so again just trying to [02:12:20] be clear for the public and the board we have our general operating fund which is a vast majority we get from the board of supervisors and then we have our grant sub funds which you know we a lot of this comes from the federal government um so in terms of if we're adjusting it by 3.4 million dollars and these are from grant funds where is the spending coming from so um for particularly our federal grant awards, they are reimbursable grants. [02:12:57] And so what this action does is provide the additional appropriation authority to the fund for the specific grant programs so that our program managers can spend against the program application that they applied for and was awarded for. [02:13:14] Spending is then -- reimbursement is then submitted to the appropriate federal agency. A lot of our federal grants are also pass-throughs through the state. For Title I, for example, we submit those reimbursements on a monthly basis. So we will get reimbursed for the increase of the 3.4 allocation. [02:13:33] And so it's really a net zero adjustment to the fund because we're getting reimbursed for those expenses. Yep. So the question I would have on that line item then on the Title I Part A, I'm not sure that I see the description. [02:13:54] it further into the document that's explaining what these title one part a positions are going to do no it not to that level of detail miss McLaughlin typically as part of our title one grant application very similar to the process that we did for our ESSER III grant awards there are workbooks and a process that is submitted to our schools and an allocation that goes with to each one of those schools they submit their spending plans that are reviewed and approved by [02:14:28] the title one office for here there is I believe there are a title one resource teacher as well as an educational specialist and I believe an instructional assistant but I can certainly provide that detail to you following this meeting to help support the programs in the various schools now I appreciate that Ms. Whittington and the reason I'm asking these questions is because it isn't just for the board to understand what it's me asked to vote on which we should always hopefully know what we're voting on but more importantly I think that the goal of our board and our school division is to continue to [02:15:04] educate our employees in our community of the things that we're doing to support our students in our schools and so if we're going to increase spending in these in this grant area by three point four million dollars and in particular almost two million for title one with six additional positions to me dr. Reed this would be where I would I think the board would benefit from hearing from you about what this will mean in a positive way for helping our schools so that people can understand why this comes before us and because otherwise I don't know why I'm being asked to vote on something that I don't [02:15:43] know the information and the details agreed so I believe that these POSITIONS I KNOW WE WERE DISCUSSING THE TITLE ONE BUDGET RECENTLY IN CABINET I BELIEVE THEY'RE SCHOOL BASED POSITIONS AND WE CAN GET THE SPECIFIC SCHOOLS I DON'T HAVE THOSE AT THE READY BUT I CAN CERTAINLY GET THOSE FOR YOU BY TOMORROW NO RUSH I'M JUST SAYING I THINK BEFORE THE BOARD VOTES ON IT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL YES MA'AM THAT'S IT THANK YOU THANK YOU DR. ANDERSON YES VERY QUICKLY I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF [02:16:19] THE ARP ESSER III, THE POSITION THAT IS BEING ELIMINATED, CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? ONE MOMENT, DR. ANDERSON. NOT THIS EVENING WITH ANY ACCURACY. SO I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT TOMORROW. [02:16:37] OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND ALSO I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION. THE PROJECT CODE UP WHERE YOU'RE ADDING ANOTHER .5. CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE DETAIL THERE TOO? BY TOMORROW I CAN. THAT'S CORRECT. [02:16:52] AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE THAT MAY BE A TOMORROW QUESTION, BUT THE ACE EDUCATION FUND, THERE'S AN INCREASE OF $4,800? CORRECT. AND THAT WOULD BE THE -- IT INCLUDES A 4,800 INCREASE IN REVENUE AS COMPARED TO THE MID-YEAR PROJECTION DUE TO AN INCREASE IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE INTEGRATED ENGLISH LITERACY AND CIVICS EDUCATION PROGRAM. [02:17:23] THIS CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES IS ALSO REFLECTED AS A RESULT OF THE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL GRANT AWARD. JUST A REALLY SMALL ADJUSTMENT. I THINK THOSE WERE MY TWO QUESTIONS AND I'LL WAIT FOR YOUR ANSWER TOMORROW. [02:17:39] THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, DR. REED. THANK YOU, MS. BIDDINGTON. FOR THAT UPDATE, AGENDA ITEM 4, ACTION ITEMS, SINCE WE HAVE MANY STAFF MEMBERS AND TEACHERS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AND BUS DRIVERS AND MANY OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WHO TEACH AND serve our students and have to get up early tomorrow to do so without objection for my colleagues I would like to move agenda item 4.04 up to the top of action items so without objection we will start with agenda item 4.04 [02:18:13] collective bargaining resolution I will call on mr. Frisch for the motion thank you I move that the school board vote to adopt the collective bargaining resolution as detailed in the agenda item is there a second second miss Pikarski. Mr. Frisch, would you like to speak to your motion? Very much so. Almost exactly three years ago, in late February 2020, this school board voted unanimously to amend its legislative program, becoming the only school division in Virginia at the time to lobby the General Assembly to pass collective bargaining rights for teachers and other public school staff. A few weeks later, [02:18:53] the General Assembly came through, changing the law to give localities, including school boards, the option of granting collective bargaining rights to their public employees. Our board moved forward thoughtfully, initiating a process using an interest-based model to draft a resolution for consideration. Each of our 17 certified employee associations was invited to participate in its development, working with division counsel, staff, and experts for more than a year to reach consensus. Since then, our board has hosted a work session to discuss the draft's resolution's finer details. We have held public hearing to receive feedback from staff, students, families, and other [02:19:30] their community members, and we have all discussed this topic repeatedly with each other and our constituents. While we are not the first school division in Virginia to pass a collective bargaining resolution since the law changed, we arrive at today's decision following a process that has been painstakingly collaborative, deliberative, and transparent, making the resolution, the resulting resolution, more thoughtful and durable. This vote is a demonstration not only of our commitment to improving school staffing, pay, and morale, but also to better outcomes for students. [02:20:04] In addition to engaged parents, there is no greater driver of student success than classroom teachers. We face a staffing crisis in public education. According to analysis from the Commonwealth Institute, long-standing teacher and staff shortages in Virginia are driven, even before the pandemic, by low pay relative to peers in other professions with similar credentials, inadequate or uneven professional support, and challenging work conditions. [02:20:35] Low pay also hurts our ability to attract and retain crucial support staff, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, counselors, family liaisons, interpreters, and more. A recent nationwide survey revealed that over half of U.S. educators are planning to exit the profession earlier than planned. [02:20:54] It is important to note studies also show schools with collective bargaining rights for teachers have lower rates of turnover than schools without. What's more, based on research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, non-unionized public school teachers are paid less than their unionized counterparts. [02:21:16] Collective bargaining will positively impact staff retention and student success. Everyone wins when teachers and staff have pay increases, better working conditions, reduced turnover, and workers have a seat at the decision-making table. [02:21:32] Higher pay attracts higher quality teachers, which has a positive influence on student outcomes. Conversely, low teacher retention rates negatively impact student achievement. The weakening of teachers' unions and their collective bargaining power in other states has been correlated with decreased student achievement, further underscoring the importance of collective bargaining for educational success. [02:21:55] It is often said that teachers' working conditions are students' learning conditions. Unfortunately, our public education system has long forced its most valuable resources, its people, to do more with less. Collective bargaining is a critical tool to reverse this trend. [02:22:13] I am honored to make this motion and help bring collective bargaining to one of Virginia's largest employers. Growing up, my dad had a public sector union job and my mom waited tables. Our family's stable, middle-class life was a direct result of their hard work and the transformative power of collective bargaining and workplace labor representation. [02:22:38] Our tireless educators and staff deserve nothing less. In conclusion, I would like to thank Stan DeMoss and our 17 employee associations who, along with John Foster, Alan Kennedy, Michael McMillan, Dr. Francis Ivey, Marty Smith, Dr. Sherry Wilson, Lydia Martinez, Lee Burden, Sean McDonald, and other staff made tonight possible. [02:22:57] I would also like to thank Dr. Michelle Reed for her voice of experience on interest-based bargaining as we navigated these uncharted waters. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues, then Chair Dr. Anderson and Ms. Corbett Sanders for beginning our board's initial work on this effort in 2021, and our current Chair Ms. Sizemore-Heiser for fostering a spirit of collaboration and transparency and for working over the past year to keep us focused on seeing this process through to tonight's successful conclusion. [02:23:26] With that, I am eager to hear from my colleagues and look forward to the vote. Thank you, Mr. Frisch. Ms. Bikarski, would you like to speak to your second? Sure, of course. Good evening, everyone. I am excited to be seconding the collective bargaining resolution tonight. [02:23:45] As Mr. Frisch mentioned, the process that we embarked on starting early in 2020 has been collaborative, informed, and intentional. I, too, appreciate the hard work of the 17 employee associations and our staff, too many to rename again. [02:24:02] I also want to thank Dr. Reed. Your expertise has helped bring this process of crafting a resolution to an end in a thoughtful, trust-building manner. While tonight signifies the end to a years-long advocacy process, it's also a new beginning. [02:24:19] With this vote, there should be no doubt where FCPS stands. We stand for our employees to have a voice and a seat at the table. We stand to ensure our schools can recruit and retain staff who provide a world-class education for all students. [02:24:36] We stand for working conditions that foster those goals in the classroom. It is fitting that we are taking this vote during Women's History Month. Women and other marginalized groups often stand to gain the most from collective bargaining. [02:24:53] It can help to close the gender wage gap and set us up for success with the better working conditions. I will end by saying how much I believe in the power of unions. My family's experience during the COVID pandemic shed a glimpse into what can happen when workers have no one to speak for them. [02:25:14] Without the advocacy and support of the union, I don't know how we, my family, would have supported our six children throughout that year. I believe that all employees should have access to these same tools for self-determination in their workplace. [02:25:30] Fairfax County Public Schools will be a better place to learn and work in the coming years when we authorize collective bargaining tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Bukarski. Ms. Cohen? [02:25:47] I just go down the line. I can't say how meaningful this is, certainly without a choke in my voice. But when I was a kid, my dad would always say, you're lucky that you're allowed to go to school and not working in a factory. [02:26:08] And you're real lucky you have the weekends. You better thank a union. I grew up... Tonight, I'm wearing my grandmother's pen. She taught for 40 years, was married to my grandfather, a school bus driver. [02:26:25] Both my parents spent their careers as teachers, all in states where unions were not allowed. So to get to be part of this board, sitting here tonight in a place where we have the opportunity to not only embrace our teachers, our custodians, our food service workers, our family liaisons, our interpreters, our bus drivers, our bus attendants, I could not feel more shrouded in love and support from everybody who's gone before me. [02:27:01] and I know you all are feeling the same way tonight so thank you for what you do. This is the beginning of conversations where we all get to be at the table together so thank you. Thank you Ms. Cohen. Ms. Corbett Sanders. Yes thank you Madam Chair. As Mr. Frisch told the history I was reminded of the journey that we started three years ago almost to get to this point in [02:27:38] time, and I continue to get questions from people in the community. Why? Why do we need to do this? And the answer is quite clear. When we have an environment which allows all of the stakeholders to be at a table and focus on the interest of our children and how to best realize an excellent education. And that is what we are talking about tonight is that collective response to how we can [02:28:12] be continue to be a world-class education system here in Fairfax County. But we all know that public education is facing headwinds and we need to work together to navigate these very difficult times. And those difficult times are, you know, discussions about the curriculum, discussions about how much time we provide for our teachers to plan and to execute in [02:28:47] the best way possible to serve our children and to make sure our children succeed. But it's also about how do we ensure that we have the best and the brightest in each position in the school system, and that is by being competitive. [02:29:05] And we know that our actions tonight, albeit the beginning of a process, will make us more competitive at a time when there are people leaving the profession at a faster rate than there are people coming into the profession. [02:29:23] So for Fairfax County to be competitive, we need to be able to be competitive in our conditions of work and by being able to signal to any prospective person coming to the county that this is a great place to work and ensuring that the people who are here with us know that it's a great place to work and where their concerns can be addressed. [02:29:51] And so I welcome this motion tonight. We have one follow-on motion that I will be making. I don't know if there will be others, but it is truly to begin this process of recognizing all of the wonderful employees here in Fairfax County. [02:30:08] Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Keyes-Gamara? Thank you. I am appreciative of our colleagues who gave us this history, but I'd like to put it a little bit more simply. [02:30:27] It's about time. [02:30:36] I'm grateful for the process. I wish it could have happened sooner, because when I consider all the folks, all the unsung heroes in our system, from our bus drivers, our cafeteria workers, our aides, teachers, and so on, we simply cannot do the job of providing a world-class education without you. [02:31:00] Collective bargaining serves as a way to make sure that we send a very clear message to the core of who we are, that you are welcome at the table, and we are providing a tool to hear your voice because we cannot do this, we shouldn't do anything about us without us. [02:31:20] I come from a proud family where my dad was a union member, and he proudly watched me become an attorney to represent union members and protect their rights. So I say let us begin this new chapter together. [02:31:37] Better days are ahead, and I'm glad to be a part of this historic moment. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Kees-Gamara. Ms. Tolan? Yes, thank you. [02:31:57] It has become even more evident as we deal with a global pandemic and its effect on our workforce. Now is the time to make sure our workers are being heard and taken care of. A recent McKinsey report showed that for every woman manager or director who was promoted last year, two decided to leave their jobs. [02:32:18] The gist of this whole report is that people are looking for a workplace that will be reciprocal with them. People are willing to work hard, but need a workplace that rewards and recognizes the hard work and is clear on how to have a career path forward within the organization. [02:32:38] Although I know many leaders in FCPS strive to have this available for our employees, we can always do this better. By improving our two-way conversations around this through collective bargaining, I am hopeful we will see the positive changes we need to see to maintain and strengthen the incredible workforce we have, our transportation and facility staff, our teachers and IAs, all of our school-based staff, our administrators, etc. [02:33:09] I am happy to have Dr. Reed at the helm with her collective bargaining experience to lead us down this new and historic path as we join our county counterparts in making Fairfax County a great place for people to live and to work. [02:33:24] A huge thank you to our staff and our partners that have put this resolution together after months and months of conversation and careful deliberations. I fully support the implementation of this draft resolution and look forward to being on this path together. [02:33:44] Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Tolan. Dr. Anderson? Thank you. It's not hard to say that we've entered a new day in Fairfax County Public Schools, and it is an exciting one. [02:34:04] I would be remiss if I did not recognize how much this means to our workforce. But before I get to some other words, I do want to dispel some myths, some untruths, because that's been circling as we've engaged in this process over the course of three years. [02:34:21] It's a very long time. Collective bargaining is not the antithesis to student success. Collective bargaining is not the gateway for teachers to ignore the curriculum. Collective bargaining is a way for our staff. It is a way for, excuse me, that was my phone. [02:34:45] Collective bargaining is an opportunity to foster an environment in which our staff can give us their very best, which in turn benefits our students. I think Ms. Keys Gamara was looking at my notes because I also wanted to share that in the mantra of what we often hear in our special education communities, which is nothing without us, nothing about us without us, it is the same thing that is being asked here. [02:35:20] I knew that this was something that could be done and it could be done well and it does not destroy Fairfax County. As someone who was a teacher and who was involved in a collective bargaining unit, our division still soared. [02:35:37] But our employees had the opportunity, I had the opportunity as an employee to participate in my working conditions and my wages and the things that impacted my work. I was also lucky that I had the very same accommodation when I was a principal, which is very rare in many states. [02:36:01] But I did have the opportunity to, again, have a seat at the table. It doesn't mean that all of our problems will be resolved. What it means is that we are coming at resolving them together. And I think that's what benefits our students when we have the opportunity to really get to that understanding. [02:36:20] because resources will still be limited time will still be limited our issues will still be numerous but we will be working on resolving them together and that creates more buy-in that creates more opportunity for people to feel as if they had to say so in terms of how problems that they experience day in day out are resolved rather than it's just going to come down to you without having a really good sense of what's happening on the ground so I'm very excited to support this from day one I knew that this was something that we could do but I also wanted to make sure we were [02:36:55] doing this in a manner that was going to be to set the footprint for what is going to be in Fairfax County it took longer I think than we all imagined but I'm so glad to be here today so thank you all for your patience and thank you to everyone up here for their work on this as well as staff Thank you. Ms. McLaughlin. [02:37:24] I first want to say how much I appreciate all that my colleagues have shared this evening because I certainly echo, embrace the positive sentiments that they've shared. Like Ms. Cohen, my father was a public school teacher in California where there were unions and he had protections. [02:37:46] My identical twin sister and her husband are college professors. They, too, have seen what it means, whether you have union protections or you don't. And it makes a difference, even in higher education. At this point, what hasn't really been captured in our remarks is that, yes, it took us more time than we wanted. [02:38:06] And I want to thank the working group for your patience and, actually, also your understanding. Because the Fairfax County School Board, we will have a deep responsibility for passing this resolution tonight. And we were basically asked to sit and let the working group do its work and then to bring it to us. [02:38:29] And the important work that we did was to look at this draft resolution, which has such good work in it, and just ensure that it matches and it mirrors what the Board of Supervisors have also set in place with their workers. [02:38:44] Because we are one Fairfax. And we do want to make sure that we as the governing body have a resolution here that sets us all up for success that also makes sure that we set the expectations. So I do appreciate the patience and I also appreciate the understanding that I did hear from a number of people on the working group. [02:39:06] It meant the world to me that our role is on the school board was being respected too. For the community, where this might seem new and people are wondering what it's going to mean, I highlight Section 3, FCPS management rights. That was what we did to try and mirror what the Board of Supervisors have. [02:39:25] Section 10, where it talks about good faith bargaining. This is about how we really are all in this together. And so I hope that that is how we can bring our community that is not familiar with this to understand why this is only going to make us a stronger school division and as was really focused on earlier this evening we are very fortunate as a board that when we went out to look for a new superintendent one of our important criteria was someone with experience in doing collective bargaining and we are so fortunate for so many reasons to have Dr. Reed at the helm [02:40:01] but this is another one that gives me a lot of confidence about where we're going to go this this is organic we know that this is our first step and there are things that we know along the way for where our working groups are going to want us to be anything from the number of the working groups to what the conditions will be working conditions go far beyond just what we're going to pay and benefits we're going to provide and so i i hope that people view tonight as just an incredibly positive step forward in a commonwealth that has not had a history of welcoming [02:40:40] this type of collective work together i just want to say again to everyone on the working group thank you thank you thank you for your dedicated and devotion of time thank you miss mclaughlin miss marron i will do whatever i can to support our educators and staff so they can provide a meaningful education to our children in fairfax county fcps being the large school division that that it is sometimes comes with advantages and sometimes comes with challenges. [02:41:16] As a board member, I find it difficult that things can take so long. I've been ready to vote for this resolution for months and I'm delighted to do so this evening. Thank you to staff who spent time and focus throughout this work process to again quote that Oakton High School graduation faculty speaker I heard back in 2021, trust the process. [02:41:35] And that's what I have intended to do this time. So as has been said, this foundation is essential, but we know that what gets funded gets done. So there will be resources needed to staff this process appropriately so that FCPS can go through the process smoothly and correctly, and decisions about resources are going to need to be made to fulfill what is identified at the collective bargaining table. [02:41:56] I look forward to us doing that together. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Amesh? Thank you. Obviously, one of the big themes in collective bargaining is that with unity comes power and the collective voice of the people here, of the 17 groups, of staff, and everybody working together is already a huge step forward and is a win. And I want to hear it for that. I want to hear it for all of you who've been advocating for three years to get us here. Really, today is a celebration of you all. And my colleague said before me, it's about time, no doubt. And I want to recognize, three years ago, [02:42:34] I said it, and I'll say it again, that this is a historic moment. This is a huge step forward. You know, Virginia, we're one of three states that were behind and left, right? And it's absurd that we're here, but also wonderful that we've been able to take this step together and in winning, delivering this win today. [02:42:54] I also am mindful that we are standing on the shoulders of giants before us in the labor movement from the 1900s, who've built as early as 1902 in Chicago with a small teacher group that joined a national movement to 1935 when the NLRA was passed, and that was a huge victory of diverse activist voices that landed us here. [02:43:18] So I'm really proud to see all of you carrying forward that legacy and proud of FCPS for taking this move. And especially since it's Women's History Month, I've got to say, Martha Beatrice Webb was the one who coined the term collective bargaining. So, a woman is the one who named this power, and I'm really proud to be with you all passing this today. [02:43:42] Of course, the work, though, is never done, so I'm always thinking, all right, hoo-hoo, we did it, and now what? And so, I remind us that the same energy of unity and power that we feel today, that it'll be intentional for us to actually carry that forward when tension will arise, right? [02:43:59] We're gonna have groups competing against each other. We're gonna have groups trying to speak up and have a voice and that may disagree with one another and then us as a board having to kind of reconcile what that's gonna look like on our end. So let us remember this moment, this moment where we all came together around shared values, around a commitment to the same thing, so that we can see ourselves through that because rainbows come after rainstorms and diamonds come after tremendous pressure. [02:44:23] So I don't want us to lose that as we move forward together in a collective commitment to support our educators so that we can support our students and maintain the best school system in the nation. So I say that and I also want to make sure that when we say all, we mean all, right? [02:44:43] So a couple of pieces that I was a little bit concerned about in wanting to make sure we move forward in the most appropriate way is making sure we don't leave our non-contract employees. And so it's important for me to emphasize that even for those who are not eligible, to remind the community that in Section 6, we do have an opportunity for folks to organize themselves because there are folks who still don't fit within any of the three bargaining units, right? [02:45:07] And we don't want to claim a win that's only a partial win for some of us, right? And I know I've talked to Dr. Reed and Dr. Wilson from HR and the full team who are working to ensure there are grievance processes that will be available to them, that we think about ways to potentially put people who are effectively full-time on contracts, if that's appropriate. [02:45:25] But the work continues to ensure that when we say all, it's all. And I'm just excited to celebrate with you all tonight. Thank you, Ms. Amesh. And I will take my turn before calling for the vote. [02:45:43] As a proud union member, I can tell you from personal experience, I teach for a college that is unionized and I have seen my working conditions my pay and my motivation increase I have seen my own ability to get satisfaction out of my job and my ability to serve my students increase so I am really excited to be able to bring this to fruition today I recognize that our resolution today is is one humongous step forward for working together hand in [02:46:23] hand where our staff have a seat at the table alongside us I recognize that we are now kicking off the process where our bargaining units can start to organize and we can build towards a collective bargaining agreement and I'm really really excited for you all to experience some of the benefits that I personally have experienced and so I'm thrilled to be here today I thank the working group I know they've worked for a significant for months and months and months to come to come to agreement on these terms I thank Dr. Reed for helping Shepherd out to a close I thank my colleagues I know this was presented to us in December and we took some time to really be thoughtful and collaborative [02:47:02] because when we came here today we wanted to be a unified force to unify with you to do amazing things for our students and for those who are watching out there today I want you to just kind of think a little bit about when people have a seat at the table. When those who are doing the work on the ground feel heard and are able to be part of the conditions in which they do their jobs, our students benefit. And that's what we're all here for. We're here for the kids, right? At the end of the day, right? And our students benefit. [02:47:36] We have issues with teacher retention and recruitment, especially in Virginia. Our bus driver shortages are the largest shortage in Virginia schools. Over one in 20 of all full-time school support staff positions were unfilled in Virginia in 2020 to 2021. Virginia teachers are paid 32.7 percent less compared to their peers in summer education levels. In 2021, it was the third worst teacher penalty in the country. Average teacher pay in Virginia is more than 10 percent below the national average in 2020 to 2021. These things matter. These things matter because you do [02:48:14] good work. You do the work of creating a better future for our country because all the children that you educate, that you drive, right? I will tell you, my son was scared of the bus, scared of the bus, and as someone who, don't take offense to this, does not like country music, what got him to like the bus was his bus driver singing country music with him. To this day, I'm not so sure I'm grateful about that, but you guys do amazing work in making our students love school and helping them learn and helping them become the amazing people that they are, and we owe it to you to work hand [02:48:52] in hand with you, to sit with you, to hear your voices, to center your voices, to understand your experiences, and to bring all of that to the table so you feel the motivation even more than you do now, so you stay, so you want to come, so your colleagues want to come, so our students can have the best and the brightest and the most dedicated and the awesomest, as my son would say, teachers [02:49:26] and staff. So I am thrilled that we're bringing this. I know it's been a long time. I'm deeply grateful to you, Dr. Reed, for your leadership and your experience. And I know going forward, I'm deeply grateful to our staff, Dr. Ivy, Mr. Smith, my time is up. So I'm very, very grateful to bring this. I almost have tears in my eyes. Thank you for all the advocacy. Thank you for the hard work. And with that, I will call for the vote. Excuse me. I will call for the vote. [02:50:01] All those in favor, please raise your hands. [02:50:13] That is Ms. Bukarski, Ms. Cohen, Mr. Frisch, Dr. Anderson, Ms. McLaughlin, Ms. Corbett-Sanders, Ms. Omish, Ms. Mera, Ms. Keyes-Gamara, Ms. Tolent, and myself. That motion passes with Moderna-Koufax away from the table. Congratulations. Take a minute to breathe it in before we move on. [02:50:33] Today, we have made history in Fairfax County Public Schools. I thank my colleagues and staff and our associations. So now I will call on Ms. Corbett Sanders for a follow on motion. [02:50:59] Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the board direct the superintendent and her staff to develop a process for the consideration of additional bargaining units and bring that process to the government governance committee by July 1, 2023, for consideration. [02:51:16] Is there a second second with some Ms. Corbett Sanders, would you speak to your motion? Yes, Madam Chair. Hold on one second. [02:51:37] My computer is not working quite well, so I'll just speak to it ad hoc. We heard from everybody or from many constituents and many of our employees that they were excited about the importance of collective bargaining, but that they were concerned that there might not be opportunities to introduce additional bargaining units in the future. [02:52:04] And we heard that especially from our bus drivers and transportation workers. When we embarked on the process three years ago, we always talked about the importance of starting small with a manageable number of bargaining units so that we could all be successful, but we never suggested that it was going to be a fixed process that we adopt tonight and there would never be any changes. [02:52:33] We have to be flexible and nimble and have to realize that we need to be able to evolve over time, if necessary. This motion tonight does not establish additional bargaining units. [02:52:49] What it does is it requests for clarity, which isn't in the resolution to the level that some would like. We want the clarity as to the process. And so that process, the recommendations for the process, will come to the Governance Committee and there will be deliberations and then it will be brought to the board for decision. And so this really is important for addressing the need for clarity and allowing people to have a clear understanding of what processes will be used in this. So I hope [02:53:28] my colleagues will support this. Ms. Omeish, would I just beat your second? Absolutely. And I appreciate those who stayed. We said all means all. And this is an effort to get us there. Red, blue, and yellow, and everyone else as well, right? We said there's going to be a little bit of tension moving forward and whatnot, and that's okay. Let's create some space for that discomfort because we know we're going to end up somewhere better together in the end. And this is an opportunity where folks, you know, it's a massive group, right? 28,617 employees in three groups. A lot of different specialties. We have HVAC and engineers with social media managers and bus drivers. And some folks might not feel [02:54:08] adequately represented in one group. And some districts have tens of bargaining units, right? So when a district as complex as ours, in imagining a future, we want to set up a process that for now is going to work and FCPS will be prepared to negotiate properly with folks early on as we build this. [02:54:25] But down the line, we want to make sure that every employee group feels respected and is able to negotiate in detail on all the various things that might be unique to their employee category, right? So this will enable staff to work on developing some language that will identify what that process will look like so that groups that would like to develop their own unit can do so in the future. [02:54:50] And that's really just a commitment from all of us, and I know from all of you as well, to make sure that everyone feels valued, respected, and receives what they need in the workplace. So I urge my colleagues to support this. [02:55:06] I know that we've had many conversations around this, and I will thank our bus drivers for their courage in coming out to speak at several of our meetings to bring this to our attention, but hope that we all see this as a collective win because it's much broader than a single group or a single moment that we're facing today, but will be something hopefully down the line that offers everybody an even louder voice. [02:55:30] - Thank you. Ms. McLaughlin? - Unfortunately, I was not able have conversation with the maker and the seconder of the motion on this one so you know it's it's this is this one's I guess I've got some questions number one the date on it I really wonder if at a minimum if we're really being mindful the board goes into its summer recess on July 15th so the July 1 deadline to me [02:56:09] knowing how busy we are going to be as a board and our superintendent until we hit that July 15th recess I would prefer that the motion would say when the board reconvenes because we're not going to end up having committee meetings to do the work so this goes to governance on July 1 or it goes to governance on September 1 I I would like to get an understanding if that presents a problem to the maker and the seconder of the motion was corporate Sanders would I [02:56:39] Thank you, Ms. McLaughlin. I did try to reach out to every board member due to family circumstances. I was not in town this past week. Having said that, the July 1 date was a date that we wanted to have a date certain. If it is the will of this board to move it to September 1, I don't think that there is a problem with that. [02:57:01] It's more to get, because this will not affect the current negotiations that should start soon, but rather in future deliberations. And so setting a date for September 1st, if it were the will of this board, I don't think would be a challenge. [02:57:21] I would have to ask Dr. Reed if she sees that as problematic. Dr. Reed? Thank you, Madam Chair, Ms. Corbett Sanders. There's a, you know, if you say July 1, it's not going to be problematic. [02:57:38] So if you say September 1, that's fine, too. It's your call. So, you know, again, Dr. Reed, I'm just trying to be mindful that we have a strategic plan we're trying to pass. We have a budget we're trying to pass. [02:57:55] I'm trying to think of your staff, not simply what you, we know how hardworking you and your team are. I'm just trying to not have a random date that I don't see how it benefits the board. So let me rephrase the question, if we give September 1, will that give some breathing space for you and your team to be able to do everything that we need to get done by July 15th, and then while the board's on recess for a month, we come back and you have this process for our consideration? [02:58:28] I think that's a better timeline. Thank you. Okay, I appreciate that. So that's my first question. The second one is that we just extolled the incredible virtues of the working group that spent, was it at least 18 months? [02:58:45] Somebody raise a hand if I got that timeline correctly. Okay, roughly about 18 months. So it's not that I haven't taken issue with the follow-on motion, and I really do appreciate Ms. Corbett Sanders, you, and Ms. Omish bringing this to us as a follow-on motion. [02:59:04] I just want to make sure that we really help the very members of the working group understand what this means and what it doesn't mean. Because the language says to develop a process for consideration for additional bargaining units. [02:59:22] It doesn't mean that that additional bargaining units will happen. The other key word on here is develop a process. So that's it. It's just the process. So when I spoke earlier that this is an organic document, the resolution, and that we will have changes over time, is my interpretation so that maybe the public's interpretation, and particularly those who work so hard on this, that this is not changing or necessarily reversing where they think we landed with our vote just moments ago. [02:59:54] It is absolutely not reversing or changing the vote that we just took. What it is doing is addressing a request for clarification and better understanding of the process going forward so that people have clarity. [03:00:18] That is it. Wonderful, and I appreciate that, Ms. Corbett-Sanders, because I know that any time we do work, and there's so much context to complicated work, that if we don't sometimes elaborate a little bit more, then people may, you know, view this language and not be sure what's it going to really mean. [03:00:40] SO I DO LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM ANY MORE OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO PLAN TO SPEAK ON THE FOLLOW-ON MOTION. I REALLY WOULD SAY THAT IT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE, MADAM CHAIR, THAT WE COULD DO A -- WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL CHANGE THAT TO SEPTEMBER 1ST, AND THEN THIS WAY WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS AND VOTES FOR THAT DATE. [03:01:03] AND IF SOMEBODY OBJECTS, THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS SEPTEMBER 1. MS. MCGLOUGHIN, I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING TO DO THAT AFTER WE LET THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS speak. So we're on the same mindset here, Ms. McLaughlin. So Dr. Anderson? When I got my first principal job, I walked into the office and I got handed, this dates me a little bit, seven binders. [03:01:25] There were seven different binders of the seven collective bargaining units that were in that division. And that didn't even count the one that I was a part of as the administrator. The reason for that and I think the reason for this and why I will be supporting this motion, it's because the needs are different. There's a reason why we don't have the administrators with the license folks. There's a reason why there are individuals who are not even available for collective bargaining. Sorry leadership team, but it's mostly you all and some others. [03:02:04] our goal is to be responsive to the needs of all of our employees in FCPS. Did we need to start off slowly? Absolutely. Did we need to get this right? Absolutely. I think that's one of the first words that I said to this team after Ms. Corbett and I, Ms. Corbett Sanders and I came back from the county groups. Let's start slow. In my experience, we've always had at least those three buckets and then expand from there because the needs are different but we need to get our feet under us [03:02:37] and I see this process being delineated as an opportunity for us to do that we are not in charge of telling any groups to to to peel off to go off to to be nine to have five to have seven that is not what the job of this board is at least for me what I believe the job of this board is to provide a process if there is interest to do such. [03:03:05] And I think that's what this motion will achieve, which is why I'm very happy to support it. And so thank you both for bringing this forward. And again, this just creates an opportunity for our employees to be heard. I think that's what the theme of the night has been. [03:03:24] People want to be heard. They want to have their concerns talked about in a manner that they feel that it is going to happen to benefit them. And we should do that for any one of our employees who is interested in that. [03:03:41] So I'm so glad about the vote that we just had. I don't want for this conversation to be a stain on that momentous vote that we have just taken. I think this is just an add-on in a fabulous way. So I hope we can come to this in the spirit of positivity and value add to our employee groups. [03:04:04] This is not a takeaway in any way, shape, or form, in my humble opinion. So I'm happy to support with the date provided. If the superintendent feels that it is going to work better later and there's no objections, I will not have any objections either. [03:04:20] But I'd like for us to be able to support this follow-on. Thank you. Ms. Marin? Yeah I support the motion as written I appreciate the superintendent confirming that she's able to manage that work and it says it to deliver to the governance committee so it gets delivered to the committee to then schedule as they see fit given that it took so many years to get to where we are here I'd say let's put this in motion and again our staff can engage with it as as they would like and as per the process and I look forward to learning more about that process. [03:04:52] Thank you. Thank you. You know, I think Dr. Anderson and Ms. Maren said it well, that we have a process in the current resolution whereby groups can decertify a group and decide to go a different way. [03:05:14] This is part and parcel of that kind of conversation. So this is just highlighting that just making sure that people understand what their full opportunities are under collective bargaining and that we haven't been the ones that are limiting, that this is handed back in the world of having a seat at the table for the groups to decide on their own. [03:05:37] And I think, you know, just as this group of 17 came together as a collective to choose three. We as the board, again, with much push and pull, as a collective, decided that supporting the collective work of the working group was the right way to go. And I know that was not easy for some of us. So I do support this. I think that this is just, again, making sure that people understand what rights are enumerated. And I just see this as a good add-on to a really amazing [03:06:12] night. Thank you. Seeing no other board member wishes to speak, Dr. Reed, I just have a question for you. In your previous division, I know you were, I believe, in two divisions that had collective bargaining already. Would you be able to show me how many units were in each division? [03:06:32] Not to put you on the spot, but. In my most recent division, we had 13. In my prior division, PRIOR TO THAT, I BELIEVE WE HAD 11, AND THEN THE DIVISION PRIOR TO THAT, I BELIEVE WE HAD 9. [03:06:54] YEAH, THAT WOULD BE -- I ONLY ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE, AND I THINK WE HAVE -- THE WORKING GROUP SPENT A LOT OF TIME COMING TO CONSENSUS ON THESE THREE, AND I THINK WE ON THE BOARD, WITH OUR RECENT VOTE, SHOW A LOT OF STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE WORK OF THE WORKING GROUP AND TO MOVE FORWARD that but I also really appreciate the way Dr. Anderson phrased this that what we're doing here is asking you to bring us a process to governance because as we I would imagine as you grew with collective bargaining things change over the years and the decades as you have them and so this gives the process to [03:07:31] to think about it's nothing that we're putting in place right now it is just something for you to develop with your staff to bring back the governance for us to then we look at as a board once you do that work is that correct that's That's correct. Yes, ma'am. I think one of the things that happens, too, I think starting at this point with three at the get-go, once the cycle of bargaining gets, that cadence gets moving, you generally don't want to negotiate a number of contracts all in the same year. [03:08:01] So we try to pace those out so we can be really thoughtful with contracts over the course of a number of months. So in other words, we don't want to negotiate 13 contracts in one year so everybody has a cadence some are three year contracts some are four some are two and if they're three and three and three then you start them they're staggered in different spaces just so that everyone has the bandwidth to manage negotiating multiple contracts so starting with three at once is that is a body of work it's a lift and I think once we get in that cadence [03:08:38] we won't necessarily want to negotiate all three at the same time all the time either so it's just a it's the ability to manage that once it gets moving so I think it's a fabulous way to start well thank you very much and I appreciate again the hard work the working group and I so I appreciate the conversation we've had here I do think it's important to recognize that we're at the beginning of something momentous and you know we're asking you to bring back a process as we're looking at something momentous that is new to what we're doing here in Virginia so I see miss McLaughlin you had your light up again did you want to speak again on this just that I'm I know we've got a few more votes ahead of us and [03:09:17] I really listening to a few board members the last thing I want to do is start another wrangling on July 1st versus September 1st honestly I mean it's ridiculous our superintendent said that September 1st would be helpful but I heard a couple board members who I think are going to make it difficult so I'm going to try to make it easy I'm fine with sticking with July 1st I think that Dr. Reed I heard from our colleagues that we respect you and the workload you've got on your plate and if July 1 becomes challenging with the budget and strategic plan and the other things your team is trying to do then I certainly hope everyone honors what they said here tonight. [03:09:57] You just bring it to the chair and vice chair that you're going to need September 1st and there will be no belly aching by a single board member. Thank you. Ms. McLaughlin just to clarify would you not like to me ask without objection? [03:10:14] Okay. All right. Well, then to clarify that, then I will call for the vote. The motion is on the screen. All those in favor, please raise your hands. That is Ms. Bukarski, Ms. Cohen, Mr. Frisch, Dr. Anderson, Ms. McLaughlin, Ms. Corbett Sanders, Ms. Amesh, Ms. Marin, Ms. Keats Gamara, and myself. That is unanimous with Ms. Darenak, and Ms. Tolan, excuse me. That is unanimous with Ms. Darenak-Koufax away from the table. Thank you very much. Thank you, everybody, for being here tonight, and thank you, everybody, for this historic moment. [03:10:50] thank you everybody in the room for sticking with us till 10 30 at night for the vote and for all your hard work and your advocacy over these many many months thank you thank you I will go back to the top of our action item agenda agenda item 4.01 confirmation of action taken in closed meeting [03:11:24] I call on Ms. Corbett Sanders for motion thank you everybody I move to deny the school reassignment appeal of a student who was charged with crimes in the community and to confirm the disciplinary decision of the division superintendent. Is there a second? Second. Mr. Frisch, all those in favor? [03:11:48] Thank you. That is Ms. Keith Gamara, Ms. Corbett Sanders, Ms. Tolan, Ms. McLaughlin, Dr. Anderson, Mr. Frisch, Ms. Cohen, and myself, all those opposed? And Ms. McCartney. And Ms. Omash. All those opposed? All those abstaining? Ms. Marin, that motion passes. I call on Ms. Corbett Sanders for [03:12:15] Another motion. I move to deny the school reassignment appeal of a student who made threats against members of the school community and to confirm the disciplinary decision of the division superintendent. Is there a second? Dr. Anderson, all those in favor? That is Ms. Bukarski, Ms. Cullen, Mr. Frisch, Dr. Anderson, Ms. Corbett Sanders, Ms. Marin, Ms. Keith Gamara, all those opposed? I'm Ms. Tolan, Ms. Tolan was part of that vote in the affirmative. All those opposed? All those abstaining? That is Ms. McLaughlin, myself, and Ms. O'Malley. [03:12:55] that motion passes i call on mr frish for a motion i move that the board authorize settlement of the case of fairfax county public schools versus jewel labs inc case number three colon 22 dash cv dash 4311 according to the terms and conditions discussed with legal counsel in closed session is there a second second miss cohen all those in favor miss tollen miss pokarski miss cohen Mr. Frisch, Ms. McLaughlin, Ms. Corbett-Sanders, Ms. O'Meish, Ms. Mera, Ms. Keith-Gamara, [03:13:32] and myself. All those opposed? Obtaining that motion passes, Ms. Darenak-Koufax and Dr. Anderson away from the table. Agenda Item 4.02, Policy 5011, Authority to Contract. I call Ms. Corbett-Sanders for motion. I move that the school board approve Policy 5011, Authority to Contract. [03:13:54] Sarah second. Ms. McLaughlin, Ms. Corbett-Sanders, would you speak to your motion? Yes, Madam Chair. Since the beginning of my tenure on this board, I have identified the need for more transparency and accountability in our procurement processes. [03:14:15] The taxpayers of Fairfax County expect us to know how the system spends funds. FCPS expenditures fall into two primary categories, goods and services, and contracting of professional and consulting services. Concerned by many of us on the board has been the award of sole source contracts as well. [03:14:33] Tonight, we will be adopting two policies that address the need for greater transparency and accountability. These are policy 5011, authority to contract, which addresses the procurement process for goods and services and sole source contracting. [03:14:49] The second policy is policy 5015, which addresses the practices for contracting of professional services and consultants. With the adoption of the two policies, over 75% of all contracts in Fairfax County public schools will come before the board. [03:15:06] Under Policy 5011, if adopted, all sole source contracts over $200,000 will require board approval. All non-professional services over $500,000 will also be subject to approval by this board. The definition for non-professional services included in the policy is any service not specifically identified as a professional or consultant service. [03:15:30] Examples of contracts covered include maintenance and repair services, snow removal, landscaping and library subscriptions. Contracts for goods include materials, equipment, supplies, printing and information technology, hardware and software, print and online textbooks, cleaning supplies, food products, computers, and office supplies. We'll be notified to the board through the quarterly contracting reports. And I appreciate the board's support in adopting these changes tonight. Thank you. Ms. McLaughlin, would you speak to your second? Yes, thank you. I did ask [03:16:05] that this be moved from consent to action item because this is I think a very important improvement for our board's oversight we are governing body and there have been contracts in the last several years that the public has brought to the board's awareness that the board either found out after the fact but the board was not involved in reviewing and approving these contracts and the public [03:16:40] and frankly the board were surprised by that so I am hopeful that these policy changes and improvements will increase the transparency component and strengthen the oversight component And I do want to convey my appreciation to the Governance Committee that worked hard on this. [03:17:03] I just have a quick question. Mr. Foster, because I don't see our CFO here, Lee Burden, I was hoping that as division counsel you can kind of just help me better understand. [03:17:19] So when I look at the red line version of 5011, you know, I don't see the way that it's It's written here how the dollar amount changed. [03:17:34] And so, you know, maybe the government's chair wants to weigh in if you're not seeing it. Ms. McLaughlin, if you don't mind, when you finish your question, I'll ask Dr. Reed and she can maybe direct to her staff to answer that question if that's okay. Well, I mean, our division counsel is -- the reason why I ask division counsel is because ultimately they see the contracts. [03:17:58] And my concern, Mr. Foster, is just that we have had a number of contracts that even reading these policy improvements, I don't see where the dollar amount changed that how prior contracts didn't find their way to the board when they didn't. [03:18:21] They fell within the range that the board should have seen them. So point of clarification, I think they fell within a dollar range that they would have, not in a classification of contract that they would have which this changes as well okay I mean Mr. Frisch I totally appreciate that and that is very helpful I guess I will just share with my colleagues that a consulting contract is a consulting contract so how how some contracts did not end up coming before the board when they fell within this price range I maybe it is that [03:18:59] Ms. Corbett Sanders you can speak to it but I really don't want to find this sitting board or any future boards with situations where contracts that fell within the range and someone says, well, it didn't fall into that category. [03:19:16] Ms. Corbett-Sanders, would you like to answer the question? Thank you, and I apologize for jumping the gun on that. The first policy we're adopting is 5011. That does not address the consulting services contracts. [03:19:33] It addresses the goods and services, and that's why I clarified the definition for that one. And then we will next adopt 5015, which is the professional and consulting services. [03:19:50] And there was a modification made to the definition of those services to be more expansive. In the past, what occurred was there was a very narrow definition of what was a professional service and what was a consulting service. [03:20:07] And Ms. Pratt is actually sitting in the side dais, and she can probably explain this better than I do, but that is the fundamental difference is that being much more expansive on how we define those services. [03:20:27] And in the next one, which is 5015, it also includes single source contracting of professional services, and that's where you get to the sole source there as well. [03:20:43] Did I explain that correctly? Ms. Pratt? You did a wonderful job. 5015 actually outlines and defines professional and consultant services, but 5011 prescribes the method of approval or notification to the board so i think mrs corbett sanders accurately described it thank you miss mclaughlin yeah i i will just say one of my uh advocacies over time on policies is that having things in separate places isn't always helpful so that will be for [03:21:22] another day i know we can cite this policy relates to that policy but ideally it's all in one place And the second question I have for our division counsel or for Ms. Pratt was based on this vote for this policy revision and the next vote we're going to do, which one is going to protect the board's authority on things like the Cigna health care contract change? [03:21:50] that was 1.2 billion because that one also didn't come to the board and I want to know if tonight are we finally gonna close that loophole because it was shocking to the board and shocking to our employees that we didn't know or were not involved in any of that change so in that example policy 5011 would prescribe the method of notification for what is considered to be a non professional service in the administration of the medical plan contract so non-professional services over a certain dollar threshold that [03:22:26] dollar threshold in 5011 is going to be five hundred thousand dollars all of those contracts would come to the board prior to award for notification I appreciate that maybe mr. Foster you can help explain this component it's 1.2 billion how does that not fall within the board meeting to approve it how did we find ourselves here I think that you know historically and traditionally it's caught you know construction contracts under the Virginia code that had been brought to the board and are required to be brought to the board these two [03:23:04] policies you know fill in those gaps and as was indicated a minute ago by this Pratt the contract that you just mentioned would not be considered a professional consultant services contract under 5015 but it would be governor to 5011 and so going forward um that contract regardless of whether it's for 1 billion dollars or a much lower amount under 5011 would need to be brought forward to the board so what you're saying is we didn't have existing policy to protect against the 1.2 billion dollar contract [03:23:43] that the board would have oversight over but now between with tonight's votes we will have that oversight protection in place. Okay, so my colleagues again, I just can't emphasize enough that I hope we position ourselves and future boards in a better place. And I do want to say again, Dr. Reed, I know your commitment and desire to engage this board. And what I've always said is superintendents can can enter into contracts that maybe fall outside of the policy authority of the board. [03:24:22] But if it turns out to be a bad contract decision, the board isn't there to help protect and support and stand with you on it. So I hope regardless of policy language, we'll have a stronger relationship with you than where we found ourselves prior to. [03:24:41] So thank you. Thank you, Ms. McLaughlin. Dr. Reed, did you want to speak? Just, I get it. So thank you. Yes, ma'am. We're on it. Thank you. Seeing no other hands up, I would like to call for the vote. The motion before us is on the screen. [03:24:58] All those in favor, please raise your hands. That is Ms. Keys-Gamara, Ms. Marin, Ms. Omish, Ms. Corbett-Sanders, Ms. McLaughlin, Dr. Anderson, Mr. Frisch, Ms. Cohen, Ms. Tolan, Ms. Bukarski, and myself. That motion passes with Ms. Derenak-Koufax away from the table. [03:25:17] Agenda item 4.03, policy 5015. I will call on Ms. Corbett-Sanders for a motion. I move that the School Board approve Policy 5015, Procurement of Professional and Consultant Services. Is there a second? Ms. McLaughlin? [03:25:34] Ms. Corbett-Sandridge, would you just speak to your motion? Yes, Madam Chair. As I mentioned before, this Board has committed to increased transparency and accountability for the procurement of professional and consulting services. The changes we are adopting this evening will lead to both of these objectives. [03:25:50] The definition of consultant services has been expanded to include consultant services shall include any type of service other than professional services where a firm exercises discretion and flexibility, makes recommendations on how to improve performance and solve organizational or operational problems, or evaluates and recommends effective and efficient ways of achieving desired goals and outcomes. [03:26:14] Examples include professional development, system implementation, and program evaluations. The policy requires board approval of all professional and consulting services over $200,000, including intergovernmental contracts and MOUs. [03:26:32] And I would appreciate the board's support for adopting these changes tonight. Thank you, Ms. McLaughlin. Would I just repeat you a second? No, I think I was able to ask my questions and tie in both policies. [03:26:48] So, I'll just reiterate again that policies are crucial for adherence. However, it's always in the spirit. So, in the end, what it really comes down to is, I think, working as a partnership with the superintendent and the board for the dialogue on looking at, especially consulting contracts where we are trying to enhance the work and continuously improve the division. [03:27:20] but in a way that is always still very respectful of the public dollars that we're entrusted to spend. And so that's, for me, what's been paramount is how do I support the division in its work? [03:27:36] And when the public raises really important questions about how the division is spending money on outside contracts, if I can't defend it, think that weakens the division as a whole when the board is is left in in a place where it it can't necessarily support or defend what the division is doing so I hope that this is just a positive step forward and again I want to emphasize dr. Reed that in your now around nine month tenure you've been with [03:28:14] us i can't convey how much i appreciate your deep commitment to where i believe the board's core values are which is to be good stewards of our funds to continuously improve this division and to learn how we um you know can always get better at that effort thank you miss cohen i just want to say thank you this was a three years long effort so thank you to miss pratt and miss burden And to Ms. Madeja, who heard this version, these versions three different years in a row. [03:28:54] I think more than half the board has gone through governance with these committees here. So first Mr. Frisch, then myself, then Ms. Corbett Sanders. So thank you for your patience and tenacity. And let's just vote this in. [03:29:14] Thank you. Dr. Anderson? Actually, I was about to say the very same thing. But I would be remiss if I didn't say a thank you to Ms. Burden, even though she's not here, and the entire finance team, because this has been quite a labor, and it has gone through three different governance chairs, and I'm excited that we're able to get here and to get into a place where there's greater clarity, more oversight in terms of our expenditures, because that is the expectation of our public. [03:29:43] And so, yes, I'm ready to vote this in as well, because I think we would have had some of these opportunities for greater oversight if we were able to have this be effective a year ago or two years ago or whenever it is we started. [03:29:59] But we're here, and I'm excited for this to be put forward. Mr. Frisch. All right. I'm going to take a minute to I just want to make sure that people understand the scope of what is changing here. So currently, until we vote on this, our board for contracts for professional and consulting services, over $200,000, we get notification and a quarterly report. [03:30:29] For intergovernmental MOUs and MOAs, over $250,000 for all goods and services, we get to approve those contracts, and they also end up in a quarterly report. And that's it. That's all our oversight currently allows. [03:30:46] After we pass this policy change, all contracts and amendments for goods will be put in a quarterly report, every single one of them. Contracts and amendments for professional and consulting services, over 200,000, will come to us for approval. [03:31:08] Intergovernmental MOUs and MOAs, this number goes down to 200, so we have more oversight over this. For all goods and services will come to us for approval and also end up in that quarterly report. New contracts and contract amendments for non-professional services, over $500,000. [03:31:25] This is also new for non-professional services. We will be notified about those and they will end up in the quarterly report. And sole source contracts and amendments over $200,000 for all goods and services. We will approve and they will also be in our quarterly report. [03:31:41] In total, our board will now have direct oversight over 75% of the contracts our school system engages in. that is a remarkably big deal and it's no wonder it took us a little while to get here but it shows our commitment to fiduciary responsibility and our willingness to be good stewards of the economics of our school system thank you mr frisch um just before i call for the vote i would just like to say as one person i think someone said you know two-thirds of our board have been through [03:32:16] governance on this as one who has not I am just grateful to our the 2/3 of the board that have worked on this to miss Corbett Sanders for as governance here this year for bringing to fruition I'm happy to be able to to miss McLaughlin for all her hard work as well - I won't name all the members of governance to miss Pratt for bringing this to fruition I think it's going to really help with our oversight of our contracts so I really appreciate all the hard work on i'm excited to be able to bring this to fruition so with that i will call for the vote the motion before us is on the screen all those in favor please say please raise your hands miss keith [03:32:56] gomara miss maron miss omesh miss corbett sanders miss mclaughlin dr anderson mr frisch miss cohen miss pokarski miss tollen and myself that motion passes with miss darna koufax away from the table we are on to agenda item five consent agenda our adopted rules of parliamentary procedure robert's rules provide for a consent agenda listing several items for approval of the board by a single motion many items listed have gone through board review and documentation has been provided to all board members and the public in advance excuse me items may be removed from [03:33:32] the consent agenda at the request of any board member prior to the meeting the consent agenda items are on the screen is there any objection to approving the consent agenda hearing and seeing no objection the consent agenda is approved agenda item 6 new business the following are new business agenda items there will not be a vote on these items this evening but action is scheduled at a future meeting the new business items are on the screen agenda item 7 is board committee reports but I believe Ms. McLaughlin has stepped away from the table so we will without objection we will do the public engagement committee report at our next board meeting on [03:34:11] March 30th agenda item 8 is would you like to do the public engagement committee report Ms. McLaughlin or wait till the next meeting would you like to do what we might happy to do it next time too if you prefer we're going to do pec report next time that's a great peck report miss mclaughlin without objection i would like to skip agenda item eight board matters since it is quite late tonight so without objection i will skip agenda item eight and this meeting is adjourned ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Coraggio Consulting ยท aguyonx.com