In their own words, at-large candidates for Fairfax County School Board say what motivates them to seek a seat on the board, why they are qualified, and their plans to lift up all students. They made their comments at a recent forum. The FCDC Endorsement Vote is at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, May 21, at Lake Braddock Secondary School, 9200 Burke…
By Brad Swanson: School board members have great power in Fairfax County, the 10th largest school district in the country, with a budget of almost $3 billion. And candidates – who are technically non-partisan — avidly seek the endorsement of the Democratic Party to gain advantage in this increasingly blue region. But who decides which candidates will get the Democratic…
By Ilryong Moon: Fairfax County prides itself on its diversity. Our students come from all over the world and speak more than 200 languages. About a third of our county residents were born outside the U.S. In fact, Fairfax County Public Schools is a “minority majority” school district. Yet, our government leadership does not reflect the diversity of the county.…
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax County will seek bids shortly to install solar panels at more than 200 school and government buildings, aiming to decrease electric costs and curb greenhouse emissions. Solar panel installers will be asked to propose terms for “power purchase agreements” (PPAs) under which they will install panels and supporting equipment — at their own expense– at sites…
By Trisha Rahman: As a student currently attending a Fairfax County Public high school, I am familiar with many of the issues high school students care about. Yes, we think about test scores, our football team stats, even Ariana Grande’s new song, but we also contemplate problems impacting our schools on a large scale. When public schools all over the…
By Brad Swanson: The Fairfax County School Board endorsed a new policy Thursday that limits the role of police officers in schools and that restricts, but does not completely bar, cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The board heard moving pleas from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students and former students to prohibit immigration agents from entering school grounds or obtaining…
By Matthew Dunne: The policy governing roles and responsibilities of armed police officers who patrol the hallways of every public middle and high school in Fairfax County is about to be improved, after a community panel submitted more than 50 pages of comments in a wide-ranging review. Although universal agreement was not reached, the policy review, the first in several…
By Robert Rigby, Jr.: The Fairfax County School Board meets on Thursday June 14 to vote on changes to the Family Life Education curriculum that are more inclusive of transgender students—and have attracted a national media campaign of opposition from outside, right wing groups. The changes – which also include informing students of ways to prevent HIV infection – were…
By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: Public school teachers in Fairfax County will receive pay raises averaging 5% following the Board of Supervisors decision on Tuesday to narrow the gap between Fairfax County and neighboring school systems. The school pay hikes were part of a total county budget of $4.29 billion, rising $192 million, or 4.6%, over last year. The spending increases…