Dear Community Members,
We are at a defining moment in American history and in the history of Fairfax County. Leaders of our county can no longer do business as usual. Not only our public schools are at stake, but our economic survival as individuals and as a County is at stake. I spoke to exactly this during the March 13 Public Regular Meeting. I remain committed to doing the work needed to fortify our community.
“What a time in public education.
We are doing what we must do, and that is to be the stewards of public education, to work so that children thrive. I believe that the most important thing that the 22 local elected officials serving on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the School Board can do is to unify our efforts to fortify our quality of life for all in Fairfax County.
This is a historic, unprecedented time. So we may not have the answers on what to do – and people are asking me, what they can do. But I know that the two Boards working together is the pathway. It’s finding out how to do better business to construct our schools so we save time and money and it’s doing the hard work to find a solution – not just cut – programs and protections for our youth. That’s middle school afterschool, it’s summer programming, it’s crossing guards at high schools, it’s ensuring that our staff receive the dignity of a salary worthy of their emotional, mental, and physical work to nurture children into people who will thrive and create a much better America. I am not done working on this budget, and I am asking Chairman Jeff McKay and the County Executive Bryan Hill whom the County Board supervises and holds accountable, to do the hard work with the School Board and our Superintendent to find solutions. Cutting programs is not a solution. It’s not creative, and we can do better.
I also want to state that Fairfax County Public Schools is the largest employer in this county, the third largest in the state. We must fully fund competitive compensation for our incredibly-hard working staff, as agreed to in our collective bargaining agreement. FCPS is a stable employer – we have staff who are now the breadwinners in their families, due to federal cuts. I see it as a moral imperative, but it is truly an economic imperative to provide the best public education system in the nation and in the DMV region.
If we want people to retain their homes, spend money, and continue living in Fairfax County, we must fully fund the Superintendent’s proposed budget and compensate our staff. Public education is a non-negotiable public investment.”
Best,
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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