Coraggio Consulting Fairfax County School Board Meeting, Thursday, September 11, 2025 Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025 Place: Fairfax County School Board, Virginia Length: 4h 4m (video) Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGM8jAfu7RE 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 2026-10-29. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [00:01:19] like the time is 7 p.m. and this September 11th 2025 regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board will now come to order. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence and the performance of the National Anthem by West Springfield High School vocalist Emily Collada, Jacqueline Drobness, Kaylee Wisner and Katherine Thomas. I pledge [00:01:49] allegiance. We have one more I know they're not here but can we have one [00:03:56] One more round of applause for our amazing students. On behalf of the Fairfax County School Board, I would like to welcome Fairfax City School Board Chair Carolyn Pichist with us this evening. If you would like to review a copy of the meeting agenda, please see the back of the auditorium. [00:04:18] To obtain copies of any items or supporting materials being presented tonight, please reference the QR code on the agenda or visit www.fcps.edu/boarddocs. Tonight's meeting is being broadcast on Channel 99 and live streamed on YouTube and our website at www.fcps.edu/livestream. [00:04:40] Tonight's meeting is also being broadcast in Spanish on YouTube at youtube.com/@fcps en español. Agenda Item 3.03, Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation. [00:04:56] I call on Ms. Tixit for a proclamation. Whereas Hispanic National Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized annually from September 15th through October 15th across the United States by celebrating the histories, cultural and innumerable contribution of those whose ancestors traced their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish speaking Caribbean nations and whereas nearly one in five people in the U.S. is Hispanic Latino. [00:05:28] The highest concentration of Virginia's Hispanic-Latino population resides in northern Virginia and accounts for 16.5 Fairfax County's population. One in four Fairfax County public school student is in Hispanic-Latino heritage. [00:05:44] And whereas, Hispanic history is inoxerably entwined with United States history, as California, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, part of Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma were at one point Spanish or Mexican territory. [00:06:04] As part of the largest ethnic group of the United States, Hispanics and Latinos have significantly contributed to the nation's identity and have played a vital role in shaping Americans' democracy, economy, cuisine, and culture. [00:06:19] and whereas the 2025 national theme collective heritage honoring the past inspiring the future calls upon us to recognize the rich cultural traditions and shared legacy of Hispanic Americans while celebrating the vibrancy and innovation of younger generation who will carry forward this collective heritage. Hispanic Americans have profoundly shaped the fabric of a nation from military service and civic leadership to groundbreaking contribution in science, education, entrepreneurship, arts and beyond, building the nation we enjoy today. [00:06:55] The resilience and creativity of Hispanic communities, from storytellers like Sandra Sisson Rose, innovators like Lin-Manuel Miranda, public servants like Justick, Sonia, Sotomayor, artists like Celia Cruz to modern cultural trailblazers like Marcelo Hernandez, Elisabeth Acevedo, Chustes Scott Martinez, Laurie Hernandez, Becky G, Ellen Ochoa embody a bridge from the past to the inspired future. [00:07:30] Various prominent Hispanic Virginians including Michael Yajor, founder of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Susana Marino, an entrepreneur, founding president and chair of the Northern Virginia Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce, and Major League Baseball pitcher Javier Lopez, who attended Robinson Secondary School. [00:07:54] And whereas FCPS Hispanic American students, staff and families are valued members of our community whose contribution immeasurably enhanced our classroom culture and collective success by affirming our shared commitment to equity and opportunity we empower all students to become the next generations of leaders reinforcing the school board's belief that diversity is a strength that creates resilient open and innovative global citizen now therefore be it resolved that the fairfax county school board hereby proclaims september 15th through [00:08:29] October 15 2025 a Hispanic Heritage Month we encourage Fairfax County residents to participate in programs and events taking place in our schools and community to learn about celebrate and elevate the rich Hispanic Latino heritage. I now call on Miss St. John Cunningham for to provide a reading of the proclamation in Spanish. Mes de la herencia hispana proclamación considerando que el mes national de la herencia hispana se reconoce anualmente del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre [00:09:05] en todos los estados unidos celebrando las historias culturas y innumerables conturbaciones de aquellos cuyo antepasado tienen sus raíces en españa méxico américa central américa del sur y las naciones caribeñas de habla hispana y considerando que casi uno de cada cinco personas en los estados unidos es hispana latina la mayor concentración de población hispana latina en virginia reside en el norte de virginia y representa el 16.5 porcentaje de la población [00:09:42] del condado de fairfax uno de cada cuatro estudiantes de las escuelas públicas del condado de fairfax es de herencia hispana latina y considerando que la historia hispana está inexorable, inexorablemente entrelazada con la historia de los Estados Unidos y que California, Florida, Texas, Nueva México, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, partes de Wyoming, Kansas y Oklahoma fueron en algún momento territorio español o mexicano. [00:10:18] Como parte del grupo étnico más grande de los Estados Unidos, los hispanos y latinos han contribuido significativamente a la identidad de nuestra nación y han desempeñado un papel vital en la configuración de la democracia, la economía, la gastronomía y la cultura estadounidense. [00:10:45] Y considerando que el tema nacional de 2025, herencia colectiva, honorando el pasado, Inspirando el Futuro, nos llama a reconocer las ricas tradiciones culturales y el legado compartido de los hispanoamericanos, mientras celebramos la vitilidad y enamoración de las generaciones más jóvenes que continuarán con esta herencia colectiva. [00:11:13] Los hispanoamericanos han moldeado profundamente el tejido de nuestra nación, desde el servicio militar y el liderazgo cívico hasta las contribuciones innovadoras en ciencia, educación, emprendimiento, artes y más allá, construyendo la nación que disfrutamos hoy. La resiliencia y creatividad de las comunidades hispanas desde narradores como Sandra Cisneros, innovadores como Lin Manuel Miranda, servidores públicos como la jueza Sonia Sotomayor, artistas como [00:11:51] Celia Cruz, hasta pioneros culturales modernos como Marcelo Hernández, Elizabeth Acevedo, Xitarte Martínez, Lauri Hernández, Becky Ellen Ochoa, encarnan un puente del pasado hacia un futuro inspirado. Por cuanto entre los virginianos hispanos prominentes se incluyen [00:12:19] Michael Sahur, fundador de la Cámara de Comercio Hispana de Virginia, Susana Marino, empresaria presidenta, fundadora y presidenta de la Cámara del Comercio Hispanoamericano del Norte de Virginia, y el lanzador de béisbol de las grandes ligas, Javier López, que asistió a la escuela secundaria Robinson. [00:12:40] And considering that the students, the staff and the Hispanic families of FCPS are valuable members of our community whose contributions enrichen enormously our classes, our culture and our collective success. [00:12:58] Al reafirmar nuestro compromiso compartido con la equidad y las oportunidades, empoderamos a todos los estudiantes para que se conviertan en la próxima generación de líderes, reenforzando así la convicción del Consejo Escolar que la diversidad es una fortaleza que crea ciudadanos globales, resilientes, abiertos e innovadores. [00:13:21] Por tanto, se resuelve que la Junta Escolar del Condado de Fairfax proclama del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre de 20 y 25 como mes de la herencia hispana. Animamos a los residentes del Condado de Fairfax a participar en los programas y eventos que se llevan a cabo en nuestras escuelas y comunidad para conocer, celebrar y entrelacer la rica herencia hispana-latina. [00:13:50] Is there a second? Second. Ms. Sizemoreheiser. I'll call for the vote. All those in favor, Mr. Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Marin, Mr. McElveen, Ms. St. John Cunning, Ms. Lady, Ms. Dixit, Ms. Sizemoreheiser, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself. That's unanimous for all board members present. [00:14:17] This is where we wave our flags. I would like to welcome the Hispanic Educators Association and all those here in support of Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation to please join the board for a photo in front of the dais. [00:14:31] Agenda item 4.01, board business. [00:17:14] Resolution dedicating the toll activity office at the Westfield High School. I call on Ms. Dixit for a motion. I move that the school board approves the following resolution dedicating the activities office at Westfield High School as the Terry K. Toll Activities Office. [00:17:36] Whereas Ms. Toll's unwavering commitment to fostering sportsmanship, teamwork, and a strong work ethic profoundly impacted countless student-athletes, guiding them to achieve success both on and off the court. And whereas Ms. Toll's leadership and dedication were instrumental in the development and expansion of the school's athletic program, creating opportunities for generation of students to participate in a wide range of sports. [00:18:03] Whereas she's a respected mentor and a role model embody the values of integrity, perseverance and dedication that are central to the spirit of Westfield High School. And whereas the activities office served as a central stage of our enduring legacy, a place where she inspired, coached and celebrated the achievements, achievements of Westfield High School athletic community and where it is fitting to honor her memory and her extraordinary contribution to the school by dedicating a prominent space in her name to ensure the future generations of students community members will remember [00:18:42] her impact. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the school board of Fairfax County, Virginia honors Terry Toll with the naming of the Westfield High School activities office as the Terry K. Toll's activities office in recognition of her service to the entire Westfield community through the caring way she has served the students families and community during her time as a director of student services at Westfield High School. Is there a second? A second. Thank you, Miss Marin. Miss Dixit, would you like to speak to your motion? [00:19:18] No, just thank you, Miss Toll. Miss Marin, would you like to to speak to your second. - Thank you for all the time and energy you've given to our community. And I'm so glad you can be remembered and celebrated in this way every day. Mr. Dabari is a very huge champion of yours. So thank you. [00:19:35] - Seeing no others, we'll go ahead and call for the vote. All those in favor, and the motion should be on the screen momentarily. Mr. Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Marin, Mr. McElveen, Ms. St. John Cunning, Ms. Lady, Ms. Dixit, Ms. Sizemore Heiser, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself. [00:19:52] That's unanimous for all board members present. Agenda item 4.02, board business, resolution dedicating the Swarm Gymnasium at Marshall High School. [00:20:10] I call on Mr. Frisch for a motion. Thank you. I move that the school board approve the following resolution, dedicating the main gymnasium at George C. Marshall High School as the Joseph D. Swarm Gymnasium. Whereas Joseph D. Swarm, a distinguished class of 1989 graduate of George C. Marshall High School, has dedicated over 30 years of life to serving the school and its community in many different capacities. [00:20:35] A social studies teacher, a coach, an assistant director of student activities, and director of student activities. And whereas, as a teacher and coach, Joe's engaging personality, excellent communication skills and problem-solving abilities led him to quickly become a favorite among students by demonstrating a profound commitment to their development both on and off the field. [00:20:57] And whereas Joe Swarm's unwavering dedication and the high expectations he set have shaped the values and beliefs of Marshall student-athletes, contributing to their success both in competition and in life. And whereas during his tenure as athletic director, Joe Swarm demonstrated exceptional leadership, fostering a culture of excellence, sportsmanship, and holistic development for student-athletes, emphasizing academic achievement, character building, and community involvement. [00:21:25] And whereas Joe Swarm embodies the five pillars of ethical values that George C. Marshall High School prides itself upon: respect, responsibility, honesty, spirit, and community. Now therefore be it resolved that the school board of Fairfax County, Virginia honors Joseph Swarm with the naming of the George C. Marshall High School Gymnasium as the Joseph D. Swarm Gymnasium in recognition of his service to the entire George C. Marshall community through the caring way he has served the students, families, and its community during his time is a teacher, coach, assistant director of student activities, and director of student activities at [00:21:59] George C. Marshall High School. Is there a second? Mr. McElveen. Mr. Fresh, would you like to speak to your motion? Yes. So Joe Swarm is the kind of adult every student deserves to have in their corner. Someone who sees them, encourages them, and believes in them. What strikes me most about Joe's career is not just the number of years. We heard his graduation year in there. I'm like, that's not, I guess that is a while ago. Not just the number of years that he gave to Marshall, but the way he gave himself truly and fully to his students, his colleagues, and the entire [00:22:37] Marshall community. He lived the values of respect, responsibility, honesty, spirit, community, every day. And those lessons carried far beyond the classroom, gym, or playing field into the lives of thousands of students who were influenced by his example, who are now parents, neighbors, and leaders themselves. [00:22:58] Which makes Joe sound like some ancient figure in Marshall's history, as if he were a contemporary or a confidant of George C. Marshall when he was Secretary of State. But I promise he's not nearly that old, as I might be making him sound. [00:23:15] What matters most is how long Joe's been there, but the impact he's had on generations of students and families in the time that he has been there. That's the legacy we celebrate today, a gymnasium that now bears his name, and a community forever shaped by his example. [00:23:33] Mr. McElveen, would you like to speak to your second? Absolutely. So for me, this is a very circular moment because Joe Swarm was my civics teacher in 10th grade, and it's wonderful to see you sitting there with your great hairdo and everything else. [00:23:52] But really, just as Mr. Frisch said, you were an inspiration not only to me, but to many years of Marshall students. And when I think about it, I don't think anyone has been committed to Marshall for as many years and as deeply as you have throughout your time as a student and as a teacher and a coach and a director of student activities among many other things. [00:24:21] You've sacrificed evenings, weekends, lots of time with your family on behalf of Marshall, but also our school system. And I cannot be more proud of this board and recognizing you. And of course, there's no more appropriate place than the gym to put your name. [00:24:40] So congratulations, Mr. Soren. - Thank you, Mr. McLevin. Miss Lady. - Thank you, Madam Chair. This is also a full circle moment for me. When I started my career in Fairfax over 30 years ago, I was a school counselor at Marshall and Joe was a civics teacher. [00:24:58] I also coached several sports while I was at Marshall, and I'll just echo everything that Mr. Frisch has said about Joe, and it's not just the kids and the parents, the community members, it's the faculty that worked with Joe. [00:25:14] And when we talk about the Statesman star and the five pillars, the points of the star with respect, responsibility, honesty, spirit, and community, Joe embodied that every day and continues to embody that. He's a ten of a human, and I'm going to tell you, he was a true director of student activities. [00:25:32] He was not a director of student athletics. Yes, it's very apropos that the gym will be named after him, but the way he championed the arts, marching band, theater. For years, Joe has hosted the district tournament for the one-act play competition, and he's done an incredible job. [00:25:49] He comes in his suit. He respects every actor that takes the stage, the whole set and design crew, all those things. So I am forever grateful for the sort of impact you had on my life as a mentor and a colleague and a friend. But again, I just want to highlight that you were truly a director of student activities and I applaud you for that. [00:26:08] Thank you, Jo. Seeing no others, I'm going to call for the vote. All those in favor, Mr. Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Marin, Mr. McElveen, Ms. St. John Cunning, Ms. Lady, Ms. Dixit, Ms. Seismar-Hyser, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself. [00:26:24] That's unanimous for all board members present. I would like to welcome Mr. Joe Swarm, his family, colleagues, and those here in support of dedicating the Swarm gymnasium at Marshall High School Resolution to please join the board for a photo in front of the dais. [00:27:17] I would like to welcome Ms. Terry Toll, her family, colleagues, and all those here in support of the Dedicating the Toll Activities Office at Westfield High School Resolution to please join the board for a photo at the front of the dais. [00:29:44] Agenda Item 5.01, Community Participation. The next order of business is Community Participation. We welcome all community members who are here and those who signed up to speak this evening. [00:30:04] Additional information about signing up to provide comments at school board regular business meetings and public hearings can be found on the school board's website at www.fcps.edu backslash school board. During the sign-up process, community members acknowledged that they were informed of the school board's expectations for respect and proper decorum while providing comments. [00:30:25] these expectations are also available online and with the printed agenda and meeting materials in the back of the room. We ask audience members to be respectful of one another. Shouting and outbursts will not be tolerated. Please hold your applause until the conclusion of a speaker's remarks. Audience members may not join speakers at the podium and should remain in their seats, including when recording video or taking photos. We are grateful to those who have come to speak to us today and thank you for your cooperation. School board members [00:30:53] will be listening but not responding madam clerk please call the first speaker natalia langdon my name is natalia langdon i'm a senior at hayfield secondary school and i'm here to talk about the unacceptable mold situation at hayfield first of all thank you to school board members miss st john cunning and mr dunn for your attention to the problem we need you to keep visiting to demand transparency and accountability and to keep it up until the problem is fully resolved [00:31:30] with respect i would highly encourage all school board members to take an interest in this with With respect to the school situation at Hayfields, I have three main points. One, the situation has been and continues to be much worse than the administration and FCPS recognize in their few emails to the Hayfield community. [00:31:47] Two, staff, students, and parents worry about their health and the learning environment. Three, the mold problem has significantly exacerbated the existing lack of trust in the school administration and FCPS. FCPS sends few emails about the mold situation, and those emails felt to describe the extent of the problem. [00:32:05] From what I see, the mold has gotten worse, not better. Hayfield now has many air scrubbers and air purifiers. They disrupt learning because they are so loud, especially in classrooms that have two installed. At the same time, it is not clear that they can make a difference in a busy, open classroom. [00:32:21] My understanding is that these machines are most effective when put into a room that is left closed for 24 to 72 hours. That does not happen at Hayfield. It has gotten to the point where some teachers are turning the air scrubbers off when their students are in class so that they can teach and students can hear. [00:32:38] The FCPS emails don't describe this, nor do the emails attempt to describe why we have the mold in the first place and what will be done to prevent it from happening again. Before this problem, the trust in school leadership was already fragile. It has gotten much worse. Staff and students feel like they don't have a voice or they are afraid to use it. [00:32:56] As FCPS brings in an interim principal and selects a new principal for Hayfield, I ask that the school board ensure that FCPS prioritize someone who gives staff and students a voice. Thank you. Devon Tolson. Hello school board. My name is Devon [00:33:36] Tolson. I'm a senior at Fairfax High School and I just wanted to touch base on the fact that we're losing our coach. One second, my apologies. The past six weeks at our school has been very some of the hardest times we had. We lost our coach and our mentor. Instead of focus on a game we love, we've been dealing with rumors and distractions and feeling that people outside of our locker room don't believe in us. For me, [00:34:16] this is my last chance to put on a Fairfax football jersey. And for many of my teammates, they're going through the same thing. All of us are supposed to be on point with this season. We're supposed to be focusing on our goals. And that got cut short a week before the season started. [00:34:37] We were supposed to set new memories and goals as a team. But instead of that, we're focusing on things that have been distracting us. The impact that Coach Taylor had on me for the last four years, I don't know where to start. [00:34:56] But he has been more than a coach to me. He's been a father figure. Throughout all my hard times throughout high school, he's always been there for me. And that memory is solely being stolen away from me right now. With all fairness and closures, please stop letting us live in this limbo. [00:35:14] Please give us back our coach, who's been here for every step of the way. We just wanted a chance to play together as a team, and without this, cloud hanging over us. Thank you. Charles Ronco. [00:35:36] Good evening, members of the school board. My name is Chuck Ronco, and I'm a proud union member, activist, and organizer. I come here tonight to ask that Dr. Reed meet with the Office of Labor Relations to damn the river of falsehoods flowing out of their office to principals. [00:35:56] At the end of last school year, it became clear that many high school principals were getting some really, really bad advice from the Office of Labor Relations. So bad, in fact, that many of us began to wonder if they were reading the same collective bargaining agreement that we were. [00:36:12] Clear as bell definitions were grossly misinterpreted. Black and white language was nonchalantly tossed aside. Rules, seen nowhere in the document, were starting to come out of the woodwork, and principals were singing the chorus that they were trained to sing. It's because of the CBA. They have unilaterally changed the contract hours to force us to stay late when we already must come in early because more than half of the high schools have a dire lack of parking. One principal even closes the faculty parking lot before their draconian contract hours begin. They're [00:36:47] making edicts out of whole cloth and then saying blame the CBA. The The consequences of their actions have turned pleasant work spaces into hostile ones. Morale across the board is the lowest that our members have ever seen. [00:37:03] The unions didn't unilaterally decide to make everyone's lives difficult. The principals, under the direction of a million dollars worth of lawyers in the Office of Labor Relations, most certainly did. I implore the members of the school board and the superintendent to sit down with the office of labor relations and union leaders to iron out these patently false misconceptions i am a union man through and through and i am glad to see the power of collective action if the administration bargaining unit decides to begin to organize themselves that's awesome maybe they [00:37:40] can get their own collective bargaining and keep their hand katie johnson good evening my name is katie johnson i am i am writing both as a fcps employee and as a parent of a child with a disability unfortunately my daughter has experienced serious violations of high [00:38:15] educational rights within fcps and i am asking for your immediate attention assistance in resolving this issue so that she can receive the support she deserves summary of the problem in august of 2024 key informations were removed from my daughter's signed iep without parental consent These include her placement and related service hours. [00:38:39] These changes were not based on the child's need but instead appeared to serve the district's interest. Although the district acknowledged the remover and agreed to resolve the information, they later claimed that the C-Star will not allow the return that was removed. [00:38:57] Despite my repeated requests, the IEP has never corrected. impact on transition because of this issue remain unresolved my daughter was out of school for two weeks for this new school year this unresolved issue caused my daughter to enter high school without an updated IEP during her transition the district introduced a new proposal that replicate the same changes that were previously removed from my daughter's signed IEP without consent we as parents rejected this proposal because it effectively effectively legitimized [00:39:34] this unauthorized changes as a result my daughter has been denying a proper transition plan and currently does not have an updated iep that reflects her high school need current situation the district is now telling us to our only option is to go to due process this will not be necessary if districts have simply restored the information that were previously removed [00:40:01] as promised request respectfully anna smith good evening dr reed and members of the school board my name is anna smith and i am the mother of a fairfax high school junior who plays both football and baseball i am here tonight to share my concerns about fcps athletics and the impact [00:40:37] of unresolved issues within our football program on july 31st coach trey taylor a 28-year employee of FPCS and my neighbor in the city of Fairfax, was placed on administrative leave for alleged recruiting violations. In addition to serving as head football coach, he is also a teacher. His absence affects not only athletes, but also the many students he teaches every day. [00:41:00] For my son, it has meant losing both his coach and his personal fitness teacher. Since that time, no updates have been provided to football families, to student athletes, or the broader school community, nor has FCPS offered any meaningful support to the athletes left navigating this uncertainty on their own. [00:41:21] The lack of communication, support, and resolution has disrupted both the football program and the student experience that FCPS athletics is meant to strengthen. Our program has now been in limbo for six weeks, and so has Coach Taylor. [00:41:37] For an employee who has dedicated nearly 30 years to FCPS, this prolonged uncertainty does not reflect the fair and respectful treatment he deserves. At the same time, students and families are left without clear direction, undermining the stability that athletics should provide. [00:41:55] I respectfully urge the Board to resolve this matter promptly and fairly so that our students and families can move forward with confidence. Protecting the integrity of this process is not only important for our team, but it's also essential to maintaining trust in FCPS athletics as a whole. [00:42:12] Thank you for your time and your commitment to our students. Jim Hartle. Thank you. [00:42:31] Good evening. Good evening, Dr. Reed and FCPS Board. My name is Jim Hartle, and I'm the proud father of three student-athletes at Fairfax High School. I speak tonight regarding the application of administrative leave to Fairfax High School's coaches Taylor and Coach Harris. [00:42:48] This hastily made decision has left students, families, and the community deeply concerned, not only for our coaches, but for the fairness of the process itself. Fairfax County Public Schools Human Resources Regulation 4812.7 is pretty clear. [00:43:05] Administrative leave should be applied in a way that protects the integrity of any investigation while also safeguarding the rights of employees. Yet in this case, allegations from outside of FCPS, allegations made by a non-FCPS student and family, have resulted in an immediate suspension from duty for these two men. [00:43:25] That outcome raises serious concerns about whether your regulation is being applied as intended. We fully support investigations when concerns are raised, but the process must be timely, transparent, and balanced. When an employee's career and reputation can be jeopardized by allegations from outside the system without due consideration or context of evidence, we risk undermining both fairness and trust. [00:43:52] Coach Taylor has faithfully served FCPS and its student-athletes for nearly 30 years. His absence disrupts not only the football program, but the academic, athletic, and collegiate futures of our student-athletes. For these reasons, I respectfully urge this board to follow both the true intent and spirit of the Human Resource Regulation and reinstate Coach Taylor and Coach Harris while the fair and thorough investigation continues. [00:44:19] Our teachers, staff, and coaches deserve due process and our students deserve stability and guidance from the leaders they trust. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great evening. Liz Dapree. [00:44:39] Good evening, Dr. Reed, school board members, and members of the community. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. [00:44:55] I'm here as both a parent of a Fairfax High School current student athlete and a graduate of the school's Future Teachers of Tomorrow program, which encourages students to return to FCPS as educators after college. I'd like to raise concerns about the protections in place for FCPS teachers, coaches, and staff when allegations are made by parents. [00:45:16] Specifically, I'm speaking, I'm seeking clarity on the criteria used to determine when an employee can continue working and when they must be placed on administrative leave during an investigation. The recent situation at Fairfax High School where two football coaches were placed on leave due to an alleged recruiting violation has left many in our community confused. [00:45:37] Football parents were notified on July 31st about the coaches leave, but as someone whose child had Coach Taylor as a teacher, I was not informed of his removal from the classroom. Coach Taylor has served FCPS for nearly 30 years with an exemplary record. The recruiting allegation does not involve student safety, yet both his teaching and coaching roles were suspended. According to FCPS Regulation 4812, administrative leave is granted under unusual circumstances, but there's limited public guidance on how this applies to the internal investigation. Meanwhile, long-term substitutes are being paid, raising concerns [00:46:12] about responsible use of taxpayer funds. In my professional experience working with HR departments, swift and transparent resolution is key to minimizing disruption. FCPS has a responsibility to ensure continuity in education and athletics. The longer this remain remains unresolved the greater the impact on our students athletes and school community as a whole. I respectfully urge the board to prioritize transparency and expedite a resolution. Our students deserve stability and our educators deserve fair and consistent treatment. Thank you for your time and [00:46:50] attention. Jamie Maltese. Good evening school board and community members. Thank you for your time this evening. [00:47:09] I'm a Fairfax football team parent. As you may know, two of our coaches were placed on admin leave in late July after a recruiting violation concerning one player alleged to have taken place last year was brought forward. I'm not here to condone illegal recruiting, as I believe in fair play and the sanctity of amateur high school sports. While our team is passionate, we emphasize good moral character above all else and would respect the findings of a fair and independent investigation regardless of the outcome however i would like to address several concerns one lack of consistency as you may recall a certain program was charged with massive recruiting violations [00:47:46] last year throughout that time no coaches were placed on admin leave zero zero zero close to my gpa first year of college therefore it's highly inconsistent that our coaches facing allegations on a far lesser scale have spent the last six weeks on leave two student well-being our student athletes many of whom are in attendance tonight have spent years of blood sweat and tears building a successful program their work is now being undermined they faced harassment and been accused [00:48:19] of cheating among other challenges three reasonable timeliness the sixth amendment ensures the right to a speedy trial in that spirit we look forward to a swift conclusion to the investigation given Given what we know, this should be easy. [00:48:34] If not, we ask that our coaching staff be reinstated until the investigation can be completed. And finally, closing remarks, a few words about Trey Taylor. He spent close to three decades serving in this FCPS school district. [00:48:50] We just named a gymnasium after a teacher who spent three decades, yet our teacher is on admin leave based on vague, unproven charges. Again, I respectfully request a swift resolution to this investigation. Thank you for your time. [00:49:08] - Cole Mallard, Paula Steiner. [00:49:25] - Hello, my name is Paula Steiner. I am here to respectfully request that all students and parental rights be safeguarded by the Fairfax County School Board members to promote active partnerships with parents and understand that the school's role is not the role of the parent. [00:49:41] I am deeply concerned by the recent news allegations that Fairfax County public school staff may be directing minor age girls about how to get an abortion and funding them without involving the child's parent. The parents of Fairfax County deserve to know what funds were used and how this may have happened. No matter what a person's personal opinion is about adult access to abortions, parents must be able to trust that teachers and staff will not overrule our parental rights to help support and guide our children during critical health care moments in their lives. I [00:50:19] thank Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Meares for initiating a full investigation involving the state police. It is a shame that our taxpayer dollars are being spent on expensive New York attorneys instead of improving literacy and math instruction. We need transparency. I am the proud parent of a past FCPS high school and NCAA Division 2 football athlete. During my son's time playing high school football, I worried about the intermingling of locker rooms [00:50:54] with female kickers. Under the current climate of FCPS, if a female kicker decided to identify as a male, they could have been granted access to my son's locker room. No parent should ever have to worry about such possibilities. [00:51:10] Protecting boys spaces is also protecting our girls spaces in Title IX. Sex-based discrimination against both sexes is not progressive, it's regressive, misogynistic, and misandrist. Thank you for your time. [00:51:27] George Murad. Good evening members of the board, community leaders, Dr. Reed. [00:51:48] I am a product of Fairfax County Public Schools. I have a child that's currently at Fairfax High School, and I'm deeply concerned about how Fairfax County Public Schools has handled the recent recruiting allegations. Two Fairfax High School coaches, Coach Trey Taylor and Coach John Harris, were placed on administrative leave, while in similar situations other coaches in the county, including Coach Darrell Overton from Hayfield, were treated extremely differently. [00:52:15] This inconsistency raises serious questions of fairness and double standards. The process for handling allegations should be clear, transparent, and applied equally. Yet, what we see instead is selective enforcement, where some are swiftly punished and others, despite serious violations, are allowed to continue coaching or move on without consequence. [00:52:36] Our athletes, their families, and this community deserves consistency. We deserve to know what are their criteria for removing coaches, how are decisions made, And why is Fairfax High held to one standards while others are given a pass? And I want to remind you, this isn't just about adults. [00:52:53] It's about kids. Seniors who should be spending their last season making memories are instead living in limbo. Players who worked for years for this moment now face uncertainty and distraction because of inconsistent leadership. Their season, the season they'll remember for the rest of their lives, is being stolen from them. [00:53:11] That's why we are calling for immediate reinstatement of coaches Taylor and Harris, our students deserve stability our community deserves fairness and our school deserves the same treatment as other as every other program in this country we respectfully ask this board superintendent Reed tack now to reinstate these coaches clarify the FCPS policy and ensure standards are applied consistently across the country our students futures their opportunities and the integrity of Fairfax athletics depend on it thank you very much [00:53:44] Ellen Suti good evening everyone I'm a proud graduate of Robinson secondary school I was an IB student a division one athlete the United States Military Academy and I am a respected coach and official in the track community in our county so I feel particularly justified in asking the school board to do better Fairfax County Public Schools taught me to apply critical thinking to real world [00:54:21] problems so I'm here to discuss VHSL sports eligibility change that was not well publicized to parents students who aspire to engage in dynamic academic programs like IB or the Academy programs are being specifically targeted by VHSL's new transfer restrictions it's also putting a lot of pressure on a county that has a large military and transient student population it's teaching our students that they have to suffer the consequences of administrative decisions logical or otherwise I understand why the restrictions were put [00:54:56] place but it's not teaching our students that we are here to protect their academic or athletic enrichment your elected officials so you know that ethics fiscal stewardship and culture start and end with you fostering a culture of unethical win-at-all-cost hubris starts at the top FCPS and VHSL should start by vetting employees and requiring ethics and fiscal stewardship training not by submitting children and their parents to untrustworthy vetting before they are allowed to participate fully in their high school experience we [00:55:33] elected you to be advocates for our children and our renowned programs in the county it's why I moved back here after I got out of the army it's why I fight to raise my children here please question VHSL's new eligibility requirements and help restructure them before we create lasting consequences for a number of students across the county for years to come please play the [00:56:06] video testimony submitted by Stephanie Lundquist-Aurora. Good evening. In case anyone needs to hear this, when you spend money on legal fees, there's less money available for students' education. [00:56:22] Budgeting is a zero-sum game. This academic year, you've already eliminated 275 teaching positions, and that was before you decided to engage in lawfare with the United States Department of Education. Last week, the judge dismissed your first attempt in the Fourth Circuit and told you to waste the court's time. I would also like to tell you on behalf of taxpayers and parents, stop wasting our money. Since 2019, you have spent $44 million on legal fees, an average of $9 million a year. For your latest fight to allow boys and girls locker rooms and bathrooms, [00:56:57] the price tag is even higher. For violating Title IX, you are forfeiting about $168 million in federal funds. I know many administrators and school board members don't really care about our increasing property taxes because you just raise your own salaries in response it's not right and even if we wanted to we don't have that option many of you don't have children in fcps so you don't have to worry about the depreciating quality of public education in fairfax county senior administrators in gatehouse such as superintendent michelle reid chief [00:57:31] experience off chief experience and engagement officer lisa youngblood hall and chief of schools Giovanni Ponce, are from Washington State and Texas, so they have very few ties to our community. But here's a news alert. Parents in Fairfax County care about children's plummeting test scores. [00:57:50] So I'm asking you, how many teaching positions do we have to lose to satiate your appetite for lawfare? How many teachers are you willing to get rid of so that boys can go into girls' locker rooms and bathrooms in Fairfax County's public schools? Chair Anderson, that was our last public speaker thank you madam clerk agenda item 6.01 student representative matters i call on miss maconan good evening chair members of the board and everyone here i'm also in virtual attendance so [00:58:30] hi um i would like to take my time today to talk about something that has been on many students minds which is this past week students across the country reminded just how fragile that sense of safety can be at utah valley university what should have been an ordinary event ended in tragedy where a speaker was shot and killed on campus. This moment wasn't just about one university. [00:58:50] It was about the way violence can turn a space for open dialogue and debate into a place of fear. Almost at the same time, threats poured into historically black colleges and universities. Students had to evacuate classrooms, hide in dorms, and wonder if they were being targeted simply for attending a school that celebrates their history. These weren't just false alarms, but malicious and senseless attacks that we cannot begin to understand. [00:59:11] For students here at Fairfax County, these events unfortunately do not feel far away. feel personal because every single time there's a school shooting or a lockdown across the country it begs the question what what if it happened here what makes us so different what if it was my country what if it was my state excuse me what would i do would i be safe would my friends be safe this violence inside it doesn't have to be in the building to sit with us that's why i believe that safety can't just mean more drills and more cameras has to be an open honest communication when threats happen so students and families aren't left in the dark it has to mean mental health support for the students who carry anxiety well after the headlines fade and has to mean making [00:59:47] sure every school has the resources to protect its students equally. But I also want to take a moment to say this. Safety isn't just about preventing harm. It's about protecting what schools are supposed to stand for, a place where every student has the freedom to learn, to speak, and to show fully as themselves. Violence and threats aren't random. They're often aimed at censoring voices, from silencing political debate or Black students at HBCUs or anyone who dares to be visible. When fear dictates who feels safe to speak or welcome to learn, by definition, education itself is under attack. So tonight, I would like to ask that we think about safety in its fullest sense, not just in the physical sense, but in the way we build trust, in the way we make space for student voices, in the way we protect the dignity [01:00:24] of every young person in our district. Because at the end of the day, what students want isn't really complicated. We want to learn without fear, we want to be heard without threat, and we want to know that our futures matter enough to be protected. These tragedies are painful reminders, but they can also be a call to action. A call to remember that our responsibility as schools isn't just to keep danger out, but to make sure that every student feels safe enough to thrive. Thank you. [01:00:49] Thank you. Agenda item 7.01, action items, certification of closed meeting compliance. In order to comply with section 2.2-3712D of the Code of Virginia, it's necessary for the board to certify that since the Fairfax County School Board convened a closed meeting on September 11, 2025, to the best of each member's knowledge, only published business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements, and only such business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard discussed or considered by the board during the closed [01:01:24] meeting. Do I have a motion? Mr. Frisch. Is there a second? Mr. McElveen. All those in favor. Mr. Frisch, Miss Marin, Mr. McElveen, Miss St. John Cunning, Miss Lady, Miss Dixit, Miss Sizemore Heiser, Mr. Dunn. I'm sorry I can't see you. Mr. Moon and Dr. Anderson and myself. All those opposed. All those abstaining. Mr. McDaniel. Agenda item 7.02. Confirmation [01:01:58] of action taken in close. I call on Dr. Anderson for a motion. I move to deny the procedural violation claim of the of the employee that was considered on the written record during in close session. Is there a second? Second. All those in favor. Mr. Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Mr. McElveen, Miss St. John Cunning, Miss Lady, Ms. Dixit, Ms. Seismar-Hyser, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself, all those opposed, all those abstaining, Ms. Marin. Will the clerk please read the vote? [01:02:36] It's 11:01. The motion carries. Thank you. Closed motion number two, I call on Mr. Frisch for a motion. I move to grant in part the employee grievance and to modify the step four decision of the division superintendent's hearings office as further discussed in closed session is there a second second dr. Anderson all those in favor mr. [01:03:00] Frisch mr. McElveen mr. mr. McDaniel I'll switch to you two miss st. John Cunning miss lady miss Dixit miss Sizemore Heiser mr. Dunn mr. Moon dr. Anderson and myself all those opposed abstaining miss Marin will the clerk please read the vote it's 11:01 the motion carries thank you closed motion number three. I call on Miss Lady for a motion. I move to deny the school reassignment appeal of a student who threatened fellow students at school and to confirm the disciplinary decision of the [01:03:34] division superintendent. Is there a second? Second. Dr. Anderson. All those in favor, Mr. Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Ms. Marin, Mr. McElveen, Ms. St. John Cunning, Ms. Lady, Ms. Dixit, Ms. Sizemore Heiser, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself. I believe that's unanimous. Agenda item Item 8.01, Performance Review, the Superintendent Relationship with the Board EL8 Monitoring Report. [01:04:08] Each year, the school board assesses the superintendent in part on the basis of the school division's reasonable progress towards achieving the 2023 to 2030 strategic plan's goals and adherence to the set of 13 executive limitations found on page 14 through 31 of the Board's Strategic governance manual the superintendent provides the annual monitoring reports to the board for each executive limitation the board then votes on whether or not or whether the provided report is in compliance or corrective if corrective action is needed I call on dr. Reed for a monitoring report on executive limitation eight superintendent's relationship with the [01:04:48] board good evening madam chair members of the board and the public tonight I'll be presenting executive limitation eight which indeed does discuss the superintendent's relationship with the board so just a reminder for those watching about what executive limitation 8 does state and at the time of this report and to the best of my knowledge information belief I have gathered information and evidence that I believe supports compliance with the board's executive limitation associated with this topic and we'll share some of the highlights tonight for those of you watching at home the full monitoring [01:05:23] report is posted on board docs for your reading pleasure there are eight areas of of Executive Limitation 8, all of which are shown on the screen. Before sharing the new evidence related to this executive limitation, I want to start by noting that within the CL, there are really not a lot of significant changes this year. [01:05:42] And it's similar to some of our other executive limitations where the prior years, executive limitation reflected several best practices or industry standards, and where we are using best practice, we tend to maintain the use of the best practice. The newly added evidence to this year's executive invitation builds upon last year's board approval and incorporates board feedback from last year's presentation. [01:06:08] Here are the new or newly added information on -- thank you. So let's take a look at our communications team providing weekly news clips and story reports in the Friday letter. [01:06:24] This year the first and second day school visit schedule was provided. Our Department of Information Technology continues to explore learning management platforms to onboard new prospective school board community advisory committee members. [01:06:41] And in response to board feedback, the Office of Procurement Services actually engaged in Herculean work this year to not have contracts come to the board over the summer recess. So there was a lot of work done to support that effort. [01:06:58] So at this time Madam Chair that concludes the summary of the monitoring report for executive limitation eight those superintendents relationship with the board I'm happy to take any questions. Thank you so much Dr. Reed just have to give us one moment. [01:07:28] I now call on Mr. Frisch for a motion. Thank you. I move that the school board finds the superintendent in compliance with executive limitation eight superintendents relationship with the board. [01:07:43] I further move that the school board approved the monitoring report based on the superintendent's reasonable interpretation of EL eight superintendent's relationship with the board is outlined in the strategic governance manual. Is there a second. Second. Thank you Dr. Anderson Mr. [01:07:59] Fresh would you like to speak to your motion. Yes. All right. EL eight lays out clear expectations for the superintendent's relationship with the board that she must ensure regular professional and collaborative communication provide us with information we need to govern effectively and foster a working partnership that advances strategic plans goals this modern report before us makes clear that the superintendent is meeting those expectations and as we define it as reasonable progress towards those expectations we see consistent pattern of timely transparent communication whether through her friday letters weekly meetings with each board member and standing check-ins that she holds with the chair and vice [01:08:38] chair this consistently consistency has ensured that when urgent issues arise the board is informed promptly and prepared with accurate information superintendent has also demonstrated success in supporting our decision making through robust data and reporting by far the most robust data that I've experienced as a school board member that level of detail allows us to identify where gaps remain and where progress is being made so that we can align our policies and resources accordingly the issues report also shows new steps forward for example the office of procurement services putting in place a summer contracting process for when the board is on recess. [01:09:18] The superintendent has also shared her schedule for early back to school events so that board members can participate as well and in another promising step the Department of Information Technology is working to develop a learning management system for onboarding new school board advisory committee members which I think is a great follow through on a long time commitment of the board beyond these new initiatives the superintendent continues to model professionalism in her work with the board she treats all members impartially ensures equal access to information and creates a space for honest discussion when differences of opinion arise and the academic [01:09:55] matters presentations remain perhaps to the the chagrin of board member egos the most popular part of these meetings taken all together these actions show the superintendent has not just been CHECKING A BOX ON COMPLIANCE BUT ACTIVELY STRENGTHENING HER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD TO ENSURE WE CAN GOVERN EFFECTIVELY FOR THESE REASONS AND MOVING THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS MADE REASONABLE PROGRESS ON EL8 AND IS IN COMPLIANCE. [01:10:18] I DO HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT. THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS WEEKLY COMMUNICATIONS AND UPDATES WITH BOARD MEMBERS, BUT I'M CURIOUS HOW YOU MEASURE WHETHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED BEYOND JUST THIS EL PROCESS. [01:10:35] How do you ensure that board members feel heard and that part of the relationship is working well? So I think that in our weekly check-ins, there's pretty clear feedback on whether information sharing is working and often there's a request for more information or follow-up. [01:10:55] So I feel like there's a pretty steady back and forth. As you know, I'm also available 24/7, seven days a week and often speak to board members after hours or on the weekend when there's a question that comes up or information that's required. [01:11:12] So I think that absent and honestly there there is feedback at times that information wasn't as timely as a board member might want or as thorough or as disaggregated. [01:11:28] So absolutely when those requests are made we you know I work to take our game up. I think part of the relationship with the board is by extension our relationship with the entire system since you are our direct report. How do you ensure that the relationship between the board member and the rest of the system, your direct reports remain strong and that no one board member is getting more out of the system than another. [01:11:58] Well I think there's always going to be a matter of perspective on that question. But I do know that in terms of our senior leadership, we do maintain constant communication when a board member does make a request or when several board members make a request to avoid overlapping work as well. [01:12:19] I think that one of our board members has made, I think, a real -- well, several, you know, want to make sure that we have a funnel for division-wide activities and invitations and um we're really excuse me working hard on a system because there's so many schools programs and community events that occur um to i think our biggest step forward this year is the development of a division-wide calendar because i think over the last several years it's been difficult for any one office to coordinate all of the activities in the school division because it [01:12:59] hasn't been as transparent uh to any one office i really think the division calendar will be a game changer for that and it was to be responsive to board member requests to make sure they're getting invites and the calendar has the ability to actually put events on your calendar right to map that so I think we're not perfect but we're making progress towards making sure that board members are able to attend events and also you know get information that's relevant when requested. [01:13:30] last question um been said again and again i'll just finish my comment um that when a superintendent and the school board are singing from the same sheet music that real progress can take place we're seeing great movement in numbers just this week we announced a 40 increase in our semi-finalists for national merit scholarships um what do you attribute uh that harmony in our system to so i think it's important uh because i mean there is tremendous a tremendous body of research that says when the relationship between the superintendent and the board um is a positive [01:14:08] relationship or a functioning work relationship which i believe ours is that we're able to make academic progress and reach division goals much more efficiently and i'm glad you brought up the 40 year-over-year increase in the number of our national merit semi-finalists i'm going to talk a little bit about our narrative and how important that is and in this case going from 191 to 262 of our students this year which is huge that's a huge progress point and I I just want our [01:14:42] students and our staff our educators our families to recognize how committed you as a board are to raising the standards of excellence here in Fairfax County and we're best able to do it when we're all rolling in the same direction. Thank you Mr. Frisch is Dr. Anderson would you like to speak to your second yes thank you I'd like to share a couple of things that I think I'm personally just very grateful for which is the recess contracts I know that's been a sore point and I'm glad to see that we did not have this just this past recess so thank you for that and I'm also very encouraged by the increased [01:15:21] responsiveness it's it's really heartening to know that when an issue is raised to you you respond or it shows up in a Friday letter so I do appreciate that and I want to make sure that I highlight that as well one of the things that I see as an area for consideration is just a little bit tighter alignment in terms of the updating of the regulations when there have been policy changes because we you know governance is very busy and when we make those changes and vote upon them it would be really it would really be tight to have that be aligned to whatever the to whatever the regulations are and also [01:16:00] something that we just discussed this morning just also a tighter timing of new changes to regulations I have two that I want to share with you as an example one is an existing regulation and one is a new regulation the existing being the telework we have some new expectations but the regulation itself has not been updated and I think it's really important when we are offering the workforce new practices and new expectations that we have the document that they look at to really monitor their work for that to be ready upon the [01:16:36] rollout because the expectations are on the website and they were effective July but we still don't have the updated regulation yet even though the the guidance has changed can you speak to that a little bit please right it has been updated it's simply in checking today hadn't been posted to the website But it has been updated. [01:16:57] And where would we find it if it's not been posted yet. It's being posted so you should be able to find it. But it has been updated and cleared legal office prior to implementation. Wonderful. And my other example was the the new policy with grading. [01:17:14] And I know this one is a particular concern to teachers because the first quarter is coming up and I know there's been lots of changes. It would be good to ensure that those rollouts are available because we do have those expectations being communicated one of the other things that I'd like for you to consider is as you provide the academic matters presentations which I love and absorb but there are some other things that I think could be included just to again just continue the work of the mission of the division perhaps the Baldrige report because that speaks so much [01:17:48] to our investments that speaks so much to our financial state and I think we're looking to see a little bit more information being provided about that on a regular basis. So I would ask you to consider doing that during one of our, during one of, during one of the updates, the strategic updates. [01:18:08] Just another question, a question that I have now regarding the relationship between board and staff members. It's kind of a two-parter. One, how do you ensure that that is happening, not along the lines that Mr. Frisch had asked, But when a board member is advocating for a particular matter, because that's what we do, we represent various districts which raise issues to us, which we in turn raise to you. [01:18:32] What's the internal process? How do you utilize that? How do you communicate whether that initiative fits or does not fit in the overall mission and vision of the division? So I think that when a board member raises an issue, and obviously it's a bit of a topic this evening, what I want to make sure, first and foremost, is that staff research what TRADITIONALLY HAPPENS WHEN THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC MAY OR MAY NOT BE RAISED. [01:18:58] AND OFTEN WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY RAISING NEW TOPICS, WE ARE RAISING TOPICS THAT MIGHT BE NEW BUT HAVE HAD PRIOR PRECEDENT IN TERMS OF THEIR ROLLOUT. SO STAFF WILL REVIEW WHAT IS OUR PRACTICE BEEN WITH REGARD TO DECISION MAKING ON TOPICS THAT INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS MIGHT BRING FORWARD. [01:19:17] ONCE WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT THAT PROCESS MIGHT BE, I WOULD BRING IT TO THE WHOLE BOARD IN In some fashion we have a variety of tools. We have next steps which happen after work sessions. We have a new business or consent. [01:19:32] We have presentations and votes. There are a variety of ways in which the board might signal that the board as a body is supportive of that next move or that process commencing. So I think that I will also say that I think the 13 of us would likely benefit from a conversation about how we want to bring ideas to the table if I'm bringing an idea to the table I think it's clear when I'm bringing it our staff has asked me to bring it I think when individual board members bring something to a staff member [01:20:06] to me it's a little less clear about the process because they you know their forums their work sessions there they're just a variety of ways those ideas bear fruit and i think we would benefit from clarity around what that process looks like because i think absent clarity on that i think we can trip over one another and unintentionally cause discord so i'm definitely committed to making sure that we have a path and perhaps with all the prior precedent we need to chart a new path at this point maybe that makes things [01:20:46] clearer for the board and the superintendent and staff. Thank you. I think that was my time. Thank you, Dr. Anderson. Ms. Seizemarheiser. Thank you. I will be voting in support of this today. [01:21:01] So I want to say I like the relief on your face. What? I like the look of relief on your face. I'm teasing you. I wanted to thank you for the amount of transparency and how quick you are to respond to things. The volume of information that you give us on a weekly basis is just incredible and the responsiveness to when a board member asks a question or wants more information is is really incredible to look through so um there's always room for improvement for everybody and everything i think though um the amount that you give and how fast you get us information is commendable and i want to thank you for that and as well in our weekly check-ins [01:21:41] what i do think that we as a board and this is just a statement i wanted to make as a possible retreat topic for our next retreat is i think there's some room for us as a board to figure out how to help better build processes and clarity around when we bring you an issue or bring you a concern or bring you an idea um what happens after that all right what's the process and that's something more of a board conversation board process you know so we can tell you as our executive so it's you have clarity on what that process looks like and i think maybe something that's the team of 13 could work together on our next retreat on that because I think it would help [01:22:18] you know how to what to do when we have ideas and I think we all have great ideas that we've brought you and I'm sure it's a lot for you to have 12 people bringing you ideas non-stop and I think that we want to make sure that board members who bring you these awesome ideas can be acted on too so I think there's a lot of room here for us to make sure that our that board members who bring your constituent ideas and concerns can get acted on so I know we have a forum topic process but I I think there's room to build in other processes so I would just put out to my colleagues and to you Dr. Reed that perhaps is something we can work on our next retreat but I really appreciate our weekly check-ins I appreciate the volume of information that you give us and how responsive you are when we do [01:22:57] have questions and look for data and I look forward to continue to partner with you as we do good work for our division and bring in new innovative ideas and good initiatives to close gaps and provide enrichment for students so thank Thank you for the presentation and as always it is always good to hear from you and the communication with the board has been outstanding. [01:23:29] I have always heard back from you when I reached out or I don't know how you go through the e-mails and so many e-mails late at night or early morning you are always responding to them and and any other matter from our constituents so I've seen that as a great response time on those as well so I do want to work for this obviously but I did just a feedback from my side is like some of the board members and I know we have 12 so few of us are more vocal than the others and that's [01:24:05] something I guess you have to kind of work with that and and sometimes the quiet ones and I'm not saying I'm the quiet one somebody else you know don't really do so many calls and so many emails and just kind of you know I want this I want that done I want that done so I think it's just like what what we talk about our constituents that those the quiet ones also matter because they are not the ones jumping up and down so similarly I think that place that all of us are heard would be I think maybe a better way to figure that out and I [01:24:44] really like the idea of the data data points and did you represent in all academic matters the academic matters or the presentation but I would love to get some more like point it's like every month like this is how we are doing our HR department has fully positioned, full positions, fully staffed. [01:25:08] IT department, like the highlights from each department, so to speak, that would be great in one place, like a data dashboard kind of a thing. So thank you. Yes, ma'am. And I just -- on HR, we're 99.7% staffed. [01:25:26] I know. That's amazing. Thank you, Ms. Dixit. Mr. Moon. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the presentation. And Dr. Reid, you probably know that I am one of those board members who does not jump up and down quite often. [01:25:47] But you seem to be able to read my mind all the time. And even when I'm quiet, I'm not jumping up and down, you know, how to respond to probably some of the things that are on my mind. So in that regard, I thank you for being able to do that. [01:26:05] I will support the motion, and I cherish the relationship that I have been able to maintain with you as a board member and a superintendent. One of the areas, however, that I've been, it's not that you have not been doing this, not paying attention to this, but to me, I guess I'm a little impatient in this area is a use of artificial intelligence in TCN learning and operation of a school system. [01:26:43] I want to have a little clearer path from you for the board to consider as where we are going and how slow you are, how fast you think we should be going in the regard. [01:27:00] That, I do not have a clear picture from you yet. Yes, sir. I think it will get clearer this fall. going to be talking about it October 7th but I appreciate the sentiment and we'll be more responsive on that. Thank you Mr Moon. Miss Marin Dr. Reed thank you for everything you do for the school division for every adult and every child and family member you know the public might not know that when it comes to working with the board we are all restricted the board members are restricted we can only meet one-on-one otherwise it we have to announce a public meeting and so for [01:27:36] you Dr. Reed you can only ever meet with two of us at the same time and so you're often saying things if not six then 12 different times and you really have 12 bosses which I wouldn't wish upon anyone and yet you continue to bring huge progress and success to our school division you know for me the process matters and the adherence to policy and regulations matters and so some others have brought that up and I know it's on your radar but I really want to continue to see urgency about that because that is going to keep us focused and keep our agreements in place I would love to see you know more managing up so to speak and providing recommendations and advising us offering options [01:28:15] you know when I see your eyes light up about AI I'm like I want to know what she's reading like what is she reading who's she talking to and I know you mentioned this October 7th event and that's great but um I want to I want to know what you see is promising and you know I think at this time you have three years leading FCPS and almost two with this board I think we need more of a distinct approach for working together as that team of 13 so you know I'd love to know what board practices you think could be helpful and effective when you arrived in summer of 22 you pushed us through the executive limitations this very process that we're using and you did not stop and I think we are so much the better for it and we actually used to do it years ago in the [01:28:54] school division so like that's the kind of energy and advisement I'd love to see refreshed um to keep us you know tighten on our toes i think you know you hold the responsibility and the ability to thread consistency across our board because you are going to hear you know we're going to learn from you and then you can synthesize all these different you know people's thoughts hopefully some of them are similar but reflect back to us what you see the opportunities are and um ultimately i'd like to see the school division you see at times that uh through your tireless school visits your attendance at events the conversations with convened audiences [01:29:31] you know you made 122 school visits last year during the instructional day I'd love to join you for one and see what you see are the glows and grows and just and see it through your eyes so I I'm just so thrilled that you're here and I appreciate this process and I look forward to us all being that that team of 13 going forward so thank you thank you thank you Miss Marin miss lady thank you thank you for the report I just want to echo much of what my colleagues have indicated which is the volume of information you send us [01:30:07] is a bit overwhelming to me and that's just a nugget of what's going on in your world here in this in this school system and literally being the CEO of an an amazingly huge corporation if you will I also want to talk about how responsive you are I'm shocked by that I mean sometimes I'm in the middle of something and I have a thought or an idea and one of the ways I think I might archive it is to shoot you a text not thinking oh wait she's gonna respond right away and I should not do that because you're busy I should put those [01:30:44] in my notebook for our weekly meetings which I also greatly appreciate the time I also want to talk about your integrity in the work I really find that you have the highest of ethics you care deeply about our students each and every one of them our families our community members our guardians our faculty our staff or custodians really the entire corporate industry if you will of education in the community and I just see that and I just I just I want to honor that and say [01:31:17] thank you to me as someone who worked 30 years in education I wish I had that sort of light as consistently as you do because I do appreciate that that you you see the good in every situation but you also are not Pollyanna about what the work um you have moved the needle i i take great pride in sitting on this board work um and that's the work of our teachers and vision and our chiefs and just really the entire um school system evidenced by things like the national merit um you know data points [01:31:56] so the high academic expectations is amazing i do think that there's opportunity in terms of board ideas um and how we can collectively sort of be around whether it's steam and all elementary schools that's high pollyanna thinking just because we have no money right so there's no room for any new initiatives at this point but the idea of how we can work smarter um and and innovate for the future i think it's very very important for us to understand that when we have you know kindergartners and first graders beginning to understand the basics of coding what high schools are we preparing them to attend how are we preparing for this generation of young [01:32:34] people who are just such natives of this technology to continue to challenge them at the level with the skills that they're bringing each year into the classroom so I know you're on top of that really grateful for the math initiatives but overall just really appreciate how much you care how much you uh are committed to the relationships with us as a as a board of 12 plus you and also with us individually so thank you for all you do thank you mr dunn uh it's a tough job being [01:33:11] superintendent because you're not dealing with a unified board you're dealing with 12 individual people with 12 different personalities 12 different sets of expectations 12 different backgrounds and expertise and because of the virginia law limiting our interaction to two people at a time it's impossible at any one moment for all of us to get on the same page because even when we're in the same room we still can only talk in two or three minute segments right you know that that makes it difficult for us because it's not just incumbent on the superintendent it's also come on the board to be able to act in a cohesive manner now that's tough because not [01:33:50] everyone picks up the telephone to chat right and there can be characterizations that some of us are jumping up and down but some of us call that jumping up and down doing the job doing the job with the fierce urgency of now to advocate for the constituents to fix the problems to be a thought partner and be a thought leader that's what's necessary to meet the expectations of our constituents at a time when the future of public education is at risk and you know when there was mold at Hayfield I met with you Dr. Reed and the chief of facilities [01:34:27] Derek Gordon, Thursday morning, 7:30 bright and early, to find out what the problem was, what you were doing to resolve it. And I came away hugely impressed with your personal commitment to make it your top priority, to bring extraordinary resources to bear so that that problem could be solved on a permanent basis and not just with a quick fix. [01:34:48] So that's the kind of thing that jumping up and down involves. It means getting up, getting in touch with the problems, and trying to make sure you're informing your constituents about what FCPS is doing. So I appreciate everything you do to coordinate with us when we are not necessarily coordinating internally. [01:35:06] Thank you. - Thank you. - Thank you, Mr. Dunn. Ms. St. John Cunning. - First of all, I wanna echo what everyone here has said. I mean, I wholeheartedly will support this limitation. And in terms of your responsiveness, as my colleague said to Moll, that was, I know, the third time that you had been there with the health department, with everybody else, and we had toured the building of, I believe that was something that I know I had been there before with other people doing that. [01:35:41] So you were on it immediately and consistently have been on it. And you're also, my colleague touched on what had not been touched on before, is that you are committed to the work with such integrity and high ethics, and you do what every teacher should do, you model behavior that we all should be aspiring to and I really want to commend you for that I know I've had conversations with other board members [01:36:17] that have said they've learned a lot by watching you the way you truly and honestly care about every person in this division is amazing and people feel it there's a lot that I could say I will say that I had a phone call from someone that said they had a concern and they wrote you a letter and they were very surprised that you responded and you met with them and this person said she met with little old me the superintendent [01:36:55] and she was amazing how often does that happen in an organization this large that that happens and this person is so impressed they want to actively become involved now to help support of kids and I think I'm just going to end with that thank you for all you do thank you thank you Ms. St. John Cunning Mr. McElveen thanks and I think I agree with just about everything that's been been said tonight I will say you know I've worked with a number of superintendents [01:37:35] and as we've said many times before none have worked as hard as you have just in terms of both the actual work but also getting out of the community and and meeting with people and I do think that continues to be one of the places where we can improve our relationship. You know past superintendents have been more proactive at letting us know when they're when and where they're going to be in the community and when you have a schedule is as chaotic as yours it's hard to do that outreach in advance but oftentimes we're learning about all the great things you've done in the weekly letter and we would have loved to have known [01:38:14] about those earlier so I do think that's one place for improvement and then secondly that I have noticed and we've talked about one instance today just a slow responsiveness from staff to a lot of our our questions having to prod many times over many months to get responses to things that probably could have been answered quickly. So that's been a frustration. But I appreciate all you do. It's a hard job [01:38:47] and you're holding down the fort. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. McDaniel. I won't be the only one that doesn't speak. What I appreciate, this is a tough job in a tough jurisdiction in a very tough environment from a whole lot of different angles. What I always appreciate is the positivity that you bring to communications and to the job. One more, I'm going to paraphrase the conversation but i know one morning a couple of weeks ago you and i spoke on the phone you answered the phone and you said something like it's a beautiful day in fairfax county and i said [01:39:23] really because it reminds me of seattle and you said of course it does that's why it's beautiful um but uh whether it's in written communication whether it's in person whether it's over over emails or whether it's anywhere uh the upbeat positivity and the love of the job that you bring I think really radiates as a board member you know it can be easy in these environments to get down but you don't get down and I appreciate that because sometimes we on this board do and it's a roller coaster for all of us but I can depend on the fact that you're very steady every day 24/7 [01:40:02] quite literally so happy to support this motion thank you thank you Mr. McDaniel I'm going to go ahead and take a moment here one of the things that I love most about working with you is that that when you see a problem you immediately fix it and so I'm modeling that behavior as much as humanly possible and that's where I want to talk about the fact that we have some processes on our side that need to be taken care of one of them is the speed with which we can move through the process of getting regulations and things like that posted and so we worked on that this week and we came up with a solution because we're going to fix the process that takes what was the holdup out of the way in a way that doesn't [01:40:41] change the validity of the work and that is the that's the goal so I want to confirm that I am never going to hold you personally accountable for things that need to be fixed on our side of the net as I've been using that analogy all week so I just want to say thank you for the work that you do to make sure that we all that you never make us feel like we're bothering you which I don't know how that's possible because I know we must be so that part is it's just one of those things that we always feel like we have your attention and that is extremely important and honestly it's [01:41:19] not what I expected when I ran for the board I didn't think that there was any way that you would have as much time to spend with all of us as you do and so we I think that sometimes we call you because we want to hear what your perspective is on something and that is a really valuable and important thing. So I love the fact that I'm in the position that I'm in so that we're going to continue to work on fixing some processes on our side to make it clearer for board members as to how we can bring work forward because that is a process that it does move through lots of different channels and when you're a little bit sneaky in terms of how you can figure out how to [01:41:57] work the system it's clearer and I'm one of those people so it's clearer the paths but it's not necessarily fair. So I think that it's it's an excellent idea to have this as a retreat topic. I think it's one we can all get behind to make sure that it's extremely clear on how we bring work forward in a way that is sustainable for everyone. So that being said I see no other lights. Fabulous. So we're gonna go ahead and call for a vote with the motion that's on the screen. All those in [01:42:31] favor? Mr. Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Mr. McElveen, Ms. St. John Cunning, Ms. Lady, Ms. Dixit, Ms. Sizemore-Hyzer, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself. Opposed? Abstaining. Ms. Marin. Thank you. Would you like to read the vote, Madam Clerk? It's 11-01. The motion carries. Thank you so much. At this time, the board is going to take a few moments to document their individual feedback on the monitoring form available. School board members may complete the hard copy or later or the online form so we're going to take a five minute quick [01:43:08] recess board members please take your seats board members please take your [01:55:20] seats agenda item 9.01 policy review superintendents relationship with the [01:56:25] board el8 the next border of business is the policy review for executive limitation 8 superintendents relationship with the board annually the board will review each executive limitation at the time of the monitoring report is provided to determine if revisions are needed. School board members may offer amendments to executive limitations at regular meetings provided they send final amended language to the board and clerk 48 hours in advance of the meeting at which it's to be considered. I call on Ms. Marin for a motion. I move to amend the language in the executive limitation eight superintendent's relationship with the board and the strategic governance [01:57:04] manual as detailed in the agenda item on board docs. Thank you Ms. Marin. Is there a second. Second. Mr. Frisch. Ms. Marin, would you like to speak to your motion? Yes. Is the language up though, please? And I will pull it up. So as we know, we have at this time when we do our executive [01:57:29] limitation review, the opportunity to look at the base policy to which the superintendent reports on. And I did suggest back in May or June that there were some, there was an idea to make an update. Let me just find OK, yes, so the update that I'm suggesting it's just to be more specific about making sure that the board is made aware very clearly about any noncompliance with board policy [01:58:07] and any explanation about, you know, why has there been noncompliance, if it's identifiable, And then the options for remediating that such as a work plan and also perhaps if staff support is needed. And this gets to a point that was made earlier by my colleague just about, you know, those policies that are on our side of the house to maintain and the regulations that are more the superintendents that are the superintendents to operationalize. [01:58:32] But sometimes, you know, either we're we miss something or if a law changed and we have to update the policy, you know, we're supposed to be reviewing the policy every five years and that's going to guide the superintendent so by articulating this more strongly in the executive limitation it just makes it a very good reminder for all of us that we've got to be sure to be on top of this because that's how all of our decisions are made based on these policies so I hope the school board members can support it thanks to those of you who gave me input over the last few months and weeks so yeah I'm happy to answer any questions thank you Ms. Marin Mr. Frisch would Would you like to speak to your second? [01:59:10] Yes, thank you. I appreciate Ms. Marin's collaborative spirit that was brought to bear on this. I think it's ended up in a good place, and I want to address the three main areas that there are adjustments. The first is around policy, and so for the public at home, the way this kind of works out in practice, frequently every year there's new laws that the legislature passes. [01:59:35] They go into effect, and some of those laws impact the policies that we're allowed to have on the books here and the way that the school board finds out about that is through division council and and our our legislative relations folks and that should result in updating our policies which then drive updates to regulations that's one of the ways that policies get updated and this simply you know stipulates that as one of our limitations for the work around the superintendent's relationship with the board is that we have an expectation that there'll be a clean process for ensuring that that is done in a [02:00:11] A REGULAR CONSISTENT MANNER I THINK THAT'S A HEALTHY THING TO DO I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING THAT'S OUR BOARD'S EXPECTATION TO BEGIN WITH AND THIS JUST PUTS IT INTO PLACE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT TESTS TO THAT SECONDARILY MAINTAINING A SYSTEM FOR INVITING BOARD MEMBERS TO DIVISION WIDE EVENTS SUPERINTENDENT SPOKE POINT OF ORDER MR. FRISH THAT IS IN THE EL3 NO IT'S NOT IT'S IN EL8 IT GOT MOVED MY APOLOGIES WHICH THE SUPERINTENDENT SPOKE TO IN HER COMMENTS ABOUT the difficulty we've had with combining calendars throughout the system and I [02:00:50] think mr. McElveen also addressed the need for board members to be more aware of what is happening throughout the division so that we can take part in these events it's really you know one of the ways that the board gets to know about special initiatives and really great moments of success and so simply asking the superintendent to maintain a system for informing the board I think is a reasonable thing to do and it probably just formalizes work that is already at least in part being done and then finally on the interpretation services I think the board's ability to communicate with the outside world ie our constituency is important [02:01:25] and this doesn't require that board members have an unlimited you know draw on the resources of our interpretation services folks but what it does say is that the superintendent will maintain a system for board members to seek that help and I think that's a reasonable thing for the board to expect in the same way that we would expect support for communicating about the various things the school division is doing so I think these are reasonable they require minimal reporting or process creation by the superintendent and I look forward to seeing them in the next year's report [02:01:57] thank you Mr. Frisch seeing no others I'll go ahead and call for the vote all those in favor Mr. Frisch Mr. McDaniel Ms. Marin Mr. McElveen Ms. Lady Ms. Dixit Ms. Seismar Heiser Mr. Dunn Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson and myself, that is unanimous for all board members at the dais. [02:02:19] Miss St. John Cunningham is away from the table. Agenda item 9.02, relationship or policy review, relationships with families and community stakeholders, EL3. [02:02:35] The next order of business is a policy review for executive limitation three, relationships with families and community stakeholders. As noted earlier, board members may offer amendments to executive limitations at regular meetings provided they send me a final amendment language to the board at least in the clerk at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to which is to be considered. [02:02:57] Ms. Marin has submitted a timely amendment for executive limitation three. I call on Ms. Marin for a motion. Thank you. I move to amend the language in executive limitation three relationships with families and community stakeholders in the strategic governance manual as detailed in the agenda item on board docs. [02:03:13] Is there a second? Second. Mr. Frisch. Ms. Marin, would you like to speak to your motion? I would and again apologies to Mr. Frisch through the editing process we moved content to the best optimal places and I appreciate its input on that so I'm glad that he explained the latter part of that executive eight change. [02:03:30] So relationships with families and community members. Some of this is just some editorial changes stakeholders we've determined is a word that doesn't really resonate and isn't reflective of how we want to view the very important people in our community. So changing that to community members. [02:03:46] And then the change under number two is something that for me was born out of a lot of my experience as a parent trying to keep up with my high schoolers and middle schoolers' work. And so information that's shared on websites, on the content learning management system, you know, communicating things about course selections and all these opportunities, we have amazing opportunities. [02:04:10] Side note, I went to my daughter's sports medicine class last night. Incredible that we offer something like that. So, you know, but how are we ensuring that parents and guardians know about those things? So this is really codifying that those technology systems are boosting the communication about these incredible learning opportunities in ways and in, you know, whether it's talking points or the emails or events that are really helping families be the partners we need them to be. [02:04:41] to guide and support their children through the academic experience of being prepared for life beyond graduation. Thank you. Thank you Miss Marin. Mr. Fresh would you like to speak to your second? Yes thank you. When I first joined the school board I thought the first thing I'm gonna do I'm gonna go to every school that I represents website I'm gonna check out the community calendar and I'm gonna populate my calendar and lo and behold only a fraction of the schools maintained the calendar portion of their websites and I get it resources are thin time in the day is only it's finite etc but fast forward a few years and we have a [02:05:17] beautiful new website with an app on the way and I think it's kind of like over the holidays you get your kids a really nice present and then you see it in the corner of the living room a week later untouched and you're like don't you want to play with that anymore so I think what this leans into is using to its fullest the new tools that we have available for our schools to communicate out to the community about what's happening inside of those doors additionally the same principle is true for our learning management systems you [02:05:54] know we we sing significant resources into those tools that are to be there to assist in the educating of students but also in the engagement of parents and so while I know that a great deal of work happens at the school level to ensure that these tools are trained and that educators are trained up on them I [02:06:13] I think it would benefit the board to see some reporting annually about how that work is going what the utilization of these tools are how consistently schools are you know taking advantage of the technology we're providing them to communicate with their with their families and the good news is that we already have these tools. We don't have to buy them to make it better. We just have to use the tools that we have. Thank you Mr. Fresh. Dr. Anderson. Thank you. I appreciate this being brought and I just want to share an example and then just kind of a [02:06:48] thought as you put this in play as a parent who was seeking an opt-out form I received an email from my child's school and they wanted me to if I wanted to opt out go to this site. It was impossible for me to even find that form. I went through multiple clicks it was just not there and I'm emailing the principal I said as plugged in as I am and I can't find that form I wonder what that experience is going to be for our other parents so I hope you could just kind of consider that and as we engage a little bit more in two-way discussions [02:07:25] or communications with our families I also want us to be thinking about how do we manage all of the communication that comes from FCPS it is quite a lot and everybody wants to communicate about everything but it's really a challenge I I think from the parent perspective to give all of that equal attention. [02:07:48] And I just wanted to kind of put a bug in your ear. How do we manage that communication so it's not so overwhelming that parents end up not reviewing any of it because it's just too much to track. And multiply that by multiple children at multiple levels and then it really becomes a difficult thing to manage. [02:08:10] So just a wondering in terms of how do we still have of the communication that we want but in a manageable way and I know that parents check off certain things but even if you don't check off anything you still receive a lot automatically information rich but maybe sometimes communication poor yes ma'am thank you Dr. Anderson [02:08:43] Mr. Dunn thank you um you know what what I hope and I spoke to previously about Dr. E is just that you know as there are communications within a school especially on issues like mold remediation or you know other things of concern that board members receive the same communications for each of the schools that they're responsible for because if there's information going out um it then i have people contacting me about that information and if i don't have the communication then i'm a little bit in in the dark um so i i know that you referred me to a great app that's [02:09:23] on the way I'm still figuring that out it's not as easy as news you choose you just click of course you have like infinite buttons and news you choose so it's not that great an example but but I I hope the app makes it easy to get all communications not just a subset thank you yes sir thank you seeing no others I will call for a vote on the motion which is on the screen all those in favor mr. [02:09:55] Frisch, Mr. McDaniel, Miss Marin, Mr. McElveen, Miss St. John Cunning, Miss Lady, Miss Dixit, Miss Sizemore Heiser, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Moon, Dr. Anderson, and myself. That's unanimous. Agenda item 10.01, Academic Matters. I call on Dr. Reed for Academic Matters. [02:10:13] Thank you, Madam Chair. This evening, I just want to spend a few minutes in Academic Matters talking about, at a very high level, our board data from our state standards of learning and Virginia alternate assessment program and these assessment results were released by the Virginia Department of Education very recently on August 27th and this evening I will not be presenting in the you know a lot of really detailed this aggregated data because we're staying at a very high level but when the goal report for these data sets come out we're going to have [02:10:52] the data in a much more granular detail so this evening we're going to talk about this at a very high level and before we talk about this I want to remind the board and the public how important it is to know what this report actually reflects the annual pass rates in Virginia fulfill a federal requirement for year-by-year reporting of how many students reach proficiency on state assessments for reading math and science these are not the same rates that will be reported later this month as part of the state's new accountability system or [02:11:27] the school support and performance framework. As we review the data in the next few slides it's also important to know that when reporting the multilingual learner group for annual pass rates only students who are currently eligible for services are included. That's another difference from the performance rates within the accountability that will be later from the Commonwealth and I want to note that because it's important because multilingual learners don't just suddenly spontaneously break out into non multilingual learners at some [02:12:01] point right they are and will always be having the strength of being a multilingual learner and traditionally we have reported them as multilingual learners throughout their work with us here in Fairfax County Public Schools I I will say that under the direction from the United States Department of Education, the BDOE made two small changes to how annual pass rates are reported for 2025. [02:12:29] And for the first time, annual pass rates for mathematics include the small number of substitute exams approved in high schools for students who took all their SOL math tests before leaving middle school. So this resulted in a slight increase in the number of high school math tests reported for annual pass rates compared to previous years. [02:12:48] Additionally since annual pass rates are meant to reflect actual test participation parent guardian refusals omitted from calculations beginning with the 2025 reports. This resulted in a small decrease in the number of filing tests across subject areas and school levels. My understanding those will be in the new framework categorized as zeros [02:13:12] when we have those declines. So let's take a look at where we are. And on this slide, we see a three-year comparison of Fairfax pass rates in reading, math, and science. And in each bar, you'll see the dotted reference is the Virginia Commonwealth standard. So from this graphic, I'm proud to share that our educators and students have continued to gradually increase year over year, and in all three areas have remained above the Commonwealth standards and so Fairfax County Public Schools continue to [02:13:48] outpour outperform Virginia's overall across all subjects I want and I really want to say sometimes we just kind of whip through these slides but I want to point out that this improvement is especially significant this year because the reading and math programs this was an area where we had a brand new reading curriculum which is very difficult our staff performed herculean tasks last year learning a new curriculum new just a whole new way of approaching reading [02:14:27] for many of our staff furthermore our students were tested on new assessments so even with new curriculum sometimes it can be comforting to have the same assessments and the same targets but we had both new curriculum and new assessments which required students to demonstrate a higher level of knowledge and skills in the grade level content for and for reading and math so when you have more rigorous assessments and new materials to still make gains is really a testament to the spirit and dedication of our students and our staff here in [02:15:03] Fairfax County Public Schools here we have the same 2025 pass rates by subject broken out by student group and again the dotted line is the state performance by context. So I think that we have some work to do based on this chart which thank you and we have outcomes that definitely require our attention as a school division and I will say that Dr. Ponce, Dr. King, Dr. Presidio and Miss Neil are working on very concrete framework and theory of action to make [02:15:41] sure that in all areas of this desegregated data our students will continue to outperform Virginia. So in taking a look specifically at our multilingual learner pass rates, again taking out those students who no longer fall into the ML 1 through 4 category, this shows a comparison for 2025 outcomes for current and formal former multilingual students so in this case what you can see is that our students who prior or our students who have exited [02:16:18] the multilingual program actually outperform our students in the all category so I think that's a obviously a strong achievement we know our multilingual learners once they master language skills are able to outperform our students as a whole in the category so I think and that's across all three content areas reading math and science so looking at our students with disabilities pass rates on the SOL and VAP tests in terms of taking a deeper look here SOLs make up the vast majority of tests completed by students with IEPs [02:16:57] in this case for the past year it's 97 percent in each set of bars for the three subject areas the first and the darkest bar represent pass rates for all tests the SOL and the VAP combined whereas the middle bar represents pass rates for just the SOL and the third bar in each content area represents just the VAP tests because of the heavy representation of SOL exams the overall annual pass rates for students with disabilities groups aligns closely with this group's pass rate for just SOL tests. [02:17:36] Again, Fairfax County public school students with disabilities exceed the Virginia overall pass rate by a substantial margin of about eight percentage points in reading and math and six percentage points in science. [02:17:51] The Fairfax pass rate on VAP tests, which is the last bar on each set, is actually below the state average, although up substantially in reading and math compared to 2024. In this case, our VAP reading improved from 79 to 84 percent, and our VAP math improved from 59 to 68 percent, with respective 5 and 9 percent growth. [02:18:16] And we'll explore more of this data when we present the Goal 3 report. I want to take a look at our Algebra 1 pass rate by grade level. As we wrap up this overview, I'm going to talk a little bit of just a couple more slides. Wrapping this up, I want to circle back to our earlier success to Algebra 1, for sure by 8th grade. [02:18:39] From these data, we see that our students who are accessing Algebra 1 by the end of 8th grade have a very high pass rate, 95% actually, which is well above the division Algebra 1 average of 89% across all grades, 6 through 12. [02:18:54] In the test counts, we also see that the numbers of students accessing this assessment is climbing at a solid rate with pass rates remaining consistently high. And this is the data chart we're watching very closely because we want to make sure that as we increase expectations, that we also increase support. [02:19:16] And our academic matters from our last meeting, we talked about the summer program, Algebra power up and we've got a variety of other school-based initiatives to provide those support strategies because high expectations require high support i want to flag some upcoming events and decisions that we expect will impact our division along with the rest of the state and these are on the screen for you later this month the vdoe intends to release the first ever school performance and support framework accountability reports for Virginia schools. [02:19:54] We know that this new accountability model has some positives, such as its recognition of Algebra 1 by 8th grade as an important target, and we of course here in Prefects County have recognized that for several years as we've worked on that. However, we also know that many of the changes will have an uncertain outcome for how schools Schools across the Commonwealth are depicted for their communities. [02:20:18] At this time, VDOE has not yet released any preliminary estimates of ratings under the new system. I'll continue, of course, to keep the Board and Public updated as these data become available. Another area of concern is the proposed revision to SOL cut scores for reading and math tests that the State Board of Education reviewed for the first time during their August meetings. [02:20:43] For those watching, cut scores would be the score at which we determine passing. So analysis of the proposed changes have raised several areas of very specific concern, including the potential direct negative impact on students and families with mixed messages about student proficiency and potential increased barriers to graduation. [02:21:04] Again, we'll continue to share updates with our board. Lastly, our board, staff, and partners across Northern Virginia continue to provide feedback on the potential unanticipated impacts from the assessment reforms adopted by Virginia's General Assembly during their last session. [02:21:22] As we discussed in the work session earlier this week, these changes are currently scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2026, unless there are further revisions introduced. We're especially concerned about proposed changes in grades seven through 12 relating to SOLs impacting or potentially impacting a final course grade, which might significantly constrict the timeline for delivering SOL tests at the end of the year and possibly include complications in accessing tests for verified credit. [02:21:52] Again, our team will continue to work around these important points to keep our student needs at the forefront. Finally, I know there's been a lot of discussion about the recent release of NAEP scores nationally and what they've shown in terms of performance, particularly in reading and mathematics. [02:22:13] And I want to remind our Fairfax County public school community that in 2024, only 265 students were tested for NAEP in the entire county, in Fairfax County public schools, which is really less than 1% of our enrolled students. [02:22:34] We only had 1,820 students that were actually assessed in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which is 1% or less than 1% of the all the enrolled students in Virginia and this was a sample from only 8th and 12th graders Commonwealth wide so I want to make sure that the data that we're talking about actually is something that here in Fairfax County Public Schools that this should raise any alarms and we do not believe it does we believe the data we're monitoring our increased SOL scores, our increased number, as we shared tonight, 40% increase in our national merit [02:23:13] semifinalists, our continued increase in the number of students taking AP and IB exams. And I could go on. We want to make sure that the nation's report card is reflecting the entire country, but we are not currently receiving Virginia data or data by school division. [02:23:35] This national test does not provide this level of detail, and so I think any time we talk about NAEP scores, I just want to remind our community that the sampling model only looks at a tiny number, less than 300 of our 183,000 students, and we just want to clarify that we believe that our students continue to benefit from a world-class education. [02:24:03] So Madam Chair, that concludes academic matters for this evening and the team is here to help answer any questions that you as a board might have with the caveat. Know that this is high-level data and we're going to get much more detailed when we present the goal reports that report on this. [02:24:22] But why don't you know as soon as we knew. Thank you, Dr. Reed. Mr. McDaniel. Thank you. Overall, good. One item that I wanted to draw the attention to maybe get some more data on it. slide for reading, math, science. The only three categories across all of those three topics that is below state, consistent, Hispanic students, economically disadvantaged students, and multilingual learners. Can we get that data broken out like you did in one of the other slides for [02:25:00] 23, 24, and 25 just to see the trend on that? Yes, sir, we can. And I think we're having all of that will be teed up for the goal report, but I'll see if we can get you a sneak preview in an upcoming Friday letter. Okay, great. Thank you. That was all. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. McDaniel. Mr. Dunn. [02:25:16] Thank you so much. Um, I wanted to understand, uh, what is the plan to, uh, help our students with disabilities? Because I think there was extensive discussion by, uh, some of my colleagues last year, um, who discussed, you know, different examples of jurisdictions in Virginia that have made substantial progress, perhaps greater progress than we've made in Fairfax County in recent years. [02:25:45] and so I just want to understand now that we're seeing this data one year later has has FCPS studied those other jurisdictions is there a plan in place to adopt their best practices and and what is that plan and has it been articulated to the board or will it be yes sir so I think we're on slide six team I believe and one of the things I think one of the goals was to make sure we had more students with IEPs taking SOL exams and I believe that with 97 percent of our students taking SOL exams that is definitely moving in the right direction which would leave fewer [02:26:25] and fewer students that are taking the VAP test or the VAP assessment which that format also changed right it became I believe a multiple choice exam but I'm going to let Ms. Huffman respond more specifically to the year over year question you're asking Ms. Huffman. [02:26:45] The we do have the increases for participation in SOL as Dr. Reed pointed out for students being able to access that grade level curriculum as opposed to the numbers of students accessing the adapted curriculum for the subjects with stronger and more rigorous standards in terms of which students are eligible for the BAP assessment. [02:27:10] And the improvement information in terms of year-over-year for the performance on those assessments also will be able to get you in a report for tomorrow's letter that you'll be able to see the details on those breakdowns. But if there's a specific area, a specific group or a specific area that you're interested, we can try to find those right now. [02:27:32] Actually, there were two data points I did provide, Mr. Dunn, so let me restate those. The 2025 VAP rates, which are different than the SOL rates, did improve in reading from 79% to 84%, which was a 5% gain, and the VAP math improved from 59% to 68% year over year, which is a gain of 9%. [02:27:55] I'm sorry, I'm certainly not disputing any of the positive data, and I applaud all the great efforts that have been made. i'm just trying to understand one of my colleagues identified other jurisdictions in virginia that were making more substantial progress over time so i'm just trying to understand have we studied those best practices are we importing them and is there a plan some kind of written plan because john kenneth galbra said that which is measured tends to improve and i do believe in plans it worked for d-day it can work for school districts as well yes sir i understand um dr presidio i know [02:28:31] we certainly worked on executing a plan here so Dr. Presidio would you elaborate please no I appreciate the question and we do collaborate with jurisdictions around the state on a regular basis there's a network for special education administrators at the state there's the region for the northern Virginia school districts that meet on a regular basis but I think in terms of the plan that we're executing the the biggest piece that I would talk about is the three-year inclusion plan that we have working with national inclusion experts to really make sure that we're providing direct instruction and direct services to [02:29:09] students with disabilities as often as possible unless determined otherwise by the IEP team in the general education setting with specially designed instruction and explicit instruction from some of our most trained educators and literacy math and science in these content areas so we've been working really hard to provide professional development to our staff it's rigorous it's over 20 hours of professional development that staff members get with our national inclusion experts they've been working with us for a little bit under a year right now and we're phasing in changes to that service delivery [02:29:47] model to be a more inclusive service delivery model over a course of three years in all 200 of our schools so it does take time to turn that ship and make sure that both classroom teachers administrators and support staff in our schools have the support and the training needed to make the changes that we're asking them to make to both service delivery instruction and assessment additionally we made changes to our curriculum to make sure that our students with disabilities even if they're in a self-contained setting have access to the same general education curriculum that students in the in the Gen Ed track have as well and we're working really hard in particular in the [02:30:24] area of literacy to make sure that our reading plans and our reading approaches are really aligned with evidence-based best practices so we do have a comprehensive three-year plan really designed to bolster support and changes to services for students with disabilities thank you with respect to Hispanic students multilingual learners African American students who also tend the lag is same question is is there a plan or could a plan be formulated because again if there's no plan and there can be lots of good efforts but it can be difficult to coordinate [02:31:00] and I think just for us on the board to have oversight we'd like to know that there are goals what are those goals year by year to increase we have the state goals but those are are they realistic are they not realistic looking at past efforts what worked in the past or what is working elsewhere in the state elsewhere in the country and then bring those in I mean it's kind of a component a sub plan of the strategic plan which is kind of overarching but just trying to understand if there's something written so that you know we can review that so that we don't have a permanent and enduring gap in achievement we want to close that we want to end that because [02:31:37] if it's possible anywhere if it's possible under any leader I believe it's possible here possible under your leadership well thank you and we do this This is what we worked on really a great part of the summer was our multilingual learner plan. [02:31:52] Dr. Ponce, do you want to elaborate on the work because we have a number of principals that also have these plan and goals written into their school plans. Do you want to bring up slide five, please, Dr. Ponce? [02:32:07] All right. Thank you very much. We have three domains that we have been working with. multilingual one is instructional support scaffolding lessons differentiation and literacy across all content areas I can elaborate a little bit more if you want and we have domain two there is a language development we have bilingual translation practices ELD there is targeted English language development [02:32:40] material and also dual language material that we utilize and of course social emotional and cultural support this is very important and we have been working across I know my group one of my sections in my team working very tight in collaboration with Sloan team as well the multilingual we have been working with teachers and we have been modeling as well personally I have been going to [02:33:15] several other schools and modeling some classes for them especially in high school since I'm a math teacher I have been working with how we should work in math with multilingual students and I'm very pleased that we are moving on the right track and we have also supplemental material for the students where they can access on their own language and have academic tutors as well and I know very soon we're going to be utilizing AI as well supplemented to [02:33:53] support them so I want to thank you Dr. Ponce I want to add last year was the first year we actually had supplemental literacy materials for our multilingual learners we actually ordered that curriculum alongside benchmark for our K6 students and one year isn't going to move all our students but we believe one of the key parts of this plan particularly in literacy is the evolution of once a student has access to that supplemental curriculum in kindergarten first second by the time they hit third grade we should see very different results which is different than the first year in third grade we're [02:34:32] NOT GOING TO SEE AS GREAT. BUT THAT'S A KEY PART OF THE PLAN. BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY OF THE PLAN IN THE FRIDAY LETTER. YES, MA'AM. AND IS THERE ONE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC STUDENTS? IT'S, WELL, ANY OF OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TIGHT TIER ONE INSTRUCTION AND TIGHT TIER TWO INSTRUCTION. SO YES, SIR, WE DO. WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT. [02:34:56] THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. DUNN. DR. ANDERSON. THANK YOU. I'LL ACTUALLY PICK UP WHAT MR. DUNN LEFT off so um these achievement gaps as outlined uh in the previous slide that has these subgroups is always a great concern and i'm very excited to hear that there are plans for multilingual students plans for our students who are um who who have special needs i i'm not hearing and understanding also that there is significant overlap because we know students may fall in multiple groups [02:35:29] But I'm not hearing what the efforts are for our students who are economically disadvantaged because that seems to be a very persistently low performing group. So if you could speak to that. Yes, ma'am, that a lot of the work connected to our economically disadvantaged students are is taking place in our title one schools. [02:35:50] And there's been a tightening of the title one plans and a centralizing, honestly, of the allocation of resources. And so I'm not sure. I think Dr. Ponce or Miss Neal might want to comment on that. I'll ask either one of them, because there's been a lot of work to address how Title I resources are rolled out to schools. [02:36:13] Also, I would like to add that sometimes when you are addressing one subgroup, you are addressing that eco group as well at the same time. So when you see that number, not necessarily are just looking at that only that eco but there are some students that overlap that they are special education they are multilingual and they are under that threshold as well low income so we have been working with with the parents and making sure that they have all the material all the resources that they [02:36:53] need to make sure that the students are successful we have been given also material that is needed and we have been working with that title one resources to make sure that they receive everything that they need especially on the title one schools but remember that there are some other students as well that they are eco I could call it eco economical disadvantage that they are not necessarily on a title one is cool but they also request material and support [02:37:27] we have been able to do support them and and I do understand the overlap and I like to think I shared this at the top of my comments because our students don't come in neat little packages but I I think I'm looking for a little bit more specificity than what you've just described when we're saying we want to provide them with everything that they need what does that mean when parents are being you said parents are you're ensuring that parents have all the materials that they need I'd like to better understand what that entails yes and also the second part dr. Reed shared that there were some new changes to the [02:38:04] title one programming and and monitoring I'd also like to hear a little bit of that about that and if it's not today it's fine in the Friday letter it's fun in the goal 3 report if that's coming up soon but I want to understand what is different that we're doing because sometimes we we tend to do the same thing just slower and louder so I'm looking for the new strategies that are going to be a little bit more impactful yes for example we have we have been working with that teaching because the best thing that you can give to any [02:38:38] school is support instructionally we have been having expert in a content area belong to the title one department and they go and we do what we call I do you do we do and it's coaching them how to teach that children this is number one which I think is better to give them a present is to give a I would say effective instruction which this is always number one target that they [02:39:15] receive tier one instruction for those who are on tier three we have been having academic tutors and also we have been working with some teachers so they can have extra tutoring and also pull out which this is something that we have been providing with the families we have been having some literacy night where we support them and teach them how to support their children we have been implemented in several schools and what they receive not only classes from other [02:39:54] teachers how to pull data how to navigate a website and at the same time if they need extra support on school supplies what they received from that one and also things that we have been utilizing is to have a get-together that we call and it's where I go with some of my team and we talk with the parents and we teach them things that we have available for them that they can ask for [02:40:32] because several times with parties they don't want to totally just go and say hey I am poor and I need so we don't necessarily say hey we have food for you and everything but they know that they can go and just grab it okay thank you I just have two more points on this matter and then I want to spend the rest of my time on my other questions knowing what happens in many of our title one schools I wonder Dr. Reed are you also tracking the transiency because the 600 kids that you are starting with in August may not be the same 600 kids in January and all of those efforts have to [02:41:09] be restarted so tracking that data point should really be an important thing because we need to know how many times are we starting over and also research shows that the most effective thing that we can do to impact student achievement is the expertise of the teacher. Are we putting our most effective teachers in front of our neediest students. I think there's a lot of room for us to do better there and I think we need to be thinking about how to be innovative to attract those great experienced teachers to put in front of our neediest students. [02:41:42] So I will stop there on that. I'm very glad that you raised the NAP scores and the number of students because very often the public does not understand the context in terms of we are really looking at very, very few students to inform that data point. [02:41:58] But one of the things that I wanted to spend a little bit of time on are the cut scores. I don't think we could spend enough time to educate our public in terms of the impact of those cut scores because right now 400 is passing and the new cut score plans the proposals they range anywhere from 431 to 445 they're inconsistent across grade levels they're inconsistent across subjects it's just a quagmire the modeling has your office done some modeling in terms of what would our data look like with those new cut scores and if so can you give a [02:42:37] little bit of a preview yes ma'am we've been working on modeling and i believe miss huffman can give um maybe a high level uh possibility we don't have real numbers yet but miss uh huffman yeah so to your point with the proposed changes the pass rates that we see here on our screen would for reading and mathematics which are the two subjects that are being contemplated [02:43:08] for these changes we would see pretty substantial um declines um by um you know up to up to you know 20 30 percentage points depending on the final um the final decisions the concerns as i i know you share from earlier conversations are really around the impacts on individual students and on individual families and the lack of transparency and clarity around what this means when for [02:43:43] example my student scored at a 480 or was perhaps even at the advanced level this past school year and suddenly with these changes perhaps that same student is performing you know just above 400 or maybe not even passing so substantial impacts on the individual students substantial impacts on potential graduation concerns and I know some of those were raised in the work session on Tuesday and that's part of the follow-up that Mr. Molloy is supporting with many of you as well thank you [02:44:22] for that we cannot stress how important Dr. Anderson that was your time I can put you on go back. Sorry I couldn't hear you. Mr. Frisch. Thank you. It's that special time of year when Richmond politicians are showing up at school division parking lots across northern Virginia to talk about our schools without ever having been in them. So it is a there's no better time than the present to talk about the success especially here in Fairfax County public schools. [02:44:51] Just to recap some of the stuff that people may have missed from the conversation outside. again seven of the 10 top high schools in Virginia for the first time ever are Fairfax County public schools and I will say six of those are attended by Providence District students. 40% increase year over year in national merit scholarship semi-finalists, 16% increase in the percentage of eighth graders taking algebra or higher over the last three years without compromising on pass [02:45:22] rates. We're leading the Commonwealth on AP exam test taking and test passing. Our SAT scores lead the Commonwealth. Our ACT scores lead the Commonwealth. Our graduation rates lead the Commonwealth. And tonight we're getting a report on how we continue to lead the Commonwealth when it comes to data on reading, math, and science, but that's not enough for us because we're Fairfax County, so we're always looking for ways to do better, and I wish there were press [02:46:01] conferences in the parking lots of school divisions that are not as fortunate as we are. So, I do have some questions. In past conversations that we've had when we've been receiving reports, goal reports, one of the things that we've looked at favorably is the increase in English proficiency among multilingual students multilingual learners I'm surprised that that's not having a more demonstrative impact on the SOL scores considering that those are only given in English what do you think accounts for that I will probably phone a friend although I do wonder if we exit students based on the increased [02:46:41] WIDA exam scores because we're doing a better job of making sure our students are able to exit earlier then those scores are no longer allowed to be used in the data you just saw whereas they previously were so I'm glad you picked up on the trick question aspect of this because it is the only category that we observe where people eventually leave the category right or one of you yes sir yeah and so it's confounding the way that [02:47:12] we judge that success because it's a dog chasing its tail continually right additionally the commonwealth isn't making it any easier for school divisions to meet these these needs either in Washington they're cutting funding or in Richmond they're making it harder for us to count the success of these students towards the success of our school division and so to Dr. Anderson's points about these cut rates we can't get into that conversation more frequently enough because you know people may recall board meetings a year ago when we were talking about how the commonwealth [02:47:52] of Virginia was not partnering with local school divisions, that they were not being clear about what the expectations were going to be, and that was while we were already measuring for those expectations. They were setting new expectations without explaining what they were, and they were judging us in the moment. And now we're fast-forwarding to a time where they're not letting us in on what the data is so that we can understand how well we're doing, so that we can adjust accordingly. They're keeping it close to the vest. Why would they do that perhaps I don't want you to answer it this is for the politicians thank you perhaps because they don't want or care about the [02:48:29] success of public education they want to make a political point instead of making our kids success in our schools better and we have to message the opposite of that and my time went off I heard it I'm angry thank you thank you mr. Frisch miss Sizemore Heiser thank you and I want to pick up a little bit on where Mr. Frisch left off because you and I've had many conversations in my role as budget chair about, you know, helping, like, about the knowledge is power. [02:49:00] One thing I've appreciated since you've been here is the greater transparency in data sharing from our goal reports to academic matters to strategic plan goals. And we've had many conversations about sort of sharing the story of FCPS with our community, right, what our data, especially what our data shows. [02:49:16] I was going to ask this of you, but since Mr. Frisch just summarized it, we just work with mr frisch but i think a one pager on some of this academic data would be really good right a one pager on some of this academic data that we have we talk about i mean we've we've gotten it in in bits and pieces we've gotten data about and i'll just in some of our successes we've gotten data on the chronic absenteeism that's reduced we you know we just found out about the 40 increase in national merit we've you know we've got the seven out of ten best high schools i mean i i could go on and i'm thinking back to the many different academic matters where you've presented things the increase in algebra pass rates and access to algebra it'd [02:49:54] be great to pull all of that together in a one pager so when we're out talking to our community members we can say here's some of the people are always saying well great you have this new strategic plan what are you actually what what can you show us that's been done in the last two years and you've shown us in lots of different places and ways pulling it together in a one pager would i think help us all as we're talking to our community because i think it's a valid question people ask you've done this show what's the you know show us the results right and so that is the first thing I would ask because I know it's out there if we can pull it together that would be helpful to us I wanted to [02:50:31] circle back appreciate my colleagues questions about the you know the students with disabilities and multilingual students I was wondering and if you don't have the answer today maybe it can come in a Friday letter but when we look at some of these pass rates for students with disabilities that are around the 50% or lower passage and we are higher than the state but can you tell me how many of those students or students disabilities on the SOL track have been accessing or educated about the local awarded verified credit and the special permission local awarded verified credit as options I know miss Edmonds heard had mentioned having done training for staff but do we have data [02:51:10] on how well that training is implemented into IEP teams and IEP team conversations if you have students who because those are state sanctioned assessment methods for students with disabilities for the SOLs that are not substitute tests and they were specifically to address making sure students with disabilities could access and demonstrate their knowledge so it would be good to know that not just the data on how much it was used to see is it being used and the ones who failed the SOL was it then used as an option [02:51:47] the locally awarded verified credit is only for 375 and above but I just be curious to know was it used or not yes ma'am so if we do I think we do have a bit of that information so miss Huffman so I have before me just the most recent school year data in terms of the students who accessed one or more or special permission locally awarded verified credit. [02:52:13] And we can get the prior year data to see if we do indeed have that growth trend that we believe we have from the work that we've been doing with teachers and families. But for last year, we had a total of 234 students with disabilities who were approved for at least one by the state when that was requested. [02:52:36] 82 of those students received one, 48 students received two, 16 students received 3 and 2 students received 4 so we had a number of students or I think it was 230 must have been 234 total locally word of verified credit when we add up the students the special permission locally where to verify credit those were the special permission those were the special permission okay we can also capture those in a Friday letter chart [02:53:14] for you, Ms. Sizemoreheiser. Ms. Leidy. So along the same line, Ms. Hoffman, if memory serves me well, in LAVC, first of all, they're not to be awarded until senior year. I believe they were held until senior year. No? It's not a policy stance. There may be some cases where those are held to see if additional opportunities are provided. But I think that's actually declining, [02:53:48] that practice is declining and we've been working on additional data to support school counselors and directors of student services and identifying students who may be eligible based on past testing so those conversations can be held okay so perhaps some of that's changing my next question is when one is awarded an lavc it's not going to count as a pass in this data correct so that is is absolutely my colleague's point the LAVCs are not going to increase the data right right but but multiple attempts and remediation and other attempts will [02:54:25] which is perhaps why when I was a director we waited until 12th grade to do LAVCs because we wanted students to be remediated and pass the SOLs on their own so I just need clarification that when you get an LAVC it's done it's not going to count in the charts that we're looking at thank you okay so I'm going to take a quick moment I also am feisty about particular things that are going on and I'm gonna try not to repeat and try not to ask you rhetorical questions but we're I don't promise any of those things um if I understand [02:55:02] correctly in the period of maybe two years at the most we have had a requirement for new assessments we have a we have had a requirement for new curriculum and we ever had a change in the sol cut scores has that ever happened historically in the state of virginia miss huffman you probably have more historical data um sadly yes sadly yes um however the difference this time through is that most often those decisions about [02:55:37] the standard setting when new assessments are developed and being implemented is made prior to that first implementation so that all of the preparation and planning can be built around knowing ahead of time what the target is whereas in this case the tests were implemented this past spring for the first time without having had the opportunity to go through that standard setting process so now we'll be seeing the same tests held to a different standard so again I could take the [02:56:10] exact same test this past spring or this upcoming spring and potentially exact same performance but receive a different score. It's almost as if they were creating new assessments intended to make us fail and that we didn't and so now we have to create new scores in order to show failure and if we continue to have that moving target repeatedly over and over again I'll go back to what my colleagues said at a work session not that long ago that all those schools districts out there are states that we feel are failing maybe they're not maybe they've been set up [02:56:48] because if we understand the framework here echoes some of those states as well so the other question that I have is related to the federal funding how many how many of our federal funding categories or grants actually impact directly the learners that we're talking about currently each of our federal grants directly impact the learners we're talking about. So when again when so we have a we have um we have direct input at the federal level that is that is impacting our ability to serve the students that need the most support and then we have artificial creations of standards and cut [02:57:28] scores at the state level that are meant to show failure. It's almost like we're we're we're under attack. And so that is where I think so many of my colleagues and I are so eager to ensure that we defend the very public education that we were elected to. So I appreciate the data as always. I'll continue to dig in. I'm going to say the same thing I said last year though. [02:57:54] I would really love to see the numbers without us in them. So I want to know what the Virginia a number looks like without us because what how well is the rest of the state doing if we're not being compared against ourselves and so I think that that would be an amazingly good point as a way to see you know what does the rest of the state look like without us so thank you very much and maybe our way be partners but yes yes ma'am I do think the current data is that we do educate 14% of the students in the Commonwealth here in Fairfax County public schools. [02:58:30] And I know this very question came up last year around SAT scores because over 70% of our students take the SAT and are counted in our scores and fewer than 50% of students across the Commonwealth take SAT scores. [02:58:46] So I remember asking if we just took our highest of our 50% of our scores, we would even be more significantly ahead of the Commonwealth score. So you might be on to something. Mrs. Anderson. Well, thank you for that. Miss St. John Cunning. [02:59:06] I can see the green light. So going back to the numbers and one of the questions I want to ask, and I've had this come up before and I've seen it before, and I guess I would just want an explanation because when we look at the reading math and science for our Hispanic economically disadvantaged and current multi-language learners, their pass rates are lower than the overall rate in Virginia. [02:59:36] But can one student be all of those three categories and be counted in -- so one student is counting three times? Yes, ma'am. I believe you're correct that that's possible, that one student could be counted three times if they are in all three of those categories. [02:59:55] So that also skews the numbers, particularly when we're looking at multilingual learners having to now take those sols in three semesters correct because again a reminder for those watching our multilingual learners scores used to be calculated after 11 semesters and now it will be after three semesters so another um hurdle that is correct not fair and will disproportionately impact our numbers just wanted to make the point and as i'm as upset as [03:00:34] the rest of the people on this board because it directly impacts what we are elected to do to protect public education, to make sure that we're doing the right things. And when we're showing tests, scores that are not truly accurate, it's really frustrating. It's also disparaging to our teachers that are doing the hard work and disparaging to our students because they feel like failures when they truly aren't. Dr. Anderson for Go Back. Yes, just very quickly, [03:01:10] more things I didn't get to the data that you showed us is pretty much composite it's reading for the entire division are you seeing that there's consistency or is there variance in terms of performance at the various grade levels do we have great levels that shine better than others so I have not looked at other than the macro data to date but do we have any sense of that miss huffman or miss neal so those are detailed data that we'll be looking at more closely in the goal three report that's upcoming they are data that we look at with our school leaders so that [03:01:48] they can understand the trends within their building in terms of areas for you know continued development of staff and also for cohorts of students and support as they're moving along that's not something that i have for you today but again it's something that we could get for you thank you I was just curious with all of the efforts that we put towards at least third grade I was hoping to see that that data would perhaps be a little bit different than others and lastly you presented the data for VAP and SOL together what does it look like when it's [03:02:18] disaggregated so I believe the data was separated on one part of the slide but let me double check could we go to slide six please miss Huffman or miss Neal do you want to clarify because I'm not able to see I think the VAP only is the far right the SOL only is the middle bar and the far left is the SOL and VAP combined that's correct Dr. Reed so we in this slide we've separated it out because the [03:02:55] students who are taking the VAP are only our students who have IEPs when we look at the scores separated out for most of our other student groups they're very similar to the combined scores but we can provide that to the board in a Friday letter as well so you have that data no and I did notice that for that subgroup I think I was speaking more to the overall I believe it is slide four just wanting to see what does that look like with the larger group because that one is just the the students with disabilities so but I think you're going to provide much of that in the [03:03:32] goal report the goal three report so I will look forward to that again thank you for this this is always important and it does bear to say that staff are very aware of the students that fall in multiple groups because those are your kids just like they're very aware of bubble kids BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE KIDS THAT YOU KNOW WILL HIT MULTIPLE GROUPS AND BECAUSE WE NEED TO RAISE THOSE NUMBERS THEY'RE VERY AWARE OF WHO THOSE KIDS ARE AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO IMPACT THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR CLASS AND SCHOOL ET CETERA SO THANK YOU THANK YOU MISS SIZEMER HASER [03:04:11] THANK YOU A COUPLE THINGS SPEAKING OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID IT IS VERY SAD AND VERY DISAPPOINTING that for the last couple years there has been continual and last-minute changes to accreditation and test scores i think all of us can agree that continual improvement accountability and refining our accountability systems are all good things right we want to make sure that our public education systems are educating our students however when you have a school system that [03:04:47] consistently outperforms the rest of the Commonwealth when you have public education that has been chronically underfunded in Virginia according to their own nonpartisan report to then change accreditation requirements when it's too late for us to make the adaptations to meet some of those requirements because the change is made after students have already started their schedules after school's already started it seems hard to understand how that's actually an improvement to accountability standards to make sure [03:05:25] public schools are educating students because if you really want to change accountability standards in a way that you can give the schools a chance to set up their processes to show whether they're meeting them or not you work with the schools to phase it in and give them it more than zero percent notice especially since some was laurel was rolled out before they even knew what all of it was changing cut scores I would like to know what data that's based on from the state i know you can't tell us that but it'd be interesting to know how they came [03:05:58] up with those numbers and changes and what they plan to do to support the schools this is why i think that one pager is so important because i think the flip side of that one pager should talk about how some of these changes were made and how and if i may finish the relationship between these changes and accountability so we all want to make sure our schools are doing their jobs but that's what the goal should actually be making schools making sure the schools are doing their jobs [03:06:36] and celebrating when they are. Thank you. Agenda item 10.02 strategic plan update. Well thank you madam chair and members of the board and the public. I am excited to share our first strategic plan update of the 25-26 school year and as a reminder to our public each month we share an update on our work around the strategic plan to highlight the efforts in FCPS as we pursue our strategic goals. [03:07:07] So it's my understanding that I have a, there we go, our executive director and director for food and nutrition services, Sean Sacco and Melissa DeAngelo are both here with me this evening and they are superstars as are all of our food and nutrition staff. [03:07:25] So we want to highlight our pillar D, our culture of equity, excellence, and accountability, and this evening we're going to be focused on our FCPS food and nutrition services. I want to share for the board and the community that we have almost 1,300 staff members who work in our food and nutrition department. [03:07:48] We serve approximately 110,000 meals daily across 198 sites. And when you stop and think about that, I mean, that is not an insignificant number of meals. 110,000 meals served daily, over 198 sites. [03:08:06] For the school year 24-25, the daily breakdown, it looks like we serve more lunch than breakfast and also provide after school meals. So lots of food going on, and as you can see the young man in the picture there, the healthy fruit. Definitely also we're thinking about how do we make sure our children get food that's not highly processed. I want to share that we did have snow meals and fasting meal kits as well as summer meals and these are outside what our normal food and nutrition services function might be and I [03:08:42] have to say it is such a pleasure to support a team that goes so above and beyond to serve our children and families and I it's just kind of what we do in Fairfax County Public Schools our staff see a need and they find a solution so you can see that the meals that were served when we were out of school in the snow and you know our food nutrition staff found a way to get to kitchens prepare food and get food out to families and students our fasting meal kits were something new that [03:09:19] that we did and culturally appropriate meals to more than 500 families who observe religious fasts and the summer meals we didn't necessarily track the number of families served but we certainly provided over 160,000 over 161,000 meals through the course of summer and I visited some of those summer sites this summer and you know it wasn't just about food it was about community people coming together and connecting in the summer and there's no better way than connecting over breaking bread so the staff and families it's it [03:09:59] was really a powerful example of what community can do so looking ahead for this year I just want to share with the board in the public we have 20 new menu items introduced I'm not sure if I'm going to get to try all of them but it's possible we did have an annual food show and student focus groups that continue to provide student feedback to ensure student preferences are reflected in the menus and in elementary schools we're going to be launching new informational videos for students to teach them about nutrition in a fun and [03:10:34] engaging way. To see this work in action let's take a look at how our FNS team serves students with purpose and commitment. Madam Clerk please play the our students are nourished they're able to tackle their day if students don't have access to meals they're not going to be able to perform as well in their [03:11:09] academics as students who do have access to meals we look through the lens of how can we better serve our students if there's ways that we can improve access we're going to be there and prepared because we're holding ourselves to that high standard and creating that support structure for our students we love being able to provide students with the basic necessity like food and it's healthy and and it's representing who they are as well. [03:11:32] We want to be able to provide culturally diverse meals, and we're proud of that work. I'm really proud of their snowstorm feeding right after winter break. We had winter break, and right after that, there was another snowstorm, and then we learned that schools are going to be closed. [03:11:48] We know that this meal is actually a main meal for a lot of students. My role within FNS is to find a way to feed students when there is a need to feed them outside of our regular operating hours. So during the snow closure, for example, I communicated with the state to find out various ways to create this meal kit that we were able to offer that included breakfast, lunch, supper, and snack. We were able to get approval and waivers from the state to create this meal kit and give it out to families and a ton of kids. During that that's no feeding emergency. [03:12:26] We were able to provide over 7,000 meals. - So many families actually have given us a feedback through the social media that they really appreciate what we were doing. We started hearing from other districts that how did you guys do it? And they wanted to be prepared for this. So taking a lead and taking a lead of something which is great for our students, we always feel proud of. [03:12:48] - We're always looking at what we're going to be able to do in the future and how we can improve. So this past year, we offered over 20 new menu items, and we're proud to be able to provide 20 new additional items coming this school year. You'll be seeing that throughout the school year, starting in fall into spring. [03:13:06] We're very excited to see how students are going to respond. We are going to be launching videos targeting our elementary school students that's going to help them learn how to go through the lines successfully, build their own tray, their own way, build a healthy meal and be able to understand and recognize all the delicious options that they have available for them. FNS really is focused on incorporating strategic plan in everything that we do. When we're talking about strategic planning equitable access and strengthening those family and community family community and school relationships [03:13:44] are so crucial when it comes to our north star and guiding post for FNS and we're excited about seeing how this is gonna be trajectory us into the next school year. - Excellence. - Equity. - And opportunity. - So I just wanna say that there is a tremendous through line through every department, every pillar of our strategic plan. [03:14:08] And I think when we see the work in action, that level of coherent alignment is what's going to continue to power the engine of innovation. On a side note, it was a good thing to see little chocolate milk there. It happens to be a personal favorite. But anyhow, I'll stay off that. [03:14:28] I want to remind the board and the public that I'll be delivering reports about our progress toward each goal. And our first strategic plan goal report will be October 7th, which is a work session. So we're thrilled. And Madam Chair, that is our strategic plan update for September 11th. [03:14:49] thank you so much dr eid we'll go to some board members mr dunn i love that video and it reminded me during the pandemic how folks who work in the cafeteria did heroic work for those children who were not in the school building anymore there was so much innovative thinking in terms of how fcps could continue to deliver necessary meals and and food support to children in our communities [03:15:24] They really are heroes because without that food, many, many families, many children would have gone hungry and bad consequences could have ensued. And when we think about the people who make a difference in the daily lives of our children, when I think of the daily excellence of FCPS, obviously the teacher in the classroom matters greatly. [03:15:48] But it's every staff member who who really brings the love to to bear on on children, both for safely transporting them and providing for mental and behavioral health support in some cases, but also feeding them. [03:16:06] Right. Because that is a necessity as human beings to to be able to learn, to be able to thrive, to be able to sustain themselves. And so I just want to thank you and the entire FNS department within FCPS because it's tremendous work. [03:16:25] And I'm so proud as a parent, as a school board member, community member of the tremendous work you've done, Dr. Reed, and your team has done to put in real kitchens to get away from just processed food that we all probably grew up with, right? [03:16:42] Maybe tastes great, but not the best for our bodies, not the best for our health. but also just to provide daily sustenance to so many children. - Yeah, thank you, Mr. Dunn. And I also wanna make sure that Mr. Muick, Andy Muick, our chief operating officer who oversees this department, the department works really well, but I know that it's much appreciated by our staff. [03:17:08] The work sometimes is thankless, but it makes a difference in the lives of a lot of our children. - Thank you, Mr. Dunn, Mr. McElveen. Well hello, so this is the first time I think we've ever had a dedicated presentation and video on FNS, so I just want to thank you for that. [03:17:30] This is fantastic, I echo Mr. Dunn, I'm glad to see we're beginning to better showcase the great work that we're doing here. And obviously this has been a long journey, goes back, what is it now, 13, 14 years to to get us to where we are today. [03:17:51] And there have been ebbs and flows. The pandemic really set us back, but I think bringing in Sean and Melissa and our chef, among others, has really helped us turn a corner and get us on the right trajectory. So thank you both for all you're doing and to Andy, of course. [03:18:11] So a couple things. First, a good news thing. Can you tell us a little bit about the mobile delivery bus that you're working on? So, um, that's, uh, again, going into increasing access to our students. [03:18:26] Um, uh, I also, you know, uh, want to mention back to, um, Mr. Dunn, um, when we reached out to our, our school member or our staff members about, um, snow feeding, uh, they said that they were so thrilled about being able to impact their community again, and they had reminiscence of COVID and that, that, that impactful feeding for that point too. [03:18:49] But going back to the mobile feeding, we're looking at expanding access as much as we can. We recognize that our summer meals, even though we have been able to provide 160,000 meals to all of our families throughout Fairfax County, it's still not enough. So we've been able to partner with Department of Transportation, who's given us a decommissioned bus, and we're actually retrofitting it ourselves. [03:19:13] It should be starting to finalize its work at the end of this month, and we're hoping to launch it fully um this summer so so uh we will be making more announcements as it comes through but it's a way for us to make sure that we're bringing food access to our communities instead of having our communities come to us during that summer period it's fantastic work i'm very excited to see it in action um in terms of scratch cooking so we've this is another place where there have been ebbs and flows and we've tried different things to find what the right fit is can you Can you tell us a little bit about what your current vision is for scratch cooking, how [03:19:50] it's going, and what more we have to do? Yeah, so again, thank you to Dr. Reed. One of the first things that she did when, or she tasked me with when I came on board was to create a position called Executive Chef, and we now have fulfilled that position. He is creating recipe videos utilizing the kitchen equipment that we have to make fresh made food. [03:20:10] We're excited that we're launching over 20 different recipe items just this fall semester alone it's going to encompass things like homemade mac and cheese instead of buying pre-made mac and cheese we're making homemade fried rice instead of buying pre-made rice and and pre-packaged items it's a lot of just translating the kitchen equipment we have and the skills that we have and how we can adapt that we do that through our recipes but then also we have visual aids too to include recipe videos that our chef does um to ensure that even our our staff members that may [03:20:47] have english as their second language are able to follow the recipes and every single student has the same exact meal as student from school a to school b that's great can you tell us a little bit about the success of share tables are we at a hundred percent in elementary schools yet how far are we um yes so uh uh we've worked with uh dr ponce and the chief of staff or chief of schools uh to uh provide an action item or action gram for the schools to have it where it's mandated [03:21:20] starting september 30th we have seen a huge expansion since then i was casually at a school as a assistant principal was providing detailed instructions to their students about how to utilize the share tables so it's definitely growing and I know that we will be following up with that well that's great news and then I guess my final question and and I guess it's more of a point is on the salad bars you've heard heard me say this before they aren't where I'd like them to be both physically and theoretically as as my board colleagues know we went to great [03:21:58] effort to get a grant to get us a standalone salad bar for every school and we had this up and running a couple years ago they've now been reverted back to the line itself which I understand logistically is easier for schools but even in the video you can see that the offerings are just not as robust as they had been you know we used to have a lot of protein options eggs chicken other things on on that salad bar and now it's it's you know it's it's just like carrots or cucumbers or so it's anyway I think we still have to figure out how to [03:22:36] make that work and really realize the vision that you know we partnered with Michelle Obama's let's move to get those south bars and so we aren't quite there but I don't know if you have any reaction to that yeah in you know we're really proud to be able to have salad bars in every single one of our schools and provide unlimited fruits and vegetables to our students. [03:22:58] We're also working, as our chef has been tasked, with composed salads, too, where it could be, we have a new, I think it's called ranch slaw, a new Asian salad. Sorry, I have notes, just in case you guys ask me any questions. [03:23:16] Three bean salad, Asian slaw salad, a ranch salad, and then garlicky broccoli as all of some composed salads that our students will be able to see just this fall alone, Knowing that, you know, cucumber slices can only be served so many times before students get tired of that, too. Well, thank you both again for all you're doing and to Dr. Reed for her leadership and Andy as well. [03:23:41] Thank you. Ms. Dixit. Thank you, Dr. Reed, for the presentation. Hi, Sean. I'm Issa. I really enjoyed the visit last year with the taste of Fairfax, I believe you had, and really good food, ethnic food. [03:23:58] there were chickpeas like you know and I guess masala you know a chicken or something like that which there was a lot of different variety of food and we tasted and it's really good to see the food so a lot of students eat at home to see that in the cafeteria a few years ago when I used to visit my from a you know school's cafeteria you know 10-15 years ago I'm being vegetarian I could find any meals. There was nothing in the school cafeteria for me except like maybe one item but now I see there's plenty and there is very nutritious food so I really do encourage and [03:24:38] you know you know let you keep going and kind of come up with new recipes and one of the things I would just say is that maybe you know like you have a lot of cultural different diverse staff members, maybe ask them about their recipes that they like, their home recipe, what they cook at their house, sort of like their grandma's recipe, and that maybe somehow be incorporated. [03:25:02] But I do remember last year, there was a presentation made, and there was a Fairfax sauce being mentioned, and we were trying to say if you guys have any done any commercialization? It is coming to a school near you soon. [03:25:20] soon. Okay thank you so much we would be loving like to eat and taste that so but yeah thank you and I think this is this shows and I would just hate to see any of that funding being stopped to the school the students which we needed and that is 60 million dollars which we get from the federal government. I like to see that should not get stopped because these kids really need the food So that's the basic need for anyone. [03:25:48] So thank you again. Thanks. Ms. St. Joan Cunning. Thank you. And I would never get tired of cucumber slices. I love cucumbers. I want to echo what my colleague just said. [03:26:03] I really appreciate that a lot of the new meals are reflective of the cultural composition of our students. I think that's really admirable. And it addresses the different cultures like the fasting meals which is really important and I've worked at schools where we do the evening the evening after-school programs and those dinner light dinner meals are just critical for our families with that in mind of all the meals that you served do we know how many of those were for free and [03:26:39] reduced lunch students we can pull that data for you I think that's important for people to understand like how many people we feed that need to be fed um i think that's a critical number um and just echoing what my colleague said and you said that you think that we would need that we're serving all these meals but we could serve more could you explain that a little bit more yeah so uh right now we are averaging about uh as dr reed alluded to a [03:27:11] A little over 30,000 breakfasts every single day, and a little over 77,000 lunches per day. However, we have 180,000 students that attend Fairfax County Public Schools. So in my lens, if we're not feeding 180,000 students, then there's still room to grow. [03:27:30] Okay. I think those numbers are important because if we don't get the funding to feed those kids, that would show dramatically how many meals we would be unable to serve and how many kids we would be unable to serve in, particularly in these economic times. [03:27:52] I think that number is going to increase so I appreciate the work and I love the idea of maybe getting some of those grandma recipes though coordinating with your chef because I think we might have some grandmas out there that are working in our kitchens that might have some really good recipes and I also appreciate the recipes that the kids have brought in I think that inspiring kids to be interested in learning how to cook and taking that ownership is also really inspiring so thank you again amazing work i i saw it every day down on the trenches so thank [03:28:31] you mr trish just two quick things one if some fairfax sauce were to fall off a truck sometime at luther jackson on a random thursday evening i think you might have some happy campers here um second when we report out the metrics of success here because that's what they are i think one thing that we might want to keep track of in the future is the number perhaps the milligrams of sodium not consumed right like take old old food that was consumed compare it to the [03:29:08] fresh unprocessed food that is consumed and let us know how many perhaps billions of milligrams of sodium are not consumed in a school year as a result of the changes perhaps with fat and sugar as well. I'd say calories, but I think we were pretty good on calories regardless. Because I think that really puts into perspective the drastic shift. And the kids actually like the food, which I think is remarkable, right? It wasn't that long ago I went to, I think, [03:29:41] Annandale Terrace Elementary School with Secretary Vilsack and a whole bunch of people from the community. And I got to have one of the Parmesan chicken sandwiches. It was delicious. And the kids loved it so you know I I've been around enough cafeterias where the food wasn't good to know a real change is underway in our system I agree with mr. [03:30:06] McElveen as well that anything we can do to beef up the offerings that are available for the salad bars I think more people are going to be likely to you know make selections there and the more they make selections there the more likely they are to return there regardless of the number of selections so thank you for everything. Thank you Mr. Dunn for a go back. Just quickly I was wondering you mentioned changing from pre-packaged to scratch are there cost savings that are achieved by that because if I go to a grocery store and I buy separate ingredients flour eggs etc to make a [03:30:46] cake that's actually significantly cheaper than actually buying a pre-packaged cake in a box. yeah so we are analyzing our food costs at any given point um and we do recognize that when we are making uh things from scratch we do see a saving in food costs however there is an increase in labor costs when it does come to that um i will give you one example uh and this isn't official because we are piloting it right now but we're going to be making homemade granola um and so that is a significant uh decrease in food cost uh about half of the amount um that we [03:31:23] would be buying prepackaged granola. And does the increase in labor cost offset the cost savings that you get by making from scratch? We can send you that information. We would have to analyze it as a case-by-case basis for each recipe item. [03:31:42] That would be great because, I mean, certainly I think if we can save money, even if there is some additional labor required, then that would result in healthier children, skilled employees right because everyone's getting up skilled by making things from scratch and uh and and better outcomes in terms of health thank you thank you all so much i would like to say that my strapping young men are four of those meals every day um and i was just texting our clerk because i think that it would be a lovely thing to actually have some of that homemade granola at our [03:32:19] legislative breakfast to show off to our legislators that are going to come talk to us SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY SO YEAH YEAH YEAH OKAY UM FAIRFAC SAUCE IS GOING TO BE HITTING A GATE HOUSE CAFE NEAR YOU VERY SOON I KNOW THANK YOU SO MUCH AGENDA ITEM 11 THE CONSENT AGENDA OUR ADOPTED RULES OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE ROBERTS RULES PROVIDE [03:32:57] FOR A CONSENT AGENDA LISTING SEVERAL ITEMS FOR APPROVAL BY THE BOARD BY SINGLE MOTION many items listed have gone through board review and documentation has been provided to all board members in the public in advance items may be removed from 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 or hearing and seeing no objection the consent agenda is approved agenda item 12 new business the following are new business agenda items. There will not be a vote on items this evening, but action is scheduled at a future [03:33:34] meeting. Agenda item 13, Superintendent Matters. I call on Dr. Reed for Superintendent Matters. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, wow, what a great start to the school year, and we are just thrilled with everything that's going on. I've had a chance to attend quite a few back-to-school nights, and each one of those has been incredibly exciting and incredibly well-attended, honestly. [03:34:03] Our staff have been showing off program and classrooms and just really, there's a lot going on. Also, the first couple weeks of school, I've had a chance to visit a number of schools and classrooms and it's fabulous to see our children working on a wide variety of content areas. [03:34:23] So just really exciting Also this past weekend had a chance to attend Timberlaine's 70th anniversary It's rare that you can hit a 70th anniversary for an elementary school, but it was lovely to visit with alumni from the school as well as some of the staff that had retired that were singing and providing just an incredible experience just reminded me of how important community is and learning continues to happen best and particularly our community [03:34:58] Wakefield Forest Elementary School ribbon-cutting was also a really I thought exciting event The wolf pack can actually attend school under the same roof for the first time in roughly 20 years So it was really exciting and just a big thank you to our Fairfax County voters for their support of our schools and our facilities Want to remind the community that we're kicking off the fall or the September round of boundary community meetings And I just want to make sure I'm clarifying that we are doing 12 combined pyramid meetings in September [03:35:34] Which will be two pyramids each and then we're doing again that same cycle of 12 community meetings in October after we have the new maps drawn so If you miss a meeting in September, you're certainly going to have plenty of opportunity in October after we review the new maps to continue to provide feedback. [03:35:59] So just also had an opportunity to attend the Herndon Rotary Club and visit with the Herndon Rotary team and just thank them for their support of our books and bookmobile this summer. [03:36:15] And so we also had our family vision kickoff, which was very well attended, and our first quad one meeting. So at this point, just want to turn it back to you, Madam Chair. Thank you. [03:36:31] Thank you, Dr. Reed. Item 14, board matters. Next on the agenda is board matters, and I will call on those board members that choose to speak tonight. We're going to start with Mr. Dunn. Thank you. [03:36:48] I'd like to congratulate TJ's student, Micah Soarly, and West Potomac High School student Sean Nagda for being named National Merit Semifinalist. That's awesome. I'd also like to congratulate three students who live in the Mount Vernon District who earned the Pioneer Award for participating in the inaugural Bernardo de Galvez essay contest. [03:37:11] Congratulations to TJ's student, Saji Alkadi, and South County High School student, Sadov Ranjbur, and West Potomac High School student, Madison Seifert. I'd also like to congratulate the Mount Vernon High School boys volleyball team, who made history by becoming the first countywide champions in boys volleyball. [03:37:35] So congratulations for your first ever win. We know that the best is yet to come for this new program. I want to congratulate all of our students, whether I name them or not, on all of the achievements, academic, extracurricular, and otherwise, because I know you're all getting off to a great school year. [03:37:53] I also want to publicly thank Dr. Reed for agreeing to reschedule the Boundary Community Meeting at West Potomac High School after learning about the conflict with back-to-school nights at Holland Meadows Elementary and Bucknell Elementary. We don't have a new date yet, but we'll definitely let you know as soon as it's rescheduled. [03:38:10] I also want to honor and remember those we lost on September 11th, 2001. For many of our students, 9-11 is a historical event, not a lived memory, but having witnessed the Pentagon in the aftermath of the plane crash, I can say it was a catastrophic event for the community. [03:38:32] There are many of my friends and former colleagues who continue to suffer severe health effects as a result. the lessons in civic unity and compassion we learned back then are just as important and relevant for the world we live in today my sincere prayer tonight is that we as a community and nation rekindle our collective sense of compassion and affirm our commitment to peace and understanding now and in the future and that's particularly true in light of recent acts of political violence school shootings they're becoming more rampant every day and we must all come together and and [03:39:08] with love and peace in our hearts to overcome the many challenges we face as a society and we must do everything we can to regulate guns because there's just too much too much violence in the world today thank you thank you mr dunn uh miss dixit hello everyone um i'd like to start from where my colleague just ended before i start my board matters i would like to take a moment to to remember the honor and honor the lives lost in September 11 2001 and the courage of first responders and everyday heroes who stepped forward in our [03:39:47] nation's darkest hour. 9/11 remind us not only for our grief but also our strength today we honor acts of service kindness and community. Violence is never an answer and definitely this is something I come from the land of Gandhi and non-violence and I do believe that a lot of issues can be solved just by talking and discussing things without you know hurting other people now back to back back to school matters we're already in fourth week of school and I'm excited to see all the amazing things the students are doing and staff has been [03:40:27] you know supporting our students as well this is an exciting time of the year year with the fall activities and Friday night football games marching bands cheer performances and students remember to follow the rules stay safe and most of all enjoy yourselves. And there is this fall also make the launch of girls flag football in our high school for the 2526 school year. I'm eager to cheer athletes and watch this program grow into successful new tradition. I also look forward to connecting with student parents and staff during back to school night next week. And please join me to give a warm welcome to Arika Asperia, our new [03:41:06] principal for Center Ridge Elementary. We're excited to have to have her leadership and vision guiding our community. I have an office hour, so please follow my newsletter if you have access to that. There's a sign up link and I do have time to we can chat on any topics you would like to discuss. Thank you so much. Have a great night. [03:41:30] Miss St. John Cunning. Thank you. And buenas noches. I had the privilege to see the new metal detectors in action during arrival at both Lewis and Edison High School this week. I was really impressed with the staff and the students at both schools and how efficiently and smoothly they moved hundreds of kids into the building. [03:41:50] Airport security can take a tip from the Lewis Lancers and the Edison Eagles on how to move people quickly and get them to their destination safely and on time I also attended Heyfield secondary schools back to school night last night and I really enjoyed listening to the families and the students and was really proud to have my student representative from last year speak tonight so I think the leadership program has taught her how to be a good advocate for her school as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month I'd like to recognize the Hispanic Educators Association and Hispanic Leadership Alliance that was started as [03:42:26] a very humble organization by FCPS staff about 26 years ago. The organization has grown and this past year they awarded 33 scholarships to FCPS Hispanic students that are the first in their family to attend college. I'd also like to thank the many Hispanic staff members in our division that support our students and our schools and finally I want to recognize our Hispanic families and students who enrich our schools by sharing their language culture and tradition with all of us i want them all to know that they are welcome and they belong here in our schools when i think [03:43:03] about this year's theme for hispanic heritage collective heritage honoring the past and inspiring the future we have to remember that some of that past was not so pleasant in my personal life my paternal grandfather received two purple hearts when he was in world war one only to come home and see signs on windows that said mexicans not allowed never mind that he represented the 16th generation in new mexico my father was punished for speaking spanish in school [03:43:39] yet he went on to be a leader in the community and an inspiration to me and my siblings I honor his and my mother's past by retaining my language and encouraging our Spanish-speaking students and families to celebrate their culture and to retain their language. [03:43:55] Some of you may not know this, but the United States is the third largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. I realize that this is a heavy lift for some of our families in the current climate. However, we need to remember that Spanish was spoken in the American continent half a century before English ever was. [03:44:14] Our Hispanic lineage in this country runs deep, and it is strong. So let us use this month not only to celebrate, but also to listen, learn, and continue building a school system that reflects the strength of our diversity. [03:44:33] We recognize that we would not be here, but we're not for the sacrifices of those that came before us. Our celebrations are loud and passionate because we are not just celebrating for ourselves, for all of those who came before us overcoming adversity happy hispanic heritage month and i will end by saying si se puede thank you mr june cunning mr mckelvie thank you so last weekend i had the pleasure of joining uh dr reed dr ponce and uh mr mcdaniel at the spanish cultural center [03:45:09] in D.C., where we really had a great celebration of culture, but also of student achievement and involvement in international programs. So at Langley High School, the World Affairs Club, led by Ryan Minton, who is a junior there, I believe, created an essay contest in which we had students from across the division participate, and I think we honored about 60 or so of those students who had risen to [03:45:46] the top of the field in that essay writing contest. But it was the best example I've seen perhaps ever of us partnering with an embassy in order to recognize the achievements of our students. [03:46:02] And as I shared that day, this is something that we really-- it was really a board vision starting back in 2013 to increase our partnership with embassies in Washington and take advantage of our geographic proximity to all those resources. [03:46:23] So congratulations to the Langley World Affairs Club and keep up the good work. We're going to go back a little bit. Mr. Moon. - Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to add a couple of words regarding 9/11. [03:46:41] Upon hearing what Mr. Dixit has said about 9/11, going back to 2001, 24 years ago, my kids were in school at the time. So I have a vivid memory of this as to what our teachers, our STEM members had to do within school system. [03:47:04] When planes hit World Trade Center buildings and they also hit Pentagon, We all know that there was an announcement through a PA system for all teachers to go check their computer. [03:47:24] So teachers went to computer, check direction, direct to the teachers were to maintain calm in the classroom. You know that many of our teachers have family members who worked in Pentagon, but family members and relatives who might have worked in World Trade Centers as well. [03:47:47] So, obviously, they had to be concerned about their loved ones. But their first and most important duty on the day was to keep calm for their students. That's what they did. Just wanted to share that with you. [03:48:06] Ms. Marin. As a native New Yorker, even just saying 9-11 or September 11 always hits me. So, you know, I've been hoping that the school division could do more to teach local history. [03:48:23] And, you know, this is actually history that, you know, we've lived through for some of us adults. So I think, you know, the more we can help our teachers teach and facilitate about events, world events, current events, and make sense of it, the better our children will be. But speaking of local history and teaching it, this weekend we held an event to celebrate the revealing of a historical marker for Louise Archer, for whom the Vienna School for Colored Children, I believe it was called at the time in Vienna, now bears her name the louise archer elementary school we celebrated the opening of that we of the construction earlier this year but this saturday we celebrated the revealing of the marker [03:49:01] that was created through a partnership with the fairfax county neighborhood community services and it was remarkable again students who were ms archer's students 50 years ago were there 80 year olds 92 year olds speaking as if it was just yesterday that they were in a classroom with Ms. Archer and all I could think was how could anyone question the power of public education when people who remember things generate you know a generation later it just was such a testament and I learned that she used to drive through the town and that's why the mural in the school has a [03:49:38] picture of her car because she would drive through the dirt roads of Vienna picking up children who of course did not have a car and taking them to school and the memories that were shared were really amazing so um it is very special and I thank the county for making that program happen I also went to my own daughter's back to school night last night at South Lakes I didn't get as lost this year so that was really nice and I'm headed to Marshall Road tomorrow for their picnic Marshall Road is just such a beautiful diverse community in Vienna and then we've got lots of legislative work going on we've got that extra session on Tuesday night and I'll be going to Richmond next week with I think a few colleagues for the Virginia School Board Association's [03:50:18] legislative conference and then we'll get ready for our breakfast on October 7th when we host our state electives or any electives that want to come in and talk with us. So before the next regular meeting we will begin the holiest time of the year for Jews starting with Rosh Hashanah on Monday evening September 22nd and that starts a week-long time of introspection reflecting on how one is doing the work of what's called tikkun alum which is repairing the world. So I look forward to observing the holiday with my family and friends. So thank you to the educators and staff who have made the first weeks of school go so smoothly despite a varying configuration of days and to the families who are helping our [03:50:57] students get into that school schedule. Good night. Mr. Frisch. Thank you. First I want to start by extending my sincere congratulations to Congressman James Walkinshaw who was sworn in yesterday to the U.S. House of Representatives for Virginia's 11th Congressional District, which includes almost all of Providence District, with Fairfax County federal workers under constant attack and Washington politicians working overtime to cut billions from programs that feed hungry kids, keep them healthy, put roofs over their heads, or make their neighborhoods safer. Congressman Walkinshaw [03:51:37] certainly has his work cut out for him, but I believe he's up for the task and the challenge. I've had a lot of people reach out and ask me what I'm thinking about the climate in the country right now. And I guess the only thing I could say is that the only way for cooler heads to prevail is for people to demand leaders with cooler heads. [03:52:00] In other updates, out and about in Providence District, I was grateful to attend the 70th anniversary of Timber Lane Elementary School. Dr. Anderson was there. She was doing backflips in the moon bounce. Mr. McDaniel was there. He was eating all of the truck food. Dr. Reed was there. It was a lot of fun, a lot of activities, a lot of really happy people, and running the gambit of alumni to the littlest learners. [03:52:34] So it was really great to be there and to have Supervisor Palchik's office providing a proclamation as well. On Tuesday, I attended Kilmer's after school activities fair, and I think I can take single handed credit for convincing one eighth grade boy to sign up for model United Nations. [03:52:55] I promised it would be an extremely fulfilling opportunity for him to learn parliamentary procedure. So if you're wondering why I could run a meeting with parliamentary procedure, it's because I learned it when I was like 14 years old. I'm that nerd. I also want to congratulate all of the students in Providence District who are 2026 National Merit Semifinalists. [03:53:17] Of the 262 students countywide, 35 of them live in Providence District, and they are now eligible to compete for 26 million dollars in scholarship opportunities in 2026 so very excited for them and to underscore again a 40 increase in the number of students this year and then two upcoming events to invite folks to this fall my school board office is hosting a series of a night at the game events our first game is tomorrow evening at 7 pm join us under the friday night lights at oakton high school it's oakton's homecoming game and the cougars will be taking [03:53:54] on the woods and cavaliers get your tickets at the gate and be sure to swing by our table to say hello we already have 50 rcps for the game at oakton alone so that's pretty exciting uh and you can visit our website for uh the other events coming up and finally september 20th this providence day and back to school celebration i hope you will join supervisor palachick and i uh at marshall high school for that wonderful activity our our second annual thank you going back one more time Thank you and I just wanted to start by saying just taking a minute as some of my colleagues [03:54:34] have done to reflect on 9/11 on the somber anniversary this year of 9/11 I was I think everyone in this area and in New York and in Pennsylvania can remember perhaps around the world really can remember where they were if they were alive on that date and I had just moved to Virginia in July of 2001, so it was quite jarring to be a brand new family with no family here, and very little friends with two little kids in 9/11, and I feel very lucky that we lived in a place where all of our neighbors and communities really came together. Echoing my colleague, I want [03:55:13] to also congratulate our newly elected congressman, Congressman Walkinshaw, the former Braddock district supervisor who I've worked very closely with as we represented Braddock jointly. I know he'll do great things in congress to represent our federal workers and our county i want to say kudos to robinson secondary school who won both the virginia high school league vhsl national guard cup for athletics and academic activities for class six schools in 2024 to 2025. winners of the national guard cup are determined by a point system this prestigious award honors schools that [03:55:47] I've led the state in performance across 27 sports and 12 academic competitions, and Robinson came out on top in both categories, which is pretty impressive for Robinson, so go Rams. I also really enjoyed celebrating Wakefield Forest's 70th anniversary and ribbon-cutting for its renovations with now Congressman Walkinshaw and school board member at large, Kyle McDaniel. [03:56:11] It was a wonderful celebration in the morning as we celebrated this amazing renovation. Thank you to all of our taxpayers voting for the last bond that helped finance renovations like this, and I hope you'll come out on November 4th to vote for the new bond that's coming out so we can keep renovating our aging school facilities. [03:56:29] In the evening, Principal Sharon Prindle and her staff welcomed the entire Wakefield Forest community in a 1950s-inspired celebration since the school was founded in 1955. It was a building filled with poodle skirts and root beer floats and lots of hula hooping and a lot of fun. [03:56:47] They even had a poster of this day in 1955, of all the cool things that happened, or this year, 1955. And last but not least, I'll just end with saying that I was at Lake Braddock Secondary School for Friday Night Lights on Friday night. and I'm so sorry to my colleague Ms. Marin but Lake Braddock defeated Madison 34 to 31 coming from behind to win in the fourth quarter and avenging the state semi-final loss to Madison from last year so it was their pyramid night so watching all the young the future Bruins running with their mascots through the tunnel and then watching Lake Braddock defeat the Warhawks so sorry again Ms. [03:57:26] Marin was a super exciting way to spend Friday night I'll be attending football games at Woodson Robinson West Springfield and Annandale soon so with that have a wonderful evening Dr. Anderson thank you I do want to say congratulations we do have a couple of students from the Mason district who are national merit semi-finalists Christian Ada from Justice High School congratulations to you well as Jada Nguyen from Falls Church High School and I would be remiss if I didn't say thank you to the parents and community members who came out earlier [03:58:04] this week right here to Luther Jackson for the principal selection community meeting in order to find the next great leader of Luther Jackson as Miss Raven Jones has gone on to McLean she's a gem she'll be great we miss her dearly but But thank you all for your feedback and we are hoping you get that in and you volunteer to serve on those committees. [03:58:30] I do want to ensure that I invite the community to the Taste of Annandale on the 20th where you could come out and see all of the wonderful things that are taking place in Annandale. Today is 9/11 and I'm very glad to hear some of the stories that were shared by my colleagues And it is one of those moments that I will always remember as having my family in New York when that was taking place. [03:58:55] And I was just across the river here in Maryland as an assistant principal trying to figure out how to keep all of our families calm as the school swarmed with parents, many of which were service members who ultimately had to return back to full-time service. [03:59:13] So it was a very, very dark time, and I hope that it is not something that we forget and it is an opportunity for us to learn from. I do want to say congratulations to Westlawn Elementary. They were selected to receive the 9-11 Day of Service mini-grant through the Virginia Service Foundation to support their upcoming service project. [03:59:35] And they will be honored, hopefully very soon, by the committee that selected them. It was also very exciting to be at Bailey's Upper just last week to congratulate Ms. Kylie West for her recognition as the FCPS Cares of the Quarter recipient. [03:59:56] And Mr. McElveen was there as well as Dr. Reed. It was really a wonderful moment because she is a humble person who did some extraordinary things. And I am glad that there was an opportunity for her to be recognized. I also want to say thank you to the Annandale and Poe Pyramid who were providing, who have been providing lots of feedback regarding the potential middle school AAP Center. [04:00:22] If this is approved, there will be meetings to respond to all of your questions that are to all of the questions that you raised to me. But I do appreciate that you've reached out. And also a reminder that the Justice Pyramid meeting on the boundary is Monday the 15th. [04:00:41] I'm not sure if the link for the virtual part was set up. It wasn't as of earlier, but hopefully that will be set up very quickly because there is an opportunity to participate virtually as well as to attend in person. [04:00:57] And that's it for me. And I want to say good night to all. Miss Lady. Thank you. colleagues have mentioned 20 years ago today our nation was irrevocably changed. The horrible attacks of 9-11 brought unimaginable grief and sorrow. We remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the innocent civilians, the brave first responders, and the heroes on Flight 93. As we sit here tonight, we hold their memories in our hearts and honor their legacy. In the wake of that tragedy, a remarkable thing happened. Our nation came together. The divisions that had seemed so wide faded in the face of shared sorrow and a common purpose. [04:01:37] We saw it in the halls of Congress, where members from both sides of the aisle stood united, working together for the good of the country. We saw it in our communities, where neighbors helped neighbors and strangers became a source of comfort. We saw it in the outpouring of patriotism and love for our country that was felt in every corner of the United States. [04:01:55] We set aside our differences to lift each other up. This anniversary comes at a difficult time. The violence and political vitriol that have become far too common in our public life are deeply troubling. Just yesterday, we experienced the pain of the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk. His death and the murder of others like Melissa Hortman are heartbreaking to all of us. These acts of politically motivated violence against influencers, elected officials, appointed judges, and others are a stain on our nation, and they must stop. We must reflect on who we are as a nation and do better. We must return to a time when we could disagree without resorting [04:02:32] to hatred and violence. As we remember lives lost on 9/11, let's remember the unity we found in that moment. As we grieve today, let's work towards finding common ground again. Let's commit to fostering a community and a country where respectful dialogue and empathy are valued above all else. Let's teach our children that it is possible to hold different opinions and still treat each other with dignity and kindness. Thank you. [04:03:01] And as the only person that's standing in the way of everyone getting to go home, we We are adjourned at 11:02. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Coraggio Consulting · aguyonx.com