Our Loudoun Schools

High School Musicals

2009-12-15T17:41:00.003-05:00

I wasn't on the School Board when the "play policy" controversy erupted. I wish I had been. Since that time Loudoun's principals and drama directors have stayed far, far away from anything potentially controversial. It's all "Seussical," Rogers & Hammerstein and Shakespeare now (not that the latter two don't contain their share of sex, drugs and violence).

So I guess I'll have to settle for high school theater that actually speaks to the modern lives of our students in other communities:

Peter Atlas always thought Concord-Carlisle Regional High School was open to diversity, but when he put out his casting call for the musical “Falsettos’’ he had doubts about the turnout.
How many teenagers would audition for a show about two homosexual couples, a straight couple, and a 12-year-old boy?
Dozens, he learned. When it came time to cast the seven-member ensemble, Atlas had his pick from among around 50 candidates from across the student body.

[Boston Globe]
[The Stranger]

Volunteering in Wealthy Schools

2009-12-09T15:54:00.004-05:00

A rare perspective from a woman from a community much like ours:

Chances are that some of the 25 percent of American children on food stamps are attending school in a neighboring district, where the vast majority of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds. But these kids might as well live in another country for all the attention the parent volunteers at most middle-class schools pay them. I’ve never received a note in my inbox requesting I read stories to boys and girls whose parents don’t speak English, or to raise funds for schools where more children receive federally subsidized lunches than not. The only time I hear about poor kids is when our school holds its annual coat and food drives.

Maybe we need to create sister-school designations in Loudoun to encourage parents to volunteer at schools with higher populations of economically disadvantaged students. This was exactly the plea made by Catoctin and Balls Bluff elementary schools in Leesburg this spring, and pledged by Tolbert & Frances Hazel Reid if I recall correctly. How is that working out?

[Why I'm Sick of Volunteering at My Kids' Wealthy School]

12/10 Update: A little birdie whispered in my ear that it's neither accurate nor polite to refer to schools as rich and poor, which I did in the original version of this post. The birdie is correct, I meant no offense by my shorthand reference and I have rephrased it.

Notes from Tonight's Meeting

2009-12-08T22:16:00.003-05:00

Lansdowne high school students currently attending Stone Bridge will be able to continue attending Stone Bridge. Starting with rising freshman, Lansdowne students will attend Tuscarora High School. Stone Bridge will continue to be very crowded and I hope that many current Lansdowne/Stone Bridge students will choose to move to Tuscarora.
New elementary boundaries for Dulles South were adopted to set attendance zones for Buffalo Trail ES. The alternative plan proposed by Mr. DuPree and Mr. Reed passed.
CFO Leigh Burden presented highlights of the FY2010 WABE report and the FY10 financial report.
The Board discussed two proposed policies concerning energy efficiency and water conservation.
The Board postponed consideration of the proposed CIP due to the weather as temperatures and rain fell outside.

We adjourned at 10:33pm.

Loudoun: Next to Last for Students

2009-12-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

Last week I wrote to you that Loudoun County pays its teachers less than eight out of the nine regional public school districts. It isn't just teachers who are getting fewer resources in Loudoun than in neighboring jurisdictions. It is the entire district, it is the students and their education.

Loudoun County spends less money per student than eight out of the nine regional public school districts. Only Prince William County spends less.

I ask the same question that I did last week: Is this the extent to which Loudoun values public education? I don’t think it is. I think our budget has fallen out of step with our values as a community. Loudoun is a highly educated, high-achieving community with high expectations for its children’s future. We expect a lot from our school system. We expect the very best opportunities for our kids. Are we dedicating what is needed to give them those opportunities?

The Board of Supervisors sets the school system's overall budget each year. On Tuesday and Thursday, December 8th & 10th, the Board of Supervisors holds public input sessions on the budget, affording you the opportunity to speak directly to the Supervisors. Click here for details. In addition, there is a special email address that goes to all members of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board: loudounbudget@loudoun.gov.

There are many important services for the Supervisors to consider, not just education. Theirs is a difficult job with many voices calling for maximum funding and many voices calling for lower taxes. They must find a path somewhere in the middle, and along that path they will be asking themselves: Should Loudoun be next to last for education funding? They already know what I think. Let them hear the answer from you.

(Washington Area Boards of Education FY2010 Guide)

Looking back. Way back.

2009-12-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

I bookmarked this story for a day like today, when I would need some inspiration and some perspective.

The story is a profile of a longtime Loudoun County teacher and the forty years in which she taught, from 1947-1986. Pieced together from small statements, it is still a stunning portrait of life not so long ago.

Segregation was not an issue in the 1940s and 1950s: It was a time-honored fact. "Except when you shopped at the stores, you didn't get in contact with the other race," Johnson said.

The old Douglass Elementary, still standing on Union Street, was built in 1884. It was the first school for African Americans in Loudoun with more than two rooms. In September 1947, when Johnson arrived, the two-story frame school had five rooms, two naked light bulbs in each room and one outdoor spigot. Steep wooden steps led to the entrance. Two outhouses stood at the building's rear, at the edge of the white people's Union Cemetery.

The contrast between the Loudoun Ms. Johnson describes and the one we have now is staggering. But there is a point of continuity that made me smile:

Johnson's legacy continues through her daughter Kaye Hale, a teacher and reading specialist in Loudoun public schools since 1979.

Leesburg Teacher's Career Spanned Two Eras

LCPS Employee Discounts

2009-12-03T16:19:00.002-05:00

In the wake of yesterday's post about slipping LCPS teacher salaries, one neighbor asked me if local businesses could offer discounts to LCPS employees as a benefit that wouldn't cost the taxpayers anything.

As it turns out, many local businesses already do!

Current LCPS Employee Discounts

All you need is your employee badge to take advantage of these.

Hey, Chamber of Commerce (email link), how about encouraging more local businesses to join this list?

Buffalo Trail Boundary Work Session

2009-12-03T10:41:00.004-05:00

I'm listening to last night's elementary boundary work session, which I could not attend (daughter's winter orchestra concert). The video is available online via the LCPS Webcast page. Board members have been inundated with emails for weeks. I should have posted a place for online discussion long ago.

I don't have any opinion to contribute yet because I'm waiting for the recommendations of the area's representatives, Mr. DuPree and Mr. Reed. It's their job to represent the area, they're the ones accountable to those voters. But please feel free to offer yours.

Loudoun: Next to Last for Teachers?

2009-12-02T16:15:00.008-05:00

There’s a bit of back-and-forth happening on Monday’s blog post about budget priorities. It’s a typical debate about teacher/public employee salaries. That discussion is worth its own thread. There’s something important that the community should know: Loudoun County pays its teachers less than eight out of the nine regional public school districts.

I’ll show you what that looks like. The chart below shows the difference in starting teacher salaries between each jurisdiction and the Manassas school district, which has the lowest pay scale in the region. Red is for a bachelor’s degree and Green for a master’s degree.
(Click for a larger version)

Loudoun pays a new teacher with a BA $54 more per year than Manassas does. We pay a teacher with an MA $495 more than Manassas does. Nobody besides Manassas pays less than Loudoun. In Montgomery County a starting teacher with a BA earns $3,771 more than in Loudoun County in the first year.

Now the question I have for you is this: Is this the extent to which Loudoun values public education? I don’t think it is. I think our pay scale has fallen out of step with our values as a community. Loudoun is a highly educated, high-achieving community with high expectations for its children’s future. We’re not going to retain our best teachers or hire the best teachers with a pay scale like this. Without the best teachers, we can’t ensure our children’s best future.

Just 18 months ago, Loudoun was fourth on this list instead of eighth:

5/27/2008: Of the ten Washington metro jurisdictions, eight are raising teacher salaries this year. Two are not, and Loudoun is one of them. We are still behind the same three that we were behind last year: Fairfax, Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, but by a greater degree. (Teacher Raises Around the Region)

Previous to that I wrote about the nature of teacher salaries:

2/7/2008: Salaries of any job are part of the free market, and set based on what is required to recruit and retain the best employees. Every industry pays different amounts to different people based on the supply and demand of skills, and LCPS is subject to that same free market when it comes to teachers. Our teacher salaries are set based on that free market, not as a moral judgment of how much someone deserves to be paid. When I consider the challenge and importance of the work that teachers do and the impact it has on the future of our world, I think they should be paid much more (same for law enforcement, firefighters, military and other public safety personnel), but no society has ever though it could afford to pay public employees according to the importance and risk associated with their jobs. (Teacher Salaries, Concisely)

There is plenty of time to talk about the budget and the role salaries play. I just want to start with these two questions: Did you know that Loudoun is next to last for teachers? Is that where we want to be?

Video: Park View's Principal Dances with Joy

2009-12-01T06:00:00.004-05:00

From the LCPS Website:

Park View High School is one of five high schools nationwide to be named a Breakthrough School by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Dr. Ginger Minshew, Park View's principal, found a unique way to announce the award to the staff and student body on Friday, November 20th.

On September 8th, the staff of The Oprah Show organized a 20,000-member flash mob in Chicago to celebrate the show's 24th season kickoff and as a surprise to the show's host, Oprah Winfrey. Not only did the crowd show up, they danced to a live performance of I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas. Minshew had a tape of that performance shown on Park View's electronic white boards at the start of morning announcements and told the students to get out of their chairs and dance.
Knowing there would be some reluctance to joining the fun, Minshew replayed I Gotta Feeling with a tape of her dancing to the song.

Note to LCPS & LoCo Gov't readers: The video will not work from any LCPS computer because the network does not allow access to YouTube. Please come back when you're at home.

School board to buy more electronic white boards?

2009-11-30T13:36:00.004-05:00

On tonight's consent agenda (generally including only non-controversial items that are approved without discussion) is a request by the LCPS administration to spend $1.7 million on electronic white boards for grade 3-5 elementary school classrooms. At my request the chairman has changed this to an information item instead, so there will be a presentation and discussion. Like it or not, this is a controversial expenditure in our community and the request deserves some daylight. The request will first be discussed at the Finance Committee's 5:30 meeting preceding the full Board meeting.

A vote on the request may come either tonight or on December 8th. (Item 7.16 -- link may change)

Update at 5:54 pm:
I'm sitting in a meeting of the Finance committee where we had discussion of this matter and asked questions of staff. We will discuss it again in the full board meeting later this evening. The funds are federal funds that come with very specific restrictions.

The funds must be for one-time expenses (not ongoing commitments such as raising salaries).
The funds must improve student achievement for students with disabilities.
Purchase of assistive technology is recommended (though not required) by the federal government to meet the other criteria
Because 63% of students with disabilities are included in regular education classrooms, the regular education classrooms are eligible for the technology. The technology then benefits not just students with disabilities but also general education students.
The funds requested by the administration will be used for purchase and installation of the devices themselves but also for training in how to use them.
The electronic whiteboards come with speakers and a remote microphone for use by the teacher. The use of this audio assistive technology has been shown to improve the achievement of elementary school students, something I don't think we can say about the whiteboards. If this is approved, and I suspect it will be, I hope that teachers will adopt use of the audio assistance.

If you have ideas of what would be better than whiteboards and still meet these criteria, please let the Board know.

Update 10:25pm: The Board took up the purchase as an action item. I moved to table it until the next meeting to give us more time to explain this to our constiuents and explore the alternatives. The motion did not receive a second. The Board voted 7-1 to accept the transfer. I voted against it because I don't believe the community supports it yet.

Will the School Board encourage cell phone use in high school?

2009-11-30T13:24:00.003-05:00

At-Large representative Tom Reed has been seeking to rework the policy governing cell phones and other devices for many months, and the question finally comes to the full board tonight. He & I share the philosophy that because cell phones in high school can't be prevented they should be regulated and used for educational purposes where possible.

His proposal specifically authorizes High School students to use cell phones, iPods and other personal electronic devices during lunchtime while in the dining area. The administration opposes this change, concerned that it will become increasingly difficult to restrict use outside of lunchtime and that students will be harder to communicate with during lunchtime.

I will propose an additional amendment that Mr. Reed has said he will support, rephrasing the policy to encourage principals to loosen restrictions, but without requiring them to. My amendment would change this:

Unless expressly authorized, students are prohibited from operating pagers, cell phones or other personal communication or electronic devices during school hours, either while on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity of any elementary, middle, high, academy, alternative, or technical center school.

to this:

Students are permitted to operate pagers, cell phones and other personal communication or electronic devices during school hours when authorized to do so by school personnel. Authorization is required whether on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity of any elementary, middle, high, academy, alternative or technical center school.

(Item 8.34)

Update 9:46pm: The Board adopted (6-3) the alternative language I proposed for the first paragraph of the policy. (In favor: Stevens, Reed, Guzman, Ohneiser, Marshall, DuPree. Opposed: Geurin, Bergel, Godfrey)

Dr. Guzman then offered an amendment to change the sentence permitting use of electronic devices during lunch time in the lunch area. His amendment was to allow the principals to designate the place to permit use. The amendment passed 4-3-2. In favor were Guzman, Stevens, Reed & Ohneiser. Opposed were Guerin, Godfrey and Marshall. Abstaining were DuPree and Bergel.

And finally, the Board voted 5-4 in favor of Mr. DuPree's table the motion and send it back to the Policy committee, which will meet again in January or February. (In favor: DuPree, Against: Stevens, Reed, Guzman, Ohneiser).

Will the Board Set Budget Priorities?

2009-11-30T13:14:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago the Board met and considered setting budget guidance to the Superintendent. This was done for the first time last year, with mixed results. I believe the guidance should be updated, but I had the feeling that the rest of the Board would just as soon not try again. To my surprise, we tabled the motion until this meeting because the hour had grown late. We take the question up again tonight. here is my take:

In my opinion last year's goals are no longer appropriate for our situation.

1. Preserve and support existing academic programs designed to promote student achievement.

At a minimum, we should modify the goal to reflect our commitment to proven methods by changing “designed” to “proven.” While this is a good goal, some members last year felt it was too restrictive to academic programs. One possibility is to restate it this way:
Preserve core programs and staffing levels to prepare students for the next stage of their growth.

2. Provide an adequate compensation package to employees including, if possible, both a step increase and some degree of a COLA.

Last year we were not able to provide either a step increase or a COLA, and soon after adopting this goal abandoned it for a no-RIF goal. It is difficult to imagine that either is possible in the current environment. I suggest the following instead:
Retain all difficult-to-fill positions and uniquely skilled personnel.

3. Minimize increases in class size.

My concern with this is that it is not an outcome-based position. According to the studies Dr. Hatrick has cited to us, class sizes can increase without detrimental impact to most students. Minimizing class size increases temporarily may result in elimination of other positions and programs that have an actual impact on achievement. Additionally, it is unlikely that class sizes will not be increased significantly, and it is not a good practice to adopt goals that we know we can't meet.

4. Maximize operational efficiency.

This goal is too broad to be effective. The data show that LCPS is operationally efficient at a system-wide level. The Board should specify specific areas of efficiency in which we expect to see improvements:
Reduce the use of consumable materials in instruction, administration and communications. Reduce or postpone purchases wherever possible.

5. Expand the use of user fees.

The Superintendent proposed, and the Board accepted, significant user fees in FY10. For FY11:
Implement or increase user fees only for optional programs that would otherwise be eliminated.

6. Seek savings in the areas of non-school based funding, recruitment, and non-academic programs.

I can stand by this final goal as written.

Update at 8:34pm: The Board rejected this approach in favor of directing the Superintendent to make his budget conform to the School Board's 38 adopted goals.

South Riding area Middle School to be named for Lunsford?

2009-11-30T13:10:00.002-05:00

Tonight the Board will vote on a name for a new Middle School adjacent to South Riding. Its boundaries were set in the spring. The panel recommended naming the school after Mike Lunsford, the beloved and respected LCPS Director of Transportation who died suddenly this summer after more than 40 years of service.

We received some feedback a few weeks ago that the women and men who worked for Mike want to name the transportation and maintenance facility in Leesburg after Mike instead. I haven't heard discussion on the Board about this but I prefer to name the school for him. His name will be heard more often by more people for many more years on a school than a maintenance building. Naming the school after Mike also reinforces that his mission wasn't buses and fuel and tires: it was kids, their safety and their education.

The alternative choices are Eric Olsen Middle School and Justice Middle School. Eric Olsen was a lacrosse coach who lost his very young life a year ago, the Freedom High School stadium now bears his name. (Item 9.02)

Update at 7:58pm: The Board voted unanimously to follow the naming committee's recommendation and named the new school "J. Michael Lunsford Middle School." I cannot wait to attend the dedication. I will be there whether I'm still on the Board at that point or not.

ES-20 to become Buffalo Trail Elementary School?

2009-11-30T13:06:00.003-05:00

South Riding and surrounding neighborhoods are currently engaged in a bitter fight in an attempt to ensure that somebody else's kids go to a new elementary school next fall. The school that nobody wants to go to will be named by the Board tonight (November 30, 2009). A community panel suggested the name Buffalo Trail Elementary School.

The committee’s alternate second and third name choices for School Board consideration were McGraw Ridge Elementary School and Conklin Ridge Elementary School, respectively.

I am not aware of any recommendations by Board members to deviate from that name. (Item 9.01)

Update at 7:58pm: The Board voted unanimously to follow the naming committee's recommendation and named the new elementary school "Buffalo Trail Elementary School."

Tonight's Meeting: Naming Schools, Budgeting for Buildings & Whiteboards

2009-11-30T12:43:00.005-05:00

Loudoun County's School Board holds its twice-monthly meeting tonight, rescheduled from last Tuesday.

We begin with a formal public hearing on the Capital Improvements Program and the Capital Asset Preservation Program, inviting members of the public to speak. I suspect we won't hear many comments unless some folks want to remind us about the need for a new High and Middle School in the Ashburn and Lansdowne area.

Later in the evening we will vote on whether to accept a recommendation of the joint committee of the School Board and the Board of Supervisors on our future capital needs. (Item 9.05)

We're on hold with the CIP because after the Superintendent supplied the Board with a CIP proposal on November 10th it was almost immediately pulled back when Supervisor Lori Waters stated the next day that there were more funds available for construction in the next few years than the LCPS staff had understood. The School Board has not been provided with an updated proposed CIP reflecting the new numbers.

Also at tonight's meeting, will the School Board:

Name ES-20 as Buffalo Trail ES? (Answer: Yes)
Name a Middle School for Mike Lunsford? (Answer: Yes)
Set budget priorities for FY 2011? (Answer: No)
Allow student cell phone use in high school? (Answer: No)
Buy more electronic whiteboards? (Answer: Yes)

Cafeteria Food

2009-11-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

As I've mentioned in the past, I eat lunch at a school cafeteria once a week, with my son. I've done this for years, and I ate with my daughter for years before that. Conventional wisdom holds that most school cafeterias in the US don't serve our kids very well, but that there are a few that are models of freshness, nutrition and edibility (watch Supersize Me). Michelle Obama brought attention to the subject this week with a visit to a Virginia school. Naturally there are parents who want those amazing prototypes here in LCPS and aren't finding it, and on occasion they ask me to do something about that.

Something struck me about this last week. When I'm having lunch and looking around the table I can see that parents as a whole in this community are not up in arms about nutritional value. My casual observation is that the parents who pack lunches for their elementary students by and large aren't packing more fresh fruits and vegetables, less processed foods or lower-fat options than the cafeteria offers. They certainly don't have less sugar.

Big changes happen when the community demands it. I would love to see the parents in this community come together and insist on nutritional improvement for all kids, but I don't expect that will happen until after I see them insist on improvements for their own.

Learning A Healthy Life
VA Dept of Education Nutrition Page
Governor's Scorecard for Nutrition and Physical Activity

Sex Offender Restrictions around Schools

2009-11-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

A parent wrote to me this morning asking about restrictions on sex offenders in Virginia living near schools.

The Code of Virginia states:

§18.2-370.3. Sex offenses prohibiting residing in proximity to children; penalty.

Every adult who is convicted of an offense occurring on or after July 1, 2006, where the offender is more than three years older than the victim... shall be forever prohibited from residing within 500 feet of the premises of any place he knows or has reason to know is a child day center... or a primary, secondary, or high school. A violation of this section is a Class 6 felony.

There are several wrinkles to this so I recommend you read the entire section and consult with the Commonwealth's Attorney's office and Sheriff's office if you have questions about it. They are charged with enforcement, although LCPS is obviously responsible for child safety on school grounds.

2009 VSBA Convention presentations

2009-11-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

Many of the presentations that were available to school board members at last week's conference are available online now, and you can see them too.

2009 VSBA Presentations

Long-term solutions for DN High Schools: Do-over!

2009-11-23T16:24:00.005-05:00

From two of today's commenters on the previous post regarding this subject:

I believe that this blog is supposed to be about "long-term solutions" We need to get back to that focus and come up with some suggestions so that Mr. Stevens has ideas to move forward with.

and

Can we PPPLLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE get back to some sort of useful discussion. This is getting old.........

I join these readers in hoping for a more constructive discussion, so let me offer this new post for folks who do want to talk about the future and not the past. Before you comment though, please:

1. CLICK HERE AND VOTE

and

2. Read my post about Anonymous Comments

Thank you.

Feel free to continue rehashing old wounds in the comments on the previous post.

Anonymous Comments

2009-11-23T12:26:00.004-05:00

Most of the folks who comment here don't put their name, or even an alias, to their comments. Most show up as simply "Anonymous." I'm okay with that as a matter of principal. People ought to be able to talk to and about their government anonymously.

That said, anonymous comments really degrade the quality of the discussion. I know some folks who won't get involved in the comments because they don't want to get dragged into the murky waters that anonymity sometimes creates. I think that's the wrong choice, I would prefer that they at least pick an alias. Case in point: the Lansdowne/Ashburn posts with their dozens of comments. When everyone is listed as "anonymous," it's impossible to know whether this is the conversation of a few dozen people or (more likely) 3-4 individuals commenting over and over again, going back and forth at each other.

The one thing I would change if I could is to require that commenters leave a name, any name, when they leave comments. Unfortunately it's either allow "anonymous" or restrict it to logged-in users, and I prefer to allow anonymous.

If you comment, please leave your name or at least a consistent alias. It's very helpful to those of us who are reading what you have to say.

Lansdowne options

2009-11-19T14:04:00.004-05:00

In the comments on a previous post, Sonya said...

John, I am a lansdowne resident and I am not sure what my options are on Dec. 3rd. Can you tell me what to expect. Am I expected to speak to the two presented options or can I bring a 3rd option to the table?? Help.

Sonya, the best thing to do prior to the December 3rd Public Hearing is to work together with your neighbors to decide what the community wants to express, and then work with them on expressing it directly to your representatives on the School Board as well as at the public hearing. Lansdowne's represenatives are Bob Ohneiser and Tom Reed. It's pretty late in the process to propose a different solution, but if neither of the two options on the table currently pass then there will be an opportunity. This is very unlikely however.

There will also be opportunity for public comment on December 8th prior to the Board's vote.

2009 Convention Notes

2009-11-19T09:00:00.011-05:00

I'm at the 2009 VSBA convention, getting ready for a day of seminars. I noted in a previous post which sessions I planned to attend, that's still the plan. I'll leave notes here throughout the day.

First session:
Central Office Staffing and Organizational Effectiveness Related to Student Achievement

Findings:

There is a strong significantly significant negative correlation between COSR and AYP in largest quartile and in top half
Average COSR goes down from 4th to 2nd quartile, but in quartile with largest populations, COSR is higher than in 2nd and 3rd.
There are many other factors and cannot be distilled down to just these variables
The results do not support creating central office staffing strategies or formulas that might be perceived as a factor in maximizing student achievement
Alternatively, the lack of strong correlations between central office staffing and AYP attainment raises the issue of the value of higher concentrations of central office staff relative to site-based instructional positions (Nothing in the data points at creating more central office staff as a way to improve AYP)
There is some evidence to suggest that the size of a school division has an impact on its organizational effectiveness relative to student achievement.
Budget challenges should not only focus on the dollars saved but also the deployment locations of staff

A newly elected board member from another district said “lots of folks in my community think the central office has too many people making too much money.” Presenter’s response: “Is there a long line of people in the community applying for those plum jobs?”

Second Session:

Disproportionality of Minority Students in Special Education

Chesterfield County is a suburban district with almost exactly the number of students as Loudoun, with a somewhat higher proportion of minority students.

VDOE gives a disproportionality range, currently 5%. Chesterfields disproportionality in 2003-2004 was so bad that the state mandated action.

Child study process needed improvements with greater focus on pre-referral interventions

Eligibility criteria for MR and ED eligibility needed improvement
Over-reliance on individual member of eligibility team to know criteria
Training in use of eligibility criteria had not kept pace with changes
Regular ed teachers were only a part of the team if making a referral

Actions:

created a uniform general education Child Study Team process that increased collaboration, was not part of SPED process.
Encouraged pre-referral intervention, data-driven decision making.
Six elementary school teams volunteered to pilot the program
Developed a Parents Advocacy Handbook

CCPS has a five-year strategic plan with annual action plans and quarterly accountability reporting. LCPS needs this soooo badly.

Dr. Bullock: “Can’t just refer kids to special ed and give up on them”

Third session:

Sexting, Cyberbullying and Employees misusing Social Networking sites

Sexting

20% of teens admit have sent or posted
22% of teens admit to have received
Most are exchanged in relationships
Embarrassment, harassment
Violation of criminal law but no knowledge of prosecutions in VA. Conviction would require registration as a sex offender

Role of School Boards

Prevention

Policies won’t stop sexting
Policies do set expectations

Education

Commonwealth attorney
Arlington offered workshops to students, parents & teachers
Sexting curricula
Educating everyone in the community is a key

Dealing with incidents appropriately

Work with CA’s office to avoid prosecution of students
Criminally prosecuting students does not make sense to most people
Discuss before issues arise
Explain school discipline/consequences to discourage prosecutions
Lobby to decriminalize
Nine states have considered or enacted legislation related to sexting

Problematic Student Speech Online

Early cases were usually about student-to-student harassment
Recent cases have been student-to-administrator
First amendment rights apply unless speech is curriculum-related or disruptive.

Problematic Employee Speech Online

Issue will increase with hiring of new young teachers
Concerns: Students will view content, teachers will interact with students inappropriately, impairment of ability to teach, disruption in school, embarrassment to district
Social engagement on social networking sites can be part of “grooming” for an inappropriate relationship

School Board Role

Training for new teachers every year on the appropriate and inappropriate use of social networking
Recommend no social networking with students at all
District-sponsored, created and supported emails to students only
Monitor employee sites

Fourth Session: School Law Update

Review of recent special education case law, including:

Forest Grove SD v. T.A., School District must pay for private special education if it does not offer “Free and Appropriate Public Education” to students who should have special education services.
J.P. et al v. Hanover County SB, School district did not provide effective autism services and has to pay for private placement tuition. Focus on mediation to resolve cases, legal fees are often greater than tuition.
J.D. v. Kanawha County BoE, Do not reference mediation when making an offer previously made under mediation.
Hogan v. Fairfax Co. SB, If the IEP process begins, the school district must ensure that the process is completed. School District should not let the parent stop or stall the process.
M.S. v. Fairfax Co. SB, Denial or reduction of reimbursement for private school services may only be made for individually analyzed years. Offer an IEP annually to parents who remove children from the school district.
In-service training for staff is a good use of money to prevent mistakes and lawsuits.

General education case law review:

Commonwealth v. Doe, local school boards have final say on who is allowed on school property
Safford Unified School District v. Redding

Reduction in Force policies

The only way to make significant reductions in budget is to reduce personnel cost.Make sure that the salary schedule states that it is only for a single year.
Good RIF policies will be reassuring to employees, improving instruction.
Can have multiple RIF policies for different departments or groups of employeesRecommend only having a RIF policy for teachers, all classified employees have expiring contracts already.
Danger of performance-based RIFs is in the subjectivity of the evaluator and the complexity and vagaries of the evaluation instrument.
Ensure that each policy has a “School Board prerogative” exception to override everything else.

Low Hanging Fruit: Employee Pay for Performance Programs

Performance Bucks Program

Incentive program
Free “money” to pay for gifts and prizes
Rewards safety, attendance and verifiable exceptional performance
Accounting and balance tracking mimics passbooks savings account
Encourages self policing
Reductions in non-loss time accidents and loss time accidents
Bus accidents have dropped significantly
Workmans Compensation costs

Have exceptional gifts

Shop on black Friday for camcorders, GPS
Hold auctions
Award bucks fairly, no nepotism, clear criteria
Provide opportunities for employees to buy smaller items… Yard Sales
Follow “Plan Do Check Act”
$12,000 annual investment (vending machine proceeds) has returned over $200,00 savings over four years.
Strictly for operations, not classroom performance
Limiting factor is source of funds to purchase goods. PPS does not use taxpayer funds for the program

Long-term solutions for Dulles North High Schools

2009-11-13T10:24:00.003-05:00

I'm trying a new online experiment today. There is a lot of back-and-forth in the blog comments about Tuesday's vote to move Lansdowne to Tuscarora High School as a temporary measure. That move is water under the bridge now and the arguments are stale, but the long-term solution is still unknown. Let's get your thoughts on the right long-term solutions now.

I'm going to try an experiment for this, using Google Moderator. Please click here to make and vote on suggestions for a long-term solution for Dulles North High School crowding. I have already submitted nine ideas for your consideration, including those most commonly discussed. If we get enough feedback with this method I might use it to solicit public input on other topics in the future.

Of course you're free to use the comments section as well.

The lights are on at night

2009-11-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

Last night while leaving the LCPS admin building at 1AM following our marathon meeting, I looked up at the windows on the Greenway-facing side, and I saw the light. The light that people tell me about when they say "no wonder this school system costs so much, look at the lights they leave on at night!"

I always wondered what people were talking about. Usually at night I leave from the front of the building and that has made the difference. The lights in the building are wired so that when you turn off a bank of lights a single flourescent tube in a single fixture remains lit, probably a security feature. There's one in the school board office, and looking up at the building last night I'd guess there's one about every 20 feet. This is visible from the rear of the building (facing the greenway) but not the front just because of the interior design, in which private offices along the front side of the building are on the window side, blocking the view of the lights from the outside. Private offices on the back side are interior offices, leaving cubicle farms along the back walls.

Tonight at the School Board meeting

2009-11-10T22:48:00.004-05:00

Color guard presentation by new NJROTC program at Loudoun County HS.
Resolution recognizing American Education Week.
Resolution honoring school psychologists.
At least 62 speakers by my count, all but four regarding boundaries. One of those four was Delegate-Elect Tag Greason pledging a good working relationship.
Report by Dr. Hatrick. County-wide attendance is back up to 96% after an H1N1 dip in October. Presentation of fiscal analysis of LCPS salaries and spending compared to other DC metro districts.
90+ minute debate on sending Lansdowne students to Tuscarora HS, ending in a vote of 6-3 in favor. Ms. Bergel, Dr. Guzman & I were opposed.
Adoption of a policy regarding discipline on busses
Tabled an item to pass budget priorities for the Superintendent
Received the staff presentation of ES-20 (Dulles South) recommended boundary plan
Received the Superintendents' recommended Capital Improvement Program and Capital Needs Assessment. The gap between what the Superintendent says we need and what the Board of Supervisors says we can afford in the next six years: Four elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school, an advanced technology academy, five land parcels, two computer labs and one major renovation.
Received the Superintendent's recommended Capital Asset Preservation Program. Two previous years of dramatic underfunding are rolling into future years of dramatic underfunding.
We briefly discussed proposed minor policy changes, plus a change to our policy on student use of electronic devices that would allow High School students to use them during lunch time in lunch areas. A vote on that policy will come at our next meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 12:45 AM.