Fairfax County School Board Examining Later Start Times
High schools could start as late as 9:15.
Two years after the Fairfax County School Board adopted a resolution in favor of later start times, exhausted teenagers are one step closer to getting a full night’s sleep. The Children’s National Medical Center recently presented the school board with options for later start times, of which the school board selected four for public discussion. The new start times could be implemented as early as the 2015-2016 school year.
Who is Trailing Don Beyer in Hotly Contested Democratic Primary?
Candidates elbow each other out of the way to secure second place.
Campaign finance documents show that former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer crushed the nine other candidates in the hotly contested Democratic primary.
Advocates Urge Supervisors to ‘Invest in Fairfax’
Coalition of schools, government employees, parks, libraries and human services gather at budget hearings.
“Invest in Us, Invest in Fairfax.” That was the rallying cry last week at the Fairfax County Government Center as advocates for schools, libraries, parks, government employees and other human services gathered in support of more funding in these areas.
Fairfax County Police Advocate for Pay Raise
Department is struggling to recruit and maintain officers.
Nearly 350 Fairfax County Police officers appeared at a public hearing on the Fairfax County budget on April 10, advocating for an increase in pay. The police filled the auditorium, leaving standing room only. Several police testified before the Board of Supervisors, advocating for pay raises and parity with other public safety departments, such as the firefighters, who are seeing an increase in pay this year.
Achievement Gap Addressed at Budget Hearings
Admissions to Thomas Jefferson, cuts to Summer School, later start times discussed.
Of the 487 students admitted to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, only 10 are black. Eight of these students are Hispanic. This is even though 177 black students and 214 Hispanic students applied for admission to the school. “Unless you actually believe that black and Latino children have some type of intellectual deficiency that prevents them from competing for admission to TJ, you have to believe there is a failure in the Fairfax County Public School system in terms of preparing these students to adequately compete for admission to TJ,” said Tina Hone, former school board member and founder of the Coalition of the Silence (COTS), at the FY 2015 budget public hearing on April 8.
Families, Community Advocate For Special Education Graduates
Supporters gathered at Fairfax County budget hearing on April 10.
Diana Martin, a Fairfax Station resident, was already losing sleep thinking about how she was going to balance the post-grad needs of her daughter Kenzie with her husband’s chemo and medical care. Now, she is even more concerned as funding for the programs that help special education graduates from Fairfax County Public Schools is included on a list of possible further reductions that County Executive Ed Long presented to the Board of Supervisors on March 18.
Promoting STEM in Schools, Budget Hearings
Nifty Fifty STEM education events continue as students advocate for STEM at Fairfax public hearings.
As part of an effort to inspire students to pursue STEM careers and to spark interest in math and science, scientists visited Fairfax County Public Schools last week to talk about their careers and to provide insight on the field.
Considering the Effects of Mass Incarceration
A Public Forum on Criminal Justice Sentencing Reform held in Burke.
There is a racial disparity in the number of people incarcerated in the United States. Nearly one in ten black men in their thirties is in jail. This number has increased due to the war on drugs, which has also seen a racial disparity in the numbers of those convicted.
Budget Dialogue Continues in Braddock District
Supervisor John Cook hosts budget town hall.
Fairfax County needs to be looking at the long-term picture in terms of the budget, Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock District) said at a town hall meeting on April 1.
McAuliffe Talks Medicaid Expansion
Patients share stories at Medicaid expansion roundtable.
Just a few days before the Virginia General Assembly convened in a special session in Richmond to decide on the budget and the possibility of Medicaid expansion, Gov. Terry McAuliffe met with patients of Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services in Arlington, as they shared with him how Medicaid expansion would change their lives for the better.
Helping Students Fully Recover
New concussion legislation goes before the Governor for signature.
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn’s bill, HB 1096, which places language for "Return to Learn" protocol into the Virginia Board of Education’s concussion guidelines passed the House of Delegates and Senate unanimously this General Assembly Session. It will now go before the Governor for signature. Current guidelines spell out protocol for student athletes returning to the playing field, but do not include information for the students returning to the classroom.
Landfill Decision Deferred to April 3
Group to discuss a compromise is now underway.
On March 13, the Fairfax County Planning Commission was set to make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on whether EnviroSolutions should be permitted to continue dumping construction debris at their landfill in Lorton until 2040. However, at that meeting, the Planning Commission deferred the decision to April 3 in order for a group to be established to discuss the issues at stake between those on both sides of the debate.
Del. Filler-Corn Passes Legislation for Military Spouses
House Bill 1247, aimed at reducing burdensome red tape for military spouses, has passed the House of Delegates and Senate with unanimous bipartisan support and now awaits signature from the Governor. Sponsored by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41) and supported by the Administration, HB 1247 would require the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation to expedite the review process for temporary licenses from 30 to 20 days for military spouses that already hold the equivalent license in another state.
Supervisor Herrity hosts Budget Town Hall
County Executive, Chief Financial Officer answer questions.
At this year’s Springfield Budget Town Hall, County Executive Ed Long said he is much more optimistic about this year’s budget than the past. “Whatever we do with the budget, it has to be sustainable,” Long said. “There is no need to panic because of the challenges that are out there.”
Northern Virginia's Growing Debt Burden
Local governments use debt as a tool to build for the future.
Back in the 1920s, Harry Byrd became governor of Virginia on what he called a "pay-as-you-go" platform.