Federal Employee Hiring Event

We are beginning to see very positive results from the three hiring events held for furloughed federal employees interested in becoming substitute teachers for FCPS. Total attendance at the three events was 525. Here are additional numbers as of yesterday (Jan.24):

Completed Application Process: 306

Cleared Background Check/Eligible to Work: 222

Sub Jobs Completed: 66

Future Sub Jobs Scheduled: 77

Our HR team has done a fantastic job in organizing these events and following up with the applicants to help them complete the application/onboarding process. While our focus during these hiring events was focused on employing individuals as substitute teachers, we also had one individual get picked up as an hourly employee in DIT!

As the shutdown continues, FCPS will demonstrate our Caring Culture by continuing to support furloughed federal employees who are our neighbors and – in many cases – parents of FCPS students. County government is also providing resources to support furloughed workers.

FCPS Bullying Prevention Programs and Resources

FCPS addresses bullying prevention through multiple curricular areas such as school counseling, health, and resources provided by Student Safety and Wellness to include the Student Rights and Responsibilities modules. In addition, individual school’s positive behavior approaches incorporate the teaching and reinforcement of prosocial behaviors, such as through the use of the Positivity Project and other programs. Through these comprehensive prevention efforts, students learn the definitions of bullying, how to report bullying, as well as how to become an ally against bullying.

In FCPS, an ongoing collaborative task force was developed to identify researched elements of effective bullying prevention programs. One of this group’s outcomes was the establishment of an electronically accessible training inclusive of seven essential components as part of every school’s comprehensive bullying prevention and intervention program. The seven essential components are:

• Using common terminology

• Understanding roles

• Consistent and immediate responding

• Providing adequate supervision

• Reporting procedures

• Monitoring effectiveness

• Communication with parents

Administrator Resources and Trainings

Resources, support, and required trainings are available to help schools integrate the seven essential components into their prevention programming and include:

• Bullying Prevention and Intervention Essentials is a voice-over PowerPoint training on creating a comprehensive prevention program in schools.

• Bullying Prevention and Intervention 24/7 BlackBoard site with resources for students, staff, and parents.

• Bullying Prevention and Intervention intranet resource page for staff

Required Administrator Trainings

• Preventing and Investigating Bullying and Harassment training for all principals and assistant principals covers the investigation and prevention of bullying and harassment to insure a standardized approach for investigating, responding, and documenting efforts to resolve all allegations. • Bullying and Harassment Management System database is used to track all allegations (founded and unfounded) and to identify patterns and trends occurring for individuals and schools, as well as across regions and division- wide.

Student Trainings and Resources

Annual Student Rights and Responsibilities Trainings

• In grades 7-12, a new video presentation was added in 2018-19 (based on student feedback and input) which includes more interactive experiences that serve to illustrate examples of bullying and harassment, as well as demonstrate proactive behaviors students may employ in preventing and ending bullying.

Counselor-Led Lessons in Grades K-12

• Bullying prevention curricular materials for students in grades 7-12, such as presentation slide decks and activities, are available to schools so that they may tailor lessons to their specific school community that meet their needs.

• Bullying prevention three-lesson units for students in grades K-6 are provided to school counselors.

• Modified bullying and harassment lessons for students with disabilities in grades 4-12

• Required bullying and harassment prevention units in grades 4-6 that include three grade-specific lessons each year that build upon each other covering the topics of bullying, discriminatory harassment and introduce sexual harassment at age and grade appropriate levels.

Social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, and school-wide behavior expectations are an integrated component in teaching school-wide expectations at the Tier 1 level, specific evidence-based practices are identified to address more focused needs at Tier 2, and individual counseling and interventions are provided as Tier 3 interventions. Kindness weeks, Sources of Strength programs, Second Step curriculum, etc. occur in schools as ways of developing prosocial behaviors in students and reinforcing safe and inclusive environments.

Fairfax County Government Strategic Plan Fairfax County Government is beginning a strategic planning process by listening to all voices and all segments of the community. The first phase of planning includes community engagement. Fairfax County Public Schools has been asked to support the county’s effort by promoting a survey and four Community Conversation meetings. We will promote the survey and community meetings in our newsletters and social media platforms beginning next week.

The goal is to have a completed strategic plan by January 2020 that will create a roadmap for Fairfax County to achieve the desired outcomes of the community. More information about the County’s strategic planning process can be found by visiting https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/strategicplan/.

Holiday Calendar Comparisons

Please find attached document below with the comparison of holidays among Fairfax County Public Schools (12-month employees), Fairfax County Government, and the Commonwealth of Virginia employees (2015 -2019).

FCPS Regulation 4421 - Work Hours, Noninstructional Time, Length of Work Year, and School Calendar, outlines that the following paid holidays shall be authorized for 12-month personnel. The Division Superintendent can authorize changes to serve in the best interest of the employee calendar or to accommodate the student calendar. This may include changing the actual date of the holiday and/or granting floating holidays.

Independence Day

Labor Day

Columbus Day

Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday

Inauguration Day—every fourth year

George Washington's birthday Memorial Day

The attached comparison shows that the number of holidays for 12-month FCPS employees varies between 12 and 16 days per year between 2015 and 2019. During the same period, the number of holidays for County and Commonwealth employees is varying between 12 and 15.5 days per year.

FCPS, Fairfax County Government, and the Commonwealth all start with a base set of holidays and then that is typically supplemented with additional time or days depending on the calendar and how the holidays fall. For example, in 2017 all three organizations authorized July 3rd as a holiday since July 4th fell on a Tuesday.

Additionally, FCPS designates all holiday time up front before the year begins and typically no adjustments occur unless required due to school makeup days. Both the County and Commonwealth will authorize additional holiday time or days after the year has started. For instance, the standard designated holidays for Fairfax County Government includes a half day for Christmas Eve. For 2015 through 2018, the half day on Christmas Eve has been changed to a full day. For the Commonwealth, December 26 in 2017 and January 2 in 2018 were authorized as additional holidays.

In 2015 and 2016, FCPS and Fairfax County Government had the same number of holidays overall. In 2017 and 2018, FCPS had 15 holidays for both years and the Commonwealth observed 15 and 15.5 days during the same time, respectively. In 2017 and 2018, 12-month FCPS employees worked Columbus day and the holiday was shifted to provide staff extra time off during the winter break.

The year 2019 shows a higher number of days off for staff in comparison to the County and Commonwealth since we have already tentatively included additional holiday time up front. The number of holidays for both the County and Commonwealth only reflect the standard designated holidays since no further adjustments have been authorized yet.

FCPS, County and State Holiday Calendar Comparison

Kaiser Permanente Minigrants Program

Kaiser Permanente has granted $50,000 to the Foundation for FCPS for the 2019 Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools Minigrants Program. The purpose of the program is to provide $2,500 competitive grant awards to 20 schools in FCPS to change school policies, environments, and practice. The grants are intended to promote and position teacher/staff health and wellness as an integral part of the school culture. The grants will fund projects such as staff social and emotional wellness, new or on-going staff health and wellness projects, changes to school facilities to promote staff health, health and wellness equipment for staff (healthy food prep equipment, physical activity equipment), professional development, stipends for work beyond the school day on policy-related activities needed to improve staff health and wellness. For a list of the schools whose grant projects were awarded $2,500, please click here.

Federal Government Shutdown and School Meal Funding

Recent inquiries have requested information on the impact of the federal shutdown and school meal funding. No impact is expected at this time due to:

• The USDA recently confirmed that states will be provided adequate funds to support school meal programs through March 31, 2019 due to a continuing resolution.

• The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Office of School Nutrition Programs is continuing to process monthly meal claims for reimbursement.

• FCPS FNS is currently up-to-date with monthly VDOE reimbursements for breakfast and lunch, and will continue to administer the school and child nutrition programs in accordance with federal statute and regulations.

• The USDA is expected to initiate another continuing resolution after March 31, 2019, if the shutdown continues.

School Visits

Dr.Brabrand will visit the following schools on Friday, February 1:

10:30 a.m. Kilmer MS

11:30 a.m. Vienna ES

1:00 p.m. Thoreau MS

2:00 p.m. Cunningham Park ES

FY20 Budget Question Responses FY20 Budget Question Responses - Questions 2, 3, 4, and 5 have been added.

Board Meeting Dates

https://www.fcps.edu/school-board/school-board-meetings

Link to Brabrand Briefings and Index

Brabrand Briefing

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