May 15, 2013

To Members of the FCPS School Board:

The Association of Fairfax Professional Educators strongly urges the school board not to implement a 2% COLA in January as part of the FY 2014 budget. Instead, we advocate that the school board adhere more closely to the adopted budget by maintaining both the full 3% VRS contribution shift to employees and the shift in ERFC contributions from employee to employer.

In addition, it is our recommendation that the school board place a marker in the FY 2014 budget that sets aside funding and commits to granting FCPS employees a step increase in FY 2015.

We offer the following reasons for taking this approach. Offering a 2% COLA in FY 2014, even if delayed until January, creates a structural imbalance in the FY 2015 budget. Additionally, please keep in mind not all FCPS are 10 month employees. A 2% COLA beginning in January adversely impacts a group of FCPS employees. Ten month employees earn 6/10 of their salary between January and June. Twelve month employees earn 6/12 of their salary between January and June. This difference, while minimal, would adversely impact 12 month employees.

The bigger consideration, however, is the fact that the FCPS compensation plan is based on step increments. Regulation 4611.9 states that an increment of one step shall be granted to an eligible regular employee who demonstrates the required level of competence as determined by formal evaluation. We understand that, given difficult budget cycles, step increases are not guaranteed, but this is the promise or pretense under which FCPS employees are hired.

For the last several years this has been a broken promise and, in fact, our employees hired in the last five years really have no understanding of a step increase. By regulation, a frozen increment is reserved for those with an unsatisfactory performance rating who are conditionally rehired, yet this is treatment all FCPS employees have received.

It is time for the school board to live up to its commitment and honor the compensation plan as defined in regulation 4611, or to abandon it altogether and determine another formula for compensating its employees that is both fair and equitable to those demonstrating the required level of competence, as determined by our new and rigorous formal evaluation system.

The Association of Fairfax Professional Educators believes that placing a marker in the FY 2014 budget and making a commitment to honor our compensation plan beginning in FY 2015 is prudent if FCPS intends to maintain the honorable reputation of its world class education system.

Sincerely,

Becca Ferrick, President Association of Fairfax Professional Educators

April 3, 2013

To Members of the FCPS School Board:

The Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Educators - AFPE - thanks the school board for commissioning a task force to examine the current Students Rights and Responsibilities document over the course of many months. We acknowledge that this was a tedious and time-consuming process, and that the work accomplished was done with the best of intentions. However, as an organization we want to share our thoughts before the board votes on implementation of the suggestions.

We strongly feel that any change of policy that would fetter the hands of the administration in investigating actions that could cause harm to students or others should not be implemented. We trust our administrators to investigate promptly and competently, including taking statements from witnesses, victims, and others involved in incidents, without a wait period for parent or guardian contact. We know that time is a crucial factor in diffusing harmful situations and in documenting the facts before action is taken.

Regarding second-chance initiatives for first-time drug uses, we are 100% against implementing such a policy. The recommendation reads that students who are caught with drugs or who are high would go to a second chance program and that no suspension would be recorded on their permanent record. While this suggestion may improve slightly the disproportionality of suspensions of minorities, it sends a clear message to students that it's okay to bring illegal substances to school or to use them before they arrive on campus. Since the county changed its regulation regarding prescription drugs to remove suspension as a consequence, there has been an increase of over 30% in the number of students caught with them at school. FCPS had a lower recidivism rate with its current policy than Arlington County, which does not suspend students for first-time offenses. FCPS already provides a second chance for these students: they are able to continue their educations in other settings.

We also question the recommendation that all schools write and review their own school-based discipline plans. One elementary school principal on the committee pointed out that with the current SR&R as the plan for his school, he has had very few discipline issues. Writing and reviewing a new one each year will be a waste of time and resources.

We also want to publically commend the work being done in our schools by teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and administrators to ensure the safety of all students and employees. We firmly believe that FCPS puts the welfare of its children first and foremost.

Sincerely,

Becca Ferrick, President Association of Fairfax Professional Educators