County to Offer Low-cost Rabies Clinics — The county’s Department of Animal Sheltering has announced dates for three curbside, contactless clinics. Dogs, cats and ferrets can be vaccinated on Sept. 13, Oct. 18, and Dec. 6. [Fairfax County Government]
FCPS Receives Meritorious Budget Award — “Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has received a Meritorious Budget Award for excellence in the preparation and issuance of the FY 2021 budget from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). The FCPS FY 2021 budget is currently in effect for the 2020-21 school year.” [FCPS]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Car Rally for Justice Takes Place in Reston — “With armed security guards patrolling the grounds, faith leaders of nine partnering churches in the Reston-Herndon area joined organizers from Martin Luther King Jr. Christian Church Reston for their Faith and Justice Car Rally.” [The Connection]
Brabrand to Host Town Hall on Return to School — Fairfax County Public Schools’ Superintendent Scott Brabrand will host a town hall today (Wednesday) from 6-7 p.m. to discuss questions about the return to school. [FCPS]
Box Activities for 55+ Now Available — Activities in a Box for 55+ is now available for purchase. Each box is different and includes a nature activity, craft and science experiment, as well as a link to connect virtually for coffee or happy hour. [Reston Association]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
A new Chief Information Officer will oversee Fairfax County Public Schools’ virtual learning and department of information technology.
Gautam Sethi, who currently serves as the chief technology officer for Douglas County in Colorado, will take over the position on Sept. 21.
The head of information technology for FCPS resigned in April following distance learning woes. Maribeth Luftglass had held the position for more than two decades. Technical and management problems haunted the beginning of remote education this year, leading the school system to temporarily cancel classes.
FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand said he is confident Sethi will help ensure FCPS is at “the forefront of innovation and fully supports our students, families, and employees.”
“He has administrative and management skills in K-12 education–including experience supporting remote learning–that make him uniquely qualified to oversee our IT functions,” Brabrand wrote in a statement.
Sethi built an IT security program in Colorado for the state’s third-largest district. He also modernized existing technologies and helped develop online portals to support staff and families, according to FCPS.
Here’s more from FCPS on his background:
Previously, Mr. Sethi led technology teams for Atlanta and New York City public schools. He served as executive director of information technology for Atlanta Public Schools, where he enabled solutions for successful virtual student-teacher collaboration and human resources functions. He also served as the New York City Department of Education director of enterprise solutions architecture, working on innovative technology solutions resulting in more than 20 new systems initiatives; spearheaded a pilot cloud deployment; and directed IT for special education programs.
Sethi earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Delhi n Indian and his master’s degree in business administration from Emory University in Atlanta.
Photo via FCPS
FCPD Mourns Loss of Director — The Fairfax County Police Department is mourning the loss of Larry Magni, director of the department’s facilities and security division. Magni, who died from COVID-19, was “an officer and a civil engineer by trade” who “cared more about the safety and wellbeing of FCPD than he did about anything else,” FCPD wrote. [FCPD]
Virtual Dog Daze in Lieu of Lake Fairfax Park — Although the water mine at the Reston-based park is closed, dogs can still take part in a virtual dog daze from Sept. 4 through 14. A donation of $10 per dog is suggested. [Fairfax County Government]
FCPS to Host Mental Health Conference — The Fairfax County Public School System is hosting its 7th annual mental health and wellness conference over a three-week period beginning Monday, Sept. 14. [FCPS]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
As the start date for Fairfax County Public Schools approaches on Sept. 8, school officials are in the midst of developing metrics to guide how and when schools would reopen.
At a Fairfax County School Board meeting in late July, the board directed FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand to begin drafting preliminary metrics to inform decisions about school openings and closures.
School officials anticipate a spike in COVID-19 cases in the late fall when flu season prompts more COVID-19 transmissions. Another possibility is “recurring waves across many months until a vaccine is developed,” which could reflect a “loss of stamina” for strict social distancing precautions, according to FCPS documents.
The move comes in the absence of state or county level metrics on the issue. In a recent email, Melanie Meren, school board member for the Hunter Mill District, said this step was taken due to lack of guidance from state officials on the issue.
“Therefore, the school board felt it was vital for FCPS to begin developing our own, because no one else was doing that for or with us,” Meren wrote.
The latest plan for reopening and closures notes that “multi-faceted metric and thresholds” will be used to guide decision-making.
School officials will take several factors into consideration based on community transmission and disease trends, which will determine if the level of community transmissions creates conditions for face-to-face transmission.
Other factors include operational metrics like the school system’s capacity to support in-person instruction, personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. Finally, school officials will also consider school metrics.
Photo by Annie Spratt/Unsplash
Fairfax County Public Schools created a technology-focused help desk to assist FCPS families starting school virtually in two weeks.
The Parent Technology Help Desk launched yesterday (Monday), FCPS announced. The school system also offers an online portal adults and older students can use to request tech help.
The help desk (833-921-3277) will be staffed between 7 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, according to FCPS. Callers can ask for an interpreters to join the call.
“If help desk staff members are unable to solve the issue, they will request help from the appropriate FCPS team,” according to FCPS.
Currently, the school system is working to distribute roughly 55,000 laptops to students. Before the first day of school (Tuesday, Sept. 8), families can expect teachers to hold virtual orientations and reach out to students.
Photo by Annie Spratt/Unsplash
FCPS to Host Town Hall Tonight — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand will host a town hall at 6:30 p.m. to answer questions about the return to school plan. [FCPS]
Reston Association to Host Meeting on Lake Thoreau Situation — The association will host a virtual meeting on Aug. 31 to discuss issues related to an algae bloom and the treatment of Hydrilla at the lake. The meeting takes place via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. [RA]
Metrobus to Ramp Up Service This Sunday — “Metrobus will ramp up service Sunday, August 23, giving customers more options with more buses, operating on more routes, more frequently and with more hours of service. The changes will restore approximately 75 percent of Metrobus service.” [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand has no plans to furlough bus drivers and food service workers, despite the virtual start to school next month.
In a letter sent to the community last night (Monday), Brabrand said he plans to “keep our FCPS family 100 percent intact” as the school year begins. Bus drivers are set to return to work on August 25. Some will deliver meals to specific locations or along select bus routes.
In other cases, the school system may provide other work assignments like facilities maintenance, student support, and delivering books and supplies to schools.
Brabrand also said the school system is working on an alternative plan to keep all food service workers employed throughout the academic years. Funding for service food service employees, which primarily relies on the sale of food, has taken a major hit due to school closures.
Here’s more from Brabrand’s letter:
I’d like to thank our food service employees for your heroic efforts to provide grab and go meals for our families since our schools shut down in March. More than 2 million meals have been served so far. Food distribution will continue through the rest of summer break and once the school year begins.
A community survey is underway to determine meal demand for the upcoming school year. The results will determine if changes to the food striation schedule are warranted.
Other staff — including security guards and office employees — may also be asked to shuffle their job duties to support virtual learning.
The FCPS School Board is meeting today for a day-long work session to continue formalizing plans for the return to school.
Photo via FCPS
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) plans to hold a virtual job fair on Wednesday to hire educators.
The job fair is scheduled to take place in two sessions, with the first running from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and the second from 3-7 p.m.
People interested in participating are urged to learn about the school system, apply to open jobs and register for one or both sessions, which have attendance caps.
During the virtual job fair, job hunters will be able to chat one-on-one with HR or school representatives from FCPS.
FCPS has more than 90 job opportunities listed online. The majority of the open positions are for high school and middle school teachers.
Fairfax County Public Schools will have a virtual start to the year. But a new program launched by Fairfax County will offer full-day, on-site programming for children in elementary and middle school.
The program, “Supporting Return to School,” aims to ensure that “all families have equitable access to the services they need to support children’s virtual learning,” according to the county.
Here’s more from the county on the initiative:
SRS will provide support for children’s active and engaged learning during the FCPS virtual academic day and promote children’s social, emotional and physical development. In addition to participating in distance learning, children will have opportunities to explore, engage, relax and enjoy activities that follow the SRS 2020-21 program curriculum, The Great Outdoors: Road Trips Through the Americas. What a perfect time for a virtual journey and to spend real time outdoors!
Enrollment begins on August 24 and space is limited. Each classroom will have a group of no more than 10 children who stay together every day. The program takes place on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in 37 FCPS schools.
A sliding fee scale is available for income-eligible families. Breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided.
Photo via Unsplash
Hunter Mill Road Reopens After Flooding — Hunter Mill Road, which was closed in both directions at Hunter Station Road, is now open. The road closed due to high water late last night. [Fairfax County Police Department]
County Schools Looking for Teachers — Fairfax County Public Schools has begun hiring teachers and other staff for a number of positions. Two job fairs will be held on August 19. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Wiehle Pedestrian Crossing Study Group to Meet Today — The Wiehle Pedestrian Crossing Study Group will meet virtually today via Zoom at 9 p.m. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Big Contract for Reston Company — “The General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded Reston-based government technology company Octo Consulting Group an $11.8 million contract to provide framework and architecture services for the GSA’s System for Award Management (SAM).” [Virginia Business Monthly]
Public Art Reston to Host Virtual Talk Today — DeWitt Godfrey will discuss his latest work at Valley & Park, a new townhouse development in Reston. His sculpture is titled ‘Simon,’ and is expected to be installed this month. [Public Art Reston]
Collects for Kids Campaign –The Foundation for Fairfax County Public Schools is collecting donations for school supplies. Donations can be made online. [FCPS Foundation]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand says that the decision for a virtual start to school on Sept. 8 was largely motivated by the health risks associated with COVID-19.
In a letter sent to parents Tuesday, Brabrand said that while cases are relatively stable in Fairfax County, precautionary steps are necessary to ensure the safety of staff and students. FCPS initially planned a hybrid approach of in-person and virtual instruction — a decision that was reversed by Brabrand in late July. The Fairfax County School Board approved the change July 22.
“As educators, there is nothing we want more than to have all students back in school. This school year will be a challenge for us all, but we are doing everything possible to ensure a high-quality education through virtual learning to start the year,” Brabrand said.
Brabrand also said staffing challenges complicated the transition to in-person learning, including the limited availability of substitutes and more leave of absence requests by teachers and other staff.
FCPS staff are developing metrics to determine when and if schools can reopen. Factors under consideration include the trajectory of cases, access to testing, and impact on staff and operations. More details are expected in mid-August, he said.
The school system also plans to provide laptops to all students to use for online learning. Schools will provide information on laptop distribution if a student does not already have an FCPS laptop.
Brabrand said his staff is also exploring ways to boost technical support for families and students, including a help desk for parents. All athletic seasons are also delayed until December.
The entire letter, which includes more details on class schedules and a commitment to more communication, is posted online.
Image via Fairfax County Public Schools
Retail Rents Not Getting Paid — “Retail tenants have been hardest hit during the pandemic, across the board and for JBG Smith. The company collected 58% of rent due from those tenants in the second quarter, compared with nearly 99% for office and 98.5% for multifamily… JBG Smith is exploring the possibility of incorporating ghost kitchens, or food preparation facilities for delivery-only meals, to fill some of the void created by empty retail spaces as a temporary measure.” [Washington Business Journal]
Free COVID-19 Testing in Reston Today — The Fairfax County Health Department and Southgate Community Center are partnering to offer free testing ontoday from 5-8 p.m. at the community center, which is located at 12125 Pinecrest Road. [Virginia Department of Health]
Schools Take Part in Racial Truth and Reconciliation Week — “As part of Virginia’s declaration of August 2-8 as Virginia’s Racial Truth and Reconciliation Week, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will be participating in activities to help educate citizens about the impact of cultural, historical, and racial inequity.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Photo by Ray Copson
While Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will start the school year virtually, county officials want to make sure students will have continued access to free bus passes.
Fairfax County and FCPS teamed up in 2015 to create a pilot program that gives free Fairfax Connector bus passes to middle and high school students.
“Since its inception, nearly two million trips have been taken through the Free Student Bus Pass Program (FSBPP) and as of February 2020, student ridership accounted for approximately 6.5 percent of the total Fairfax Connector ridership,” according to county documents.
More from the county:
Through this innovative program, students can access extracurricular activities, stay after school for support and tutoring, access after school jobs and internships, and visit libraries, museums, and other recreational activities.
The program familiarizes students with public transportation and supports the development of a more multi-modal generation of young adults in the future. This is critical to increasing transit ridership, reducing traffic congestion, and improving mobility around the National Capital Region.
Fairfax County officials are looking to formalize the collaboration so that the program can continue.
The Board of Supervisors is set to vote on Tuesday (July 28) to approve moving forward with a Memorandum of Agreement between the county and FCPS, according to the meeting’s agenda.
Once the agreement is complete, the county will provide free rides on the Fairfax Connector to students with eligible passes and promote the program, while the school system will register, distribute and manage the passes.
In addition to the pilot program with Fairfax Connector, the county also works with the Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In 2018, the county and WMATA expanded the bus pass program to include Justice High School in Falls Church.
Starting with the 2018-2019 school year, students now receive the bus pass in the form of a “specially designed SmarTrip Card,” according to Fairfax County’s website.
