Here is the plea from the county sent to parents and other concerned citizens over snow removal:

Today in the Manassas News & Messenger, PWC School system also asked for volunteers to remove snow from bus stops and sidewalks. Such a request would be all well and good in a perfect world that doesn’t have 3 feet of snow to start with and a record breaking winter. However, many bus stop areas have 8 foot mountains of snow that need to be machine removed. Sidewalks have been cleared, recleared and dumped on again in the case of Amherst Drive and over in Lindendale (and probably other places we aren’t aware of).

Sidewalks that do not run in front of private residences have not been plowed, blown, shoveled etc.  This was the case over on Dale Blvd. Before the blizzard  Beville students were walking down the middle of the street on that busy road. Sidewalks on one side of Stonewall Middle have been cleared. Those running in front of the bus lot on the other side have not been cleared. As of the weekend, snow had not been removed from in front of Sinclair. An update is need there. How about the bridge crossing between Irongate and Westgate Elementary School? Granted no one has to go in the road but many kids will be sitting in class all day with wet feet.

We are not asking for hot cocoa on their desks when the little dears arrive but some precaution is needed. If the schools cannot have bus stops and sidewalks cleared, then they need to consider not opening for business until these basic safety measures can be ensured. The school system cannot depend on the residents to handle such massive amounts of snow that have been placed by machine and packed down into immovable objects. Many residents have returned to work and others can can barely move because of the muscles they had to use all last week. County trucks, bob cats and snowblowers  need to be brought back out and custodians and county grounds people need to be brought out for some of this snow removal. All hands on deck.   If this is not possible then schools need to stay closed until it is safer to get there.

UPDATE FROM OUR ROVING REPORTER:

I’ve just been to four schools in the WestGate/Sudley area. The conditions as of right now are still not favorable for students to be walking in. The snow did melt a fair amount yesterday and Saturday, but there’s still plenty around. Here’s my review of the schools. We really need the cooperation of all of the county boards(School, County, Park Authority, and Service Authority) with clearing the bus stops. I know this is a record setting winter, but our students safety should be a top priority.

 

Stonewall Middle-The parking lot and sidewalks leading to school are clear. The parking lot is treated with sand. The sidewalk on one side of the school is clear. The sidewalk in front of the bus lot has not been touched. (Lomond Dr)

 

WestGate Elementary-The parking lot, sidewalks, and the bridge to Irongate are all clear. Urbanna Rd is clear, but only a few sidewalks are clear.

 

Sinclair Elementary-Garner Dr has all but three sidewalks clear. The very last house next to the school does not have a clear sidewalk. The driveway has a snow wall about 8 feet tall and 8 feet deep. This makes it impossible for kids to even walk safely on the side of the street the school is on. Then the the kids that walk and cross Sudley Manor have no sidewalk cleared for them to get to school when they cross Sudley Manor to access the school.

 

Sudley Elementary-The parking lot and sidewalks are clear. There’s a loader there now clearing the parking lot. The kids that walk down Dublin Dr from Greenview to Sudley Manor only have one sidewalk clear to walk on. Then when they get to Sudley Manor the corner is piled with snow.

Talk to anyone and they will be telling you that kids in PWC will be going to school until the 4th of July.  People are questioning why there is no school on Monday.  Don’t these kids have to make up the missed time?  No. Not yet.

There were 2 built in days.  Those are gone.  There have been a total of 10 days used.  3 in December, 2 for the 6 inch snow and 5 for last week.  I count ten used.  PWC kids can miss 7 more days before the doom and gloom of July 4th according to the PWCS website:

Explanation of “Snow Days” in PWCS 

State law mandates 180 days of school but allows for school divisions to make up missed teaching days by providing students with instructional hours equivalent to the missed days to meet the minimum 990 teaching-hour requirement. In PWCS, we have additional days built into the calendar (two this year at the middle and high school level, and one at the elementary school level) but we also provide more than the minimum time of required instruction with a six-hour school day. This provides adequate time to meet the state minimum number of teaching hours if school is closed for an extended number of days. This allows for up to 15 additional days for all students after the use of the “built-in” days

It seems hard to believe but that’s the nuts and bolts of it. The kids of Prince William have dodged the bullet.

Dr. Steven Walts has proposed massive cuts in the School Board budget to make up a shortfall of nearly $80 million dollars.  Projects and building will also be delayed as will certain school bus routes.  After school programs will also see the budget hatchet.  700 jobs could also be cut. 

According to the Manassas News and Messenger, additional cuts considered are:

Walts is also proposing increasing parking fees for high school students, charging athletic participation fees at the middle and high school level and reducing Central office budgets by 10 percent. The elimination of bus routes means that all students being bussed to specialty schools out of their district would be eliminated. However, bus routes for Thomas Jefferson School for Science & Technology and both Pennington and Porter Traditional Schools would remain.
The net effect of the bus issue, according to budget presenter David Cline, would be to transition those 32 buses to handle the surge in the regular student population, which is expected to reach more than 78,000 students by next fall.

The budget cuts are going to run deep.   Bus services for specialty programs will be cut.  Parents would have to provide transportation.  Parking fees will increase.  Central office will get a 10% cut.  Class sizes will increase.  Retirement will be encouraged.

Finally the N & M has hinted at the freeze on re-calculating  the Local Composite Index issue  submitted  by former Governor Kaine and apparently getting ready to get the nod by current Governor McDonnell.  They have taken no position to day on NoVA schools being short-changed by millions.  The county and both cities stand to lose millions of state dollars because the formula is not being re-calculated  as it should be. 

The budget takes into account an expected $20 million shortfall due to the proposed freezing of the composite index by former governor Tim Kaine. The index is a formula that determines the ability of localities to pay for education, and grants state funding based on that determination.
Prince William’s index dropped more than 4 percentage points, thanks in part to a huge decrease in property values and consequently, potentially less money for both the county and the schools. Approximately 57 percent of the general fund revenue from the county goes to the schools.

People who value education should be swamping the governor’s office with letters, calls and emails advising him to recalculate the formula to ensure the Northern Virginia schools do not get shortchanged as they surely will if things remain the same. 

The Washington Post makes no bones about the LCI causing a quarter of the problem:

Officials attributed a quarter of the school system’s projected $80 million shortfall to a proposed freeze in the adjustment of a state funding formula that is intended to compensate school systems for enrollment growth and declining tax revenue. School Board members urged parents to contact their elected officials.

“The entire General Assembly needs to hear that this is not fair,” said board member Don Richardson (Gainesville).

In an unrelated topic, the PWC School Board has appointed Lisa Bell to serve as the Neabsco School Board member until a special election is held November, 2010.

For several decades, Virginia has used a  formula called the  local composite index (LCI) to  ensure that very poor localities had the funds to operate their school systems and that all children in Virginia had a shot at an equal education.  Basically the formula directs revenues  from wealthier areas into poorer districts.  Because situations change, the LCI is calculated yearly. 

From Del. Dave Albo’s website:

School funding in the Commonwealth of Virginia is determined by the Local Composite Index, or LCI.  The LCI is a result of a Supreme Court of Virginia ruling which stated that the Virginia Constitution requires all children to receive, to the extent practicable, and equivalent education.  Thus, the Court ruled that some funding formula must be used to direct money to areas that can’t afford to educate children. (The Court did not say what the formula has to be only that some redistribution must occur). Consequently, the purpose of the LCI is to ensure less affluent localities are able to provide for their students. The LCI is a figure that determines how much a school system must pay for its own basic education. (“Basic Education” is a set of minimum standards. For example, math must be taught, but band does not.)  The LCI, has a cap of .8000 (a locality must pay 80% of its own basic education) but has no minimum. Only 27 out of 136 schools are required to pay more than 50% of their basic education (e.g. have above a .5000 LCI).

The LCI is calculated through a complicated formula. The formula attempts to determine which school systems can afford to may more of their own basic education, and which systems cannot afford to pay. In determining who can pay, a formula has been developed which considers a bunch of different variables.

So what’s the problem? The LCI is changed yearly because conditions change. Governor Kaine placed a freeze until 2012 on recalculating LCI. Governor McDonnell is considering upholding this freeze. Northern Virginians are having a fit because it was hit harder than the rest of the state by foreclosures and a deflated housing market. They will lose millions on the old plan:

According to the Dixie Pig blog (Delegate Scott Surovell’s blog) the Northern Virginia School losses from not adjusting the formula this year  are as in the millions.  According to Delegate Surovell:

McDonnell’s office confirmed Friday that he would uphold the freeze implemented by Kaine. The outgoing governor proposed freezing the index until the 2012 fiscal year. He theorized that this would protect 97 school divisions that would lose money if the formula were re-calculated. McDonnell Freezes School Funding Formula, The Virginia Gazette (Jan. 25, 2010).

Yesterday, Governor McDonnell who campaigned on the idea that he was from Mt. Vernon and understood Northern Virginia’s needs confirmed that he is going to affirm this policy decision, not just for one year but at least until 2012.

This decision is a breach of the state’s responsibility to Northern Virginia’s children. Here are the top six affected jurisdictions according to the numbers I was given yesterday.

Fairfax County	$61 Million
Loudoun County	$34 Million
Prince William County	$22 Million
Stafford County	$4.5 Million
Fauquier County	$4.3 Million
Manassas City	$3.1 Million
TOTAL	$128 Million

 Northern Virginians are furious as well they should be.  They will have to make up the deficits and jurisdictions are already strapped.  It appears that we have been sold out by 2 governors.  So much for either Kaine or McDonnell being education governors.  And regardless of where he is from, Governor McDonnell obviously does not understand the educational problems of his own county.  According to Del. Surovell in an update, the new total is a $144 million dollar shortfall.  I hope Prince William and City of Manassas are prepared for 40 kids per class.  That number definitely is not considered ‘best practice.’ 

Northern Virginians should contact their delegate and senator immediately to require the  LCI formula to be recalulated as it is supposed to be.  This issue is definitely bipartisan.  Democrats and Republicans all have kids. So do Independents. 

A big thanks to Poor Richard for bringing  the Local Composite Index freeze to my attention and for providing background information.

[Ed. Note:  The LCI is calculated every TWO years rather than one as stated above.]

On December 3, 2009, PWCS announced the resignation of Neabsco District School Board member Julie Lucas, effective December 31. Ms. Lucas was a dedicated board member who appeared to have the best interest of all PW kids on the front burner. She was accessible and was highly regarded by parents, staff, and administration.

Ms. Lucas cited care of her father as the reason for her departure and she did indicate she would be leaving Virginia to help her family. If she is leaving Virginia, how can she serve on the Governor-Elect’s Education Workgroup? Are we the public missing something here?

December 15, 2009

Julie Lucas Will Serve on Governor-Elect’s Education Workgroup

Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell has selected School Board member Julie Lucas (Neabsco) to serve on his transition team K–12 education workgroup. This group will advise the incoming Governor about the status of K–12 education in the Commonwealth, and will provide analyses and recommendations on K–12 education policy. Lucas will be serving along with Chairman At-Large Milton C. Johns, who was selected previously.

 

Would the interests of Prince William County Schools be better served by someone who lives in the State of Virginia? There is no lack of Republican school board members. This appointment just makes no sense to me or to those who have emailed me about it.  Does Ms. Lucas have special expertise in some area of education that would make her a real catch regardless of where she lives?

It is good to see the Governor-elect attempting to put education as a priority.  Let’s hope this is one area that doesn’t suffer massive budget cuts.  Meanwhile, we wish Ms. Lucas well and thank her for her service to PWC.  It just seems like a strange situation.

 From the Supervisor of Community Relations Office, Prince William County Schools:

On December 16, the Prince William County School Board approved the framework for a “Teacher Incentive Performance Award” (TIPA). This would provide a potential monetary stipend for all school-based, certificated employees included in site-based budgets at schools that meet specific eligibility requirements that will be developed later. The TIPA would be implemented beginning with the 2010-11 school year, subject to the availability of funding.

Work will now begin in developing criteria that meet the requirements set forth in the soon-to-be-released “Teacher Incentive Fund” grant program, a component of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Receiving such a grant would be essential for Prince William County Public Schools to successfully implement this initiative.

Like the rest of the country, the majority of public schools in PWCS with high populations of economically disadvantaged, limited English proficient, and special education children have higher-than-average teacher turnover rates compared to schools without these demographics. The development of TIPA is an effort to improve student achievement by addressing the movement of teachers away from those high-needs schools, as well as encouraging other excellent teachers to consider moving there. Performance awards are not for extra hours, more mentoring, and harder-to-teach classes, but rather awards for teaching at exemplary and defined performance levels.

Once again Prince William County Schools cave in to political pressure. It appears to be a way to artifically manipulate demographics in schools, similar to the specialty programs. It is no accident that IB programs are housed in Stonewall Middle, Beville, Stonewall High School and other schools that have high populations of ESOL, free and reduced lunch, minorities and other indicators that might lower standardized and SOL scores.  Bringing in high achieving students for speciality programs attempts to give these schools a bump in their scores. 

On the other hand, most teachers don’t seek out low achieving students to teach.  It appears the school system is attempting to lure teachers to these schools by dangling the money carrot as weel as the superior evaluation carrot.  Smart teachers won’t be fooled.  Hopefully, PWEA and VEA will be all over this attempt to not only fool the teachers but also the public into believing that the better teachers will be rewarded financially.

The public needs to be asking  how these teachers will be evaluated without bias.  They also need to be asking if this new system will produce fewer highly qualified teachers during rough times economically.  It sounds to me like a good way to avoid giving teachers a raise.  Just mark them down on their evaluation.  It will save money.

That’s a might big bite.

On August 25, Anti-bvbl had a post on students who had spelled out racial slurs and statements using sod up at Sinclair Elementary School. (See Link) Since that day, the 6 students who were involved in this incident have been long term suspended or expelled for a calendar year. On Wednesday, 4 of these 6 students will appeal the decision of the School Board to have them removed from school for a year.

 According to the Washington Post:

Officials said that six boys used pieces of landscaping sod to form a swastika and spell out “KKK” and “white power” in a parking lot at Sinclair Elementary School in the Manassas area. They have been suspended from school since the Aug. 25 incident, said Roach, whose 14- and 16-year-old sons were among the group.

A committee of three school board members is to decide in a closed meeting Wednesday whether to follow the recommendation of another school system panel and expel them for the rest of the year, said Roach, who called that punishment “unjust.”

Four of the students were arrested and charged with vandalism, said Sgt. Kim Chinn, a Prince William police spokeswoman, but she couldn’t say which ones. Roach said she didn’t think any of the six had been charged

At some point, we have to ask ourselves what the point is of a year long expulsion. The students were not on school time. Sure they vandalized a school parking lot. If we look at time, cost and effort to repair their damages, unless the grass was killed, it was an easy fix. We also need to look at the impact of keeping 6 kids out of school for a year.

The words were stupid and inappropriate. Kids do things like that. They also say bad words and spell out countraband on calculators. Some even make Elmo say bad words. Are these things worth losing a year of education? I am not so sure PWC School Board isn’t on overkill on this one.

[UPDATE:   10/29/09  insidenova.com] 

Four Stonewall Jackson High School students who admitted to creating racist symbols with sod in the parking lot of a Manassas area middle school (sic) were expelled for at least the rest of this semester after their appeals were heard by the Prince William County School Board Disciplinary Committee on Wednesday.

Correction:  The incident took place at Sinclair Elementary School.

.

Prince William County Public Schools Position on the President’s Speech to Students on September 8
Thursday, September 3, 2009

As you may be aware from news media reports, the President has scheduled a Webcast message to students for noon on Tuesday, September 8. Many are asking about what will be happening in PWCS classrooms. There is no mandate or direction to principals or teachers from the PWCS administration to participate in this address from the President. Like many other similar information items we receive from the U.S. Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), or other education-related organizations, they are passed along FYI as a potential instructional resource that teachers may choose to use if it is appropriate for their instruction and fits their lesson plans.

This position is consistent with the guidance of the VDOE. Schools that may have classes which choose to participate in the Webcast are encouraged to make reasonable accommodations for students whose parents may object to the viewing of the speech by their children during the school day. It is expected that the text of the speech will be posted on the White House Web site before it is given for parents and educators to review beforehand.

See related information:

Memo from VDOE Superintendent

U.S. Department of Education Web site

Nice job, Dr. Walts, nice job. NOT! He certainly squirmed out of that one. Instead of explaining what was going on, and that the canned robo plans were not counter-revolutionary materials, he dumped the entire ball of wax squarely on the building principals and the teachers. Welcome back teachers, and bend over…we are going to get this over with first thing.

Dr. Walts should have made every attempt to assuage people’s fears. He could have reassured parents that any materials used would not be politically objectionable. He has that opportunity as superintendent of Prince William County Schools. Anyone who makes a quarter of a million a year could have done a lot better than this. Instead, the teachers and principals will be down in the trenches on the first day of school, when they should be setting the stage for the new year, putting out forest fires that should have been put out by the Instructor in Chief, Dr. Walts.

Having backbone should not be this painful. We are speaking of the President of the United States telling kids to do their homework, listen to their parents, teachers, bus drivers, and to be all they can be in the classroom and on the playground. Good grief.

Prince William County will soon have 400,000 residents so the need for additional school space comes as no surprise. What does cause surprise is the fact that several members of the planning commission of Prince William County took it upon themselves to admonish the school system for not holding public hearings over putting in classroom trailers.

HUH?

Either a school has enough classroom space or they don’t. If they don’t, and all closets and cubby holes have been filled with desks/kids/teachers, then trailers go in. Shouldn’t the planning commission be planning and not overstepping its bounds with the school system? Here is the first affrontery as printed in Manassas News and Messenger:

“

I think the schools would do itself a favor to solicit and encourage as much public input as possible, so those decisions are made with the highest level and highest degree of public information,” said chairman Gary Friedman, who was the lone dissenter on the 10-trailer request for Glenkirk Elementary School.

“Citizen input is an invaluable part of this process,” said Brentsville District commissioner Ronald K. Burgess. “I have seen this commission turn on a dime as a result of citizen input.

The approval process is called public facility review. It is required by Virginia law. Generally the process is that the planning office recommends approval and the planning commission approves the request. The reason all this is to be done is to make sure everyone is on the same sheet of music with the comprehensive plan. (a glossary is probably needed at this point)

There was some controversy several years ago and the planning commission denied trailers at Brentsville High School. The matter is still in litigation, according to insidenova.com.

[I]n spring 2007, the commission ruled against the placement of trailers at Brentsville High School despite a recommendation for approval by planning staff. The commission’s decision was overruled by the county board of supervisors later that spring but eventually led to a school board-issued lawsuit.

In the yet-to-be concluded legal matter, school officials claimed that these requests for approval are essentially unnecessary and have only delayed their ability, in some cases, to properly prepare for upcoming school years.

Schools Supervisor of Land Acquisition and Capital Improvement Plan Maureen Hannon seems to feel that the public has had plenty of time for input during the CIP budget hearings. Friedman also criticized the school board’s timing on this request. Schools Associate Superintendent for Finance & Support Services David Cline also weighed in on the issue, saying that sometimes the request was earlier, sometimes it was later, depending on the amount of time it takes the county to go through the process.

Former county planning director Roger Snyder was the only speaker at this hearing. He informed those in attendance that the meeting was a waste of time and a waste of tax payer money.

“It’s [this public hearing] driven more by politics and second guessing of the school board and the board of supervisors than a real need for a public hearing,” Snyder told the commission.
Snyder went on to say that the commission shouldn’t feel compelled to do the job of the school board.

Too bad those who plan for the future don’t come with built in 20/20 foresight. Prince William County has been one of the fastest growing counties in the nation for 4 decades. Equally distressing is that members of the planning commission feel compelled to tell the school board how to do its business. Is Gary Friedman just a meddler? It seems everywhere he goes, whether it is the Democratic Committee in Gainesville or his planning commission job, contention just seems to follow him.

School boards operate independently from the parent county. Perhaps a review course is needed for all county employees. Outside of the approval process mandated by state law, the county needs to back off and remember that the school board and its employees operate independently of county government in most cases. Friedman and Corey Stewart might want to take the very first class offered.

[Hopefully contributors like MOM and Elena will fill in some of the missing pieces in this post. I do not know all the history here, but that makes for healthy discussion, doesn't it?]

Forty-six year old McClure is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves. She was on active duty shortly after 9/11 but, she was deployed locally. McClure told WJLA-Channel 7 news:

“I’m not sure how to prepare for it. I think that’s probably my greatest challenge — prepare emotionally for all that because it is going to be a long haul,”

Students, faculty and parents, and school system administration are sadden to see the popular principal leave. Principal McClure has been at Enterprise for 2 years. A school-wide celebration was held in her honor this week to give her the proper send off. Superintendent Walts and School board member Julie Lucas were in attendance. Dr. Walts reminded students:

[T]hat it was their job to keep learning in anticipation of their principal’s return.

Bumper stickers have been made up in her honor, according to the story posted on the Prince William County School’s website, which read: “My Principal is a Soldier! Hurry back, Mrs. McClure.”

When is enough enough? Does the army need people so badly that they are now scrounging them out of schools? Do people think this might happen to them when they remain in the reserves? The lady is putting on her game face but she must be dying inside. She leaves a husband and 3 kids behind as well as a career while she is in Iraq.