Politics & Government

School Budget Hearing Speakers Focus on Full-Day Kindergarten, Employee Compensation

Fairfax Education Association president urges school board to consider workload issues.

The fiscal 2012 approved schools budget includes full implementation of full-day kindergarten in all elementary schools starting this fall, and the majority of speakers at Tuesday's budget hearing wanted to make sure the school board kept it that way.

Nearly 50 speakers appeared at the hearing, with most asking the Fairfax County School Board to implement full-day kindergarten at all schools by the start of the 2011-12 school year and to consider more ways to achieve a 2 percent pay increase with step raises for Fairfax County Public Schools employees.

Last week, Superintendent Jack Dale presented the fiscal year 2012 , which called for full implementation of full-day kindergarten for next year and 1 percent salary increases with step raises.

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"So many of the people who spoke today, I did not know they were going to speak for full-day K," said Shaista Keating, chairwoman of . "So everyone understands and gets it. I am very hopeful and optimistic."

In her statement at the hearing, Keating put an emphasis on the passion Fairfax County parents have for quality education, and praised the lofty goals parents have for the school system.

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"As we begin our journey with FCPS, we aim for the stars for our children, our teachers and our schools. You share our passion. And your collaborative spirit gives us hope for our 5-year-olds."

Michael Hairston, president of Fairfax Education Association, asked the school board to continue looking for money in the budget to give FCPS employees more than the 1 percent salary increases proposed in the approved budget, but said he understands that a level transfer from the county put the school board in a difficult position.

"We understand the flat transfer created additional challenges. But despite those challenges and political pressures, it is your responsibility to do what you know to be right for this system you're elected to lead," Hairston said to the board.

Hairston urged the board to consider the effect cuts are having on employees' daily lives, and said he wants the board to ease workloads.  

"We hope that the other 1 percent could be met through addressing the workload issue," he said in an interview after the hearing. 

Steven Greenburg, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, aimed criticism at the Board of Supervisors for the flat transfer and praised the school board for their hard work in keeping the commitment they made last June to include compensation increases in the 2012 budget.

"April 2011, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors underfunds the school system by $42 million after stating for once their objection to FCPS employees getting any type of raise," he said to the board. "However, in the same breath they direct county executive Anthony Griffin to review the fiscal situation at the end of the budget year to see if a market-scale adjustment of about 1.12 percent for their employees. ... As we struggle daily to pay our bills and feed our own families, we have held onto the promise that we would remain the priority. ... We will appreciate the board delivering on its promise."

Sally Storr, an FCPS bus driver, reminded the board that not only have employees not received raises in three years, but they've also had to deal with cuts within the system that add extra burden and sometimes force drivers to reach into their own pockets to compensate for the changes.

"Drivers are required as part of their job to know the streets of the county, to perform a daily bus pretrip in the dark, and to keep the bus clean," Storr said to the board. "Yet we have, with few exceptions, had to provide many of our own supplies, such as maps, flashlights, brooms, gum cleaner, window cleaner and et cetera at our own expense. I applaud the transportation managers for finding ways to cut costs for the county during these times of budget crises. However, someone forgot to tell the rest of the world to cut, or at least freeze, the cost for the employees."

Member Patricia Reed (Providence) said she heard no big surprises during the hearing and expects to see full-day kindergarten implemented for the 2011-12 school year without a problem because most of her colleagues are committed to it. 

"People in the community are generally supportive of the decision to put compensation increases at 1 percent," Reed said. "Just in the 11th hour I want to make sure I ask 'Can anybody find anymore money for the employees?'"


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