Current Issues and Concerns

• 2011-12 Virginia (state-level) PTA Legal Proposals; can be voted on by current Mantua PTA members. More details to be released by the Mantua PTA on how/where/when to vote.



• 2011 Discussion of FCPS Disciplinary Practices:
• February 2011 - Letter from Providence District School Board Member HERE.
• April 2011 - FCPS Superintendent Dale's recommendations for discipline modifications HERE.
• FCPS official web page on discipline HERE.



• 2010-11 Annandale HS/Poe MS Overcrowding and New Lacey ES:
  
  • Planning Study Committee: In fall 2010, FCPS School Board created a PTA/PTO-selected representative committee of schools named in a study to examine the overcrowding at Annandale HS and Poe MS, as well as creating boundary lines for the new Lacey ES. This committee studied the situation, and crafted a number of options to the Board. The FCPS Facilities & Staff then opened a formal boundary study (see bullet item below). Mantua ES has NOT been named in the study, although Frost MS and Woodson HS are included in the study.
  
  
  • FCPS Boundary Study: In spring 2011, FCPS Facilities took the options provided by the above Committee, studied them and, in May 2011, came up with the following 4 scenarios.
  
  
  • Community Dialogue Meetings: are slated at various high schools [info here]. After which FCPS staff & facilities group will further examine/analyze and make final recommendations to the Board. Then public hearings will be held, and finally a Board vote slated for July 2011.
  
  
  Following are resources on this topic:
  • The FCPS webpage of general information on this subject is HERE, and the official Annandale Planning Study website is HERE.
  • Notes from the Study Committee Meetings taken by various Mantua parents.
  
  
  
• Legislative Effort to Change School Year Start- and End-Dates: Effort from the Fairfax County Council of PTAs (FCCPTA) and the Virginia PTA to endorse current state legislation allowing school systems to set their own start- and end-dates for the school year. Further information HERE, and Virginia PTA info HERE. Added 01/25/2010.



• Virginia PTA: HERE is information on current matters that the state PTA is concerned with -- they encourage parent participation.



• FEC ("Fairfax Education Coalition"): New coalition that proposes to use its collective influence to advocate for improved accountability, transparency and community participation in the Fairfax County Public Schools’ decision-making process. Coalition group members include representatives from: The Fairfax Coalition of Advocates for Public Schools (FairfaxCAPS), the Fairfax County Association for the Gifted (FCAG), The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT), The Fairfax Education Association (FEA), FAIRGRADE, SLEEP, and Zero Tolerance Reform. Website at www.FairfaxEducationCoalition.org. 1/20/10 Press Release HERE.



• SLEEP ("Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal"): Their goal is to increase awareness of teen sleep needs and to change Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) middle and high school start times to later in the morning. SLEEP website at www.SleepInFairfax.org



• FAIRGRADE ("Fair Grades for Fairfax County Students"): Effort to change FCPS grading system from a 6-point scale to a 10-point one. FAIRGRADE Website at www.FairGrade.org