Fairfax Flags Meeting Nov 30, 2015

Fairfax Flags Meeting at Fox Mill ES on November 30, 2015

Fairfax Flags’ former leaders, Tina Meeks and Sandy Knox, held a meeting to share their experience and success in saving the FLES program from budget cuts several years ago.  At the meeting, Matt Dunne of Fort Hunt ES volunteered to lead Fairfax Flags.  Megumi Fujita and Yuka Ohta have volunteered to act liaisons for Great Falls ES.

  • If you want to become involved, email Matt at fairfaxflags@gmail.com
  • For more information check out their website

What is Fairfax Flags

  • Fairfax Flags was created to be a united platform for advocacy in support of the FCPS world language programs (two-way immersion, partial immersion and FLES)
  • Coordinate advocacy efforts across FCPS schools to maximize impact
  • Set up 1-2 liaisons per school and created numerous task forces to coordinate efforts
    • Budget analysis and tracking
    • Public hearing and speaker coordination
    • Media and publicity
    • Political outreach
    • Community outreach
    • Advocacy communication

Lessons learned

  • Develop a strategy for messaging during School Board public hearings
  • Start identifying speakers for public hearing now
    • Get representations across various schools, languages, topics
    • Make sure your speakers are not repetitive and they cover a variety of arguments
    • Develop talking points to ensure one voice and keep the message positive
    • Kids can speak and often are most effective
    • You can look up old transcripts to get an idea of the speeches and speakers
    • Stay away from discussions about the budget
  • Important to contact and develop relationships with members of the School Board and Board of Supervisors
    • Invite elected members to your school to showcase your program
    • Enlist Board of Supervisors’ support in setting the tax rate higher to fully fund FCPS
    • Ilryong Moon, Ryan McElveen, Jane Strauss have traditionally been strong supporters of world language
  • Form alliances with like-minded organization
    • FACE (art and music)
    • FCCPTA
    • Freshman Sports
  • Keep an eye on FY 2017 Budget Development Calendar (click here) for important dates
    • Jan 7—Superintendent Garza releases FY2017 Proposed Budget
    • Jan 25—School Board holds public hearings on budget (Jan 26 added if needed)
    • Jan 28—School Board conducts Budget work session (amendments introduced)
    • Feb 4—School Board adopts FY 2017 Advertised Budget
    • Feb 16—Fairfax County Executive released FY 2017 Advertised Budget Plan
    • Mar 1—County Board of Supervisors (BOS) advertises tax rate
    • Apr 5—School Board presents budget to County BOS
    • Apr 5-7—County BOS holds public hearings on budget
    • Apr 19—County BOS FY 2017 Budget Mark-Up (determine budget package and tax rate)
    • Apr 26—County BOS approves FY 2017 Adopted County Budget, tax rate resolution, and transfer amount to schools
    • May 2—School Board conducts budget work session
    • May 12—School Board FY2017 Approved Budget presented for new business
    • May 17—School Board holds public hearing on budget (May 18 if needed)
    • May 19—School Board conducts budget work session
    • May 26—School Board adopts FY 2017 Approved Budget
    • July 1—FY 2017 begins
  • It is important to educate everyone on the FCPS budget process. Program cuts are a problem that FCPS parents will face for the 12+years your kids are enrolled in FCPS schools
    • Encourage your PTA to have an information session about the budget process
    • Important to note that FCPS budget is about $2.6 billion. About 76% of that comes from the county. We need to lobby the Board of Supervisors to fully fund FCPS by asking them to raise taxes in order to maintain the standard of public education in our county. Many have proposed pushing through a Meals Tax (a tax on meals at Fairfax County restaurants) as a way to increase revenue for the school system