Compensation, Achievement Gaps Weigh on School Budget Hearing

School board will hold a work session on the budget Thursday

A week before the Fairfax County School Board is scheduled to approve a fiscal year 2013 budget, community members advocated Tuesday for closing achievement gaps, increasing funding for employee compensation and providing benefits to parent liaisons at a public hearing for next year's spending plan. Superintendant Jack Dale presented his adjustments to the $2.4 billion budget during a markup session Monday, which removes step increases for eligible employees and calls for a 2 percent compensation market rate adjustment (MRA). The payment changes come in light of this year's General Assembly legislation requiring public school employees who participate in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to pay a 5 percent employee contribution, which …

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Natasha

5:57 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012

actually its not truelly needed because alot of people dont see all the facts. I have a daughter that started kindergarten a few yrs ago on the same level you are saying your son is on. In the same class a little girl fresh from guatemala with no english backround or any schooling started as well. BOTH children ended up finishing in the top of their class on the SAME level. Both children are now …   more ›

Deadline for Thomas Jefferson High School Approaching

The deadline is June 1.

The application deadline for admission to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for the class of 2016 is June 1. All applicants have to also take the TJHSST admissions test on June 6 to be admitted. Students who moved into a participating school district (Fairfax, Fauquier, Arlington, Loudoun, or Prince William or the City of Falls Church) after Sept. 11, 2011 can apply.  Additional information regarding eligibility and residency requirements for applicants can be found at www.TJAdmissions.org. Applications are also available at the Thomas Jefferson Admissions Office, located at 8115 Gatehouse Road, Suite 2600, Falls Church. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Questions should be directed to the TJHSST Admissions…

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Which Middle School Sends the Most Students to TJHSST?

Twain Middle School is among the schools with the highest number of students accepted to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

Fairfax County's Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is tough to get into. Ranked second in the nation this week by U.S. News, the school attracted 3,243 applicants this year for the 480 slots in its freshman class. Mark Twain Middle School is among the schools in Fairfax County that send the most students to the highly-selective school. This year, 10 students from Twain will attend TJHSST, an increase over last year. Which Fairfax County middle school sends the most students to the prestigious high school? Carson Middle School in Herndon, accounting for 76 students of the 480 total that were accepted. Kilmer Middle School in Vienna saw the largest jump this year over last year in the number of students it sends: From …

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County Fights Teen Drinking in Prom Season

May is declared "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" month.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is urging parents not to give their teens alcohol — especially now that it’s high school prom and graduation season. In partnership with the Unified Prevention Coalition (UPC) of Fairfax County, the board has proclaimed May “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” month in the region. Together, they are making a concerted effort to educate parents and their teens about the effects and health risks of teen drinking. According to the 2010-11 Fairfax County Youth Survey, 20 percent of high school seniors reported binge drinking during the last two weeks and 36.5 percent of them had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days.  The survey also revealed that 20 percent of 10th graders consumed alcohol in the last 30 …

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Edison Junior Holds Walk to Fight 'The R Word'

Megan Chaplin hopes to educate students about calling things "retarded"

Last Saturday, Edison High School junior Megan Chaplin and around 70 other people walked in Franconia and Rose Hill to raise awareness about the misuse of what they call "The R Word" — casually calling things or people a "retard" or "retarded." The R-Word Walk was part of the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, which raises awareness about the negative effects of using "retard" as an insult. As part of the campaign, students are asked to take a pledge to stop using the word "retard."   Participants in the event walked on Franconia Road and Rose Hill Drive. Chaplin has been getting positive reactions from the walk.   "I've been hearing great things," she said. Drivers passing the demonstration stopped and asked for more information. …

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'Splendid Voices' at Edison Production of Oklahoma!

Student actors shine under theatrical moonlight

Students at Edison High School will be performing Oklahoma! on May 4 and 5 at 7 p.m., with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on May 5. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at edisondrama.com. Considering that before this play, I had never even heard of Oklahoma!, I am glad to say that the near-professional performances of the Thomas Edison High School students has taught me to love the play and cherish it as a classic of Theater. Oklahoma was originally written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and opened on Broadway in 1943. The play was a smashing success and went on to be revived on Broadway and West End six times. It was even adapted into a film in 1955 and is known as the First …

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Look Back, Look Ahead: Fairfax County News to Know

Horses stabbed in Herndon, Dyke Marsh preservation, Chick-fil-A fans and more were in the news this week across Fairfax County.

Here’s a look at some of the top Patch stories of the past week and a look at what’s coming up in the week ahead. Student Discipline Revisited Fairfax County Public Schools is revisiting its disciplinary policies. This may include peer mediation and restorative justice as methods of resolving disputes and addressing student behavior and expanding the section on bullying to include electronic communication. Crime Another person, allegedly a member of the Underground Gangster Crips, was charged for his involvement in orchestrating a high school prostitution ring. Fairfax County police released a mobile app called TipSubmit for residents to report crimes quickly and easily. Horses Attacked Someone attacked three horses that were part of the …

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James Cullum

3:36 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012

Thanks for the help, Rebecca!   more ›

Board Revisits Discipline Policy

Parental notification still absent from proposed changes, but could be introduced through amendments

Nearly a year after overhauling the student disciplinary system, the Fairfax County School Board is preparing to make several more adjustments to its Students Rights and Responsibilities handbook, among them, adding synthetic marijuana to the list of substances which result in a five-day suspension and mandating principals immediately notify police after alcohol, assault, firearm, bomb threat and certain drug violations. Among other significant modifications proposed, according to board documents, are the inclusion of peer mediation and restorative justice as methods of resolving disputes and addressing student behavior; expanding the section on bullying to include electronic communication; and allowing cell phone and use of other …

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The Sideline

Hayfield Hawks Baseball Contenders for National District Crown

Hawks look to grab second consecutive National District championship.

Hayfield Secondary School's baseball team ended last season the way it began—on fire. The Hawks started the year with a seven-game win streak, scoring 10 or more runs in four of the team’s first seven games. Hayfield cruised through its regular season schedule and won the school’s second-ever district title as the Hawks defeated Yorktown 17-16 in the National District championship. This season, Hayfield (8-5) currently sits at 7-2 in National District play and is determined to prove that last year’s success was hardly a fluke. “While we did win districts last season, we only had two guys returning that contributed and played on that team,” said first-year head coach Michael Shore, who has been with the program for four years, told Patch …

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