FairfaxCAPS Update —
A Call to Action for all Parents, Teachers and Taxpayers

FairfaxCAPS Endorses Sandy Evans for School Board


On March 2nd, Fairfax County voters in the Mason District will vote to fill a vacant seat on the FCPS School Board.  FairfaxCAPS endorses SANDY EVANS.  Sandy has spent fourteen years advocating for FCPS children.  She has the depth and breadth of knowledge and relationships that are critical to bring about greater transparency and accountability for the School Board and FCPS administration.

FairfaxCAPS representatives met with and interviewed both candidates for the School Board — Sandy Evans and Samantha Rucker — on priorities for FCPS, student achievement, and governance and management of FCPS.

The FairfaxCAPS leadership team believes that Sandy Evans will do the best job of representing all Mason District constituents on the School Board in consulting frequently with a wide range of parents, teachers and stakeholders.  If elected, we expect that Sandy Evans will focus on protecting class sizes and programs, getting kids and teachers out of trailers and asking tough questions about spending priorities for our schools.

All School Board seats are important in providing the best school system and education for our students.  Please give Sandy Evans your support by voting for her on March 2nd.  If you do not live in Mason District, but have friends who do, please ask them to support Sandy.  Additional information about Sandy Evans is available on her campaign web site at http://www.evans4sb.org/.

Please note that School Board elections are nominally non-partisan, and political party affiliation was not a factor in FairfaxCAPS’ endorsement.

Contact State Representatives to Support Updating the Local Composite Index — A Basic Issue of Fairness


Governor Robert McConnell recently announced that he will support updating the Local Composite Index (LCI), the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget.  The LCI has been used in Virginia for more than 40 years to allocate state and local responsibilities for funding education, and is updated every two years during the state budget cycle.  Updating the LCI will result in Fairfax County Public Schools receiving an additional $61 million in state funds.  In his proposed budget to the General Assembly, departing Governor Tim Kaine had proposed freezing the LCI, an unprecedented step in the state’s history of allocating education funds through the LCI.

In announcing his decision, Governor McDonnell stated, “For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia.  The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources.  For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth.  Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration.  The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.”

As Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Kathy L. Smith, Chairman of the Fairfax County School Board, wrote to Governor McDonnell:

Although supported by the Governor, the update to the LCI must still pass the General Assembly.  FairfaxCAPS urges all county residents to contact state representatives to express support for updating the LCI.   This includes your own representatives as well as other representatives that serve on the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee.  If e-mailing your representatives, you may wish to copy your county Supervisor and School Board representative, as well as info@fairfaxcaps.org.  A sample e-mail follows, as does contact information for Delegates and Senators that represent Fairfax County, and Delegates on the Appropriations Committee.

For additional information about the LCI issue, see the January 14, 2010 letter from Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Kathy L. Smith, Chairman of the Fairfax County School Board, to Governor McDonnell, available on the School Board’s public documents web site at http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/39c6389c088be51585256e56000c1bf2/e5ada582b76b466c872576010061a606/$FILE/L--LCI%20letter%20to%20Gov%20McDonnell%202-2-10.pdf.

SAMPLE E-MAIL CORRESPONDENCE:

Subject: Support Updating the LCI

Dear _____________,

I am writing to urge you to support updating the Local Composite Index in the state budget.  This is a basic issue of fairness.  This arbitrary, unprecedented change to freeze the LCI would be a breach of trust with the citizens of Virginia.

Signed,

(Include your full name, mailing address, and phone number)


CONTACT INFORMATION:

Governor Robert McDonnell
Phone - 804-786-2211
Web Form - http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TheAdministration/contactGovernor.cfm

VIRGINIA SENATORS REPRESENTING FAIRFAX COUNTY

District 30 - Patricia S. “Patsy” Ticer - district30@senate.virginia.gov
District 31 - Mary Margaret Whipple - district31@senate.virginia.gov
District 32 - Janet D. Howell - district32@senate.virginia.gov
District 33 - Mark R. Herring - district33@senate.virginia.gov
District 34 - J.C. “Chap” Peterson - district34@senate.virginia.gov
District 35 - Richard L. “Dick” Saslaw - district35@senate.virginia.gov
District 36 - Linda “Toddy” Puller - district36@senate.virginia.gov
District 37 - David W. Marsden - district37@senate.virginia.gov
District 39 - George L. Barker - district39@senate.virginia.gov

A listing of all Senators with phone numbers is available at http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate+for+WMembershipHome?OpenForm.

VIRGINIA DELEGATES REPRESENTING FAIRFAX COUNTY

District 34 - Barbara J. Comstock - DelBComstock@house.virginia.gov
District 35 - Mark L. Keam - DelMKeam@house.virginia.gov
District 36 - Kenneth R. Plum - DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov
District 37 - David L. Bulova - DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov
District 38 - Kaye Kory - DelKKory@house.virginia.gov
District 39 - Vivian E. Watts - DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov
District 40 - Timothy D. Hugo - DelTHugo@house.virginia.gov
District 41 - Vacant - contact now Senator David W. Marsden - district37@senate.virginia.gov
District 42 - David B. Albo - DelDAlbo@house.virginia.gov
District 43 - Mark D. Sickles - DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov
District 44 - Scott A. Surovell - DelSSurovell@house.virginia.gov
District 45 - David L. Englin - DelDEnglin@house.virginia.gov
District 46 - Charniele L. Herring - DelCHerring@house.virginia.gov
District 48 - Adam P. Ebbin - DelAEbbin@house.virginia.gov
District 53 - James M. Scott - DelJScott@house.virginia.gov
District 67 - James M. LeMunyon - DelJLemunyon@house.virginia.gov
District 86 - Thomas Davis Rust - DelTRust@house.virginia.gov

A listing of all Delegates with phone numbers is available at http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView.

VIRGINIA DELEGATES ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

Putney, Lacey E. - DelLPutney@house.virginia.gov
Morgan, Harvey B. - DelHMorgan@house.virginia.gov
Tata, Robert - DelRTata@house.virginia.gov
Ingram, Riley E. - DelRIngram@house.virginia.gov
May, Joe T. - DelJMay@house.virginia.gov
Sherwood, Beverly J. - DelBSherwood@house.virginia.gov
Cox, M. Kirkland - DelMCox@house.virginia.gov
Landes, R. Steven - DelRLandes@house.virginia.gov
Jones, S. Chris - DelSJones@house.virginia.gov
O'Bannon, John M., III - DelJOBannon@house.virginia.gov
Lingamfelter, L. Scott - DelLLingamfelter@house.virginia.gov
Poindexter, Charles D. - DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov
Massie, James P. (Jimmie), III - DelJMassie@house.virginia.gov
Abbitt, Watkins M., Jr. - DelWAbbitt@house.virginia.gov
Phillips, Clarence E. - DelCPhillips@house.virginia.gov
Scott, James M. - DelJScott@house.virginia.gov
Joannou, Johnny S. - DelJJoannou@house.virginia.gov
Brink, Robert H. - DelRBrink@house.virginia.gov
Ware, Onzlee - DelOWare@house.virginia.gov
Howell, Algie T., Jr. - DelAHowell@house.virginia.gov
BaCote, Mamye E. - DelMBaCote@house.virginia.gov
Dance, Rosalyn R. - DelRDance@house.virginia.gov

FAIRFAX COUNTY CONTACTS

Fairfax County Supervisor contact information is available at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/board/.

Fairfax County School Board contact information is available at http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/members.htm.

 

Our Kids.  Our Schools.  Our Voice.