Nonpartisan group representing thousands of Fairfax County parents prioritizing children over politics in public education. Support us here: fairfaxparents.org
Fairfax County
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🚨Breaking🚨 @CDCDirector admits that lobbying groups changed recs in the recent CDC School Guidelines
From a Fri. press conf: CDC based its recs on what the science says AND input from teachers groups w "direct changes in the guidance made as a result." cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/…
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"There’s an apathy that pervades the entire classroom.”
As more schools adopt "equity grading," teachers & students have found that the changes demotivated high achievers, led to a lack of accountability, & did not prepare kids for the real world. wsj.com/articles/schools-are…
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Virginia Senate approves @GovernorVA's amendments to SB 739, requiring in-person school and parents' rights to opt out of mask mandates, with schools needing to comply by March 1. It heads to the House, where it is expected to pass tomorrow and be quickly signed by the Governor.
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A Fairfax County mom, frustrated with the lack of focus on education by the @fcpsnews school board, meticulously went through each of last year's meetings, calculated time spent on topics to find that academics were almost completely ignored.
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Video of the elementary school kids sitting in 24 degrees (that's Fahrenheit, below freezing) at @waynewoodes today. This is Virginia, where kids don't routinely wear down and wool. @Karen4Schools @FCPSSupt @fcpsnews
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Democratic Virginia State Senator calls on FCPS superintendent to end the unnecessary and harmful forced masking of children, noting it does not "save lives" and shouldn't be done for political reasons. @ChapPetersen to sponsor legislation to stop forced masking. @FCPSSupt
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This is a dangerous & overly broad attempt to criminalize political disagreement in a way that is antithetical to constitutional protections for free speech.
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SB Mtg 🧵
In a shocking moment, Abrar Omeish objects to calling for a moment of silence for the victims of Hamas terrorist attacks.
Ms. Omeish states we should not permit one side's narrative to predominate & states that the saying "No Justice, No Peace" applies to the conflict
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"This gave me the biggest smile of my week. Thank YOU Friend!"
🚨BREAKING🚨
New FOIA response reveals texts between the CDC Director & Randi Weingarten & Becky Pringle, showing close collaboration prior to the CDC's 2021 school reopening guidance.
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It's well below freezing in Fairfax County, yet young children are having story time on the cold concrete outside at @waynewoodes. This is the result of poor leadership and confusing guidance to teachers. Get these little ones inside! @FCPSSupt @fcpsnews @fairfaxhealth
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One new measure of @GlennYoungkin's 1st Executive Order that has not received much coverage: it ends the controversial & unpopular Virginia Mathematics Pathway Initiative, which sought to detrack MS & HS math classes.
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At a Fairfax townhall today, a standing ovation from parents, from across the political spectrum, for the bipartisan work done by @ChapPetersen to provide an option to unmask kids.
Sen. Petersen announced he expects an emergency clause to be added to the bill, to take effect 3/1
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Teacher Union Head: It's "good news" that COVID cases are high so that kids can't unmask.
In a recent FB post, the FEA Pres. celebrated Fairfax County's high COVID rates, which under FCPS's "roll back" plan would mean parents are denied any option to unmask their kids.
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Governor Youngkin returned Senate Bill 739 to the legislature, asking them to approve an emergency clause, making the bill effective March 1. The bill mandates in person learning and returns masking decisions to parents.
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Virginia Senate passes bipartisan bill requiring in-person education and taking mask decisions out of political bodies and back in the hands of parents. Vote 21-17. Now on to the House, where it is expected to pass quickly.
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🚨Breaking: School Board Member Retaliated Against Parent🚨
Using stolen screenshots, SB Member Melanie Meren emailed a parent's employer, retaliating against the parent for expressing disagreement with Meren's handling of school closures.
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Bill is signed! FCPA applauds Virginia for prioritizing children. Since spring 2020, parents have been advocating for in-person learning. Today that right is in the Virginia code, as well as the right for parents to chose whether to mask their children. Please see attached.
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🚨 Same day the governor signs SB 739, the FCPS school board calls an emergency closed meeting to talk about "legal matters" with their "legal counsel" to get "legal advice." 🙄 Three guesses what this is about! @JasonMiyaresVA
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Virginia schools ranked dead last in math recovery between 2019 & 2024, a new report says, leaving students nearly a full grade level behind where they were pre-pandemic.
The political decision to close schools & keep them closed had a devastating impact.
wusa9.com/article/news/educa…
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Masks for thee, not for me 😲
James Fedderman, the head of the VEA, testified against the bill to allow parents an option to unmask their kids, while taking advantage of HIS option not to mask.
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Teacher union wants to cancel activities at schools where there is a Covid outbreak (3 or more cases). That means no prom, end of year field trips, band concerts, or graduation. Kids have sacrificed enough. Unions do not prioritize the academic or emotional needs of kids.
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Too Little, Too Late.
Almost 2 years later, FCPS finally announces masking offramps, in a bid to stall allowing mask options until April.
Rapidly developing legislative developments will quickly make this belated plan moot.
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The FEA president, speaking before the board, just confirmed she opposes returning to school next fall 5-days a week. She said FCPS should stay in hybrid until kids are vaccinated. We note most experts expect this to happen in 2022 or not at all.
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AFT got the CDC to change the scientific guidance, particularly the scientific guidance about whether to peg reopening to community case numbers. That made it harder to reopen, particularly in places where they treat CDC guidance as gospel. And that's why you did it.
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One last unbelievable note from this press conf: @CDCDirector said that even after everyone is vaccinated, CDC still might not recommend school open normally 😯 According to her, even then, we might need "some combination of mitigation strategies."
So full-time school... never?
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🚨BREAKING 🚨
Democratic State Sen. & FCPS Dad @ChapPetersen has offered up a bipartisan amendment to SB 739 (an in-person education bill) to allow parents the option to unmask their kids.
The bill will be considered this week.
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Time to prioritize advanced math, not discard it. ft.com/content/ba0a3cde-719b…
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Heartbreaking speech at tonight's SB mtg from a mom of an FCPS student who committed suicide due to the isolation caused by FCPS's COVID measures & FCPS's failure to enable all of its students to feel proud of their achievements.
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Virginia PTA requests and receives the resignation of Michelle Leete due to her comments wishing the death of parents who disagree with her. Ms. Leete is still serving as the VP for @FairfaxNAACP .
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🚨Breaking: Activists Buried FCPS Survey Showing Overwhelming Opposition to Combined Sex-Ed Classes🚨
Activists on FCPS's Family Life Committee plan to recommend & push for a vote proposing combined gender sex-ed classes despite survey showing ~85% opposition to plan.
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Who else helped draft the recommendations? Donna Harris-Aikens, who came to DOE last month after 14 years as a Senior Policy Director at the NEA.
In addition, CDC sought input from other "stakeholders," i.e., lobbying groups, w no mention of meeting w any openschools parents.
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🚨Breaking🚨
Our FOIA request reveals close collaboration b/w the CDC & AFT, incl. implementing suggested "closure triggers" reservation language & previously unreported "feedback" by AFT to CDC staff on Feb. 1, the substance of which hasn't been documented in the email traffic
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Announcing the incorporation of the nonpartisan Fairfax County Parents Association, prioritizing children over politics in public education. Please visit our website to sign up for info or to volunteer! #FairfaxParents #PuttingChildrenFirstinFairfax FairfaxParents.org
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Update: the Omicron Surge is over in FFX county.
Those of you in favor of unmasking "when omicron is over," welcome to Team #UrgencyOfNormal.
Those of you on Team Forever Masking, please move on to your next excuse.
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"Virginia is no longer recommending quarantine for asymptomatic children, teachers and staff exposed to COVID-19 in schools, child care and day camp settings." In other words, healthy kids should continue to participate in society. Sad that is newsworthy. wric.com/news/virginia-news/…
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It's been 24 hours since SB 739 became law, yet @fcpsnews reamins silent. Nothing to staff or parents regarding the right for parents to opt out of mask mandates. And not like this was a surprise. Covid's been around for 2 years; the EO a month. $3.4 billion budget, yet silence.
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Big First Amendment victory for special ed moms @d_tisler & @CallieOettinger that blew the whistle on FCPS's wasteful legal spending!
Judge rules in their favor & permits them to put their FOIA'd information back on their website.
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Schoolwide data from VA Beach, the largest VA district to allow an unmasking option, shows that cases are cratering amongst students & staff.
Allowing parents an option to unmask their kids has led to no discernible increase in transmission.
There is NO reason to have any mask mandates in schools. Take a look at this data. Drastic drop in COVID cases when masks became optional in Virginia Beach Schools
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Gov. Youngkin, this young lady is not part of our group but when we saw her letter to you, we wanted to make sure you got a chance to read it bc she took time to write you.
Parents, teach your kids to advocate for themselves like this terrific student!
@GovernorVA
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Election Update: SB member @KarlFrisch has lost his bid for the Dem nom in the VA 35th Dist.
Weve heard from many of his constituents that they voted for his opponent due to anger at his support for closed schools & frustration at his lack of responsiveness to constituents.
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The Fairfax County Parents Association urges members of the community, including teachers’ union and political party officials, to support our children and the effort of FCPS to keep schools open.
Schools should be the very last institutions to close.
#KidsFirst
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If you are a teacher, parent, or community member who disagrees with the FEA's stance, we ask that you join us in advocating for the children who need in-person education.
You need not call yourself an openfcpser, but regardless please use your voice now to stand up for the kids
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One thing that astonishes us is how myopic this statement was. FCPS has lost 13,000 students from its rolls. Many more families are currently considering whether to go private next year (with applications due soon). A crucial consideration is whether next fall will be full time.
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🚨Breaking: FCPS Announces it Will Allow Parents to Opt Out of Mask Requirements🚨
In a confusingly worded statement, the SB just announced that parents will be able to opt their children out of the mask mandate on March 1, with more details to be provided tomorrow.
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Local mom frustrated with administrative costs of the school system put together this list of salaries using publicly available information. The comparison is stark: administration salaries are far higher than hard working teachers in classrooms with our students.
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"A Langley father..said VA Tech recently rejected his son’s application for early admission & the family was shocked to open the principal’s email..w the news that their son was a Commended Student."
Another FCPS school withheld commendation news. fairfaxtimes.com/articles/ar…
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Wow. This is the type of despicable political mudslinging that does a disservice to this community, this school system and its children.
The KKK is not "on our side." This is slander; we demand a public retraction & an apology or you will be hearing from our lawyers.
Video: Del. Marcus Simon, speaking at Support Our Schools rally, says "we know who is an ally of this movement...I'm not saying everybody who supports Open FCPS is a member of the KKK, but when the KKK is on your side, you need to rethink your priorities" bluevirginia.us/2021/06/thur…
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Fairfax parents are calling for an immediate investigation into the board member chairing the budget committee, Kyle McDaniel, who according to pleadings filed in Loudoun County, has admitted to embezzling significant sums from his now former employer, $120,000 and $190,000.
It is unconscionable to leave McDaniel in a position of trust over our children's education. FCPS must immediately audit any expenses McDaniel has claimed while serving on the board or in any position with the school system. Grateful to Fairfax resident @lukerosiak for making sure the community was aware of these serious charges.
@fcpsnews This is NOT the kind of example we should be setting for our children, that you can defraud your employer and walk away unscathed. McDaniel must be held accountable.
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In Virginia Beach, the largest VA county that followed the Executive Order on masks, average cases are down 39% in the last week.
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With 1 week to go before SB739 goes into effect, FCPS must issue clear instructions ASAP on how this law will be implemented.
Particularly important is that clear guidance be provided that prevents discrimination, harrassment, or unequal treatment of children.
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We often hear that kids don't mind masks. Some of our parents have different experiences that we hope decision makers will consider.
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🚨BREAKING🚨
Here we go again.
EIGHT @fcpsnews high schools have now admitted to withholding National Merit commendations from their students.
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🚨BREAKING🚨
New CDC guidance is out: Fairfax County is at a "low" level of community transmission, meaning indoor masks are not part of the recs & FCPS's mask offramp plan has been rendered obsolete (& shown to be based on outdated & arbitrary metrics). cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nco…
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Volunteer Parents Won't Back Down
We filed our own amicus brief supporting the rights of parents to choose whether their kids will be masked. Unlike FCPS's pricey but completely off-topic brief, our brief--drafted using volunteer parents--actually argued federal law issues.
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It's pretty straightforward.
We could have & should have opened schools last year. Not opening caused tremendous harm to kids w/o anything gained. None of this can seriously be disputed.
If you voted to close schools, you don't get to claim now that you did a good job.
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Regardless of whether the current budget forgives disenrollment losses from FCPS's funding, eventually these losses will cause serious harms to FCPS's funding. Ms. Adams' statement tonight has caused real harm; harm that will impact teachers salaries & job security.
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Looks like FCPS school board is going to have to get its act together on masks or get taken to the principal's office. The legislature is gearing up to step in.
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School closure advocates were wrong. Again.
Despite predictions by the usual suspects of an explosion of community spread if schools (& only schools) didn't close, Fairfax County weekly cases are down 16% during the 1st week schools were open.
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"The damage that's done, is done. That's toxic stress to the brain, the brain will not be going back to normal..those harms that came are irreversible."
Pres. of @VAPediatricians provides a damning indictment of FCPS's failure to reopen last year & its delay in implementing TTS.
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Parents have begged McKay for help with FCPS over the last two years. His response was to repeatedly say the Board of Supervisors had no control over FCPS. So parents went to the state for help. Now McKay is "disappointed" and wants local control. After doing nothing for years.
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Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mama Bears who love, protect, and advocate for their kids.
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We are not convinced that it's safe for kids to be kept out of school while we all wait for the AFT to "feel" like its safe for vaccinated teachers to return.
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Election Update: Former school board member Stella Pekarsky has lost her Congressional bid by double digits.
Pekarsky, who unapologetically supported some of the longest school closures in the nation, faced a wave of discontent parents voting against her bluevirginia.us/2025/06/va11…
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FCPS ends its vax requirement for athletes. Weekly testing will also not be required. fcps.edu/return-school/commu…
Some schools appear to not have been told about the new policy as @wspringspartans, for example, recently sent an email to parents with differing information.
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Now that the tide has turned in the battle to give children normal school, it's time to rededicate ourselves to ensuring that the education we fought so hard to provide kids with does not let them down.
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Time for some good news! Thanks to all the kids & parents tweeting & sending emails, the FCPS lawyers backed off & the kids will get to go to the indoor drumline championship afterall!
Good luck in Dayton, kids!
An update on this —
We have been working through some of the logistical and contractual issues that had originally put the travel on pause. However, we are confident that these issues are now resolved and that participation in the WGI competitions can go ahead this school year.
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We have gathered evidence showing that some SB members are collaborating with a group of dangerous individuals that are doxing, harassing, & cyberstalking openfcps parents as a means to stifle free speech by threatening our families & our livelihoods.
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FCPS is heading in the wrong direction: cost per pupil is up↗️ while SAT and SOL scores have fallen⬇️Teacher retention is down ↘️and enrollment is down↘️. Fairfax County needs to support school board members who will #ChangeDirection🔀We must reverse course for our kids future!
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🚨Breaking🚨 Yet another SB member announces she will not run for reelection.
During her tenure, Ms. Kaufax ignored the pleas of parents & consistently voted to keep schools closed. These SB decisions led to enormous learning loss, & added to the mental health strain on kids.
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Student success should be celebrated, not hidden.
@fcpsnews continues its downward spiral, all in the name of “equity” fairfaxtimes.com/parents-get…
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"Half of the time, I don't even get out of bed. Sometimes I even skip eating & drinking all day. Is this what 'health' is in middle school? And it's not only me."
Please read this FCPS 7th grader's powerful account of how school is going so far.
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"VA 4th graders had the largest decline in the nation in reading..policymakers didn't just take their foot off the gas, they put on the brakes on higher expectations for our schools & students & they lowered the bar for VA education."
@VA_Supt excoriates VA's lowering of the bar
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Bringing the data: We researched the 75 largest school districts in the country and found that:
80% are offering at least some in-person learning,
Only 14% have a hard 6 ft requirement,
Outside of the DMV, schools that are closed when their states allow them to open are rare.
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FCPS teachers break from their union & come out for opening schools, citing the harm to students from further delays & the extensive mitigation measures FCPS has put in place. @Ts4OpenSchools fox5dc.com/video/894412
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We've heard reliable reports that @FCPSSupt is working w pub. health leaders to develop offramp metrics for masks.
Does that mean the excuse that "we have to follow CDC recs" is contrived? Yes.
Does that mean FCPS will stop wasting instructional $ suing the governor? No.
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Blown away by how amazing the speakers were at tonights schoolboard meeting. Parents, teachers, kids all spoke from the ❤️. The head of the VA Association of Pediatrics spoke. A parent spoke in Spanish. A deployed parent spoke from Kuwait. Incredible. Video tomorrow (hopefully)
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As parents vote for who the next SB should be, we strongly encourage them to reject partisans who have enabled & encouraged the elevation of politics>kids & the harassment of parents.
Instead, look for leaders that will work with parents to bring academic excellence to all kids
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SB Mtg 🧵:
Budget Chair Kyle McDaniel, who is currently being sued for allegedly embezzling funds to use on strip clubs & vacations, logs in remotely.
Only in a broken system lacking accountability, like FCPS, would this be met with complete indifference wusa9.com/article/news/legal…
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For the last 20 months, parents that fought for schools to prioritize kids have been ignored, treated with contempt, & called names.
Tomorrow, they will call us by another name: swing voters.
Whoever you decide to vote for, please make your vote count.
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Teachers unions have a dance party while kids are shut out of the schools they rely on for meals, services & education.
The LA teachers strike provides an important counterpoint to those claiming collective bargaining benefits kids.
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Fairfax mom begs FCPS school board to "return to the ideals of equality of opportunity and rigorous academics and to put aside the desire to serve narrow special interest groups that do not exist for children."
fairfaxtimes.com/articles/op…
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🚨See FCPA's stmnt on the cover up of student awards, showing @fcpsnews "has lost its way, putting a commitment to academic excellence last on its priorities list and even working against academics and merit where it means hard-working students could achieve 'unequal outcomes.'"
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🚨Breaking: FCPS commits to Equal Outcomes over Academic Excellence🚨
At today's Strategic Planning Mtg, @FCPSSupt goes all in on providing "equal outcomes," an objective that will require lowering of standards, detracking, and penalizing high-achieving students for working hard
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When a school system spends more money managing the school system than it does on educating our children, the focus is no longer educating children. Everyone in administration qualified to teach needs to be in a classroom during this teacher shortage.
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"This approach is rooted in misunderstandings about how viruses spread & a refusal to acknowledge what we have learned...We have ample evidence that closing schools is not an effective way to contain the virus & is, in fact, harmful to children." washingtonpost.com/outlook/2…
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FCPS school board will vote this week to limit parents' ability to communicate with them. Parents will continue to ask the board to prioritize children over politics. Limiting speech rights is never a good idea.
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"Why can't we play basketball at recess? Are you worried that we we are going to lick the basketball?
My doctor talked to you guys & told you we could be 3-ft away, the CDC says 3-ft away, why are you obsessed w 6-ft?"
4th Grader asks FCPS to see reason
piped.video/JrlySMm0d4g
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🚨 ENDORSEMENT: As the election for school board approaches, FCPA will be endorsing additional candidates, regardless of party affiliation.
But one school board candidate stands out among the crowd: Saundra Davis. @DavisforEducation
Saundra has been a tireless advocate for students since the school doors first closed in 2020. She has not hesitated to speak to the school board or to the media when our children needed us the most. She has spent countless hours attending school board meetings and work sessions, talking to parents and helping parents advocate for their children.
She is dedicated to making sure all children receive the best public education possible, prioritizing academics, and most importantly, Saundra puts the needs of students above party politics.
The Fairfax County Parents Association is proud to give Saundra Davis our first school board endorsement. The students and families of Fairfax County will be well served by her commitment to doing the right thing in our public schools. You can learn more at davisforeducation.com/
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🚨BREAKING🚨
ANOTHER @fcpsnews high school has admitted to withholding National Merit commendations from students.
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CDC is considering a new benchmark for whether masks are needed, considering the level of severe disease & hospitalizations in a community.
It's a stark admission that the current benchmarks (that many continue to tout) are, in fact, completely arbitrary. nbcnews.com/health/health-ne…
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The FCPA wishes success for the new superintendent, but increasingly it's become clear that parents do not have the same definition of success as this school board, a body that no longer prioritizes providing the exceptional education our children need to succeed.
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We call on @fcpsnews to resume ALL pre-pandemic practices. Field trips, school dances, IN-PERSON kindergarten orientations should be the norm, not the exception.
Kids’ needs must be prioritized.
pbs.org/newshour/show/dr-fau…
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🚨A mom realized her child's school refused to put Honors or AP designations on transcripts going to colleges. She didn't take no for an answer, and kids all over Fairfax County are grateful to her. 👏Parents, do your part! Sign up on FairfaxCountyParents.org to get involved!
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Happy Smiles Day!!! Thank you to all the parents who fought to make this happen! #FCPSmiles
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children"-Nelson Mandela
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FCPS has announced, 19 hours early, that based on the anticipated <1 inch of snow, it will be all virtual tomorrow. And start on a delay. And a previously planned early release will still happen.
Not sure what to even say at this point.
❄️ FCPS Operating Status for Thursday, January 20, 2022:
Due to the weather forecast calling for snow in the early morning, all FCPS students will participate in virtual learning on Thursday, January 20, 2022.
See the full details: fcps.edu
ALT WEATHER ALERT
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