My Initial Thoughts on the School Budget and the School Budget "Debate"

I have received a lot of mail from residents throughout the County on both the proposed 6% increase in taxes and "fully funding" the school budget. I personally remember the spirited debates between my dad (when he was Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors) and the various Superintendents during his tenure. Our school system continued to be the best in the country even without FCPS receiving the requested "full funding". And even today our graduation rates and other outcomes have not changed. And, yes, we had trailers back then as well.

However, there are a number of big differences between the debates of yesterday and those we are having today, which I believe merit discussion:

• Our teachers used to have the highest salaries in the region. As the cost of our pension systems and benefits have grown, we have dropped in salary, despite remaining near the top in total compensation (salary plus benefits plus pensions). This has led to a very real problem; we are not able to attract the best and brightest new teachers that are critical to a top-tier school system. Younger teachers with large student loan debt are attracted to school systems with higher paying salaries and care little about pensions.

• In 2001, the school system (following the County's lead) added a second pension plan which now costs $76M per year and represents over 5% of total compensation. This significantly reduces the funding available for teacher salary increases. The second pension plan also encourages our experienced teachers to retire in their 50's and does little to attract the best and brightest of today's young millennial teachers.

• The debates of yesterday focused on the needs of the school system. They did so without systematically tearing down the reputation and status of our world class school system, as the current School Board's and School administration's #SAVEFCPS campaign is doing. #SAVEFCPS has made it more difficult to attract good teachers and businesses. New teachers do not want to begin their careers in a school system that is perceived to be failing. New businesses, that provide the commercial tax base to solve our fiscal problems, have no interest in moving to Fairfax County if they cannot offer their employees a top-tier school system for their families.

• FCPS's public relations staff and social media accounts are being used in attempts to boil complicated discussion down to misleading statements. For example, the statement, "we have cut the budget every year for the last nine years" is misleading because the budget has in fact grown 25% over 9 years from $2.1 to $2.6B and student population during the same period has grown only 13% over the same period.

• People are living and working longer but we have not adjusted our pension plans to adjust to that new reality like the private sector, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the federal government have done. Growing pension costs are the number one driver of cost growth in the FCPS budget.

• Today, our kindergarten classes are over 35% free and reduced lunch (the vast majority free) and over 35% English as a second language. The Federal Government has failed to provide additional funding to offset the costs associated with educating approximately 1,100 unaccompanied minors that entered the county in 2014, despite both the School Board and Board of Supervisors passing resolutions requesting assistance. The County needs to take a closer look at how we have contributed to this demographic shift.

Our school system has some serious issues to address and maintaining its status as one of the best school systems in the country is absolutely critical to the future success of the County. However, the solution is not as simple as throwing more taxpayer money at the problem. That approach will continue to chase our taxpaying citizens and businesses out of the county and hurt low income families and those on fixed incomes the most.

Instead, we needed ten months of honest, open discussions about our priorities, as we had in 2014, when the County funded over 99% of the School Board request. Unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors, on a 7-3 party line vote, chose not to work on budget issues over the summer and refused to reinstate the Board of Supervisors/School Board Joint Budget Development Committee last April despite the requests of several Board of Supervisors and School Board members. We need to start discussing issues openly again as soon as possible. Below are ideas I believe we can use to steer this dialogue.

School Budget Areas for Review and Discussion

Salary vs. Total Compensation - I have always said that in order to have the best school system in the country you need to attract and retain the best teachers. To do this, you need to be sure they are among the best paid in the region. You also need a properly balanced compensation system. Today our teachers' salaries are on the lower end of the region but among the top when it comes to total compensation. This is largely due to the second pension that only Fairfax County has.

Most companies' fringe benefits (retirement, medical insurance, holiday and leave, FICA, etc.) costs them about 25 to 30 cents for every dollar. For teachers, that cost is about 53 cents for every dollar and that excludes leave and holiday costs. The difference is largely pension cost and for Fairfax County it is also the cost of the second pension that was added in 2001. It is paid on top of the pension paid to other teachers in Virginia and unfortunately, it was added because the County had a similar benefit (something I will address in my next newsletter). The second pension is paid on top of the normal teacher pension and approximates a social security benefit, with a guaranteed 3% increase, that is paid from the time of the teacher's retirement until their social security benefit kicks in.

Our workforce is changing and pension costs, especially the second pension, do nothing to attract the best and brightest of today's millennial worker that is concerned far more about salary and the next few months to a year than retirement. Worse yet, the second pension encourages our experienced teachers to retire in their early 50s because if they do not retire they lose the benefit. Many retire and come back to the county as substitute teachers or consultants or go to work for neighboring school systems while collecting two pensions from Fairfax County. I will be asking the school system to provide more information on the number of retired teachers currently employees employed as substitutes or consultants.

If life were simple, we could increase teachers' salaries 15%, give them market benefits and save the taxpayers 5%, and be able to attract and keep the best and brightest teachers in the country. Unfortunately, life is not that simple.

We have made commitments to our current teachers that we cannot and should not break. As a result, the discussion of rebalancing the compensation mix to one that attracts and retains the best teachers will be a complicated one but it is critical to the future of the school system. It cannot be as simple as throwing more tax payer money at salary. It is critical we address this imbalance as soon as possible as the problem gets bigger every day we do not.

Get Our Teachers Back In the Classroom/Reduce Class Sizes

The growth of administrative positions (including school based administrative positions) has resulted in new additional "programs" and administrative requirements for teachers. Also, we now have a large number of employees classified as teachers, but only doing administrative work, not teaching in the classroom. If you take the total number of students in FCPS and divide it by the number of full time employees classified as teachers, you should get the FCPS average class size. Using that calculation, FCPS should have an average class size of 13, yet our average class size is actually twice that number. What are all these teachers doing? Administration. We need to get them back in the classroom and let them teach.

Act with Some Urgency in Addressing Fiscal Matters Like Facilities

Over the last year or two, several Supervisors, School Board members, a State Senator and I met on separate occasions with school leadership to discuss creative ways to fund school renovations and construction. One of the examples this group shared was the renovation of a high school in Winchester done very tastefully, funding the renovations by selling naming rights. The FCPS response: our policies do not allow it - we are looking at changes. How did they handle an issue like the transgender policy in 5 weeks and hire a consultant on a noncompetitive sole source basis to implement that policy and not address a fiscal opportunity like this one in over a year? This program alone could significantly reduce the cost of new school construction and renovation. We missed a great opportunity with the renovation of our premiere school Thomas Jefferson High School.

The school system also recently signed a new administrative office lease. School staff proclaimed that they were happy that the lease was the same cost as the existing lease. Unfortunately, we are not turning to best practices used in the private sector. Industry is cutting facility size and cost for administrative space by 30 to 50% by looking at new ideas like competitive lease rates, hoteling and more creative use of space. FCPS should do this as well. I have asked for square footage per employee information on the new and existing administrative space and other lease information, but have not received it yet.

Ask the Auditor to the School Board to Identify Areas of Savings/Efficiencies

The Board of Supervisors asked our Auditor several years ago to identify areas of savings and efficiencies. We were presented with a number of options to close the shortfall in our budget and we saved money. The Auditor to the School Board could be a valuable asset to the School Board in looking at the efficiency of programs but has yet to be asked.

Other Areas that May Merit Review

There are several areas that could reduce cost without impacting programs. They include:

Creative ways to reduce transportation cost: Far too often, full sized busses are used to transport a few students' great distances for a number of reasons. Busses are a major cost to the school system.

Reduce the number of personnel in the Schools PR department: I still have not received an adequate response on the cost of the #SAVEFCPS program (see the response I received here and you be the judge). If this type of program were conducted using public money by a federal, state or county department, it would not be tolerated and might even be considered illegal. The FCPS Office of Communications and Community Outreach budget is over $1M and can clearly be reduced.

Reduce travel costs: FCPS teachers and administrators regularly travel to programs across the United States, with many employees going to the same seminar. Please see the attached list of travel provided by a constituent. I have asked for an updated list from last year. A certain amount of travel is expected, but the attached list seems a little much in my opinion - you make the call. This is another area the Auditor to the School Board could review.

Prepare a list of programs not required by federal or state regulations: This list was requested by the Superintendent's Budget Task Force, but is not available. The Task Force only reviewed cost reduction options put in front of it by the school system. Many ideas, like outsourcing and reviewing benefits and pensions, were taken off the table. Like many members of the Superintendent's Budget Task Force, I believe a list would be good place to start viewing what we should and should not be doing. Clearly the best school system in the country should be doing much more than the basic requirements, but we should at least know what the minimum requirements are.

Pay cafeteria worker raises from the Nutritional Services Fund: The School Board recently voted to use operating fund dollars to pay higher salaries to school cafeteria workers, which ordinarily would be paid from the Food and Nutrition Services fund. This raise - worth about $1 million - can be covered by the reserves in the Food and Nutrition Services fund and should be moved by the School Board before other program cuts are even considered.
Look for Opportunities to Outsource Basic Services: In part, because of the high benefit cost, FCPS should look to outsource services that can be more cost effectively performed by the private sector.

How do we move forward?

I believe it starts with open, honest dialogue. I believe we had that in 2014 with the Joint Budget Development Committee which is why I asked for it to be continued over the last 10 months. It also starts with what we can agree on - the need to address the teachers' salary discrepancy, the need to reduce class size, and the fact we have a great school system that faces new challenges (ESOL/FRM), and that #SAVE FCPS is bad for the school system and the county.

Our discussion also needs to include respect for taxpayers' wallets. The School Board's refusal to reduce the budget request by $4.3M ($3. 3M in expected state funding increases that turned out to be closer to $13M and $1M that could be moved to the federally-funded nutritional fund) has reinforced its position as advocates for as much funding as they can get for the school system. This puts both Boards in a bad starting spot.

When we are around the table discussing the need to address the second pension, there is agreement among the Superintendent, the School Board, and the Board of Supervisors. That need is absent in the rhetoric, and there appears to be no urgency for discussion. We need to cut the rhetoric and begin having more open, honest discussions on the issues and the impact on our taxpayers. We need to continue to have discussion over the next year and not wait for the two months between when the budget is proposed and when the budget is approved to try to address them.

Conclusion

I look forward to hearing from you on these issues I have discussed above either by email or at my budget town hall on March 23 from 7:00 -9:00 PM at my office in West Springfield. I also encourage you to contact your School Board member and ask them to address the very important issues discussed above before they implement any of the "Washington Monument" cuts put on the table during the Budget Task Force meetings this summer. The Board of Supervisors cannot make these decisions - decisions to cut programs can only be made by the School Board. Please see the list of School Board members here.

In my next newsletter I will look at the county side of the budget where many of the same issues and cost drivers exist.

Pat Herrity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get Our Teachers Back In the Classroom/Reduce
> Class Sizes
>
> The growth of administrative positions (including
> school based administrative positions) has
> resulted in new additional "programs" and
> administrative requirements for teachers. Also, we
> now have a large number of employees classified as
> teachers, but only doing administrative work, not
> teaching in the classroom. If you take the total
> number of students in FCPS and divide it by the
> number of full time employees classified as
> teachers, you should get the FCPS average class
> size. Using that calculation, FCPS should have an
> average class size of 13, yet our average class
> size is actually twice that number. What are all
> these teachers doing? Administration. We need to
> get them back in the classroom and let them teach

The administrative positions is not as large as you people believe they only account for 4% of the entire budget, hardly a deal breaker. There is much else that could be cut with far more impact to the overall budget problem

I have a solution to everything that's very simple. Let's change the names of all schools named after white people and call them Anchor Baby #1, 2, ...and so on.
Making all restrooms gender neutral would help a lot too. We also need more Jihadis.

The problems appear to be the same as what many constituents have believed for a long time. A feeling of entitlement among all employees of the school system, an extreme resistance to change when those entitlements are threatened, a lack of urgency in addressing the financial problems, using stalling tactics to force the budgetary status quo and refusing to provide information for changes that do not suit the School Board's agenda are all common complaints that have existed for years. When you start peeling away the layers of the problems with the school system the reasons for the decline is much easier to understand.

FCPS wastes far too much money. That needs to stop. The Board of Supervisors needs to implement a ZERO tax increase and teach them a lesson. Taxpayers are tired of supporting travel, consultants, and fancy meals.

Herrity preaches to a choir of absolute imbeciles and fucktards. He's just another obnoxious, fat-headed demagogue trying to use fear and ignorance to play one group off against another. Pitiful.

Herrity is a right-wing asshole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Herrity preaches to a choir of absolute imbeciles
> and fucktards. He's just another obnoxious,
> fat-headed demagogue trying to use fear and
> ignorance to play one group off against another.
> Pitiful.

I am sick and tired of paying for the school board and Dr. Garza to go to Sea Pearl every week, for them to go to conferences in Nashville and for them to pay unqualified people with online degrees thousands of dollars a day while students have to attend classes in trailers and all the good teachers are leaving.

Perhaps consider cutting the pension and turning it into a 401(k) program like the private sector has done over the past 30 years. Pensions are what nearly brought down GM and put the squeeze on most all state governments. They are essentially an underfunded long term open ended liability in which the beneficiary has no skin in the game other than to continue electing officials who promise to prop up this sham.

that's fine, but… Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am sick and tired of paying for the school board
> and Dr. Garza to go to Sea Pearl every week, for
> them to go to conferences in Nashville and for
> them to pay unqualified people with online degrees
> thousands of dollars a day while students have to
> attend classes in trailers and all the good
> teachers are leaving.

Typical down-scale stupid-douche, the exact audience that lying ass-clowns like Herrity target, knowing that they just aren't smart enough to see through the bullshit. All you pay is your real estate taxes. Those don't change by ten cents no matter who does or does not go to Nashville or to Sea Pearl. Being a low-grade dumbfuck, you can't afford to do either one of those things yourself, so the demagogues try to make you jealous of those who can, and it's working due to your low levels of comprehension. Meanwhile, conferences. seminars, and other such gatherings are a part of professional development everywhere. You wouldn't know that since you are not a part of the class that is targeted for such things. But you pay for it in the price of every can of soup or loaf of bread that you buy. Too dumb to understand that either, I bet.

Herrity is a right-wing asshole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> that's fine, but… Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am sick and tired of paying for the school
> board
> > and Dr. Garza to go to Sea Pearl every week,
> for
> > them to go to conferences in Nashville and for
> > them to pay unqualified people with online
> degrees
> > thousands of dollars a day while students have
> to
> > attend classes in trailers and all the good
> > teachers are leaving.
>
> Typical down-scale stupid-douche, the exact
> audience that lying ass-clowns like Herrity
> target, knowing that they just aren't smart enough
> to see through the bullshit. All you pay is your
> real estate taxes. Those don't change by ten
> cents no matter who does or does not go to
> Nashville or to Sea Pearl. Being a low-grade
> dumbfuck, you can't afford to do either one of
> those things yourself, so the demagogues try to
> make you jealous of those who can, and it's
> working due to your low levels of comprehension.
> Meanwhile, conferences. seminars, and other such
> gatherings are a part of professional development
> everywhere. You wouldn't know that since you are
> not a part of the class that is targeted for such
> things. But you pay for it in the price of every
> can of soup or loaf of bread that you buy. Too
> dumb to understand that either, I bet.

You've got your nose so far up Karen Garza's ass you can see through her glasses.

Ever hear of living within your means, or doing due diligence? Some of these "consultants" are worse than used car salespeople.

OH like this guy?

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/article_5963f994-e542-51b6-aa3d-185fb4129bcc.html

Flip Flippen himself was this year’s convocation speaker for the district. His fee for an hourlong speech was $10,000. According to district records, that is the most paid to a convocation speaker in the past four years.

FCPS (MVHS) has hired Flippen. You could buy more than few meals at Sea Pearl with those fees.

You could probably also buy a lot of things benefitting the kids, but that would mean a step down for the privileged few on the school board and at Gatehouse.

Keep using that #SaveFCPS hashtag dummies! Soon all you'll have wanting to teach in your county are a bunch of dirty fence jumpers.

Herrity is a right-wing asshole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Herrity preaches to a choir of absolute imbeciles
> and fucktards. He's just another obnoxious,
> fat-headed demagogue trying to use fear and
> ignorance to play one group off against another.
> Pitiful.


As if you aren't?

lmao

As long as the school board and administration get their meals and travel, they do not care about the teachers. The whole thing is all about an easy job or political advancement (hello stupid Kathy Smith).

• Today, our kindergarten classes are over 35% free and reduced lunch (the vast majority free) and over 35% English as a second language. The Federal Government has failed to provide additional funding to offset the costs associated with educating approximately 1,100 unaccompanied minors that entered the county in 2014, despite both the School Board and Board of Supervisors passing resolutions requesting assistance. The County needs to take a closer look at how we have contributed to this demographic shift.

--10 families with children in a home is unsustainable for FCPS and the tax payer!

Deep! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pat Herrity Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Get Our Teachers Back In the Classroom/Reduce
> > Class Sizes
> >
> > The growth of administrative positions
> (including
> > school based administrative positions) has
> > resulted in new additional "programs" and
> > administrative requirements for teachers. Also,
> we
> > now have a large number of employees classified
> as
> > teachers, but only doing administrative work,
> not
> > teaching in the classroom. If you take the
> total
> > number of students in FCPS and divide it by the
> > number of full time employees classified as
> > teachers, you should get the FCPS average class
> > size. Using that calculation, FCPS should have
> an
> > average class size of 13, yet our average class
> > size is actually twice that number. What are
> all
> > these teachers doing? Administration. We need
> to
> > get them back in the classroom and let them
> teach
>
> The administrative positions is not as large as
> you people believe they only account for 4% of the
> entire budget, hardly a deal breaker. There is
> much else that could be cut with far more impact
> to the overall budget problem


BS. That's only looking at it in terms of numbers of positions and only for those classified purely as part of management and "leadership team." If you count all of the specialized and overhead positions beyond classroom teachers it's much higher and the costs are much greater. Not to mention the overhead, training, benefits, etc., associated with all of those positions.

But you're right that's not the primary cost driver. That's way too much 'special ed' and too many non-native and lower income/lower achieving kids who are flooding into the public schools.

that's fine, but… Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Herrity is a right-wing asshole Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Herrity preaches to a choir of absolute
> imbeciles
> > and fucktards. He's just another obnoxious,
> > fat-headed demagogue trying to use fear and
> > ignorance to play one group off against another.
>
> > Pitiful.
>
> I am sick and tired of paying for the school board
> and Dr. Garza to go to Sea Pearl every week....

You do realize it is comments such as yours that's fine which validate the ridiculous comments made by Herrity is a right.

There is a strong argument that can be made that the current way of operating isn't sustainable. Costs, especially in the school system, are rising faster than county revenues at current rates. Raising rates is a hard sell to taxpayers when even without rate increases taxes are rising faster than most taxpayers' income. It is certainly reasonable to argue that before we start raising tax rates further, resulting in taxpayers paying even more in taxes while still getting less in services than they did in prior years, we should explore alternatives.

Bitching about school administrators having off site meetings isn't the way to sell that arguement. Sure such spending looks bad, arrogant even, at a time when services are being cut and the school system is claiming to be poor. It is a monumentally stupid thing to be doing when those same administrators are trying to convice the BOS to squeeze taxpayers and other county services in order to get more money for the schools. It is the equivalent of the auto manufacturer executives travelling to Congress in private jets to appeal for bailout money. It is, however a PR problem, and solving it would not make a significant impact on the educational services the school system is providing. Roughly the same number of kids are going to be in trailers even if school administrators are having meetings in their office hallways and eating McDonalds Happy Meals they purchased with their own money.

While we're on the subject though, there are county high schools which have catering/hospitality programs. I would think one way to sell the quality of our schools would be to have these programs provide catering for school administrator meetings.

FCPS spends $80,000 a month on travel. That's almost a million dollars. Now that's real money. Toss in whatever they spend at Sea Pearl and it would make a difference.

Realistically, how much good does going to the National Association of School Boards do? What is the point of a retreat when they have a fancy building?

Bill N. is right, it does piss off taxpayers and the taxpayers have had it.

Serious questions for Pat Herrity (if this was actually him posting):

1. You and your colleagues in Fairfax Co. are so busy arguing amongst yourselves about the budget that you have not worked together to put serious pressure on Richmond to raise the LCI. This should have been done years ago. Is there some reason no one is willing to step up now?

2. If the county legitimately wanted to improve its standing as a desirable business location, the BOS would crack down on housing violations and enforce occupancy limits. Why has this not happened?

Some data from the FY17 Proposed Budget-

In FY09 avg spend per pupil in General Education was $11,262 - in FY17 $12,185
Adjusted for inflation that is a DECREASE of 5.4% in real terms.

In FY09 avg spend per pupil in Special Education was $21,012 - in FY17 $23,924
Adjusted for inflation that is NO decrease in real terms.

Since FY05, spending on Special Education increased on average 3% p.a vs. 2% p.a for General Education. FCPS spends 2Xas much on the avg SE student as GE student

From p. 132 of the FY17Budget
General Education enrollment is projected to increase 548 students but 156.6 positions will be CUT (136 teachers or instructional assistants "IA")

Special Education enrollment is projected to increase by 165 students and 78.9 positions (teachers and IA) will be ADDED.

See p. 158 for a review of the SOL "pass" rates for FCPS - for Grade 12 the pass rate dropped from 78% in '09-10 to 71% in '13-14.

We need a strong focus on achieving equity in spending on the 86% of our students classified as General Education and significant restraint on increasing spending on Special Education.

^^^ Do those numbers mean that the millions of dollars spent on "technology improvements" that were approved because of the tremendous cost savings promised were...

TOTAL LIES ???

Drop the pensions Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps consider cutting the pension and turning
> it into a 401(k) program like the private sector
> has done over the past 30 years. Pensions are what
> nearly brought down GM and put the squeeze on most
> all state governments. They are essentially an
> underfunded long term open ended liability in
> which the beneficiary has no skin in the game
> other than to continue electing officials who
> promise to prop up this sham.

That's horrible history. GM was crippled by the effects of decades of poor management decisions (that were slowly being reversed with a lot of union help) being suddenly amplified by the disastrous effects of the Great Bush Recession. Note that Ford (which had the same contracts and the same pensions) was in much better shape simply because they had the foresight to take out some $25 billion in standby lines of credit before the credit crisis hit. Pensions became a sticking point in GM's bankruptcy proceedings because greedy stock- and bond-holder groups set their attack dogs on retirees. Pensions were not an actual factor in bringing about the GM bankruptcy to begin with.

To correct another grievous error, employees and employers each share in the funding of defined-benefit pension systems, just as they do in the case of defined-contribution systems. Your "no skin" comment is an example of clueless stupidity. The major actual difference is that 100% of carrying-risk -- the risk that markets will move in ways that make funding to date inadequate -- has moved off of large interests with professional fund management teams and onto untrained individuals who have no funds management skills, interests, or capabilities at all. This is how the corporate-sponsored "Ownership Society" works. It is another example of how all you actually end up owning in this brave new world of theirs is MORE RISK. The hoodwinked and uber-dumb end up believing that this must be a good thing.

what an anomaly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>> You've got your nose so far up Karen Garza's ass you can see
> through her glasses. Ever hear of living within your means, or
> doing due diligence? Some of these "consultants" are worse than
> used car salespeople.

In other words, blah-blah-blah-blah-blah. Plainly, you had nothing intelligent to offer here.

Huckleberry Huckster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OH like this guy?

Yes, we all know that certain feeble-minded posters here have serious issues with Boosterthon, turf fields. and Flip Flippen. Go suck a donkey dick is the only sensible response to any of you.

Vienna is for Assholes... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> lmao

If it were, you'd be the mayor.

Herrity always tells it like it is.
Good, bad or ugly,

I do wish he would look more at wasteful spending on the county side.
He can start with killing that economic development office,
.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You do realize it is comments such as yours that's
> fine which validate the ridiculous comments made
> by Herrity is a right.

Your own often fare no better.

> There is a strong argument that can be made that
> the current way of operating isn't sustainable.

No, there isn't. This is one of the wealthiest counties in the country. The notion that we are somehow too poor to support a first-class public school system is simply stupid. Especially seeing as we will need exactly such a first-class school system if we want to compete to bring the high-paying jobs to the county in the future. You know, the ones that pad the tax base and allow rates for the rest of us to remain low?

> Costs, especially in the school system, are rising
> faster than county revenues at current rates.

Then the only choice is to increase revenues. Maybe a meals tax or something.

> Raising rates is a hard sell to taxpayers when
> even without rate increases taxes are rising
> faster than most taxpayers' income.

LOL! We live in a LOW TAX area, Bill, and while your income may be suffering, the bigger picture is quite a different one. Sales tax receipts in Fairfax County are for instance up by more than 7% year-over-year. Trying to plead poverty while all that is going on is a colossal sham.

> It is certainly reasonable to argue that before we start
> raising tax rates further...we should explore alternatives.

Translation: You find it easier to run away from problems than to stand up and address them. That's just heas-in-the-sand pathetic.

> Roughly the same number of kids are going to be in trailers even
> if school administrators are having meetings in their office
> hallways and eating McDonalds Happy Meals they purchased with
> their own money.

Is school construction more likely to be funded from tax receipts or proceeds from the sale of voter-approved bonds?

> While we're on the subject though, there are county high schools
> which have catering/hospitality programs. I would think one way
> to sell the quality of our schools would be to have these programs
> provide catering for school administrator meetings.

N.B. They already do. Contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services.

let's bitch about this Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FCPS spends $80,000 a month on travel. That's
> almost a million dollars. Now that's real money.

No, it isn't. You simply have no perspective larger than your own lowly household.

> Toss in whatever they spend at Sea Pearl and it
> would make a difference.

No, it wouldn't. Have you ever been to Sea Pearl, or is that simply above your pay-grade entirely?

Hello? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1. You and your colleagues in Fairfax Co. are so
> busy arguing amongst yourselves about the budget
> that you have not worked together to put serious
> pressure on Richmond to raise the LCI. This
> should have been done years ago. Is there some
> reason no one is willing to step up now?

The Local Composite Index is an attempt to gauge the ability of local school districts to fund themselves. There are only three components -- real property values (50%), AGI as reported on state income tax returns (40%), and taxable retail sales from state sales tax returns (10%). Obviously, FCPS will be shown to have far greater resources available than most other districts, but the formula fails to reflect any factor related to costs. The question here however is why would any of these actually poor and really poor down-state areas ever vote to give Fairfax any sort of break?

> 2. If the county legitimately wanted to improve its standing
> as a desirable business location, the BOS would crack down on
> housing violations and enforce occupancy limits. Why has this
> not happened?

There are recently-enacted occupancy limits, but how is this anything other than some bigot's thinly-veiled attempt to bash immigrants?

> Herrity is a right-wing asshole ()

>Herrity preaches to a choir of absolute imbeciles BLA BLA More Libtard baloney

Herrity is talking facts and Shithead tax and spend others money Liberals cant deal with that

Cut that school budget BOS ! And Yes cut the hell out of the FCPS PR office..

>bigot's thinly-veiled attempt to bash immigrants?

Piss on you and your Illegals. Race card throwing Hollow Head . Close the Border Tight as A Drum.

Vienna Guy Goes Off Again Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Herrity is talking facts and Shithead tax and
> spend others money Liberals cant deal with that
> Cut that school budget BOS ! And Yes cut the hell
> out of the FCPS PR office..

Don't miss that appointment with the therapist, girl! Good thing Obamacare picks up the tab for the penniless, eh.

Another Race Baiting Asshole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >bigot's thinly-veiled attempt to bash
> immigrants?
>
> Piss on you and your Illegals. Race card throwing
> Hollow Head . Close the Border Tight as A Drum.

Thanks for bringing the terminally stupid point of view to the table.

To all of you who think Sea Pearl meals for the school board, Flip Flippen, marching band, retreats and so on are such good ideas: send in some extra money to Gatehouse. Nothing stops you from doing so. Put your money where your big mouth is.

However, many of this think taxes are too high and at least some of the money is either being wasted (on Flippen's $10,000 fee) or used so Karen Garza gets a fancy meal 2-3 times a week at taxpayer expense. Sorry, they say they are broke, let them act like it. If you want to "de broke" them a little, go ahead, but keep me out of it.

>Thanks for bringing the terminally stupid point of view to the table.

Are the left wing traitors that are trying to take the Right of Free Speech as well as the 2nd Amendment from the American people, as well as tax the people to death to provide safe haven for illegals.

Go back to your deck of race cards and play your name game again.

Yankee Go Home ! Illegal Go Home! Shoes on the other foot. Too bad your too stupid to know. Illegals take care of your own home country!

get out your checkbook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To all of you who think Sea Pearl meals for the
> school board, Flip Flippen, marching band,
> retreats and so on are such good ideas: send in
> some extra money to Gatehouse. Nothing stops you
> from doing so. Put your money where your big mouth
> is.

Speaking for myself, I already pay way more in county taxes than you do. Therefore, my vote should count for way more, and I vote to brand you a raving stupid asshole who can only go out in public in the early morning hours of alternate Tuesdays.

Spot the dumbfucks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> get out your checkbook Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > To all of you who think Sea Pearl meals for the
> > school board, Flip Flippen, marching band,
> > retreats and so on are such good ideas: send in
> > some extra money to Gatehouse. Nothing stops
> you
> > from doing so. Put your money where your big
> mouth
> > is.
>
> Speaking for myself, I already pay way more in
> county taxes than you do. Therefore, my vote
> should count for way more, and I vote to brand you
> a raving stupid asshole who can only go out in
> public in the early morning hours of alternate
> Tuesdays.

You are an idiot. Your vote doesn't count for more because you pay more taxes. It is obvious you are an FCPS graduate, you probably collected the most Boosterthon pledges and played the Einuis flute concerto in marching band. Now, for whatever reason, you think that Karen Garza and Ryan McElveen are the smartest people in the world, and as such, need to live comfortable lives on tax dollars.

failed civics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are an idiot. Your vote doesn't count for more because
> you pay more taxes.

Yes, I know, But if you unschooled dullards and morons get to complain about things you have no involvement in as the result of paying peanuts in local taxes, why do not my relatively huge taxes make my views all the more important?

> It is obvious you are an FCPS graduate...

Only to a mindless dumbfuck. As it happens, I'm a proud carpet-bagger -- one of the strange visitors from another part of the country who came to Fairfax with powers and abilities far beyond those of normal hayseeds and dumbfucks.

> Now, for whatever reason, you think that Karen Garza and
> Ryan McElveen are the smartest people in the world...

I may be smarter than either one of them, but YOU most definitely are not even close.

> ...and as such, need to live comfortable lives on tax dollars.

LOL! Their positions entitle them to that. After all, the President rides around on Air Force One because he is the President, not because he is Barack Obama. Too much of a higher-level concept for you, dumbfuck? I wouldn't doubt it.

Spot the dumbfucks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> failed civics Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You are an idiot. Your vote doesn't count for
> more because
> > you pay more taxes.
>
> Yes, I know, But if you unschooled dullards and
> morons get to complain about things you have no
> involvement in as the result of paying peanuts in
> local taxes, why do not my relatively huge taxes
> make my views all the more important?
>
> > It is obvious you are an FCPS graduate...
>
> Only to a mindless dumbfuck. As it happens, I'm a
> proud carpet-bagger -- one of the strange visitors
> from another part of the country who came to
> Fairfax with powers and abilities far beyond those
> of normal hayseeds and dumbfucks.
>
> > Now, for whatever reason, you think that Karen
> Garza and
> > Ryan McElveen are the smartest people in the
> world...
>
> I may be smarter than either one of them, but YOU
> most definitely are not even close.
>
> > ...and as such, need to live comfortable lives
> on tax dollars.
>
> LOL! Their positions entitle them to that. After
> all, the President rides around on Air Force One
> because he is the President, not because he is
> Barack Obama. Too much of a higher-level concept
> for you, dumbfuck? I wouldn't doubt it.

Please explain-being a school superintendent means you get to eat out whenever you want? School systems can hire people at $10,000 an hour to give a speech?

You seem to understand the "E" word-entitlement-very well. Your lesson for the word is the "A" word-accountability. Excessive spending is not part of the social contract FCPS has with the taxpayers.

Herrity is a right-wing asshole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 1. You and your colleagues in Fairfax Co. are
> so
> > busy arguing amongst yourselves about the
> budget
> > that you have not worked together to put
> serious
> > pressure on Richmond to raise the LCI. This
> > should have been done years ago. Is there some
> > reason no one is willing to step up now?
>
> The Local Composite Index is an attempt to gauge
> the ability of local school districts to fund
> themselves. There are only three components --
> real property values (50%), AGI as reported on
> state income tax returns (40%), and taxable retail
> sales from state sales tax returns (10%).
> Obviously, FCPS will be shown to have far greater
> resources available than most other districts, but
> the formula fails to reflect any factor related to
> costs. The question here however is why would any
> of these actually poor and really poor down-state
> areas ever vote to give Fairfax any sort of break?
>
>
> > 2. If the county legitimately wanted to improve
> its standing
> > as a desirable business location, the BOS would
> crack down on
> > housing violations and enforce occupancy limits.
> Why has this
> > not happened?
>
> There are recently-enacted occupancy limits, but
> how is this anything other than some bigot's
> thinly-veiled attempt to bash immigrants?


Says the Asshole... who would be calling daily if a house full of immigrants with commercial vehicles parked on the street moved into the neighborhood.

lol

Someone here is seeing their gravy train coming to an end. Free music lessons, free sports, the opportunity be a little PTO/PTA god and spend money (to say nothing of those free Boosterthon trips to Atlanta), and maybe even the occasional workshop with FCPS admins, on the County credit card.

Now that FCPS has run out of money, it has to live within its means, and that has some people upset. It would be nice to see Karen Garza bring her own lunch to work, and that is something she can afford to do, as she gets a $2,000 a month housing allowance!

Herrity is a right-wing asshole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 1. You and your colleagues in Fairfax Co. are
> so
> > busy arguing amongst yourselves about the
> budget
> > that you have not worked together to put
> serious
> > pressure on Richmond to raise the LCI. This
> > should have been done years ago. Is there some
> > reason no one is willing to step up now?
>
> The Local Composite Index is an attempt to gauge
> the ability of local school districts to fund
> themselves. There are only three components --
> real property values (50%), AGI as reported on
> state income tax returns (40%), and taxable retail
> sales from state sales tax returns (10%).
> Obviously, FCPS will be shown to have far greater
> resources available than most other districts, but
> the formula fails to reflect any factor related to
> costs. The question here however is why would any
> of these actually poor and really poor down-state
> areas ever vote to give Fairfax any sort of break?
>
>
> > 2. If the county legitimately wanted to improve
> its standing
> > as a desirable business location, the BOS would
> crack down on
> > housing violations and enforce occupancy limits.
> Why has this
> > not happened?
>
> There are recently-enacted occupancy limits, but
> how is this anything other than some bigot's
> thinly-veiled attempt to bash immigrants?

I was looking for a response from Herrity himself, but to address your answers:
1. The lower-income parts of the Commonwealth benefit from Fairfax Co bringing in the big bucks and sending money downstate. If the schools in FCPS tank, this will not be an attractive business location and higher-income families will not move here. No one wants to pay $500+k for a house in a school system with crappy schools and overcrowded classrooms. It would be in the best interest of the rest of VA to increase the amount sent back to Fairfax so that we can improve the schools and attract the businesses and property owners who will increase the tax revenue. Are the areas down south prepared to accept less money from Fairfax Co. down the road if this does not happen?

2. If housing issues and zoning laws are not enforced, the neighborhoods and schools suffer. What was the point of enacting the occupancy limits if there's no plan to enforce them?

I very much agree with the last poster's comments. If Fairfax schools and its reputation for being a "quality place to live" suffers due to inadequate funding from both the state and local governments, it will become far less appealing for people to live. This will not only have an effect on local organizations such as the school system here but also the schools to the South. One of the key reasons people come here to live in the first place is for the quality of schools. While there may be some legitimate concerns about where tax dollars are going, people want to live somewhere where they know their kids will get a quality educational foundation first and foremost. They come here for the schools and the quality of life provided by those schools in large part. People don't settle here because of the Board of Supervisors plain and simple. The Board of Supervisors priorities are politics and not creating a better life for children and those people who teach the children here. Look around at different municipalities in Northern Virginia and you will not see the acrimony and nastiness towards institutions of learning. In fact, Fairfax right now has the lowest increase in planned school funding from a local source of all schools in Northern Virginia. This does not speak well for a county that calls itself World Class.

People come to Nova for high paying jobs with gubment and contractors and lobbyists. Not for the "wonderfull" FCPS school system. There are decent schools all over America.

aha, the "E" word Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please explain-being a school superintendent means you get to eat out
> whenever you want?

Everyone everywhere gets to eat out whenever they want. FCPS will pay for all or part of meal expenses under certain limited circumstances. Otherwise, you are on your own. It works the same way in the business world as well, except that abuse is far more widespread.

> School systems can hire people at $10,000 an hour to give a speech?

Yes. Does that come as a surprise to you?

> You seem to understand the "E" word-entitlement-very well.

Obviously, much better than you do.

> Your lesson for the word is the "A" word-accountability.
> Excessive spending is not part of the social contract FCPS
> has with the taxpayers.

Hahahaha! There is no such contract, fool. Taxpayers pay taxes. After that, they have no say in things. Administrators do.

Spot the dumbfucks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> aha, the "E" word Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Please explain-being a school superintendent
> means you get to eat out
> > whenever you want?
>
> Everyone everywhere gets to eat out whenever they
> want. FCPS will pay for all or part of meal
> expenses under certain limited circumstances.
> Otherwise, you are on your own. It works the same
> way in the business world as well, except that
> abuse is far more widespread.
>
> > School systems can hire people at $10,000 an
> hour to give a speech?
>
> Yes. Does that come as a surprise to you?
>
> > You seem to understand the "E"
> word-entitlement-very well.
>
> Obviously, much better than you do.
>
> > Your lesson for the word is the "A"
> word-accountability.
> > Excessive spending is not part of the social
> contract FCPS
> > has with the taxpayers.
>
> Hahahaha! There is no such contract, fool.
> Taxpayers pay taxes. After that, they have no say
> in things. Administrators do.


Go and read Rousseau-if you can.

^^A Farce ^^ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> People come to Nova for high paying jobs with
> gubment and contractors and lobbyists. Not for the
> "wonderfull" FCPS school system. There are decent
> schools all over America.


Then you haven't lived in some of the places I have.

There are many, many places in America where private or parochial school is the ONLY option for parents that care about their kids.

Deep! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pat Herrity Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Get Our Teachers Back In the Classroom/Reduce
> > Class Sizes
> >
> > The growth of administrative positions
> (including
> > school based administrative positions) has
> > resulted in new additional "programs" and
> > administrative requirements for teachers. Also,
> we
> > now have a large number of employees classified
> as
> > teachers, but only doing administrative work,
> not
> > teaching in the classroom. If you take the
> total
> > number of students in FCPS and divide it by the
> > number of full time employees classified as
> > teachers, you should get the FCPS average class
> > size. Using that calculation, FCPS should have
> an
> > average class size of 13, yet our average class
> > size is actually twice that number. What are
> all
> > these teachers doing? Administration. We need
> to
> > get them back in the classroom and let them
> teach
>
> The administrative positions is not as large as
> you people believe they only account for 4% of the
> entire budget, hardly a deal breaker. There is
> much else that could be cut with far more impact
> to the overall budget problem

Hmmmm. Not sure about this. FCPS has A LOT of people working at Fairfax Ridge and even in schools who call themselves teachers but never actually work with kids. They are classified teachers but are "CLT Facilitators" and "Testing Coordinators" and "STEM Teachers" and "Math Resource Teachers." A few of them work hard, but when you ask most of them to pull a small group on a regular basis you hear over and over again, "I train teachers! I don't work with kids!"

Had FCPS never started FLES a huge part of this budget problem would be totally gone. Why FCPS sees it necessary to teach Spanish to kids who already speak Spanish I do not know, but it's done every day.

re: 9989987987988 competents
Sounds like a wise idea coming from someone who would know. Now, if we can hear from a few other corners of the school system, we might be able to make some efficient cuts with little negative impact.

Overpaid Teaching Profession Hacks.

.>> Hmmmm. Not sure about this. FCPS has A LOT of people working at Fairfax Ridge and even in schools who call themselves teachers but never actually work with kids. They are classified teachers but are "CLT Facilitators" and "Testing Coordinators" and "STEM Teachers" and "Math Resource Teachers." A few of them work hard, but when you ask most of them to pull a small group on a regular basis you hear over and over again, "I train teachers! I don't work with kids!"

^^And that's a big piece of the pie where the moneys being wasted. Over the past 40 years I've watched FCPS perpetuate the Education Profession wasting more and more money with very limited results.

The first hacks that need to go are anyone related to the Vienna Guy..Or in FCPS P.R. Then keep cutting the rest of these hacks out.

When this country is dead broke, if Democrats keep the White House and the taxing and spending welfare game goes on, the border wide open, you will see these hacks go. Until then they will be leaching on the system. Any MF comes round my business wanting a job saying there a displaced teacher hack go to the end of the soup line.. worthless assholes.

yri Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ^^A Farce ^^ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > People come to Nova for high paying jobs with
> > gubment and contractors and lobbyists. Not for
> the
> > "wonderfull" FCPS school system. There are
> decent
> > schools all over America.
>
>
> Then you haven't lived in some of the places I
> have.
>
> There are many, many places in America where
> private or parochial school is the ONLY option for
> parents that care about their kids.


Apparently you don't realize that's the case here now. Nobody who can afford not to sends their kids to public schools around here other than maybe a few of the high schools. Even those without much money scrape together the thousands of dollars/year to send them to private or parochial schools. They're all doing booming business since Fairfax schools have been overrun.

failed civics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Spot the dumbfucks Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > get out your checkbook Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > To all of you who think Sea Pearl meals for
> the
> > > school board, Flip Flippen, marching band,
> > > retreats and so on are such good ideas: send
> in
> > > some extra money to Gatehouse. Nothing stops
> > you
> > > from doing so. Put your money where your big
> > mouth
> > > is.
> >
> > Speaking for myself, I already pay way more in
> > county taxes than you do. Therefore, my vote
> > should count for way more, and I vote to brand
> you
> > a raving stupid asshole who can only go out in
> > public in the early morning hours of alternate
> > Tuesdays.
>
> You are an idiot. Your vote doesn't count for more
> because you pay more taxes. It is obvious you are
> an FCPS graduate, you probably collected the most
> Boosterthon pledges and played the Einuis flute
> concerto in marching band. Now, for whatever
> reason, you think that Karen Garza and Ryan
> McElveen are the smartest people in the world, and
> as such, need to live comfortable lives on tax
> dollars.


One vote may not count more than another, however, one vote should equate to the same amount of pain when paying taxes. The primary point to be made here is that many of the "fully funded school budget" crowd pay no real estate taxes and a smaller of FFX residents not only pays no RE taxes but have kids that place an inordinate burden upon the schools because of the ESOL and educational support necessary for their kids to succeed in school. That is meant by skin in the game.

Quality the key Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I very much agree with the last poster's comments.
> If Fairfax schools and its reputation for being a
> "quality place to live" suffers due to inadequate
> funding from both the state and local governments,
> it will become far less appealing for people to
> live. This will not only have an effect on local
> organizations such as the school system here but
> also the schools to the South. One of the key
> reasons people come here to live in the first
> place is for the quality of schools. While there
> may be some legitimate concerns about where tax
> dollars are going, people want to live somewhere
> where they know their kids will get a quality
> educational foundation first and foremost. They
> come here for the schools and the quality of life
> provided by those schools in large part. People
> don't settle here because of the Board of
> Supervisors plain and simple. The Board of
> Supervisors priorities are politics and not
> creating a better life for children and those
> people who teach the children here. Look around at
> different municipalities in Northern Virginia and
> you will not see the acrimony and nastiness
> towards institutions of learning. In fact,
> Fairfax right now has the lowest increase in
> planned school funding from a local source of all
> schools in Northern Virginia. This does not speak
> well for a county that calls itself World Class.


Get out of your shell and look at your environment because Fairfax County is not the same place that it was 20 years ago. In 1995 you had to actually look for the areas of urban decay and neighborhoods that were not maintained. Now you have to search for the areas that are not shit holes. The same applies to the schools. They are ok but will not be anything special because of what we are working with. Statistically you are not going to have top quality schools with kids that show up in first grade needing ESOL, emotional and developmental assistance too.

Misinformation abounds in Pat Herrity's posts regarding ERFC the supplementary FCPS retirement plan, yet is is on target on other points.

"The second pension is paid on top of the normal teacher pension and approximates a social security benefit, with a guaranteed 3% increase, that is paid from the time of the teacher's retirement until their social security benefit kicks in.

Our workforce is changing and pension costs, especially the second pension, do nothing to attract the best and brightest of today's millennial worker that is concerned far more about salary and the next few months to a year than retirement. Worse yet, the second pension encourages our experienced teachers to retire in their early 50s because if they do not retire they lose the benefit. Many retire and come back to the county as substitute teachers or consultants or go to work for neighboring school systems while collecting two pensions from Fairfax County."


First of all the plan was reconfigured in 2001, not started in 2001. Second he implies that a majority of teachers would leave when they are in their early 50's and that is simply untrue. You have to reach your magic 80 which is years of service plus age, and so this would mean teachers begin at age 21 or 22 and most are older when first hired. Also there are a number of teachers who LOVE WHAT THEY DO and choose NOT to retire even if they lose $ - I am one of those! He also states teachers lose the benefit if they do not retire at the first opportunity. This is false. Yes - you lose the full benefit of having the plan supplement retirement until you reach social security age, but you never lose what you put in and you will have that pension when you choose to take it no matter what the age. Yes - some teachers do retire from FCPS, generally those who do not have a full 30 in with VRS and do go to work in neighboring districts, but it is not a given that those districts will hire older teachers that they have to pay more. Most in their early 50's need much more pay than can be earned being a substitute.

AND those who go to work in adjacent districts DO NOT COLLECT TWO PENSIONS from FCPS. The VRS can only be collected when they are completely retired from teaching or working for the state.

He is correct in pointing out that there are a number of administrators, BUT NOT TEACHERS, who are hired on a per diem to be interim principals and consultants at Gatehouse and that practice should stop. So Pat, have your staff look into ERFC. I agree that planning for retirement is not what young people think about but do think that they should. Given a choice now, if I were young and starting out, I would consider Loudoun, as living there is more affordable and FCPS is simply not what it was 30, 25, 20 or 15 years ago. FC is also not what it was years ago with its horrible traffic and overdevelopment.

Obviously the product of FCPS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Go and read Rousseau-if you can.

I could read it in French, you worthless ignorant assfuck, and there is no fucking "social contract" between you and FCPS. Your one and only role is to pay your no doubt minuscule taxes. That's it. That's the end of it for you. You have exactly no say or involvement at all in how the school system is actually run. We hire people who are much, much smarter than you (not at all hard to do) to handle that end of things.

And Thats the Problem Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When this country is dead broke, if Democrats keep
> the White House and the taxing and spending
> welfare game goes on, the border wide open, you
> will see these hacks go. Until then they will be
> leaching on the system. Any MF comes round my
> business wanting a job saying there a displaced
> teacher hack go to the end of the soup line..
> worthless assholes.

LOL! Don't know much about public debt and finance, do you. In the real world that you so rarely visit, the country is far from broke, Obama gave you the largest 2-year tax cut in history, tax burden is still at its lowest level since the 1950s, welfare programs are but a tiny piece of the budget pie, and the numbers of illegals and illegal border crossings have been declining, But how could a vapid stupid-shit be expected to know any of that?

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One vote may not count more than another, however,
> one vote should equate to the same amount of pain
> when paying taxes.

You're full of shit. It's "one man, one vote". There is no connection between taxes and the franchise anymore. Read something for once. You've missed a lot.

> The primary point to be made here is that many of the
> "fully funded school budget" crowd pay no real estate taxes...

What a fucking dumbass. Whether you rent or own, you pay the same real estate taxes as everyone else. Did you think that landlords pay those taxes out of pocket and let their tenants skate? What a dumbshit if you did!

> ...and a smaller of FFX residents not only pays no RE taxes
> but have kids that place an inordinate burden upon the schools
> because of the ESOL and educational support necessary for their
> kids to succeed in school. That is meant by skin in the game.

We teach English to everyone, fool, and many of the yahoo posts at FFXU suggest that we don't really do such a hot job of it either. Most "educational support" is meanwhile provided under IDEA and is not associated with language instruction at all. Bottom line is that every kid in the system has all the skin in the game that anyone needs. You, however, remain just another clueless, useless dumbfuck.

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get out of your shell and look at your environment
> because Fairfax County is not the same place that
> it was 20 years ago. In 1995 you had to actually
> look for the areas of urban decay and neighborhoods
> that were not maintained.

LOL! I've lived here since the 1960s, and what you just described fit pretty close to everywhere at that time. As you won't remember and have never been told, schools then were still struggling with problems of integration with rabid racists raising all the same sorts of complaints about all these Blacks as they do today about about all these Hispanics. Particularly in rural areas (i.e., most places at the time), area schools were substandard at best. And talk about free-range parents? These hicks and hayseeds used their kids as a forced-labor pool but didn't care a whit about them after that. They all grew up to be NASCAR fans, not rocket scientists.

Fortunately, migration brought waves of actually intelligent people to the area and slowly the backward dumbfucks were driven off. What a relief!

Fairfax County, Virginias largest jurisdiction . A outdated Board of Supervisors form of government.Best suited to a small rural county in Virginia. No Mayor , No one in charge. A County Exec that has to dance to the B O S music of the day.

Keep sending money to Richmond to spend, Gratis Suckers

And Who does not want this ? . Certain bureaucrats in agencies that could be streamlines and consolidated. Lots of middle and upper management that over laps. And the politicians themselves as they would lose some of their power and might lose their seats.

Cities keep lots of taxes for themselves hotel/motel taxes, restaurant taxes, many more.

And there's that Mayor that Police Chiefs and Fire Chiefs and all the other Chiefs report to.. That can hire and fire them. And the people can hire and fire the Mayor as well.

But all said the millions saved would be squandered by the FCPS anyway

>Hmmmm. Not sure about this. FCPS has A LOT of people working at Fairfax Ridge and even in schools who call themselves teachers but never actually work with kids. They are classified teachers but are "CLT Facilitators" and "Testing Coordinators" and "STEM Teachers" and "Math Resource Teachers." A few of them work hard, but when you ask most of them to pull a small group on a regular basis you hear over and over again, "I train teachers! I don't work with kids!"

^^^ And that's the Tip of the Iceburg of FCPS Waste.

Pop. Rank
Independent Cities
Population in 2010

Fairfax County Pop 1,100,000 A County with a B O S Form of Government Drop the O and you've got it straight.

Cities That "Got Smart" And Keep as Much Of Their Tax Moneys As They Can

1 Virginia Beach 447,021
2 Norfolk 245,782
3 Chesapeake 228,417
4 Richmond 210,309
5 Newport News 180,726
6 Alexandria 146,294
7 Hampton 136,836
8 Roanoke 97,469
9 Portsmouth 96,470
10 Suffolk 85,181
11 Lynchburg 77,113
12 Harrisonburg 50,981
13 Charlottesville 43,956
14 Danville 42,996
15 Manassas 40,605
16 Petersburg 31,973
17 Fredericksburg 27,307
18 Winchester 26,881
19 Salem 24,970
20 Staunton 23,921
21 Fairfax 23,461
22 Hopewell 22,348
23 Waynesboro 21,107
24 Bristol 17,835
25 Colonial Heights 17,479
26 Radford 16,685
27 Manassas Park 15,798
28 Williamsburg 15,167
29 Martinsville 13,733
30 Falls Church 13,229
31 Poquoson 12,097
32 Franklin 8,528
33 Lexington 6,998
34 Galax 6,908
35 Buena Vista 6,707
36 Covington 5,771
37 Emporia 5,740
38 Norton 4,068

">Hmmmm. Not sure about this. FCPS has A LOT of people working at Fairfax Ridge and even in schools who call themselves teachers but never actually work with kids. They are classified teachers but are "CLT Facilitators" and "Testing Coordinators" and "STEM Teachers" and "Math Resource Teachers." A few of them work hard, but when you ask most of them to pull a small group on a regular basis you hear over and over again, "I train teachers! I don't work with kids!"

^^^ And that's the Tip of the Iceburg of FCPS Waste."


+1 You forgot to mention instructional coaches, but yeah, there are an incredible number of these people.

Gotta love people who spell it "iceburg" and think that "overlaps" is two words. Definitely the cream of the crop that we've got posting here.

Is FCPS looking at a controversy like this?

http://www.stjosephpost.com/2014/05/07/superintendent-complains-of-witch-hunt-targeting-him-and-his-child/

Since it seems FCPS does what it wants, it is almost inevitable. We have seen pedophile teachers, we have seen wasteful consultants, what calamity is next? Will that be the one to force Garza to resign?

Hiring Flippen = BAD IDEA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Since it seems FCPS does what it wants, it is
> almost inevitable. We have seen pedophile
> teachers, we have seen wasteful consultants, what
> calamity is next? Will that be the one to force
> Garza to resign?

Go fuck yourself, peanut-brain! You're almost as fucking stupid as True the Vote.

http://www.ebmcdn.net/fcps/fcps_video_viewer.php?viewnode=40f6d13ceda44

FCPS hired Dr. Tara Brach. She has a doctorate in psychology from the Fielding Institute, which, while accredited, does not have a good reputation. Despite her degree, Brach is not a licensed psychologist.

Brach does, however, operate various FOR PROFIT enterprises. It looks like even though she did not become part of the FCPS contract gravy train, she was, at least, able to sell some books and CDs.

Interestingly, Brach offered some peer reviewed papers as evidence of the validity of her approach. Upon review, this turned out not to be the case.

FCPS does not want more money for the kids. It wants more money for people like Tara Brach.

TO KEEPING THE SAME OLD LOUSY BOS GOVERNMENT IN FXCO

>Gotta love people who spell it "iceburg" and think that "overlaps" is two words. Definitely the cream of the crop that we've got posting here

YA YA LIBERAL VAPID HOLLOWHEAD BLAME THE MESSENGER. Typical Liberal response.. Nothing as usual. .Cartoons Jokes Ha Ha..

KEEP SENDING YOUR TAXES TO RICHMOND ..STUPID ..KEEP TRYING TO JUSTIFY FCPS WASTE

Spot the dumbfucks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inquisitive One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Get out of your shell and look at your
> environment
> > because Fairfax County is not the same place
> that
> > it was 20 years ago. In 1995 you had to
> actually
> > look for the areas of urban decay and
> neighborhoods
> > that were not maintained.
>
> LOL! I've lived here since the 1960s, and what
> you just described fit pretty close to everywhere
> at that time. As you won't remember and have
> never been told, schools then were still
> struggling with problems of integration with rabid
> racists raising all the same sorts of complaints
> about all these Blacks as they do today about
> about all these Hispanics. Particularly in rural
> areas (i.e., most places at the time), area
> schools were substandard at best. And talk about
> free-range parents? These hicks and hayseeds used
> their kids as a forced-labor pool but didn't care
> a whit about them after that. They all grew up to
> be NASCAR fans, not rocket scientists.
>
> Fortunately, migration brought waves of actually
> intelligent people to the area and slowly the
> backward dumbfucks were driven off. What a
> relief!


More like waves of blowhard Assholes... like you.

Not defending some of the less than quality choices made personnel-wise by FCPS. However, those who are honest and decent and working hard don't deserve to get the short end of the stick salary-wise because of the pension situation. These are people who work very hard and are helping prepare the younger generation for the future. After all, do you punish the group(FCPS teachers) for the actions of a few less than desirable hires? I think not. Not fair on so many levels. If this trend of underfunding the schools continues, you will just see recent college graduates in the classrooms and quality veteran teachers will leave the profession and go elsewhere. Will create a sad state of affairs when it comes to education in this county.

Hmm.. so my comments half-flippant/half-serious...

Taxes are mandatory. However, they are also the minimum amount someone has to pay. If so many people are upset their taxes didn't go up more -- they are more than likely to donate money themselve. Go have a yard sale, bake sale, etc and donate the money!

Stop whining.. open your checkbook.

Drop the pensions Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perhaps consider cutting the pension and turning
> it into a 401(k) program like the private sector
> has done over the past 30 years. Pensions are what
> nearly brought down GM and put the squeeze on most
> all state governments. They are essentially an
> underfunded long term open ended liability in
> which the beneficiary has no skin in the game
> other than to continue electing officials who
> promise to prop up this sham.

That would require a change in state law. We've given the option of having our teachers be a part of the Virginia Retirement System, or we can set up our own pension plan. Under the law that allowed FCPS to create their pension plan back in 2001, the plan, to be legal, has to generate a pension benefit that's equivalent to what teachers would be getting if they were in VRS.

You can't guarantee benefit levels unless you've got a defined benefit (traditional pension) plan. A 401(K) is a defined contribution plan, and arguably wouldn't satisfy the requirements of the state law. That's not to say that other jurisdictions haven't tried it - Richmond has a defined contribution plan - but the lawyers for the County and FCPS don't consider a 401(k) to be a potential option given the current laws in effect.

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Quality the key Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----

>
> Get out of your shell and look at your environment
> because Fairfax County is not the same place that
> it was 20 years ago. In 1995 you had to actually
> look for the areas of urban decay and
> neighborhoods that were not maintained. Now you
> have to search for the areas that are not shit
> holes. The same applies to the schools. They are
> ok but will not be anything special because of
> what we are working with. Statistically you are
> not going to have top quality schools with kids
> that show up in first grade needing ESOL,
> emotional and developmental assistance too.

+1. Take a drive around Annandale. It's a complete shit hole. Or Springfield. Even the remaining nice areas are being affected as resources are sucked into the higher crime/high ESOL areas.

Hello? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Serious questions for Pat Herrity (if this was
> actually him posting):

It wasn't.

> 1. You and your colleagues in Fairfax Co. are so
> busy arguing amongst yourselves about the budget
> that you have not worked together to put serious
> pressure on Richmond to raise the LCI. This
> should have been done years ago. Is there some
> reason no one is willing to step up now?

This has been part of every Fairfax County legislative goals package as far back as I can remember. It's been something that everybody on both sides of the aisle in Northern Virginia has been fighting for. But when the rest of the Commonwealth balances their budgets with the checks that we write to Richmond, it's not that easy.

> 2. If the county legitimately wanted to improve
> its standing as a desirable business location, the
> BOS would crack down on housing violations and
> enforce occupancy limits. Why has this not
> happened?

Code Enforcement doesn't have the staff to be able to handle all of their current duties, let alone having them turn into the rental housing police. Housing violations aren't crimes, and the police don't prosecute them. As for occupancy limits, there are a lot of issues that go into them, why they exist, whether they are constitutional, and whether we want civilian Code Enforcement folks out doing the kinds of things they'd need to do in order to enforce these laws. It's a double edged sword, and it costs money - probably more than you'd recoup in removing those people to other housing.

If Code Enforcement is understaffed, it is because they have invited more work than they can handle that is outside their area of responsibility;

http://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2015/03/fairfax-government-what-can-we-do-for-you/

For example, Code Enforcement director, Jeff Blackford, invites county residents to contact Code Enforcement if they have a question about trash pickup.

TaxLessDonateMore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hmm.. so my comments
> half-flippant/half-serious...
>
> Taxes are mandatory. However, they are also the
> minimum amount someone has to pay. If so many
> people are upset their taxes didn't go up more --
> they are more than likely to donate money
> themselve. Go have a yard sale, bake sale, etc
> and donate the money!
>
> Stop whining.. open your checkbook.


Trust me, the ones that are whining are not the ones writing checks for taxes. In all probability they are not paying real estate taxes and have out-of-state tags so that they do not have to pay personal property taxes.

JDD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some data from the FY17 Proposed Budget-
>
> In FY09 avg spend per pupil in General Education
> was $11,262 - in FY17 $12,185
> Adjusted for inflation that is a DECREASE of 5.4%
> in real terms.
>
> In FY09 avg spend per pupil in Special Education
> was $21,012 - in FY17 $23,924
> Adjusted for inflation that is NO decrease in real
> terms.

Where are you sourcing your inflation numbers? $11,262 in 2009 is $12,447 in 2016 (start of FY2017), about a 2% decrease in real terms. SpecEd 2009 $21,012 is $23,223 in 2016, resulting in 3% increase in real terms.

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Trust me, the ones that are whining are not the
> ones writing checks for taxes.

If they rent or own here, they are paying RE taxes. Just in tiny amounts as compared to the rest of us. The less people pay in taxes, the more they whine about them. As for keeping out-of-state tags on a car when the law says you can't, you eventually get caught.

As a taxpayer, I object to the FCPS culture of entitlement. The emphasis is not on the kids, but on a fancy lifestyle for the board members and senior administrators.

If a company wants to treat its executives like this, that's fine, it comes out of profit, and eventually stockholders may complain. But this is TAX MONEY, supposedly being spent to educate the kids and build a better community.

I for one do not see how hiring someone to give a $10,000 speech, many meals at Sea Pearl, going to a conference in Nashville and giving Dr. Garza a $2,000 a month housing allowance benefits the community as a whole. I am surprised that they had to go all the way to Texas to get Garza, and it seems all she does is sit in meetings, go out to eat, and have so-called listening tours where she just ends up ignoring what the people say.

Since Richmond has kicked in some extra money for the schools, that's all the extra they get. The Board of Supervisors can just roll back taxes to where they were.

xGMX6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inquisitive One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Trust me, the ones that are whining are not the
> > ones writing checks for taxes.
>
> If they rent or own here, they are paying RE
> taxes. Just in tiny amounts as compared to the
> rest of us. The less people pay in taxes, the
> more they whine about them. As for keeping
> out-of-state tags on a car when the law says you
> can't, you eventually get caught.

Since they do not require the display of a county sticker on the windshield the only way that you will get caught is if you are pulled over by police. Personally, I have been pulled over by FFX County Police one time in about 30 years.

taxpayers object! Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a taxpayer, I object to the FCPS culture of
> entitlement. The emphasis is not on the kids, but
> on a fancy lifestyle for the board members and
> senior administrators.
>
> If a company wants to treat its executives like
> this, that's fine, it comes out of profit, and
> eventually stockholders may complain. But this is
> TAX MONEY, supposedly being spent to educate the
> kids and build a better community.
>
> I for one do not see how hiring someone to give a
> $10,000 speech, many meals at Sea Pearl, going to
> a conference in Nashville and giving Dr. Garza a
> $2,000 a month housing allowance benefits the
> community as a whole. I am surprised that they had
> to go all the way to Texas to get Garza, and it
> seems all she does is sit in meetings, go out to
> eat, and have so-called listening tours where she
> just ends up ignoring what the people say.
>
> Since Richmond has kicked in some extra money for
> the schools, that's all the extra they get. The
> Board of Supervisors can just roll back taxes to
> where they were.

Same old broken-record bullshit as always. Talk about being a retard! Being a County taxpayer is a legal requirement. It does not give you any sort of say or status in how any County operations at all are carried out. You are just another loud-mouth, man-in-the-street dumbfuck who does not know jackshit. It is the job of the government to IGNORE assholes like you.

Praise the Flip Wrote:
----------------------------------------------
>
> Same old broken-record bullshit as always. Talk
> about being a retard! Being a County taxpayer is
> a legal requirement. It does not give you any
> sort of say or status in how any County operations
> at all are carried out. You are just another
> loud-mouth, man-in-the-street dumbfuck who does
> not know jackshit. It is the job of the
> government to IGNORE assholes like you.

Look in a mirror bub. Anyone who justifies FCPS spending is corrupt as they are.

Inquisitive One Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Since they do not require the display of a county
> sticker on the windshield the only way that you
> will get caught is if you are pulled over by
> police. Personally, I have been pulled over by
> FFX County Police one time in about 30 years.

How does this relate to the payment of real estate taxes or to trying to keep out-of-state license plates on a car while you're living here?

Meanwhile, in an electronic age, physical tags or stickers to document local vehicle registration are an unneeded extra layer of expense with enforcement of the display requirement being little more than an extra layer of hassle for both law enforcement and citizens. Various local jurisdictions do still carry on with this antiquated practice, but Fairfax County got rid of it some years ago now.

Look in a mirror Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Look in a mirror bub. Anyone who justifies FCPS spending is
> corrupt as they are.

Go fuck yourself, you pathetic monotonous drone. You haven't actually got shit to say about anything here, yet you spout off no end over your puny little asswipe obsessions. Just go fuck yourself, okay?

Praise the Flip Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Look in a mirror Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Look in a mirror bub. Anyone who justifies FCPS
> spending is
> > corrupt as they are.
>
> Go fuck yourself, you pathetic monotonous drone.
> You haven't actually got shit to say about
> anything here, yet you spout off no end over your
> puny little asswipe obsessions. Just go fuck
> yourself, okay?

Dear Praise the Flip:

Flip Flippen is not cheap:

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/article_5963f994-e542-51b6-aa3d-185fb4129bcc.html

Why don't you write FCPS a check to cover his fees, that way taxpayers won't be ripped off.

While you are at it, write a check to cover meals at Sea Pearl, band trips, the Buck Institute, the school board raise, turf fields, and Karen Garza's housing subsidy?

xGMX6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Inquisitive One Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Since they do not require the display of a
> county
> > sticker on the windshield the only way that you
> > will get caught is if you are pulled over by
> > police. Personally, I have been pulled over by
> > FFX County Police one time in about 30 years.
>
> How does this relate to the payment of real estate
> taxes or to trying to keep out-of-state license
> plates on a car while you're living here?
>
> Meanwhile, in an electronic age, physical tags or
> stickers to document local vehicle registration
> are an unneeded extra layer of expense with
> enforcement of the display requirement being
> little more than an extra layer of hassle for both
> law enforcement and citizens. Various local
> jurisdictions do still carry on with this
> antiquated practice, but Fairfax County got rid of
> it some years ago now.

I was asking a realistic question, and I will try to ask the question without using the word moron. With a physical sticker there is a visible indication that the owner has paid the personal property taxes on that vehicle for the year? Otherwise, the only way is find out if the taxes are up to date is to key in the license plate number to find out if it has been paid which is not something that I believe is done very frequently.

I'm not big on Republicans, but Herrity does bring rationality to the debate.

FCPS mad a big strategic error thinking they could bully the BoS into wasting more money on them.

I'm surprised FCPS is not demanding enough money so that each family has a personal helicopter to pick the kids up and bring them home, as well as to take them to band trips and go door to door selling Boosterthon laps.

Maybe the fact that all those landings on the turf fields would wreck them has something to do with it? Maybe the helicopters could get pontoons and land on the olympic size swimming pools some people think each school should have?

Hi'b, im'b uuh'b a real'b smart speller. Some'b say'b im'b a real fart smeller.

Im'b a Furfax student a nd'b proud'b to be'b. All'b You'b grown ups had better'b pay for my free'b breakfast and lunch. I hongree.

Agreed. I wonder if it's because over 50% of the county's budget is for schools, creating this weird power/turf war between the 2 entities (county gov and school system).
I'm not in the know or connected - just a tax payer like anybody else. But man, something has got to give. Looks like Herrity is on his own, unfortunately.

The schools just think they serve the families with kids. They don't get that the only reason families without kids have anything to do with the schools is the supposed increase in property values. The instant that starts to slip, no more support.

And the schools are out of control anyway, I find myself wondering what percentage of Sea Pearl's revenue comes from all of the FCPS meals eaten in there?

>olympic size swimming pools some people think each school should have?

Yes the High Schools should have swimming pools for gym. Not the size of Lee Oak Mar or Wakefield but a 25 x 25 yard pool. Teaching all kids to swim they can. As well as after school teams ect. Yes they use the County rec centers in swim team season with the busing costs and the public not using the pools 3 hours a day.

This was put for a vote at a bond referendum about 20 years ago, it was defeated . But it may go today.. Lots of school systems in cold winter areas have pools in High Schools and there nowhere as wealthy as FCPS. With all the money FCPS gets it should be a easy deal. I mean "Nations Greatest School System"..At Least "Best Funded" ..Right??

If the vote came up again I would vote Yes.

Im Ok With This Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >olympic size swimming pools some people think
> each school should have?
>
> Yes the High Schools should have swimming pools
> for gym. Not the size of Lee Oak Mar or Wakefield
> but a 25 x 25 yard pool. Teaching all kids to swim
> they can. As well as after school teams ect. Yes
> they use the County rec centers in swim team
> season with the busing costs and the public not
> using the pools 3 hours a day.
>
> This was put for a vote at a bond referendum about
> 20 years ago, it was defeated . But it may go
> today.. Lots of school systems in cold winter
> areas have pools in High Schools and there nowhere
> as wealthy as FCPS. With all the money FCPS gets
> it should be a easy deal. I mean "Nations Greatest
> School System"..At Least "Best Funded" ..Right??
>
> If the vote came up again I would vote Yes.


Here's how it works. You want these pools, they cost x. That means one of two things, you either eliminate x from the existing budget or taxes go up. Karen Garza can't think of a SINGLE thing to eliminate. So, now, ask yourself, how much more in taxes are these pools worth to you? How does that number compare to the amount taxes would have to go up? Finally, how would you sell the increase to those who think the schools spend too much money as it is?

Were a Part of a Bond referendum, YesFXCO taxpayers pay the bond money, Yes there are maintenance costs. The real answer is why cant FCPS afford pools when so many other jurisdictions can? The answer is FCPS WASTE!

Fire Karen Garza! Get a realistic school budget in FXCO.

FCPS cares much more about going to Sea Pearl and Ted's Bulletin as well as attending school board conferences in New Orleans than it does about doing anything for the kids.

So if I understand the threads on this subject, everyone objects to decisions made at the top of FCPS and the people towards the bottom including the kids as well as the teachers don't mean squat. The reason this school system has done well for so long is the people in the classroom leading the instruction, not the people at the top. They, the teachers, are the ones who have had to put up with the BS both from the ignoramuses here as well as at the top of the "food chain." Year in and year out, Fairfax County ranks in the top ten in the entire country when it comes to average salaries in the six figures. So if you want excellence all the way around, you have to find ways to pay for it. Maybe cutting salaries at the top of FCPS may be the way to go. In a society that has gone awry when it comes to paying those people who "deserve it and have earned it", why not reward the classroom efforts for what they are? Everyone who posts here and elsewhere got somewhere through the efforts of some teacher and schools help make this place a desired location for families. Defunding and cutting salaries of teachers in the classroom will prove defeating for the purpose of attracting people to Fairfax County.

Teachers don't matter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So if I understand the threads on this subject,
> everyone objects to decisions made at the top of
> FCPS and the people towards the bottom including
> the kids as well as the teachers don't mean squat.
> The reason this school system has done well for
> so long is the people in the classroom leading the
> instruction, not the people at the top. They, the
> teachers, are the ones who have had to put up with
> the BS both from the ignoramuses here as well as
> at the top of the "food chain." Year in and year
> out, Fairfax County ranks in the top ten in the
> entire country when it comes to average salaries
> in the six figures. So if you want excellence all
> the way around, you have to find ways to pay for
> it. Maybe cutting salaries at the top of FCPS may
> be the way to go. In a society that has gone awry
> when it comes to paying those people who "deserve
> it and have earned it", why not reward the
> classroom efforts for what they are? Everyone who
> posts here and elsewhere got somewhere through the
> efforts of some teacher and schools help make this
> place a desired location for families. Defunding
> and cutting salaries of teachers in the classroom
> will prove defeating for the purpose of attracting
> people to Fairfax County.

You were doing pretty good up to the last sentence. There has been no defunding and certainly no cutting of salaries of the teachers. There may have been a lack of cost of living increases but everybody has experienced that problem. The thread began with a need to examine the structural problems within the school system such as the retirement system and the funding of other things that the School Board seems to believe is important.

Failure to protect the schools is failure to protect the future of everyone in the County. What do you retards think makes this place go anyway?

Sorry-ass dumbshits Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Failure to protect the schools is failure to
> protect the future of everyone in the County.
> What do you retards think makes this place go
> anyway?

Very few people would actually claim that education is unimportant. What people are complaining about is wasteful spending. There is no reason why, for example, Dr. Garza needs to have taxpayer funded breakfasts with school board members several times a year. There is, for example, no reason, why training cannot be done by local providers (it would appear FCPS does not even bother to look locally). There is also no reason why FCPS should be paying consultants hourly rates exceeding those of Wall Street lawyers. And, significantly, NONE of these things have direct impacts on the education of the children.

Is someone from FCPS posting all the spam to hide the discussion of FCPS wasteful spending?

Fire their ass.

People are sick and tired of the FCPS Shills that want more and more tax money.

Sorry-ass dumbshits Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Failure to protect the schools is failure to protect the future
> of everyone in the County. What do you retards think makes this
> place go anyway?

The tax-haters have no idea. They just want to cut taxes. They don't care if the place goes to hell in a hand-basket. Penny foolish and pound foolish, all at the same time. Bunch of patently ignorant asstards.

The issue is cutting spending. It is well documented that the schools waste money on a grand scale. They hire consultants at rates higher than Wall Street lawyers, and these consultants produce few if any results. They ship people off to the Buck Insitute in California and have nothing to show for it. They have too many do nothing administrators collecting lavish salaries. The administrators and school board live like investment bankers, going to fancy restaurants and staying in lavish hotels at taxpayer expense.

If all of that-and of course more-were to go away, it might, just might, be the time to look at tax increases.