Posted on September 19, 2007

In This Section:

Bus Evacuation Drills Due by October 16

Emergency bus evacuation drills are required each semester of the school year. First semester drills must be completed by Tuesday, October 16. Please coordinate and report the completion date of your bus evacuation drill to your area transportation office or route supervisor no later than Thursday, October 18. Detailed instructions for bus evacuation drills are contained in the current version of Regulation 7105 and appear in the FCPS Pupil Transportation Manual.

Summer Fund Changes Due October 1

If you are enrolled in the summer fund program, make sure you see a balance in the Summer Fund Deduction box on the right side of your pay stub. Less-than-12-month employees paid monthly are enrolled by default; less-than-12-month employees paid biweekly are opted out by default. If you think you should be enrolled but do not see a deduction, or if you don’t think you should be enrolled but do see a deduction, please call the Office of Payroll Management at 571-423-3500.

If you elect to change your participation status in the Summer Fund program, your request must be received no later than close of business October 1. After this date you will be unable to change your selection until the following school year. Changes may be submitted by sending a completed Summer Fund Withholding Authorization Agreement form (FS73-13) to the Office of Payroll Management, suite 2200, Gatehouse Administration Center I.

You may obtain this form from your work location, the Office of Payroll Management, or the FCPS forms web site at:http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/kam/docmgmt/forms/fs7313.pdf

Additional Flat Tax Deductions

If you request an additional flat amount of tax to be withheld from your paycheck, be reminded that the additional amount will be deducted from all paychecks that are based on earnings. If you receive an additional check for working additional-hourly duties outside of your regular contracted position, the additional tax amount will also be deducted from your additional duties check. 

If you receive a separate check for tuition reimbursements, the additional tax amount will not be deducted because these reimbursements are not considered wages and are therefore not subject to tax withholding.

Have You Married Recently?

If you need to change your name with FCPS, submit a Name and Address Change form (FS73-01). You must have already contacted the Social Security Administration regarding the name change, and you must submit either a copy of the receipt from the Social Security Administration or a copy of your new Social Security card if available with the Name and Address Change form to ensure accurate credit of your earnings.

If you need to also change your tax status and/or exemptions, you must also submit new tax forms. Changes may be submitted by sending completed forms to the Office of Payroll Management, suite 2200, Gatehouse Administration Center I. You may obtain these forms from your work location, the Office of Payroll Management, or the FCPS web site at http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/forms/index.htm. At the web site, select “Active Employee Forms” and then either “Other Forms” for the Name and Address Change form or “Tax Forms” for all tax forms.

If you need to make changes to beneficiaries or other benefits coverage you may contact the HR Client Services Center (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) at 571-423-3000.

Have You Moved Recently?

If you have moved or are planning to move, be sure to submit a Name and Address Change form (FS73-01) as well as new tax forms if your resident state and/or Maryland county changes. FCPS currently deducts for Virginia, Maryland (state and county), West Virginia, and the District of Columbia taxes. Verify which taxes are being withheld for you by reviewing the Tax Deductions box on your pay stub.

Changes may be submitted by sending completed forms to the Office of Payroll Management, suite 2200, Gatehouse Administration Center I. You may obtain these forms from your work location, the Office of Payroll Management, or the FCPS forms web site at http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/forms/index.htm and selecting “Active Employee Forms” and then “Other Forms”.

If you are a Maryland resident and have Maryland state taxes but no Maryland county taxes withheld, be sure to submit a new MW507 form with your county indicated on the form. How can you tell if both Maryland state and county taxes are being deducted? Beside the word “State” it should indicate MD and beside the words “County/City” it should indicate the Maryland county being used for tax purposes.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Information Meeting to Be Held September 27

An information meeting about the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 27, in the Instruction and Professional Development (IPD) room at the Fairfax Education Association (FEA) office located at 3917 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030.

The NBPTS seeks to establish and maintain high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. A candidate for the NBPTS undergoes an assessment process that includes a portfolio of the teacher’s work and a half-day assessment center exercise.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification is available in the following fields for secondary teachers: English-language arts, math, science, social studies, career and technical studies, music, foreign language, physical education, and art. Generalist certificates, as well as art, music, and physical education certificates are available for elementary school teachers. Certificates are also available for teachers of students with exceptional needs (students birth to 18+), library media (students 3 to 18+), and for teachers of English as a new language (ages 3-18+), literacy: reading-language arts (ages 3-12), and school counseling (ages 3-18+).

Fairfax County Public Schools has 243 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certified teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The Virginia Department of Education and FCPS offer stipends, dependent on budget availability, to teachers who attain NBPTS certification.

If you plan to attend or need additional information about NBPTS, e-mail Patty Dimetres, NBPTS program manager, at patricia.dimetres@fcps.edu.

Applications Due September 28 for 2008-09 Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program

Overseas teacher exchange opportunities are available for the 2008-09 school year. FCPS participates in the school-year direct exchanges. Other short-term exchanges are not supported by the school system due to the impact on instructional programs. In addition to meeting the Fulbright eligibility requirements, applicants must have taught for three years in FCPS prior to the exchange year. Opportunities and other eligibility requirements vary by country.

Information and applications are available from the USIA Fulbright Teacher Exchange program at 1-800-726-0479 or by e-mail at fulbright@grad.usda.gov. The application is also available online by going to www.fulbrightexchanges.org. All applications must be approved by FCPS prior to submission.

All FCPS applications must be submitted to the Department of Professional Learning and Training, Dunn Loring Center. Applications must be received no later than Friday, September 28, to meet the Fulbright deadline. Applications will then be submitted by FCPS directly to Fulbright. For more information, call Judy Christian at 703-204-4065.

Nomination forms for the Nancy F. Sprague Outstanding First-Year Principal Award are also now available online. This award honors Nancy Sprague’s leadership in fostering the development of FCPS principals. A nominee must have begun his or her first year as principal on or after January 1, 2006. The deadline for submitting nominations for this award is also September 28.

Nomination forms for Principal of the Year, First-Year Principal, Teacher of the Year (due December 3, 2007), and Support Employee of the Year (due March 7, 2008) are available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/awards/index.htm.

Marymount University Professional Development School Information Sessions Scheduled for September 25 and October 2, 3

Are you an instructional assistant or a substitute teacher who wants to earn a graduate degree and a license to teach? If you hold a bachelor's degree and want to become a teacher, you can earn a master of education degree and licensure to teach in 12 to 17 months.

Marymount University’s Graduate School of Education and Graduate Admissions office is hosting information sessions for prospective teachers who want to learn about Marymount's unique professional development schools (PDS), a collaborative partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools.

Information sessions will be held:

• Tuesday, September 25, at 5:30 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. at Newington Forest Elementary, 8001 Newington Forest Ave., room 102, Springfield, VA 22153.
  
  
• Tuesday, October 2, at 5:30 and again at 7 p.m at Woodlawn Elementary (school library), 8505 Highland Lane, Alexandria, VA 22309.
  
  
• Wednesday, October 3, at 5:30 and again at 7 p.m at Hutchison Elementary (school library), 13209 Parcher Ave., Herndon, VA 20170.

At the session, you will learn about PDS, a full-time program that integrates a minds-on and hands-on internship in FCPS PDS schools with graduate education coursework, and about financial incentives that accompany this program. The next PDS internship program begins in fall 2008 with graduation in May 2009.

Programs include a way to earn these degrees and endorsements:

• M.Ed. in elementary education (preK-6) in 12 months, including licensure in general education (preK-6).
  
  
• M.Ed. in learning disabilities (K-grade 12) in 12-17 months, including licensure in learning disabilities (K-grade 12).
  
  
• M.Ed. in learning disabilities (K-grade 12) in 17 months, including licensure in learning disabilities (K-grade 12) with licensure endorsement in elementary education (preK-grade 6).

Note: Marymount graduate courses for all learning disabilities and learning disabilities-preK-6 interns begin in January 2008. Courses for preK-6 interns begin in August 2008. The full-time internship in schools for all programs (learning disabilities, learning disabilities-preK-6, and preK-6) begins in August 2008.

To RSVP, send an e-mail to Carolyn.Kazemi@fcps.edu. If you're interested in learning more but cannot attend an information session, call Debbie Jacobs, associate director of graduate admissions for M.Ed. programs, at 703-284-5905, or send an e-mail to debbie.jacobs@marymount.edu.