Meeting Notes
Fairfax County School Board Community Leadership Council (CLC)
Gatehouse Administration Center I
April 25, 2008
MEETING OPENING
Linkage Committee Chairman and Meeting Facilitator Brad Center convened the meeting at 7:45 a.m. The following members were in attendance:
• Ann Rodriguez, Arts Council of Fairfax
• Michele Menapace, Fairfax County Council of PTAs
• Jeffrey Parnes, Fairfax County Federation of Civic Associations
• Dr. Robert G. Templin, Jr., Northern Virginia Community College
• Luis Lama, Northern Virginia Realtors Association
• Han Jin Do, Korean American Association of Washington
• Becky Parker, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
• Tania Hindert, Boys and Girls Club, Fairfax County Chapter
Also present were Board Members Brad Center , Lee District; Dan Storck, Chairman and Mount Vernon District; Phil Niedzielski-Eichner, Providence District; Tessie Wilson, Braddock District; Kathy Smith, Vice Chairman and Sully District; Ilryong Moon, Member at Large; Martina Hone, Member at Large; Kaye Kory, Mason District; and Stuart Gibson, Hunter Mill District; Division Superintendent Jack D. Dale; Deputy Executive Assistant and Deputy Clerk of the Board Linda Sabo; and Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Peter Noon.
DISCUSSION
Mr. Center welcomed everyone and said that the Superintendent would present a brief update on the FY 2009 Budget and Mr. Noonan would provide a presentation on the Minority Student Achievement Gap.
Following Mr. Noonan's presentation council members and Board Members gathered in two small groups to discuss how the community could help the school system close the minority student achievement gap.
Some of the feedback from the CLC members included:
• Increase support from the community for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for new entries to FCPS;
• Make free time more structured for kids on “wrong side” of achievement gap; provide scholarships where necessary; enable and make it happen, don't just give access and push them through the door [example: Bailey's Little League];
• Need for more outreach to get volunteers in the schools;
• Figure out how to deliver services to kids through school because family life is tough (two jobs, language, etc.)
• Educate parents, at a time convenient for them, so they have a sense of empowerment, ability to help their children and participate in their lives;
• Figure out how to draw in minority parents to mainstream organizations such as PTA and churches;
• Encourage local businesses to volunteer in schools;
• Parent liaisons are key;
• Figure out how to get “non-parents” who may still be willing to contribute and civic groups involved; goes to community school concept; Board of Supervisors could help with this outreach;
• Barriers: language, size of community, parents unable to participate because they are focused on earning a living; lack of home support; concern that schools might help identify immigration status; parents don't understand they can/should be involved; resource constraints;
• Income and education level of parents are primary factors that influences student performance;
• Identify promising community-based non-profits to support and supplement what is undertaken in classroom; mentorships/business partnerships; after-school programs targeted to low-income neighborhoods with direct and indirect focus on academic performance;
• Provide support to the non-profits to strengthen their contributions.
Next Step:
• Plan for a summit with current after-school program providers, business, and community groups. Please send your ideas of how the summit might look and be constructed [who might attend, where, when] to Linda.Sabo@fcps.edu for compilation.
Following the discussion on the Minority Student Achievement Gap, CLC members were asked to provide suggestions on the focus of future CLC meetings. Listed below are the suggestions:
• Further discussion on the summit for after-school programs;
• Give examples of schools reaching out to local communities – results, ways to improve, was it worthwhile, how implemented;
• Class size, ESOL programs, after-school programs;
• Continued discussion on ways to get community involved;
• Challenges SOLs present (real world learning versus academic learning) and impact on budgets (school budget, business bottom line);
• Fairfax County has become a very culturally diverse area, therefore we could be looking into reaching out to ethnic groups to embrace them and make them feel welcome and invite them to be active participants in all areas of their communities;
• Current events!
• Interested in moving today's agenda forward.
The meeting adjourned at 9:12 a.m.
Attachments: Minority Student Achievement Gap presentation
Performance Bands (referenced in gap presentation)