Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC)
Community Advisory Committee
Contact Us
Liaisons
School Board Liaison
Dr. Ricardy Anderson
Staff Liaison
Karin Williams, Director, Operations and Strategic Planning, Department of Instructional Services
Committee Purpose
The committee represents the community and brings to the School Board’s attention to resource and programmatic issues associated with adult education.
2024-25 Committee Charge
Explore how to create greater integration between ACE programs the K-12 system, and the broader Fairfax community, focusing on Career and Technical Education (CTE), to create a greater pipeline of students into ACE.
Public Comments
To make comments at the beginning of a meeting, contact the staff liaison, Karin Williams, least 3 business days before the meeting date.
Meeting Dates
ACE Advisory Committee meetings will be at Plum Center for Lifelong Learning in room 112 from 7 - 9 p.m.; unless otherwise noted.
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Staff Liaison Comments (1st meeting chairperson) | Karin Williams |
Review and Approval of previous meeting minutes | All |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Brief review of committee by-laws, charge, and report structure | Karin Williams |
Staff Review of programs (overview) | Paul Steiner |
Committee officer nominations | All |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | All |
Meeting Minutes
This initial welcome meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC) was facilitated by the staff liaison, Karin Williams. The purpose of the meeting was to orient the committee on their roles, responsibilities, and give a brief overview of the programs. The meeting started at 7:00 pm. The meeting was held in room 112 of 6805 Edsall Road, Springfield, VA. 22151, with an option to attend via Zoom.
1. Review and Approval of the Minutes:
- No previous minutes to be approved.
2. School Board Introductions:
Joanna Beituni, Braddock
Susan Beeman, At-Large (McDaniel)
Helen Cole, Hunter Mill
Sebastian Pawlowski, Providence
Peyton Smith, Mt. Vernon
Darcy Kim, Springfield
Javier Caballero, At-Large (McEvleen)
Brian Thoreson, At-Large (Moon) Dr. Ricardy Anderson-School Board Liaison
3. Visitor/Public Speakers:
A group of Adult ESOL instructors attended the meeting. The group was not on the agenda but Karin Williams, committee staff liaison, did give them 5 minutes to address the committee. (note: future public speakers will need to be recognized on the agenda and be given 3 minutes to give testimony)
The group was represented by Charles Ronco, Mathematics Teacher, Falls Church High School. On behalf of the group of ACE ESOL instructors, Mr. Ronco explained the Adult ESOL instructors are seeking contracts, guaranteed hours, sick leave, and benefits. Some of the instructors have worked for many years without any formal contract. (Note: Mr. Ronco was contacted via email to provide a written summary of his comments.) Written Summary
4. Discussion of Community Advisory Committee Welcome:
Karin Williams: Presented a slideshow, which will be attached for reference. She directed the committee’s attention to the bylaws included in the Welcome Packet. Staff attend the meetings to support the committee’s work but are not members of the committee.
Requested volunteers for the nominating committee and acknowledged Susan Beeman and Peyton Smith as the selected members.
Explained the funding sources for the three main programs supported by the ACEAC committee.
Fairfax Adult High School and High School Equivalency (HSE) programs are funded by the operating fund.
Adult Community Education funded by tuition and some operating transfer.
Adult ESOL is funded by tuition, operating fund transfer, and grants.
5. School Board Liaison update:
a. Dr. Ricardy Anderson: Addressed the committee, making general statements about the importance of the committee work. She plans to attend meetings to be a resource to the committee and encourages the committee members to keep their school board members engaged and informed.
b. Brian Thoreson: summarized the citizen testimony from the Adult ESOL teacher group for Dr. Anderson’s comment.
i. Dr. Ricardy Anderson: Believes one of the collective bargaining units may cover instructors; she plans to get feedback from the labor relations administrator. She advised the staff liaison to have the guests reach out to the labor relations administrator to ask their questions for collective bargaining. The committee will have to decide if they want instructor contracts to be a future agenda item.
6. Committee Members discussion and questions:
a. Peyton Smith: Inquired about the possibility of applying for federal grants again and exploring private or public partnerships. He also noted the absence of the staff response from last year’s report. Would like an ESOL cost breakdown and information on each program.
b. Sebastian Pawlowski: Expressed concern that the committee’s recommendations often go unaddressed. Seems like a trend. Requested a breakdown of cost, revenue, marketing data, and enrollment information for programs. He also suggested exploring both private/public and public/public partnerships to support the programs.
c. Helen Cole: Proposed that the report be done every two years, as the current process takes up a significant amount of the committee’s time, potentially limiting their capacity for additional work.
i. Dr. Ricardy Anderson: Cautioned against a two-year reporting cycle because the committee members are appointed for one-year terms.
d. Susan Beeman: requested the percentage of classes that are hybrid.
i.Paul Steiner: responded that he would provide this information after the apprenticeship classes are set.
e. Brian Thoreson: Asked about the origin of the committee’s charge and what drives it.
i. Karin Williams: Explained that the previous committee drafted the charge, which was approved by the school board. The committee can update the charge with Dr. Anderson’s support. The initial thought was to support students in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes who may wish to continue their education with ACE programming.
7. Closing Remarks:
The committee unanimously agreed on the time, date, and location for the ACEAC committee.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.
Committee Members in Attendance | Committee Members Absent | Staff and Guest in Attendance |
---|---|---|
Joanna Beituni, Braddock Susan Beeman, At-Large (McDaniel) Helen Cole, Hunter Mill Sebastian Pawlowski, Providence Darcy Kim, Springfield Peyton Smith, Mt. Vernon Javier Caballero, At-Large (McElveen) Brian Thoreson, At-Large (Moon) Dr. Ricardy Anderson | Holly Hazard, Mason Fanny Salazar-Laske,Dranesville Vacant, Sully Vacant, Franconia Vacant, Student Rep Vacant, Student Rep | Paul Steiner, ACE Administrator Karin Williams, Operations & Strategic Planning, Director MaryAnn Cunningham Florez, ACE ESOL, Senior Manager Michelle Morgan, Adult HS Administrator Kristi Broady, Staff Assistant |
Agenda Item | Person(s) Responsible |
Roll call and agenda review | All |
Staff Liaison Comments (2nd meeting chairperson) | Karin Williams |
Main Topic – Committee officer nominations
| Nomination Committee - Susan Beeman, Peyton Smith, Karin Williams |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
By-Law Language Addition proposal:
| Chair, or Karin Williams |
Presentation: ACE Marketing overview | Jim Kenny, RMR |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | Chair, or Karin Williams |
Meeting Minutes
The meeting started at 7:00 pm. The meeting was held in room 112 of Plum Center 6805 Edsall Road, Springfield, VA. 22151, with an option to attend virtually via Zoom.
- Review and Approval of the Minutes:
- Minutes were emailed to the committee for review; no approval was needed.
- Visitor/Public Speakers:
- A group of Adult ESOL instructors attended the meeting. Although they were not on the agenda Karin Williams, committee staff liaison, allowed them 3 minutes to address the committee.
- The group was represented by Charles Ronco, Mathematics Teacher, Falls Church High School.
- On behalf of the group of ACE ESOL instructors, Mr. Ronco explained the Adult ESOL instructors are seeking contracts, guaranteed hours, sick leave, and benefits. Some of the instructors have worked for years without any formal contract. They emphasized the need for allies in their campaign for fair treatment of instructors.
3. Main Topic- Committee Officer Nominations:
- Susan Beeman, Peyton Smith, and Karin Williams from the nominations committee led the discussion and distributed ballots for voting, including a write-in option for candidates. The Votes were counted, and the following officers were elected:
- Volunteers were requested for the by-law committee to add language to allow for citizen input during committee meetings.
Chair: Holly Hazard
Vice-Chair: Brian Thoreson
Secretary: Susan Beeman
4. Discussion of Community Participations By-Laws committee:
- Holly Hazard and Peyton Smith will work on drafting the new bylaws.
5. Presentation: ACE Marketing overview:
- Jim Kenny, RMR: Presented a slideshow, which will be attached for reference.
- He discussed the marketing strategies and challenges faced by ACE Community programs, emphasizing the importance of understanding their student populations, the need for advocacy, and the potential for growth in their apprenticeship programs. Mr. Kenny discussed the notion of a “new collar” worker as an evolving addition to the white-collar, blue-collar worker model.
- The presentation also addressed the limitations of their current registration system and the need for a re-energized marketing committee to explore new strategies and partnerships. The new registrations system will launch in January 2025.
- Sebastian asked for a copy of the marketing statement of work and milestone documentation. Karin will provide link for the contract documents via emails.
- Karin also mentioned the need for consistency in their instructor workforce and the importance of aligning marketing campaigns with business goals.
6. Committee Members discussion and questions:
- Karin was asked to send out information on previous subcommittees and recommendations from last year’s report. A summary of previous recommendations and actions requested also.
- The committee voted to revise the committee’s charge to broaden the scope to read:
Explore how to create greater integration between ACE programs, the K-12 system, and broader Fairfax community, focusing on Career and Technical Education (CTE), to create a greater pipeline of students into ACE.
- Holly will contact Dr. Anderson to discuss the recommendation.
- The committee also discussed organizing sub-committees at the October meeting, suggesting a Marketing Subcommittee, Governance Subcommittee, and a Communications Subcommittee.
- Karin will schedule adult ESOL programs and grant programs info in the upcoming meetings and provide a budget updated in November.
- Karin reminded the committee about the committee’s report to the school board sometime in June and encouraged them to plan ahead for an internal due date in early May 2025
7. Closing Remarks:
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.
Committee Members in Attendance | Committee Members Absent | Staff and Guest in Attendance |
---|---|---|
Joanna Beituni, Braddock Susan Beeman, At-Large (McDaniel) Helen Cole, Hunter Mill Sebastian Pawlowski, Providence Peyton Smith, Mt. Vernon Javier Caballero, At-Large (McElveen) Brian Thoreson, At-Large (Moon) Holly Hazard, Mason Hannah Lee, Student Rep Risha Potluir, Student Rep | Darcy Kim, Springfield, Ms. Anderson Fanny Salazar-Laske,Dranesville Vacant, Sully Vacant, Franconia | Karin Williams, Operations & Strategic Planning, Director Shekera Alvarado, ACE Regional Grant, Senior Manager Kristi Broady, Staff Assistant Jim Kenny, RMR |
Agenda Item | Person(s) Responsible |
Call to Order and Roll Call | All Members |
Approval of September Minutes | All Members |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Vote on New Bylaws | All Members |
Resolution on Revised Committee Charge | All Members |
Discussion on Sub-Committee Topics | All Members |
Presentation on Apprenticeship-Health & Medical Work Readiness Training Programs | Paul Steiner |
Motion to Adjourn | Chair |
The meeting started at 7:00 pm. The meeting was held at the Plum Center for Lifelong Learning located in room 112 of 6805 Edsall Road, Springfield, VA. 22151, with an option to attend virtually via Zoom.
- Review and Approval of the Minutes
The September minutes were approved.
2. School Board Updates
Dr. Ricardy Anderson discussed the Boundary Review, potential changes in school zones, and the upcoming new accreditation system. Concerns were raised about its impact on schools with high levels of English language learners and the ongoing grading policy updates. The need for increased public school funding and implications for charter school were also highlighted.
3. Discussion of Community Advisory Committee By-Laws
Holly Hazard and Peyton Smith have drafted updated by-laws to broaden the program's scope and improve efficiency, the first update since 2019. These will be sent out for committee review.
4. Sub Committee Formation
- The committee voted and the following sub-committee will be:
- By-Laws/Governance-Working with staff, review current bylaws and if appropriate recommend revisions. Chair-Brian Thoreson, Peyton Smith, Susan Beeman, Hannah Lee
- Report Committee-Document work of Committee this year and work with subcommittee chairs and Karin to submit a draft report to Fairfax County Public School Board for April 2025. Chair- Holly Hazard, Brian Thoreson
- Marketing and Technology- Working with staff, explore most effective opportunities to expand our student base and revenue. Set goals for student expansion, Possible chair -Sebastian Pawlowski, Peyton Smith
- Communications Committee- Working with staff, exploring communications options for expanding information of education opportunities, Chair-Dr. Joanna Beituni, Susan Beeman, Darcy Kim
5. ACE Programs and Apprenticeships
Paul Steiner, ACE administrator, gave a presentation about ACE programs. He emphasized the importance of driver’s license for opportunities and highlighted various ACE programs. He expressed concerns about the influx of new students and the need for more instructors and hands-on lab space. The rising cost of tuition due to living costs was also discussed.
Brian Thoreson asked: What will happen when more traffic comes to ACE from the new marketing? Will ACE be able to handle the flood traffic?
- Paul Steiner is very concerned about this and hoping to hire more instructors. Room size is 25 students to 1 teacher.
Peyton Smith asked: How will ACE hire more instructors?
- Paul Stenier uses Facebook for advertisements for instructors. Note: FCPS job opportunity lists are also used to advertise instructor positions.
6. Possibility of Transitioning ACE Funded Positions to the School Operating Fund
A draft white paper related to transitioning staff positions from the ACE fund to the operating fund was reviewed briefly. Challenges were noted regarding the funding of the ACE program, which should be self-sustaining but relies on operational support. Committee members asked to discuss this further at the November meeting.
7. Committee Charge
The new charge was sent to Dr. Ricardy Anderson and will be added to the school board agenda for their review.
8. Closing Remarks:
The meeting adjourned by committee chair at 9:00 pm.
Committee Members in Attendance | Committee Members Absent | Staff and Guest in Attendance |
---|---|---|
Joanna Beituni, Braddock Susan Beeman, At-Large (McDaniel) Darcy Kim, Springfield, Ms. Anderson Peyton Smith, Mt. Vernon Brian Thoreson, At-Large (Moon) Holly Hazard, Mason Hannah Lee, Student Rep Risha Potluir, Student Rep | Helen Cole, Hunter Mill Sebastian Pawlowski,Providence Javier Caballero, At-Large (McElveen) Fanny Salazar-Laske, Dranesville Vacant, Sully Vacant, Franconia | Paul Steiner, Administrator, Adult & Community Education Dr. Ricardy Anderson, School Board Liaison Kristi Broady, Staff Assistant |
Agenda Item | Person(s) Responsible | Time |
Call to Order and Roll Call | Chairperson, Holly Hazard | 7:00-7:05 |
Visitor/Public Speaker ESOL Instructors | Charles Ronco | 7:05-7:10 |
Approval of October Minutes | All Members | 7:10-7:15 |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson | 7:15-7:30 |
Discuss and Vote on New Bylaws | All Members | 7:30-7:45 |
Committee Charge | All Members | 7:45-8:00 |
Updates from Sub-Committee Leaders | Committee Leaders | 8:00-8:10 |
FCPS ACE Fund overview and current financial and enrollment picture | ACE Staff | 8:10-9:00 |
Motion to Adjourn | Chairperson, Holly Hazard | 9:00 |
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Previous Years' Meeting Dates
Agenda
Minutes
The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC) was called to order on September 20, 2023, at 7:00 pm by Paul Steiner, ACE Administrator. The meeting was held in room 5039 of 8270 Willow Oaks Administrative Center, Falls Church, VA 22042 with an option to attend virtually via Zoom.
- Review and Approval of the October Agenda
- The agenda was moved and approved unanimously.
- School Board Updates
- Dr. Ricardy Anderson provided updates from the School Board.
- The School Board updated their Governance Manual to include Executive Expectations which outlines accountability for Superintendent Reid.
- Dr. Anderson provided updates on the on-going Compensatory Review.
- Dr. Anderson is the new Budget Chair for the School Board.
- ACE Program Updates
- Paul Steiner announced that on June 20, 2024, ACE will celebrate the apprentices who have completed their certifications and qualify for licensure for the Commonwealth in their field.
- Apprenticeship is on the rise with enrollment at approximately 240 current students.
- There are also more enrollments in our adult enrichment classes.
- Two new vehicles have been purchased for Driver’s Education, and although there is an approval to purchase four additional ones, there is a supply issue.
- Adult High School Program Updates
- Michelle Morgan described the different programs offered under her purview:
- High School Diploma where student complete a standard diploma.
- High School Equivalency (HSE) where students earn a GED.
- There are over 276 enrollments as of September 1st.
- There are evening and day classes offered across many sites across the county.
- There have already been three graduations in the 2023 school year so far.
- Michelle Morgan described the different programs offered under her purview:
- Officer Elections
- Paul Steiner reviewed the process for voting.
- The committee unanimously elected Ken Balbuena as Chair, as he ran unopposed.
- Johnelle Sweet agreed to serve as Vice Chair following a floor nomination and was elected unanimously.
- No ACEAC members expressed an interest in serving as Secretary, so staff will fill this role until an election is held, per the bylaws.
- Chair Remarks
- Ken Balbuena shared his priorities for ACEAC this year.
- Diving deeper into the collaboration and alignment with Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC)’s efforts, which follows up on efforts begun in FY23.
- Exploring the SCYPT recommendations in greater detail as well as other county resources and the ACE Foundation.
- Expanding marketing and outreach efforts.
- Working with ACE staff on successfully integrating data collection into the new registration enterprise.
- Supporting career pathway programs.
- Ken proposed several subcommittees, and the ACEAC members agreed upon the following:
- Technology Subcommittee
- Completion-to-Success Subcommittee
- Marketing and Outreach Subcommittee
- SCYPT for Schools Subcommittee
- Data Analysis Subcommittee
- Ken encouraged ACEAC members to consider serving on these committees if they did not volunteer during the subcommittee list review.
- Ken reminded subcommittee members about FOIA laws and how it impacts subcommittee meetings.
- The committee discussed topics to be discussed in future meetings.
- ACE Foundation
- Collaboration with the Board of Supervisors who can help us understand county resources that are already available.
- RMR Marketing update and lessons learned after one year.
- CTE collaboration opportunities with CTEAC
- Ken also asked committee members to keep the FCPS strategic plan in mind for the term since it is a new guiding document for FCPS.
- Ken Balbuena shared his priorities for ACEAC this year.
- Closing Remarks
- Meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm following a motion of unanimous consent.
Committee Members in Attendance | Committee Members Absent | Staff and Guest in Attendance |
---|---|---|
Susan Beeman (At Large) Ken Balbuena (Braddock) Helen Cole (Mill) Sean Arthurs (Franconia) Holly Hazard (Mason) Nick Rinehart (Mt. Vernon) Johnelle Sweet (Springfield) | Fanny Salazar-Laske, (Dranesville) Rasha Abulohum (At Large) Susan Harris (Providence) Selim Mimaroglu (Sully) | Paul Steiner, ACE Administrator Michelle Morgan, Adult HS Administrator Monica Iskander, Staff Assistant Lois Passman, Honorary Historian |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Chair’s Remarks | Ken B. |
Review/Approval of September meeting minutes | Ken B. |
Liaison Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Program Updates | Program Leads |
Meeting Date Discussion | K. Williams |
Additional Items | Ken B. |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | Members |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Vice Chair’s Remarks | Johnelle Sweet |
Review/Approval of October meeting minutes | All |
Liaison Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Program Updates | Program Leads |
ACE Foundation Updates | Bob Sargent |
Financial Update | Jan Garcia |
Subcommittee Reports | All |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | All |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Chair’s Remarks | Ken B. |
Review/Approval of November meeting minutes | Ken B. |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Program Updates | Program Leads |
Financial Update | Jan Garcia |
Subcommittee Reports and Discussion | All |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | All |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Chair’s Remarks | Ken B. |
Review/Approval of November and December meeting minutes | All |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Program Updates | Program Leads |
Subcommittee Work Time and Updates | All |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | All |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Chair’s Remarks | Ken B. |
Review/Approval of January and February meeting minutes | All |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Program Updates | Program Leads |
Subcommittee Work Time and Updates | All |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | Members |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Chair’s Remarks | Ken B. |
Review/Approval of the January, February and April meeting minutes | All |
School Board Updates | Dr. Anderson |
Program Updates | Program Leads |
Subcommittee Work Time and Updates | All |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | All |
Agenda
Agenda Item | Person Responsible |
---|---|
Roll call and agenda review | All Members |
Chair’s Remarks | Ken B. |
Review/Approval of the May meeting minutes | Ken B. |
Discussion and Approval of Annual Report | Members |
Approval of draft School Board Change for FY 25 | Members |
Motion to Adjourn Meeting | Members |
Meeting Date | Documents |
---|---|
October 19, 2022 | October Agenda | October Minutes |
November 16, 2022 | November Agenda | November Minutes |
December 21, 2022 | December Agenda | December Minutes |
January 18, 2023 | January Agenda | January Minutes |
February 15, 2023 | February Agenda | February Minutes |
March 15, 2023 | March Agenda | March Minutes |
April 19, 2023 | April Agenda | April Minutes |
May 17, 2023 | May Agenda | May Minutes |
May 24, 2023 Working Session via Zoom | |
June 21, 2023 | June Agenda | June Minutes |
2024-25 Membership
School Board Member Representatives
Susan Beeman, At-Large (McDaniel)
Javier Caballero, At Large (McElveen)
Brian D. Thoreson, At-Large (Moon)
Dr. Joanna Beituni, Braddock District
Kelly Oakley, Dranesville District
TBD, Franconia District
Helen Cole, Hunter Mill District
Holly Hazard, Mason District
Peyton Smith, Mount Vernon District
Sebastian Pawlowski, Providence District
Darcy Kim, Springfield District
TBD, Sully District
Hannah Lee, Student Representative
Risha Potluri, Student Representative
Annual Reports
The ACEAC Reports and Staff Responses are located on BoardDocs, under the dropdown menu titled Advisory Committee Reports: