Category Archives: Compensation

January 2019

Posted in Budget, Compensation, School Board by

Thanks for reading Fluco Blog! I’m Perrie Johnson, Fork Union’s representative to the Fluvanna County School Board. My goal with Fluco Blog is to let people know what’s going on at School Board meetings beyond the reports available online. Be forewarned, when it comes to discussion, most of the comments I remember turn out to be mine! Here’s the latest…

At the beginning of the January meeting there were nearly half a dozen public comments in support of a vote to approve the Alliance Club request to change the colors of the Fluco F (not generally, just for specific purposes of the club).  All supporters also lamented the leak of the original letter and criticized the School Board’s inquiry into who was responsible.  No speakers came forward against approval of the request until one out of eight during the later round of public comments.

After comments, there was a presentation by Sun Tribe, a solar energy company that wants to put solar panels at all schools, mostly on school roofs.  There would be no capital outlay cost to us, they would own and install the equipment.  Their objective is to produce enough energy to run each building. There’s no sale of excess energy and no battery storage capability.  Our obligation would be a 25 year commitment to pay Sun Tribe for the energy produced at each site, wether the building stays in use or not. The main benefits would be an almost certain savings over our current electric rates and the green effect of switching to solar energy.

The superintendent’s report included a quick reference to getting parents’ input into next year’s calendar. We’ve had a few public comments recently about parents’ unhappiness with the half days.  I told the Board I’ve received considerable  parent feedback almost exclusively against the half days, and I shared my observation that this year we have six and next year’s draft shows nine.  There’ll be a lot more discussion of the calendar soon.

We have a seminar at 8:30 on January 18, mostly to discuss next year’s budget.  The initial salary options we’re looking at are a minimum of a 3% increase for all staff with higher step amounts remaining in place, or a 3% increase plus step for all employees.

Two votes were held near the end of the meeting.  The Fluvanna Leadership Development team’s student interest survey was approved.  It asks very simple questions about students’ interest in youth activities in the county. It’s included in the online info if there’s any concern.

The remaining vote was a holdover from last month when the Alliance Club request resulted in a 2-2 tie when Mr. Pullen was absent.  The distribution of stickers to teachers for display was removed from the request months ago.  Mr. Pullen abstained from voting this month, in favor of creating a written policy first.  Mr. Rittenhouse and Ms. Pace also abstained.  Ms. Stewart and I voted yes, recognizing the precedent already set by allowing at least one other school sanctioned club to change the color of the logo F.  It was confirmed with our attorney (during the meeting, it felt weird) that because of the abstentions, these two votes carried the action and the request was approved.

Thanks for reading Fluco Blog.

 

If you’d like to keep up with Fluco Blog, click the FOLLOW button near the very bottom right corner and enter your email address. It’s private and completely free. If you want to comment on a post, click Comment or Reply. You’ll be asked to provide a name and an email address. If something hits too close to home and you want to be anonymous, DON’T GIVE YOUR REAL NAME ANYWHERE. Make something up. Do give your real email address, which will NOT show up with your comment. You might also be asked for a website, which is weird and not required. Your information is not sold or leased to anyone.

This blog is a personal blog, written and edited by me.  The views expressed in this blog are purely my own and do not represent the Fluvanna County School Board, the school superintendent, or anyone else. Comments added by others are not necessarily my opinions and I am not responsible for their content.

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Moving On In September

Posted in Budget, Compensation, Meetings, Pay Scale, Policy, School Board, Teacher Input, Testing by

Thanks for reading Fluco Blog! I’m Perrie Johnson, Fork Union’s representative to the Fluvanna County School Board. My goal with Fluco Blog is to let people know what’s going on at School Board meetings beyond the reports available online. Be forewarned, when it comes to discussion, most of the comments I remember turn out to be mine! Here’s the latest…

Within minutes of beginning September’s open session, there was a controversial vote on the position of Director of Elementary Instruction and Federal Programs.  The vote was to put a certain person in the position. I have no objection to this person or the last, but I do object to the position itself.  I voted no because this was not a director’s position a few years ago and, in my experience, the highly structured methods and programs put in place by those in the position severely restrict teachers’ abilities to use their own professional judgment to tailor instruction to meet the needs of their unique group of learners. It’s a mouthful, I know. And I have other concerns.  The motion to fill the position failed (2 in favor, 3 against) but I think the discussion will live on.

The first round of public comments drew 7 speakers, commenting on kindergarten staggered opening (teachers were appreciative), my opening day remarks (staff was supportive), testing (too much), and the first day bus fire.

Budget reports covered three years. Closing out 2018 gets us closer to a “carryover” amount for 2019, which is about $1.5 million BUT the timing of sales tax revenue reduces that by about $180k and another $500k is spoken for by state and federal programs we’re obligated to fulfill.  Then another $470k is “promised” to the county for funds used for Carysbrook roof replacement.

The 2020 budget discussion began with the governor’s plan for a 3% raise BUT state funds would only cover positions required by the Standards of Quality.  That includes only 219 out of our 500+ employees.  To raise all salaries by 3% would cost us an additional $625k.  I thought it sounded like a lot, too, so I asked twice.  The administration is also looking at some large class sizes at the high school.

Two items of Unfinished Business came up.  Ms. Stewart asked the Board to consider busing student voters to the polls during the school day in November.  The admin will prepare a report for our next meeting.  I asked if the Board was willing to discuss reducing the amount of testing we require in Fluvanna.  At our last seminar we heard from the administration about testing.  I’d also like input from those who give the tests and use the results for instruction.  The Board agreed to have this future discussion.

A couple of action items were especially interesting.  In addition to some simple changes to the teachers’ probationary policy, the Board voted 4-1 to change the terms of probation from 5 years back to 3.

We changed the date of the November meeting from the 14th to the 7th.  I hated to make the switch, and we thought about not changing it since three of us would be available, but two requested the change and both the clerk and deputy clerk will be away on our regular day.

We were scheduled to vote again on the motion from last month that certainly felt like a reprimand to me concerning my opening day remarks to staff.  However, Ms. Stewart and Ms. Pace rescinded their motions and the item was removed from the agenda.  I was actually disappointed (and said so) because I was hoping for a vote of support from a majority of the Board, and would have preferred that as the last word.  I respected the Board’s wish to move on, though, and somehow resisted the temptation to revive the motion myself!

For the last round of public comments, two teachers made it through the entire meeting to speak again in support of my opening day comments to staff.  I am very grateful to everyone who came, spoke, emailed, shared a kind word, patted me on the shoulder.  I needed it!

 

If you’d like to keep up with Fluco Blog, click the FOLLOW button near the very bottom right corner and enter your email address. It’s private and completely free. If you want to comment on a post, click Comment or Reply. You’ll be asked to provide a name and an email address. If something hits too close to home and you want to be anonymous, DON’T GIVE YOUR REAL NAME ANYWHERE. Make something up. Do give your real email address, which will NOT show up with your comment. You might also be asked for a website, which is weird and not required. Your information is not sold or leased to anyone.

This blog is a personal blog, written and edited by me.  The views expressed in this blog are purely my own and do not represent the Fluvanna County School Board, the school superintendent, or anyone else. Comments added by others are not necessarily my opinions and I am not responsible for their content.