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5 Take-Aways from Recent Meeting Feb 28, 2011 |
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Archive Meeting Snapshots
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5 Take-Aways from February 28, 2011 Meeting
1- APS Strategic Plan Committee is reaching out to all stakeholder groups to encourage them to complete the Strategic Plan Survey. Staff and parents are encouraged to reply. Please complete the survey one time. Links in Spanish and English below:
2. The Superintendent presented his proposed FY 2012 Budget on February 24th. A copy of his presentation and the proposed budget are available on the APS web site. See below link.
- Highlights of the FY2012 Budget: The FY 2012 budget totals $469.8 million which is a 6.3% increase from the FY 2011 Adopted Budget. The cost per pupil in the proposed budget is $18,115, which is slightly greater than the cost per pupil for the current school year
- Budget Increases Class Time for Some Programs
- Elimination of Early Release Wednesdays at four more elementary schools;
- Changes for the Career Center class schedules that would include direct busing to and from the Career Center for those students who begin or end their school day at that location, eliminating the added transportation time needed to transport students on a second trip to and from their home schools.
- Expanding the Act II After School programs at Middle Schools by adding more courses, and iIncreasing the range of courses available to students at the New Directions and the Arlington Mill and Langston High School Continuation Programs.
- Added Support for Targeted Groups
- The addition of two Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Pre-K classes,
- Expansion of the College Summit at two schools so that Grade 9 students can get an earlier start at making post-secondary plans, and
- Creation of a supervisor of Counseling Services to strengthen support and leadership for student counseling activities throughout the county.
- Staff Quality and Professional Learning Emphasized
- Expand the current professional learning activities for teachers and other staff members to provide ongoing training in the latest methods and best practices. Aligned with the expansion of professional learning activities is an increase in funding for formative assessment designed to provide feedback to students and teachers as they work to assess student progress and address the individual needs of pupils.
- The Superintendent's Proposed Budget includes a step increase for staff members eligible to receive an increase, and a one-time payment for the more experienced staff members who are not eligible for a step increase.
- Addressing Future Needs: In planning for the future, the proposed budget also includes resources for projected needs including:
- Establishment of a budget stabilization reserve,
- Payments to meet the annual APS Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) costs,
- An increased use of benchmark studies to allow APS to compare its progress against comparable school districts,
- Rigorous program evaluation and use of the techniques developed in partnership with the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC).
- A state Efficiency Review administered by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.
- Finally, because the capacity of APS facilities is reaching its limit, the budget also includes:
- Funding for additional portable classrooms ("relocatables") ,
- A modest increase in class size for grades 9-12,
- An increase in capacity at countywide schools, and
- Countywide transportation for the Jefferson Middle School International Baccalaureate Program.
3. Guest Speakers from the Hughes Medical Funds attended to seek PTA's in the county to consider raising money through events such as the Nottingham/Tuckahoe faculty/staff basketball game. Students are also very involved in the process. The students get to learn how the Fund helps uninsured children in Arlington obtain needed medical services such as antibiotics, glasses, and dental visits.
4. Upcoming Dates for County Events :
- Northern Virginia Science Fair will be Hosted at Wakefield this Sunday March 6- Doors open at 1:00
- Arlington's 2nd Annual Celebration of World Languages March 11th at APS Ed Center 1426 N. Qunicy Street 4:30 - 6:00
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Welcome to the Arlington County Council of PTAs (CCPTA). The CCPTA comprises local PTA units from 22 elementary schools, 5 middle schools and 3 high schools located in Arlington County. Organized under the authority of the Virginia PTA, our mission is to promote the goals of PTA - supporting and speaking on behalf of children in our schools, helping parents to be effective guardians and role models for their children, and encouraging greater parental involvement at the school level.