Muslim Homeschoolers

There was a neat story in Sunday's Post featuring some friends of mine...

On a chilly afternoon in western Loudoun County, a group of children used tweezers to extract rodent bones from a regurgitated owl pellet. A boy built a Lego launcher. A girl practiced her penmanship. On the wall, placards read, "I fast in Ramadan," "I pay zakat" and "I will go on hajj."

Welcome to Priscilla Martinez's home -- and her children's school, where Martinez is teacher, principal and guidance counselor, and where the credo "Allah created everything" is taught alongside math, grammar and science.

I am very fortunate to know Priscilla Martinez, her husband Rizwan and many in their faith community. They are exceptional people, and exceptionally civic-minded. There is a false stereotype of homeschooling families as being isolated from the community, but I haven't found that to be true. I hope that as time goes on we will break down the self-imposed walls between public, private and homeschool education for the benefit of every child in our community.

[Washington Post]

Budget Update

You read last week that Governor Bob McDonnell had responded to the call from business & elected leaders to maintain the formula for distributing state education funds. That's good news for our tax rate here in Loudoun.

I didn't send out an update after the announcement because it isn't the end of the story. Unfreezing the LCI ensures that Loudoun gets a bigger share of the pie, but it doesn't tell us anything about the size of the pie. McDonnell & the General Assembly have a tough job ahead of them to balance the state's budget, and as the Governor told me (and undoubtedly a lot of people), there will be plenty of cuts to go around. I never expected education funding to be spared.

We still don't have specifics of McDonnell's budget proposals yet but there are rumors that he will propose $735 million in education cuts over the next two years. We're trying to confirm this number and evaluate the legislature's willingness to go along with it. It may be several weeks before we know for sure.

Still, I thought it would be good to know what impact a number like that would have on Loudoun County. The Virginia Education Association took that number and broke it down into the impact on local communities. For Loudoun it would mean about $11.8 million less in state funding next year than if there were no cuts to the state education budget, but still an increase of $25.4M in state funding from FY10, far more than we anticipated when we passed the School Board's budget.

To give you a sense of scale:

• $25 million is the School Board's request for a local funding increase this year
• $22.5 million is 3 cents of the property tax rate
• $12 million dollars is needed to pay for the education of 3,257 new students next year
• $7.4 million is the savings from increasing average class sizes by one student
• $5.5 million is the cost of a 1% raise for all LCPS employees

Caveats:

1. This assumes that the legislature won't freeze the LCI
2. This assumes that the $735M number from the Governor is correct and that the legislature doesn't alter it
   
3. There is other state funding which could be cut, some of which could target Loudoun
   

I'll try to keep you up to date on the impact to Loudoun of these various moving parts as the state budget picture develops further.

(Interesting side note, Loudoun is the fourth largest school district in the state, but we are eighth in state funding. Chesterfield, Henrico, Chesapeake and Norfolk are all smaller districts receiving more state funding the Loudoun.)

[Washington Post]
[Chap Petersen: Ox Road South]

Ready for School on Tuesday?

My wife & I are definitely ready for school to begin again on Tuesday morning. The snow storms have been wonderful in their own way, giving us beauty, breaking our routines, challenging our assumptions and bringing us closer.

The streets of our neighborhood are still questionable, and I understand from emails coming in from Loudoun's rural west that there are some roads that will still keep kids from school this week. The Superintendent sent out an important message this evening to all parents:

That said we know that we will still encounter unusual conditions that will prevent some of our students from attending school. If we wait until all of those conditions are cleared we would not return to school for another week, at least. Some roads will remain blocked and many, if not most, suburban sidewalks will continue to be covered by feet of ice and snow. The situation means that we will all have to work together to open schools as safely as possible. Of course in every instance it is the responsibility of parents to determine what is safe for their own children.

I like the personal responsibility aspect of this message. Be sure to also see the full-length message on the LCPS home page, which lists several things that we all can do to make this week's operations safer and more smooth.

I'll be at the LCPS admin building all day on Tuesday, monitoring the progress of the day and preparing for our evening meeting. Be sure to comment, Tweet or post on Facebook your experiences with this first day back.

Reading during the lull

My plans for this week were put on hold by the snow, but the world of education keeps turning. I turned up some articles that may be of interest:

The Washington Post is trying to organize snow shovel brigades with its snow cleanup page, and is encouraging schools to use it to ask for assistance:

Washingtonians, the challenge has been laid. Go the extra mile to help your fellow neighbor dig us out of Snowmageddon. Dig out a car. Shovel a sidewalk. Salt a driveway. Whatever you do, track it here and show your Washington area pride.

[Help Schools Dig Out of the Snow]

The Post's Jay Mathews goes into depth regarding Governor McDonnell's to increase distance learning in public schools, and finds support on the left and the right:

McDonnell said in his education innovation announcement: "The 21st Century economy is not limited by regional or national borders, and the 21st Century education system should no longer be limited by traditional brick and mortar. Virtual schools provide excellent instruction, adhere to the same Standards of Learning as all Virginia schools, and bring the world to children in their own cities and counties."

Could this be an opportunity for Loudoun to gain new enrollment for courses that smaller districts can't afford to offer their students? [Class Struggle]

Buses in some districts (not Loudoun) now come with wifi for the students, and the results were unexpected:

Wi-Fi access has transformed what was often a boisterous bus ride into a rolling study hall, and behavioral problems have virtually disappeared. “It’s made a big difference,” said J. J. Johnson, the bus’s driver. “Boys aren’t hitting each other, girls are busy, and there’s not so much jumping around.”

After all the flack over the bus with the hybrid engine, can you imagine the blowback if we wired a bus in Loudoun?

[Wi-Fi Turns Arizona Bus Ride into a Rolling Study Hall]

Finally, Virginia's education establishment came out in force against changes in the state's charter school laws this week.

McDonnell wants to open more charter schools in the state by shifting power to approve them from local school boards to the Virginia Board of Education, which would screen applications and have the authority to overrule local decisions.

Final approval on charter schools -- public schools that have some autonomy from state and local regulations -- currently rests with local school boards. Proponents say this contributes to Virginia's low number. The state has three charter schools, with a fourth slated to open in Richmond this year.

[Richmond Times Dispatch]
[Virginian Pilot]

McDonnell Reverses LCI Freeze

Governor McDonnell has just announced that he supports unfreezing the Local Composite Index:

Governor McDonnell to Undo Proposed Freeze of Local Composite Index

-Introduced Budget Froze LCI for First Time -

Governor Identifies Savings to Allow for Annual Update to Index

RICHMOND- Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that he will support updating the Local Composite Index (LCI), the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget. The move will mean another proposed change to the introduced budget, which froze the LCI at its current level. The LCI has historically always been adjusted every two years to account for changing local economic conditions. The proposal to freeze the Index was unprecedented, and would have cost certain localities in Northern Virginia $128.3 million in state education funding.

Speaking about his decision, Governor McDonnell stated, “For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia. The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources. For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth. Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration. The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.”

McDonnell continued, “The decision to continue to update the Local Composite Index is one that I reached after extensive meetings with my finance staff, legislators, and local government officials. I thank all these individuals for their input and thoughts during the process. Ensuring that we have a fair formula that is implemented without regard to temporary or political considerations is the best means by which to appropriate education funding in the Commonwealth. Every time the Index is readjusted some school systems gain funding, while others receive less. This has occurred for nearly forty years, and local officials understand the routine and objective biennial implementation of the Index.”

In announcing his decision to undo the proposed freeze of the Index, McDonnell also identified specific budget savings to account for the additional state spending required. The update will cost the state $29 million in FY 2011. To cover this increased funding, McDonnell will recommend to the General Assembly the transfer of $13 million from Literary Fund balances; $8 million through the use of available balances in the Health Insurance Fund to reduce state health insurance premiums; $5.2 million will be found in Real ID savings and an available $3 million will be captured in additional Non-General Fund balances. Budget recommendations will continue to be made and communicated to the legislature in the coming days.

Will there be school this week?

When it snows, the kids in my neighborhood always ask me if there will be school tomorrow. My own kids have learned to stop asking me, because I almost always say "yes" on basic principle. They already know that Loudoun schools are closed on Monday & Tuesday, but they're asking me about the rest of the week. I'm telling them I'm sure that schools will be open. But between us adults...

On Tuesday night we're looking at another snow event, possibly with more than 8 inches of snow, which would by itself probably close school for a day. So chances are, there won't be school on Wednesday. As for Thursday & Friday, here are some of the challenges that our community is facing to ensure that all kids can get to school safely:

• All sidewalks that kids use to walk to school must be clear
• All bus stops that kids wait at must be clear
• All school parking lots and walks must be clear, and with a snowfall this size much of it must be relocated off site, not just pushed aside.
• Buses require more clearance to turn than most vehicles, so intersections must be much more clear than you & I need to get to the grocery store
  

Given that VDOT crews haven't even started on neighborhoods roads yet, much less sidewalks, and facing another significant snowfall in two days, we may be facing a week-long school closing.

I'm keeping up with the progress on the roads through the Loudoun County Traffic blog, with great information like this:

The hundreds of 4x4 pickup trucks VDOT uses in northern Virginia subdivisionsbfor a typical four- to six-inch storm are inadequate to handle the frozen andbcompacted, deep snow covering most neighborhoods. Snow drifts in some areas arebeven higher than the subdivision plows. Interstate trucks are too large to fit through neighborhoods, so crews are using special equipment such as graders, bucket loaders, tandems and backhoes. This is a very slow and cumbersome process.

So break out those board games, find some good books and arrange rotating playdates. It might be a while before the big yellow buses are traversing the roads again.

But don't tell my kids.

Update at 1:30pm: It's official. All Loudoun County Public Schools are closed until February 16th. See the Superintendent's message on the LCPS home page.

My Conversation with Governor McDonnell

If you haven't yet read about the Local Composite Index freeze and how it affects you, here are some background links.

Yesterday afternoon after his speech to the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, I had a chance to speak to Governor McDonnell briefly about the LCI freeze. He had two responses. First, he said he's "gotten an earful about that" from Northern Virginia leaders. I know that NoVA political and business leaders have been sounding off consistentently for the past few weeks, so I'm glad to know that he has heard the cacophony.

His second response was that everybody was going face cuts in this year's budget. I appreciated his directness, and I don't disagree. What worries me is that the statement misses the point. There is so much more than than this year's budget at stake. The politicization of local education funding in the Commonwealth could have devastating impacts on the education of kids across the state, especially in more rural districts, for years to come.

I told the Governor about the danger of politicizing the formula and thanked him for his time.

After that, the Loudoun Times Mirror asked him about the same issue on camera:



Watch the last three seconds:
Reporter: So we should still be hopeful, right?
McDonnell: You should, absolutely.

Let's hope he makes the right decision.

Standing on the Side of Love

I will participate in a very important event on Valentine's Day called "Standing on the Side of Love." Information is below. I hope you will join us for this discusion.

National Standing on the Side of Love Day…
…Valentine’s Day Re-imagined

Sunday, February 14th, 2010 will be ‘National Standing on the Side of Love Day.’ Join us and celebrate a Valentine’s Day re-imagined. Love is about more than romance, greeting cards and chocolates. We want to celebrate love’s power to transform communities!

Sunday February 14th, 12:30-2:30 pm
Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, 22135 Davis Drive, Sterling VA

Contact: Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael
703-731-9018 (cell)
minister@uusterling.org

Standing on the Side of Love, Panel and Public Forum

Standing on the Side of Love in Loudoun County Virginia means healing old wounds of oppression and exclusion and building a welcoming community. This event is open to all, especially those who are wondering why some ministers, elected officials, and other community leaders have chosen to speak up for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning citizens and their rights.

Too much of our public discourse is driven not by love but by fear, which often scapegoats particular people and deems them somehow less than human. This forum will invite participants to engage in a civil discussion in the hopes that we will all learn a bit more about what it means to be partners in our shared humanity by moving as a community beyond tolerance toward welcome and acceptance.

This is an opportunity to ask questions of these leaders whose work shapes our Loudoun County:

Stevens Miller (Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Dulles District who recently submitted the successful proposal to amend the county government’s policy on equal employment opportunity, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity), Wendi Manuel-Scott (Professor of African American Studies at George Mason University who recently produced a documentary on the lives of GLBTQ African Americans on Campus), John Stevens (Loudoun County School Board Chair), Joy Cobb (PTA president, and lesbian parent,) and Lori Stevens (president of Loudoun Education Alliance of Parents, and Board member of PFlag.)

Facilitator: Rev. Lisa Kemper, The Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun

Sponsored By: The Standing on the Side of Love Campaign, The Unitarian Universalists of Sterling and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun.

What: Reimagining Valentine’s Day by Standing on the Side of Love, Panel and Public Forum: to heal old wounds of LGBTQ discrimination in Loudoun and to rally support for creating a more welcoming community.

Where: The Unitarian Universalists of Sterling, 22135 Davis Drive, Sterling VA.

When: Sunday February 14th, 2010 / 12:30-2:30.

Contact: Press, RSVP to Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael at 703-731-9018 or minister@uusterling.org

The Standing on the Side of Love campaign, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, seeks to harness the power of love to stop oppression, exclusion, and violence.

What did you do at school today?

“I did the morning news show, talked with some NASA astronauts about a problem on the space station and finally saved a bunch of people on an island where a hurricane was headed.”

[Loudoun Independent]

Governor: No School Before Labor Day

Bills that could open schools in tourism-dependent areas of Virginia before Labor Day appear doomed again.

Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell's administration on Monday came out against bills that would allow more districts the option to open before the holiday that traditionally marks the end of summer vacation.

[Business Week]