Sandy Evans on the Issues

I will work to ensure:

Our excellent school system maintains the highest educational standards during tough fiscal times
Smaller class size is an FCPS priority
Every child receives the appropriate level of instruction for his or her needs.
A safe and healthy school environment for every child.
The school system truly involves and listens to parents, teachers, students and the community.

Full-Time School Board Member: This will be my only job—working for Mason District children, families and our community FULL-TIME.

BUDGET LEADERSHIP:

Budget: The greatest challenge facing Fairfax County public schools today is a huge budget shortfall that is forcing school system leaders to make difficult choices. I have studied FCPS budgets closely for the past six years and have the background to look for efficiencies that will help us through this tough period. My work with the school system has already helped save millions of dollars in transportation costs. If elected, I will help identify additional savings in administration, transportation, energy and non-classroom based spending.

I will focus on keeping money in our classrooms and keeping class size down. I will work to preserve the needs-based funding that is so critical to Mason District schools. Other priorities needing protection include: full-day kindergarten, high school sports, elementary bands and strings, GT and magnet transportation, and parent liaisons.

I testified before the School Board at its recent budget hearings as a founding member of the new Fairfax Education Coalition – a coalition of teachers groups, parent advocates and other involved citizens. I have called for a minimum 10% cut in administrative costs to help fund the critical programs that make our students and Fairfax public schools special.

CLASSROOM FOCUSED:

Teachers: Classroom teachers are the key to our children’s education. We need to protect teachers’ salaries as a top priority, so that FCPS can continue attracting and retaining the best educators in the country. We also need to look for innovative ways to free teachers from administrative burdens and give them the time to plan and teach. I also support the adoption of a Living Wage for our lowest paid employees.

Instruction: Students should be taught at the appropriate level and pace for their individual needs at any given time. Keeping class sizes small is critical to individualized instruction. While test scores tell us something about our ability to reach and teach all children, which is fundamental, I would look for ways to empower teachers to tailor instruction to what they see in their classroom and not feel pressured to “teach to the test.”

Minority Student Achievement: I applaud the School Board’s recent adoption of a goal to close the student achievement gap. I want to ensure that the means used to determine how well and how quickly we move toward reaching that goal is accurate. We need to address the fact that our minority students are dropping out of school at much higher rates than other students.

Special Needs: I support Fairfax County’s practice of inclusion, which provides students with disabilities inclusion in classrooms with their peers to the greatest extent possible. To be effective for all students, this often requires extra support in the classroom, and I want to see those support positions maintained.

EXPERIENCED ADVOCATE:

Student Health and Safety: As a long-time advocate for student health, I will support a move toward wellness and preventive measures in our schools to ensure a healthy school environment. I support the anti-obesity efforts of the Northern Virginia Healthy Kids Coalition, of which I’m a member, and its 9-5-2-1-0 campaign (9 hours of sleep, 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, maximum 2 hours of screen time, at least 1 hour of exercise and as close to zero sugary drinks). Furthermore, I believe that 7:20 am start times for high school students are detrimental to their physical, mental and academic health. I will work to achieve healthy school schedules that enable all students to get adequate sleep and exercise and accommodate time for study and extracurriculars.

Accountability: The school system is in the beginning stages of a new system of governance. Better measurements to determine program successes and administration efficiency are needed, and I will work to strengthen quantifiable benchmarks (example: transportation). It’s important that the School Board be accountable to the public, provide oversight of the system and maintain its watchdog role.

Transparency: Parents, teachers and students should be able to easily get full and accurate information from and about the school system, but this isn’t always the case. The new Fairfax Education Coalition, of which I’m a founding member, is working to facilitate a more transparent system and encourage parent and community involvement. I will encourage the school system to work with this coalition of well-respected parent and teacher groups.

Responsiveness: Too often, parents are told, “You’re the only person who has ever mentioned this problem.” I’ll encourage administrators to truly listen to parents and collaborate on solutions that work for the student and the family as well as the school. I would like to see the School Board create an independent Ombudsman position to help parents navigate the FCPS system and deal with issues if students and parents feel they are not receiving an acceptable resolution.

Communication IN: While FCPS generally does a fine job of communicating OUT to the community, it doesn’t do as well with truly involving and listening to parents and classroom teachers. We need to develop a systematic and meaningful way to allow parents, teachers and students to collaborate with administrators and be involved in defining budget priorities and other critical decisions. I will reach out to constituents to make sure they are aware of upcoming decisions that affect their children and to give them ample opportunity to let me hear and understand their views, either in person or through improved electronic means.

I will fight for decisions that help Mason District schools and children.