Hot+Topics

toc Note: this content will be ported to a new wiki host; details will be provided after the migration.

This page was designed to contain relevant Loudoun county news and topics and ideas. It could also contain interviews with experts and maybe even best practices from other counties. In theory, delegates would review the ideas posted here and build on ideas (and vote) during meetings. Delegates could form a subcommittee to refine recommendations to make to the general assembly, and if the delegates approved them, they could be shared with the Loudoun Board of Supervisors, school board, LCPS administration, etc. Read the initial ideas below and see if you think this might be useful.

Ideas
Share your recommendations here. Please indicate, if appropriate, if you are sharing the opinion of a parent/parent group, teacher, administrator, etc. If possible, please share examples from other counties or research that is relevant to your view. (See Parent Suggestion #1 as an example.)

Equal access to technology and the ability to compete for jobs and colleges
I support MSAAC's [|November School Board Address] about the need for a school budget that corrects the disparity of equal access to technology - and thus educational opportunity - for all students in our county. I attended last year's LCPS presentation on the many technologies we have in the school district and heard the speakers discuss universal design for all. I left the meeting impressed by how rich in resources we are as a school district. But then I was surprised to learn that many of the technologies that the school district has (click here) are not actually available to our students. I learned that even when students own a technology and need it to overcome a disability, they may not be permitted to use it. Apparently, in our school district the superintendent and the school board have determined that each //principal// can set limits for the technology available to students in their school, and each teacher can set additional limitations within their classroom. So, technology varies __widely__ from school to school and students at schools where technology is not integrated may have a distinct disadvantage when it comes to life after high school in this digital age. As MSAAC notes, this disparity is particularly harmful to certain groups of students. I see this not just as a budget issue, but as a policy one - why can't LCPS set best practices for all schools to follow like other counties do? Our county is becoming unattractive to families and companies that are considering moving into the area because of issues like this. Our kids deserve the same quality of education that our neighboring school districts offer - and colleges expect them to have it. Let's step up to equity in education, starting by addressing issues related to technology. - Stephanie Eskins-Gleason, LEAP President 2017-18

Parent Suggestions for Using Resources Differently
__ **Invest in sharing information** __
 * __Provide as much information online as possible so that parents and students don't have to contact LCPS admin staff and wait for a response to a basic question.__ When someone moves here from another school district and begins to learn more about our school district, sometimes they are surprised by how little information is available on the LCPS website. Some web pages refer people to administrative staff, and then they need to contact the staff and wait for an answer. Our neighboring counties do a really good job of providing details about their policies, procedures and programs and often have downloadable documents that contain Frequently Asked Questions. This is very efficient for those seeking information and is probably much more efficient for those who want to share information because they can put the information in one place and spend far less time answering the same questions over and over. I think our school district can improve this by moving more information online.For example, if you suspect your child might have a disability and you visit the Section 504 page, you will see a bit of information and then note the instructions to call the district 504 Coordinator with questions. This person becomes the conduit for receiving basic information. If you contrast this with the way surrounding counties handle the same information, their solutions seem to be more accessible and efficient. Check out the contrast between Loudoun and other counties:
 * Arlington
 * Allegheny
 * Fairfax
 * [|Loudoun]


 * __Use technology to make information presented in meetings accessible to everyone.__ Our school district is known as one of the best supported in terms of technology. We certainly are fortunate that so many people have access to the internet from home, and effort has been invested in making that a reality. But some of our schools and our school district departments don't take advantage of technology to make information parents and students need more accessible. The preferred method of holding meetings may be best, but in a county this large, that will never meet our needs and is an outdated practice. Meetings should be captured so that the information being shared can be distributed to those unable to attend. (Or perhaps someone who was at the meeting wants to go back and review some of the new information they learned or heard mentioned - they would like the meetings to be captured.) Video, audio, webinars, etc. have been mainstreamed in the private sector for over ten years. We are late adopters in the school district. LCPS uses webinars to share information that teachers and administrators need to know and they record them. Then, the people who weren't able to attend are able to go online and watch them. If we could extend this efficiency to topics that parents and students need to know about, we could make a quantum leap forward.
 * Check out these examples from Fairfax County and notice that many of these videos are produced by kids! https://www.youtube.com/user/FairfaxCountySchools
 * In Culpeper, people can upload videos from award ceremonies, graduation, football games, etc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdpGMwOgIIg

= =