Meeting Minutes

For the May 2024 meeting of Family Council, we hosted not only the school and at-large representatives of our organization, but have also PTO leaders and school principals. See our May Meeting Minutes, including excerpts of the Bellwether Audit on the experiences of students of color and families in ACPS.

We heard from a panel of participants in Race Matters in School Communities, the community-organized yearlong discussion group. The goal of this group was to seed positive changes for racial awareness, sensitivity & responsibility in every school and all areas of the educational system. We heard from ACPS parents/family members and staff plus the group facilitator, Gene Cash, LCSW, LISW-S and CEO of Counseling Alliance of Virginia about:

• the topics & themes that emerged

• the impact the group had

• how racial awareness, sensitivity and responsibility fit into the division's goals, and

• how your school community can get involved.

Panelists have generously allowed Family Council to share their observations: Margot Diaz, and others coming soon. To express interest in participating in Race Matters next school year, get in touch here.

Also see update from Albemarle Foundation for Education on the School Champions Initiative.

For the April 2024 meeting of Family Council (see Minutes), we heard from a leader of the Albemarle Education Association to understand "Collective Bargaining 101". We'll share updates on our Facebook page as the process to improve educator & staff working conditions moves ahead. Any PTO or school-based group wanting a presentation / QnA can request it!

Speaking of teachers, have you checked out ACPS  DonorsChoose projects? So creative and fun! Use this link to find your school, then "See All Projects". Click the red "Follow" under the search bar for notifications when new projects are posted by teachers at your school. Generous matches coming from national donors during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10)... please share with non-parent community members! Fun way to see what's happening in ACPS classrooms.

Here's the March QnA we received from ACPS leaders based on questions you've asked. (And follow us on Facebook for commentary from your fellow parents and family members.)

Our last meeting of this school year will focus on "Race Matters", with invitations going out to PTO leaders and principals to join in. Here's the May Call for Questions... tell us what's on your mind!

The March meeting of Family Council (see Minutes) focused on Student Mental Health "Tier One" supports, which are those designed to promote positive social, emotional, and behavioral skills and well-being for all students. Specifically, we heard about Teen Mental Health First Aid, which teaches 10th-12th graders how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers. We heard from Region Ten partners and ACPS Center 1 leaders about this program.

Background Material:

• School-Based Mental Health Model – pyramid image

• Teen Mental Health First Aid – one-page overview

• ACPS Budget Proposal (SEL Coaches) and Tier One Data

Here's the Feb QnA Part 2 we received from ACPS leaders based on the questions we submitted from families. Following our Feb meeting focusing on access to Algebra I, we shared this Middle School Math Pathways advocacy letter with Dr. Hayes, and received this response.

Our April meeting topic is TBD, but will include feedback from our listening sessions with parents. Here's the April Call for Questions.

The February meeting of Family Council focused on Algebra I, featuring expert Melissa Mitchem, ACPS lead coach in Mathematics. See Feb 2024 Minutes. Our discussion included:

 - Why does Algebra I matter to students' post-high school opportunities?

 - Overview of ACPS math "tracks".

 - Current rates of Algebra I enrollment and achievement in ACPS.

 - What is ACPS considering doing to improve equity and success? 

 - How can families be engaged in these improvement processes?

Background Material:

• Background (PDF version) – summary article with national view

• Math Tracks & Slides – info from our Nov meeting, plus added slides pulled from Bellwether report & status tracker, info from last week’s school board meeting, plus SOL data for all schools

• Speaker Slides – ACPS rates of Algebra I enrollment & outcomes

On our Facebook page, we are sharing background information on math & challenges along with updates on current ACPS initiatives, so please follow or like. You'll find heads-up on school board agenda items and opportunities to get involved at a division-level... check out the proposed ACPS budget, redistricting proposal, and LRPAC openings, for example.

Family Council submits monthly questions to ACPS leaders on behalf of families. See the Jan QnA and Feb QnA. We also advocate for changes that impact multiple schools... see our Middle School Recess Sign-On Letter and feel free to send your principal a note of support.

Our March meeting will focus on student mental health. Here's our monthly call for questions that we'll send to ACPS, and watch for upcoming ways to share your priorities.

The Jan 2024 meeting was cancelled due to weather.

See Jan Committee Updates and Nov QnA Received. 

The November meeting of Family Council (see Minutes with loads of summarized info) featured:

- High School Schedule -- Qs & feedback on potential change to Jay Thomas. (See our summary from Nov 20, and feel free to add comments before Dec 14.)

- Middle School -- Discussion of both Community Lab School plus challenges facing traditional ACPS programs. Follow-up advocacy is being planned.

Following our Oct meeting, our members started an advocacy process (see letter) calling for improvements in reading intervention. In addition, we received the following Oct QnA from ACPS and continue to follow up for more. On our new Facebook page (please like & follow), Family Council is sharing valuable info on division-wide updates and opportunities to get involved, such as resources for reviewing the two options for a new ACPS elementary reading program. 

Given the overwhelming number of kids struggling with reading, the October meeting of Family Council focused on reading intervention in ACPS. See Meeting Minutes for a detailed summary of our powerful conversation with educators, plus an update on high-impact tutoring status. We received these Sept QnA from ACPS, and plan to follow up with continued advocacy on behalf of families.

Additional Resources:

 - Advocacy Approach --Lays out our rationale, background, how-to, and proposed process. Each statement will require a vote by the full membership.

 - Chair Power Autobiography -- Members were invited to share their own brief version at meeting.

Our first Family Council meeting of this school year (see minutes) included:

• Focus on “The State of Family Engagement”, including a presentation by Dr. Irizarry, ACPS Office of Community Engagement, describing all of the division-wide activities planned for this school year. 

• The volunteer Chair shared an overview of the “rebooted” organization, plus new committees focusing on a) launching DonorsChoose to crowdfund teacher projects, and b) a series of workshops supporting parent & family members to lead our increasingly racially-diverse communities.

• Dr. Haas shared updates on: transportation, hiring, funding, literacy curriculum & more.

• QnA – Summary from prior school year, plus additional QnA catch-up, summer QnA.

• Community orgs offering workshops to PTOs on gun violence prevention.

Feel free to contact the Family Council representative for your school to give input!

Additional Resources:

 - Topic Survey Vote -- Results

 - Name Change Vote – Results

 - Gifts by PTOs to ACPS – 2022-23 Totals and By School

 - Standing Rules – created summer 2023