APS FY 2020 Budget & Proposed Cuts

Tuckahoe Families,

The PTA would like to bring your attention to two proposed APS budget cuts that will negatively impact instruction and opportunities our kids currently receive. While the PTA collectively will weigh in, we’re also asking parents to share concerns about the proposed cuts with the County Board and School Board.

Background

At last evening’s Tuckahoe PTA meeting, we discussed the APS proposed FY 2020 budget, and in particular, the two proposed budget cuts detailed below. The PTA voted to (1) encourage Tuckahoe families to contact the APS school board regarding these budget cuts and (2) communicate to the School Board and County Board that funding shortfalls must be addressed without impacting the current quality of student instruction at APS schools. The PTA feels that the following two budget cuts in the Superintendent’s proposed budget will negatively impact instruction and funding should be restored for both in the final budget.

The proposed budget eliminates all elementary school library assistants. Without a library assistant, our librarian would have little to no time to plan and teach our kids. Our library isn’t simply a place where students go to check out books. Much more happens, including teaching kids how to perform research and identify reliable online resources. Our TES librarian Kristen Brynsvold wrote a letter to the PTA outlining the lessons and topics addressed during students’ visit to the library. Please take the time to read her letter HERE.

The Superintendent's budget suggests schools make up any loss by seeking volunteers to fill the gap. The PTA feels that relying on a rotating cadre of volunteers is not workable at Tuckahoe or other schools across the county and will also lead to varying levels of library instruction across APS elementary schools.
The proposed budget eliminates all APS funding for the Outdoor Lab. While APS cannot close the Outdoor Lab, the proposed budget cuts all field trip bus funds and Outdoor Lab staffing funds. This effectively eliminates all possible APS field trips and student time at the Outdoor Lab. Information about the Outdoor Lab and the proposed budget cut can be found HERE. And an Outdoor Lab sample advocacy email can be found HERE. This proposal to de-fund APS' financial commitment to the Outdoor Lab fails to recognize the link to nature and outdoor education the Lab provides to all APS students, many of whom would not have similar experiences without the Lab.

The PTA believes that these two budget cuts are not consistent with the Superintendent's 2018-2024 Strategic Plan and specifically the mission statement that aims to create an inclusive community by working within core values that include equity and inclusion:

To be an inclusive community that empowers all students to foster their dreams, explore their possibilities, and create their futures (2018-2024 Mission Statement)

Links to background APS budget information can be found HERE.

How Parents Can Help:

Go to budget meetings or County and School Board open office hours to share your concerns in person;
Send a letter/email to all members of the County Board and School Board; See text below for use in a sample letter or draft your own – any communication helps show the importance of these two programs;

Sample Letter to School/County Board Members: (please edit to add in your personal voice and stories!)

Dear [School/County Board Member NAME],

As an Arlington County resident and parent of children in an APS public elementary school, I am writing to share my concern with the proposed elimination of all elementary library assistants and all APS student activities at the Outdoor Lab. I am strongly opposed to both proposed cuts.

One of the many reasons that I was drawn to Arlington and have my children in APS elementary schools is the excellent programming and instruction our kids currently receive. Our schools will not continue to excel if these types of cuts are the default way to close budget shortfalls. People live in Arlington in no small part because of the reputation of its schools. Our investment in them must remain robust and take into consideration, among other things, the growing student population and diverse and changing needs of all of our students.

At my child’s school, Tuckahoe, our librarian teaches our elementary students how to research, find reliable online sources on the internet and so much more. Without a library assistant, our librarian would not have time to prepare these invaluable lessons and continue providing this instruction to students. The Superintendent has suggested schools make up for the loss of their library assistants by seeking out community volunteers to perform their jobs. Given that much of the Tuckahoe parent population, and the County at large, is made up of dual working households, it is highly unlikely that parents will have the means to step in as volunteers to fill this gap. Moreover, we are not trained in library and research instruction – lessening the quality of learning currently provided to our students.

The Outdoor Lab is a unique resource that APS should take full advantage of in its mission to educate the whole child. The field trips our third and fifth graders make to the Outdoor Lab are a treasured experience that provides hands on learning that cannot be replicated in a traditional classroom environment.

[IF YOUR CHILD HAS BEEN TO OUTDOOR LAB ADD PERSONAL STORY HERE]

I understand that the School Board has to make difficult spending choices every year. However, with the amount APS spends per pupil, it should be able to manage its resources without eroding of the quality of APS schools. Please don’t balance the budget on the backs of our students by cutting entire programs and eliminating staff that interact directly with students to support critical learning skills. This lessens the quality of educational experiences our students receive.

Please work to ensure funds are available for APS to keep sending students to the Outdoor Lab and to retain our elementary library assistants.

Thank you,

[YOUR NAME, GRADE LEVEL, SCHOOL]

EMAIL ALL SCHOOL AND COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS:

School Board Members:

Reid Goldstein reid.goldstein@apsva.us

Tannia Talento tannia.talento@apsva.us

Barbara Kanninen barbara.kanninen@apsva.us

Monique O’Grady monique.ogrady@apsva.us

Nancy Van Doren nancy.vandoren@apsva.us

County Board Members:

Libby Garvey lgarvey@arlingtonva.us