Despite currently being under investigation by the Virginia Attorney General’s Office—and at the center of a scandal covered in national news—the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system is still dismissively waving aside parents’ concerns and refusing to take responsibility. At issue is documentation from some 2,000 emails and other reports showing that the multiple schools within the districts withheld—or irresponsibly delayed—National Merit recognition from students and their families. Parents have repeatedly and publicly expressed concerns about this negatively impacting their children’s college applications and scholarship opportunities. Even so, in a recent open letter to parents, FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid, still concluded that there is no evidence of students’ academic opportunities being “impaired” by these events, nor evidence of “any effort to minimize or fail to celebrate students’ achievements.” But it’s not over. Speak Up! Fairfax—a local group of concerned parents and citizens—is collecting signatures for support of a Transparency on Student Achievement resolution that they will be delivering to the school board in just a few weeks. Please join your voice to the effort now. We are stronger when we speak together!
Join us on April 27th at the Fairfax County School Board meeting at 5:30pm for a rally and to support the resolution! It will be at Jackson Middle School - 3020 Gallows Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042
In general, the resolution:
Cites Virginia law and Supreme Court decisions upholding parents’ rights to be involved in their child’s education.
Makes it clear that withholding academic-performance information directly undermines parents’ ability to encourage and promote their children’s education and continued academic excellence.
Emphasizes the importance of honoring the dignity and worth of all students, including—rather than proactively excluding—high achieving students.
Calls on the FCPS to adopt a resolution stating that educators and school employees shall not excessively delay or intentionally withhold from parents any information transmitted to them that relates to any academic progress report, recognition, award, or postsecondary scholarship eligibility. (See the resolution in full below):
NEWS UPDATE: FCPS has announced a new “regulation” to attempt to cover itself in the midst of negative news coverage. But this regulation is narrowly formulated only to address information on National Merit Scholarship recognitions, and does not address any other academic achievement reports or recognitions. Please sign the petition to join with us in asking the school board to update it’s regulation to include the more comprehensive language of the resolution below:
Transparency to Parents Regarding Student Achievement
Whereas transparency and respect for parental rights are necessary conditions for an education system that allows parents and guardians to properly direct their children's education and celebrate their academic success; and
Whereas Virginia Code, Section 1-240.1 recognizes that “A parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child.”; and
Whereas the U.S. Supreme Court recognized in Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925) that “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations,” and later in Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972), that the “primary role of the parents in the upbringing of their children is now established beyond debate as an enduring American tradition.”; and
Whereas the deliberate or excessive delay in withholding from parents of important information by school personnel, including information about awards, scholarship eligibility, and admission to institutions of higher education, undermines parents’ ability to recognize and celebrate the achievements of their children and to encourage and promote their continued academic excellence; and
Whereas it is important to honor the dignity and worth of all students while also avoiding policies and procedures that hide the accomplishments of high-achieving students;
Therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County School Board, including any personnel employed by Fairfax County public schools, shall not excessively delay or intentionally withhold from parents any information transmitted to them that relates to any academic progress report, recognition, award, or postsecondary scholarship eligibility earned by the student as the result of the student's academic achievement, which may reasonably have a direct impact on the student's admission to an institution of higher education.
Adopted ______, 2023.
BACKGROUND:
Article on “disturbing paper trail showing how Virginia schools withheld student awards”
“Parents allege National Merit ‘coverup,’ as emails reveal intentional withholding of awards”
Parent report of school official explaining withholding of awards because of not wanting to hurt other students’ feelings
Open Letter to Students and Families from FCPS Superintendent
