Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC)

Agenda

Meeting Minutes 

This initial welcome meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC) was facilitated by the staff liaison, Karin Williams. The purpose of the meeting was to orient the committee on their roles, responsibilities, and give a brief overview of the programs. The meeting started at 7:00 pm. The meeting was held in room 112 of 6805 Edsall Road, Springfield, VA. 22151, with an option to attend via Zoom.

1. Review and Approval of the Minutes:

•  No previous minutes to be approved.

2. School Board Introductions:

Joanna Beituni, Braddock
Susan Beeman, At-Large (McDaniel)
Helen Cole, Hunter Mill
Sebastian Pawlowski, Providence
Peyton Smith, Mt. Vernon
Darcy Kim, Springfield
Javier Caballero, At-Large (McEvleen)
Brian Thoreson, At-Large (Moon)                                                                                                                                                   Dr. Ricardy Anderson-School Board Liaison

3. Visitor/Public Speakers:

A group of Adult ESOL instructors attended the meeting. The group was not on the agenda but Karin Williams, committee staff liaison, did give them 5 minutes to address the committee. (note: future public speakers will need to be recognized on the agenda and be given 3 minutes to give testimony)

The group was represented by Charles Ronco, Mathematics Teacher, Falls Church High School. On behalf of the group of ACE ESOL instructors, Mr. Ronco explained the Adult ESOL instructors are seeking contracts, guaranteed hours, sick leave, and benefits. Some of the instructors have worked for many years without any formal contract. (Note: Mr. Ronco was contacted via email to provide a written summary of his comments.) Written Summary

4. Discussion of Community Advisory Committee Welcome:

Karin Williams: Presented a slideshow, which will be attached for reference. She directed the committee’s attention to the bylaws included in the Welcome Packet. Staff attend the meetings to support the committee’s work but are not members of the committee.

Requested volunteers for the nominating committee and acknowledged Susan Beeman and Peyton Smith as the selected members.

Explained the funding sources for the three main programs supported by the ACEAC committee.
 Fairfax Adult High School and High School Equivalency (HSE) programs are funded by the operating fund.
 Adult Community Education funded by tuition and some operating transfer.
 Adult ESOL is funded by tuition, operating fund transfer, and grants.

5. School Board Liaison update:

a. Dr. Ricardy Anderson: Addressed the committee, making general statements about the importance of the committee work. She plans to attend meetings to be a resource to the committee and encourages the committee members to keep their school board members engaged and informed.

b. Brian Thoreson: summarized the citizen testimony from the Adult ESOL teacher group for Dr. Anderson’s comment.

     i. Dr. Ricardy Anderson: Believes one of the collective bargaining units may cover instructors; she plans to get feedback from the labor relations administrator. She advised the staff liaison to have the guests reach out to the labor relations administrator to ask their questions for collective bargaining. The committee will have to decide if they want instructor contracts to be a future agenda item.

6. Committee Members discussion and questions:

a. Peyton Smith: Inquired about the possibility of applying for federal grants again and exploring private or public partnerships. He also noted the absence of the staff response from last year’s report. Would like an ESOL cost breakdown and information on each program.

b. Sebastian Pawlowski: Expressed concern that the committee’s recommendations often go unaddressed. Seems like a trend. Requested a breakdown of cost, revenue, marketing data, and enrollment information for programs. He also suggested exploring both private/public and public/public partnerships to support the programs.

c. Helen Cole: Proposed that the report be done every two years, as the current process takes up a significant amount of the committee’s time, potentially limiting their capacity for additional work.

        i. Dr. Ricardy Anderson: Cautioned against a two-year reporting cycle because the committee members are           appointed for one-year terms.

d. Susan Beeman: requested the percentage of classes that are hybrid.

       i.Paul Steiner: responded that he would provide this information after the apprenticeship classes are set.

e. Brian Thoreson: Asked about the origin of the committee’s charge and what drives it.

       i. Karin Williams: Explained that the previous committee drafted the charge, which was approved by the school board. The committee can update the charge with Dr. Anderson’s support. The initial thought was to support students in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes who may wish to continue their education with ACE programming.

7. Closing Remarks:

The committee unanimously agreed on the time, date, and location for the ACEAC committee.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm.

Agenda

Minutes

The regular meeting of the Fairfax County School Board’s Adult and Community Education Advisory Committee (ACEAC) was called to order on September 20, 2023, at 7:00 pm by Paul Steiner, ACE Administrator. The meeting was held in room 5039 of 8270 Willow Oaks Administrative Center, Falls Church, VA 22042 with an option to attend virtually via Zoom.

1. Review and Approval of the October Agenda
   1. The agenda was moved and approved unanimously.
2. School Board Updates
   1. Dr. Ricardy Anderson provided updates from the School Board.
   2. The School Board updated their Governance Manual to include Executive Expectations which outlines accountability for Superintendent Reid.
   3. Dr. Anderson provided updates on the on-going Compensatory Review. 
   4. Dr. Anderson is the new Budget Chair for the School Board.
3. ACE Program Updates
   1. Paul Steiner announced that on June 20, 2024, ACE will celebrate the apprentices who have completed their certifications and qualify for licensure for the Commonwealth in their field.
   2. Apprenticeship is on the rise with enrollment at approximately 240 current students.
   3. There are also more enrollments in our adult enrichment classes.
   4. Two new vehicles have been purchased for Driver’s Education, and although there is an approval to purchase four additional ones, there is a supply issue.
4. Adult High School Program Updates
   1. Michelle Morgan described the different programs offered under her purview:
      1. High School Diploma where student complete a standard diploma.
      2. High School Equivalency (HSE) where students earn a GED.
   2. There are over 276 enrollments as of September 1st.
   3. There are evening and day classes offered across many sites across the county.
   4. There have already been three graduations in the 2023 school year so far.
5. Officer Elections
   1. Paul Steiner reviewed the process for voting.
   2. The committee unanimously elected Ken Balbuena as Chair, as he ran unopposed.
   3. Johnelle Sweet agreed to serve as Vice Chair following a floor nomination and was elected unanimously.
   4. No ACEAC members expressed an interest in serving as Secretary, so staff will fill this role until an election is held, per the bylaws.
6. Chair Remarks
   1. Ken Balbuena shared his priorities for ACEAC this year.
      1. Diving deeper into the collaboration and alignment with Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee (CTEAC)’s efforts, which follows up on efforts begun in FY23.
      2. Exploring the SCYPT recommendations in greater detail as well as other county resources and the ACE Foundation.
      3. Expanding marketing and outreach efforts.
      4. Working with ACE staff on successfully integrating data collection into the new registration enterprise.
      5. Supporting career pathway programs.
   2. Ken proposed several subcommittees, and the ACEAC members agreed upon the following:
      1. Technology Subcommittee
      2. Completion-to-Success Subcommittee
      3. Marketing and Outreach Subcommittee
      4. SCYPT for Schools Subcommittee
      5. Data Analysis Subcommittee
   3. Ken encouraged ACEAC members to consider serving on these committees if they did not volunteer during the subcommittee list review.
      1. Ken reminded subcommittee members about FOIA laws and how it impacts subcommittee meetings.
   4. The committee discussed topics to be discussed in future meetings.
      1. ACE Foundation
      2. Collaboration with the Board of Supervisors who can help us understand county resources that are already available.
      3. RMR Marketing update and lessons learned after one year.
      4. CTE collaboration opportunities with CTEAC
   5. Ken also asked committee members to keep the FCPS strategic plan in mind for the term since it is a new guiding document for FCPS.
7. Closing Remarks
   1. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm following a motion of unanimous consent.

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