Education Committee

The Federation’s Education Committee has worked as partners with FCPS to help improve the school system’s operations. We regularly provide input through testimony, regular informal communications, and by serving on a variety of standing and/or temporary committees. Over the past few years we have supported joint operations between FCPS and the County, encouraged more intensive investments in computing technology, pushed for greater strategic thinking, and encouraged our schools to maintain a strong Advanced Academic Program. In Richmond among our other accomplishments we are proud to have helped pass two pieces of long-awaited legislation: (1) In 2019 we helped obtain local control over our school calendar with the passage of SB1005 and HB1652 after almost a decade of advocacy, and (2) In 2020 we helped obtain greater flexibility to fund schools by more closely equalizing the taxing powers of counties with those of cities, through SB 588 and HB 785.   Recently we have advised FCPS on several significant issues (see below).