费郡（Fairfax）校董候选人Ryan答问录节选（三）
摘要: Ryan：大家好，我是瑞安。我刚到了北京。 我慢慢来回答大家昨天问的那几个问题。 Ryan：关于我的accomplishments and priorities, 我希望大家能看一下下面的图。 ctsns：@Ryan 谢谢你做得这些工作。请问你的竞 ...
 Ryan：关于我的accomplishments and priorities, 我希望大家能看一下下面的图。 ctsns：@Ryan 谢谢你做得这些工作。请问你的竞争对手在这些方面是什么态度，做了哪些工作？ Ryan：Our 对手 have no experience in school based issues. They agree on reducing class size and increasing teacher salaries, but they also want to cut the budget. This isn't possible. 88% of the FCPS budget is salaries, and we have cut $500 million and 2,200+ teacher positions from our budget over the past five years. All of the easy budget cuts are gone. ctsns：In your opinion there is a better way to face budget shortage instead of budget cutting? Ryan：We must raise revenue. I support a county meals tax (4% on each restaurant bill), which would raise $80-$100 million per year. The meals tax must be put to a referendum vote before it can be implemented. Many surrounding districts, including DC, Arlington, Alexandria, Vienna, Herndon and Falls Church have a meals tax. Ryan：Regarding student leadership programs, for the past three years I have hosted a "Student Advocacy and Innovation" workshop to which I invite student leaders from all the high schools. Some participants are Chinese students. I have also reached out to Chinese students who participate in the SAC (Student Advisory Council) to provide advice. Last year the second-place finisher in the race for School Board Student Representative was a Chinese girl from TJHSST. I reached out to her and have tried to mentor her so that she can run again for that prestigious position this coming year. Ryan：On reserves, we have several different reserves, most of which are for emergency purposes and are required by law. We cannot use these funds for programs. One more useful reserve is the "staffing reserve," which we rely on to hire teachers in schools with large class sizes. We've increased the size of this reserve in recent years to bring down large class sizes. Ryan：We also annually have a "carryover," which this year amounted to $33 million. (Some candidates falsely claim that this carryover is actually $158 million). This leftover money (which results from the salary lapse with teacher retirements etc.) will be put into the budget for next year. Ryan：Regarding the budget reduction list, I don't have any recommendations yet because we are waiting for our community budget task force to release its recommended cuts next month (November). While we will have to make programmatic cuts of some kind, we can also raise revenue by increasing student fees. The biggest such fee the school system currently covers is for AP/IB exams. Paying these fees amounts to a $5 million cost per year to the school system. Derrick：@Ryan who are this community budget task force? Ryan：On gender identity, I was the board member who proposed this policy change. While I understand this was concerning to some members of the Chinese community, there was a lot of misinformation that was circulated at the time. This policy change did NOT change any of our practices as a school system. What it did was ensure that transgender students and staff know that we respect them and value them as members of the community. Transgender students have a 40% rate of suicide attempts, and they need the same mental health supports as the rest of our students. Many Fortune 500 companies and other large school districts like LAUSD have had these same gender identity protections for many years. Ryan：Here is the list of budget task force members: http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2017/taskforce/docs/Budget%20Task%20Force%20Members.pdf Ryan：You can find more information about the task force here, including the current "menu of cuts" that we are examining for next year: http://www.fcps.edu/news/fy2017/taskforce/ Skiline：@Ryan 有人问，FCPS是花钱的，不负责cut budget,please clarify Ryan：I think what you mean is that FCPS is not able to raise revenue by itself (beyond special fees). Only the County Board of Supervisors can raise taxes, and they give a portion of that revenue (53% of the county budget) to the school system, and the school board determines how to spend that money. Part of the concern is that Fairfax is too dependent on property tax revenue (73% of its revenue) and needs to find other revenue streams. Also, Fairfax County only gets $0.19 in return for each dollar of tax money that is sent to the state government based on the LCI (local composite index). J Wu：@Ryan thank you for taking time to answer questions, it is very helpful. Since many teacher positions got cut in the last several years, what are the fcps teachers feedback on your proposal? Do you have teacher's support? Ryan：I am endorsed by both teachers unions, partially because they know that I (along with our current board) am very committed to raising teacher salaries. Even with a budget shortfall of $72 million next year, our board is working to raise salaries by more than 3% so we can stop some of our best teachers from moving to surrounding counties that pay them better. My wife @王璇 and father are current teachers, so I deeply understand the concerns regarding low teacher salaries and the cutting of teacher positions (and subsequent class size increases). 紫薇：@Ryan Thank you very much for your time. I heard a lot of concerns that the board will use money to install bathrooms for transgender students while cutting essential money for education. Also, many parents are scared of having "male" transgender students or teachers to go to girl's bathrooms. Could you talk about this? A lot of parents say they don't want “男阿姨”， i.e., transgender teacher, 去他们的女孩的侧所. 谢谢您。 Ryan：Great question. First of all, most if not all of our transgender students opt to use single-stall (closed-door) restrooms. However, this doesn't mean we plan to use money to build more restrooms. Instead, what MAY happen is that we will convert more faculty-use single stall restrooms for student use (at no cost). The idea that a male student or staff member could walk into school one day and use the female restroom is not true. Transgender students go through a thorough vetting process with the principal, counselors and parents before they are allowed to change restrooms--but again, they typically opt to use single stall restrooms. If a male student or staff member go into the female restroom, they will be punished, if not arrested. Ryan：Again, Los Angeles has had this policy for a decade, and they've never had a single incident of concern with a transgender person in a restroom. 紫薇：Thanks. I heard rumors say that CA public schools allow transgender students 根据他/她们的心情选择上厕所。如果他们觉得今天想上男厕就上男厕，明天想上女厕就上女厕。 所以这儿的家长也很害怕 Ryan：That's not true. I spoke with the program director for these issues in LA during a radio interview earlier this year about this issue: http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2015-05-11/fairfax-schools-adopt-new-policy-on-gender-identity 紫薇：有很多家长认为school board匆忙通过non discrimination policy， 没有听家长们的意见推迟一点。很生气，觉得你们不太愿意和家长勾通。那天有很多华人家长去了，觉得你那天态度不好。能说说你的想法吗？ 去的家长们认为你把他们当成 hate group 的。 ctsns：Regarding to class size reduction, which school districts have priority of receiving funds. Based on my observation, the districts where residents pay high real estate taxes,such as Dranesvill, has difficulty to get funding support. The political party which the school boarders represent will be a factor how the decision is made? Ryan：Another good question about gender identity. We followed our normal procedures for adopting a policy change. It was first introduced in March, came up for new board business on April 23 and for a vote on May 7. There were two public hearing opportunities for the public to give feedback. We heard the opponents of the policy change (many of whom do not even live in Fairfax County) loudly and clearly, and we disagreed with them. Like any issue, there were people on both sides, and we voted in favor of one side, so it's no wonder that part of the community would be disappointed. When they say that I had a bad attitude during that meeting, I am not sure what they mean. I stayed calm along with many of my colleagues, while one of our colleagues who opposed the change was out on national TV telling untruths about the implications of the change. 紫薇：谢谢回答 Ryan：The staffing formula is what determines class sizes. The formula gives extra resources to schools with needy and high-ESOL populations. This is critical to ensure these students are able to keep up with their peers. At the same time, I agree that class sizes are too high in the northern part of the county. That is why we implemented class size caps this year so that no class could exceed 30 students without receiving additional resources. It costs $26 million to bring down class size by 1 student countywide, so unfortunately doing so is very expensive. Political party does not have an effect on class size, although generally Democrats are more supportive of directing resources to needier students. In FCPS, this is what's referred to as "needs-based staffing." Sherry：I have a question about budget tool. It has a list of cutting class size by 1 or 0.5 student. I do not think it is workable. Each year, student number is different in each school. How can school regroup the class size ? ctsns：Thanks for your answer. To clarify my last question, it was if the Party has an effect on decision of who has the priority of receive the funds. Based on your explanation, even after reducing class size, the schools in Dransville district might still have as many as 30 students in a class. Correct. The Party affiliation of a district school board member doesn't have an effect on which schools receive funds. ctsns：Do you think needy base is one of the major reasons that cause the budget deficit? sherry：@Ryan 关于close the academic gap, 一直没有机会说。我自己认为应该集全社会之力，不完全只是给钱。前两年，我一直想把华人优质的力量去做volunteer. 我打了电话去Spanish church, 还有Herndon Huchison PTA, 得不到response. 我们进入不了他们社区。 Ryan：30% of our student population is considered FRM (free and reduced price meals), and that has an impact on our budget. However, that is not the cause of the current deficit. The deficit has been caused by a rapidly growing school district that doesn't have enough revenue to keep up. ctsns：Not just FRM, they are supported by lower staff to student ratio and better facilities Ryan：@Sherry every year class sizes will differ at each school, because students move in and out of the system. That is the reason we have a staffing reserve, so we can allocate teachers based on school need. 拖延症自救中心：@Ryan thanks for answering the questions. I have one question. As you mentioned, transgender teacher/student usually will choose single stall restroom. My question is, if they insist to use the boys or girls bathroom they preferred, then there is nothing a school can do to stop them, because by doing so, they will violate the newly approved gender policy.is my understanding correct? Ryan：@ctsns✨ The renovation of school facilities is not based on student socio-economic background. You are correct that schools with needy students have a lower staff-student ratio. Ryan：If they choose to use the restroom of the different sex, we cannot stop them because of FEDERAL law. The justice department could sue us if we were to do so. But again, transgender students want privacy just as much as non-transgender students do. Linda：@Ryan does that mean even now since it's under federal law, transgender student can use the restroom of the different sex? Ryan：Yes, but only after they undergo a thorough vetting process that includes the school administration, counseling staff and parents. Generally (if not always) transgender students choose to use single-stall restrooms since they want privacy, too. 紫薇：关于 LGBT, 再加问一个问题。很多家长担心school board 要把new LGBT content 加到FLE里。认为这些内容应该用 opt in 比较合适，而不是 opt out. 你觉得呢？ Ryan：No. We have taken parent input into account to ensure that sensitive topics are still opt-out. We actually refused to adopt several recommendations from our FLECAC (community advisory committee) which recommended making the topics mandatory. 心羽：http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151012/news/151019750/ http://abcnews.go.com/US/transgender-teen-sues-virginia-school-board-allegedly-allowing/story?id=31705065 Ryan, what would be your opinion for these two news? 小郁：I hope other questions than LGBT are not lost in this board!!! Everybody! Linda：I agree with you for mostly general situations. My concern is that it also opens the door for may-be-exceptional messy situation. 小郁：I want to know your (FCPS) plan of STEM programs. Also your opponents claim you (the incumbent) raised your salary by 60%, could you address to that? @Ryan Ryan：Those news articles show what happens when the school board fails to allow students to use the restroom of the opposite sex if that is their preference. The school board can be sued by the student or the federal government. Ryan：First, I voted no on the school board salary raise. However, it should be noted that the school board can only raise its salary in election years, and it hasn't been raised for 8 years. Also, we cannot raise our own salary. We can only raise the salary for the next board, beginning in 2016. 心羽：May I say you as school board member holds the strategy to allow students to use the restrooms of opposite sex in order to avoid possible law sues?@Ryan linda：So my understanding is that，you, as school board，will allow students to use bathroom of different sex, in order not to get sued. Is my understanding right? 小郁：Ok. Thx for the clarification Ryan：For STEM programs, we are doing so much in this area. When we passed full-day Mondays in elementary schools, we asked that STEM curriculum and world language curriculum be developed for the extra time in school (which amounts to an additional 72 days over the career of an elementary school student. Also, we we developed our "portrait of a graduate," we included a big emphasis on STEM, STEAM, and STEM-H because of the real-world skills the curriculum instillation in students. 小郁：How much money are we looking at that 60% raise? Sherry：让Ryan 休息一下吧。他已经online 快两个小时了。 在中国已经晚上十点了。 小郁：Have a good night Ryan：It amounts to $144K for the SB salary raise. 谢谢大家！晚安！ Joy Wang：现任校董年薪两万 涨百分之六十，等于一人加一万二。一共十二个人 |
