Applause fills the room as Fairfax Education Union (FEU) members– a mix of the Fairfax Education Association and Fairfax County Federation of Teachers– celebrate; the FCPS school board had unanimously voted to ratify the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in almost 50 years.
“We felt very proud of the work we did,” FCPS School Board Member Seema Dixit said. “I personally felt, since my son started FCPS 17 years ago, very connected to the staff of FCPS, so coming back and giving back to them felt very like a proud moment.”
The collective bargaining agreement was officially ratified 12-0 on Jan. 9, five years after former governor Ralph Northam signed a law that gave school boards collective bargaining rights. Previously prohibited through a state Supreme Court ruling in the 1970s, this law allowed the negotiation of FCPS wages with the district. The CBA includes salary improvements, such as a 7% Market Scale Adjustment (MSA) to salary scales in fiscal year 2026 and a 3% MSA and step increase in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
“[The proposal] is entirely reasonable and it put a small dent into the last 15 years of financial neglect,” former president of FEU and National Education Association Board of Directors member Kevin Hickerson said. “It’s the state that hasn’t put in the money.”
Additionally, for teachers, a 30-minute minimum block for teacher planning, the continuation of the extended-day contract for special education teachers, three days of bereavement leave and the creation of a Health Advisory Committee to consider affordable health options were included.
“I honestly think that this is good for our teachers,” junior Rufena Alim said. “People always focus on student improvement and I’m really glad teachers are also getting that attention as well.”
In 2021, the school board met with representatives from 17 FCPS-certified Employee Associations and discussed common issues and interest levels in participating in a collective bargaining agreement. In 2022, the Collective Bargaining Work Group submitted a draft resolution to the district. Then in March 2023, the school board passed a resolution that gave the right to collective bargaining before its ratification this year. According to Hickerson, members of the FEU often spent many hours outside of school for the ratification.
“I spent one day a week outside of school at Willow Oaks for about 10 hours a day,” Hickerson said. “Other nights that week we would go from five to nine. So it was anywhere from about 14 to 16 hours a week. Last evening we were up until 2:30 in the morning.”
However, in 2024, FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid dropped the annual proposed raise of 6% to 3% due to limited funding; a $300 million shortfall for fiscal year 2024. Efforts to ensure funding by Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors continue as the county is needed in providing financial support to FCPS, with the final county budget determining how much funding FCPS receives.
At the state level, a recent report from the Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission highlighted the potential for Virginia to address the long-standing underfunding for public education. If the state followed through on recommendations, Virginia’s underfunding of public education could be improved with FCPS possibly receiving an additional $568.7 million annually. However, these funds are currently contingent on state budget approval.
“[FCPS] doesn’t get enough money from the state,” Dixit said. “Altogether, Virginia is underfunded. So [the] challenge where we all, as a community, have to understand and come over is how to meet the budgetary needs of this increase in salary.”
As negotiations continue and budget discussions unfold, whether the necessary funding for CBA will be secured remains unclear. For now, FCPS staff and local officials continue to monitor the situation as they navigate Fairfax County’s fiscal landscape, especially with Reid’s budget proposal and County Executive Bryan Hill’s advertised budget on Feb. 18.
“But we still, at the end of the day, have to have a roof over our head and food on our plates,” Hickerson said. “That’s just not teachers – it’s all educators. That’s why it’s worth doing the work I do.”
