What happened to short Mondays? What happened to Ryan? How do you pronounce Mcelveen? The mysteries of FCPS. I decided to get in contact with former board member Ryan Mcelveen, Pronounced Mac-le-veen, and ask him some of the most common questions I received. 

What happened to short Mondays? 

Short Mondays gave teachers an extra two hours of planning each afternoon and allowed students to get home two hours early. Unfortunately, this was terminated due to parents not being able to pick up their children due to work and other obligations. Instead, Fairfax County compensated by giving us extra snow days, and days off in general. 

Does FCPS watch us through our cameras? 

FCPS can not watch you through your cameras, only if your cameras are off. Ryan suggests if you are worried or concerned by this, tape your camera or more efficiently get a laptop camera cover. “That’s true for all electronics, whether or not they belong to FCPS” Said McElveen. 

Do board members have favorite high schools?

This depends entirely on the board member, Ryan sadly is “partial to Marshall High School, since that’s where I attended, but I hold a deep and abiding love for Oakton HS, as well”. 

My personal favorite, Are school lunches the same lunches that they serve in jail? 

No, they aren’t (there goes one of my biggest conspiracies). Ryan has worked with Food and Nutrition Services for his time as a board member to make school meals healthier and improved lunches. “check out the new salads and sandwiches (when you’re back in school, of course)!”

Do DMV counties compete with each other? 

Yes, they do. “FCPS and surrounding jurisdictions are part of what’s called the WABE (Washington Area Boards of Education) group, which shares information on budgets and finances. As a result, there’s a comparison document where you can search which district has the highest teacher salaries, spends the most on students, etc. So in this sense, yes, DMV counties are always competing.”

These were some of my favorite questions asked, and answered.