'The Difference' Lands at Fairfax - Sentinel

'The Difference' is wearing a striped polo shirt and a pair of blue jean short. Silting light next to him is his lather, equally casual sporting a blue and white L.A. baseball cap.

Both are absorbing the hottest days that Southern California can remember and both are fresh from Mamma's Soul Food restaurant polishing off a plate of ox-tails and black-eyed peas.

Far removed from their Jackson, Mississippi roots; the star basketball player and the father/coach/mentor had just left Fairfax High School in West Los Angeles where Renardo Sidney, Jr. enrolled for his junior year.

For most Southern Californians, it was just a disgustingly hot day, but for coach Harvey Kitani and the defending City and Division I State champion Lions basketball team, it was very cool.

By transferring from Artesia to Fairfax, the 6-foot-10-inch Renardo Jr., coined 'The Difference' by his father, Renardo Sr., is expected to change the landscape of high school hoops in the Los Angeles City Section.

At the very least, for the next two years, Fairfax will be the hottest ticket in town and 'The Difference' is the much-celebrated Renardo Jr.

Last season, in his first season of high school ball, he led the Artesia boys to the GIF Southern Section Division II and Division III State championships.

His rare gifts as a hoop phenom were envisioned as early as the time he was a seventh grader when his father Renardo Sr. and Jr.'s grandfather was watching him play and he dunked a basketball.

The following year, he was invited to the prestigious ABCD camp for the elite high school players in the nation and he earned co-MVP. 'The Difference' wasn't even in high school then.

Still quite humble and speaking with his twisted Southern drawl, Junior sat his white Sidekick down and discussed his future with the Sentinel.

Well, sort of. What he would not openly discuss are his college choices for fear of offending someone, but as for his prep career, it will conclude in the Lions Den.

Renardo Sr. explained that the primary reason for the move was to continue to support his older son, who is attending nearby Santa Monica College, and also because he felt the academics are better than what Artesia offered.

'My other son is going to Santa Monica Junior College and my wife works at Hollywood Hills so it would be much more convient for us to live in the Fairfax area,' said Renardo Sr.

The father explained that his primary reason for coming to Southern California was marketing for his son and more exposure.

'We're in a bigger ocean and in Mississippi we were in a pond,' he explained.

Hurricane Katrina did not have the effect on their home in Jackson that Renardo Jr. will have on the high school basketball landscape.

Compared to Kevin Garnett because of the versatility to his game, he can shoot it from the perimeter with candid accuracy, rebound like a beast and block shots like a volleyball player. Oh yeah, he can also handle the basketball like Magic Johnson.

It's clear to see why 'The Difference' has drawn so much attention wherever he's gone and why Fairfax, which already was the favorite to win the City crown this year, will now be a shoo-in.

Fairfax has produced such NBA players like Chris Mills and Sean Higgins and most recently Josh Shipp and Chace Stanback at UCLA and Jarren Shipp at Arizona State, but never in their wildest dreams have they ever had anyone like 'The Difference,'

Because of 'The Difference,' Westchester will be playing for second place in the Western League and for a shot to lose to Fairfax again in the City playoffs.

Says Renaido Jr., 'My dad told that I couldd be the first player to win a state championship in the City and CIF, but I hadn't really thought about it much.

'The Difference' will not have to because when he's hoisting that City and State trophy along with his teammates Chris Singleton et al, it will then be a reality.

[Sidebar]

Sentinel Exclusive

WELCOME TO THE CITY: Renardo Sidney, the No. I ranked player in the class of 2009, altered the hoops landscape in Southern California when he announced his transfer to City and Division I state champion Fairfax.

[Author Affiliation]

BY KENNETH MILLER

Parents Put the Pressure On Fairfax School Board; Well-Run, Savvy Groups Protest Planned Cuts - The Washington Post

They have fax machines and they are furious. They have a hotline and they know who to call. They have a computer bulletin boardand they know how to push the right buttons.

They are the parent lobby in Fairfax County, and they havemobilized with speed and precision since School SuperintendentRobert R. Spillane presented his budget plan three weeks ago with$42 million in recommended cuts in jobs and programs next year.

Facing the prospect of changes in some of their favoriteprograms - from special education to gifted and talented classes,from boys' gymnastics to swim and diving teams - thousands ofparents have organized a determined campaign to save what they sayis crucial to the quality of their children's education.

'We feel cheated,' said Robert Lepley, a parent coordinator ofthe swim team at Herndon High School and a leader in the parentprotest. 'I have a weird feeling about government. When they saythey are going to do something, they will do it, unless there isenough screaming and hollering.'

There has been plenty of both this month.

The campaign to save high school swimming and diving teamsalready has claimed some success.

After parents of many of the county's 1,300 swim team memberslaunched a blizzard of mailings and phone calls to School Boardmembers, who then peppered school staff members with 30 minutes ofquestions at a meeting last week, the superintendent backed down.

'I've changed my mind,' Spillane said. 'I'm putting it in thebudget. So let's go on. Let's stop this. We can do this all night. . . . I didn't want to cut a penny of that $42 million. Let'sremember that. Let's not put everyone on the defensive here aboutwhy this {cut} and why not some other. It's back in the budget asfar as I'm concerned. Now we'll find the $300,000 someplace else.'

That didn't stop the rally staged by parents of swimmers onSaturday at the regional meet at Oak-Marr Recreation Center inOakton, where about 800 swimmers paraded while chanting slogans suchas 'Save our sport.'

Although the decision to reinstate swimming and diving teams isin the hands of the School Board, some officials say what happenedThursday night is an example of the power of Fairfax parents. Manyof the parents in Fairfax, known for the quality of its schools, areprofessionals, government workers, college-educated, savvy,politically connected and fiercely protective of their children.

'They are really well organized,' said School Board memberKristen J. Amundson (Mount Vernon), who led a parent campaign to getconstruction of an elementary school on the county's bond referendumlast year, before she was appointed to the board. 'This is a verypolitical town. I think parents in Fairfax are a very sophisticatedgroup of people . . . . There are lots and lots of people who workfor the government . . . . They know how things work.'

Like any sophisticated campaign, the swim-dive effort startedwith a strategy session - a Saturday afternoon meeting of fourfathers in the living room of Fred Hintenach, who has two childrenwho swim.

The men barely knew each other, but by late afternoon they hadcompiled a list of parents to call and mobilize as well as a memolisting alternatives to cutting the program, such as instituting afee for all sports participants or an across-the-board trim of allteams.

'It got serious very quickly in order to figure how we could beeffective in a quick window,' said Hintenach, a manager with theU.S. Postal Service.

Within a week, the men had assembled 500 parents for a meetingin W.T. Woodson High School's cafeteria, where they started aletter-writing campaign, a hot line, bumper stickers and placards,and planned Saturday's rally.

As the Fairfax School Board prepares for three nights ofscheduled public hearings next week, other parents are pounding thepavement to rally support.

Parents of children identified as gifted and talented, a lobbyknown for its strength, have mounted a letter-writing campaign.Susan Provyn, president of the 900-member Fairfax County Associationfor the Gifted, said the lobby group started about 20 years ago whenthe program for such children was in danger of cancellation. Sincethen, the group of parents has been like an army waiting in thewings to fight whenever there is the slightest rumor about gettingrid of programs for gifted children.

'We're always on the defensive,' Provyn said. 'The programs arenot popular with most people. Just think of 133,000 students andonly 20,000 are participating in GT. There is a myth {that} thesekids, because they are smart, can make it' without special programs.

A month before Spillane released his plan to eliminate positionsof itinerate teachers who teach gifted and talented students infourth through the sixth grades, the group heard rumors and sent out'alerts' to its 600 members. Provyn, a former headhunter forfinancial executives, said she knew that the messages had to besimple to be effective.

The one-page letter in bullet format with talking points 'wasdesigned for busy people,' Provyn said. 'GT BUDGET ALERT ELEMENTARYSCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM IS THREATENED . . . . WILL THE CENTERS BENEXT???'

The 14 elementary and eight intermediate centers, which acceptonly students who score at 140 or above on I.Q. tests, were not onthe list of planned cuts, but Provyn said she knew that to pique theinterest of parents she had to let them know that if one thingfalls, all could fall.

'We wanted to get people's attention,' Provyn said. 'We reallyfelt like when you start whittling away at one piece of the program,you're in trouble.'

As Provyn worked, parents of children in special education alsolit up phone lines of School Board members to let them know theywould fight if the 'most vulnerable' children in the system wereaffected.

School Board members received letters from parents of musicstudents urging that the board not cut stringed instrumentinstruction for fourth-graders.

A panel of the County Council of PTAs recently emerged from aseries of meetings with a recommendation to raise taxes to saveprograms. The council has now set up a computer bulletin board bywhich PTA members can stay informed of the latest news by usingtheir home or office computers. They also can leave electronicmessages for other PTA members.

'It's a very fast way of getting information to people,' saidMarlene Blum, president of the PTA council. 'If you have thetechnology at home, you don't have to get somebody to send it in themail. If you need the name of a legislator or supervisor, you canget it from the system. You can just type in request and maybe evenget talking points.'

The swim and dive parents started a parent hot line withrecorded up-to-the-minute briefings.

'I'd like to inform parents . . . about a crisis that is aboutto take away high school swimming and diving from the area . . . .It is vital our families act to preserve swimming and diving. Timeis short. We have two weeks to flood them with letters,' a recordedvoice said on the hot line this week. 'Letters should be from theheart, expressing your displeasure.'

Like all good lobbyists, the parents also are savvy in workingthe media. A recent news release about Saturday's rally at theregional swim meet was sent by fax to reporters and editors, and itmade sure the reader knew interviews would be offered withorganizers and team members.

Police, Fire Games to Be Close to Home; Fairfax County Will Host World Competition in 2015 - The Washington Post

However easygoing his grin, Jim Pope is not a man to mess with.The 20-year veteran of the Fairfax County Sheriff's Departmentweighs 325 pounds, works out at a gym in three-hour increments andrecently broke four world weightlifting records at an athleticcompetition second only to the Summer Olympics in size.

'I can still compete with the kids,' said Pope, a Loudoun Countyresident and master deputy sheriff who started lifting weights inhigh school.

Pope, 50, made his mark at the World Police and Fire Games, a 10-day event for first responders that, organizers announced recently,Fairfax County will host in 2015.

Held biennially since 1985, the games feature about 65 sports.They include traditional favorites, such as track and field andbasketball, and career-specific ones, such as police dog explosivesand narcotics detection.

The 2009 games, hosted by Vancouver, British Columbia, early thismonth, attracted more than 10,500 competitors, nearly twice thenumber of athletes and officials expected for the 2010 WinterOlympics, also in Vancouver.

Despite the competition's size, Pope had never heard of it untila committee toured Fairfax in 2006, during the county's first bid tobe a host city. The county lost to Belfast for the 2013 games.

Having competed as an amateur weightlifter since 1988, Pope wasintrigued enough to fly to Australia for the 2007 games. There, hewon a silver medal in the bench press and a gold in the push/pullevent, which combines the bench press with a dead lift.

Videos posted online from this year's event show Pope's record-breaking efforts in a hotel ballroom before a crowd of cheeringonlookers. He bench-pressed 418 pounds Aug. 5, demolishing the oldrecord of 352 pounds and winning a gold medal. Three days later, hewon a second gold and broke other records when he lifted a combined1,127.5 pounds in the push-pull.

'I don't go to beat somebody else; I go to compete againstmyself,' said Pope, who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes fouryears ago and continues exercising, at least in part, to 'keep onefoot out of the grave.'

Competitors pay for their airfare and lodging, and the costs havelimited the number of local participants in the Police and FireWorld Games, said 2nd Lt. Bruce Blechl of Fairfax County police.

'There are only a handful who attend' from the county's police,fire and sheriff's departments, said Blechl, a runner who has beencompeting in the games' cross-country events since 1997. 'For thesize we have and the reputation we have, I thought we wereunderrepresented at these games.'

That might change when the games are here in 2015, said Blechl,executive director of Team Fairfax, a nonprofit group established in2005 to bring the games to the county.

The World Police and Fire Games Federation chose Fairfax overToronto and Winnipeg, Canada, to host the 2015 event. Openingceremonies will be at Nationals Stadium in the District, but most ofthe events will be in Northern Virginia, including at George MasonUniversity, Manassas National Battlefield Park and Quantico MarineCorps Base. The athletic village will be in Reston and closingceremonies at Wolf Trap. All events will be free to spectators.

'It's about showcasing Fairfax,' Sheriff Stan G. Barry (D) said,'so people actually come to Fairfax and spend time in Fairfax.'

More than 10,000 athletes are expected to descend on the regionbetween June 26 and July 5, 2015, infusing an estimated $35 millioninto the local economy.

Pope said he is looking forward to the proximity.

'It'll be less expensive,' he said.

And a home-team advantage?

Title-Starved Fairfax Raises Banner Season - The Washington Post

Fairfax is one of the oldest high schools in Virginia'sNorthern Region, but in the past six decades, the Rebels' boyssports teams haven't brought home many regional championship bannersto hang from the gymnasium rafters.

However, the school's football team Friday won its 10thstraight game, 15-14 over West Potomac in the AAA Northern RegionDivision 5 final. It was Fairfax's first regional football title andjust the second in any boys sport since the school opened in 1935.The victory moved the sixth-ranked Rebels (11-1) into a statesemifinal meeting with Patrick Henry-Ashland at Richmond Stadium onSaturday afternoon at 1:30.

'I guess the difference is getting over the hump finally,' saidFairfax Coach Tom Verbanic. 'We almost felt like we had thereputation that we could win our district, but we couldn't win ourregion.'

Fairfax's football team never has been known for saving itsbest for last. The Rebels advanced to the regional final only oneother time (1987). Since then, they twice completed undefeatedregular seasons (in 1988 and '91) only to lose in the first round ofthe playoffs.

One big reason this year has been different is quarterback GregMaddox, voted Northern Region offensive player of the year by theregion's coaches.

'Obviously, they would not be nearly as good without him,' saidLee Coach Joe Muskett. 'He is a winner. The kid knows how to getthe job done.'

Maddox, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior, can get the job done inseveral ways. He has completed 55-of-119 passes for 965 yards and 11touchdowns and has rushed for more than 500 yards and 16 touchdowns.After throwing only two interceptions in the first 11 games, hethrew three against West Potomac. But with the region title on theline, he led the Rebels on a 63-yard drive in the final 3 minutes 10seconds that resulted in a touchdown and decisive two-pointconversion.

When Fairfax defeated Lee, 23-6, in October, Lee concentratedon stopping the passing game, Muskett said. The Lancers limitedMaddox to 17 yards through the air, but he carried the ball for 90yards and two touchdowns on six carries. 'He's a kid who can just doit all,' Muskett said.

Maddox also draws praise for leadership and humility.

'Fairfax has played some teams that had more individualtalent, but Maddox was the difference,' Marshall Coach Dean Sislersaid. 'He elevates the players around him. ... He just has theother intangible qualities that go along with quality athletes.'

Maddox and his teammates are aware of the school's humbletradition in football.

'No one has ever {won a region title} before,' Maddox said.'The way I looked at it, if we lost, oh well ...'

But now that the Rebels are so close to a state championship,Maddox said he believes they could add a few more firsts beforetheir season ends - especially if running backs Charlie Turner andJohn Moore play well.

'I think I'm just one of the many people we have on offense,'Maddox said. 'When Charlie is running and John is running, it'salmost impossible to stop us.'

Maddox and the Rebels faced new circumstances in the regionfinal, falling behind for the first time since their only loss -17-0 to No. 1 Annandale early in the season.

Fairfax Police Chief and Safety Consultant - The Washington Post

Carroll D. Buracker, 66, a former chief of the Fairfax CountyPolice Department and chief executive of a public safety consultingfirm whose recommendations often led to major changes in policedepartments across the country, died April 22 at the WinchesterMedical Center in Winchester, Va., of complications from a stroke.He had lived in Harrisonburg, Va., since 1990 but maintainedpersonal and business ties to Fairfax.

Mr. Buracker joined the Fairfax police on New Year's Day of1966, and rose through the ranks to become chief in 1981, a positionhe held until his retirement in 1985. During his tenure, he workedto modernize law enforcement in Fairfax, adding a police helicopterprogram, installing computers in police cruisers and state-of-the-art dispatching gear, and acquiring armored vehicles for thedepartment's SWAT team. He also implemented an automated fingerprintidentification system and developed the department's own trainingfacility.

After his retirement, he formed Carroll Buracker & Associates,based in Harrisonburg. The company conducted more than 260efficiency and management studies of police, sheriff's and firedepartments; emergency medical services; 911 centers; and securityservices in more than 120 cities and counties.

He served as project manager for the comprehensive assessment ofChicago's new police-fire-EMS communications system and for anemergency dispatch study in Los Angeles. He also assessed theintegrated police and security plans for Seattle, Cleveland andelsewhere.

He became a national leader in setting standards of quality andbest practices for community policing in cities and urban countiesand was the project manager and executive producer for 'Beyond theBadge,' a community policing training video.

As a consultant, he didn't mince words. In 2005, he toldSpringfield, Mass., that its police force was 'dysfunctional,' thathe had never seen such upper-level friction between the police chiefand other senior officers, and that the city's data on crimestatistics were a shambles. Brian Buracker, his son and successor atthe company, noted that his father was invariably straightforwardbut always showed his clients how their problems could be solved.

Mr. Buracker also founded the Center for Public Safety, anonprofit company that was chosen by the Department of Housing andUrban Development to develop a comprehensive security assessment andblueprint to reintegrate a public housing development in Vidor,Tex., after black residents were forced out by the local Ku KluxKlan. The Center for Public Safety also conducted a nationwide studyof policing in federal subsidized housing.

Carroll David Buracker was born in Luray, Va., and was raised byfoster parents. He worked on farms while attending school yetmanaged to excel as an athlete at Luray High School, where helettered in four sports. A runner his whole life, he completed 12major marathons.

He served as an Army military policeman in Germany after highschool and worked briefly as a Harrisonburg police officer beforemoving to Fairfax. He received his undergraduate degree and hismaster's degree in law enforcement and justice administration in theearly 1970s, both from American University. He also graduated fromthe FBI National Academy.

He served as chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council ofGovernment's Police Chiefs' Committee and co-chaired the developmentof the Area Emergency Disaster Plan.

As police chief, he received the Fairfax County government's twohighest honors -- the Onthank Award and the Unusual Ability Award.He also received the Gold Salute Award from the United Black Fund ofGreater Washington for his efforts to promote women and AfricanAmericans in law enforcement.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Patricia Blair Burackerof Harrisonburg; his son Brian, of Fairfax County, and another son,David Buracker of Alexandria.

Fairfax Board Backs Half-Billion-Dollar Rebuilding of Schools - The Washington Post

Nearly half a billion dollars would be spent rebuilding andexpanding Fairfax County's aging and crowded school system over thenext five years under a plan a majority of the Board of Supervisorsendorsed yesterday.

If voters approve the bonds to finance the program, the schoolsystem will get $487 million in construction money, including about$175 million that traditionally would have been spent on parks,roads, sidewalks and other county building projects.

Fairfax Broaches Fee Increases; Officials Seek to Avert New Budget Shortfall - The Washington Post

Fairfax residents could face new or higher fees for parkadmissions, ambulance trips and services for the elderly, disabledand mentally ill under proposals being discussed by county officialstrying to avoid another huge budget shortfall.

One of the most likely new fees, county board members saidyesterday, is a plan to impose an annual charge of about $20 perhousehold to pay for improvements in the county's storm-waterdrainage systems, including ponds and pipes that collect runoff.

'That is one we will likely be looking at very seriously,'said county Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully).

The talk of imposing an array of new or higher fees comes justmonths after Fairfax supervisors helped close a $140 millionshortfall in this year's budget by endorsing the county's largestreal estate tax increase in two decades. Already, officials arepredicting a $30 million budget gap for fiscal 1998, a figure likelyto rise if county schools want an increase of more than 4 percent infunding.

Edward L. Long Jr., director of the county's Office ofManagement and Budget, sent a memo to 44 department heads and othercounty administrators last month asking them to identify areas inwhich fees could be imposed.

'What service/program is the county providing for which itdoes not currently charge a fee, but would be an appropriate area toinstitute a fee?' Long asked.

Long and his staff are beginning to prepare Fairfax's nextbudget, which will be presented to the county board early next year.

Few specific plans for fee increases have been drafted, Longsaid, but a long list of options has surfaced, including new fees toenter certain county parks, to use meeting rooms at county librariesor to get decals to park in certain neighborhoods near Metrostations or schools. Fees also might be increased for services tothe disabled, elderly or mentally ill, and fines charged for overduelibrary books could be pushed up, Long said.

Even though the budget crunch likely will not be as severe nextyear, pressure on board members to impose new or higher fees will begreater. That is because last spring, when the board adopted thefiscal 1997 budget, most supervisors indicated that they would notback another real estate tax increase during the remaining threeyears in their term.

'When there is more pressure not to increase property taxes,then other fee generators get more attention,' Long said.

Supervisors said yesterday that they are open to consideringfee increases, particularly for services that are used by a selectgroup of residents, such as special parking districts orrecreational services.

'We will take a look at what is brought forward,' saidSupervisor Sharon S. Bulova (D-Braddock), chairman of the board'sbudget committee. 'That does not mean we will do it, but we willlook at it.'

Other supervisors warned that the board must proceedcautiously, because county residents, still smarting from the realestate tax increase, may revolt.

'If we charge a fee for everything the government provides,people are going to say, `Why do we pay taxes?' ' said SupervisorStuart Mendelsohn (R-Dranesville).

In Fairfax, fees, fines and other user-based charges nowgenerate about $59 million a year, the largest chunks coming fromfees charged for care of school-age children and to developers whoapply for county permits. That represents about 3.5 percent of thecounty's $1.69 billion budget.

Fairfax supervisors last spring approved an increase of up tonearly 18 percent in child-care fees and a 15 percent increase infees for reviewing road and sewer development plans. Fees to playgolf, ice-skate or reserve a picnic shelter also went up.

But the board rejected several other fee recommendations byCounty Executive William J. Leidinger and his staff, such as plansto charge for ambulance rides, for organized sports leagues to usecounty fields, or for county residents to use Lake Fairfax and BurkeLake parks.

Long said yesterday that some of those same proposals maysurface again. But county board Chairman Katherine K. Hanley (D)said she doubted they would win support, as board members alreadyhad decided against them.

Dorothy Tella, president of the Fairfax County TaxpayersAlliance, said her group supports the concept of fees for servicesthat are used by a limited number of county residents.

Fairfax Confronts Limit On School Capital Funds - The Washington Post

Fairfax County's School Board endorsed a plan last night thatcalls for spending $603 million for new schools and otherconstruction projects over the next five years. But officialsacknowledged that the system has only enough money now to pay abouta quarter of that amount.

The plan highlights continuing budget troubles in affluentFairfax that have slowed spending on new schools, renovations andother construction projects in the area's largest school system.

It May Pay to Advertise in Fairfax Schools; Officials Consider More Sponsorship - The Washington Post

The 2,300 students at Westfield High School in Fairfax Countyadvertise the AF in Abercrombie & Fitch on their T-shirts and theswoosh of Nike on their sneakers. They walk by Coke machines to reachtheir classrooms, where a few computers have a small Apple on themonitor.

Corporate America's presence on the Chantilly campus may not endthere.

The region's largest school district -- and the country's 14thlargest -- may deliberately expand the level of corporate sponsorshipacross Fairfax, including advertising or sponsorship on school Websites and in cafeterias, gymnasiums and auditoriums and on athleticfields.

No other school district in the Washington area has such a deeprelationship with the corporate sector.

'Given the revenue shortage we are facing -- we have so many areasof need -- we have to look at all potential sources of revenue,'Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech said.

There could one day be a Dell technology lab or a Reebok biologywing in some of Fairfax's 20 high schools. A report released lastweek by a committee of Fairfax school officials, parents andcommunity leaders recommended hiring a consultant to determine howmuch money schools would get in exchange for naming rights.

But Fairfax's 12 school board members are divided on the issue,and they predict that county residents will be, too. For some, theschoolhouse remains the only place free of corporate intrusion, andthey believe that Fairfax should not be dipping its toes into whatthey characterize as the cesspool of commercialism.

'I don't want children to be bombarded with advertising,' said JanAuerbach, a parent from McLean who was on the fundraising committee.'I just don't want to see it in a public facility.'

But at a time of declining state revenue and increasing schoolbudgets, the school district would be wrong to ignore corporatesupport, said backers of the idea. Like it or not, commercialism isembedded in school culture, with marketers having found their captiveaudience years ago, they said.

'We are naive if we think kids do not understand the power ofmarketing and have the power to reject it,' said Dale Rumberger, theprincipal of Westfield High who also served on the fundraisingcommittee. 'Kids are much, much smarter than we give them creditfor.'

These issues are being hashed out in school districts across thenation, where tight fiscal times make such sales pitches harder toignore. In 1998, a school district in Jefferson County, Colo., soldthe naming rights of its athletic stadium to the local telephonecompany for $2 million over 10 years. But in Seattle, communityprotest forced the school board to abandon a $1 million-a-year planto sell advertising to eliminate a $35 million budget shortfall.

Prince George's County Superintendent Iris T. Metts has encouragedthe district's athletic directors to consider selling advertising andnaming rights to the county's gymnasiums, stadiums and athleticfields as a way to offset a 37 percent cut in athletic budgets. Noaction has been taken.

The Montgomery County School Board is considering a policy thatwould allow corporations -- as well as PTAs and other privateindividuals or groups -- to help pay for capital building expenses.

The current discussions in Fairfax are colliding with anincreasingly grim revenue forecast for next year. School officialsbelieve they will lose at least $36 million in state aid because ofthe sputtering state economy. In addition, school planners project aninflux of 3,000 students next year, which will cost another $28million. This year's Fairfax school budget is $1.4 billion.

At Fairfax's Westfield High School, each of the four outdoorscoreboards carries the flowery script of the Coca-Cola logo. Cellphone companies rent space to attach their towers to the tallathletic-field light posts of eight high schools for an initial$25,000 and a $2,000 monthly fee, said Tom Brady, an assistantsuperintendent.

Outside the technology labs at Thomas Jefferson High School forScience & Technology are small plaques bearing the names of thecompanies that paid for the equipment in each lab.

And vending machines are in every school, though in elementaryschools they usually are limited to teachers' lounges. Profits fromthe machines are split between the school and the district, whichuses the money to cut the price of a reduced lunch.

Marketing on school grounds allows companies to build brandloyalty with customers at a young age. And it enhances a company'sreputation to fund and receive credit for things associated with aquality education -- such as new library books or computers -- inaddition to things associated with sports, like scoreboards.

Curtis Etherly, vice president of public affairs for the Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Co., based in Columbia, said the companyis careful to let schools and communities take the lead.

'We ask our school customers to determine how that relationshipshould be shaped,' he said. 'We've never looked at putting Coke inthe classroom.'

Fairfax school officials don't know how many corporaterelationships the district has; there is no official tally. And theyacknowledge that district guidelines on advertising in schools arevague and outdated.

That's why the fundraising committee was formed. The schooldistrict found it was receiving an increasing number of proposalsfrom corporations and didn't know how to respond. 'The big questionis, what's it really worth?' said Fairfax Deputy Superintendent AlanE. Leis. 'Is there really enough money to justify it before we startdown this path?'

At a School Board meeting last week to discuss the issue, boardmembers spent about 30 minutes weighing the possibilities before amajority present said a consultant should be hired. But severalmembers expressed doubts.

'My initial reaction to a lot of this is, whoa, let's hold off,'said Cathy Belter (Springfield).

Board Chairman Jane K. Strauss (Dranesville) was equally hesitant.

'I have real reservations about selling advertising anywhere otherthan in the school newspaper,' she said.

But others insisted that it was important to look into it. 'Ithink we ought to at least have a study,' said Chris Braunlich (Lee).

'What was anathema to all of us for years, we're now saying, hey,let's get with the program,' said Dennis Nelson, the principal ofFloris Elementary School in Herndon. 'This is the 21st century. We'repossibly sitting on a gold mine, and we may not know it.'

Nelson, who also served on the fundraising committee, works in a48-year-old building, the oldest in the county that has not beenrenovated yet. He is battling mice and an erratic heating system. Hehas four trailers on his campus this year and will have seven in thenext two years.

'Schools should be holy, schools should be sacred,' Nelson said.'But the bottom line is, where is the money going to come from?'

Westfield High School is under the Dulles International Airportflight path, Rumberger said, and he wants to investigate what itwould cost to advertise on his roof -- which can't be seen by any ofhis students but is in full view of thousands of airline passengersdaily. Rumberger wouldn't estimate how much revenue he couldgenerate, but another school official said that such advertisingcould bring in about $3.5 million over 10 years.

Fairfax Girl, 16, Killed in Crash of SUV; New Driver Was Speeding on Dark Road Behind Friend, Police Say - The Washington Post

A 16-year-old Fairfax girl was killed Friday night when her sport-utility vehicle flipped on its side and skidded into the back of astopped car driven by a friend, Fairfax County police said yesterday.

Lauren Sausville, a junior at Fairfax High School, was the 17thteenager killed in a traffic accident in the Washington area sincemid-September.

Police said the driver of the car she was following, a 17-year-old Fairfax High student, had been drinking, and he was charged withdriving while intoxicated.

Police were still investigating where Sausville and her friend hadbeen Friday night before they reached Colchester Road and FairfaxStation Road in a sparsely populated area of southern Fairfax.Sausville was driving a 1999 Ford Explorer, and her friend wasdriving a 1994 Mazda MX6. There were no passengers in either car.

Police said the 17-year-old was heading south on Colchester Roadjust after 11 p.m. and stopped the Mazda at the stop sign for FairfaxStation Road. He then watched the accident unfold in his rearviewmirror. Police spokeswoman Mary Ann Jennings said the youth reportedwatching the Explorer run off the road into an embankment, flip ontothe driver's side and skid down the road toward him.

As the Explorer got closer, the youth tried to pull away, Jenningssaid, but the Explorer was sliding too fast and slammed into theright rear of the Mazda. The impact crushed the roof of the Explorerand drove Sausville back into the rear passenger compartment.

Sausville was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said it tookabout 90 minutes to extricate her body from the wreckage.

Police estimate that Sausville was driving 55 to 60 mph onColchester Road, which has a speed limit of 35 mph, Lt. Dan Townsendof the police traffic unit said. He said she had been driving forfour months.

'This crash had all the variables,' Townsend said. 'There were nolights on that road, you've got an unstable vehicle, an inexperienceddriver and an overcorrection with the steering wheel.'

A fatal crash involving teenagers on Interstate 95 in October alsoinvolved an SUV and an overcorrection. In that accident, a 16-year-old driving a Cadillac Escalade started to change lanes, realizedthat another car was already there and swerved back to her originallane, causing the Escalade to topple, police said. A passenger on theside where the Escalade landed, 17-year-old Laura Lynam ofAlexandria, was killed.

The youth driving the Mazda was not seriously hurt, though therear of the car was crumpled and the rear window shattered. While hewas talking to police, Jennings said, officers suspected he wasintoxicated. His blood-alcohol content was later measured at .08,Jennings said, which is the state's defined level for intoxication,and he was arrested. His name was not released because he is ajuvenile.

Jennings said Sausville's blood-alcohol level was not available,pending the completion of toxicology tests.

In an attempt to deter drunken driving during the holiday season,Fairfax police on Wednesday launched their Safe December program witha roving squad of officers focused on arresting impaired motorists.In the first three nights of the program, the officers made 28 DWIarrests in the county.

Fairfax Calendar; Community Events - The Washington Post

QUILT SHOW, traditional patterned quilts and throws and modernadaptations, Japanese sashiko and wearable quilted art on display.10 a.m.-2 p.m. daily through March 23, Unitarian UniversalistChurch, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston. Free. 703 742-7992 orwww.uureston.org.

'LOVE LETTERS AND LINIMENT,' readings based on the diaries, loveletters and photos related to the 66-year marriage of civil rightspioneers Mary Ellen and Edwin B. Henderson. Noon-1 p.m., Cherry HillFarmhouse, 312 Park Ave., Falls Church. Free; reservations required.703-248-5171.

FINANCIAL PLANNING DIVORCE WORKSHOP, learn practical informationabout the financial components of the property settlement agreementfrom divorce planners Aubrey Ann Smith and Debbie Marson. Sponsoredby The Women's Center. 7-10 p.m., Investment & Resource PlanningAssociates, 10600 Arrowhead Dr., Suite 310, Fairfax. $55; members,$45; registration required. 703-281-2657 or www.thewomenscenter.org.

JOHN WAITE CONCERT, 8 p.m., the Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 TrapRd., Vienna. $35. 703-938-2404 or www.wolftrap.org.

PAINTING DEMONSTRATION, artist Armand Cabrera demonstrates hisoil painting technique, starting with a blank canvas and paintingfrom a small sketch, finishing in one setting, at a meeting of theMcLean Art Society. 10:30 a.m., McLean Community Center, 1234Ingleside Ave. Free. 703-790-0123.

ANTIQUES SHOW AND SALE, dealers display and sell furniture andcollectibles, sponsored by the Vienna Parks and RecreationDepartment. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-5p.m. Sunday, Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St. SE. $4.50. 703-255-6360.

FAMILY SKATE NIGHT, bring your roller skates or inline skatesand safety equipment. Parents are required to stay with children andare welcome to participate. 6:30-8 p.m., Vienna Community Center,120 Cherry St. SE, Vienna. $1. 703-255-6360.

WOMEN'S BENEFIT AUCTION, a 'women's only' evening of wine,champagne, hors d'oeuvres, chocolate and an auction of skills andservices, such as dinner and a private wine tasting at the CapitalGrille; customized personal-training sessions; a day of golf with aprofessional, including lunch and cocktails; a private (eightpeople) cooking lesson with a professional chef, followed by dinner;and much more, all to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities. 7-10p.m., Historic Wilson Farr House, 10172 Main St., Fairfax City. $75.703-698-7080 or lisarmhc@vacoxmail.com.

THEATER PERFORMANCE, the F/X Players of the Fairfax High SchoolDrama Department perform Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit.' 7:30 p.m.Friday, Saturday, Feb. 29 and March 1; 2 p.m. Sunday and March 2,Fairfax High School, 3500 Old Lee Hwy., Fairfax City. $10; seniorsand students, $5. 703-219-2351 or www.fxplayers.org.

CELTIC AND RENAISSANCE CONCERT, performance by Linn Barnes andAllison Hampton. 8 p.m., Old Town Hall, 3999 University Dr.,Fairfax. Free. 703-352-2787.

VIRGINIA OPERA, a performance of Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin.'8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday; 45 minutes prior to the start ofeach performance, Virginia Opera representatives will lead adiscussion, George Mason University, Center for the Arts ConcertHall, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax. Friday, $44, $72, $86; Sunday,$48, $78, $94. Tickets, 888-945-2468; information, 703-993-8888 orwww.tickets.com.

WASHINGTON SAXOPHONE QUARTET CONCERT, 8 p.m., the Barns at WolfTrap, 1635 Trap Rd., Vienna. $30. 703-938-2404 or www.wolftrap.org.

ANNUAL ECOSAVVY GARDENING SYMPOSIUM, Green Spring MasterGardeners bring together experts to share practical information onenvironmental issues, focusing on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed andthe impact of the community upon the environment, sponsored by theVirginia Cooperative Extension and supported by Fairfax County ParkAuthority and Green Spring Gardens. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Green SpringGardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria area. $45; boxedlunch (meat or vegetarian), $11; registration required. 703-642-5173.

CHILD SUPPORT, CUSTODY AND VISITATION, attorney David Levydiscusses how Virginia courts determine the best interests of thechild and what to expect during custody proceedings. 10 a.m.-1p.m., Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 1545 Chain Bridge Rd.,McLean. $55; members, $45; registration required. 703-281-2657 orwww.thewomenscenter.org.

INTERIOR DESIGN CAREER WORKSHOP, professional decorators anddesigners discuss career opportunities in interior design and thetraining and education required to break into the field. 10 a.m.-1p.m., The Women's Center, 127 Park St. NE, Vienna. $55; members,$45; registration required. 703-281-2657 or www.thewomenscenter.org.

CHILDREN'S 19TH-CENTURY TEA, for ages 8 and older, bring a doll,dress in period clothing, play parlor games and have tea. Noon-1p.m., Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave., Falls Church. $10;reservations required. 703-248-5171.

PTA FUNDRAISER EVENT, for adults, an auction of movie tickets,pedicures, sports memorabilia, rounds of golf, jewelry and muchmore, sponsored by the William Halley PTA to support technology,cultural arts, field trips and many other school programs. Horsd'oeuvres served. A cash bar will be available. 7-10 p.m., LaurelHill Golf Club, 8701 Laurel Crest Dr., Lorton. $20. 703-455-4487 orssmcanes@aol.com.

COLLEGE FINANCIAL PLANNING WORKSHOP, for parents of students in10th-12th grades, attorney and certified financial planner DavidBrandolph discusses the financial aid process, borrowing forcollege, creative alternatives for students, government help andmore. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Congregation Beth Emeth, 12523 Lawyers Rd.,Reston. Free; registration required. 703-860-4515, Ext. 127.

STORYTELLING, celebrate Black History Month with author andstoryteller Alice McGill. 1 p.m., Centreville Regional Library,14200 St. Germain Dr., Centreville. Free; registration required. 703-830-2223.

TEA TASTING COURSE, sip and savor teas and experience thesubtle nuances of flavor, followed by a traditional English tea. 1-3 p.m., Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandriaarea. $25; reservations required. 703-941-7987.

TERRESTRIAL ORCHIDS LECTURE, Dr. William Mathis, author of 'TheGardener's Guide to Growing Hardy Perennial Orchids,' discusses thecultivation of hardy terrestrial orchids. 1:30-3 p.m., Green SpringGardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria area. $10;registration required. 703-642-5173.

CONCERT AND GAME DAY, for the whole family, the String-N-Thingstrio performs 'Musical Camera Safari' with a farm-animal soundsguessing game. An assortment of board games available for all ages.Concert, 2-3 p.m.; board games, 2-4 p.m., Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709West Ox Rd., Herndon. Free. 703-437-9101.

DUKE ELLINGTON'S SACRED MUSIC, performed by GMU Jazz and VocalJazz Ensembles and the Berlin Musikhochschule Jazz Choir. 3 p.m.,Vienna Baptist Church, 541 Marshall Rd. SW, Vienna. Free. 703-993-8888 or www.gmu.edu/departments/music.

MASTER SINGERS OF VIRGINIA, with organist Paul Skevington, aperformance of Bruckner's 'Mass in E Minor,' Walton's 'The Twelve,'and Poulenc's a cappella Lenten Motets. 4 p.m.; pre-performancelecture, 3:15 p.m., St. Luke Catholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike,McLean. $20; senior and students, $15. 703-655-7809 or www.msva.org.

SPRINGFIELD BINGO, for age 12 and older, no smoking permitted,ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult. 7 p.m. Sundays andTuesdays, the Greater Springfield Volunteer Fire Department, 7011Backlick Rd. $1-$35. 703-569-9828.

SIERRA CLUB PROGRAM, a multimedia slide show 'Wild Utah:America's Redrock Wilderness.' 7-9:30 p.m., Reston Community Centerat Lake Anne, 1609 Washington Plaza, Reston. Free. 703-506-4310.

WOMEN'S CLUB PARTY, a prospective-member night and Mardi Grasparty presented by the New Dominion Women's Club. 7:30 p.m., McLeanCommunity Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean. Free. 703-748-0677.

FAIRFAX CITY COUNCIL MEETING, 7 p.m., Fairfax City Hall, 10455Armstrong St. 703-385-7935.

FINANCIAL PLANNING WORKSHOP, Lisa A.K. Kirchenbauer, aregistered life planner and certified financial planner, discusseshow to find your passions and build financial plans around them. 7-9 p.m., The Women's Center, 127 Park St. NE, Vienna. $45; members,$35; registration required. 703-281-2657 or www.thewomenscenter.org.

VIDEO DISCUSSION SERIES, a screening of the Art:21 documentary'Paradox,' featuring the work of artists Jennifer Allora, MarkBradford, Guillermo Calzadilla, Robert Ryman and Catherine Sullivan.7:30-9 p.m., GRACE, Greater Reston Art Center, 12001 Market St.,Reston. $7; members, $5; reservations required. 703-471-9242.

WINTER CONCERT, performance by the GMU Wind Symphony andSymphonic Band. 8 p.m., George Mason University, Center for the ArtsConcert Hall, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax. $15; seniors andstudents, $10. 703-993-8888 or www.gmu.edu/cfa.

BAND CONCERT, performances by the Woodson Concert Band and theWoodson Symphonic Band. 7 p.m., W.T. Woodson High School,auditorium, 9525 Main St., Fairfax. Free. 703-503-4600.

CHINESE CONVERSATION GROUP, for adults to practice speakingChinese. 7:45-8:45 p.m., Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Pl.,Oakton. Free. 571-225-7697.

FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, , Luther Jackson MiddleSchool, 3020 Gallows Rd., Falls Church. 571-423-1050.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING, 'Foundations of Writing: MemoirWriting Workshop,' with instructor Cheryl Aubin. 8:45-10:30 a.m.Thursdays through May 29. Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St.SE, Vienna. $98.75; Vienna residents, $79. 703-255-6360.

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS WORKSHOP, attorney Roy J. Bucholtz discussesemployment rights in Virginia, including information on sex, age ordisability discrimination, termination notices and severancepackages. 7-9 p.m., The Women's Center, 127 Park St. NE, Vienna.$45; members, $35; registration required. 703-281-2657 orwww.thewomenscenter.org.

GENERAL ADMISSION DANCE, music by Roomful of Blues. 8 p.m., theBarns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Rd., Vienna. $22. 703-938-2404 orwww.wolftrap.org.

-- Compiled by JEAN MACK

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School Board Budget Cuts Start Impacting Fairfax County Athletics - The Washington Post

Cuts to high school and middle school athletic department budgetsapproved in May by the Fairfax County School Board will begin to befelt next week, as schools open and sports seasons get underway.

In May, the board voted to eliminate boys' gymnastics as a varsitysport, to cut all middle and high school intramural activitiesfunding, and to significantly cut back travel costs for athleticteams as part of a $40 million package of system-wide cuts and feeincreases. The cuts will be felt by many students, county athleticdirectors say.

Varsity boys' gymnastics, which was cut because of dwindlingparticipation over the past few years (only about 100 boysparticipated in 2002), could be replaced by gymnastics on a 'clubsport' level. Coaches and judges could volunteer their time, or themoney to pay judges and coaches would have to be raised entirely byprivate fund raising. Transportation would most likely be in the formof carpooling.

Eric Kim, who coached Lake Braddock's gymnastics team to theVirginia AAA Northern Region championship in May, said he doubtsgymnastics will survive as a club sport because of the difficulty offinding quality coaches and judges who will work for little or nopay.

'Do [coaches] want to sacrifice all that time for no pay?' saidKim. 'I don't think so. I sent a letter to the judges who would bewilling to judge for gratis or a discounted rate, so we'll have towait and see.'

Herndon athletic director Bill Hildbold said individual schoolswould get to decide whether the existing gymnastics equipment can beused by club teams, but maintenance on such equipment -- essential ina sport that yields many injuries -- could become a problem since thecounty would not fund it. He also said club gymnastics would face a'space issue' as schools tried to find gymnasium time for meets.

As for intramural sports such as basketball, volleyball, ping-pong, weight training and badminton, the school gym has been open forstudents to participate after school hours until this school year.The county will no longer pay a staff member to supervise open gym.

'I think it will hit hard in September . . . where the kids startcoming to the gym in September and the lights are out. That's whenit's going to impact,' said Fairfax athletic director Pat Laing. 'Youonly have 40 percent of our kids playing [varsity or junior varsity]athletics in a school of 1,800 to 1,900 kids. The other 60 percentcount on open gym time. That's the thing that hurts. Some of them aregoing to be ending up in the malls just walking around.'

A few years ago, Laing said, funding was cut for intramural sportsat the spring budget meeting, but was re-allocated that fall. BrucePatrick, the Coordinator of Student Activities and Athletic Programsfor Fairfax County, said he does not foresee the same thing happeningthis year. Any intramural activities, he said, would have to besupervised by staff on a volunteer basis.

'It comes down to more people volunteering their time,' Hildboldsaid. 'Teachers, administrators . . . people are being asked to domore for less.'

Disability Disputed; Fairfax Officer With War Injury Sues to Keep His Job - The Washington Post

As a young Fairfax County police officer, Erik Tate also held aspot in the Marine Corps Reserves, so when his unit was called toSaudi Arabia in late 1990 for Desert Shield, Tate gave up hispatrolman's uniform for a soldier's.

Three months later, Tate nearly gave up his life when his militarytruck crashed in the Kuwaiti desert and caught fire, killing thedriver who sat next to him. Tate suffered burns over 65 percent ofhis body and lost most of his left leg.

Doctors predicted two years of recovery. But Tate fought back,learned to walk again with an artificial leg and returned to fullduty as a Fairfax police officer in January 1992--about nine monthsafter the accident.

Now, Fairfax County wants Tate off the police force.

Police commanders recently notified him that because of hisinjuries, they are placing him on light duty--a job classificationthat he calls unnecessary and that county policy says he can have foronly one year. If his condition hasn't improved within 12 months,officials say, he can either take a civilian job or be fired.

Fairfax police officials said they have nothing against Tate buthave a policy of not keeping permanently injured officers on thepayroll for 15 or 20 years.

'The purpose of the policy,' which went into effect two years ago,'is to ensure that people in police officer positions are able tofunction as police officers,' said Deputy Chief Richard J. Rappoport.

It was carefully devised, he said, and has nearly wiped outrestricted duty rolls.

Tate, who says no county doctor has ever tested his mobility orquestioned his capacity to perform 'essential job tasks' of a policeofficer on the street, has responded with a lawsuit in U.S. DistrictCourt in Alexandria.

He seeks not only to keep his job but also to get compensatorydamages and legal fees.

'I must've read it about 100 times,' Tate, 34, said of the letterinforming him of his pending dismissal. 'I still read it. I can'tbelieve it's happening to me.'

It isn't the first time the issue has arisen. Two years ago,Fairfax police sent Tate a similar notice. He filed a complaint withthe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and provided a letterfrom his doctor saying he was fit for full duty.

The department reinstated him, and the EEOC ruled that Fairfax wasin violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Now, the issue has returned. 'You get frustrated, disappointed,'Tate said. 'You think you have closure to something, it opens it backup. And it's not just about Erik Tate now. I have two little ones,'he said, noting that he supports his wife, Shirl, and two boys, ages5 and 18 months.

Rappoport noted that the EEOC opinion did not carry the authorityof a federal court, which enforces discrimination law.

'We're confident that we're in compliance with any federal statutewith regards to employment law,' he said.

Tate's lawyer disagrees. Her client has a high-tech titanium kneeand leg that allows him nearly full mobility.

'They say, without any basis, they don't think he could run,'lawyer Carla M. Siegel said. 'But in fact, he can. He playsbasketball, he goes skiing, he can patrol streets, he can workaccidents. For the department to say, 'We're going to presume youcan't do all these things,' that's a prime example ofdiscrimination.'

Tate was something of a local hero in 1991 when he returned from athree-month stay in a military hospital in Germany. Fellow Fairfaxofficers donated enough paid leave to support Tate for a year.Friends and classmates from South Lakes High School in Reston, wherehe graduated in 1983, organized a benefit basketball game againstmembers of the Washington Redskins, including Gary Clark, Art Monkand Charles Mann.

'At that game,' Tate said, then-Chief John E. Granfield 'said I'dhave a job whenever I'm ready. That was a motivational tool for me.'

The game raised $8,500 for Tate, who in turn pledged to organize asimilar event the next year for Children's Hospital. This time, hewould be playing, he promised.

And he was. 'Scored six points, too,' said Tate, with the enduringbraggadocio of a former three-sport varsity athlete.

But getting to that point was agonizing. He struggled through skingrafts and uncomfortable prosthetics and gradually became mobileagain. In January 1992, he joined the warrant squad, helping trackdown and arrest criminals.

'No problems,' Tate said. With his disability concealed, thebarrel-chested Tate said no one ran from him, 'and I didn't tellpeople, 'I've got one leg, and now I'm going to lock you up.' '

After Tate's first tour of restricted duty and then hisreinstatement, Fairfax police began requiring that their own doctorsexamine officers. The doctors ruled that Tate did not meet thestandards for an active-duty officer, although Tate said they neverlooked at his titanium leg or asked him about his abilities on it.

Fairfax Writes West Final Chapter - Sentinel

Willie West Loses Final Game at Fairfax

Crenshaw fans witnessed the end of an era Tuesday night as Willie West coached his final game for the Cougars.

As the final seconds ticked away players and fans let the tears flow as they said goodbye to the man who has patrolled the sidelines since 1970 and is seen by many as the face of their school.

Fairfax won the second round playoff game 88-65, but their victory took a backseat as the moment belonged to West who addressed the end of his career with a quiet dignity.

'I've enjoyed the competition and I've enjoyed this rollercoaster for 39 years,' he said.

Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani embraced West after the game and shared some brief words of gratitude and appreciation for a man that he calls 'an icon of City basketball.'

'I thanked him for all the years of development, character, and making his guys play as a unit,' said Kitani. 'All those great teams he had, he got them to play hard, play with dignity and pride, play together, play to win. He always had his teams ready to go.'

In the pressure-packed atmosphere of the Fairfax gym, both teams were ready to go from the opening tip. The game started off red- hot as the score was 13-10 in less than three minutes of action. Fairfax pulled ahead and took a 26-21 lead at the end but both teams played solid basketball, making few mistakes and running their offenses to near perfection.

But the Lions proved why they were the #1 seed in City Section as they hit three consecutive three-point baskets to open the second quarter. When Crenshaw cut the lead to eight with five minutes left, Fairfax forward Chace Stanback emphatically slammed home a missed shot that retook their momentum. The Lions then clamped down on defense, limiting Crenshaw to one field goal in the final five minutes and went into halftime with a 49-32 lead.

The lead would grow to 21 in the third quarter before Crenshaw made their move. The Cougars took the lead down to 13 and had a chance to trim the lead even further, but Stanback made a huge block on Crenshaw's next shot attempt and the Cougars turned the ball over on their next two possessions.

It turned out to be their last serious threat as Fairfax extended their lead back to 20 by capitalizing on the turnovers and missed free throws that have been the Achilles' heel for Crenshaw all season. Stanback, who will play for UCLA next season, led the way for Fairfax with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks

The farewells did not just stop with West. Longtime assistant coach Maurice Duckett, who has been with Crenshaw for 25 years, also coached his final game and expressed the sadness of leaving the bench for the last time.

'I knew we could have played better, but it goes like that sometimes,' said a visibly moved Duckett who said that he will continue to support the program and looks forward to spending more time with his family.

Senior forward Darnell Gant led Crenshaw with 18 points and even though his career will continue at Washington next year, he had a hard time saying goodbye to the coach who told him as a freshman that they would be leaving Crenshaw together.

'I wanted to get him a championship, but it looks like I can't do that now. He's moving on with his life and I gotta move on with mine too,' said Gant.

West will move on to Arizona where he and his wife have a home waiting for them. He will be remembered for 803 wins, 16 City Titles and eight state titles but his true success has come from teaching his players the values of hard work, discipline and to carry one's self with pride and dignity.

He left the court with his head held high and admitted that it will be strange that he won't be on the sidelines next year

'I'm going to miss it no doubt about it,' he said. 'It's going to be different... but the only way for me to get out of it is to leave the city.'

And with those words, Willie West said goodbye to Crenshaw, leaving behind a nearly four-decade legacy that will never be forgotten by those who were a part of it.

[Sidebar]

Wille West retires from Chrenshaw High School

[Author Affiliation]

BY EVAN BARNES

Fairfax County Community Calendar; Community Events - The Washington Post

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL'S FUTURE, 'Foretelling the Future ofProfessional Baseball,' panel discussion by sports writers FrankCresesi, Paul Dickson, Bill Gilbert, John Holway and James C.Roberts, 7-8:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Spectrum Center,1851 Fountain Dr., Reston. Free. 703-437-9490.

PERSONAL HISTORY CLASS, for people interested in documenting theirlife stories, no previous writing experience required, 9-10:30 a.m.Thursdays, through Feb. 27, Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St.SE, Vienna. $15; preregistration required. 703-255-6360.

FAIRFAX AUCTION TALK, David Quinn of the Auction House of FallsChurch discusses how an auction works, how to bid and more, plus amock auction, a meeting of the Fairfax Antique Arts Association, 7p.m., Oak View School, 5004 Sideburn Rd. Free. 703-323-4803.

POTOMAC SUNSET SAIL, weather permitting, a dory boat ride on thePotomac River, includes discussion of Alexandria history, sponsoredby the Alexandria Seaport Foundation, 6-7:30 p.m. Fridays andWednesdays, Waterfront Park, between Prince and King streets.Suggested donation, $8; reservations required. 703-549-7078.

ALEXANDRIA SENIOR DANCE, music by the Mount Vernon Swing Band,7:30-9:30 p.m., Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Rd.,Alexandria. $4 a person. 703-765-4573.

CAPITOL STEPS IN MCLEAN, political satire performance group, 8p.m. Friday and Saturday, McLean Community Center, Alden Theatre,1234 Ingleside Ave. $30. 202-432-7328 or 703-790-9223.

SENIORS BIKE TRIP, for 50 and older, an 18-mile bike ride alongthe C&O Canal to Harper's Ferry, W. Va., includes van transportation,snacks and lunch, sponsored by the Vienna Parks and RecreationDepartment, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., van departs from the Vienna CommunityCenter, 120 Cherry St. SE. $65; Vienna residents, $55; rental bikes,$20; helmets, $3; preregistration required; space limited. 703-255-6360.

GREAT FALLS PARK DISCOVERY DAY, nature exhibits; ranger programson snakes, vultures, gold-panning and canal tours; live raptorspresented by the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia; music by the MillRun Dulcimer Band; and a campfire program on Native Americans, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Great Falls Park, 9200 Old Dominion Dr., McLean. Freeadmission; $5 a car; reservations accepted for spot at the campfire.703-285-2965.

SPIES OF WASHINGTON TOUR, bus tour of espionage-related sites inNorthern Virginia, Georgetown and other parts of the District, lunchon your own at the International Spy Museum in Washington, sponsoredby the Cold War Museum, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., bus departs from the PentagonCity Metro station. $55. 703-273-2381 or www.coldwar.org.

VIENNA HISTORY WALK, led by Town Council member Maud Robinson,includes the Windover District, the Old Library, the W & OD Cabooseand Church Street buildings, sponsored by the Vienna/Oakton AreaBranch of the American Association of University Women, 10 a.m.-noon, Freeman Store, 131 Church St. NE. Free. 703-938-1581.

RESTON MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL, live music, dance performances,storytelling, arts and crafts, children's games, information boothsand cultural displays from the United States, Australia, Asia, LatinAmerica, Eastern Europe and other parts of the world, co-sponsored bythe Reston Community Center, rain or shine, come dressed in yournative attire, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Lake Anne Plaza, Baron Cameron Avenueand Village Road. Free. 703-476-4500.

MCLEAN PIG ROAST, with music by Fly by Night, sponsored by theMcLean VFW Ladies Auxiliary, 3-10 p.m., McLean VFW Post 8241, 1051Springhill Rd. $15. 703-883-9250.

FAIRFAX ARTS AND CRAFTS, stained glass, drawings, woodworking,dolls, porcelain, calligraphy, jewelry, fused glass, watercolors,quilts, leather work and more, plus door prizes and food for sale, 10a.m.-5 p.m., Robinson High School, 5035 Sideburn Rd., Fairfax. $3; 12and younger, free. 703-426-2100.

ALEXANDRIA WILDFLOWER SALE, fall flowering plants, springephemerals and sun and shade plants, sponsored by the PotowmackChapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., GreenSpring Gardens Park, Alexandria. Free admission. 703-920-1913 or 703-534-8179.

FAIRFAX ART SHOW AND AUCTION, Send a Kid to Camp VA Jaycee benefitevent, featuring works in oils, lithographs, serigraphs, enamels,prints, watercolors and more, plus an hors d'oeuvres reception,sponsored by the Jaycee Mission Inn Foundation for children with AIDSand Camp Virginia Jaycee for mentally retarded children and adults, 2p.m., American Legion Post 177, 3939 Oak St., Fairfax. $10; couples,$15. 703-502-0161.

CLIFTON NATURE PROGRAM, for children accompanied by an adult,'Little Critters,' 1-2:30 p.m., Audubon Naturalist Society, WebbSanctuary, 12829 Chestnut St., Clifton. $8; adults, free;preregistration required. 703-803-8400.

FAIRFAX PIANO CONCERT, Jeffrey Siegel performs Mozart, Haydn andHummel, 7 p.m., George Mason University, Center of the Arts, BraddockRoad and Route 123, Fairfax. $32.50 and $37.50; 12 and younger, half-price. 703-218-6500.

PARENTS WITHOUT PARTNERS, support group for single parents,meeting for prospective members of Fairfax Chapter 715, 3-4 p.m.,Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Rd., Burke. Free. 703-451-6119 or 703-866-7896.

ANNANDALE CRAFT SALE, 'American Autumn,' pottery, baskets, glass,porcelain, carved wood and more, sponsored by the Artisans UnitedCraft Gallery, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, through Nov. 4,Packard Center, Annandale Community Park, 4022 Hummer Rd. Freeadmission. 703-941-0202.

FAIRFAX COUNTY BOARD MEETING, Board of Supervisors, 9:30 a.m.,Fairfax County Government Center, Board Auditorium, 12000 GovernmentCenter Pkwy. 703-324-3151.

FAIRFAX CITY COUNCIL MEETING, 7 p.m., Fairfax City Hall, 10455Armstrong St. 703-385-7935.

HERNDON ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCE, no partner necessary, all dancestaught by dance leader Barbara Harding, with fiddler Don McFall, 7:45p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, Harding Hall, 730Jackson St., Herndon. $3. 703-437-3615.

SENIORS SCIENCE COURSE, for 50 and older, 'Science Topics,' eightweeks, subjects range from molecular biology to outer space, 11:30a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays, George Mason University, Learning andRetirement Institute, 4210 Roberts Rd., Fairfax. Free;preregistration required. 703-503-3384.

SENIORS PUBLIC ACCESS TV TOUR, a behind-the-scenes view of thecounty public access TV Channel 10, plus information about a six-week program on how to produce a TV show, sponsored by the ViennaParks and Recreation Department, 1:30-2:30 p.m., 2929 Eskridge Rd.,Suite S, Fairfax. Free; preregistration required. 703-255-6360.

-- Compiled by Ria Manglapus

Fairfax Data Show a Third of Black, Latino High Schoolers Lagging - The Washington Post

More than one-third of Fairfax County's black and Hispanichigh school students had a grade-point average lower than C lastyear, according to figures compiled by the district at the requestof a School Board member.

The report showed that 38 percent of African Americans and 37of Hispanics at the county's 23 high schools averaged less than a C,compared with 15 percent of white students and 17 percent of Asianstudents. The figures were for the first three quarters of the1997-98 school year.

School Board Vice Chairman Robert E. Frye Sr. (At Large), whorequested the data, called the statistics for black and Hispanicstudents 'appalling.' He said he was particularly surprised that thetwo high schools with the worst performance by minority students --South Lakes High in Reston and Madison High in Vienna -- are inrelatively affluent areas of the county. At each of those schools,half of black and Latino students had an average lower than C.

Frye, who is African American, said he believes the weakgrades stem from low expectations on the part of the minoritystudents and their parents. 'I want to make sure that the boardprovides the resources to help schools focus on this issue,' hesaid. 'What I'm really afraid of is that this sort of acceptance ofperforming at a marginal level will become the standard at certainschools.'

Both Frye and School Board Chairman Mark H. Emery (At Large)also said that the overall percentage of Fairfax high schoolstudents with a below-C average -- 20.6 percent -- is too high for adistrict with Fairfax's academic expectations.

Officials in several other Washington area districts saidyesterday they had not done a comparable study of their students'grades.

Gerald W. Bracey, an Alexandria educational researcher, saidit is difficult to know what the Fairfax numbers mean in relation toother school systems because grading is subjective and policies varywidely among districts and individual schools. Lower grade-pointaverages at a particular school could mean that its students areperforming poorly, or it could mean that its teachers are toughergraders, Bracey said.

Among Fairfax middle school students, 25 percent of blacks, 20percent of Hispanics, 6 percent of whites and 5 percent of Asianshad an average lower than C, according to the report. The findingsmirror other reports that show lower achievement by black andHispanic students.

Frye asked for the study last year to gauge the potentialimpact of a proposal that would require Fairfax middle and highschool students to carry a C average to participate inextracurricular activities.

The proposal followed recommendations by the Virginia ParentTeacher Association and the Virginia School Boards Association toraise the minimum state requirements, which allow a student to playsports with five D's and two F's -- a 0.7 average.

Fairfax Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech said there is nosimple explanation for the gaps between racial groups. A student'sperformance is influenced by factors such as family income and theamount of support the student receives at home, Domenech said.

'Early identification {of academic problems} is key, becauseby the time they're in high school, it's almost too late,' he said.

Rick Nelson, president of the Fairfax County Federation ofTeachers, said he believes the gap in grade-point averages has moreto do with family income than with race. He also cited decisions bysome principals to promote students despite teachers'recommendations not to.

'The path of least resistance and headaches is to just passthe kid along,' Nelson said. 'Unfortunately it catches up with kidsin high school, and that's what you're seeing in these numbers.'

The School Board has ordered a study on social promotion andasked staff members to develop more remedial programs for studentsat risk of repeating a grade.

Advertising May Pay, Fairfax Officials Say - The Washington Post

The 2,300 students at Westfield High School in Fairfax Countyadvertise the AF in Abercrombie & Fitch on their T-shirts and theswoosh of Nike on their sneakers. They walk by Coke machines to reachtheir classrooms, where a few computers have a small Apple on themonitor.

Corporate America's presence on the Chantilly campus may not endthere.

The region's largest school district -- and the country's 14thlargest -- may deliberately expand the level of corporate sponsorshipacross Fairfax, including advertising or sponsorship on school Websites and in cafeterias, gymnasiums and auditoriums and on athleticfields.

No other school district in the Washington area has such a deeprelationship with the corporate sector.

'Given the revenue shortage we are facing -- we have so many areasof need -- we have to look at all potential sources of revenue,'Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech said.

There could one day be a Dell technology lab or a Reebok biologywing in some of Fairfax's 20 high schools. A report released lastweek by a committee of Fairfax school officials, parents andcommunity leaders recommended hiring a consultant to determine howmuch money schools would get in exchange for naming rights.

But Fairfax's 12 school board members are divided on the issue,and they predict that county residents will be, too. For some, theschoolhouse remains the only place free of corporate intrusion, andthey believe that Fairfax should not be dipping its toes into whatthey characterize as the cesspool of commercialism.

'I don't want children to be bombarded with advertising,' said JanAuerbach, a parent from McLean who was on the fundraising committee.'I just don't want to see it in a public facility.'

But at a time of declining state revenue and increasing schoolbudgets, the school district would be wrong to ignore corporatesupport, said backers of the idea. Like it or not, commercialism isembedded in school culture, with marketers having found their captiveaudience years ago, they said.

'We are naive if we think kids do not understand the power ofmarketing and have the power to reject it,' said Dale Rumberger, theprincipal of Westfield High who also served on the fundraisingcommittee. 'Kids are much, much smarter than we give them creditfor.'

These issues are being hashed out in school districts across thenation, where tight fiscal times make such sales pitches harder toignore. In 1998, a school district in Jefferson County, Colo., soldthe naming rights of its athletic stadium to the local telephonecompany for $2 million over 10 years. But in Seattle, communityprotest forced the school board to abandon a $1 million-a-year planto sell advertising to eliminate a $35 million budget shortfall.

Prince George's County Superintendent Iris T. Metts has encouragedthe district's athletic directors to consider selling advertising andnaming rights to the county's gymnasiums, stadiums and athleticfields as a way to offset a 37 percent cut in athletic budgets. Noaction has been taken.

The Montgomery County School Board is considering a policy thatwould allow corporations -- as well as PTAs and other privateindividuals or groups -- to help pay for capital building expenses.

The current discussions in Fairfax are colliding with anincreasingly grim revenue forecast for next year. School officialsbelieve they will lose at least $36 million in state aid because ofthe sputtering state economy. In addition, school planners project aninflux of 3,000 students next year, which will cost another $28million. This year's Fairfax school budget is $1.4 billion.

At Fairfax's Westfield High School, each of the four outdoorscoreboards carries the flowery script of the Coca-Cola logo. Cellphone companies rent space to attach their towers to the tallathletic-field light posts of eight high schools for an initial$25,000 and a $2,000 monthly fee, said Tom Brady, an assistantsuperintendent.

Outside the technology labs at Thomas Jefferson High School forScience & Technology are small plaques bearing the names of thecompanies that paid for the equipment in each lab.

And vending machines are in every school, though in elementaryschools they usually are limited to teachers' lounges. Profits fromthe machines are split between the school and the district, whichuses the money to cut the price of a reduced lunch.

Marketing on school grounds allows companies to build brandloyalty with customers at a young age. And it enhances a company'sreputation to fund and receive credit for things associated with aquality education -- such as new library books or computers -- inaddition to things associated with sports, like scoreboards.

Curtis Etherly, vice president of public affairs for the Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Co., based in Columbia, said the companyis careful to let schools and communities take the lead.

'We ask our school customers to determine how that relationshipshould be shaped,' he said. 'We've never looked at putting Coke inthe classroom.'

Fairfax school officials don't know how many corporaterelationships the district has; there is no official tally. And theyacknowledge that district guidelines on advertising in schools arevague and outdated.

That's why the fundraising committee was formed. The schooldistrict found it was receiving an increasing number of proposalsfrom corporations and didn't know how to respond. 'The big questionis, what's it really worth?' said Fairfax Deputy Superintendent AlanE. Leis. 'Is there really enough money to justify it before we startdown this path?'

At a School Board meeting last week to discuss the issue, boardmembers spent about 30 minutes weighing the possibilities before amajority present said a consultant should be hired. But severalmembers expressed doubts.

'My initial reaction to a lot of this is, whoa, let's hold off,'said Cathy Belter (Springfield).

Board Chairman Jane K. Strauss (Dranesville) was equally hesitant.

'I have real reservations about selling advertising anywhere otherthan in the school newspaper,' she said.

But others insisted that it was important to look into it. 'Ithink we ought to at least have a study,' said Chris Braunlich (Lee).

'What was anathema to all of us for years, we're now saying, hey,let's get with the program,' said Dennis Nelson, the principal ofFloris Elementary School in Herndon. 'This is the 21st century. We'repossibly sitting on a gold mine, and we may not know it.'

Nelson, who also served on the fundraising committee, works in a48-year-old building, the oldest in the county that has not beenrenovated yet. He is battling mice and an erratic heating system. Hehas four trailers on his campus this year and will have seven in thenext two years.

'Schools should be holy, schools should be sacred,' Nelson said.'But the bottom line is, where is the money going to come from?'

Westfield High School is under the Dulles International Airportflight path, Rumberger said, and he wants to investigate what itwould cost to advertise on his roof -- which can't be seen by any ofhis students but is in full view of thousands of airline passengersdaily. Rumberger wouldn't estimate how much revenue he couldgenerate, but another school official said that such advertisingcould bring in about $3.5 million over 10 years.

Corporate help for Fairfax schools?; Proposed foundation prompts questions on existing nonprofit group - The Washington Post

Cash-strapped and seeking new sources of revenue, FairfaxCounty's public school system is again reaching out to the privatesector.

The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce unveiled plans Tuesday fora new nonprofit foundation that would allow companies to donatemoney to benefit the county's public schools. Stuart Mendelsohn, thechamber's outgoing chairman and a partner with the law firm Holland& Knight, said during the group's annual luncheon that a 'moreformal announcement' about the foundation would come this summerand that the new nonprofit would fill a 'much-needed' void.

But the new foundation raises questions about the future of thecounty's chief education nonprofit entity, the Fairfax EducationFoundation, which was formed in Falls Church in 1983 by a group ofarea business leaders. Since its creation, the technology-focusedgroup has raised and contributed roughly $23 million in cash andhigh-tech equipment for more than 30 county school projects. Butdonations to the organization have fallen sharply since 2004, whendonors gave nearly $600,000.

The foundation also has been locked in a long-running battle withschools Superintendent Jack D. Dale and Fairfax County School Boardmembers, who say it has done little in recent years to boost theschool system's reduced revenue.

Last year, the foundation received $329,891 in cash and in-kindcontributions, according to financial records on file with thefederal government. Its sole paid employee, Chief Executive James S.Rosebush, was paid $130,000 in salary in 2009, which issimultaneously listed as payment for fundraising performed byRosebush and his Washington firm, GrowthStrategy.

Members of the school board have been especially critical of thefoundation's fundraising efforts, calling them too focused ontechnology initiatives, and of the salary paid to Rosebush, 61, whowas an assistant to President Ronald Reagan and first lady NancyReagan and who started a financial management company more than twodecades ago.

School Board member Judith 'Tessie' Wilson (Braddock) said sheexpected the new education nonprofit organization to 'supplant theold' Fairfax Education Foundation. 'After this most recent budget, Ihad a lot of parents come up and ask me, 'Well, how can I give moneyto keep some of these programs?' ' Wilson said. 'The way the oldstructure worked, it wasn't tapping into many of the corporationsthat wanted to invest in our schools. This gives them a new option.'

Rosebush said that he was 'not aware' of the new nonprofit's formation and that the Fairfax Education Foundation's trustees wouldbe 'discussing and researching how best to move forward.' ButRosebush also said the foundation has pursued contributors on a'project-by-project basis,' pointing to a distance-learning programstarting this year that purchases video-conferencing equipment forclassrooms.

Fairfax's public schools approved a $2.2 billion budget lastmonth that cuts 200 positions, introduces new fees for sports andAdvanced Placement tests, and gets rid of programs that havesupported some of the county's poorest schools. The school system'supcoming budget is about $35 million less than last year's.

'We have worked tirelessly to raise money, and we will continueto work to achieve innovative technology solutions for theclassrooms of Fairfax County,' Rosebush said.

Tensions between the foundation and the school system have beenbrewing for years. In March 2008, Dale asked the foundation torevamp itself and focus on 'cutting-edge opportunities for ourstudents, our teachers and our schools,' according to a memo hewrote to its board. In that letter, Dale also asked for $145,000 infunding for two school programs that had recently lost county andgrant support.

But little was done, Dale said, and he resigned from the FairfaxEducation Foundation's board last year.

kravitzd@washpost.com

Fairfax Students Work Harder To Make the Grade - The Washington Post

Dear Extra Credit:

This is in regard to recent columns on the Fairfax County gradingsystem, including a letter by Marcy Newberger of McLean [ExtraCredit, Fairfax Extra, Oct. 26]. You are absolutely correct thatthere is nothing average about Fairfax County public schools, but Idon't believe that Ms. Newberger's statement that Advanced Placementstudents don't receive extra points for the harder courses isexactly true.

Yes, Fairfax County has a tough grading policy:

A is 94-100; B-plus is 90-93; B is 84-89; C-plus is 80-83; C is74-79; D-plus is 70-73; D is 64-69; F is 0-63.

A score of 90-93 is often an A in other school districts, soFairfax public school students (honors or not) have to work harderfor the A.

However, GPAs are calculated using a 'quality point method,' andthis is FCPS Regulation 2462.4:

'Quality points are numerical values assigned to grades for thepurpose of determining a numerical average. Quality points shall beassigned to grades earned in all courses for which credit isreceived, as follows . . .'

It notes that an A is a 4.0, B-plus is 3.5, B is 3.0, C-plus is2.5, C is 2.0, D-plus is 1.5, D is 1.0 and that F is .0.

Then it states (most notably) that 'Advance Placement (AP)courses and specified International Baccalaureate (IB) courses shallbe weighted for students who pass the course and sit for theappropriate AP or IB exam by applying an additional .5 quality pointto the quality point value assigned to the final grade. An exceptionoccurs if a grade of F is assigned. For example, a final grade of Ain an AP course shall receive 4.5 quality points for purposes ofcalculating grade point average.'

So an honors student does receive extra credit for doing well inan honors class.

This begs the question of how universities view high school GPAs.My hope would be that they would examine each school's gradingpolicy. However, I'm not confident that is always the case.

I recently applied to George Mason University's Graduate Schoolof Education, and had to calculate my undergraduate GPA. GMUspecifically instructs applicants to use the scale of A as 4, B as3, C as 2, D as 1, and E or F as 0 and 'not give credit for plusesor minuses' when calculating undergraduate GPAs. A B-plus iscalculated as a 3.0, and an A-minus as a 4.0. You see the problemnow. An applicant who attended a school with a stricter gradingscale ends up with a lower GPA. Granted, my experience is foradmission into a graduate school, but I'm wondering now whethersimilar policies are used for undergraduate applicants.

Yes, Fairfax County schools challenge their students. As Ms.Newberger states, kids in Fairfax County 'work their tails off' forgood grades. My eighth-grade son is enrolled in two honors classesthat will count toward his high school GPA. He is, by his ownadmission, working much harder for A's here than he did at theDepartment of Defense overseas school he attended last year. Ibelieve this is a good thing in the long run. I simply hope that thecolleges he applies to account for the fact that he is a product ofFairfax County schools.

Tammy Farrar

Springfield

Dear Extra Credit:

I have a different type of grading story.

My oldest child is a fifth-grader, and he received a C inphysical education for the second quarter. We were puzzled by this,and in the teacher comments section of the report card was thisstatement: He needs to learn to 'demonstrate appropriate strikingskills with short-handled implements to achieve success.'

It turns out that badminton was part of physical education lastquarter, and my son said he had trouble serving. Unfortunately,genetics are at work here: Neither his father nor I are athleticallyinclined.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the physical educationteacher about this, but I'm sure my son will still achieve successin life -- even if he doesn't master his serve.

Corinne Marasco

Kingstowne

I shared your son's difficulties in getting good physicaleducation grades, although I finally found a sport, cross-country,that was based more on endurance than coordination, and the semesterthat was on the physical education schedule I got an A. I wish westill required physical education throughout high school. It was agreat way to meet students whom you did not see in your otherclasses.

As for Ms. Farrar's detailed description of the quality pointssystem, she raises an issue that has puzzled me for some time. Ilike the idea of extra grade points for taking AP and IB classes.The courses are unusually demanding, and often frightening tostudents who know that grade-point averages are important in thecollege admission process.

What I have not seen is any research on whether effort should bea factor in assigning AP and IB grades.

The students who get the most out of college level courses arethose who try hardest in them. Many will not get grades on the AP orIB tests high enough for college credit, but by struggling with thematerial, they appear to be better prepared to handle college.

Shouldn't there be a way to encourage such an attitude by lettingteachers raise their classroom grades a bit? As long as they promiseto take the exam, no one will be deceived about how well theymastered the material. The AP and IB graders don't know if theyworked hard or not. But the teacher knows, and I think should havesome leeway in this matter in assigning a report card grade that isdifferent from the grade on the AP or IB exam because those testresults arrive after report cards have been completed.

Fairfax's zero-tolerance policy sparks a temperance movement - The Washington Post

If you're wondering whether zero-tolerance disciplinary policiesare good for our schools and good for our kids, take a few minutesto listen to some of the parental buzz on a Fairfax County onlineforum:

'Request a copy of your son's record asap,' urges one poster onFairfax Underground. 'You have the right. Take that to an attorney.'

'All appeals are denied,' warns another. 'Don't waste your time.'

'Good luck - you are in for one of the worse experiences of youlife - dealing with FFX County School Board.'

'How horrible a system we have that we as parents need to trainour kids not to speak to teachers, cops, or administrations. I'vetold my kids they have one thing to say - I want to speak to myparents, and to not write or sign anything.'

The way the much-vaunted Fairfax County school system treats kidswho make mistakes has become Topic A in the wake of the Jan. 20suicide of Nick Stuban, 15, whose story was recounted inheartbreaking detail Sunday by Post reporter Donna St. George.

By most accounts, Nick was a really good kid.

He was a die-hard on the W.T. Woodson High School football team,did well in his classes, was active in church and was even a BoyScout, literally.

Then last fall, he made a single stupid mistake, the kind lots ofteenagers make. In Nick's case, someone told a school administratorthat he had purchased one capsule of a synthetic compound thatmimics the effects of pot - JWH-018. It's not even an illegalsubstance.

Nick admitted it, apologized and was sincere and remorseful whenhe and his parents attended his disciplinary hearing in November. Itwas the only offense of that kind he'd ever had.

Nick was the only child of military veterans Steve and SandyStuban, and he was struggling long before he walked into thathearing room.

His life at home was defined by illness, an excruciatingchildhood spent watching Lou Gehrig's disease take his mother,muscle by muscle. He knew how to respond to her ventilator alarmsand how to perform tracheal suctioning on her. She came to hishearing in a wheelchair with her nurse.

Nick made it clear that Woodson was his second family. This was aschool where he'd found inspiration, support, friendship and succor.He begged to go back.

But the hearing board showed the Stubans no compassion and nounderstanding. It stuck to Page 20 of the school system'sdisciplinary manifesto - the Student Responsibilities and RightsHandbook - that parents and students are required to sign each year.

On that page is explicit detail about Stuban's offense, sayingthat it 'shall result in a ten-day suspension from school andrecommendation for expulsion.'

Fine. But why in the world didn't the hearing boarddisciplinarians consider something in the spirit of Page 23 from thesame handbook: 'Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the SchoolBoard may determine, based on the facts of a particular situation,that special circumstances exist and that no disciplinary action oranother disciplinary action or term of expulsion is appropriate.'

When you look at this family's situation and the student himself,Page 23 seems a much more reasonable place to begin.

If Page 23 doesn't exist for someone like Nick Stuban, than whocan it possibly be for?

And yet, the hearing board stuck to Page 20, kicking a good kidout of school, a kid who needed the embrace of his school communitymore than anything else.

The whole ugly process went on for almost two months. During thattime, Nick wasn't allowed to go to class or to his Boy Scoutmeetings or to sports activities. He became withdrawn andincreasingly depressed. He'd been at his new school, Fairfax HighSchool, for just a few days when he killed himself.

Stuban is the second Fairfax County student in two years to killhimself during the disciplinary process. Josh Anderson, a 17-year-old football player at South Lakes High School, did the same thingin 2009.

An entire organization dedicated to the school system'sdisciplinary policies and parents' experiences with it has sprungup: Fairfax Zero Tolerance Reform.

The people who want change aren't saying that kids shouldn't bedisciplined when they do something dopey. But they argue that mostdon't deserve to be treated like criminals, either.

Here's what the zero-tolerance policy has taught folks inFairfax: When kids get in trouble for a minor offense, they need toclam up while their parents lawyer up. Families who treat a kid'sscrew-up head-on, with honesty, integrity and sincerity, as theStubans did, will pay a price - sometimes a terrible price.

Expelling kids for shooting plastic pellets out of a pen case,strip-searching them in a hunt for Ibuprofen or writing a 6-year-old up for sexual harassment after a playground booty smack is noteducation. It's an over-lawyered response that flies in the face ofcommon sense.

Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale said that zero tolerance wasnot a factor in the Stuban case and that the disciplinary processwasn't a factor in Nick's suicide. He called that conclusion'erroneous.'

Here's the word I'd use to describe all of it: cruel.

Banding together in protest; Fairfax parents, students galvanized in efforts to save music programs and others facing cuts - The Washington Post

Toting empty violin and trombone cases, Fairfax County studentsappeared at School Board hearings for three days last week toprotest potential cuts to the instrumental music program in theworst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

With their parents, teachers and a former music director for theU.S. Air Force Band, they said cuts would be academically,economically and personally detrimental.

'If these programs go,' said a sixth-grade girl at Bonnie BraeElementary School, 'then we can't play the music coming from ourhearts.'

Music education advocates are among the most organized schoolactivists in Fairfax. As unprecedented cutbacks in school spendingare being proposed across the Washington region, parents are takingon a role that for many is well rehearsed. They have appealed tocash-strapped state and county officials for funds to protect thehigh-quality, well-rounded education they expect for their children.

'We are the people who champion music,' Margaret J. Flynn, whohas two children in the band at Lake Braddock Secondary School, toldFairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale and the School Board. 'We willsoldier on. But we need you to lead the charge' by fighting for fullschool funding, she said.

Several times in the 1990s, instrumental programs -- specifically, fourth-grade strings classes -- were placed on thechopping block in Fairfax. The potential savings were small comparedwith the school system's overall budget. But each time, the proposalgenerated public hearings packed with young violinists and concernedparents and provoked letters and phone calls to county supervisorsand board members.

T. Dana Kauffman, a former county supervisor, called that a'classic public administration approach' to building a budget. 'It'sthe Washington Monument approach,' he said. 'If you tried to cut theNational Park Service budget, the first thing they would say wouldhave to be closed is the Washington Monument.'

In other words, programs that make a short list of those thatmight be cut tend to energize a core of supporters. They are parentswho moved to Fairfax for the schools and who are committed toprograms that set their children's education apart from the standardschool fare. They will launch e-mail campaigns and go to hearingsand vote.

Dale said the programs that might be cut are chosen not forpolitical reasons but because state laws and school board prioritiesprotect core academic subjects, making arts, sports and foreignlanguage programs more vulnerable in a recession.

Facing a third year of falling tax revenue and increasingenrollments and a $176 million budget hole to fully fund existingprograms, board members say anything beyond the basics is at seriousrisk.

Dale's proposed $2.3 billion budget for the fiscal year thatbegins July 1 would increase class size by an average of onestudent, cut 600 positions, gut summer school, eliminate freshmansports and close an alternative school.

If the county does not approve an additional $58 million transferof funding, he said, the board could cut a popular foreign languageimmersion program and roll back full-day kindergarten classes. Theentire elementary band and strings program -- not just fourth-grade strings -- could be eliminated.

County revenue funds about three-quarters of the Fairfax schoolsystem's budget. Supervisors cannot make decisions about how moneyis spent, but they set the tax rate and decide how much moneyschools will get. In an annual ritual, parents have lobbiedaggressively for full funding of school programs, and for manyyears, school funding increased while other county services were cutor endured flat spending.

Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said thatpublic schools remain her 'personal highest priority' but that withrevenue shortfalls 'in the hundreds of millions of dollars, thatshortfall will be extremely difficult to address.'

The elimination of the elementary instrumental music classeswould affect about 25,000 students, more than 80 percent of those infourth, fifth and sixth grade, and ultimately would devastate thenationally recognized band and orchestra programs, advocates say. Itwould save $7 million and cut 117 positions.

With the suggested cut, Dale roused a sleeping giant, the FairfaxArts Coalition for Education. Throughout the 1990s, the coalition ofparents, band directors, students and other arts boosters keptpublic hearings filled. Advocates often recall the 1977 School Boarddecision that cut fifth-grade band instruction. It was restored thenext year, but it took 13 years to recover lost enrollment, theysay.

In 2000, the group's advocacy crescendoed when Leonard Slatkin,then conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra, stepped to thepodium at the Fairfax County Government Center during a budgethearing and shared stories of his elementary music classes. 'Thegrowth of our young people depends on decisions you are about tomake. Keep that growth and spirit alive. Please do not take themusic away from the children,' he said.

Instrumental music programs have not faced cuts since. Until now.

Denny Stokes, a retired high school band teacher in Fairfax and aparent coordinator for the arts coalition, said parents understandwhat is at stake this year and are willing to partner with schoolofficials to secure the funding needed to maintain high-caliberschools. They have gathered 11,400 signatures on a petition andcommissioned a cost-benefit analysis of the potential cuts.

'We will be there, side by side with them, to ask the supervisorsfor funding. We will pay what we need to and thank all these peopleat the ballot box when the time comes,' Stokes said.