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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Fairfax County School Board Accepts Video Testimony for Business Meetings

Citizens who wish to speak at a Fairfax County School Board business meeting now have the option to submit their remarks as video testimony or appear in person at a meeting. Residents of Fairfax County and Fairfax City, employees of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), and non-Fairfax County business partners may submit video testimony.

“As far as we know, this is the first time that a school district anywhere has offered this opportunity to its parents, students, and community members,” said School Board Chairman Ilryong Moon. “Our society’s increasing use of YouTube and other video recording sites will, we hope, provide more input to the School Board.”

All testimony must address topics on the agenda for that meeting, including specific presentations, new business items, action items, or resolutions. Video testimony is expected to adhere to the same expectation for in-person presentations; speakers must deliver their comments with the decorum and respect appropriate to the conduct of the public’s business. The School Board chairman will make the final determination of which videos will be presented during the citizen participation segment of the meeting. Submissions must be no longer than three minutes, as with in-person testimony.

Federal Communications Commission regulations govern all television broadcast material. Videos not meeting their regulations will be rejected.

Detailed guidelines can be found online. Meeting agendas can also be found online.