August 1, 2002
New teachers coming to the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system have a few less things to worry about. In an effort to set itself apart from neighboring jurisdictions, the school system officially launched its Smooth Transitions program July 22.
Through business partnerships, newly hired teachers can be eligible to receive a $2,500 interest-free loan and receive discounted rates on moving fees and apartment rentals. In addition, all teachers in the school system are eligible to receive discounted Internet service through the program.
"We are always looking to see what is out there. What is being offered by other jurisdictions," said Terri Czarniak, FCPS recruitment coordinator. "To my knowledge no one else has this package."
Officials in the school system's Human Resources Department say this is only the beginning for the program and they will continue to look for other incentives, both for new hires and existing employees.
"There are some components in place and we're very interested in other components," said Kevin North, director of recruitment. "We use focus groups to see what are employees are interested in."
THE FOUR COMPONENTS announced last week were based on such focus groups. Over the past year, details have been worked out between the school system and its business partners. Starpower, for example, is the most recent company to sign on to the transitions program. Under the agreement, all county teachers will receive unlimited Internet service for $12.95 per month including a subscriber personnelWeb page, two e-mail addresses per account, modem on hold and quick connect.
"Everybody is interested in staying connected," North said of the Internet service.
For the past year, new teachers, media specialists and counselors have had the opportunity to apply for interest-free loans ranging from $250 to $2,500 from Apple Federal Credit Union, which has been doing business with the school system for more than 45 years.
"The first year, we approved about 150 loans. We had about 1,600 teachers apply last year total," said Robert Sowell Sr., business development manager for Apple.
Beth Yinglang, vice president of human resources for Apple, said the loan could provide temporary help for a new teacher's cash flow and bridge the gap between that first paycheck.
"Think of a 22-year-old out of school, relocating to a new area can be a major life challenge," North said. "When I got out of school, I didn't have two nickels to rub together."
North said the loan program can come in handy as it did for one teacher last year, whose car needed unexpected major repairs soon after she just moved to the county.
NORTH SAID the same teacher was also able to take advantage of discounted apartment rental rates, which helped provide a little extra money to put toward the car bill.
Under the transitions program, FCPS has found apartment companies, namely A.J. Dwoskin and Associates Inc., Avalon Bay Communities, Archstone Smith Properties, KSI Management Corp., Lincoln Property Company, Mount Vernon Square Apartments, Oakwood Apartments, Riverside Park Apartments, Trammell Crow Residential Services, and W & M Properties, that are willing to offer deals to new and current teachers.
The incentives range from monthly discounts on rent to a reduction in security deposits or amenity fees to the waiver of application fees for apartments located within Fairfax County and in some cases, Arlington. In all, North said there were about 45 apartment complexes putting out the welcome mat for teachers.
"We offer a 5 percent rent discount at all our apartment communities in Fairfax County," said Julie Contos, from the A.J. Dwoskin marketing department. "So far, we've had eight new teachers."
Contos said their apartment communities typically charge $955 for a one-bedroom and $1,050 for a two-bedroom apartment for rent. In addition, even if a teacher is not aware of the of the program, he or she can still receive the discount. At all Dwoskin's complexes, the employees ask potential renters what their occupation is and teachers automatically get the discount.
Getting to the new apartment has been made a little easier through deals with Interstate Worldwide Relocations and McCollister's Transportation Group Inc., which owns the Mayflower and United moving lines. Both companies offer discounted rates to new and current teachers.
"We can move people nationally and internationally. Anyone who needs to move," said Dale Traver, vice president of business development for McCollster. "We are always looking for ways for our business to grow, so we started calling school systems to let them know we're out there."
The company has be offering discounts to FCPS teachers for about a year.
For more information on the Smooth Transitions program, visit the FCPS Department of Human Resources Web page at http://www.fcps.edu/DHR.