Student Rights and Responsibilities Letter from the Superintendent
It is our goal that every child is fully engaged, academically challenged, and prepared for success in school and beyond.
August 2023
Dear Parents and Families,
On behalf of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), I welcome you and your children to the 2023-24 school year. I am confident this year will be filled with affirming and validating opportunities that continue to yield exceptional learning, growth, and achievement for every student. The wellness and academic future of our community's young people is essential. In FCPS, we take this responsibility very seriously. We encourage strong working relationships with our families to best serve our students in every facet of their lives.
The 2023-24 Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Guide for Families explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. We know that students learn best when expectations for behavior are clear, consistent, fair, and developmentally appropriate; build on strong relationships between teachers and students; and engage families at every opportunity. In FCPS, we understand that discipline policies and practices must provide opportunities for students to reflect, problem-solve, and build positive relationships. Therefore, through such interventions as the restorative justice process, our disciplinary response aims to give both students and adults an opportunity to make responsible decisions and interact respectfully in the classroom and throughout the school. Disciplinary practices in FCPS focus on preventing problem behaviors and provide a leveled system of responses that uses instructional, restorative, and age-appropriate interventions before removing students from class or from school.
As we begin a new school year, please be assured that our school division maintains a commitment to providing a caring and inclusive climate and culture where all students are welcomed, respected, valued, and supported. It is our goal that every child is fully engaged, academically challenged, and prepared for success in school and beyond. Partnering with FCPS families is our imperative, and we ask that you use this document as a guide for discussing these expectations with your child so that they are well prepared for success when the 2023-24 school year begins. You will also find that this publication includes information that you may need throughout the school year, including contact numbers and other resources.
The current version of the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) can be found in the appendix to this booklet and is also available at https://www.fcps.edu/SR&R. It will be updated during the year online, if necessary.
- Please log in to your SIS ParentVue account to acknowledge receipt of this document, as required by law.
- Please review and sign by September 29, 2023.
I am grateful for your support and look forward to collaborating with you this year. Please contact your child's teacher or principal should you have questions about this document or if we can be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Michelle C. Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
