Superintendent's Weekly Reflections
Hello Team FCPS!
What a great time of the year!! I trust that each of you have had a chance to get outdoors this weekend. Such a beautiful time of the year!!
I am excited to share that Paul D’Andrade, executive director of Transportation Services, is the recipient of the Visionary Award from the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC)! Paul says, “This award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated innovative leadership in advancing clean energy and transportation solutions. GWRCCC is a public-private partnership dedicated to promoting the use of clean, sustainable energy in transportation to reduce petroleum consumption, improve air quality, and enhance energy security. Their mission is to foster collaboration between government agencies, private industry, and local organizations to drive the adoption of clean technologies, such as electric vehicles and alternative fuels. I am being recognized for my work in spearheading the electric school bus initiative at Fairfax County Public Schools. This initiative has not only improved the environmental sustainability of our transportation operations by reducing emissions but has also placed FCPS at the forefront of the shift toward greener, more efficient student transportation in the region. This award reflects our collective efforts to innovate and lead in sustainable practices.” Congratulations Paul! This work matters!!
On Monday I met with Laura Senturia, a fourth grade teacher at Colin Powell Elementary School, who is the 2024 Washington Post Teacher of the Year. Go Team FCPS!! Laura has taught at Colin Powell since it opened in 2003 and is known for fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment. We have so many opportunities to improve our work together and I so appreciate the opportunities to discuss possibilities to improve our support for staff.
Monday, I held a Community Conversation at Fairhill Elementary School. If you missed it, I do hope you’ll join me on either October 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Virginia Run Elementary School, or October 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Herndon Middle School for additional opportunities to share your ideas and feedback! You can register (not required, but it does help with planning) at https://www.fcps.edu/superintendent-engagement.
I also met with the Family Vision Group for Quad 3 at Oak View Elementary School on Tuesday and Quad 4 at Garfield Elementary School on Wednesday. It was great to see so many engaged parents at these three events, which are an opportunity to share concerns and where active listening and open-mindedness lead the way to meaningful dialogue and mutual understanding. Learning happens best in community and we have a great community.
Tuesday morning, I started my day visiting the dolphins at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. I was greeted by Principal Mirnaly Vega and Assistant Principal Kristin Growitz-Bermudez. We briefly visited the third grade classrooms of Christine Lee and Jessica Linares. I was pleased to learn that intervention time is happening simultaneously for third graders at Sleepy Hollow
I appreciate the organized instruction. The last stop on my short (but sweet!) visit was the art room. Art teacher Christian Tribastone was leading the class through the steps of turning one large piece of construction paper into a multi-page story book with some simple folds and cuts. It was quite the experience to watch the project unfold ;>) You can watch this video to see what I mean! Thanks for hosting me, Principal Vega. Go Dolphins!!
On Tuesday I attended a healthcare workforce development session, hosted by Inova. I had the opportunity to share more about how Fairfax County Public Schools helps prepare our students for the healthcare workforce as part of Goal 5 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan (Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation), and how community partnerships can help strengthen our collective efforts. Our region is experiencing a critical shortage of healthcare professionals. By offering students the opportunity to gain the training and certificate needed for entry-level healthcare employment, we are empowering them for what’s said to be recession-proof careers. Beyond that, helping develop a robust healthcare workforce benefits our entire community by improving health outcomes, supporting economic growth, and increasing access to care.
Last year, we had more than 2,000 students enrolled in a variety of FCPS Health and Medical Sciences programs, including medical billing and coding, Emergency Medical Technicians, Physical/Occupational Therapy, Certified Nursing Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, and more. These Academy courses strive to provide work-based learning opportunities beyond course requirements:
- Medical assistant students can participate in at least 8-hours of observation at Inova clinics.
- Dental careers students have the option to participate in a 60 or 180 hour internship at a dental clinic/office.
- Academies collaborate with both current and new workforce development partners to offer internships that provide additional course credit connected to related courses.
Greater clinical participation has shown to increase students pass rates on credential exams, such as the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam. Last school year, I’m told we had a 100% pass rate for students who took the Pharmacy Technician Certification exam!
Also on Tuesday I attended the first Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting of the year at Kilmer Middle School. Each school has a STAC representative, and the purpose of the committee is to provide us with input and feedback from instructional staff members on matters of importance to the school system, and to provide a venue for them to bring matters of concern to the attention of the Leadership Team. Then, each representative is expected to share the results of the meeting with colleagues at their school. Working together with employee groups to better address the needs of students and staff members is part of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Pillar C: Diverse, Adaptive, & Supported Workforce.
On Wednesday I met with the Hispanic Educators group for their October mixer, also at our Willow Oaks Administrative Center. This month, the group was celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. I’m so grateful for all our FCPS colleagues and I am proud to be part of a team that celebrates our wonderful diversity. Go Team FCPS!!
Friday morning, I was able to watch the Langston Hughes Middle School Advanced Choir perform at Gatehouse Administration Center. This group is a highly selective, auditioned ensemble of seventh and eighth grade students. The chorus travels throughout the county and serves as an ambassador for performing arts. Such beautiful voices! Go Panthers!!
Friday was the perfect fall night to attend the Homecoming football game at Justice High School versus Lewis High School. Homecoming is more than just a football game — it’s a way for students, staff members, parents, alumni, and community members to come together and share their school pride. I also enjoyed visiting with student leaders and watching the cheer, dance, and marching band performances. Go Wolves and Lancers!!
Thank you to Becky Schnabel, a Literacy Leader at Navy Elementary School, who sent me her video and note for this week’s Advancing Literacy segment: “I collaborated with my SBTS to create a simple video that highlights what Benchmark Advance looks like in our building. I hope you can get an idea of all the great things happening in the world of literacy at Navy ES. Our teachers are making Benchmark Advance fun and engaging for ALL students!” Becky says she’s planning on sharing the video at an upcoming Principals’ Coffee, which is a great idea! Go Dolphins!!
I’ve been so inspired by the enthusiasm I’ve seen across our division for our new curriculum! I’m looking forward to sharing more of Team FCPS’ hard work and creativity in action for future segments of Advancing Literacy — keep those ideas coming! Thank you so much for the herculean efforts you each are going to in making this new curriculum work for each and every one of our students; it matters. Go Team FCPS!!
Thank you to everyone who has applied to be part of the new Boundary Policy Review Committee! This committee will include a diverse group of parents/caregivers, school-based administrators, teachers, operational staff, and community members. The unique perspectives and insights will be invaluable as we work together to ensure this process is transparent, includes significant community participation and feedback, and always keeps students at the center of every decision. While we value every application, we may not be able to accommodate everyone who applied as we strive for representation from every FCPS region and the inclusion of various community and employee groups. Stay tuned for more engagement opportunities, which may include community meetings, focus groups, and surveys. Together all things are possible! For more information about the boundary review process or to provide feedback, visit the Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage.
It was great to spend time Saturday morning at the Tour de Mount Vernon's Youth and Family Ride. While there, Becky Cousins, West Springfield high school employment and transition representative, shared that her daughter, Nicole Cousins, who is a junior at South County High School is working on her Girl Scout Gold Award. Becky shared, “This is a 100 hour project and considered the highest achievement in Girl Scouts, which only 7% of Scouts ever earn.
Nicole partnered with Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck's office and the Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) to organize a Bike Safety Rodeo as part of the Tour de Mount Vernon. She invited local bike shop Rats Cycles to perform bike safety checks, and organized stations on helmet safety as well as creating an obstacle course to teach children how to ride bikes safely. Sixty-seven people signed up for the Bike Rodeo/Youth and Family Ride, and there were many FCPS students and NCS staff who volunteered their time Saturday morning for this event.” Learning happens best in community and we continue to be so grateful for our amazing community. Thank you so much Nicole for organizing and implementing the Bike Safety Rodeo; it matters.
Jennifer Glaser, FCPS director, counseling and college and career readiness, shared that the College Fair was held this afternoon at George Mason University's Eagle Bank Arena. Thank you to the School Counseling and College Success Programs team as well as the dozens of volunteers from across schools and offices who made this event a huge success! Thousands of students and their families visited the event, and the entire arena was filled with excitement and conversation. It is one of the largest College Fairs in the region and featured over 200 colleges and universities from around the nation as well as representatives from the U.S. Service Academies.
We are so grateful to offer this large-scale opportunity in the middle of our division and also continue to be grateful to our college and career specialists at our high schools as they welcome college representatives for visits with students at their high schools. The opportunity to engage directly with the admissions representatives helps our students learn more about their options and all the considerations for finding their fit and match for their postsecondary education. So exciting!!
The focus on postsecondary planning will continue on Monday and Tuesday evenings with the Look to the Future Virtual Postsecondary sessions. For more information and registration, visit the following website: https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/college-and-career-planning/college-fair-and-college-night.
A colleague recently shared that they had read Boys in the Boat and they shared this quote that resonated with them, and so given our times at hand, I thought I would share... "It is hard to make that boat go as fast as you want to. The enemy, of course, is the resistance of the water, as you have to displace the amount of water equal to the weight of men and equipment, but that very water is what supports you and that very enemy is your friend. So is life: the very problems you must overcome also support you and make you stronger in overcoming them." As our colleague shared, "Here's to rowing together, even when the water is choppy." I look forward to our continued journey; together all things are possible.
Take good care,
Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools
