Superintendent's Weekly Reflections
Hello Team FCPS!
Wow, what another great Fairfax County week!! So many amazing events and so little time ;>) As we celebrate this holiday weekend, please take a moment and pause to remember all those who Memorial Day commemorates and all that it means to so many families in this great country. As we gather with family and friends, we cherish our many blessings and regardless of our challenges, we know that together all things are possible.
On last Monday morning I joined a panel discussion at “Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation,” a collaborative event for business and education leaders hosted by Educate Fairfax, our education foundation. The event focused on partnerships between schools and businesses to support workforce readiness.
There are many different avenues we’re currently exploring or expanding to that end, including paid internships for seniors which can result in job offers once they’ve graduated from college, externships for high schoolers, and teaching coding to our middle schoolers. We were joined by Woodson senior Tiffany (pictured above), who shared how her own internship empowered her to further develop her professional skills. I was so impressed with Tiffany’s perspective and her go-getter attitude — the University of Virginia will be lucky to have her next year! Go Cavaliers!!
Later that day I attended a Free Application for Federal Student Aid roundtable hosted by U.S. Senator Mark Warner at Marymount University’s Ballston Campus. The FAFSA portal continues to be open and we encourage students to fill the simplified form out. While there have been technology challenges with the rollout of the newly simplified FAFSA application, it has never been a better time to fill one out as students make plans for post-secondary education experiences. A deep appreciation for all the staff who continue to work on supporting these opportunities for our senior students; it matters.
Last week I met with the Fairfax County Parents Association; a school administrator roundtable that included principals, assistant principals, directors of student services, and directors of student activities; a meeting with the High School Principals Association; and a conference with Colonel Joseph Messina, the garrison commander of Fort Belvoir. FCPS has two elementary schools on the base and works hard to support our military-connected students and their families. This work matters!!
Congratulations to Kathleen Fugle (pictured in middle above with Assistant Principal Timothy Scesney and Principal Mirnaly Vega), Title I resource teacher at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. She was previously named as a Computer Science Champion for grades 3-5 and was recently recognized as the 2024 Computer Science Educator of the Year by the Virginia Department of Education! Kathleen’s passion for computer science and her proactive involvement in promoting it within the Sleepy Hollow community help to bring the subject to life, inspiring her students to explore the exciting world of technology and coding. Kathleen’s work is helping prepare students for careers that don’t yet exist — you can read more about her important work here!
The Virginia MATHCOUNTS team, which consists of all FCPS students, finished seventh in the country at the national MATHCOUNTS competition! The team members are Shunyao Yan from Longfellow Middle School, Alexander Liu from Carson Middle School, Yeeyung Li from Longfellow Middle School, and Andrew Du from Cooper Middle School. They were led by coaches Mei Coffey, math teacher at Longfellow; Patricia Freeman, retired Longfellow teacher; and parent Jong Jung. Alexander and Shunyao finished in the top 12 of students in the country! Together all things are possible!
It’s been a great couple of weeks for STEAM at FCPS, with 13 of our students winning awards at the recent International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles. The complete list of winners from FCPS is available online. They competed against 1,700 students from 67 countries, regions, and territories across the world for approximately $9 million in awards and scholarships. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to members of Team FCPS who helped nurture their dreams!
Also this week, Lake Braddock Secondary School celebrated its 50th anniversary and had its spring band concert. All of the school's past band directors were in attendance and guest conducted. I’m told that Lake Braddock’s band is the only school in the state to have received the Virginia Honor Band designation for 41 consecutive years, which is how long the program has existed. Go Bruins!
Speaking of music, thank you to Langley High School student Katie for spearheading a wonderful summer opportunity, available at no cost for our grades 4-6 students! Langley Principal Kim Greer says that “We in Saxon Country are certainly proud of Katie for sharing her incredible talents and leadership skills with other musicians in Fairfax County. She is a shining example of what makes FCPS students special!” Well said, Principal Greer!
Sophomore Katie is hosting SuperNOVA Strings Camp in partnership with Day Violins and student volunteers from Langley’s orchestra. Camp includes free instruction, free instrument rental if needed, snacks, and lunch; you can sign up here. Katie says that she’s “excited to provide an opportunity for kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford music camp. Orchestra camp has been a big part of creating my love for music, and I hope to provide the same opportunity for other kids and encourage them to keep playing their instruments!” What a fabulous idea, Katie! Thank you for your spirit of inclusion — and thank you to our other Langley volunteers and Day Violins for helping give our young musicians a memorable summer experience! Go Saxons!!
Tuesday morning, I stopped by Woodburn Elementary School, where I was greeted by Principal Katy Richman and Assistant Principal Kelley Dauberman. We went outside to the playground where second graders, led by physical education teachers Billy Shirley and Chelsea Rainieri, were learning how to ride bikes as part of the Safe Routes to School program. Bikes and helmets are brought to the school for the students to use. I even got a chance to take a spin around the blacktop!
Next, we went to the sixth grade classrooms of Gail McCleaf and Jessica DiBeneditto to check out the math problem-based learning their students were doing, which was to graph their ideas for the design of a footbridge. An interesting fact about Woodburn is that as a School for the Fine and Communicative Arts, every student can learn to play the violin beginning in third grade and continue to do so through sixth grade if they choose. My last stop was to the first grade classroom of Meg Webster, where students were learning problem-solving skills. This work matters! Go Wildcats!
It was a short drive to Oak Hill Elementary School, where I was joined by Principal Kelly Durso and Assistant Principal Cali Loewenberg. Kelly is in her first year as the “very proud principal” of Oak Hill and says she’s focused on elevating student voice and belonging. She says, “we developed our Heartbeat statement, “In this place, we all belong, have a voice, are resilient, and work as a team,” and work to live this every day. Through quarterly reflections with their buddy classes and our Portrait of a Graduate (POG) Patrol, our students have engaged in Portrait of a Graduate Presentations of Learning (POG POL) and can prove how they’ve grown this school year.” Oak Hill’s team spirit was evident from the moment I arrived at Oak Hill — The first thing I noticed was that staff had drawn words of encouragement in front of the school’s main entrance, pictured above. The messages were cheering on the fifth grade Wolves taking their SOLs, but I think it’s a good reminder for all of us here at FCPS!!
Our first stop was Nikki Wright’s class, where sixth grade Wolves were diligently working in packs ;>) to plan a zipline project. Students discussed the many different variables that would impact the speed and trajectory of the zipline — I’m so curious to see how their projects turn out!
Next, we visited Oak Hill’s sunny and inviting library, where Librarian Melissa Dolenc had set up book sampling tables for a class of fourth graders. I joined three students at a table as we read quietly for several minutes. The students had chosen historical fiction books. As for me, it was the second time I’d recently crossed paths with “The War That Saved My Life” — perhaps a sign that it’s time to sit down and finish reading it!
Once the timer went off, each of us shared what we’d been reading. I was impressed by the students’ thoughtful comments and was glad to hear at least one of them planned to continue their book — this is the wonderful idea behind book sampling, as it exposes students to new genres, authors, and topics.
From the quiet of the library, Kelly and Cali then took me to Corinne Elgert’s (very!) energetic kindergarten class, where students were counting to 100 in sign language. These young learners were so adept — go Wolves! At our final stop, fourth graders in POG Patrol were eating lunch and discussing how to advertise POG Spirit Week, under the direction of School-Based Technology Specialist Lisa Prillaman and Technology Support Specialist Jaime Bousman-Stanczak. Lisa was recently recognized by FCPS Cares for her work at the POG POL Conference — go Team FCPS! Go Wolves!!
My final school visit on Tuesday was to Floris Elementary School with Holly Walker, who has been principal since 2020. Our first stop was Heather Hubert’s art class, where kindergartners were weaving sunflowers. Heather was a teacher trainee last year, and recently won Outstanding New Teacher for the Westfield Pyramid!
Next, we went to Christina Molitor’s advanced math class, where sixth graders were engaged in seventh grade math. Students were hard at work solving a real-world problem about finding the formula for the watch time of a YouTube video based on its playback speed. It was a tough question, but these Eagles displayed dogged persistence! ;>) I so enjoyed watching the students in action… As Christina’s t-shirt read: “It’s a good day to do math” — agreed!!
We then visited a green, sunlit outdoor classroom with first and second grade students. The beautiful space had been developed with the help of Floris’ PTA and was outfitted with tables, umbrellas, flowers, and other greenery. There was also a mailbox full of gardening gloves so that students could help maintain the space — very clever! Go Eagles!!
Last Wednesday I spoke with Adriana Albritton, a senior at Hayfield Secondary School who recently presented at the Student Advisory Council. She has big plans for how we can best support our military-connected students and families in feeling like they belong at FCPS. I was inspired by how she’s using her voice to help our division become a more inclusive place for all students … our young people will continue to lead us!
I also had the opportunity to meet with Madeline Deveney, who’s in her third year teaching art at Clermont Elementary School. I visited Clermont a few weeks ago and wanted to learn more about the wonderful artistry I saw, including the annual school mural, which every student contributes to, and tiny clay art museums. Madeline’s firm belief in the value of art and fine art in education is inspiring! I’ll be sharing more from my conversations with Adriana and Madeline in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
On Wednesday night I stopped by Oak View Elementary School to check out the sixth-grade production of Peter Pan, Jr. Congratulations to staff sponsors Elizabeth Sweet and Rebecca Farris and to the students and their parents for their hard work in putting the show together!
Oak View is thrilled to begin what is hoped to be an annual musical theater tradition for sixth-grade students that will foster growth through a high-quality fine arts experience while building inner confidence, strength of character, resilience, and a true understanding of teamwork. Go Eagles!
Thanks to Joyce Matthews, XSTREAM programs coordinator and community outreach team member at Braddock Elementary School, for sharing this story. “I am a Board Member of Hands On Harvests providing seeds, seedlings, mentorship, and plots in our community gardens so people can grow food for themselves or to donate. This year, there are two new community garden projects in Annandale: The Ellen Garnett Garden and the Heritage Mission Center/Annandale United Methodist Church. Families are invited to volunteer to grow vegetables for the Fresh Food Market. At Braddock Elementary, we want to open our garden to the community. We have asked Annandale High School, Annandale Terrace, and the Mission Center to join us in producing enough food to provide the community with a Free Fresh Food Market. We are also asking members of the community to grow fresh vegetables.
One of the methods we want to introduce to families is the Self-Watering Grow Bucket. Thanks to the Computer and Technology Students and Get 2 Green Club at Falls Church High School, students volunteered to create and assemble the Grow Buckets. Eighty-four Grow Buckets were donated by Rebecca Tax of Lazy Mike's Deli in Falls Church. Fifty of the buckets will be filled with soil and tomato plants and donated to Food Justice DMV. The other thirty-four will remain at Braddock Elementary to grow tomatoes and peppers to donate to the Fresh Food Market. Students, staff, parents, and community partners are coming together to make a difference in the Annandale Community using gardens to provide fresh vegetables to families!”
This work connects nicely with the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Pillar B: Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships. We share responsibility to build trusting partnerships that sustain a safe, inclusive culture for learning and work, and we collaborate proactively with respect, honesty, and transparency. Go Eagles!
As you may have read in my letters to staff and our community last Friday, the School Board voted to adopt FCPS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Approved Budget during last Thursday’s School Board meeting. The FY 2025 Approved Budget totals $3.7 billion — a net increase of $233.2 million or 6.6% over last fiscal year’s approved budget.
Providing competitive compensation in recognition of your hard work, dedication, and achievements remains our number one priority. We are a world-class school division because of your commitment to each and every one of our students. With that in mind, the approved budget includes a 4% compensation increase for all staff. The approved budget also maintains the mid-year 2% compensation increase for all employees approved by the School Board in January.
The approved budget also supports students academically, strengthens student well-being outside of the classroom, and continues key multiyear initiatives. We continue to have high expectations for each and every one of our students, which means providing sustainable, well-resourced high support. I encourage you to watch the School Board presentation or visit our Budget webpage to learn more.
During the School Board meeting I also presented the baseline report for Goal 4 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan: Equitable Access and Opportunity. Goal 4 is focused on improving access to high-quality academic programming and resources to support student success throughout elementary, middle, and high school.
Across grade levels, there are student participation gaps for courses such as CTE (Career and Technical Education), STEAM, world languages, and fine and performing arts. While our schools do have robust enrichment offerings as a whole, we’re working to close disparities in the number of and types of electives offered from school to school while also considering transportation, funding, partnership opportunities, staffing, and other logistical elements. Our planned next steps are below.
During the Academic Matters segment, I presented information on the Virginia Department of Education’s new Standards of Learning (SOL) Growth Reports for families of students in grades 3-8. These new reports are designed to give a yearlong look at student performance by combining information from earlier Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) results with SOL results.
It’s important to remember that any assessment score is just one data point reflecting a student's performance on a particular day. Taken alongside other information, including report cards, other assessments, and teacher observations, we’re able to get a clearer picture of how we can best support our students — whether that’s additional academic support or accelerating their coursework.
FCPS’ reporting plan for spring assessment results was created with accessibility in mind, using multiple formats and translatable report texts and samples. Our families are our partners in helping students succeed, and we’ve created a new SOL Grade 3-8 Results webpage with resources to help them understand assessment results and plan for continued learning during the summer time!
The Strategic Plan update segment of the School Board meeting focused on FCPS’ Grow Your Own Program, which offers three pathways for current employees to become licensed special education teachers.
Since its 2022 pilot, I’m thrilled to report that the program has seen significant success in building out this critical staffing pipeline, with a 92.3% success rate. 130 participants have been accepted, and the first cohort of 41 participants has graduated this school year! Moreover, Grow Your Own aligns with Pillar C of the Strategic Plan 2023-30: a Diverse, Adaptive, and Supported Workforce by providing 50% of tuition, personalized coaching, and collaboration within supportive cohorts. Be sure to watch our Grow Your Own video to hear participants explain how the program is helping them achieve success. Go Team FCPS!!
I’m excited to share that the Mason Direct Admissions program that was first piloted at five high schools for seniors in the Class of 2024 is expanding to four additional schools for the 2024-25 school year! Last year, there were more than 600 students in the Class of 2024, each with a 3.25 or higher cumulative grade point average as of the end of junior year, who applied to this direct admissions program. Next year, seniors at nine FCPS schools will be eligible: Annandale, Edison, Fairfax, Falls Church, Herndon, Justice, Lewis, Mount Vernon, and West Potomac high schools. We’re looking forward to continued expansion of this direct admissions partnership and broadening postsecondary opportunities for more students!
I don’t know about you, but it sure seems like time is racing toward the end of the school year. We all have so much we want to accomplish before that day comes. Please remember to be good to yourselves and one another, and stay healthy. We're almost there!
Take good care,
Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools
