Superintendent's Weekly Reflections

Well, it has been another fabulous FCPS week! I love that we experience the heat reminiscent of summer days to come, and then finished up with the soothing and nurturing spring rain that supports calming steady growth.  This week, I am thoughtful about one of my favorite big ideas in working through the challenges/opportunities I occasionally find in front of me; “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.  A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” -- Lao Tzu. I am so proud to walk this journey step by step with each of you…

Monday morning, I visited Katherine Johnson Middle School. I joined eighth grade civics students who wrote me letters as part of a class project. Each year, students in the class write to government officials of their choosing and promote their ideas for change that would improve our school, local, or national communities. This year, one student wrote to President Biden and received a response from the White House! Being a Global and Ethic Citizen is an important attribute of our Portrait of a Graduate. 

Our students have thoughtful and important things to share about public education and our school system. I’m inspired to have had the opportunity to hear from them because I truly believe in the power of student voice. Our students will lead us! I also had the chance to see a new mural in the school that was created by a parent who is also a local tattoo artist. It is an amazing tribute to Katherine Johnson, and her contributions to the success of our country’s space program. What an inspiring mathematician. 

A safe learning environment is the most important thing that we commit to providing for our staff and our students. If our students do not feel physically and emotionally safe – they cannot learn. Our staff cannot do their best if they are concerned for their safety as well. Monday evening, we hosted a School Safety and Security Community Conversation at South Lakes High School. I was joined by VJ Rao, our director of cybersecurity and Tom Vaccarello, our director of safety and security.

Parents, community members, and staff heard about the physical measures we already have in place to protect our students and staff, pilot programs to detect vaping, and how we communicate and collaborate with our partners when there is an incident at our schools. We also answered questions about how visitors to schools are managed, how FCPS devices are kept safe, and what new safety measures are currently being considered. One of the things that we shared is that this upcoming budget has an allocation for five uniformed security patrol positions to support elementary schools in each region. We continually review and refine our safety procedures in coordination with county, state and national partners.

Tuesday evening, I was honored and inspired to be a part of the Hispanic Leadership Alliance Eighteenth Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet. Thank you also to our Hispanic Educators Association/Hispanic Leadership Alliance for providing these scholarships to students – totaling more than $32,000. These students embody the power and promise of public education when we focus on equity, excellence and access to opportunity!

Here’s a quick rundown on the 2023 Hispanic Leadership Alliance Scholarship Applications and Recipients:

• 67 learners from 13 FCPS schools submitted applications for 32 available scholarships.
• Nine graduates from Justice High School received one of the 32 scholarships.
• Four graduates each from John R. Lewis and Marshall High Schools received scholarships.
• The applicants are heading to colleges and universities including Juniata College, University of Rochester, College of William and Mary, Jackson University, Hampshire College, Old Dominion University, and the University of Massachusetts, as well as the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, and James Madison University.
• The average GPA of this year’s scholarship recipients is 4.07! Amazing!

I shared the following with our students, which was graciously translated by one of the event organizers:

Para nuestros increíbles becarios que continúan su viaje educativo, quiero proponerles una idea un poco interesada…Al considerar su futuro, recuerdan que la profesión de maestro en la educación pública k-12 es una de las más importantes. Cada uno de nosotros tiene que pasar por esa educación para lograr cualquier profesión. Al convertirse en maestro, pueden asegurarse de que los que vienen después tengan las mejores oportunidades y un futuro que todavía no se han imaginado. Sea cual sea el camino que elijan, ¡Me emociona pensar cómo cambiarán el mundo! Mis mejores deseos para todos y una vez más, ¡felicidades!

(Translation: Learning happens best in community, and it is important to recognize the family, friends, teachers, and school staff who have been with you throughout this process. A strong system of support is crucial in taking on any challenge in life. Thank you to all of you for caring and supporting these students. To our amazing scholarship recipients who are continuing their educational journey, I want to put in a shameless plug. As you are considering your future, remember that K-12 public education is the most important profession. All other professions pass through this one. By becoming a teacher, you can reach back to make sure those coming after you have the best possible shot at their future that is yet to be imagined. Whatever path you choose, I’m so excited to see how you will all change the world! Best wishes to all of you and once again, congratulations!)

Wednesday evening, I joined the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees for a Scholarship Awards Event. Since I’ve moved to Northern Virginia, I have been able to enjoy the wonderful parks, trails, fine arts, and other opportunities available to families in Fairfax County.  Another wonderful service for families is the public library system – which is about so much more than just borrowing books. Learning happens best in community, and the partnership between FCPS and Fairfax County libraries is another shining example of what can happen for our families and our amazing students when we work together.

FCPS and FCPL partner in the Library Equity Access Pass (LEAP) program. Every enrolled FCPS student automatically has access to check out up to three books from any library branch in this system. No library card or other registration is necessary. Collaborations regularly occur at the school and FCPL branch levels. One recent example is librarian Rocco DeBonis at the FCPS Adult High School who connected his adult students with their branch librarian so that they could take advantage of the LEAP program and also gain access to other FCPL adult education and programming for their whole family.

Finally, I want to recognize and reinforce the work of our public and school library staff and volunteers to ensure that we continue to value student choice and ensure that our public and school libraries continue to be a place where each and every student feels valued and represented. It matters!

Thank you to Mount Eagle ES Principal Jean Consolla for inviting me to their All-School Meeting on Thursday morning. I was also able to see the school’s Discovery Studio with fourth grade students and their Advanced Academic Resource Teacher. The students showed me their presentations on how they are good communicators. Recognizing the value of this skill early in life will serve these students well as they prepare for careers that don’t yet exist. Well done, Eagles!

Thursday night during the Academic Matters portion of the School Board meeting, I reported on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), PSAT, and SAT testing. We know that students who enroll in AP and IB courses are more likely to graduate high school on time, enroll in college at higher rates and save time and money while in college. I shared some of the data around the number of students that we have participating in these offerings. AP exams mean scores have increased since 2021 in passing rates and number of students participating. 

Our number of participants in IB exams have also increased since 2021. FCPS invests in these opportunities to allow students to experience rigorous, college level exams. The first six AP and IB exams are funded for any student enrolled in an AP/IB course. This year, the PSAT testing that is done during school on October 11, will be digital for the first time. Please know that we will be reaching out to parents of rising 10-12 graders to ensure that they have time and understand the process to apply for accommodations soon.

I also updated the Board on the Strategic Plan. The School Board held their final retreat on this topic this past Tuesday where they reviewed interim feedback from the Final Feedback Opportunity Survey. If you have not completed the survey, please take the survey today! The survey will close Wednesday, May 17. Final survey feedback will be reviewed by the Board prior to the May 25 presentation of the Strategic Plan as new business at a regular Board meeting. Please continue to stay up-to-date on this work by visiting the Strategic Planning website.

Friday evening I joined the Accelerated Cohort Certification graduation event. Currently, we have 20 staff in the cohort who will be seeking administrative leadership positions in schools and central offices. The cohort is very intensive, and participants gave up a lot of their Friday evenings and all day Saturdays to take the classes! I look forward to seeing them progress in their leadership journey and applaud them for their commitment to career advancement.

Closing out Friday evening, I attended the Matsuri Festival hosted by Fox Mill ES. It was a well-attended festival with a wide variety of activities to experience.  The dinner was fabulous, the entertainment incredible, and the artwork truly exceptional in its detail – so many traditions to learn about.  I appreciated the students and staff who shared their time with me.   

As we think about all that is around us, and all that is within us, and all that we both influence and are influenced by, I am mindful of the poet Daniel Ladinsky who shared; “Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.”  Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky.”  And I think, let’s get out and share in this amazing miracle of spring with all its gifts yet to be realized….

Warmest Regards,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools