Gordon Stokes became an executive principal for Region 5 in July 2024. He was previously the principal of Rachel Carson Middle School for nine years.
Stokes started his career at Carson Middle in 1998 teaching U.S. history. He was a LEAD Fairfax administrative intern at Key Middle School in 2007-08. In 2008, he was named assistant principal at Luther Jackson Middle School. In 2012, Stokes transitioned to South County Middle School where he was assistant principal.
During his tenure at Carson Middle, Stokes leveraged the school's mission and priorities to enhance the development of Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes, expanded diverse elective offerings, and provided responsive supports tailored to the needs of Carson Middle’s student body. His ability to assemble and lead teacher teams in county-wide instructional initiatives, such as the Capstone and secondary literacy projects, FCPSON, and Portrait of a Graduate presentation of learning, has been instrumental in piloting and evaluating innovative programs. He partnered with Carson Middle’s teacher leaders and collaborative learning teams to establish a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
Stokes' leadership extends beyond instructional strategies to foster a positive school climate. Stokes established a safe and welcoming environment at Carson Middle. He also engaged parents and families in conversations and improvement efforts to enhance student achievement and behavior. As a culturally responsive and equitable school leader, Stokes has partnered with the school-based equity lead to implement cultural proficiency modules and facilitated dialogues to address school-wide challenges. His development of the Young Scholars outreach program underscores his dedication to providing equitable opportunities for all students.
In recognition of his achievements at Carson Middle, Stokes was named Outstanding New Principal in 2017. He served as president of the Middle School Principals Association during the 2018-2019 school year where he led advocacy efforts and partnered with the FCPS Leadership Team.
Stokes graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in teaching.