Celebrating Our Special Education Champions
Fairfax County Public Schools is known for excellence in special education, and the Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA) recently celebrated this commitment at its 2026 Awards Ceremony. The annual event honors the outstanding students, educators, staff, and community members who go above and beyond to support and uplift our children with disabilities.
Outstanding Student awardee, Devansh Saraff, a fifth grader at Navy Elementary School, was honored for the 190+ hours he spent creating 75 3D-printed fidget toys, which he donated to the students at Kilmer Center.
Elementary Special Educator of the Year, Casey McLellan from Lees Corner Elementary School, was recognized by numerous parents for her extraordinary personal commitment to professional development related to her students’ less common diagnoses, such as PANDAS and selective mutism. She was also honored for emphasizing the need for trauma-informed approaches to address these children.
The SEPTA Superhero - Volunteer of the Year, Stephanie Curb (who is also a special educator at Hunt Valley Elementary School), was recognized for her years of dedicated and behind-the-scenes work moderating the 3000+ member SEPTA Facebook discussion group.
The School Age Child Care (SACC) team at Hunters Woods (pictured above) was recognized as a Community Champion for their developmentally appropriate, creative, and collaborative approach to individualizing and easing end-of-the-day transitions for a socially exhausted neurodivergent student.
Representative James Walkinshaw (pictured above) spoke to the audience about the value of the work they are doing, drawing comparisons of the importance of disability advocacy work today to that of the Disability Civil Rights Movement.
The event also highlighted the impact of transition programs like the Davis Center. Davis students prepared incredibly delicious cookie platters for the event. Learn more about their catering services and support their program by visiting the Davis Center Catering Menu .
Additionally, SEPTA hosted a successful food drive to support the food pantry at Cedar Lane School, reflecting the community’s dedication to ensuring families have access to essential resources.
Excellence in special education impacts far more than students with disabilities — it uplifts the entire school division by strengthening all four pillars of the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan .
Additional 2026 SEPTA Award Winners include:
- Reflections: Silver Award of Excellence - Avi Levy, PAC student
- Reflections: Bronze Award of Merit - Ben Smith, Edison High School
- Outstanding Student - Devansh Saraff, Navy Elementary School
- Abbie Bachmore Memorial Award: Student Most Supporting Inclusion - Reema Patel and Sheel Patel, Langley High School
- Community Champion for Special Education - Hunters Woods SACC Team, Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services, and Scott Elliott, music instructor and SPUR Band
- Outstanding Inclusive FCPS Program - Jenna Cook and Kathryn Guard: Experiential Autism Education Program, Glen Forest Elementary School
- Outstanding Elementary Administrator - Becky Timm, Hunters Woods Elementary School, and Eric Kopacz, Hunt Valley Elementary School
- Outstanding Secondary Administrator - Jae Lee, Annandale High School
- Outstanding Support Staff - James Racine, Hunters Woods Elementary School
- Outstanding Central Office Staff - Evelyn Harocopos, educational specialist, Pimmit Hills ECC
- Outstanding Co-Curricular Staff - Cara Chaapel, Herndon Elementary School, and Anne Hollis, Union Mill Elementary School
- Outstanding Collaborative Team- Cathy Adames, Laura Cerda, and Anice Denton, Fox Mill Elementary School
- Outstanding Elementary General Educator - Courtney Kim, Hunters Woods Elementary School, and Beth Beal, Laurel Ridge Elementary School
- Outstanding Secondary General Educator - Alina Jimenez Rosa, Chantilly High School
- Outstanding Related Services Provider - Megan Pitts, Woodson Elementary School, and Stephanie Schauder, Hunters Woods Elementary School
- Outstanding Instructional Support Staff - Kely Herrera, Rolling Valley Elementary School, and Samina Butt, Irving Middle School
- Outstanding Preschool Special Educator - Claire Soyeon Lee, Pimmit Hills ECC, and Malika Bougria, Pimmit Hills ECC
- Mark Stewart Memorial Award: Outstanding Elementary Special Educator - Patricia Rothweiler, Stratford Landing Elementary School; Larissa Miller Pullam, Silverbrook Elementary School; Colleen O'Carroll, Rolling Valley Elementary School; and Liz Smith, Aldrin Elementary School
- Outstanding Secondary Special Educator - Jason Collazo, Quander Road Center, and Jan Fisher, Out of School Support, homebound
- Preschool Educator of the Year - Liz Busch, Cardinal Forest Elementary School
- Elementary Educator of the Year - Katherine Charlotte “Casey" McLellan, Lees Corner Elementary School
- Secondary Educator of the Year - Nia Ravenstahl, South Lakes High School
- Volunteer of the Year - Stephanie Curb, Hunt Valley Elementary School
A Special Education PTA (SEPTA) is a PTA organization affiliated with the State and National PTA, specifically established to support students receiving special education services, students with disabilities, and their families. Join the community and stay connected by visiting the FCPS SEPTA Givebacks Page .
