Superintendent's Weekly Reflections
Hello Team FCPS!
What a way to launch a new month!! What a great first week of April. I cherish the many opportunities we have to shape our future and nurture the positive energy that transforms our community and world. It is so often the simplest of acts, that when accumulated, support outrageous success. As we remember, we started our strategic plan focused on patience and not perfection, so I want to share a thought; “Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in the quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.” — Mary Jean Irion. Thank you for all you each do... And enjoy these spring days so precious in their glorious colors and new budding life.
Some good news to share! This week, we learned that FCPS students received 31 national awards through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. FCPS students were recognized for original art and writing with one American Visions Medal, 11 Gold Medals, 16 Silver Medals, and three portfolio Honorable Mentions. The Gold award-winning artwork shown below, Kaleidoscope Through My Lens , was created by Yoo Junseo from Chantilly High School.
National medalists will be celebrated at an award ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. Select national award-winning work will also be included in an exhibition in New York, and a traveling exhibition over the coming year. A complete list of winners is available online . Congratulations to all!!
Rachel Carson Middle School’s school counseling program has been recognized by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) as a model program and was awarded the Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation for 2025 for successfully demonstrating how their comprehensive school counseling programs benefit all students. The RAMP designation, awarded to schools that align with the criteria set in the ASCA national model, recognizes schools that are committed to delivering a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program and an exemplary educational environment. Currently, 14 FCPS school counseling programs have active RAMP certification — our schools make up almost a third of all current RAMP schools in the entire state of Virginia. Go Team FCPS!!
I’d like to share more about my meeting with the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council (SAC), which I mentioned in the last edition of Weekly Reflections. As you may recall, I met with SAC delegates recently at Woodson High School. The group consists of 102 students from every high school in FCPS, and they have been working since the fall to present their research and findings on topics related to each goal in the Strategic Plan. I so appreciate their forward thinking work.
Here is a copy of their thoughtful presentation , which includes their recommendations for each of our Strategic Plan goals. For Strategic Plan Goal 1: Strong Start: Pre-K-12 , the recommendations include allowing students to choose reading materials and standardizing breaks into Benchmark teaching. Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered recommendations include encouraging teacher-student connections, implementing parent workshops on attendance, promoting the Attendance Recovery Program, and establishing peer mentorship programs. Recommendations for Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence include creating official flow charts for course pathways, developing documents for career exploration, and implementing world language programs in all elementary schools. For G oal 4: Equitable Access and Opportunity , the recommendations include suggestions around multilingual learner representation and service-based projects, and participation in clubs. Lastly, recommendations for Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation , include mandatory advisory lessons on college and career resources, connecting with alumni, and ensuring bus equity for after-school college and career events. Wow, we have such thoughtful and inspiring students!!
I had the pleasure of attending the FCPS Transportation Road-eo ;>) Tuesday morning as part of the Office of Transportation Services Professional Development Day for bus drivers, attendants, and bus driver supervisors. The Road-eo showcased the skill, precision, and professionalism of our transportation staff, featuring 11 competitive stations — from parallel parking and bus backing maneuvers to student pick-up safety and pre-trip inspections. With 35 registered competitors, it was an exciting day of teamwork and excellence in action. I am so grateful for our transportation staff and am sure I could not even back my car into the tight spaces that our bus drivers were backing up buses into for the competition ;>). Our winners were:
Specialized Transportation (Lift-Equipped) Division:
🥇 Il Seon Kim (Area 4)
🥈 Tashima Bradshaw (Area 3)
🥉 Todd Wyatt (Area 4)
General Education (Conventional) Bus Division:
🥇 Juan Solari (Area 2)
🥈 Hugo Olivares (Area 3)
🥉 Titus Nmashie (Area 2)
A special shoutout to the first-place winners — Il Seon Kim and Juan Solari — who will represent FCPS at the Virginia State Bus Road-eo in May! Thank you to all participants, organizers, volunteers, and our transportation leaders, including Kerrissa Watson, Peter Gado, and Jeremy Doxer, for making this event a success. We encourage all staff to join us next year — whether to compete or to cheer on their teammates. Go Team FCPS Transportation!
Also Tuesday morning, the Burke and Herbert Bank Foundation awarded Educate Fairfax, the 501(c)(3) non-profit education foundation that supports Fairfax County Public Schools, a grant request of $10,000. This is such an important contribution as we partner with our community to support a world class education here in FCPS.
This $10,000 grant supports the College Success Program , a program for students who are often (but not always) the first in their family to attend college and who do not have the financial means to attend without significant support. The grant benefits more than 350 high school students, allowing them the opportunity to visit at least one college campus and helping them bring their dream of attending college one step closer to reality!
The grant will also support Spring Sprouts, an innovative FCPS program addressing chronic absenteeism at Title I elementary schools by providing students the chance to recover missed days of learning, while cultivating relationships between students, families, and their school. Spring Sprouts fosters a sense of connection and academic growth, creating a pathway for success throughout a child’s life. The funding allows FCPS to double the number of Title I schools offering the Spring Sprouts program during spring break, ensuring over 300 Title I students have the opportunity to recover lost instructional time and foster connections at school. Together, all things are possible!!
Tuesday evening, we held a Community Conversation at Lorton Station Elementary School, led by Principal Francis Legagneur. We had a great conversation on a variety of topics, including school boundary changes; local and federal budget concerns; diversity, equity, and inclusion; changes to Standards of Learning (SOL) tests; and Benchmark Advance. I also hosted a Family Vision Group meeting on Wednesday for Quad 3 at Oak View Elementary School. I want to thank everyone who took the time to join me to share their thoughts, concerns, and ask questions. Learning happens best in community!!
Upcoming Community Conversations include:
- Monday, April 7 , from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Greenbriar West Elementary School.
- Monday, April 21 , from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Mount Eagle Elementary School.
- Wednesday, April 23 , from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Mason Crest Elementary School.
I hope to see you at one of these meetings! Registration is preferred as it does help us plan but is not required.
On Wednesday evening, I attended a Budget Town Hall meeting held at West Springfield High School, hosted by Kyle McDaniel, Fairfax County School Board member At-Large; Sandy Anderson, the School Board’s Springfield District representative; and Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. I was so proud of the many students and staff who spoke so eloquently and passionately about the programs that are important to them.
As I mentioned last week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will finalize the budget on May 6 — and the current advertised budget underfunds FCPS by $150 million. Our community believes in the value of an excellent public education system. Here at FCPS, excellence means strong academics and limitless opportunities.
But due to ongoing underfunding and budget cuts, our excellence is at a crossroads. I encourage each of you to provide feedback on the county's FY 2026 Advertised Budget by April 24, whether by taking the Fairfax County Budget Survey or signing up to speak at a Budget Public Hearing . More information on why this matters and what’s at stake is available at FCPS.edu/crossroads .
Thursday afternoon I participated in a discussion between the Hispanic Educators Association and FCPS Human Resources leaders. We discussed many ways in which we can better support our educators and students as we continue our mission driven work to achieve the bold goals of our strategic plan. Together all things are possible.
Next, I made my way to Westfield High School for its Pyramid Art Show. The show features works from students in all schools in the Westfield Pyramid. For juniors and seniors, their art is displayed just as it would be in a gallery.
As Westfield High School principal Tony DiBari shared, “The Art show showcases 11 different schools within the Westfield Pyramid (to include Carson Middle School) on a variety of art forms ranging from: 2D, 3D, Digital Art, and photography. This show highlights students ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, with the 12th graders putting together entire booth collections. Students win awards from their fellow students, art, faculty, and principals.” The arts continue to be integral to a world class education. I appreciate all of our arts educators whose passion ignites the talents of our students, this work matters.
Thursday evening, I stopped by Hunt Valley Elementary School for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) Night. There was so much for students to see and do, including a parachute and wind tunnel, 3D printing, MicroBit coding, math games, making a greenhouse, robots, and bridge building. There's pure joy in watching students' faces light up with excitement and wonder as they see an experiment succeed, turning curiosity into a spark of discovery. Leading for tomorrow’s innovation is Goal 5 of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan . Go Hawks!!
First thing Friday morning, I visited Mount Vernon High School as they are setting up to display the International Baccalaureate Arts exhibit in the coming days. I had the opportunity to tour the art classes and view a number of art exhibits. The Majors are certainly a talented group of student artists. I also had an opportunity to visit with current and prospective students.
Later Friday morning, I attended a meeting of the Northern Virginia Public School Leaders Network. The group spent time discussing the impact of changes at the U.S Department of Education and grant funding for meals, Title 1, IDEA, and transportation; the impact of the soon-to-be completed state legislative session and budget deliberations; and ways to work together on these important issues impacting Northern Virginia school systems. This work matters!!
Friday evening, I attended the Edison High School production of “Grease.” It was a great show with the actors performing energetically and hitting all their cues. I joined principal Mandy Burke in applauding the incredible performance. According to Edison High School Theatre teacher Jeff Walker, “Since the stage show premiered in the early 1970s and the hit film took America by storm in 1978, “Grease” has remained one of the certainly showed their love for it, proving "Grease" is "still the word!” Audiences cheered and Rydell High rocked the house! With a talented and energetic cast onstage and a finely tuned team of crew members behind the scenes, this production was a wonderful escape back to 1959. The red cherry on top of this production was the collaboration between Edison Theatre and the Auto Collision Class in the Academy which turned a rusty, vintage Ford front-end, into a gleaming “Greased Lightning” prop car! We hope such a partnership will not be the last.” Saturday night was a sold out house!
I started my Saturday morning with the FAX LAX Fest, a girls’ lacrosse tournament hosted by Fairfax High School. It was a great morning to take in the strong athletic performances of our student athletes. The game I watched was the host Fairfax High School team hosting the Herndon High School team. Both the Lions and the Hornets competed well.
Saturday, FCPS held an Instructional Job Fair at Oakton High School with hundreds of teacher candidates seeking positions within FCPS. A big thank you to our dedicated Human Resources team and all the principals, assistant principals and school-based staff who took time to be a part of this important work! Go current and future members of Team FCPS!! ;>)
Also on Saturday morning, I attended the FACETS Volunteer Appreciation Event at Church of the Good Shepherd in Burke. FACETS is one of the largest social safety nets for families, children, and individuals in Fairfax County. We are better for the efforts of the many volunteers who support our students and schools.
Early Saturday afternoon, I attended the Move ‘Til You Drop (MTYD) event at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, an annual event aimed at bringing dancers from across the county together and highlighting the future of dance in FCPS for our youngest students. This annual dance event has been around since 2015. MTYD’s first event was held at Bailey’s Upper Elementary School. MTYD brings together students from Bailey’s Upper Elementary School, Hunters Woods Elementary School, and alumni of both schools. The teachers for this dance event are high school students from various FCPS schools such as West Potomac High School, Fairfax High School, and Justice High School to name a few.
Assistant Principal Tricia Wayland shared the following, “Bailey’s Upper dance teacher Becky Sorto and Hunter Woods dance teacher Julie Ohrnberger have collaborated closely with FCPS high schools that offer dance programs to help unify the FCPS fine arts dance community. I remain so grateful for all of our incredible educators!!
Through their efforts, students across grade levels have been given meaningful opportunities to either learn or teach a variety of dance styles, including lyrical jazz, musical theatre, and hip hop. The lyrical jazz dance you saw performed was choreographed and taught by two of our high school students in just 45 minutes—an incredible demonstration of their leadership and talent.” Thank you, Becky and Julie, for going above and beyond for our students. This work matters!
Recently, I heard from Chrissy McLaughlin, who is the school-based technology specialist at Navy Elementary School. As an educator in our county for 20 years, she reached out to advocate for the recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month both this April and in the future. She shared “Almost every year, my family and I have decorated a Blue Ribbon Tree at the entrance of my school. 2012-2019 We decorated the tree at the entrance of Lees Corner. 2020, during Covid, I upheld the tradition and decorated a tree outside my home. In 2023 I moved to Navy Elementary, and I am proud to share that this year I continued the tradition in my new community. In addition to decorating a blue-ribbon tree at the entrance of my school. I have also given staff members blue ribbon pins, shared what it means to have awareness for causes with students and have had them create beautiful blue pinwheels to highlight what brings them happiness.” They are planning a Wear Blue Day on Monday, April 28.
This work is very personal for Chrissy as she shared, “Personal tragedy has propelled me into advocacy work, especially in honor of my son, Zachary . Raising awareness is vital, and as educators, we play a crucial role in offering love and a safe space for our students.” I appreciate the reminder of this important issue and support our collective attention to protecting our children, this work matters.
For this week’s Advancing Literacy segment, I have a social media post from Franklin Sherman Elementary School about how they help students develop a love for reading and writing. They shared the photo below, with the caption: “Empower your literacy journey! Our Language Arts reading block is a sacred two-hour haven where we ignite a passion for comprehensive literacy development. Our students thrive on engaging with literature that speaks directly to their hearts, and discover the power of reference materials like dictionaries to elevate their understanding. First grade has begun crafting personalized narratives about their experiences, as they unlock their full potential and unleash their unique writing voice!”
What a thoughtful description of the transformative power of literacy! And it’s a delight to see these young learners so absorbed in their reading — looks like they can’t bear ;>) to put down those books! Go Pandas!!
I reached out to Franklin Sherman Principal Farris Thomas to learn more about her school’s literacy initiatives. She shared the ways that Franklin Sherman is partnering with students and families to promote a love of reading and how a school-wide culture of collaboration, data-driven feedback, and shared expertise is driving continuous improvement in instructional practices and alignment with Benchmark Advance. I’ll be sharing more during the next Advancing Literacy segment — stay tuned!
And so, as we approach the coming spring week ahead, I suggest we each contemplate the thoughts of Jennifer Lee; “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” I wish for each of you a joyful and energizing week. Let’s do this !!
Take good care,
Michelle Reid, Ed.D. Superintendent
