Superintendent's Weekly Reflections

Hello Team FCPS!

What another fantastic FCPS weekend as we prepare for so many opportunities ahead in the coming week. There continue to be so many exciting activities going on all across this amazing school division. As we think about the work ahead of us, I am reminded of the wise words of Maya Angelou. “If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully. However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present … Gratefully.” I remain grateful for you and your work as I look forward to connecting with you as I continue to be out in schools and the community in the coming days and weeks. 

Last Friday was School Communicators Day — thank you to all our school communicators, who help keep our students, staff, and families engaged, inspired, and well-informed across our school newsletters, webpages, social media channels, and more! Effective, trust-building communication around FCPS’ mission and the importance of public education is more important now than ever. This work matters!!

 I was recently meeting with the Chief Information Technology Office, talking about using new and historical data for predictive analytics. For example, as second graders complete their NWEA MAP screener in the spring, historical data could be used to build a ‘model’ which predicts which students are likely to pass their third grade reading SOL the next year. This gives us early analytics to determine interventions and enrichment activities in real time. This work matters. 

While we were discussing this, Brendan Martin, technology architect, mentioned something called an “automatic bullseye” dartboard, which you can see in action in the GIF below. This unique dartboard was created by Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer who takes on fun and challenging projects for his YouTube channel. The dartboard was engineered in such a way that no matter who throws the dart (or how badly they throw it!), the dart moves automatically into the bullseye position.

Brendan shared an interesting analogy between this dartboard and the use of predictive analytics. He says that “The dart board moves quite a bit as the dart travels towards the board. When the person first releases the dart, the system will make a prediction of where it will land and moves the board to that location. However, it doesn’t just make one prediction. It makes many, many predictions as the dart is in flight (it constantly takes in new data – position, trajectory, speed, angle, etc.) and updates the location of where it thinks the dart is going to land. The closer the dart gets, the more accurate the predictions become and ultimately, it’s able to position to board to get a bullseye every time.” In the context of students, “if we build robust data systems that are considering the data that we have and we are course-correcting enough along the way (moving the dart board), we might be better positioned to provide the right supports, interventions to hit student outcome targets.” I thought this was a fabulous way to think about our work and how we might leverage technology to better and faster meet the needs of our students — thank you for sharing, Brendan!

Speaking of technology, I recently sat down with the Oakton High School robotics team for an “ Our Voices, Our Future ” video conversation. You can  watch the video here to learn more about the students’ interest in robotics and how they’re connecting it both with their current academics and their future aspirations. You may remember these Cougars from an  earlier edition of  Weekly Reflections , where they were one of several FCPS teams competing at the FIRST Robotics Competition held at Hayfield Secondary School. This video is a testament to the need to provide higher levels of math in earlier grades as well as increasing the algebra trig graduation requirements. 

Jamie Lane, principal at Oakton, was kind enough to pass on some competition updates from the team. The Cougars wrote that “Oakton’s FTC robotics teams have been extremely triumphant this season. Both 369 and 226 have worked very hard and persevered through many challenges, ultimately becoming district finalists for all our district events, and receiving a dozen awards. During our final district competition, 369 and 226 chose each other as alliance partners in our competition and through excellent collaboration and communication we were able to finish as finalists, allowing us to qualify for the Chesapeake Championships. This was the first time 369 has ever qualified for the Chesapeake Championships where they were finalists and qualified for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship. Our 369 team is one of the six teams in the Chesapeake district that attended worlds out of the over 240 Chesapeake teams where they made it to the finals as the 8th alliance captain. We are incredibly proud of our achievements and grateful for the dedication and effort put in by our team members, mentors, and supporters throughout the season. We look forward to sharing more successes in the future!” Thank you for sharing and Go Cougars!!

On Monday morning, I visited Waples Mill Elementary School for a special event: the opening of a time capsule from the year 2000! Standing before the Waples Mill Elementary community for the opening of the time capsule felt particularly meaningful. It reminded me that education is a long and living story, and each of our schools contributes chapters filled with dreams, innovation, and community spirit. At Waples Mill, those values were not only evident — they were thriving.

One of the most powerful aspects of the morning was witnessing the bridging of generations. Fran Jinarro, a former staff member whose commitment preserved this special piece of Waples Mill’s history, reminded us all the importance of stewardship — of taking care of both our memories and our mission. It was an honor to join her and fellow 1999-00 staff members Charlene Willess and Judy Keithley in opening the time capsule. As we unfolded letters from the past, looked through photos, and touched the handwritten hopes of students from 25 years ago, I was deeply moved by how much has changed — and how much has stayed the same. The language of curiosity, hope, and kindness is timeless. It lives on in today’s students, such as Student Council President Adam Raines, who spoke about the future with insight well beyond his years. Thanks to Principal Meishe Thirus, the Waples Mill staff, PTA, students, and families who made this event possible. Go Eagles!! 

Monday afternoon I attended a Superintendent’s Roundtable in Washington, D.C. There were superintendents from the D.C. area as well as from across the country who came together to discuss solutions for financial and operational challenges in K-12 schools. I continue to appreciate all those around our country working together. 

Monday evening, we held a meeting of the Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee . Some of the key takeaways from the  meeting are available on our website . You can also see materials that  were shared with the committee . We discussed the boundary review process so far, tested out a new interactive tool, and reviewed proposed boundary adjustments. We invite you to participate in a series of community meetings to review and reflect on the initial draft scenarios before the start of summer break. Another round of community meetings will be held in the fall. As part of these community meetings, families, staff, and community members will be able to explore and visualize potential boundary scenarios using a customized Boundary Explorer Tool. The tool will also be accessible from our website.

• Thursday, May 15, 6:30-8 p.m., Oakton High School
• Friday, May 16 , 6:30-8 p.m., Robinson Secondary School
• Monday, May 19, 6:30-8 p.m., Herndon High School
• Friday, May 23, 7-8:30 p.m., Lewis High School
• Wednesday, May 28, 7-8:30 p.m., Annandale High School
• Thursday, May 29, 6:30-8 p.m., Whitman Middle School
• Friday, May 30 , 6:30-8 p.m., Chantilly High School
• Friday, June 6, 6:30–8 p.m., Glasgow Middle School

Each meeting will be hybrid, meaning that you may attend in person or via Zoom. Childcare for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed. Registration links will be shared soon. I also invite each of you to continue following along as we move forward together by signing up to receive the School Boundary Review newsletter . 

Tuesday evening, I joined the Hispanic Leadership Alliance (HLA) — an FCPS partner organization made up of current and retired FCPS educators and staff — at its 20th annual Scholarship Banquet to honor 32 outstanding students, adult learners, and leaders from more than 13 schools and programs. With an average GPA above 4.1, this year’s scholars are headed to colleges including Princeton, UVA, Virginia Tech, Boston College, George Mason University, and NOVA, pursuing careers in nursing, engineering, education, law, and more.

Françoise Casablanca, principal of Crestwood Elementary School, was also honored with the 2025 HLA Leadership Award and surprised with video messages from her students, who praised her genuine, exemplary, and compassionate leadership. Manny Gómez Portillo, president of HLA and one of the senior managers in the Office of ESOL Services, said “This was a powerful moment for our community to come together and celebrate our award recipients — each one a reflection of our shared hopes for the future. I was deeply moved by the stories, inspired by the determination, and in awe of the bright paths each awardee is forging. Our future is not only bright — it’s in excellent hands.” More information about the scholarship recipients is available online . Together, all things are possible!!

Wednesday evening, I held the final  Employee Conversation of the school year at Weyanoke Elementary School. We talked about telework/return to the office, the budget, curriculums, and access to the new paystubs. We also talked about inclusion for our students with disabilities. Starting next school year, as part of our work around Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we will focus on increasing general education inclusion for students accessing special education services. One important benefit of inclusion is the opportunity for our youngest learners to develop stronger language skills with their peers.

In recent research, inclusion for three and four year olds can lead to a 50% reduction in students needing IEPs by the time they enter kindergarten. As I told members of Team FCPS at the Employee Conversation, one of the things to remember is that students are often capable of more than we realize! This is important work that I’m looking forward to, and we’ll be approaching it thoughtfully with the needs of our students and families top of mind. Stay tuned for more information on this in the coming weeks and months! Thank you to everyone who has come out to our conversations this year. I can’t wait to hear more of your thoughts when they start back up in the fall! 

As you may have read in my email to you on Friday afternoon, I presented our amended  Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget to the School Board at its meeting on Thursday night. We will continue to be budget focused in the coming weeks as we finalize fiscal details for the coming year. 

In the Academic Matters section of the School Board meeting, I discussed Pillar B of the Strategic Plan :  Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships . The focus here was our Classroom on Wheels, which showcases the collaborative efforts of Auto Tech and Engineering students at Marshall Academy as they transformed a retired school bus into a mobile learning lab.

Once completed, the bus will be used to provide extra academic help where students live, and to strengthen connections between families and schools. From grinding out rusted bolts to designing an adaptable classroom interior, students gained real-world skills while giving back to their community. This hands-on project reflects the power of career and technical education across Fairfax County Public Schools. I  shared this video , which provides in-depth information about the Classroom on Wheels project and how the students worked together to make it happen. Very cool!

And in the Superintendent Matters section of the School Board meeting, I discussed a review of the limited early release days, which this year were on Mondays, but for next school year we will be moving them to Wednesdays, with the same services as this year. I will be sharing more information about this with the community at the beginning of the coming week.

Friday morning the Jazzguars – I love that name!. ;>) – from Falls Church High School visited Gatehouse Administration Center to show off their purr-fect pitch ;>). CJ Redden-Liotta, director of choral activities at Falls Church, shared the following about the group. “The Falls Church High School Jazzguars are the select Vocal Jazz ensemble from Falls Church High School. One of the only high school level groups of its kind in the Commonwealth, the Jazzguars perform music from the vocal jazz, musical theatre, and popular repertoire, and have been invited to perform with the George Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble and the Fairfax Symphony.” Go Jaguars!! 

Also on Friday morning, it was my pleasure to honor Amanda Alsbaugh, special education department chair at Oak View Elementary School, with the Spring CARES of the Quarter award. Sponsored by Educate Fairfax, members of the Cox Communications team presented Amanda with a check for $500 for the incredible work she has done for the special education department and the Oak View Elementary community. Amanda is considered by colleagues to be “the brains, the heart, the prefrontal cortex, the protective immune system, and central nervous system of the building and the people inside.” Her colleagues know her as a powerful advocate for children who may not otherwise be heard. Congratulations Amanda!!  Also a big thank you to those who nominated her and the team working with Amanda, together all things are possible. 

Early Friday evening, I attended and spoke at the graduation of the  Accelerated Certification Cohort (ACC) . The ACC enrolls motivated and experienced FCPS educators to work toward a Virginia license in education administration. This learning cohort consists of high performing FCPS teachers and central office leaders who have demonstrated the skills necessary to pursue advanced leadership opportunities in FCPS. The program is managed in collaboration with the University of Virginia, and licensure is granted by the Virginia Department of Education based on the successful completion of this one year, non-credit program. Congratulations to our 20 graduates — we’re excited for this next chapter of your leadership journey! Together, all things are possible. 

It was another great week for theatre here at FCPS! On Friday evening, I visited West Springfield High School for its performance of “Into the Woods.” Go Spartans!! This was an incredible performance featuring so many talented students with the support of dedicated staff. Our arts program remains integral to a well rounded education. 

And on Saturday, I saw the Woodson High School production of “Mamma Mia” (go Cavaliers!!) and “The Addams Family” at Falls Church High School (go Jaguars!!).Both of these performances were so well done that I thought I was on Broadway ;>)!! I continue to be so inspired by the efforts of our students and staff!!  It was particularly great to be in the newly renovated Falls Church High School theatre facility. Both shows were both amazing and inspiring for a wide variety of reasons. Well done!!

I was excited to stop by our second annual  Summer Extravaganza at Woodson High School on Saturday morning to visit with families and students who were getting a head start on summer learning by participating in engaging, educational, and enriching activities. Families and students explored STEM projects together, learned about robotics, and unleashed their creativity in art activities, while also checking out a school bus, a fire truck, and student performances.

There was also a moon bounce, music, and puppies! Several community organizations and partners, as well as many FCPS offices, were on hand to provide resources and information. This year we also had a Student Program Marketplace, where students presented and sold their handmade goods to help support their clubs and activities. Thank you to Educate Fairfax for sponsoring this work and thank you to everyone who made this wonderful event possible!! We love FCPS!!

Later Saturday morning, I went to a middle school track meet at Mount Vernon High School. What a great day for our students to be outside and active. Over 1300 middle school student athletes were participating on Saturday in several locations around the county. It continues to be great to see what is possible when a community comes together to support healthy and active activities for our young people. Below is a picture of the Sandburg Middle School girls’ team celebrating a relay win. 

As we approach the end of the school year, many of our learners are taking Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in their classes. As we think about the  new Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) 2024 Accountability System and the  School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) , I wanted to provide more context on what SOL scores mean and the role they play here at FCPS. SOLs are state assessments designed to measure a student’s knowledge and skills for the content standards taught in their current courses. At the individual student level, they give teachers and caregivers information on performance toward end-of-year expectations along with strengths and areas of needs within the standards.

At the school level, SOL results will have the most significant impact on a school’s upcoming and future accountability ratings under the new state accountability system. SOL reading, math, and science tests, together with the small number of Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) tests for certain students with disabilities, are the  only  assessments that count within the academic performance indicators for the SPSF Mastery component. These academic performance indicators make up the largest single proportion of a school’s overall framework score: 

• 40% for secondary and high schools.
• 50% for middle schools.
• 55% for elementary schools.

In turn, the overall framework score determines a school’s initial performance category of Distinguished, On Track, Off Track, or Needs Intensive Support. Both effort and outcomes on state assessments are rewarded in schools’ accountability calculations, with most failing attempts awarded 0.75 points, proficient scores receiving 1.0 points, and advanced scores earning 1.25 points for the school. When approaching SOL tests as a way to represent the level of learning that our students and teachers engage with on a daily basis, it’s important for all of us — students, staff, family members — to put forward our best effort. 

That said, it’s also important to acknowledge that the heavy reliance on standardized testing as a measure of student and school performance in the state’s accountability system is in clear contrast to our approach within our 2023-30 Strategic Plan . The Strategic Plan acknowledges the importance of test scores in its measures, but it also demonstrates that scores are only one component of a much more balanced and holistic view of student performance and achievement, including pursuing passions outside the classroom and planning a pathway for college, career, or military after high school. Just as we say there’s no “one size fits all” approach to learning in the context of UDL, there’s also no “one size fits all” way to measure student success!

Nothing has a greater impact on our community than the power and promise of public education. Fairfax County’s exceptional public schools have long been a driver of economic growth, attracting families and businesses. Generations of students have benefited from a school system that nurtures excellence and opportunity. This is because of each of you -- Team FCPS. 

Thank you for your unwavering dedication to creating safe, welcoming, and enriching learning environments. Your daily efforts make a lasting difference. Together, we are building a brighter future for our students and our community.

And so, I wish each of you all the best this coming week.  If you are a mother, Happy Mother’s Day!! I enjoy sharing; “Mother is a verb. It’s something you do. Not just who you are.” — Dorothy Canfield Fisher. I trust that each of you have been able to celebrate those who have been mothers in whatever role they played in our lives. As this week promises to be a sunny and warm couple of days, I trust you will have an opportunity to find and savor both quiet and abundantly joyful moments in the coming days. These are our best days …

Take good care,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D.