Superintendent's Weekly Reflections

Hello Team FCPS!

I trust that my note finds you making the most of this beautiful weekend. In a reminder that this is winter, we are certainly experiencing chilly temperatures and even saw a bit of snow over the weekend, when I most appreciate seeing snow ;>) Please remember to find hats and mittens this evening as they will come in handy in the week ahead. As we traverse January, I appreciate each of you and all that you do every day to support our students, one another, and families in this great community; together all things are possible.   

I am so happy to share that 770 FCPS students have been named National Merit Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). You can review the full list of scholars by school on our website. In recognition of their outstanding ability and potential for academic success in college, NMSC has honored these students by sending Letters of Commendation to them through their high schools. This represents an 11% increase in Commended Scholars for FCPS compared to the previous year! Congratulations to all the students who received this honor and to our educators who have supported them on their path to academic success.

Students share their talents with us in many ways and Thursday morning, students from Langston Hughes Middle School and Annandale High School were featured on  CBS Mornings as part of their ongoing celebration of America’s 250th birthday in a weekly segment called “America A to Z.” Our students were featured under the letter B, for America the Beautiful. The Hughes students were asked to share what they believe makes the U.S. beautiful, and the Annandale band, chorus, guitar, orchestra, and theatre tech students put together a production of the song. You can watch the segment online . It was a proud moment to see our students share their voices and talents on a national stage, highlighting their creativity, thoughtfulness, and hope. Our students will continue to lead us!

We have officially launched the 2026-27 instructional hiring season – an important step in building strong school teams and advancing the division’s long-term staffing and instructional strategy. On Saturday, January 10, the Office of Talent Acquisition and Management (TAM) hosted a virtual Instructional Talent Information Session to begin connecting with future Team FCPS educators. The session highlighted FCPS’ mission, instructional priorities, licensure pathways, Special Education opportunities, and the application process, helping candidates understand how they can contribute to student success across the division. 

TAM will host the first in-person instructional job fair on Saturday, February 7, at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Thank you to our HR Team for creating this opportunity for networking and building relationships which will strengthen FCPS’ talent pipeline and ensure schools are staffed with high-quality educators for the year ahead.

Last Sunday, January 11, we held our second open house at the new high school in the western part of the county. More than 2,300 individuals (about 800 families) registered to attend. The open house was focused on families with rising ninth and tenth graders in the Centreville, Chantilly, Oakton, South Lakes, and Westfield pyramids. You can learn more about the open house in this short article posted on the FCPS website.

I’d like to say congratulations and good luck to Nghia Tang, who worked in the cafe at Gatehouse Administration Center and retired on January 9 after 19 years in FCPS!

According to Shobana Sen (pictured above on the right with Nghia), manager of the Gatehouse Cafe, “Nghia worked with FCPS for over 19 years. She started with Gatehouse Cafe and has been with us through the years. Always ready to serve with a smile, every day she came to work with a ‘let’s seize the day’ attitude. She has been instrumental in introducing our famous summer rolls accompanied by the famous hoisin sauce and bahn mi sandwiches. Her pleasant personality made everyone who came in contact with her happy, loved, and appreciated.”  Thank you, Nghia, for nearly two decades of service and for making the Gatehouse Cafe a welcoming place for everyone — you will be missed, and we wish you a happy and well-earned retirement!

At the School Board work session and public hearing Tuesday, we discussed the proposed Fiscal Year 2027-31 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and heard feedback from our community. The CIP is updated annually to reflect changes in infrastructure needs and construction costs. Projects include construction of two new elementary schools and modifications to the new high school in the western part of the county; renovations at 16 elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools; and relocation of modular buildings. As the ninth largest school district in the nation, FCPS maintains the square footage of about four Pentagons worth of infrastructure to support more than 180,000 students! The School Board will vote on the CIP at its Thursday, February 5, meeting. 

Wednesday afternoon, I attended and shared remarks at the  Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program Graduation at the Fairfax County Government Center. The Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program is designed to educate and motivate high school students to become engaged community members and leaders. Students participate in the monthly learning sessions, complete a three-week paid internship in a Fairfax County or FCPS department, and act as “ambassadors” for the program, speaking to middle school civics classes. The students learn about local government’s role in their everyday lives and are given an opportunity to interact with county leaders and policy makers. It was inspiring to celebrate these students as they take what they’ve learned and continue to make a positive impact as active, informed leaders in Fairfax County, or wherever they decide to live.

Wednesday evening, we held the Family Vision Group meeting for Quad 1 at Providence Elementary School. We had a great discussion about understanding report cards, the volunteer management system, and the budget development process. Learning happens best in community, and we are grateful for our community as they show up to support our world class education. I greatly appreciate the parents and caregivers who attend and provide feedback on ways we can improve our schools! 

Thursday afternoon, we held a meeting of the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on 2e ( Twice-Exceptional )  Programming at Gatehouse Administration Center. We discussed the current work of the 2e Project Team, reviewed and finalized the student focus groups protocol, and shared an updated structure of the committee. As always, I’m grateful for the collaborative efforts to strengthen our support for every student — this work truly makes a difference! Student academic inclusion and engagement are part of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered . 

Thursday night, I attended a gymnastics meet and wrestling match at Lake Braddock Secondary School, which featured South County High School, Annandale High School, and Woodson High School, as well as Alexandria City High School. Wow, the athleticism is incredible and teaches so many lessons … Thank you to all who support this work, it matters. 

Friday morning, I went to Groveton Elementary School for their first Career Day. Groveton Elementary School’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) site team led this event, which was designed to build college and career readiness by connecting students’ interests to real-world professions. Based on student career interest surveys, the AVID site team recruited nearly 20 community volunteers who shared their career paths with students in grades kindergarten through six. 

Throughout the day, students rotated through engaging sessions where they explored a variety of careers, asked thoughtful questions, and learned how skills and interests connect to future opportunities. Leading up to the event, students watched career videos on the morning news show, engaged in meaningful career-focused conversations, and participated in a career inspired Spirit Week. Thank you to Groveton’s AVID site team and volunteers who helped strengthen student engagement, community partnerships, and reinforce AVID’s focus on instructional consistency, organization, and future readiness. This work matters!! Go Tigers!!

I also stopped by Woodson High School for a question-and-answer session with the Student Advisory Council (SAC). The group consists of students from every high school in FCPS. I so appreciate the students’ insightful ideas and thoughtful discussion — their voices and perspectives will help guide our work as we continue making FCPS a place where every student can thrive. This work is part of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan’s Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered . 

Friday afternoon, I went to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) for a luncheon to honor our students who were named to the list of 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars , which includes eight students from TJHSST and one student from Chantilly High School. Go Colonials and Chargers!! As I mentioned last week, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, a program of the Society for Science, is the nation’s most prestigious pre-college science competition. 

 The projects were compelling and inspire great thinking. The thought about solar storms and the need for improved satellite communication is certainly an interesting topic as well as different proteins and the ability to combat breast cancer is definitely a worthy topic to explore. Combatting flooding and other aerospace topics are interesting as well. Congratulations to our scholars and thank you to all our staff members who have supported and mentored these students — go Team FCPS!!

On Friday evening, I went to Madison High School for its varsity girls’ basketball game against Chantilly High School. Go Warhawks and Chargers!!

This Thursday’s regularly scheduled School Board meeting will include my presentation of the  Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Proposed Budget . As mentioned in our FY 27 Fiscal Forecast, our budget priorities include compensation adjustments to meet the collective bargaining agreements, meeting enrollment and student needs, benefit rate changes, and contractual rate increases. I encourage each of you to watch the School Board meeting and continue to follow our Fiscal Year 27 budget process. You can learn more about our budget and the benefits it brings to our students, staff, and whole community by visiting our website . 

First thing on Saturday morning, I attended the Scholastic Bowl at Edison High School. What a great way to start the weekend. As I sat in on the competition between South County High School and Woodson High School, I was so impressed with our students and what they are able to share and solve in this tough academic competition. Our future is definitely in good hands!! 

Next, I made my way to Annandale High School for a wrestling fallout duals match. Regardless of the athletic pursuit, the discipline, sportsmanship, and energy required to compete teach so many life lessons. Again, I appreciate the efforts of all those coaching, training, managing, and cheering during these winter sports. 

Later Saturday morning, I attended the Hayfield Secondary School Science Fair. What a great event and so many incredible ideas presented. From our young scientists, I learned about some very practical research. Interestingly, cold temperatures have an effect on baseballs (wondering if that explains the Seattle Mariners ;>) There was also evidence shared that batteries do not in fact benefit from being stored in the refrigerator (guess we’ll have more room for yogurt ;>), and that hanging bananas does not help them last longer. The effect of focal distances on the quality of DiffuserCam images was technical and of interest to our aerospace professionals. Go Hawks!!

Saturday afternoon, I made the drive to Fairfax High School for a boys’ basketball game against Falls Church High School. Go Lions and Jaguars!! 

Today, I attended the Martin Luther King Worship Service at First Baptist Church of Vienna. This service was a profoundly powerful testament to the spirit of so many in our nation. I appreciate the work and leadership of Senior Pastor, Dr. Vernon C. Walton, and all the support he provides our students, staff, and families, it matters. 

Finally, as we plan for a joyful week ahead, I am reminded of the wisdom and words shared by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  While prophetic many years ago, the sentiment shared seems eternally timely today as he observed; "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." And in so doing, being mindful that, "The time is always right to do what is right." And when the times seem particularly challenging to remember always that; "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."  Here in FCPS, in Our House, we will continue to remain resolutely in the light. 

Take good care,

Michelle Reid, Ed.D. Superintendent