Dear Community Members,

Here we are, at the end of the ‘25-’26 school year! The Class of 2026 has walked down the aisles to graduate, surrounded with the final support of the FCPS community of fellow students, educators, administrators, and family. The ritual is getting more and more personal, as my own children get closer to their graduation dates! It truly is amazing to see children grow into adults launching into their lives. I wish all the best to the students and their families, and that there is joy and feelings of accomplishment. Thank you to the educators who year after year add to the trajectory of life after graduation! I enjoyed celebrating with students and families on June 2 with Cedar Lane School, June 5 at South Lakes High School, June 9 with Madison High School and Westfield High School, and June 12 with the resilient and inspiring young adults at the Davis Career Center.

Additionally, Westbriar Elementary School welcomed back a former student, figure skating Olympic gold medalist Ilia Malinin! On June 15, Ilia spent the day speaking to all students and sharing his journey from being a young kid doing backflips in elementary school to the four-hour daily training sessions that developed him into a world-class athlete and the first figure skater to land a quadruple axel spin during the U.S. International Classic in Lake Placid, New York in 2022! Ilia stressed the importance of commitment in following your dreams, as well as the journey of discovering your passions. He said it’s ok to not know what you want to do while you explore your interests, which is an important life lesson for all people.

I’m proud to say that the School Board work I’ve committed to delivering over the past months has culminated in some favorable outcomes for students, families, and educators.

First, the School Board adopted a revised calendar policy, the first update since 2014, well beyond the required five-year cycle of Board review. As Governance Chair, I facilitated this work in response to the overwhelming feedback from parents that this past school year has been: their children need instructional continuity, and the fragmented calendar has burdened families. The answer is more five-day school weeks.

Ultimately the policy codifies some current practices and combines information into one place and not in five different policies. Most notably, it designates the responsibility of the School Board to review and approve school calendars, which has not happened in the past few years. While these are needed updates, and I’m glad the Board did this work, the policy doesn’t address some of the key components that remain a challenge, such as clarifying the end-of-year schedule for high school students, which I’m experiencing as a parent myself as being haphazard. I’m also aware that the community wants more discussion and improvements regarding the length of summer holiday, exploring year-round school (also called a “balanced calendar”), and more.

Second, regarding educational technology and devices: at the June 11 meeting, the Board approved a significant change. For the upcoming ‘26-‘27 school year, parents of preschool and elementary school students will have the ability to **opt-out** of FCPS electronic devices coming home with their students. The Board also directed the Superintendent to develop recommendations for consideration by the School Board in November, including:

Opt-out options, inclusive of budgetary implications and equity concerns, for parents and/or guardians for any electronic device to go home with students.
Restrictions on electronic devices for instruction for students from Pre-K to 2nd grade.
Options for students in higher grades in Elementary School to have electronic devices stored away when not intentionally in use for instruction during the school day.
Enhancements to digital literacy instruction, with sufficient professional development for staff directly instructing students. This content will be publicly accessible.

I strongly opposed delaying action, since parents are demanding changes for this upcoming school year, and the recommendations presented will not take effect until at least halfway through the school year, if not later. Still, the recommendations will guarantee that the questions are considered for School Board approval, which is progress.

The remainder of June includes a June 23 Work Session with additional work on the educational technology policy, and a June 25 Regular Meeting. Two additional meetings occur in July, including adopting the specific school year calendar for years ahead, voting on the Skyview boundaries (more info below), and establishing Board Leadership for the coming year (Chair, Vice Chair, committee assignments, etc).

Like many constituents I’ve heard from, I am eager for results before the School Board recess in mid-July, and then continue to any next phase of needed work in the new school year.

Finally, you may have heard or seen media coverage about a set of text messages I received from the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors last month. These messages challenged my opposition to County budget cuts that removed high school crossing guards from all high schools, including two at South Lakes High School. My response was to stand firm in my advocacy for students’ safety and remain unapologetic in my role as an elected representative for my constituents. All politics is local, and I hope you will continue to show up and speak up to elected officials right here in Fairfax County, including me, who make funding and policy decisions that impact how we live.

School Board Updates and Recent Work