New River Valley Times

Superintendent's Weekly Reflections

As we traverse the last of this winter season, I know we are more than ready for spring as it arrives this week.  Tomorrow at this time we will be in Spring !!  There is great comfort in the predictability of nature’s rhythm. I trust that you will have an opportunity to get outside and feel the sun on your face as the magic of spring unfolds. 

Monday evening, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis joined me as FCPS hosted nearly 400 families, staff, and community members for a conversation on the opioid crisis in our nation, and yes, here in Fairfax County.

It was heartbreaking to hear stories of loss from our speakers and even audience members. These conversations must continue – in our classrooms and in our communities. Our next #FightAgainstFentanyl event will be held Monday, April 24. Please look out for more details and a registration link in the weeks to come. In the meantime, please visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for updates as they become available. Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and how to get help for yourself or loved ones; together all things are possible.

Monday afternoon, I visited Annandale Terrace Elementary School for the first of five FCPS Strategic Planning Student Voice focus group meetings. During this session, students in grades 3-6 gave feedback on the draft goals.

Students worked collaboratively to create a poster that encompasses all their shared ideas for the ideal school. We have also collected more than 13,000 responses from staff, parents/caregivers, and community members on the Strategic Plan Survey/Exit Ticket. The survey closes for parents/caregivers and community members on Monday, March 20. Employees will hear Strategic Plan updates from their principal/program manager and review the Strategic Plan draft goals and pillars through March 30. The Core Planning Team convened this week to review feedback-to-date from stakeholders and further refine the goals and pillars. The Instructional Focus Team will meet next week to refine the professional practices to implement the new Strategic Plan. We have announced the dates of the three remaining community forums, which are April 10, April 11 (Spanish-speaking), and April 17. Please review the Strategic Planning webpage for more information and to register for one of these forums. We’ve received more than 700 responses via the Let’s Talk Strategic Plan Feedback form and invite everyone to continue providing input here. 

Tuesday, I started one of my favorite math holidays – Pi Day! – at Saratoga Elementary School. Author and former National Protocol Officer for the Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Deborah Hall-Greene Thomas, shared remarkable stories about the Tuskegee Airmen.  From the History Channel website: “The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. Trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, they flew more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II. Their impressive performance earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces.”

After the students listened to Dr. Hall-Greene Thomas read her book, "They Believed They Could Fly!... And They Did!: The Tuskegee Airmen" During the conversation, I shared my personal encounter with several Tuskegee Airmen. When I was a principal (more than 20 years ago ;>), several Tuskegee Airmen came to our school and spoke with our high school students. They even autographed my copy of "Tuskegee Airman: The Biography of Charles E. McGee: Air Force Fighter Combat Record Holder."  You can read more about the Tuskegee Airmen on the Tuskegee University website! We thank them for their service and inspiring legacy of excellence. 

Later that day, I visited Lemon Road ES to learn more about how challenging the current OCR settlement requirements continue to be, especially for our teachers and staff of students with special needs and 504 plans.  I met with second year teacher Morgan Deal and Principal Ashley Castillo and learned about the preparation and procedures for filling out the decision worksheet as well as the planning for conferences.  I appreciate the extra work all of our staff are doing to support our students with IEP and 504 plans; it matters.  We continue to look for ways to better support all involved in this important work. 

As we are in the midst of Women’s History Month and March Madness!, I’d like to pause and acknowledge the accomplishments of a strong group of young women and amazing athletes- the Lady Warhawks of Madison High School.

Last week, I commented on being in attendance at the championship game but I failed to mention that the team is now four-time consecutive champions, including one year as a co-champion with Edison HS. In 2020, the championship game was canceled due to COVID concerns. You can watch the game-winning shot in this short video clip. Fun fact – Coach Stone also played for Madison High School! The connections run deep in our Fairfax family! 

Now to our future high school hoopers! Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to cheer on the Kilmer Middle School Cougars and Thoreau Middle School Eagles at Crosstown Hoops hosted by Marshall High School. This annual basketball tradition began in 2015 and features games between seventh and eighth grade girls and boys. It was energizing to see these student athletes crushing it on the court as their teachers, parents, and classmates encouraged them.

Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to join the Fairfax County Youth Leadership group session. The group was very inquisitive and focused on all aspects of leadership as they learn about how the county works from a variety of perspectives. 

Original source can be found here