Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Michelle Reid reflected on recent activities and initiatives in her weekly message to staff, highlighting achievements and ongoing efforts across the district.
October is National Principals Month, and Reid recognized the contributions of school leaders. She congratulated Shane Wolfe of Aldrin Elementary School, Kambar Khoshaba of South County High School, and Shawn DeRose of Annandale High School for being selected for the Virginia Department of Education’s Principal of Distinction Program. According to Reid, “The program honors school leaders who demonstrate outstanding leadership, inspire excellence, and improve student outcomes.” The three principals participated in a professional development symposium in Richmond focused on leadership and will complete a capstone project as part of their endorsement process.
Reid discussed FCPS’s Future-Ready Index tool, which aims to provide families with transparent information about student progress from early learning through graduation. The Index evaluates performance beyond standardized test scores by including factors such as learning experiences and belonging. It is organized into five domains aligned with national frameworks but tailored to FCPS’s strategic priorities. Information about these ratings is available on the division’s website.
An upcoming event titled “Meeting the Moment: FCPS Forward — AI and the Future of Learning” will take place at West Springfield High School on November 3. The event will feature discussions about artificial intelligence in education and its potential impact on student achievement and workforce readiness. Attendees can participate in an expo showcasing partnerships with AI innovators.
FCPS has also launched a new mobile app designed to keep families informed with news, updates, calendars, menus, and more consolidated in one platform. Parents TeAndra Nelson and Roy Dykes praised the app for its convenience and usability in video interviews linked within Reid’s message.
The district continues community engagement around boundary reviews. Recent meetings were held at several high schools to discuss priorities, feedback tools like the Boundary Explorer Tool, past engagement efforts, next steps in the process, and changes specific to each school pyramid. Additional meetings are scheduled this week both virtually and in person.
Reid visited Crestwood Elementary School led by Principal Francoise Casablanca to observe literacy instruction efforts. She also visited Cardinal Forest Elementary School where she saw lessons led by Participate Learning ambassador teacher Melanie Ano from the Philippines as well as sixth graders participating in a Virtual Algebra 1 pilot under AART Karen Mitchell’s supervision.
This week included outreach with members of FCPS’s Vietnamese American community during a year marking fifty years since the fall of Saigon. Reid expressed support for displaying the Vietnamese heritage flag alongside other national flags as a gesture honoring community members affected by those events.
Environmental sustainability remains a focus area for FCPS. At a meeting of the new Student Youth Environmental Council at Gatehouse Administration Center, Reid highlighted commitments such as achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, transitioning all buses to electric by 2035, expanding solar installations, implementing net zero building practices, supporting edible gardens through Get2Green programs across most schools, earning national Green Flag Awards for environmental stewardship (with about half awarded nationwide going to FCPS), receiving ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition for sustained excellence (saving over $110 million since 2013), and earning an international award for energy management.
Student-led advocacy was noted as key to these sustainability successes—including eliminating plastic straws from cafeterias—and more highlights are available online via meeting summaries.
During last Thursday’s School Board meeting’s Academic Matters segment, Reid presented results from the annual Fairfax County Youth Survey administered anonymously among students in grades 6–12 covering topics like substance use (which has declined since 2018), mental health (improving indicators), healthy habits (generally up except screen time), bullying (down), connectedness/belongingness factors (“Three to Succeed”), positive caregiver communication access to activities/parent education—all identified as protective elements contributing toward better student outcomes based on survey data used by staff for planning supports.
In Superintendent Matters at that same board meeting—alongside celebrating sustainability work—Reid announced that nearly three-quarters of division schools have earned or renewed Purple Star designations recognizing support for military-connected families; 49 were newly recognized this year while another 40 renewed status toward an eventual goal covering all schools division-wide next year.
On Saturday more than one thousand people attended an open house at FCPS’s new western high school located at what was formerly King Abdullah Academy—a modern campus equipped with collaborative spaces intended “to prepare students for a rapidly changing world.” Families reviewed draft boundary scenarios should it become a comprehensive high school; feedback collected will help shape decisions moving forward along with continued input opportunities posted online soon.
Later that evening Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology marked its fortieth anniversary gala—an occasion reflecting upon four decades serving nearly sixteen thousand graduates since opening—with remarks recalling previous superintendent Robert R. Spillane’s dedication statement emphasizing balance between technological advancement (“high tech”) and humanistic values (“high touch”).
“Clearly,” wrote Reid quoting Spillane,”the definition of high tech continues to evolve but belief in well-rounded world-class education endures.” She concluded her reflections affirming commitment toward equity excellence opportunity across all students served within Fairfax County Public Schools.
