Students from all Fairfax County Public Schools high schools gathered at Skyview High School for the first Superintendent Student Summit, according to an April 6 announcement. The event was designed as a leadership and engagement experience to encourage student voices throughout the district.
The summit aimed to give students a platform to share their ideas on key issues affecting their school communities. Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of student input in shaping the future of FCPS. She described FCPS as a leading school district and highlighted the significance of students coming together for this purpose.
A planning committee, consisting of two representatives from each high school, helped organize the summit and led small-group discussions. Students discussed topics such as preparing for life after high school, expanding access to college and career opportunities, responsible use of technology including artificial intelligence, equity in resources, inclusion, teaching environments, and extracurricular activities.
Rebeca, a 10th grade student at McLean High School said, “I heard a lot of other people’s thoughts. It made me see what they were seeing from their schools, and I think that’s valuable.” Alisson, also a 10th grader at McLean High School added: “It helped students bring some ideas and contribute to their environment of what they are learning about. [This summit is] helping students gain more social skills and real-life skills on communication and critical thinking.”
Ben from Madison High School commented on meeting peers from other schools: “It was really cool to meet people from other schools. There are a lot of similarities and differences in our teachers and how they affect our learning environment so much.”
After working in groups on specific topics throughout the day, student representatives presented their findings directly to Dr. Reid before all attendees. Tianxing, a senior at Madison High School reflected: “Today has been an important day in seeing how FCPS is looking forward…where we go in the future, and how we prepare our students for this new world.” He continued: “[We need to] be able to look at [our methods of educating] and consider ‘Is that the right way to do things? Can we do better?’ in the same way that this summit is doing right now.”
Dr. Reid listened closely during presentations before discussing with students about how public education can adapt for changing times. She concluded by saying: “I think there’s nothing more important than the education of our young people. Nothing.” The event supported FCPS’s ongoing strategic plan focused on preparing students with essential communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills.