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Board Meeting Recap: July 10, 2025
My Last Meeting as School Board Chair
Dear Neighbor,
Last Thursday, at the Fairfax County School Board’s regular meeting (agenda | video), I concluded my second term as School Board Chair, and we elected our new Chair and Vice Chair for the 2025-26 school year. In concluding my time as Chair, I had this to say:
I was proud to congratulate my colleagues, Sandy Anderson, who represents the Springfield District and will serve as our new School Board Chair, and Robyn Lady, who represents the Dranesville District and will serve as our new School Board Vice Chair.
In addition to electing new leadership, the Board received updates on progress toward achieving Strategic Plan Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation, focused on preparing students for success in an evolving, innovation-driven world. The Superintendent also provided a report on the academic growth of multilingual learners, highlighting steady improvements in student outcomes.
As always, I invite you to learn more about the topics discussed during the meeting by reviewing the updates below. And, as always, you are welcome to attend School Board meetings (schedule) and register to share your thoughts with us during community participation (sign-up).
In service,
Karl Frisch
Providence District Representative
Fairfax County School Board
Table of Contents:
School Board Elects New Chair and Vice Chair
Meeting Materials
The Board unanimously elected Sandy Anderson as its new Chair. As I said in support of her nomination, Ms. Anderson has served ably as Vice Chair this past year. I often joke that she has an opinion on every font and formatting choice, but the truth is that attention to detail reflects something much deeper: her commitment to doing this work the right way, with care and intention. In every meeting, every policy discussion, and every decision, Sandy zeroes in on what matters, making sure our students remain at the center of our work. Her thoughtful leadership, sharp eye for the fine print, and tireless advocacy for public education make her uniquely suited to lead this Board in the year ahead. I’ve seen it firsthand, and I know she will lead with conviction and compassion, and I am proud to vote for her.
The Board unanimously elected Robyn Lady as its new Vice Chair. As I said in support of her nomination, long before either of us served on the School Board, Ms. Lady and I were friends. From the moment I met her, her passion for students and their academic success was clear — and that passion hasn’t faded one bit since her retirement from FCPS, and her election to our Board. She brings a keen understanding of how our schools operate on a day-to-day basis, grounded in her experience working in them for decades. Ms. Lady knows what it takes to support our educators and staff so that every student has what they need to thrive. I know she’ll bring that same commitment, insight, and energy to this new role, and I’m proud to support her.
Chair Motion: Dixit, Second: Moon / Vote: Yes 9, No 0, Absent: 3
Vice Chair Motion: St. John Cunning, Second: Sizemore Heizer / Vote: Yes 9, No 0, Absent: 3
Superintendent Performance Review
The School Board evaluates the overall success of the Superintendent based on the school division’s reasonable progress toward achieving the 2023-2030 Strategic Plan goals and adherence to a set of thirteen Executive Limitations outlined on pages 14-31 of the Board’s Strategic Governance Manual. The Superintendent provides annual monitoring reports to the Board for each Executive Limitation. The Board then votes on whether the provided reports are in compliance with the given Executive Limitation. If the report is found not to be in compliance, the Superintendent provides a corrective action memo addressing the Board’s concerns.
Executive Limitation 2: Emergency Superintendent Succession
Video | Meeting Materials
The Superintendent provided her annual monitoring report on Executive Limitation 2: Emergency Superintendent Succession, which requires her to designate at least one other executive staff member as Acting Superintendent who is capable of assuming leadership responsibilities in her absence or in the event of a sudden and unexpected loss of services. The designated individual must be familiar with the Board’s governance processes, current issues, and the division’s Strategic Plan to ensure seamless leadership and continuity of operations.
In accordance with this requirement, the Superintendent has designated Chief of Staff Marty Smith to assume these responsibilities in the event of an emergency. Mr. Smith has been given the necessary policies, regulations, and governance materials and maintains strong working relationships with the Board and Senior Leadership Team.
Following the presentation and a brief discussion, the Board found the monitoring report to be in compliance with Executive Limitation 2.
Motion: Lady, Second: St John Cunning / Vote: Yes 9, No 0, Absent: 3
Academic Matters: Progress for Multilingual Learners
Video | Meeting Materials
For the Academic Matters presentation, the Superintendent provided an update on the progress of our multilingual learners (MLs) through English Language Development (ELD) instruction. This explicit, dedicated instruction plays a critical role in accelerating students’ English proficiency, which in turn leads to higher achievement in core subjects, success in advanced coursework and career and technical education programs, and stronger on-time graduation rates.
The presentation emphasized that ELD is not only a language support — it’s a key strategy for unlocking the full potential of every student learning English in FCPS. It also reviewed how we measure this progress using the WIDA ACCESS assessment, which evaluates students’ English skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
I’m proud to share that this year, 57.1% of FCPS multilingual learners met their English language growth targets — a steady increase from 48.3% just two years ago. This achievement reflects our school division’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to academic success for every student, regardless of the language they speak at home.
The Superintendent shared the following video with the Board, highlighting this important work:
Strategic Plan Update: Goal 5 - Leading for Tomorrow's Innovation
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board received an update on Goal 5 of the FCPS Strategic Plan, which aims to ensure that every student graduates prepared to thrive in a rapidly changing world. This goal focuses on helping students develop the skills necessary to navigate and adapt in a future characterized by innovation, sustainability, and choice. The plan emphasizes supported transitions to postsecondary opportunities, ensuring that each student is equipped to make informed decisions about their future. The Board affirmed its commitment to using student voice and data to create meaningful and personalized pathways for all learners.
As part of the presentation, Dr. Reid shared that over 14,000 students graduated from FCPS in the 2024–25 school year, marking a milestone for the division’s efforts to ensure college, career, and life readiness for all. These outcomes underscore the ongoing work to align classroom learning with real-world demands and opportunities. Whether students pursue higher education, enter the workforce, or take other paths, Goal 5 reinforces FCPS’s promise to graduate future-ready individuals prepared to lead with confidence.
The Superintendent shared the following video with the Board, highlighting this important work:
Proclamation: Honoring Outstanding Fairfax County Employees
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board recognized and extended its highest commendation to the winners of the 2025 Outstanding Employee Awards, honoring their exceptional contributions to FCPS. This year’s honorees include teachers, principals, operational employees, professional staff, and leaders who demonstrate outstanding dedication, innovation, and support for students and colleagues.
Motion: S. Anderson, Second: Sizemore Heizer / Vote: Yes 9, No 0, Absent: 3
Proclamation: 2025 Business Honor Roll
Video | Meeting Materials
The Board recognized Edu-Futuro, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Patient First by naming them to the 2025 Virginia School Boards Association Business Honor Roll. This honor highlights their vital support and contributions to Fairfax County Public Schools through financial and in-kind donations, scholarship support, internships, volunteer efforts, and more.
Motion: Sizemore Heizer, Second: S. Anderson / Vote: Yes 9, No 0, Absent: 3
Student Performance of the National Anthem
The Board meeting began with a beautiful performance of the National Anthem by Juliett Pascoe from Mount Vernon High School:
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Regular Board Meetings (Luther Jackson Middle School)
- Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
All meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. Meetings are also recorded for future viewing and posted to the FCPS YouTube channel. Visit the community participation webpage to sign up to speak at regular meetings or public hearings.
Reuniones de la Junta Escolar de FCPS en Español: Para ver las reuniones de la Junta Escolar grabadas o para ver en vivo durante las reuniones regulares en YouTube, por favor vaya al canal de YouTube de FCPS en Español.
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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