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Meeting Recaps: World Language Education, Strong Starts to School, and More
Hello Neighbors!
We’ve had a few recent School Board meetings that I want to update you on, including a Work Session and Board Regular Meeting last week, along with a Governance Committee meeting Tuesday night.
At last week’s Work Session, we discussed the potential expansion options for World Language programs in FCPS, as well as our legislative priorities for State and Federal government.Our Thursday Regular Meeting covered several important topics, including a review of our accreditation and pass rates and discussions of our Strategic Goal #1: Strong Start.
And on Tuesday, our Governance Committee met to review draft policies around Educational Technology and the use of AI and other innovative technologies in our schools.
As always, I welcome your inputs and questions on every issue before the Board, and those that you feel I should bring forward. You can email me at Braddock@fcps.edu. You are also welcome to attend School Board meetings (schedule) and register to share your thoughts with us during community participation (sign-up).
Yours In Service,
Tom Dannan
Braddock District Representative
Fairfax County School Board
Table of Contents
October 20th Work Session
October 22nd Regular Meeting
October 27th Governance Committee Meeting
Work Session (October 20)
Our Work Session began with an exploration of possible expansion options for the FCPS world languages program to promote access across the division. We did not vote on anything, but we will discuss this topic amongst the Board in the coming weeks.
Staff shared a comprehensive presentation and a thorough report on the background and current state of FCPS’ world languages program and offered a variety of enhancement and expansion options for elementary and secondary levels for Board consideration. You can view the presentation and the report on BoardDocs.
The elementary options included enhancements to the Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) program, additional Dual Language Immersion (DLI) sites, and new assessments of DLI students.
The secondary options included ensuring open enrollment in Level 1 language courses in 7th grade across all middle schools and expanding language offerings through the FCPS Online Campus or by implementing a model known as Facilitated Interdependent Language Learning at base schools.
I appreciated the comprehensive look at FCPS’ current world language programs and the strategic examination of ways to expand our language offerings, and the fact that these presentations included important information about the cost of the options.
Learning other languages is a personal issue to me–I studied Spanish in high school, Arabic in college, and an indigenous language while serving in the Peace Corps. I have also worked with Native American tribes in the U.S. to help reestablish their Native languages. I recognize the immense educational and social value that comes with learning another language. That said, in my remarks, I shared that we can be doing this better in FCPS, especially in the FLES program. . From the feedback I have received from families about FLES, I am concerned that the current FLES curriculum does not advance our goals to expose students to languages and instill in them a curiosity and desire to continue learning languages. I believe a curriculum that focuses on basic functional language, rather than STEAM instruction, would be a better way to achieve these goals.
You can hear my remarks on expansion options and the varying cost of expansion models. I look forward to learning more about these program options and considering the best path forward in connection with budget discussions.
Last week’s Work Session also continued the Board’s discussion of our 2027 State and Federal Legislative Program which will set forth the Board’s positions on state and federal issues that affect FCPS. Our session covered many important areas such as college and workforce readiness, standards of accreditation and accountability, standards of learning, and student safety. To see the full details, you can view the presentation and other documents on the agenda.
I was particularly interested to see added language supporting state funding for Career and Technical Education, and to address student safety by increasing state funding for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and roadway safety improvements. At the Board’s October 15 Legislative Briefing, we learned that some members of our state delegation are working on bills to address the use of technology in schools. I used some of my comment time to share a few ideas that we might consider adding to our Legislative Program or sharing with members of our delegation as they advance their bills. You can hear my remarks here.
We also had the opportunity to learn about the legislative positions of the Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) and share our feedback with Dr. Anderson, the Board’s liaison to VSBA.
Regular Meeting (October 22)
At this meeting, we discussed the importance of the Pre-K experience and English Language Acquisition to Strategic Plan Goal 1: Strong Start, Pre-K-12. Dr. Reid’s presentation touched on the key points that make up Goal 1 which include:
- Availability of Pre-K programs (including inclusive Pre-K) to meet community need
- Students meeting criteria for kindergarten readiness
- Students demonstrating self-regulation attention skills (Pre-K–3, and beyond)
- Multilingual Learners meeting expected growth and reclassification criteria
- Early and consistent access to and preparation for advanced instruction and enrichment opportunities
- Students meeting standards at defined entry and transition points
One of the highlights from the report that was presented is how 71% of FCPS kindergarteners with Pre-K experience were “school ready” (meeting reading, math, and behavior benchmarks), compared to 36% of kindergarteners without this experience.
In my remarks, I talked about how although the report had good findings, I have concerns around the large number of students who are not meeting the standards. I’m glad to see the 8.86% increase in inclusion, and though I recognize our goal is not 100%, we do have some more work to do.
FCPS has made great strides in increasing the number of preschool slots available to our families. I’m hopeful that we can work and collaborate with our local and state partners to support and expand access to Pre-K even more, especially for our students with language barriers. I also asked Dr. Reid if there are additional resources that we haven’t discussed yet that could potentially help us meet these targets, or if there are places where they are doing it really well that we could look to help guide us to support these multilingual learners.
You can view the full report and presentation on BoardDocs, as well as watch it on YouTube.
In the Academic Matters portion of last week’s School Board meeting, the topic was Accountability Outcomes. In Virginia, schools are evaluated annually under two accountability systems:
- School accreditation for operational compliance.
- School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) for mastery, growth, graduation, and readiness.
In her presentation, Dr. Reid highlighted that for the second year in a row, all FCPS schools are fully accredited for the 2026-27 school year.
Dr. Reid also presented information about SOL scores and shared that 75% of our schools are either Distinguished or Meeting Expectations (compared with 70% statewide), and that the share of FCPS schools rated “Distinguished” grew from 38% last year to 56% this year!
Principals and Administrators Appreciation Month Proclamation
The Board proclaimed October 2026 as School Principals and Administrators Appreciation Month, recognizing the vital role of school leaders and support personnel in ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education. The observance of School Principals and Administrators Month honors the leadership of elementary, middle, and high school principals and administrators and recognizes that their work is essential to student success throughout PreK–12 education and beyond.
As the chief instructional leaders of their schools, principals set a clear academic vision by establishing ambitious goals, supporting high-quality instruction, enforcing academic rigor, and maintaining high standards and expectations for every student, while also prioritizing the social and emotional well-being of students and staff and building strong, trusting relationships with families, educators, and the broader school community Principals and administrators work diligently to create safe, inclusive, and productive learning environments that support the academic, social, and emotional growth of all students, while fostering positive school cultures and strong professional communities.
Thank you to all the Principals, especially those in Braddock, for all that you do!
Proclamation Honoring National Red Ribbon Week
 The Board made a Proclamation for Red Ribbon Week, in recognition of the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, encouraging students, families, and the Fairfax County community to unite and take a personal and visible pledge to a drug-free lifestyle.
FCPS is committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment that empowers students to make healthy choices through offering activities and learning experiences which focus on the many ways cannabis, alcohol, tobacco/vaping, and other drug use can negatively impact student lives, including a Substance Abuse Prevention (SAP) Program for students experiencing substance abuse.
Proclamation Honoring Student Athletics and Activities Month
 National High School Activities Month celebrates the contributions and benefits students experience by participating in athletics and activities such as speech, debate, music, drama, and other student groups.
Fairfax County Public Schools stresses the importance of providing a well-balanced activities program to augment the learning activities in the classroom and provides opportunities for student growth and enrichment in a variety of extracurricular areas including student government, safety patrols, performing groups, journalism, drama, general and special interest clubs, and honor societies.
Proclamation Recognizing National STEM Day
 November 8 is recognized annually as National STEM Day, celebrating the vital role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and inspiring young people to explore and pursue STEM opportunities. STEM education develops curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation—skills that empower students to understand and address the challenges of today and tomorrow.
FCPS’ Strategic Plan commits to ensuring every student receives a high-quality education and equitable access to the programs, resources, and opportunities necessary to succeed. STEM-literate citizens are increasingly essential as our communities, economy, and democracy confront complex challenges involving technology, environmental sustainability, public health, infrastructure, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and other rapidly evolving fields.
New Business: For Action at Our Next Meeting
Governance Committee Meeting (October 27th)
Educational Technology Policy Review
On Tuesday afternoon, the Board’s Governance Committee met to discuss two technology policies drafted by staff: Use of Educational Technology and Innovations in Instruction with Emerging Technology. These drafts were compiled based on feedback the board gave at a June work session.
I believe the draft policies are a good start to advance the Board’s work in finalizing these policies in February 2027, but there is work to do for us to adjust the thresholds and key elements of these policies.
Rather than focus on line edits, we used our time this week to discuss inputs from the Educational Technology Review Committee, along with higher-level issues such as the appropriate level of technology use for different grade levels, the operational impact of shifting from 1:1 devices to classroom sets at younger grades, the importance of using technology with demonstrated educational benefits, and the appropriate way to regulate passive technology use. I also want to ensure that the policy makes clear that education must stay human-centered.
I am eager to receive further feedback on the policy drafts from the Educational Technology Review Committee. I have appreciated the input I receive from students and families, including at my recent Educational Technology Town Hall and through school visits such as my stop at the Woodson HS Student Leadership Class. Your feedback informs my work. I look forward to continuing to refine and improve these policies that are so important to guiding student learning in this era.
You can view the policy drafts and the other Governance Committee agenda items on BoardDocs.
Upcoming School Board Meetings
Regular School Board Meetings @ Luther Jackson Middle School
- Thursday, November 12th at 7:00pm
- Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00pm
Committee Meetings @ Gatehouse Administration Center
- Monday, November 16, 4:30pm - Comprehensive Planning and Development Committee
- Tuesday, November 17, 4:30pm - Public Engagement Committee
Work Sessions @ Gatehouse Administration Center
- Tuesday, November 10, 11:30am
Public Hearing @ Luther Jackson Middle School
- Tuesday, November 10, 6pm - Middle School AAP Phase 2 Public Hearing
To find the current School Board calendar and agenda, please visit the FCPS School Board Meetings website.
All meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and on the FCPS website. Recorded meetings are also posted on the FCPS YouTube channel. You can also visit the community participation webpage to sign up to speak at regular meetings or public hearings.
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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