By Brad Swanson: School board members have great power in Fairfax County, the 10th largest school district in the country, with a budget of almost $3 billion. And candidates – who are technically non-partisan — avidly seek the endorsement of the Democratic Party to gain advantage in this increasingly blue region. But who decides which candidates will get the Democratic…
By Karen Kirk: School safety, diversity and challenges facing Fairfax County Schools were the top issues at a forum Saturday featuring at-large candidates for the Fairfax County School Board. The forum was held at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church and early voting followed. Here are the four candidates’ views: Safety in schools in an era of mass shootings:…
By Karen Kirk: Melanie Meren won the endorsement of the Hunter Mill Democratic Committee for the district’s Fairfax County School Board seat Wednesday night surpassing candidate Andy Sigle. Voting took place after each candidate had a chance to address committee members at Lake Anne Elementary School in Reston. During the well-attended committee meeting, Meren told members that her whole career…
Laura Jane Cohen was endorsed overwhelmingly on Apr. 27 by Springfield District Democratic Committee for the district’s Fairfax County School Board seat. Cohen, a teacher and PTA president, will face incumbent Elizabeth Schultz, a Republican, in the general election on Nov. 5. “This is the beginning of a longer adventure,” said Cohen shortly after the endorsement win. “ I feel…
Dr. Ricardy Anderson, a long-time professional educator, won the Mason District Democratic Committee endorsement vote for the district’s member on the Fairfax County School Board on April 24. Anderson served as classroom teacher and worked her way up to principal of several public schools in California and Virginia as well as director of teaching and learning for District of Columbia Public…
Karl Frisch was endorsed by the Providence District Democratic Committee (PDDC) on April 23 as candidate for that district’s Fairfax County School Board seat. It was the first contested Democratic district school board vote in the 2019 election season. Frisch, who is executive director of the non-profit organization Allied Progress, won by a wide margin – 62% — over Jung…
By Ilryong Moon: Fairfax County prides itself on its diversity. Our students come from all over the world and speak more than 200 languages. About a third of our county residents were born outside the U.S. In fact, Fairfax County Public Schools is a “minority majority” school district. Yet, our government leadership does not reflect the diversity of the county.…
By Karl Frisch: My partner, Evan, and I have 150 kids in Fairfax County Public Schools–he’s a teacher. When you love a teacher, you share your life together with their students. The challenges they face are your challenges, too. I have spoken with parents about the overcrowded classrooms and trailers their kids sit in all day, and educators who left…
By Karen Keys-Gamarra: It’s that time again in Fairfax County when every local elected official will be on the ballot. This ballot that covers elections from supervisors to the Soil and Water Conservation District board is expansive and contains more parties than a chess board has pieces, but each office is essential to the process of democracy. I’m Karen Keys-Gamarra,…
By Sean Perryman: In August of 2017, James Alex Fields, Jr. intentionally drove his Dodge Challenger into dozens of people, mowing them down and murdering Heather Heyer. In response to the day of violence surrounding the “Unite the Right” rally, President Trump infamously said there are “very fine people on both sides.” The president had apparently equated unabashed white supremacists…
By Lainie Singerman: A convicted murderer turned legal scholar was honored in Fairfax on March 24 for his contributions to criminal justice reform, including helping to exonerate a fellow death row inmate. The Citizen Advocate of the Year award, from Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP), went to Joe Giarratano, who served 37 years in prison, during which…
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax County will seek bids shortly to install solar panels at more than 200 school and government buildings, aiming to decrease electric costs and curb greenhouse emissions. Solar panel installers will be asked to propose terms for “power purchase agreements” (PPAs) under which they will install panels and supporting equipment — at their own expense– at sites…
By Jung Byun: Growing up in an inner-city public school district sparked my passion and curiosity for education. I learned that not everyone is guaranteed access to a high-quality education. I was one of the few lucky students who tested out of a high school with a graduation rate of 50% into one with a graduation rate of 99%. This…
By Trisha Rahman: As a student currently attending a Fairfax County Public high school, I am familiar with many of the issues high school students care about. Yes, we think about test scores, our football team stats, even Ariana Grande’s new song, but we also contemplate problems impacting our schools on a large scale. When public schools all over the…