Education Committee

What We Do

The Education Committee monitors the performance, activities, and actions of the elected Fairfax County School Board members, reviews proposals to establish, expand, or reduce County and State-level educational programs, and proposes Federation positions on the annual Fairfax County Public School System budget.

For committee-specific inquires, contact our Chair, listed HERE.

Upcoming Committee Meetings

Monday, February 24th, from 7:30-9PM at the FCPS Gatehouse Administrative Center (Rm 5056). At that meeting we will be crafting language to contribute to the Federation’s annual statement on the County budget. We are purposely scheduling this meeting after the County Executive presents the County’s Advertised Budget on February 18; the FCPS School Board will present their Advertised Budget two days later, on February 20.

Monday, March 24th, from 7:30-9PM at the FCPS Gatehouse Administrative Center (Rm 5056) for a discussion about Artificial Intelligence in our schools. Attending that discussion will be Dr. Amarda Shehu, who currently serves as George Mason’s Chief AI Officer and who continues to perform important research in the fields of AI and machine learning. From FCPS we will be hosting Chief Technology Officer Gautam Sethi, as well as Educational Specialist Tammi Sisk (who works in Instructional Services and facilitates professional development on AI and digital citizenship).

For committee-specific inquires, contact our Chair, listed HERE.

Recent Actions

The Federation’s Education Committee has worked as partners with FCPS to help improve the school system’s operations. We regularly provide input through testimony, regular informal communications, and by serving on a variety of standing and/or temporary committees. Over the past few years we have supported joint operations between FCPS and the County, encouraged more intensive investments in computing technology, pushed for greater strategic thinking, and encouraged our schools to maintain a strong Advanced Academic Program. In Richmond among our other accomplishments we are proud to have helped pass two pieces of long-awaited legislation: (1) In 2019 we helped obtain local control over our school calendar with the passage of SB1005 and HB1652 after almost a decade of advocacy, and (2) In 2020 we helped obtain greater flexibility to fund schools by more closely equalizing the taxing powers of counties with those of cities, through SB 588 and HB 785. Recently we have advised FCPS on several significant issues (see below).

Recent Announcements

Below please find a message from Dr. Lynette Henry, the Executive Director of Educate Fairfax. Dr. Henry recently met with the Federation’s Education Committee and we hope you will pass her message on to your communities. Fundraising and improved development is critical to our schools as the budgetary environment grows tighter.

Dear Members of the Fairfax County Federation of Citizen’s Associations,

As the new Executive Director of Educate Fairfax I am thrilled to introduce you to Educate Fairfax, the nonprofit education foundation for Fairfax County Public Schools. Our mission is to bring the community together to invest in educational excellence, ensure equitable access to resources, and help every student succeed. Through our initiatives, we:

Provide backpacks and school supplies for students in need.
Offer grants to teachers for innovative classroom projects.
Support career and technical education programs, such as auto tech and robotics.
Address food insecurity through partnerships that ensure students have access to nutritious meals.

Since our founding, we’ve worked with community members like you to make a real difference in the lives of students. Our impact has been far ranging this year, but here are two of our proudest success stories:

Recently, we awarded 107 grants across 100 schools in FCPS, including 24 Title 1 Schools, totaling an unprecedented $180,273 in funding! As a result of the funding for these grants, nearly 36,000 of our students will be directly impacted. These grants will help defray the costs of innovation in our schools, which might otherwise come out of the pockets of our educators and staff, or simply not be possible. Learn more about the innovative work that’s planned for inside and outside the classroom. https://sqr.co/EducateFairfaxGrants2425/.

We also provided gap funding, working with the more than 69,000 (37%) FCPS students who qualify for free and reduced lunch to have wraparound support they need to succeed, including supporting food insecurity. While this figure is important, its impact goes far beyond the lunchroom. When students don’t have secure access to food, absenteeism rises, while grades, test scores, and graduation rates all fall. Ensuring food security is a fundamental piece of empowering academic success.

As you consider your charitable giving priorities, please remember we are the only 501(c)(3) charitable foundation dedicated exclusively to the success of our Fairfax County Public Schools. We’re inviting you to be a part of this impactful work. Here’s how you can help:

Donate: Your financial contributions directly support students and teachers. Make a meaningful impact through a year-end gift. Every dollar counts! Please Donate Today.
Volunteer: Join us in organizing events, packing school supplies or nutritious meals, build community awareness.
Share Your Network: Help connect us to individuals, businesses, and organizations who want to invest in our students’ futures and share our passion for education.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.educatefairfax.org and view our 2024 Impact Report. Like and Follow us on Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and YouTube).

FCPS Alumni Opportunities in 2025

We are also excited to launch the newest version of our FCPS Alumni Network program, in partnership with Alumni Nations! We’ve got big plans for the upcoming year and look forward to seeing you at our events! We’d also love to connect with you on any alumni events or class reunions you are planning in the upcoming year. Please reach out with any questions or comments to alumni@educatefairfax.org.

Thank you for your commitment to our community and for considering how you can partner with Educate Fairfax to ensure success for all. Happy New Year!

Warm regards,
Dr. Lynette Henry
Executive Director
Educate Fairfax

571-423-1420
info@educatefairfax.org

P.S. Don’t wait—your gift could be the difference a student needs to thrive! Visit educatefairfax.org/donate today.

Recent Announcements - Education