Anyone following the FCCPS School board election?

[Anonymous]

Curious if anyone has any thoughts on the FCCPS school board election coming up. There are four vacant seats and five candidates running.

[Anonymous]

Here is the list of who is running.

https://www.fcnp.com/2025/06/18/field-of-6-set-for-f-c-councils-fall-race/

"Running for School Board will be incumbents Lori Silverman, Anne Sherwood and current chair Kathleen Tysse as well as Sharon Mergler and MaryKate Hughes. The popular past chair Tate Gould earlier this year announced he would not seek re-election."

Shame Tate isn't running for re-election. He's been great.

[Anonymous]

I am basically planning to vote the three incumbents and Hughes. I think the school board is a ton of work and anyone who is willing to run again (unless they have been stupid) should be re-elected. I particularly like Lori Silverman. She is very responsive and seems more willing to push back on some things and is an independent thinker. Of the two new candidates, Hughes has the definitive lead. She was an extremely good and popular oak st teacher. She has shown a ton of commitment to fccps. She will bring a good perspective. I suspect mergler will get on the board next cycle if she runs again. She seems fine, just not at the top.

[Anonymous]

Mary Kate Hughes is an exceptional educator and person. I know her through friends. I wish I lived in Fairfax and could cast a vote for her!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mary Kate Hughes is an exceptional educator and person. I know her through friends. I wish I lived in Fairfax and could cast a vote for her!!

Well that wouldn’t help you. You would need to live in falls church city. (:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mary Kate Hughes is an exceptional educator and person. I know her through friends. I wish I lived in Fairfax and could cast a vote for her!!

Well that wouldn’t help you. You would need to live in falls church city. (:

LOL - my mistake!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am basically planning to vote the three incumbents and Hughes. I think the school board is a ton of work and anyone who is willing to run again (unless they have been stupid) should be re-elected. I particularly like Lori Silverman. She is very responsive and seems more willing to push back on some things and is an independent thinker. Of the two new candidates, Hughes has the definitive lead. She was an extremely good and popular oak st teacher. She has shown a ton of commitment to fccps. She will bring a good perspective. I suspect mergler will get on the board next cycle if she runs again. She seems fine, just not at the top.

I’ll also be supporting the incumbents this year. I’ve been hoping MK Hughes would run for a long time, and I’m glad to finally have the chance to vote for her — she’s an experienced and trusted educator in FCC and a genuinely kind person. Lori has really impressed me with her work ethic and responsiveness during her time on the School Board, even though I didn’t originally vote for her. As for Ms. Mergler, if the signs around town are any indication, she doesn’t seem to have much support within the city itself. Given my satisfaction with the incumbents’ performance and my exuberance for MK’s candidacy, I’d rather vote for people I know can get the job done than take a chance on a newcomer with little experience or local support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am basically planning to vote the three incumbents and Hughes. I think the school board is a ton of work and anyone who is willing to run again (unless they have been stupid) should be re-elected. I particularly like Lori Silverman. She is very responsive and seems more willing to push back on some things and is an independent thinker. Of the two new candidates, Hughes has the definitive lead. She was an extremely good and popular oak st teacher. She has shown a ton of commitment to fccps. She will bring a good perspective. I suspect mergler will get on the board next cycle if she runs again. She seems fine, just not at the top.

I’ll also be supporting the incumbents this year. I’ve been hoping MK Hughes would run for a long time, and I’m glad to finally have the chance to vote for her — she’s an experienced and trusted educator in FCC and a genuinely kind person. Lori has really impressed me with her work ethic and responsiveness during her time on the School Board, even though I didn’t originally vote for her. As for Ms. Mergler, if the signs around town are any indication, she doesn’t seem to have much support within the city itself. Given my satisfaction with the incumbents’ performance and my exuberance for MK’s candidacy, I’d rather vote for people I know can get the job done than take a chance on a newcomer with little experience or local support.

I caution against using signs the first week of September as an accurate gauge of support. The incumbents have their systems and processes up and running already; first time candidates are still learning and building them. The first CBC meet and greet was just on Friday night. I'm looking forward to hearing all the candidates at future panels. I personally think sign coverage is more of a bellwether toward the end of September.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am basically planning to vote the three incumbents and Hughes. I think the school board is a ton of work and anyone who is willing to run again (unless they have been stupid) should be re-elected. I particularly like Lori Silverman. She is very responsive and seems more willing to push back on some things and is an independent thinker. Of the two new candidates, Hughes has the definitive lead. She was an extremely good and popular oak st teacher. She has shown a ton of commitment to fccps. She will bring a good perspective. I suspect mergler will get on the board next cycle if she runs again. She seems fine, just not at the top.

I’ll also be supporting the incumbents this year. I’ve been hoping MK Hughes would run for a long time, and I’m glad to finally have the chance to vote for her — she’s an experienced and trusted educator in FCC and a genuinely kind person. Lori has really impressed me with her work ethic and responsiveness during her time on the School Board, even though I didn’t originally vote for her. As for Ms. Mergler, if the signs around town are any indication, she doesn’t seem to have much support within the city itself. Given my satisfaction with the incumbents’ performance and my exuberance for MK’s candidacy, I’d rather vote for people I know can get the job done than take a chance on a newcomer with little experience or local support.

I caution against using signs the first week of September as an accurate gauge of support. The incumbents have their systems and processes up and running already; first time candidates are still learning and building them. The first CBC meet and greet was just on Friday night. I'm looking forward to hearing all the candidates at future panels. I personally think sign coverage is more of a bellwether toward the end of September.

What were your thoughts on the CBC?

[Anonymous]

The only incumbent I have concerns with is Tysse. Lovely person, but has really fought against getting cell phone use under control in the high school. Apparently she believes kids need access to their phones more frequently and parents ought to be able to reach their kids during the school day.

I am of the mind they should be taken away the entire day and not allowed to be used at all, even during lunch and "Mustang Block."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only incumbent I have concerns with is Tysse. Lovely person, but has really fought against getting cell phone use under control in the high school. Apparently she believes kids need access to their phones more frequently and parents ought to be able to reach their kids during the school day.

I am of the mind they should be taken away the entire day and not allowed to be used at all, even during lunch and "Mustang Block."

If she is running on that, please vote for her. Leave it to the teachers how we handle cell phone use in our classroom. I do not approve of the current system, where we are mandated to take the kid’s phone and put it in a designated pocket. We do not need the same policy for a kid coming over from the middle school and a senior. Leave classroom behavior management to the teachers. -HS teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only incumbent I have concerns with is Tysse. Lovely person, but has really fought against getting cell phone use under control in the high school. Apparently she believes kids need access to their phones more frequently and parents ought to be able to reach their kids during the school day.

I am of the mind they should be taken away the entire day and not allowed to be used at all, even during lunch and "Mustang Block."

If she is running on that, please vote for her. Leave it to the teachers how we handle cell phone use in our classroom. I do not approve of the current system, where we are mandated to take the kid’s phone and put it in a designated pocket. We do not need the same policy for a kid coming over from the middle school and a senior. Leave classroom behavior management to the teachers. -HS teacher.

I think this is really interesting perspective and one I had not thought of. You are correct. It doesn't make any sense to have the same policies for middle schoolers and High Schoolers. I'm all for empowering teachers to run their classrooms in a way that makes most sense for them when it comes to cell phone usage.

[Anonymous]

When we’re electing school board members, I think it’s worth remembering that this isn’t just about policy knowledge — it’s also about integrity and how a person treats others in the community. A school board member will inevitably face disagreements with parents, teachers, and other board members. The question is: can they navigate those situations with honesty, fairness, and respect?

We’ve all seen how damaging it can be when someone spreads rumors or makes harsh accusations without solid evidence. Once someone’s reputation is harmed, it’s very difficult to repair, and that kind of behavior doesn’t foster the trust we need in our schools. Personally, I believe we should choose leaders who can disagree without vilifying, who can debate ideas without making it personal, and who put kindness and accountability at the center of their leadership. That’s the kind of example our students deserve to see from adults in positions of responsibility.

Hughes, Silverman, and Sherwood have demonstrated to me that they can do this and I'm going to support them in the voting booth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only incumbent I have concerns with is Tysse. Lovely person, but has really fought against getting cell phone use under control in the high school. Apparently she believes kids need access to their phones more frequently and parents ought to be able to reach their kids during the school day.

I am of the mind they should be taken away the entire day and not allowed to be used at all, even during lunch and "Mustang Block."

If she is running on that, please vote for her. Leave it to the teachers how we handle cell phone use in our classroom. I do not approve of the current system, where we are mandated to take the kid’s phone and put it in a designated pocket. We do not need the same policy for a kid coming over from the middle school and a senior. Leave classroom behavior management to the teachers. -HS teacher.

But there are so many teachers who don't take them away during class. Kids use them to cheat ALL THE TIME. No one is paying attention when they keep getting snapchat notifications in their pocket all during class. They really should be required to be checked in at the beginning of the day and received back. at the end of the day (the same way middle schoolers check their computers in and out, frankly). And if a teacher sees one, it's confiscated.

[Anonymous]

Everyone but Lori Silverman. I’ve watched so many meetings and I end up smacking my head every time she talks.

Really like MK Hughes and Anne Sherwood.