The Braddock District’s newest representative on the Fairfax County School Board has officially taken office.
Tom Dannan, who defeated GOP-endorsed Saundra Davis earlier this month, was formally sworn in prior to last night’s board meeting. He replaces Rachna Sizemore Heizer, and will serve the remainder of a term that ends in 2027.
Though Dannan did not deliver formal remarks, he told FFXnow today (Friday) that he will continue to advocate for the board to “do everything they could to support our teachers, staff and our kids.”
I’m grateful for the trust the people on Braddock have placed in me, and I’m reminded of the adage that elected officials don’t “have” power — we hold power in trust for the people who elected us. I also think we hold power in trust for our kids and the next generation.
A year ago I stood before the School Board during a public comment period, speaking as both a dad and a PTA president, advocating for the board to do everything they could to support our teachers, staff and our kids. I plan to continue with that same mindset and doing everything I can to put our kids first.
In the remainder of my term, I’m hoping to continue Rachna Sizemore Heizer’s advocacy for an inclusive, equitable, and strengths-focused approach to education. I want to continue to make sure every student, teacher, and staff member feels welcome, safe and included in our schools. I’m also hoping to be very purposeful and thoughtful about how we use technology in our classrooms.
Dannan will serve on the school board’s comprehensive planning and development committee and the audit committee. He was also appointed liaison to both the Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities and Fairfax County’s Successful Child and Youth Policy Team.
A Terra Centre resident, the 41-year-old Dannan was the first candidate to enter the race to succeed Sizemore Heizer, who resigned after her election to the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
During his campaign, Dannan emphasized the need for a proactive, “future-focused” perspective in order to adequately navigate developments in technology, learning and other areas.
“Our schools are at a crossroads,” Dannan said when launching his campaign in October. “We’ve made incredible progress in recent years — stronger academics, safer schools, and historic gains for teachers and staff — but attacks on public education and new challenges demand steady, forward-looking leadership.”
Dannan has also been open about his disappointment in last year’s budget process, saying at a candidate forum for the Democratic primary in January that seeing how discussions between the school board and Board of Supervisors “broke down” inspired him to enter the race.
“I know it’s very difficult, but there should have been much more robust discussion about and planning in advance,” he said. “It’s important that we work doing everything we can to keep those dollars in the classroom. I support conducting a program review to see what’s working [and] what’s not working.”
