News

A math teacher at South Lakes High School has been recognized by the White House as one of the best science and math educators in the country.

Emily Burrell, who has taught at the Reston school for a decade, is among 336 teachers and mentors to receive this year’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), which are considered the U.S. government’s highest honor for K-12 math, science, engineering and technology teachers.


News

A gift from The Madeira School’s past will enable it to plan for the future, the head of the private, all-girls’ school in McLean says.

The Madeira School, a college preparatory and boarding school that serves students in grades 9 through 12, announced this week that an anonymous former graduate has donated $60 million — a record amount not only for this 118-year-old school, but for any independent girls’ school in the U.S.


Countywide

Virginia students would be allowed to take the state’s annual learning assessments in a language other than English under a bill that advanced out of a House Education subcommittee on Tuesday.

Del. Laura Jane Cohen, D-Fairfax, introduced the legislation, after the Virginia Board of Education recently made changes to include more testing results from English learners, who have typically been excluded because of the language barrier, into a school’s accountability calculations.


Countywide

State legislators representing Fairfax County are taking the lead on major issues in the Virginia General Assembly’s 2025 session, filing proposals addressing reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, gun control and election reforms.

Originally slated to begin yesterday (Jan. 8), the legislative session has been delayed by water service issues in Richmond stemming from the snowstorm on Monday (Jan. 6). Lawmakers will now convene on Monday, Jan. 13 and remain in session through Feb. 22.


Countywide

A proposed casino in Tysons and calls for the state to provide more money for education and social services dominated a 3.5-hour public hearing hosted Saturday (Jan. 4) by Fairfax County’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly.

About 70 people, speaking for themselves or on behalf of organizations, each had three minutes to make their case for priorities in the 2025 legislative session, which convenes tomorrow (Wednesday).


Countywide

At its final meeting of 2024, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a policy revision that it hopes will lead to more consistent grading policies countywide.

The measure represents “a huge improvement from what was there before,” according to Mason District School Board Representative Ricardy Anderson.


News

George Mason University has ushered a new class of graduates out into a world that they were told yesterday (Thursday) is filled with both opportunities and challenges.

“Believe it or not, your learning journey is just beginning,” George Schindler, former president and CEO of the technology firm CGI, said during winter commencement ceremonies held at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax.


Countywide

By the Fairfax County government’s math, local residents are being shortchanged nearly $570 million annually in education funding by the state government.

Facing a $292.7 million gap between expected revenues and expenses projected for the coming fiscal year, county leaders would like their state lawmakers to leave from Richmond next year with some of that funding in hand.


News

Fairfax City is launching a new program to provide free training and certifications for fast-growing industries like information technology, health care and cybersecurity.

The Upskill Fairfax City program, a partnership between Fairfax City Economic Development and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), offers no-cost certifications and technical training through specialized courses at the college.


Countywide

Facing growing concerns over inconsistent grading practices, the Fairfax County School Board is moving forward with plans for a comprehensive update of its grading policy for the first time in more than a decade.

The policy revamp comes after years of complaints from teachers, parents, and students that the current system lacks clarity and consistency.


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