News

Future high school students across the U.S. may find it easier to register to vote, an expansion of access that would be made possible in part by some current students at Marshall High School.

A group of students at the Pimmit Hills school spent the past year advocating for federal legislation that would designate all high schools as voter registration agencies, allowing them to host registration drives and receive reimbursement for the costs.


Countywide

As the Fairfax County School Board considers a new boundary adjustment policy, a prominent citizens’ group has raised concerns about its potential impact on local families.

The Great Falls Citizens Association’s (GFCA) executive board took an official stance on the proposed policy changes on June 17, urging Fairfax County Public Schools and elected officials to hit the pause button until they solicit more community input.


White Oak Elementary School in Burke (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County police have arrested a special education teacher at White Oak Elementary School in Burke for assaulting multiple students.

On April 12, Child Protective Services received a referral that a teacher was seen assaulting a student at school, police said in a Saturday news release.

Detectives took on the case and determined that between September 2023 and this April, Elizabeth Yoshimi Nagagata, 62, of Fairfax allegedly assaulted three students on separate occasions, the release said.

On Friday, Nagagata was arrested and charged with seven counts of simple assault. Nagagata was held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Detectives would like to speak with anyone who may have information about this case or others possibly related. Those with information are asked to please call the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 4.

Screenshot via Google Maps. This article was written by FFXnow’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools teachers and other workers have elected a union to represent them in forthcoming labor contract negotiations.

The Fairfax Education Unions (FEU), a team-up of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT) and the Fairfax Education Association (FEA), announced yesterday (Monday) that it will represent over 27,500 FCPS employees in their first collective bargaining effort since they secured that right in March 2023.


Around Town

The creative works of Fairfax County students will be on display as part of a special exhibition opening this weekend at the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art in Reston.

“Emerging Visions” opens Saturday (June 15) with a public reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at the institute’s main gallery (12001 Market Street, Suite 103) and will feature artworks hand selected by Tephra’s staff.


Countywide

When students arrive at Oakton High School, they will now encounter a historical marker honoring civil rights activist Lillian Blackwell, whose own children might not have been allowed inside when the school opened in 1967 if not for her advocacy.

Fairfax County officials unveiled the plaque detailing Blackwell’s legacy, including her fight against the segregation of local public schools and movie theaters, at a ceremony on Saturday (June 1) attended by some of her family members and the students who suggested her for the recognition.


Countywide

Fairfax County Public Schools is considering a pilot program this fall that would require students to hand over their cell phones during class.

Earlier this month, the Fairfax County School Board directed Superintendent Michelle Reid to develop a plan for students to secure their phones in lockers, magnetic pouches or similar central storage areas — as opposed to their pocket or backpack — with the goal of reducing distractions and improving student focus.


Countywide

Despite calls for targeted raises for teachers and support staff, the Fairfax County School Board has approved 4% pay raises for all school employees as part of its adopted fiscal year 2025 budget.

The decision, voted on last Thursday (May 23), came after the Virginia General Assembly allocated an additional $35.5 million to Fairfax County Public Schools, allowing Superintendent Michelle Reid to increase employee pay raises from 3% to 4%.


Countywide

Following a budget compromise between Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia General Assembly, Fairfax County Public Schools is set to receive an additional $35.5 million for fiscal year 2025.

Superintendent Michelle Reid has proposed using most of the extra funds to boost school employee pay raises from 3% to 4% in the budget that the school board is set to adopt tonight (Thursday).


News

Ankita Balaji, a seventh-grader at Rachel Carson Middle School in Herndon, will represent Fairfax County Public Schools in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, starting next Tuesday, May 28.

Balaji still remembers the moment she spelled the winning word correctly and won the 2024 Fairfax County spelling bee in March.


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