Falls Church City Public Schools

The Falls Church City School Board closed out the school year June 23 with advisory committee reports, the district's five-year International Baccalaureate evaluation, and adoption of FCCPS's first Use of Artificial Intelligence policy. Committee chairs walked the board through a year of work: the Business in Education committee facilitated more than 200 student-business partnerships and l...

The Falls Church City School Board closed out the 2025–26 school year at its June 9 regular meeting. The board gave first-reading approval to a new artificial intelligence policy, a collective bargaining agreement covering certified staff, and a financing agreement for two new propane school buses. The evening opened with Business in Education awards honoring six community partners, followed by re...

A big night in Falls Church City — the School Board's May meeting packed more than four hours of consequential decisions, honest conversation, and community celebration into one session. It opened the way the best meetings should: honoring the people who make FCCPS work every day. Four staff members were recognized as Employees of the Year, with tributes that were equal parts heartfelt and hil...

The FCCPS School Board convened a special meeting on May 5, 2025 to discuss the FY27 budget in light of new information from the Falls Church City Council's budget markup the previous evening. Board Chair Kathleen Tysse opened the meeting with positive news: the city's transfer to FCCPS is expected to increase by approximately $350,000, and the longstanding revenue-sharing agreement betwee...

Note: Audio distortion affects the first five minutes of this episode. The remainder of the session is clear. Artificial intelligence took center stage at Tuesday's FCCPS School Board work session — and the community showed up ready for the conversation. The FCCPS AI Advisory Committee, led by Chair John Black, delivered a months-in-the-making framework for how the district should approach AI...

Key topics from the meeting included the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, the city's revenue-sharing agreement, and the adoption of new policies on student electronic devices and staff evaluations. Meeting Highlights: FY27 Budget Update: The Board discussed concerns regarding the city's potential shift away from the long-standing revenue-sharing agreement and the impact on funding for specialized...

First reading of an amended cell phone policy to comply with Virginia's new bell-to-bell ban (SB 108), effective July 1, 2026. Implementation details coming at the April 28 work session. The Board also adopted the 2026 VSBA Business Honor Roll resolution and previewed spring priorities, including Wellness Equity and Belonging survey results, the equity report, and AI policy development.

Mount Daniel reading specialists Carly Swanson and Casie DeSantis break down what structured literacy looks like in the classroom and how families can support reading skills at home. They walk through the Amplify CKLA curriculum, demonstrate hands-on activities from Danny folders — including phoneme practice, word-building, fluency passages, and tricky words — and share practical tips for read-alo...

Mount Daniel's math team shares how mathematics instruction comes to life in the classroom. K–5 Math Specialist Kim Morrow-Leong and Mathematics Coordinator Jen Fessenden explain the math workshop model, collaborative teacher planning, and the process goals woven into Virginia's recently revised Standards of Learning. Hear grade-by-grade highlights for kindergarten through second grade, le...

Discover how Oak Street Elementary supports multilingual learners in this informative Principal Coffee session. ESOL teachers Courtney Stayer and Christine Miller team up with Director of Equity Dr. Jennifer Santiago to explain the comprehensive services available to students learning English. Learn about the student identification process, WIDA ACCESS testing, interpretation services in over 300...

Over 200 Henderson Middle School students gave up their MLK Day to pack 20,000 meals for hurricane survivors in Jamaica — and two of them told the school board exactly what it meant. That's where tonight's meeting begins. From there, Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade and COO Alicia Prince walk through the unanimous approval of the FY 2026-27 advertised budget — a $71.6 million revenue and spen...

With the FY27 budget adoption just two weeks away, the FCCPS School Board gathered for its fourth and final budget work session — and the conversation was both candid and consequential. In this session, you'll hear Chief Financial Officer Alicia Prince walk through the latest City of Falls Church tax revenue projections and explain what a potential city tax rate reduction could mean for school...

Meet Lisa Mueller and Lauren Lauer — Oak Street Elementary's dynamic Advanced Academics team and, as it turns out, two people who have worked side-by-side for 20 years only to discover they have far more in common than they ever realized (including, most recently, the same doctor). In this episode of the Oak Street Spotlight series, Lisa and Lauren sit down for an honest, parent-friendly conve...

Episode Summary: This week's School Board meeting opened with powerful student voices as we celebrated Black History Month. Meridian High School junior Xavier Smith, president of the Black Student Union, along with Vice President Aimee Harris, shared thoughtful reflections on the challenges Black students face in our community and offered concrete suggestions for expanding support beyond the h...

Advanced Academic Specialist Beth Green explains Mount Daniel's enrichment program for K-2 students. Learn how classroom differentiation works beyond what you see in homework folders, what happens during whole-class Encore enrichment lessons, and how non-curricular tasks build thinking skills before content knowledge. Beth walks second-grade families through the advanced academic identificatio...

The School Board met virtually during the major winter storm to discuss budget priorities for the 2026-27 school year. Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade provided snow removal updates and outlined the path to reopening schools. The Board then engaged in a detailed conversation about proposed budget priorities, with strong consensus around supporting teachers and staff through competitive compensation a...

Listen to the Falls Church City School Board's January 13, 2026 meeting, featuring the annual Organizational Meeting and the first FY2027 budget presentation. In this episode, the board elects its leadership for the coming year and receives a comprehensive budget presentation from Superintendent Dr. Terry Dade and Chief Operating Officer Alicia Prince. Topics include the 5.02% maintenance of e...

School counselors Jed Jackson and Michelle Goldberg walk you through Mount Daniel's approach to Social-Emotional Learning. They explain what school counselors do, why students have such strong emotions, and how families can support their children at home. You'll learn about the Kimochis curriculum, classroom counseling lessons for kindergarten through second grade, and small group support....

How does Oak Street Elementary ensure every student gets the support they need to succeed? In this School Spotlight episode, learn about our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and meet the team working together to support students academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. In This Episode: MTSS is a general education framework—not a special education program—designed to provide tim...

A candid conversation between Meridian High School students and teachers about the reality of artificial intelligence in today's educational environment. Recorded at a December 2025 Parent Coffee, this discussion provides authentic insights into how AI tools are being used, the challenges they present, and the opportunities they create. Principal Peter Laub and IB Diploma Programme Coordinator...

Listen to this emotionally rich School Board meeting featuring significant transitions and heartfelt celebrations in our FCCPS community. Hear the official swearing-in ceremony for newly elected board member Mary Kate Hughes and returning members Lori Silverman and Kathleen Tysse as they begin their 2026-2029 terms. Experience the moving tribute to retiring band director Mary Jo West, with touchin...

The Falls Church City School Board and City Council gathered for their annual Joint Budget Development Meeting to begin collaborative FY27 budget planning amid significant economic uncertainty. What You'll Hear: Demographer Dr. Keith Waters presents enrollment projections and analyzes regional economic challenges, including federal workforce reductions and their impact on Falls Church families...

In this meeting, hear detailed enrollment projections from demographic consultant Dr. Waters, an inspiring student presentation on Meridian High School's sustainability initiatives, and board discussions on infrastructure improvements and community engagement. Featured discussions include analysis of FCCPS enrollment trends amid regional demographic changes, student-led waste reduction program...

Understanding how your child learns mathematics has never been more important. In this comprehensive session from Oak Street Elementary's Parent Coffee, our mathematics team breaks down everything parents need to know about grades 3-5 math education in FCCPS. Led by Mathematics Coordinator Jen Fessenden and featuring Dr. Kim Morrow-Leong, Laura Coates, and Joyce Gendell, this discussion covers...

Discover what makes elementary education at Mount Daniel Elementary School truly special in this comprehensive overview of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP). Host Lauren Carpel, PYP Coordinator for FCCPS elementary schools, guides listeners through the innovative educational framework that transforms how young learners engage with their world. From pre-K through 5th gra...