The “secret sauce” of what defines FCCPS as a great school district is hard to pin down. When Dr. Noonan provided us with this essay prompt, I wrestled with articulating what makes FCCPS great. I often joke with my wife, who works for a neighboring school division, about how much better we are because our test scores are so strong, and we consistently top her division in various rankings.
However, what makes us great is much harder to pin down to one indicator. We have incredibly dedicated, smart, and funny staff; the students are genuinely inquisitive and interested in learning, and the parents are incredibly generous and dedicated. The one aspect of this division that has stood out to me from my previous experiences is how embracing innovation is woven into the division’s core values.
The very existence of my role at the Hybrid Learning Center (HY-C) exemplifies FCCPS’s commitment to innovation. Long before digital learning became commonplace, FCCPS established the Hybrid Learning Department (HyC). I have been in this position since 2016 and have enjoyed participating in the team as the program has grown. At HyC, we offer all state-mandated core courses in an online format designed by teachers to meet the specific needs of our students. These courses are constantly being updated as we customize them to support individual learners based on their unique circumstances.
What truly sets us apart from other divisions is that the same teachers who design these courses also proctor them and provide direct student support. In contrast, most online high school courses rely on prepackaged curricula created by corporations with no direct connection to the students or schools they serve. Our model ensures a far more personalized, robust, and authentic learning experience rooted in meaningful teacher-student relationships and responsive instruction. This approach highlights FCCPS’s forward-thinking ethos and dedication to fostering innovative educational practices.
Another example of how our embrace of innovation has set our division ahead of others is that we managed through the COVID pandemic with very little, if any, learning loss that many other divisions experienced. So many tools we used during the pandemic had been in place, to some extent, before the pandemic. We did not have to teach students how to get onto Schoology, access PearDeck, use a Google Doc, or access tools on their laptops. Furthermore, as we transitioned back to in-person classes, the division purchased cameras that would allow us to stream the lesson to students who were at home. Although the pandemic lockdowns brought challenges, our commitment to embracing innovation allowed us to adapt and teach students effectively, even in a fully remote environment.
Our division has also taken a forward-thinking approach to AI by embracing its potential rather than banning it outright. While many nearby districts chose to prohibit AI due to concerns about academic integrity and bias, we recognized that such a ban would deprive students of valuable opportunities to use this technology responsibly in a supervised environment. At Meridian, significant efforts have been made to teach students about academic integrity in AI use. Teachers are integrating AI tools into their work, designing lessons that leverage AI’s strengths to enhance learning. This proactive stance on AI exemplifies how FCCPS stays ahead by fostering innovation and preparing students for the future.
I have a personal connection to using AI through my roles as co-lead of the AI Early Release Professional Development (ERPD) cohort at Meridian and as a member of the cohort testing the paid version of ChatGPT. The experiences in the ERPD cohort have been invaluable because we have approached them as a collaborative sandbox where colleagues share resources and demonstrate innovative uses of AI tools. Together, we have explored giving students quick formative feedback using Class Companion, leveling texts through Diffit, and refining prompt engineering, among many other strategies.
As part of the ChatGPT cohort, I have created custom GPTs designed to help teachers build lessons and units aligned with best practices and state standards. Applying what I have learned from both cohorts, I have designed lessons that teach my students when and why to use AI thoughtfully. In class, we have distinguished between using AI for constructive tasks like receiving feedback, practicing skills, or brainstorming ideas versus generating assignments to submit as their own. This clear academic integrity violation hinders learning.
These meaningful learning experiences would not have been possible if AI had been banned. This approach exemplifies how FCCPS’s commitment to innovation fosters deeper learning for students and professional growth for teachers.
While FCCPS’s excellence is reflected in its strong data and performance metrics, there’s much more to the division than numbers alone can convey. Different people might point to various aspects that make FCCPS special based on their unique experiences, but for me, the division’s unwavering commitment to innovation stands out. This dedication has shaped our success and my personal and professional growth.
My role in HyC has allowed me to be creative and develop innovative ways to support student learning — opportunities that might not exist in many other divisions. Our consistent focus on innovation enabled us to pivot effectively to a virtual learning environment when circumstances demanded it. Likewise, our forward-thinking approach to AI, resisting the urge to ban new technology despite its potential downsides, has opened doors to new methods for enhancing student learning.
These examples — and undoubtedly others I may have overlooked — illustrate the “secret sauce” that makes Falls Church City Public Schools exceptional. Underlining our consistently impressive data is a culture of continuous improvement, adaptability, and innovation that benefits students and educators alike.