FCPS parents validated by OCR findings

Dear Editor, 

The sun is shining on 

Fairfax County Parents Association  parents who fought diligently for the rights of our children when Fairfax County Public Schools closed schools in 2020 and 2021. We knew kids needed to be in school, especially those with IEPs, 504s, and our English Learner students. We have been called the KKK by Democrat operatives. School board supporters contacted some of our employers in an effort to have certain parents fired and these same people called the police on us to try to intimidate us. Animal feces were left on our doorsteps. Local leaders hid behind or released their goons to slander us online. We were harangued as we worked on getting school board recall petition signatures. All because we cared about the kids and knew they needed to be in school. 

Former FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand fought us hard, too. When we expressed concerns our kids were behind, which tests now PROVE, he pounded a table when questioned by the School Board member Megan McLaughlin about this, and angrily proclaimed, “We are not behind, we are not behind!” Kids were suffering and falling behind, but the powers that be didn’t care. They just kept trying to silence us. 

Then FCPS released their attorneys to silence parents of special needs students by sending lawyers to the parents’ homes to serve papers on them. After FOIAing FCPS, who accidentally provided too much unredacted info via email, we learned more about their shenanigans. When the parent published the info in which she redacted the private info, FCPS took her and another mom to court! The court found in the moms’ favor! 

The other mom who was taken to court has had FCPS grossly mishandle IEP meetings for her child. She has had meetings abruptly ended by FCPS as she has tried to hold them accountable for providing required services for her child, punishing the child for the mom’s advocacy for her child. 

Parents have had to personally secure educational resources and opportunities for their children on  IEPs and 504s as FCPS was negligent in providing and refused to provide the legally required free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for their children. Many of us have had to draw from our own financial resources to secure these learning opportunities for our children because FCPS refused to appropriately educate our children. Some have had to pay tens of thousands of dollars just to provide what the children needed educationally. Many have had to leave FCPS to get this for their children. 

And this is not because of an inability by teachers, so many of whom are amazing and caring people. This is solely directed at the inexcusable decisions made by FCPS leadership.

FCPS has put the “F” in failure more times than we can count. This action by the Office of Civil Rights is validating. But the proof is in the pudding as my grandmother used to say. We know FCPS will huddle in secret with their Hunton attorneys (FCPS’ contracted legal counsel) to find a means to avoid accountability and responsibility. Children were hurt because of their defiance and OCR agrees. 

It’s time for FCPS to fight FOR our kids for once instead of bowing to the whims of the teachers unions and unleashing every woke agenda upon the kids. Kids need to be educated in math, science, reading, grammar, history, and geography, not in the soup du jour of social agendas.  Now is the time to put classic education first. Social agendas need to be shelved. Kids are behind on reading and math! That’s what’s important. Students with special needs, those for whom English is a second language, those who just need extra support, were abandoned by FCPS. Thank you OCR for this finding.

FCPS it’s time for you to do the right thing for the first time in years. Listen to the parents. We care about OUR children. Reimburse us for what we had to spend to do your job. Provide REAL resources, not more online jokes, to educate those still in FCPS. Please, just do your job!  

K.L.

Fairfax