See below for a press release from Fairfax County School Board at-large member Rachna Sizemore Heizer‘s campaign about her decision to seek reelection to the School Board from the Braddock Magisterial District (current Braddock District member Megan McLaughlin announced her retirement). I’m hearing that at-large Democratic candidates will likely include current members Abrar Omeish and Karen Keys-Gamarra, as well as former member Ilryong Moon, former Falls Church School Board member Lawrence Webb and likely Kyle McDaniel (who ran for Fairfax School Board in 2019 as an independent in the Springfield Magisterial District). Should be interesting. To see how the Fairfax County Democratic Committee plans to make endorsements for School Board, see here (note that it includes the use of Instant Runoff Voting, which is a very good thing!).
Sizemore Heizer Announces Reelection Bid in Braddock District
Fairfax County School Board Chair and At-Large Member Will Seek Reelection in Open Braddock District
BURKE, VA – Today, Fairfax County School Board Chair and At-Large Member Rachna Sizemore Heizer announced she will seek re-election in November. A Democrat, Sizemore Heizer will run for the open Braddock District seat, where she has lived, worked, and raised her family for more than two decades. She released the following statement:
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past few years and excited to build on that progress because there is much more to be done. Ensuring an inclusive and exceptional strengths-focused education for every child is more important than ever.”
“It has been an honor to serve as an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board. I’m now running to represent Braddock District, which I have called home for more than two decades. My commitment to all of the county’s kids, parents and teachers remains as strong as ever, and my years living and raising my children in the Braddock District, and deep love for this community equip me well to represent it.”
“I am grateful to Megan McLaughlin for her 12 years of service to Braddock District residents, and to the students and staff of Fairfax County Public Schools. She deserves our thanks for her many years of focused attention on important issues like restorative justice and student health, and her insistence that we pursue excellence in all we do on behalf of taxpayers and students alike. I wish her well in retirement and am glad to know she’s just a phone call away.”
The child of immigrants, Sizemore Heizer is a lawyer, educator, and community advocate. She was first elected to the board in 2019, becoming the first Asian American woman and Indian American person elected countywide in Fairfax County. She was subsequently elected by her colleagues to serve as vice chair of the board in 2021 and then as board chair in 2022. Sizemore Heizer has also served as chair of the board’s public education committee and as a member of its audit committee.
On the board, Sizemore Heizer has worked with her colleagues to expand access to advanced academics, revamped literacy instruction to promote the science of reading, ensured teachers and staff saw raises and bonuses two years in a row (with a third on the way), and championed shifting the school division’s culture to one of neurodiversity.
Sizemore Heizer received her undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In addition to her role on the board, she is a college professor and has built a successful track record of working with local, state, and federal leaders and community organizations to create change.
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