Biography
www.hughesforschoolboard.org/about
Website
www.hughesforschoolboard.org/
Email address
hughesforschoolboard@gmail.com
I’m National Board Certified and a National Educator Award winner with 25 years in public education within and beyond Falls Church City. I have served in a variety of roles: teacher, building leader, central office administrator. Here in Falls Church, at Oak Street, I taught 5th grade for 6 years. Today, I serve as a University Coach for future teachers at American University. Since moving to Falls Church in 2014, I’ve been a PTA member, event chair, Senior Spectacular volunteer coordinator, and Girl Scout leader. I know and love our community as a citizen, parent, and professional educator. My professional experience and dedication to our community have prepared me to contribute an educator’s perspective as a School Board Member.
I will advocate for educational excellence by putting students first, supporting teachers, and ensuring every dollar advances learning. As a career educator and school leader, I am best positioned to understand how spending directly impacts student learning. We must be honest that excellent schools cost money, and our community’s investment is what ensures students have access to the opportunities and support they deserve. At the same time, transparency is critical — we must account for every taxpayer dollar, align resources with our priorities, and use evidence to guide decisions so we protect excellence while being responsible stewards of public funds.
I will engage diverse voices by working with the board and superintendent to build proactive, structured feedback loops that go beyond the loudest voices in the room. During my campaign to date, I have met with 50+ teachers, parents, students, and community members, with plans to meet dozens more. As a board member, I will continue that practice by making myself accessible to diverse stakeholders through open office hours, bus stop coffees, surveys, focus groups, and outreach to multilingual families, to ensure various perspectives are heard and represented. I will balance qualitative and quantitative data to guide policy, and I will be transparent in showing how decisions reflect the needs and values of all Falls Church City families.
Managing enrollment growth requires proactive planning and a commitment to keeping instruction strong. Our excellent schools are one of the biggest reasons families choose Falls Church, and we must preserve that strength. I will advocate for transparent enrollment projections tied to long-term facilities planning, so we anticipate growth before it strains capacity. To maintain optimal student-teacher ratios, we must prioritize hiring and supporting educators, including investing in certification pathways in high-need areas. Public schools are for all students, and by combining data-driven projections, strong staffing pipelines, and community collaboration, we can protect the high-quality education Falls Church students deserve.
The top challenges for FCCPS are managing enrollment growth, supporting and retaining excellent educators, navigating the rise of technology like AI and concerns about screen use, and preparing for external uncertainties such as shifts in budgets. Our schools draw families here, so we must plan facilities and staffing carefully to maintain quality. Teachers are our greatest asset, and we must invest in competitive compensation, mentoring, and certification pathways. We need clear guidelines for using AI responsibly while protecting time for writing, creativity, and human connection. Transparent, flexible budget planning will help us adapt to outside pressures without sacrificing quality, always keeping student learning at the center.
Biography
Originally from Ohio and moved to Virginia in 2007. I have been married to Josh for 15 years and we have Josephine (9), Sawyer (8), and our dog Gus (2.5). We have lived in FCC since 2020 in the Winter Hill Community.
Website
votesharon4schoolboard.com
Email address
sharon.m.z.mergler@gmail.com
For over 20 years, I’ve dedicated my career to supporting students with disabilities and their families. With degrees from The Ohio State University and George Mason University, I’m trained to serve diverse learners across all grade levels. I’ve helped families navigate diagnoses, access resources, understand the school system, and build strong individualized education programs to support their children. I have been on the board of my own children's private preschool which fortified my belief in strong family-school partnership. I’ll bring the same passion and experience to ensure every student and family feels supported, included, and empowered, while making informed, equitable, and financially responsible decisions for our schools.
I will support the board in strengthening clear, consistent, and informed discussions with community members, teachers, staff, and City Council, which are essential when making school budget decisions. As a school board member, I will advocate for our community members by asking questions and representing their concerns and perspectives. I support involving teachers and staff in the budget process. Encouraging active community participation through meetings and committees ensures diverse perspectives and keeps everyone informed. I will support a collaborative approach to identifying priorities, ensuring the needs of all students remain central in developing and allocating the school budget.
I deeply value making genuine connections and will actively seek out opportunities to listen and engage with families, educators, and neighbors. I will advocate for a welcoming, inclusive culture where everyone feels encouraged to share their ideas, experiences, and needs through a variety of avenues that can be accessed by all. Collaboration is key, and I will work with fellow board members to strengthen transparent and accessible communication. I am committed to asking the hard questions to support meaningful conversations about our community’s priorities along with advocating for community members. Every voice in our community matters, and our policies should reflect that diversity of experience.
Low student-teacher rations and high-quality education both rely on a strong, well-supported school budget. Both priorities rely on the quantity and quality of our educators. Maintaining small class sizes and retaining exceptional educators requires strategic, sustained investment, including competitive compensation. Our teachers are the foundation of student success, and we must support them with fair pay, professional development, and respect. Meeting these goals may require a thoughtful reassessment of budget priorities, ensuring every dollar supports what matters most: excellent educators, high-quality instruction, and staff that create our safe, enriching school environments.
FCCPS is navigating two challenges with cell phone use and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in our schools. The Governor's "bell to bell" ban on cell phones, reflects the growing concern over how access to devices impacts learning, focus, and mental health. A structured phone storage system that has been successfully implemented in other schools is a possible solution. As AI becomes more prevalent we must approach the use of AI within our schools with thoughtfulness and transparency. While some see AI offering opportunities for personalized learning and efficiency, it also raises concerns around equity, academic integrity, and privacy. Inclusive conversations with staff, families, and students imperative to develop policy.
Biography
I am mom to 3 FCCPS students in 9th, 7th, and 3rd grades, a current School Board Member, and have been active in the FCCPS community for many years. I am a former lawyer and a proud K-12 public school grad. Please visit my website for more about me.
Website
annesherwood.org
Email address
annesherwood4schoolboard@gmail.com
I’ve served on the School Board (SB) since the special election last November. Since then, I’ve helped hire our new superintendent, engaged in a challenging budget season, continued refining our budget timeline and process, and engaged in many policy decisions. Before my SB service, I served: as co-chair on the Advanced Academics Advisory Cmte to the SB; on the Board of the Choral Boosters; on the FCEPTA International Night Cmte; and as a room parent and in various other community roles. This direct experience, combined with my background in law and policy, uniquely situates me to serve the SB well. I also bring all the practical experience gained as a parent of kids in elementary, middle, and high school.
The School Board must advocate for our students and teachers, and responsibly steward our resources. This means collaborating with City Council to ensure that we meet planned-for growth with strong support, so that we serve every student at the level of excellence that defines our City and attracts new residents. I’m committed to educational excellence, including small class sizes, robust student-facing services, and competitive compensation for our teachers and staff. We also must recognize current economic uncertainty. To ensure fiscal responsibility, we should define our budget priorities well and early, better align School Board and City budget timelines, and look for new efficiencies.
First, we must increase opportunities for all voices by offering participation through various methods: advisory committees, townhalls, surveys, coffees, office hours. Second, recognizing and overcoming barriers to participation is essential. We must reach out through diverse avenues; plan for opportunities at different times of the day, since families’ work schedules and child care obligations do not always match a 9-5 work day; and continue to increase translation services. Finally, as a community norm and a model for our students, we must welcome all voices, and we must model the kind of civil discourse and exchange of ideas that is essential not just in a vibrant local school community rooted in IB values, but in our broader democracy.
Two major pieces are budget and space. We must fund our schools to maintain small class sizes, attract and retain great teachers, and serve our growing specialized services populations. This starts with preserving the FCCPS-City revenue-sharing agreement, while also exercising fiscal discipline. We also must manage our space well. The capacity of our buildings is estimated to accommodate predicted growth until ~2045. I support a rigorous assessment of capital needs, especially at Oak Street, to ensure facilities can meet this prediction; the flexible use of space, e.g., utilizing the trailers at Oak Street, converting the spaces in Meridian that were designed for expansion; and holding more middle school classes in Meridian as necessary.
AI and academic integrity: I support a committee on AI, composed of community members, to help the SB draft a policy on responsible use, in all facets of student life. On academic integrity generally, I would set clearer repercussions for, and better communicate about, violations of academic integrity policy, while also building a culture of integrity.
Enrollment growth: Please see my prior responses. I remain a strong advocate on budget while improving our current budget process.
National pressures: These include economic uncertainty and changes to the education landscape. We must be fiscally responsible while planning for enrollment growth. And we must continue to serve our students well through a responsive local decisionmaking process.
I’ve been a trusted and balanced board member during my current term on the Falls Church School Board. I’ve listened to the community, teachers, and staff about various issues, and taken those views into consideration when making policy decisions. I attended town halls, met with people 1:1, and been an active participant in order to help provide the best education for our kids.
City budgets are complicated, especially during uncertain times. I try to ensure that given our growth, each new position has a strong connection to students. I ask questions to understand how each position will help better educate our kids.
I have an open door policy. I’ve met with many different people from different backgrounds during my tenure in the board and I will continue to do that if re-elected.
Student enrollment will rise. We need to make sure we maintain a positive working relationship with the city council so there is a budget sharing agreement. When we make budget decisions, first priority should be to review positions that will ensure our ratio remains low, and at the same time ensuring we recruit and retain the best teachers and staff.
The top challenge is population growth. We need to ensure our budget recognizes that growth, provides the supports necessary, and ensures that each new position is going to be filled with someone who will advance our students’ needs.
Website
kathleentysse.com
Email address
ktysseforfccps@gmail.com
I have served on the FCCPS School Board as a member since Jan. 2022 and as the Vice Chair since Jan. 2024. Some of the school board work I am especially proud of includes bringing paid parental leave to our teachers and staff and giving FCCPS employees a union voice via our first ever Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Prior to my Board service, I served as the President of the Falls Church Elementary PTA, as a member of the Gifted Education Advisory Committee, and on the Mary Riley Styles Public Library Board of Trustees. I am a former public school teacher with a Master of Teaching from UVA. I am also a mom of four kids in FCCPS schools and have been an FCCPS parent since 2013.
I have been through the budget process four times and have proudly supported the FCCPS budget each year. My colleagues and I have worked hard to support our students, teachers, and staff with responsive and responsible budgets that maintain our priority of educational excellence, honor our Collective Bargaining Resolutions, and respect the guidance given to us from the general government. I have personally spent many hours advocating to City Council on behalf of the schools. I am a firm believer in the Revenue Sharing Agreement between FC City Council and FCCPS, which evenly splits the City's revenue. This agreement allows for a much more collaborative, transparent, and productive budgeting process with our general government colleagues.
Since serving on the School Board, I have relied on a range of community voices to inform my policy work. When considering a calendar policy, evaluating early release Wednesdays, or creating a cell phone policy, the School Board held many town halls to hear directly from the community. We made sure those town halls accommodated various stakeholder groups and were varied in location, day of the week, and time of day to make them as accessible for the most people as possible. I also spent two years as a School Board Liaison to three different advisory committees and have spent dozens of hours engaging with community members, teachers, and staff during School Board office hours.
We are fortunate in FCCPS to have space in our facilities for the anticipated enrollment growth. As a former teacher and current parent, I understand the benefit of a low student-teacher ratio for both students and teachers; I support our current class size policy. I also support Collective Bargaining and understand the financial implications of meeting our union obligations. Those two items drive the vast majority of the FCCPS budget, which means the remaining funds need to be allocated with a laser focus on benefiting students. I highly value input from our professional teachers and staff on which resources have the greatest impact on students and learning. And I also believe in prioritizing recruiting and retaining excellent teachers.
Fall Church is not immune from current social and political turmoil. Many families of vulnerable children feel less safe, public education (and its funding) is under increased scrutiny at the state and national level, countless community members have lost their jobs or are facing job insecurity, and school enrollment is less predictable while new development stabilizes. These challenges need to be addressed head on by leaders like me with the experience and relationships necessary to find brave and creative solutions. I approach my school board work with integrity and strive to maintain a balanced perspective. I would be honored to use all that I have learned the past four years to continue serving FCCPS.
