Each year FCPS continuously attempts to update their goals in order to incorporate the feedback of staff members, parents and students across the county. Adopted at a board meeting on June 15, the new strategic plan outlines a clear path for the Fairfax County school system through 2023-2030. 

In her statement released just after the new plan was announced, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid outlined five strategic goals, which would help guide “our path forward to ensure excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every FCPS student,” wrote Reid.

These five goals are built on a core foundation of four pillars. The first pillar outlines how learning environments will shift to a focus on competency based learning. This will provide opportunities for every student to succeed, no matter where they entered the course. The second and third pillars help create an atmosphere of belonging. They work to ensure students feel as if they are valued outside of just their classes and have an engaging and inclusive community so that each and every student feels connected to the community and the people around them. The last pillar is the sum of all the other pieces; by creating a fair and clear system of grading and a community where everyone feels as if they belong and are heard and respected, “a culture of equity and excellence will follow,” Elizabeth Calvert, Madison’s Principal, said.

While this new plan may seem overwhelming at first, Madison has been working towards implementing the same goals seen in this overarching plan of action for years. When the plan was initially unveiled Calvert was ecstatic as, “so much of what we do [at Madison] is in the strategic plan,” Calvert said. Though there are a lot of moving parts to the new plan, both county and school wide, what it all boils down to is feedback. 

Feedback from students, parents and staff members is the most significant aspect of the strategic plan. By incorporating feedback from individuals across the board, tweaks can be made to ensure that the maximum number of people are included, acknowledged and supported in their community, no matter what their needs may be. This feedback  is important to your “learning and growth [as a student] and our learning and growth [as a school],” stated Calvert. The plan was based on the results of over 100,000 survey and focus group responses and more than 65 planning team meetings and community engagements, all of which deliver honest and truthful responses to fuel improvement in the Fairfax County school system.

At Madison going forward, Calvert has expressed her plans to infuse three main aspects. The first is skills based mastery learning which “removes the glass ceiling for our top performers and brings up the kids who struggle,” Calvert said. The second is a community of belonging and lastly is the MAD wings program. By implementing these goals, which are directly aligned with the county’s goals, Madison will create consistency, clarity and accurate reflections of a student’s learning over the year in regards to grading. In addition, they will ensure that each and every voice is heard and that no matter where students venture off to after their time at JMHS, they will be poised to thrive because of their strong foundation of skills.