Rachna Sizemore Heizer running for the Braddock seat on the school board

Rachna Sizemore Heizer, an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board and current chair of the board, is running for the Braddock District seat on the school board.

The current Braddock school board member, Megan McLaughlin, will retire when her term expires on Dec. 31, 2023. McLaughlin has been on the board since 2012.

Election Day is Nov. 7. School board elections are non-partisan, but candidates seek party endorsement.

In her Feb. 6 announcement, Sizemore Heizer said: “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,” she said. “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.”

Sizemore Heizer is a lawyer and college professor. When first elected to the school board in 2019, she was the first Asian American woman and Indian American person elected countywide in Fairfax County.

She cites the following accomplishments she helped advance as a school board member: expanded access to advanced academics, revamped literacy instruction to promote the science of reading, pay raises for teachers and staff, and shifting the school district’s culture to appreciate neurodiversity.

School board member Karl Frisch (Providence) was the first to announce plans to run for re-election – he launched his campaign in January – and held a campaign kickoff event last weekend. Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill) is also running.

Four others have announced they will not seek re-election to the school board: Elaine Tholen (Dranesville), Tamara Derenak Kaufax (Franconia), Laura Jane Cohen (Springfield), and Stella Pekarsky (Sully).

Cohen is running to represent the newly created 15th District in the House of Delegates, which includes portions of Springfield, Burke, and Fairfax.

Pekarsky is running for an open seat in the Virginia Senate, representing the 36th District. That district includes Chantilly, Centreville, and Clifton.