School board member Ricardy Anderson announces re-election plans
Fairfax County School Board member Ricardy Anderson (Mason) is running for re-election, she announced April 3.
“I want to continue my work on the FCPS School Board because I understand the needs of the Mason District,” Anderson says. “As a parent of two students in FCPS, I have a first-hand account of the issues facing our schools.”
Anderson invites the community to a re-election campaign kickoff event on April 16. Register here.
Since she was elected to the school board in 2019, Anderson says she led efforts to:
- Initiate a review of why only Mason District middle schools include grade 6.
- Secure administrative needs-based staffing.
- Reduce overcrowding at Glen Forest Elementary School.
- Provide recess for middle school students to allow for a much-needed mental health break.
- Establish collective bargaining for FCPS employees.
- Fight for changes in the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, to open opportunities for all exceptional students regardless of zip code or income.
“However, there is so much work left to do, especially since the pandemic forced a pivot to other matters,” Anderson says.
If re-elected, Anderson says would advocate for a needs-based allocation of resources for staffing and facilities and fight for equity.
“Regardless of the current narrative in some circles, equity is not, nor should it be, a divisive term,” she says. “It’s imperative for Mason District students that equity remains at the forefront of FCPS decision-making.”
“I look forward to continuing to stand up for Mason,” Anderson says, but will need help to make that happen. She invites community members to donate to her campaign and sign on as a volunteer.
Terrific! Mason District definitely needs more equity.
Ricardy Andersen is the real deal! As a former teacher, principal and central office administrator, Ricardy gets it. She understands education, the needs of Mason district students, and FCPS. Ricardy is not shy about speaking her mind and demanding answers and excellence from everyone.
Ricardy has not impressed us at all thus far. In fact, quite to the contrary, she is not servicing our Mason district schools well at all. Her children are in FCPS but are they in Mason District? She did not do well replacing the principal at Glasgow. We had an exception acting principal in Katie Madigan – bilingual, understood the diversity of the student population, was beloved by staff, students and parents alike. All the focus groups and surveys wanted Katie and then it was claimed, they needed a nation wide search and we end up with a principal from Alexandria. Then, Ms. Andersen completely failed Justice High School in the principal selection there and also in the school rebuild. Why there was no multi-story parking lot planned for the Justice rebuild is ludicrous. Having properly planned for a multi story parking lot and better considered what the school actually needed, means we would not have ended up in arguments over whether or not park land needed to be taken. Ms. Anderson claims to want equity but there is no equity when you’re willing to take green space from communities that have none. Shameful. Also, at Justice, the bathrooms are not safe to use, there is NO transparency about the drug overdose (you saw transparency from the Arlington school). Justice has gone down hill since Penny Gros left – with regards to safety and discipline. One used to be able to walk the halls and you could hear a pin drop. The bathroom situation is not tolerable. Kids leaving campus without consequence. It’s nothing to do with the pandemic – kids feel more safe and secure and perform emotionally better when there is structure and discipline, see for example, https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/15/pandemic-easy-teaching-hurting-students/__;!!L2Ps738!xCedrWLitn7U0VTc7srBtn1B7rp193eehTkUB3AP42SfUQUeV-uvM-XJS_uvpCGVHrEXXDDUeeGslxMCU0QlULq0yjo$. What is being done to ensure our Mason District schools are safe from potential school shootings? Why does Justice not have band as an IB subject with music theory? Why must children choose between music and the IB Diploma? IB is as much about the arts as anything else. The band kids put in more time in external school band activities and yet they cannot have band as an IB class. Why these barriers to our children in Mason District? Ms. Anderson is not looking out for the best of Mason district schools.
One thing I’ve noticed, this woman does not speak for the WHOLE school district on issues. This district stretches all the way out beyond Route 50 past Fairfax Hospital, and over to Route 236 in Fairfax! It seems she concentrates on one locality only, so the School Board member for this district MUST reach ALL areas to get my vote…so far, she fails in that respect. That’s equity! The standard for this whole district should be that of the McLean High School District academically, voted #4 in the state of Virginia, and nothing less, that’s what the parents deserve for their students. and yes, I can say that, as I have a Master’s in secondary and post-secondary education. The test scores are horrible, and need help today, before anything else. I invite anyone to challenge academics in this district, and so far I’ve heard nothing. When the academics, morale, and patriotism are fixed, everything else will get fixed. These three things are a MUST for this district.