TJ alum, Michael Mukai, named principal
Michael Mukai, the current principal of West Springfield High School, has been named principal of the highly selective Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
Mukai was in the very first class at TJHSST when it was converted to a magnet STEM school in 1985.
“As we continue the tradition of excellence at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, we are thrilled to have found a phenomenal leader who is also an alum,” said FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid. Mukai was hired following a lengthy nationwide search.
“Michael Mukai has a passion and a vision that is second to none. I am excited to see the amazing work he will do moving forward for excellence and opportunity,” Reid said.
The former principal at TJ, Ann Bonitatibus, accepted a new position at the FCPS central office this fall.
TJ is one of the top schools in the nation. Located in Lincolnia, it serves students from Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William County and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, as well as Fairfax County.
Mukai started at FCPS in 1995 as a math and science teacher before being appointed principal of West Springfield in 2014.
“I am deeply honored to be named the next leader of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and will continue the legacy of excellence that shaped my own academic journey nearly 40 years ago,” Mukai said. “I am committed to ensuring every student here thrives academically, sharpens their critical thinking skills, and embraces innovation to navigate tomorrow’s challenges.”
Recalling his time as a student at TJ, he said, “It was an amazing time; we were at a tipping point for the computer age. We knew computers would be important but we didn’t know how it would affect us and our society.”
“The teachers and the staff were amazing because they were ready and prepared to help support us and give us every opportunity,” said Mukai, who served on the varsity volleyball team at TJ.
Mukai majored in chemistry at Virginia Tech. He earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction – math education and completed post-master’s graduate work in the sociology of scientific knowledge at Virginia Tech.
During his tenure at West Springfield, the school saw significant gains in advanced academic access and success resulting in gold recognition by the College Board for the AP School Honor Roll.
Now that we’re living through another tipping point with the ascendance of artificial intelligence, Mukai wants to make sure TJ students can push boundaries and innovate in the way he was able to 40 years ago.
“I was at alumni weekend, over the Thanksgiving holiday, and had a chance to look at the school. While the physical structures may have changed, so many things feel the same and I have a lot of sentimentality and emotion wrapped up in those walls,” he said.
“I have a debt of gratitude to pay to a place that changed my life. TJ gave me a chance to do more and to be more. Coming back, it’s my greatest hope that I will be able to serve and be able to leave my mark and be able to show how much this very special place has meant to me.”
