https://www.lcps.org/Page/226240

Lauren Shernoff - Leesburg District - Loudoun County School Board, 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA (2026)

08/28/2026

Happy Friday Leesburg! Another week under our belts! This week was all about schools, schools, schools for me! It is great to be out seeing great work with and for kids in our Leesburg schools!

This week’s recap includes:
🦅Leesburg Elementary Back to School BASH!
🦁🌟⚓️School Visits to Heritage High School, Frederick Douglass Elementary, and Loudoun County High School

🦅Every year, the first weekend after school begins Leesburg Elementary PTSO hosts a Back to School Bash! They have food, games, free haircuts, back to school clothes shopping, and a cameo performance of the Tuscarora Marching Band! It was great to see Dr. Spence, Principal Lacey, Mayor Burk, and the students and families of Leesburg together celebrating the start of school!

🍎Every year, I make it a priority to visit all of the Leesburg District Schools in the first month back. These visits give me the opportunity to sit down with school leaders, listen to their goals, learn how I can support them, and celebrate the incredible work they are doing each and every day.

I also value the time I get to spend in classrooms, engaging with students and staff and seeing firsthand the learning and connections happening throughout our schools. These visits keep me grounded in the everyday work of our educators and students, and that perspective directly informs my decision-making as a board member.

Most of all, the trusted partnerships I have built with our schools are a true gift to me in this role. I kicked off my visits this month at Heritage HS,Loudoun County HS, and Frederick Douglass Elementary. I will complete the rest in September!

🦁At Heritage High School, I really enjoyed sitting down with Principal Adam to hear about his goals for the year. As a high school parent—and especially as a Heritage parent— in just 10 short school days I already have a new perspective on high school life, both its joys and its challenges.

One of the things I respect most about Mr. Adam is the genuine love and care he shows for every student, every day. He even tells them he loves them during the morning announcements! And if there is an arts event, sporting event, or school activity, you can be sure he is there. He is truly dialed into his students and what they need to feel supported and succeed.

That was a big part of our conversation. Mr. Adam has some exciting ideas for strengthening the transition into 9th grade and helping students thrive from the very beginning of their high school journey. I appreciate his willingness to innovate and think creatively about how we can continue to uphold Heritage’s goal of providing both high challenge and high support—creating a school where every student feels that they belong and has the opportunity to succeed.

🌟Friday, I popped over to Frederick Douglass Elementary and loved the opportunity to walk the school, pop into classrooms, and see the energy of the school community firsthand. I also LOVE their theme this year: “Individually we sparkle, together we shine bright!” It feels like such a perfect reflection of their “STAR” school community!

Even this early in the school year, it was clear that staff and students are settling into their routines and building those important classroom connections. There was a wonderful sense of joy throughout the building, and everyone I saw was all smiles!

⚓️The last stop for the day was Loudoun County High School, where I sat down with Principal Luttrell to hear about their goals for the year. A strong instructional focus is at the heart of their work, with an emphasis on ensuring that every student has the foundational skills they need to be successful while also providing the appropriate level of rigor and challenge throughout all areas of instruction.

Principal Luttrell shared how the school has been intentional about taking an instructional reset—looking closely at student needs, strengthening foundational skills, and making sure teachers have the support and tools they need to move learning forward. Building from that foundation, LCHS is also focused on increasing rigor across the instructional day so that students are consistently challenged to think deeply, engage meaningfully, and reach their full potential.

I am always grateful for these instructional conversations. I miss day-to-day teaching so much, and opportunities like this allow me to stay connected to the work happening in classrooms. I’m especially looking forward to joining some instructional walkthroughs at LCHS as the year unfolds and seeing this work in action.

That’s a wrap on week two of school! Yay! 🙌🏻

08/21/2026

Happy Friday Leesburg! I hope you all had a FANTASTIC first week back to school! I always love seeing all the first day pictures as the excitement of a new year hangs in the air! I am looking forward to getting back into our schools next week to see all the amazing work happening already!

This week’s recap includes:
🏈🙌🏻Inaugural Girls Flag Football Game
🍎💙Loudoun Education Foundation Board Retreat
🧑🏼‍✈️⚓️ NJROTC Program Overview at LCHS

🏈🙌🏻 Tuesday night, I was SO excited to attend the inaugural LCPS girls flag football game! Last budget cycle, the School Board voted to add three new sports: girls wrestling, boys volleyball, and girls flag football. Heritage High School took on Loudoun County High School in the very first girls flag football game in Loudoun County history!

There was so much excitement in the stands, and the energy, enthusiasm, and effort from the girls were truly impressive. It made the night even more special for me because my daughter is playing this year! And in the end, Heritage came away with the win! I’m looking forward to attending more games, cheering on our athletes, and supporting all three of our new sports. Way to go, ladies! Here’s to an exciting new chapter for LCPS athletics!

🍎💙This week, I also had the privilege of attending the Loudoun Education Foundation Board Retreat. As you’ve seen in my posts throughout the year, I am honored to serve as the School Board representative for our wonderful LEF—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting our students, teachers, and so much more. The incredible work of LEF is made possible through a strong partnership between the Board, LEF staff, and LCPS. Our morning together focused on reflecting on the accomplishments of the past year and looking ahead as we set goals and priorities for the year to come.

The way our community invests in our schools through this organization is truly powerful. That kind of impact doesn’t happen without incredible servant leaders who care deeply about our students and their success.I’m so proud to be a small part of this team and excited for all that’s ahead!

🧑🏼‍✈️⚓️Thursday afternoon, I had the opportunity to visit LCHS at the invitation of Captain Schoen and his staff, along with Dr. Luttrell, the LCHS principal, to learn more about their NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) program. It was my first time visiting the Annex Facility, and I was incredibly impressed by what I saw and heard. It was especially meaningful to hear directly from the student cadets, as well as the program’s leadership, about the opportunities NJROTC provides, what makes the program so special, and how the admissions process works.

As Chair of the Special Programs Committee, I’ve made it a priority to visit as many of our programs as possible so I can better understand the full scope of opportunities available to our students. These visits are such a valuable way to listen, learn, and see these programs in action. It was a wonderful conversation, and I look forward to reflecting on their needs and also returning soon to see the cadets in action!

If you’re anything like me, you might feel like we’ve been back in school for weeks after just this one week—but we made it! We are officially in the swing of another school year. A huge thank you to all of our incredible educators, staff, administrators, bus drivers, and everyone behind the scenes who worked so hard to make the first week a smooth and special one for our students and families. Week one is in the books, and there is so much to look forward to in the year ahead! Wishing everyone a wonderful and well-deserved weekend. Take a breath, recharge, and enjoy! 😊

08/14/2026

Happy Friday Leesburg! What a wonderful week it was! It really is such an exciting time of year and I am so happy to see all the smiling faces and backpacks filled with supplies at the many Back to School Events! Hard to believe that Monday is the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Wow!

This week’s recap includes:

🗓️Full School Board Meeting Recap
🎀✂️Tolbert Playground Ribbon Cutting and Open House
⚓️💵LCHS Ribbon Cutting for Captains Corner School Store
🔐Harper Park Load Your Locker
🦁Heritage High School Back to School Bash

🗓️Tuesday the school board had its first meeting of the 26-27 School Year! We had a very detailed presentation from our School and Business Partnership Council which was paired with a presentation with an update on the State of Partnerships in LCPS. The presentation provides an overview of partnership growth, cross-sector collaboration and the ways partnerships strengthen instruction, connect students to career opportunities, support whole-child development, expand community engagement and advance division priorities. Staff also shared emerging opportunities and strategic priorities to further strengthen partnerships across Loudoun County Public Schools. There is tremendous work happening in LCPS as our partnerships continue to grow in number and in impact. There is so much to celebrate as these relationships strengthen our whole community with our students’ success at the center of it all.

Next up we got an update on the LCPS Stakeholder Survey Results. Loudoun County Public Schools surveys staff, families and students each year to receive feedback about school operations vital for the success of our school division. The 2026 LCPS Annual Staff, Student and Family Survey launched on February 19, providing a comprehensive opportunity for our entire school community to share feedback on the learning climate and operations within our schools. Data collected from this collective outreach is used as a primary tool for school-level planning and division-wide decision-making for the 2026-2027 school year. The key strengths in LCPS are student sense of belonging, high learning expectations, and school cleanliness and safety. Some areas for continued growth are consistency in discipline and behavior management across schools, limited teacher planning time, grading policy application, policy 8040, and more consistency across the division in policy implementation and initiatives. The detailed results and next steps can be found on board docs. Individual school results are published here: https://www.lcps.org/o/lcps/page/surveys

We celebrated the opening of 2 special programs! The Global and Linguistic Studies Academy will launch this year for 50 students at Dominion High School, and the third Dual Language Enrollment program will be starting at Leesburg Elementary this year!

We had 4 information items:

1. FY 27 Final Budget Alignment: After the finalization of the State budget LCPS has been allotted 14 Million in additional funding. Staff has outlined some line items to spend that money including right sizing the stipend structures to be more standardized with a tiered approach. We are asking the board of supervisors to approve LCPS keeping these state funds. It will be an action item next meeting, to send to the BOS.

2. FY 27 Audit Plan: The Audit Committee has proposed 4 Audits to be added for the upcoming year by our independent Auditor General. They are: Employee Reporting & Retaliation Oversight, LCPS-Sheriff Info-Sharing Protocols, Cybersecurity & Incident Response, and Federal Grant Compliance. The full board does not have to approve it so it was just information. There were many questions, but ultimately these will go forward.

3. Legislative and Policy Committee: Revised Policy 2420, Meeting Procedures: This policy needed updates due to code changes, mostly outlining quorum rules for virtual participation and alignment with the VA, FOIA.

4. Student Services Committee: New Policy 5340, Safe and Supportive Removal of Students in the Educational Setting: During the January 15, 2025, Work Session for revised Policy 5345, Restraint and Seclusion of Students, the committee recommended a separate policy for isolation and exclusion. This new policy provides clarity and protocols for all situations where a student might be removed from the educational setting. I am proposing we add a section for the unique circumstance when a class of students is evacuated from the learning environment due to the need for one student to de-escalate. I think we have an opportunity to provide clear guidance on this type of situation, especially as it relates to reporting and parental notification.

🎀✂️I had the honor of attending the ribbon cutting of the NEW inclusive playground at Tolbert Elementary! To see this playground move through the budget process from Leesburg Town Proffer Funding, to School Board approval, to a true reality where kids are smiling, laughing, and playing together was a dream come true! What a great celebration to kick off their open house!

⚓️💵I also had the chance to attend the ribbon cutting for the newly renovated and designed LCHS, “Captain’s Corner,” school store. This renovation is part of the 5 year Career and Technical Education Plan. It was a student led project from start to finish. They led the design, the planning, oversaw some of the construction, and now will run the store and work on its marketing! The students were eager to share their experience and enthusiasm for the beautiful project! Go Captains!

🔐🦁After that I popped over to Harper Park Middle School for their Load Your Locker and then onto Heritage for their Back to School Bash at Heritage High School. We even swung by Tuscarora as they were getting staff pumped up with new spirit wear! All of these amazing events help to welcome teachers and students back and make them feel confident and ready to get back to school!

Well, it’s that time again to wish you all an AMAZING first week back to school!

Let’s do this LCPS! 🩷🧡💙💜

08/11/2026

We are back! First LCPS school board meeting for the 26-27 School Year is live!

08/07/2026

The School Board is back from summer recess, which means my weekly updates are back too!

As we kick off a new school year, I couldn't be more energized and excited for everything that's ahead. There is always a special sense of possibility this time of year as our students, teachers, and staff prepare for a fresh start filled with new opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed. It was great to jump right back into the work with back to school kickoffs and committee meetings this week.

This week’s recap includes:

🎉Welcome O.N.E.(Outstanding New Educators) kickoff!
📊Performance Monitoring Committee Meeting Recap
📚Curriculum and Instruction Committee Meeting Recap
🏫Specialized Programs and Centers Committee Meeting Recap

🎉What a way to kick off the Back to School Season!

Monday morning’s Welcome O.N.E. event gave our Outstanding New Educators the warm LCPS welcome they deserve (over 450, in fact!). From school mascots and high-fives to smiles and school spirit, the excitement was contagious!

To all of our newest teachers and staff: We’re so glad you’re here. Thank you for choosing LCPS, and welcome to a community that’s excited to support you every step of the way. Here’s to an amazing first year! 💙🍎

📊At the Performance Monitoring Committee meeting, we received an update on the new public-facing Data Hub Dashboard—and it's now live! You can explore it here: https://www.lcps.org/o/lcps/page/data-hub-dashboards.

This interactive dashboard has been a major undertaking and will continue to expand as additional data becomes available. Currently, MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) and SAT student achievement data are available. I've mentioned this project in previous recaps, so it's exciting to see it come to life. I encourage you to take a look and share your feedback. Making this information publicly available is an important step toward greater transparency for all LCPS stakeholders.

We also reviewed data on student behavior incidents and school climate. The discussion focused on how behavior incidents are reported, how the data is collected and analyzed, and what supports are available for students, staff, and schools. We compared this information with stakeholder survey results to better understand perceptions of student behavior and discipline.

One notable improvement this past year has been the addition of 13 Behavior Resource Teachers who provide direct support to schools that request assistance. The program has shown positive results, though it currently serves only 26 elementary schools. We also discussed opportunities to improve consistency in how discipline policies and consequences are applied across schools. The committee had a productive conversation about ways to strengthen these efforts so expectations are clear, consistently enforced, and supportive of positive school climates.

📚At the Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting, we received an exciting update from the Science Office. In support of the LCPS mission, the department continues to expand high-quality science instruction that actively engages students in hands-on learning and builds critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills.

We heard about successful programs like Propel and Level Up, as well as the positive impact that adding Science Resource Teachers has had on student achievement. It was also exciting to learn that nearly every high school is now offering Science Research and Geospatial Intelligence courses due to strong student interest and demand.

Looking ahead, three new science electives will be available next year: Anatomy and Physiology (Biology), Oceanography (Earth Science), and Electricity and Magnetism (Physics). We also discussed the upcoming Northern Virginia Science Center, which is scheduled to open next year. With more than 70,000 square feet of hands-on learning space and a strong partnership with LCPS, the center will provide exciting new opportunities to enrich science instruction and bring classroom learning to life.

🏫At the Specialized Programs and Centers meeting we had two very exciting presentations. The first was a presentation of a proposal for a Family and Community Engagement or FACE Resource Hub, a countywide initiative designed to connect LCPS students and families with essential resources such as food, clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies through a coordinated referral system managed by schools.

As part of this proposal, the School Board is being asked to approve the establishment of a physical warehouse-style facility that would serve as the central hub for collecting, organizing, and distributing resources across the division. The plan would intentionally co-locate the Hub with the Loudoun Education Foundation's highly successful Fueled program, leveraging existing logistics, volunteer networks, infrastructure, and community partnerships to maximize efficiency and reduce duplication of services.

The Hub would serve students across all grade levels, particularly those experiencing financial hardship, food insecurity, housing instability, or other challenges that can create barriers to learning. With more than 20,000 economically disadvantaged students in LCPS and demonstrated community need, this investment will help ensure students' basic needs are met so they can attend school ready to learn, while strengthening partnerships between schools, families, nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations.

I am extremely supportive of this proposal and it will be on as an action item to advance to the full board at our next SPC meeting.

We also received an update on elementary special programs, including admissions requirements, timelines, and the Division's ongoing exploration of new opportunities for elementary students. Currently, LCPS's only elementary special program is the Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program, but staff continues to evaluate ways to expand specialized learning experiences while improving outreach and communication about existing programs.

One area I am especially passionate about is expanding access to the arts. The arts play a vital role in a well-rounded education, fostering creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and student engagement while providing meaningful opportunities for students to express themselves and connect with learning in new ways.

Many of you may remember that several staff members and I visited a Fairfax County elementary school to see its arts integration program in action. After seeing the positive impact that model can have on students, I asked staff during this meeting to formally develop a proposal exploring what an arts integration elementary special program could look like in LCPS. I look forward to reviewing that proposal when it comes back to our committee and continuing to advocate for bringing this type of innovative learning opportunity to our students.

I also asked staff to explore the possibility of offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) within the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework. Since LCPS already offers IB at two secondary schools, adding the elementary-level program could create a stronger, more seamless pathway for students as we continue to grow and strengthen our IB offerings across the division.

Well Leesburg, next week is the last week of summer! I am sure you will all be busy getting ready and attending all the Back to School Events. I know I will be! Have a great weekend!

07/14/2026

Always a great day presenting to the Loudoun Youth Leadership Program! This group was so engaged and it always makes me hopeful for our future hanging out with our incredible young people! Thank you for having me!

07/09/2026

I had the opportunity to stop by the BEAM (Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics) Open house this morning!

LCPS BEAM Summer Math Discovery is a summer program run by the LCPS Math Department and supported by grants and local funders and supported by the Loudoun Education Foundation.

The program engages students in problem solving and a wide range of mathematical topics during the summer. Its mission is to challenge students and introduce them to advanced mathematics, helping them grow as mathematical thinkers and doers.

I enjoyed our student led tour and learning all about this incredible opportunity for LCPS middle schoolers!

07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Today, as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I am filled with gratitude to call this extraordinary nation home.

For 250 years, the United States has stood as a beacon of freedom, opportunity, and hope. While our history has been marked by both triumphs and challenges, the enduring values of liberty, faith, democracy, and service continue to unite us and inspire each new generation.

Representing this community is one of the greatest honors of my life. I am inspired every day by the kindness, resilience, and dedication of the people who make our community such a special place. Your trust is a responsibility I never take for granted.

As we gather with family, friends, and neighbors to celebrate this historic milestone, let us remember those who came before us, honor those who defend our freedoms today, and recommit ourselves to building an even brighter future for generations to come.

Happy 250th Birthday, America! God bless our community, and God bless the United States of America! 🇺🇸❤️💙🇺🇸

06/30/2026

Before the Board goes into recess for July, I have one final order of business.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the one and only Kevin Lewis, Chief Operations Officer for LCPS, who retires effective tomorrow.

After 26 years of extraordinary service, overseeing unprecedented growth in Loudoun County and the opening of countless new schools, Kevin is stepping into a well-earned retirement.

I have had the honor and privilege of partnering with Kevin over the past two and a half years, and I can say with complete certainty that I am better for it.

Kevin has set the standard for servant leadership. Despite his incredible knowledge of every facet of operations in LCPS, he approaches everyone with humility. He is generous with his time, patient in teaching, and genuinely invested in helping others learn and grow. Never once did he make me feel small for not understanding something that came so naturally to him.

He is kind, brilliant, genuinely hilarious, and one of the most thoughtful listeners I have ever known.

Every big idea I brought to him was met with honesty, grace, and a sincere willingness to help me achieve it—no matter how ambitious or far-fetched it may have seemed.

One of my very first memories of Kevin was when he took the newly elected Board members on a tour of the bus operations facility. I remember being overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what it takes each day to get our students safely to and from school. But what left the greatest impression on me wasn’t the operation itself—it was Kevin. He seemed to know every employee by name, and it was obvious they knew and respected him just as deeply.

Because at his core, Kevin is about people.

Above all else, he cares about our students. It guides his work. That unwavering, student-centered approach is one of the greatest lessons I will carry with me throughout my own service.

LCPS has been incredibly fortunate to benefit from Kevin Lewis’ leadership, wisdom, and heart. His impact can be seen not only in the schools he helped build, but in the people he mentored and the culture of service he leaves behind.

Kevin, thank you—for your leadership, your friendship, your example, and for everything you have given to Loudoun County Public Schools. Your legacy will not be forgotten, and you will be deeply missed. Congratulations on a retirement that is so richly deserved.

Lauren Shernoff - Leesburg District - Loudoun County School Board

08/28/2026

08/21/2026

08/14/2026

08/11/2026

08/07/2026

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