Fairfax County must be able to attract and retain the best teachers in order to maintain its standing as one of the top school systems in the region and the nation. Yet we face growing challenges in doing so, as surrounding school districts and the private sector compete aggressively for the same talent. Our students and families deserve nothing less than the most dedicated and highly qualified educators, and that requires serious investment in competitive salaries and benefits.

A major barrier is the chronic underfunding of our schools by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The state’s failure to fully meet its obligations has placed additional burdens on local taxpayers while constraining Fairfax County’s ability to invest in its teachers and classrooms. To remedy this, we must advocate more forcefully for the General Assembly to fully implement the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) recommendations. Full funding of these recommendations would provide more than half a billion dollars in additional state support each year—resources that are urgently needed to ensure Fairfax County schools remain a model of excellence and equity.