After noticing that students started arriving at school late in the morning, physical education teacher Alex Clark of Dunbar High School created a plan to try and change the habit.

Around the time of the pandemic, he considered ways to use bikes to solve problems in the community. With attendance rates in the morning hours “a bit of a struggle,” Clark launched a “bike bus” to incentivize kids to show up on time.

Because students who attend the Northwest D.C. campus come from different parts of the city, the school serves as a meeting place. Then, the group rides to whatever event Clark has organized for that day.

The concept has motivated students to be prompt and Clark said it helps them avoid traffic headaches in the car. The campus is situated near First Street and New York Avenue, and there’s a different school right behind it.

“Sometimes, our students get shunned or highlighted and spotlighted in the wrong way,” Clark said.

“But, there’s a lot of students that want to learn, that want to be a part of something, and so just providing them that safe space before school is our goal with it all.”

Clark has led the bike bus to Lululemon for a yoga activation and to Audi Field for a tour. The students typically get fed during the pre-class outings, Clark said, “and we try to get them learning right away.”

Senior Ziyale Freeman rides his bike to school most of the time, finding it easier than a car because of less traffic and the ability to cut through side streets and alleys.

“We’re in D.C., and it’s a lot of bad drivers,” Freeman said.

“You can’t really drive for yourself, you’ve gotta drive for other people. On a bike, I feel like that’s not the same thing. You could go where you want, drive as fast as you want.”

Clark has inspired some of the kids to join the school’s competitive cycling team, and others are eager to learn how to fix a bike and make repairs through the mechanic program.

“It’s not just biking to school, but it’s also all of the things that cycling can offer our young people,” Clark said.

Senior Tsai Parker sometimes bikes to school because it’s “easier to get around.”

Separately, Clark’s bike tech class teaches students the fundamentals of repairs, but the goal isn’t for students to become bike mechanics, “but for you guys to learn how to use your hands, you guys learn how to be creative, you guys learn how to work together, how to solve problems,” he said.

Senior Shae’Niah Butler said the class taught her how to change the tires, “pump the bikes up, and I also learned how to ride bikes.”

Clark attributes his success and aspirations to his mentors. He’s hoping to use the bike bus and his classroom to pay it forward.

“They were always trying to pour into me in different ways, and so that’s what I hope that I can do for my kids,” Clark said.

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In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Spanberger said the plan, as is, would have created a retail market without the “timeline, structure or resources to be successfully implemented.”

“As Virginia pursues a legal retail market, it is critical that we incorporate lessons learned by other states and ensure that our regulatory framework is fully prepared to provide strong oversight from day one,” Spanberger said. “That includes clear enforcement authority and sufficient resources for compliance, testing, and inspections, and robust tools to crack down on bad actors who continue to profit from the illicit market.”

Spanberger sent the plan that passed through the Virginia General Assembly this winter back to lawmakers with dozens of proposed changes. But the state officials opposed over 40 of them and sent the legislation back to her desk.

Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a similar plan to create the legalized marketplace, but Democrats in Virginia anticipated Spanberger would sign it.

Lawmakers previously OK’d a plan allowing adults to legally have up to an ounce of marijuana and creating a path to grow up to four plants inside homes. However, there hasn’t been a formal marketplace, a step some leaders say facilitated the creation of an illicit market for cannabis in Virginia.

The proposal that lawmakers approved would have had the retail market opening Jan. 1, with oversight from the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Anyone who is 21 or older would be able to buy marijuana, and there would be 350 retail stores statewide.

But Spanberger called for retail sales to begin July 1, 2027, and proposed a series of changes to criminal penalties tied to marijuana possession. She also proposed changing the penalty for public consumption to a Class 4 misdemeanor. It’s currently a civil penalty.

A separate proposed change would have reduced the personal possession limit to 2 ounces instead of 2.5 ounces.

Sen. Lashrecse Aird and Del. Paul Krizek, who crafted the House and Senate versions of the proposal, said in a statement the legislation was the product of years of stakeholder engagement and extensive deliberation.聽

“The General Assembly provided Virginia with an opportunity to lead on this issue, but instead this veto prolongs uncertainty and provides comfort to those profiting from the illicit market. This veto and its consequences belong to the Governor and Governor alone,” their joint statement said.

Some lawmakers have said the current rules allow for an illicit market to form.

The General Assembly could explore a path to a legalized marijuana marketplace again during next year’s session.

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Years ago, a couple was shopping at the Giant supermarket near Bangkok Golden in Northern Virginia when they decided to give the restaurant a try.

They were both vegetarian and scanned the menu. Restaurant workers told them the kitchen could also prepare Lao dishes and offered to make them laab tofu, a dish of tofu with herbs and soy sauce.

When they were finished, the pair asked to speak to Chef Seng Luangrath. They shared how much they enjoyed the dish, had never heard of Lao food before and were unaware it even existed.

In that moment, Luangrath shared a mission she has detailed dozens of times since. Lao food is not a secret, she told them, and it鈥檚 actually a major part of the D.C.-area culinary scene.

Initially reluctant to introduce the public to her culture through food, Luangrath now strives to do just that through her restaurants in Northern Virginia and D.C. It鈥檚 a deeply personal goal that鈥檚 thrust Lao food into the national spotlight.

鈥淚 want people to know, if I say, 鈥業’m from Laos,鈥� it was like, 鈥極h yeah, I know Laos,’ and ‘Oh, I had Lao food before,鈥欌�� Luangrath told 小萝莉影视.

Luangrath and her family fled Laos during the Vietnam War. They spent two years in a refugee camp in Thailand before arriving in the U.S. in 1983.

Luangrath started cooking for her family when she was 14. She was shy and fearful of speaking in public, and learned a lot from her grandmother. Her grandmother was the first to teach her to cook, so the dishes at and honor not just the Lao culture, but also her family.

鈥淲e came from a country where we were taught not to showcase our food, because we were afraid no one else would like to eat it, because of the spice and also the funkiness,鈥� Luangrath said.

Lao food wasn鈥檛 mainstream, and it would have been easier for families in her parents鈥� generation to open Thai restaurants, Luangrath said.

The cuisines are similar, but Lao recipes use a different fish sauce, lots of shrimp paste and chili peppers that make it spicy, she said. Sticky rice comes as a complement to the main dishes, not as a dessert, and Lao food features fish and proteins that are grilled or steamed rather than fried.

As she considered her next steps, Luangrath had a gut instinct tell her that she needed to expose more people to Lao food and her culture.

鈥淭he most important thing is having my identity back,鈥� Luangrath said. 鈥淭elling people who I am without being shy about it. I鈥檓 Lao and this is Lao food I鈥檓 cooking for the people.鈥�

Using that same confidence, Luangrath changed the name of Bangkok Garden in 2017 to , which is a type of fermented fish sauce.

In 2014, she opened Thip Khao, which she described as the home of the Lao Food Movement. The restaurant earned 鈥淏est New Restaurant鈥� recognition from Bon Appetit Magazine, and Luangrath has been featured in other major publications, including The New York Times.

On Thursday night, in Baan Mae鈥檚 small downstairs kitchen, Luangrath prepared shrimp laab and helped shape a popular snack.

Now, instead of on a secret menu, as she offered the couple casually wandering in years ago, Lao food is prominently featured.

And she鈥檚 working to keep it that way.

鈥淪howcasing my family, the history, the culture,鈥� Luangrath said. 鈥淭he most important thing is putting Laos on the map.鈥�

Source

She flipped her phone horizontally to see the entire URLs, and noticed one had the phrase 鈥渉istory tutor.鈥� Initially, she was confused. History was her son鈥檚 best subject, so it didn鈥檛 seem clear why he may need extra help.

Then, Dyal visited the website herself. She realized it wasn鈥檛 a history assistance tool. It was a gaming site.

Dyal is part of the parent-led group FCPS Parents for Intentional Technology, which has been advocating for stricter rules on screen time during the school day and urging division leaders to reconsider the one-to-one student device policy.

Part of the advocacy is raising awareness about inappropriate games and websites students are still accessing.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no way that they鈥檙e going to keep up with blocking these games,鈥� Dyal said. 鈥淏ut at a minimum, they need to block peer-to-peer sharing. They need to plug the holes on all of these other leaks. And if students continue to get around them, then maybe that student just isn鈥檛 ready for a computer.鈥�

Inside a shared Google Drive, Dyal said students seem to have access to games, pirated movies and entire seasons of shows. They may be logging into their own Gmail accounts and circumventing restrictions, she said, or they may also be accessing proxies.

Through all of that, several parents have observed students playing a game called 鈥淔ive Nights at Epstein鈥檚.鈥� The game tasks users with trying to escape from financier and sex offender Jeffery Epstein鈥檚 private island.

鈥淚t鈥檚 alarming to hear that the kids are accessing that, and finding ways to work around the restrictions that we have set in our county,鈥� Megan Durst, another parent, said.

Other games are gambling-related, Michelle Dirst, another member of the parents’ group, told 小萝莉影视.

What’s being done about content moderation

In a statement, a Fairfax County schools spokeswoman said the division uses a multilayered approach to prevent inappropriate access to content rather than depending on a single filter or blocklist.

鈥淭hat includes , classroom monitoring tools, parent visibility tools, vendor escalation, cybersecurity monitoring, and school-based intervention,鈥� the district said. 鈥淔CPS monitors new proxy site usage daily and is investing in additional resources to improve the speed of proxy blocking, with recent blocks being implemented substantially faster.

Asked specifically about student access to the game 鈥淔ive Nights at Epstein鈥檚,鈥� a Montgomery County schools spokeswoman said the game has been flagged and the division is blocking it.

It鈥檚 also blocked in Prince William County schools, a spokeswoman told 小萝莉影视.

Loudoun County鈥檚 Department of Digital Innovation is aware of the game, and a spokesman said the district 鈥渉as taken steps to ensure students cannot access it on their school issued devices. DDI is extremely vigilant and always on the lookout for sites, code and other inappropriate material that needs to be blocked from our devices and network.鈥�

In Fairfax, Dyal said teachers are faced with challenges in their classrooms, because they didn鈥檛 sign up 鈥渢o be laptop police.鈥�

“But the gaming, there鈥檚 no reason why students should be playing games in class and people not shutting that down,鈥� Dyal said.

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The guards will continue to work at the county鈥檚 three secondary schools and at the district鈥檚 elementary and middle schools.

The change is tied to the county鈥檚 fiscal 2027 budget, and it鈥檚 the second consecutive budget cycle that crossing guards at high schools have been debated. Last spring, however, the county鈥檚 Board of Supervisors provided one-time funding to keep the crossing guard positions intact.

The county鈥檚 crossing guard program is run through the Fairfax County Police Department. The agency has a contract with All City Management Services, and as of mid-March, there were 17 crossing guard vacancies, which are covered by sworn officers.

Thirty-one schools are staffed by All City Management Services.

The change has some Fairfax County parents and school board members concerned about student safety. But the police department told supervisors that Fairfax County is the only Northern Virginia jurisdiction that provides crossing guards at high schools.

In neighboring Prince William County, the police department similarly oversees the crossing guard program. There, a spokesman said there are crossing guards at two high schools, but they primarily serve to help with traffic, not in a traditional way crossing guards operate. Prince William County is likely to move to only have elementary and middle school crossing guards soon, he said.

Fairfax County police told officials there haven鈥檛 been any crashes recorded at high schools crossings, so 鈥淔CPD does not have crash or injury data indicating that removing high school crossing guards would have a negative impact. Research indicates that teen pedestrian risk is primarily driven by distractions occurring outside supervised crosswalks, an issue that crossing guards do not address.鈥�

Based on initial budget documents, cutting the high school crossing guards will save the county close to $2 million.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the fiscal 2027 budget earlier this month. The budget year starts July 1.

Group chat discord

In a newsletter earlier this month, school board member Melanie Meren praised Supervisors Walter Alcorn and Rodney Lusk for rejecting the county鈥檚 budget markups and working to keep the high school crossing guard program intact.

鈥淪o in the exact locations with the newest drivers, safety precautions are being removed!鈥� Meren wrote.

In private text messages that Meren has posted on social media, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay criticized her newsletter comments and told her to apologize to the county executive, who works on the county鈥檚 budget.

Then, in a group chat with Meren and County Executive Bryan Hill, McKay sent a screenshot of his initial messages to Meren and wrote, 鈥淲hat I sent the bimbo.鈥�

When Meren asked if she was the 鈥渂imbo鈥� he referred to, McKay wrote 鈥測es, because you have everyone here angry as heck and it costs the schools.鈥�

Meren said in an emailed statement that while she was “shocked” by what McKay said about her, she’s “more concerned about the Chairman鈥檚 sense of entitlement about having unilateral authority on public spending.鈥�

McKay apologized for his words, admitting that he used an “inappropriate term while referring to School Board Member Meren that was disrespectful and wrong, and I apologize for it.”

McKay added that disagreements are fair to discuss and he should have expressed his views professionally.

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After a bill signing at Inova Schar Cancer Institute on Wednesday, Spanberger made her most extensive public comments about the state鈥檚 redistricting plan. She cited the state鈥檚 May 12 deadline for any map changes, and said as a result, this year鈥檚 elections will proceed under the current map.

Spanberger鈥檚 remarks came a few days after Virginia鈥檚 Supreme Court struck down the Democrat-led redistricting push. Primaries in the state are scheduled for Aug. 4, with the November general election to follow.

鈥淲hat needs to happen is we need to focus on the task at hand, which is winning races in November,鈥� Spanberger said.

鈥淚 believe, somewhat doggedly, that we will win two to four seats in the House of Representatives. 鈥� That is my goal. That is what I know is possible.鈥�

The map Democrats proposed, experts said, could have resulted in a 10-1 Democratic majority representing Virginia in the U.S. House. But Republicans challenged the process Democrats in the General Assembly used to put the constitutional amendment before voters.

In a 4-3 opinion issued Friday morning, Virginia鈥檚 Supreme Court sided with the Republican challengers.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gave Republicans until Thursday evening to respond to Democrats鈥� request for the emergency appeal.

Spanberger defended the process the General Assembly used, adding: 鈥淚 think I certainly would have wanted to, and did want to, see a different outcome with the Supreme Court ruling.鈥�

Over three million people participated in the rare April special election, and Spanberger said she鈥檚 concerned those voters 鈥渉ave had the experience of casting a ballot in an election that was very important to them, including those on both sides of the referendum vote, only to have it be overturned, essentially, by the Supreme Court of Virginia.鈥�

Elected officials, she said, will have to work to ensure 鈥渢hat people know that their votes do matter, and that when it comes to the ballot they鈥檙e going to cast 鈥� whether it鈥檚 for a primary over the summer or for the general election into the fall 鈥� that they shouldn鈥檛 feel depleted or defeated, that their votes matter.鈥�

Spanberger called the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court 鈥渋mportant, but when it comes to the execution of elections, no matter the outcome in that case, we will be running our elections beginning next month with early voting on the current maps that we have.鈥�

Source

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a series of healthcare bills Wednesday, aimed at lowering the cost of insulin and promising that insurance company rules won鈥檛 delay necessary medical care.

The signing ceremony, which took place at Inova鈥檚 Schar Cancer Institute, featured many elected officials representing Northern Virginia in the General Assembly.

Spanberger said many of the measures passed through the Commonwealth鈥檚 legislative body with bipartisan support, and she touted the new laws as part of the affordability agenda on which she campaigned.

鈥淲e just had quite a few bills specific to the needs of Virginians, making sure that we are increasing access and ensuring that patients can get the care that, importantly, their doctors intend and want to deliver. And that parents and families are supported with policies that we have here in the Commonwealth of Virginia,鈥� Spanberger told reporters after the event.

One measure, spearheaded by Del. Karrie Delaney, decreases the out-of-pocket cost for a 30-day supply of insulin from $50 to $35. It also includes a cap of $35 for a 30-day supply of equipment and supplies.

The change is scheduled to go into effect July 1.

鈥淭his is making a life-saving difference on so many families 鈥� for hundreds of thousands of Virginians, in fact,” Spanberger said.

Separately, Spanberger signed a bill that adds doula care, infertility treatment and hearing aids to Virginia鈥檚 Essential Health Benefits. The EHB includes the benefits that individual and small group health insurance plans have to provide.

That measure is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 because it has to receive approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

House and Senate bills also signed by Spanberger aim to stop insurance companies 鈥渇rom quietly reducing what they can pay on a claim behind closed doors,鈥� the governor said.

Spanberger signed Del. Michelle Maldonado鈥檚 plan that restricts insurance companies from using prior authorization as a reason to delay or deny care that doctors have approved and deemed necessary.

鈥淏ecause of these bills, when your family needs care, you can get it,鈥� Spanberger said. 鈥淲hen your doctor writes you a prescription, you should be able to afford it. And when you get sick, the cost of getting better shouldn’t break a family’s bank. But this is not the reality for far too many Virginians.鈥�

Martin Figueroa, Virginia鈥檚 secretary of health and human resources, said, 鈥漌e’re living through a moment when the federal government is making decisions about healthcare that will reach into the lives of ordinary Virginians in ways most people haven’t fully felt yet.鈥�

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As she approached the Montgomery County school鈥檚 main office, waiting to be let in, she often noticed school staff manning what she described as the 鈥淒oorDash table鈥� 鈥� the space where food delivery drivers would leave students鈥� orders.

Last year, the school had an outright ban on food deliveries. But students told drivers to meet them at the bottom of a nearby hill instead of driving onto school property. So this fall, staff set up a table to facilitate all of the deliveries made on any given day.

In the aftermath of a late April shooting in the Blake High School parking lot, the school announced several changes to bolster security. Banning food deliveries on the campus was among them.

Montgomery County, Maryland鈥檚 largest school district, doesn鈥檛 have a districtwide policy banning student food deliveries and the rules vary from campus to campus. Few D.C.-area districts have policies addressing that.

DoorDash vs. school lunch

Chris Cram, a district spokesman, told 小萝莉影视 there鈥檚 鈥渘ot a guideline, regulation or policy, but this is something that it seems needs to be addressed as a safety matter, much as has been done for Blake HS.鈥�

Parents skeptical of the idea raised those safety concerns, but others said it鈥檚 a convenient alternative for their kids.

鈥淓verybody harps back about, 鈥榃ell, your kids have the option to pack,鈥欌�� said Lisa Castillo, whose kids attend Damascus High School.

鈥淏ut they don鈥檛. High school, you鈥檙e preparing them for college, so mommy and daddy are not packing lunches every day. These kids have to learn to pack their own lunches because they just throw away what they don鈥檛 eat and that鈥檚 just wasteful.鈥�

Sometimes, Castillo said, students order in groups with friends to help cut down on delivery fees. Drivers often pick up several orders if they know they鈥檙e going to the same school, she said.

Juniors and seniors at Damascus have open lunch, she said, which enables them to leave the school campus if they choose to. But Castillo said the open lunch concept is largely a privilege for kids who have cars and drive to school.

Nonetheless, she prefers her kids order the food to be delivered so they don鈥檛 have to leave. They place orders two or three times each week.

Packed lunches come in stapled bags

Delivery drivers push a button asking to be let into the office, are allowed in and then put the orders on a communal table, Castillo said.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e not ordering Ruth鈥檚 Chris (Steak House),鈥� Castillo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small area of delivery places that they could even walk to. 鈥� I don鈥檛 like them leaving the grounds. So we have a Chick-fil-A in Mount Airy that can be delivered, a Burger King, Starbucks, Hornet鈥檚 Nest, Ledo Pizza.鈥�

Conversely, Iannaco-Hahn said her kids only ordered food delivery during the school day if they鈥檙e paying for it.

鈥淭hey could either use their school lunch money to buy school lunch that I put on their accounts or they can make their own lunch at home,鈥� Iannaco-Hahn said.

Some Northern Virginia students, though, don鈥檛 face that choice.

Fairfax County Public Schools doesn鈥檛 allow kids to have food delivered to schools by delivery drivers, a spokeswoman said.

Nearby Prince William County schools don鈥檛 have a policy that restricts food deliveries, but a division spokeswoman said schools 鈥済enerally prohibit third-party delivery to students during the school day. Parents who wish to bring food for their child are encouraged to contact the school in advance to make appropriate arrangements.鈥�

Loudoun County doesn鈥檛 have a districtwide ban either, and in some high schools, there鈥檚 a table inside the door for student and staff deliveries to be placed, a spokesman said.

A D.C. Public Schools spokesman didn鈥檛 respond to 小萝莉影视’s question about whether the city allows food deliveries.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big thing,鈥� Iannaco-Hahn said. 鈥淎 lot of schools have the same thing, where they鈥檙e getting tons of food deliveries.鈥�

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After more than four decades of offering women meals and somewhere warm to stay during peak hypothermia season, a Montgomery County, Maryland, women’s shelter recently learned it will have to find somewhere new to offer those services.

has been based out of Rockville’s Presbyterian Church since it started, and in about 44 years, it’s served about 3,000 women, according to Executive Director Olusina Adebayo. The nonprofit has also helped place women into permanent living accommodations and offered case management.

But about two months ago, Adebayo said the group learned the church site was going to be sold. All the tenants in the building, including the shelter, must be out by the end of June.

“A lot of faith-based institutions, as people have gone to digital platforms like Zoom, have started to face some financial instability,” Adebayo said. “This property is going to be up for sale, and that puts us and other tenants in this building in a situation where we’re going to (have to) find opportunities and space elsewhere.”

The shelter’s current space has 28 beds and has typically welcomed women between Nov. 1 and April 1. They’re not available on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, once someone has a bed secured, they can use it for the entire winter.

While it’s operating, the shelter is open for sleeping accommodations from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Volunteers help serve three meals each day.

A February survey found the number of people who are homeless fell 26% in Montgomery County 鈥� Maryland’s largest locality. But Adebayo said the shelter’s beds are still full every night, and while street and family homelessness may be down, “in terms of individuals, especially women experiencing homelessness, that hasn’t been our experience.”

“We’ve had teachers come through here, people that work in hospitals, case managers,” Adebayo said. “These are individuals that, 20 years ago, what they were making would be more than enough to have an efficiency or one-bedroom apartment, but that’s not the case anymore.”

The shelter, which is funded through donations and county and state money, is working with the county’s Department of Health and Human Services to find a new space. In doing so, Adebayo said the shelter is hoping to settle on one big enough to expand service offerings year-round.

“The need is so abundant right now, so we’re looking at this as a time to pivot and do more, because there’s more to be done,” Adebayo said.

For one, the shelter is hoping to reach young adults experiencing homelessness, particularly those ages 18 to 24.

“They experience homelessness in a much different way than the ones we serve at the shelters right now,” Adebayo said. “So that shelter would be the first 24/7, 365 of its kind in the county.”

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Late last month, local news site first reported that Washington-Liberty High School planned to partner with Tassel to ensure students’ names are pronounced correctly during graduation. Principal Alexander Duncan III told families that too frequently, names are mispronounced during commencement ceremonies.

But now, a spokeswoman for Arlington Public Schools said the high school isn’t considering using Tassel anymore, “following feedback from students who expressed a preference for having their names read by a familiar voice.”

“Our focus remains on creating a meaningful experience that reflects what matters most to our students while also ensuring names are read accurately and respectfully,” spokeswoman Christina Arpante told 小萝莉影视 in a statement.

Schools using the Tassel platform have students share their name during the registration process, . Then, the tech creates three variations of the student’s name pronunciation. If they’re all incorrect, students can submit a voice recording of their name, and a voice artist will record it.

The tech, Arpante said, “was initially discussed earlier this year as one operational option to support pronunciation accuracy and efficiency during a large-scale graduation ceremony.”

But the decision not to use it came after students shared feedback “about the importance of the personal nature of graduation and their preference for names to be read by a staff member,” the statement said.

At a recent school board meeting, June Prakash, who said she has a high schooler who will be a senior next year, said graduation “is one of those most meaningful moments in a student’s academic journey. It’s a moment where their name spoken aloud recognizes years of effort, growth and identity. Turning that moment into an AI moment makes this feel standardized, impersonal, rather than authentic and human.”

Washington-Liberty’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for June 13 at EagleBank Arena.

Neither Fairfax County Public Schools nor Prince William County Public Schools say they’re considering AI software to read students’ names during graduation ceremonies.

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On a recent Friday morning, Lesley Leisey stood in front of a classroom at Poplar Tree Elementary School holding a device with a large blue push button.

It was a mouse suited for kids with disabilities. She told the room full of fourth graders on their lunch break that it鈥檚 called a “switch click” and could be used to make it easier for students who have limited mobility with their hands.

鈥淎s tech ambassadors, we need to be aware of different software programs that can be used for people who learn differently than us,鈥� Leisey told the group.

For a decade, the Fairfax County school鈥檚 Tech Squad has been teaching students new ways to use the technology and software at their disposal, with the hope it will help them educate their peers and, in some cases, even their teachers.

鈥淪ometimes, kids in my class have problems with their computers. They can鈥檛 get into something, and usually they have to restart,鈥� fifth grader Veronica Mann said. 鈥淏ut, sometimes, there鈥檚 a problem with it, so I help them with that.鈥�

The inaugural Tech Squad featured about a dozen students. They learned various tasks, such as replacing batteries and taking apart hard drives.

But the group has evolved and grown, Leisey said. After learning new things, the students teach their friends and eventually their teachers.

And now, there are about 124 fourth through sixth grade students in the Tech Squad.

To join, they have to apply, creating a digital resume using a tool they鈥檝e learned during their time at Poplar Tree.

Then, they go through an interview process, and if they secure a spot, they spend their 30-minute, once-a-week session with Leisey and a technology support specialist.

鈥淚 like to learn about how to work with computers and devices and I find that more fun than just talking to other people in the cafeteria,鈥� fourth grader Eli Wong said.

Students have access to all types of tech tools, including Canva, Adobe Express, Google Slides and Book Creator, Leisey said.

Sometimes, the kids lead professional development sessions for teachers. One group hosted a presentation on keyboard shortcuts, 鈥渨hich some teachers are very afraid of, but kids use them all the time,鈥� Leisey said.

Fourth grader Morgan Mitchell said she learned how to make presentations using animation. Fifth grader Joshua Vizcaino learned how make videos in Canva.

The group has also spent time this year making videos aimed at helping kids use their school-issued laptop.

Nathan Fahim, another fourth grader, said a teacher’s cords weren鈥檛 working well, so 鈥淚 helped her with them by unplugging and plugging them back in.鈥�

鈥淭eachers really love to know they have kids on the Tech Squad in their class, because they know they can rely on them to be the ones to help them,鈥� Leisey said.

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One afternoon when Michelle Dirst picked up her son from elementary school, he was notably hyper.

He told her he didn鈥檛 do much in class that day, prompting Dirst to review a report detailing how much time he spent on his computer. Outside lunch, recess and specials, Dirst learned he was almost exclusively on the laptop. He had a significant number of tabs open, she said.

Dirst had asked to limit his tabs, and to ensure his laptop is put away if it鈥檚 not on his desk.

Dirst is one of the dozens of parents who joined the group It was founded in December with the goal of calling for consistency from school to school and using technology only when it would be most helpful.

鈥淎s a lot of people are saying, ‘We鈥檝e taken the phones outside of schools,’ but you still have the devices that essentially are doing the same thing and are replacing the phones,鈥� Dirst said.

The group, which has members scheduled to meet with Superintendent Michelle Reid later this month, is calling for a tech advisory committee to be established. It would feature both teachers and parents.

Some of Fairfax County鈥檚 youngest students use tablets in the classroom, and the older students use Chromebook laptops. The parents are urging the county to consider ending the 1-to-1 device policy for the youngest learners and are calling for consistently in tech use from school to school.

鈥淭here are benefits,鈥� Dirst said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 deny that at all. But I think we need to do a better job of looking at the evidence base.鈥�

Impact of technology in the classroom

Liz Basalyga, a math teacher at Katherine Johnson Middle School and member of the parents’ group, said textbooks and tests are online, and there鈥檚 a push for educators to use more technology.

The county invested in digital textbooks for students, 鈥渁nd a lot of us as teachers just are not using them,鈥� she said.

As a result of the digital focus, Basalyga said, 鈥渟tudents struggle with really basic things like reading instructions, and when we ask them to tackle multistep problems, they really flounder.鈥�

Because the textbook is online, Basalyga said homework assignments are also accessed through a screen. If there鈥檚 a desire for a teacher to go screen-free for homework, teachers have to create it themselves.

鈥淲e鈥檙e no longer being intentional with technology,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e often just defaulting to technology when pencil and paper might be the best choice.鈥�

In response to the group鈥檚 concerns, Fairfax County Public Schools said in a statement shared with 小萝莉影视 that technology is one of the tools made available to teachers and isn鈥檛 used for the majority of instruction. For its youngest students, the division said it emphasizes limited and intentional technology use.

Technology, the statement said, 鈥渋s not intended to replace core experiences such as teacher-directed instruction, discussion, student collaboration, hands-on learning, reading, writing, and social interaction.鈥�

Parents, teachers want more

Separately, the group is urging the school system to list approved websites for students based on grade level. Students are finding ways to access games, such as “Five Nights at Epstein鈥檚,” which parent Megan Durst said is based on the video game 鈥淔ive Nights at Freddy鈥檚.鈥�

The county said it uses a 鈥渕ultilayered approach to prevent inappropriate access to content rather than relying on a single filter or blocklist.鈥�

But Basalyga said one of the programs used to monitor students鈥� device use and block websites crashes frequently, and kids are able to work around it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 alarming to hear that the kids are accessing that and finding ways to work around the restrictions that we have set in our county,鈥� Durst told 小萝莉影视.

The group said it doesn鈥檛 take issue with students who are using technology as part of a 504 or individualized education program.

But for Dirst, the impact using an iPad in kindergarten had on her son was clear. He鈥檇 have meltdowns when she tried to take it away and asked for one for the holidays. Instead, she pushed outdoor play and a focus on motor skills.

鈥淲e’re seeing the achievement gap widen,鈥� Dirst said. 鈥淎nd that’s also concerning, because we want to lift everybody up in the school, in the community, and make sure everybody is 鈥� given the chance to reach their potential.鈥�

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About five years ago, Jason Collins had a stroke.

He spent over a month in the hospital, had home therapy and then went through outpatient therapy for about six months.

Once he finished all that, he learned about the Ability Fitness Center at The Arc of Loudoun, a gym facility that supports people who have experienced brain injuries.

He spends several hours at the Leesburg facility, usually about two or three times a week, depending on his needs. It has fueled his physical and emotional recovery.

鈥淚t鈥檚 as much mental, social and physical, which you just don鈥檛 really find any place else,鈥� Collins told 小萝莉影视.

The center launched in 2017, and it started in a small building with just a handful of members. Now in a bigger space, the facility is staffed with physical therapists and technicians. It has the medical-grade equipment needed to help members, who pay about $600 monthly to have access.

The site has about 60 clients, primarily people with brain injuries, ranging from stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson鈥檚 disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS or balance disorders.

Helen Parker, the clinical director, said her interest stemmed from the over 15 years she spent as an outpatient therapist in a neurology clinic. Often, she said, she had to discharge a patient because they had used all their insurance benefits, even if she felt they weren鈥檛 ready to be discharged.

鈥淵ou’re sending them home and you’re basically saying, 鈥楬ey, good luck. Here’s your home exercise program, I hope you continue to make progress,鈥欌�� Parker said. 鈥淎nd so it just kind of broke my heart having to discharge people that, often not knowing that they met their full potential.鈥�

The Ability Fitness Center鈥檚 services can supplement outpatient therapy, Parker said, or help members whose insurance stopped paying for it.

鈥淲e work with everybody one-on-one, and then when they’re done with their one-on-one time, we set them up on equipment or doing the right exercises,鈥� Parker said.

Venkat Prasad, whose son Abhay is a member, said he was searching for a place that would emphasize the one-on-one time while helping reach the goals he and his wife set.

About three years ago, Abhay was in a car accident. He was the passenger in a car that hit a tree, and suffered head injuries, spending six weeks in the intensive care unit.

鈥淎 lot of people here just know him, how he responds, and under what conditions he responds, what music he likes and loves,鈥� Prasad said. 鈥淭hey help us play those things, and we can see some of the reactions immediately.鈥�

For Freddie Hetzel, who broke his neck in 2011, the space offers a sense of community.

鈥淚 might not be healed to the point where I can walk, but I feel a lot less broken than when I first started, and I have this place to thank for a lot of that,鈥� Hetzel said.

Many of the members 鈥渦nderstand the struggle that you are going through. And it doesn鈥檛 matter whether you pee in your pants one day or you just fall and you can鈥檛 get up. These are the things that we live with on the regular. And a lot of people don鈥檛 understand what those struggles are,鈥� Hetzel said.

Collins said he feels similarly. Whether he鈥檚 planning to travel for a Notre Dame football game or navigate a large and busy airport, he knows he has a support system.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just your therapist, but it鈥檚 people that are going through the same things you鈥檙e going through, so it can become, 鈥楬ey, when I traveled I learned this, or we tried that,鈥欌�� Collins said.

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The work in the Northern Virginia suburb鈥檚 Greenbriar neighborhood was thrust into the spotlight last year, after some neighbors described it as an eyesore and worried about the impact it may have on neighboring properties.

Minh Nguyen, the homeowner, filed an appeal, hoping to allow the work to continue. In November, a stop work order had been issued because of a failed wind bracing inspection. The addition鈥檚 proximity to the neighboring home has been scrutinized.

The project, Nguyen told the county鈥檚 Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday, stems from his parents鈥� desire to spend more time with their grandchildren.

鈥淲e somehow came up that, ‘OK I can build something, an addition, and then we can all live together,'” Nguyen said. 鈥淪o the grandparents, as much time as they have left, can spend the time with my kids. And without any thoughts that this type of stuff would happen.鈥�

However, the Board of Zoning Appeals rejected Nguyen鈥檚 appeal unanimously.

The board found the addition didn鈥檛 meet requirements of a subsection of the county鈥檚 code. It isn鈥檛 鈥渋n character with the existing dwelling and surrounding development,鈥� according to county documents, and the 鈥渟cale, design and location of the addition will detrimentally impact the use and enjoyment of adjacent properties.鈥�

In a statement, Supervisor Pat Herrity said the addition to the property along Marble Lane 鈥渄oes not belong this close to an adjacent residential property,鈥� adding that it 鈥渘egatively impacts the neighbor and neighborhood.鈥�

After news coverage of the addition ramped up, Nguyen said, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we realized what we wanted for our family sometimes does not suit other peoples鈥� point of view.鈥�

鈥淲e tried to work with the county every step of the way to meet whatever requirement that was needed, so we could continue our dream,” he said.

Last month, Fairfax County leaders described plans to consider whether to revise long-standing limits on house heights, because complex and taller home designs are testing the boundaries of the current rules.

Some of the proposals presented to the Board of Supervisors wouldn鈥檛 directly address the concerns tied to the Greenbriar property, but were viewed as a first step in what could be a long process.

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While growing up in Indonesia, Nuril Kingsley’s father was the chief of their village. So, from a young age, she learned about the value of serving others and treating them with dignity.

It’s something she kept in mind around the time she learned her son, Danny, is autistic. He joined a Fairfax County Public Schools , but struggled. So, she homeschooled him, serving as both a parent and teacher.

When Danny was prepared to return to a classroom, one of his teachers recognized him as someone who needed to be understood and supported, not as a problem or troublemaker.

Those experiences made an impression on Kingsley, who ultimately decided to return to school herself to learn to become a teacher. Now in her eighth year, she’s making a difference for students like Danny.

“What I remember was 鈥� ‘I learned so much from this process and I don’t want to keep this for myself. 鈥� I want to share it with others,'” Kingsley told 小萝莉影视.

In the school system’s enhanced autism classrooms, there are typically eight or fewer students and one teacher with two instructional assistants. The students are different ages across grade levels and have varying needs.

The curriculum is standard. So a recent first grade lesson about past, present and future tenses was the same unit that other first graders across the county are learning.

“Our EAC classes are some of the most challenging classrooms and positions that we have as teachers in FCPS,” Fairhill Elementary School Assistant Principal Maura Cotter said. “So it is really incredible that Nuril has used her life experiences and her home experiences to then guide her and have herself go back to school, and then take those experiences and bring them into the classroom. She uses her personal experience in all of her decision-making.”

Kingsley’s experiences are particularly helpful when working to understand students’ behaviors. Communication can be interpreted differently, Kingsley said, and it can sometimes lead to a student becoming frustrated.

Some kids use gestures or sign language to communicate, while others may have an assistive technology device.

“Instead of telling them to stop, I have to reflect on, ‘what do they know?'” Kingsley said. “‘What do they already know? What skills do they already have? Do they understand about feelings? Do they understand asking for help or asking for a break?’ If they don’t, that is my job to teach them.”

Kingsley’s classes typically involve visuals and a lot of hands-on activities, which she learned about when helping Danny. He gets anxious easily, she said, and before trips in the car, she writes stories for him about what it means to travel in the car and on the highway without opening the door. They also have conversations about how to behave in public places.

“It really, really reduced the anxiety so much,” Kingsley said. “And I use that a lot with my students here.”

During a recent class, student Kiaan described his relationship with Kingsley as “good.”

With help from parents and her colleagues, Kingsley launched a parent-teacher support group, bridging a gap she noticed while navigating public school with her son.

“Being able to share what has been successful with my son, with my students, that’s something that really, really resonates with me,” Kingsley said. “This is a path of service for me, because I believe that work that is done in a spirit of service is like worship. That’s what keeps me going every day.”

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