Generations of Dedication: A Fairfax County Public Schools Story
- alexis10428
- Jun 17
- 6 min read
In Fairfax County, public education is more than a system—it’s a community. For Donna and her son Alex, both graduates of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), it became a calling. Not only did they attend FCPS as students—Donna at Annandale High School and Alex at Woodson High School—but they returned as educators, dedicating their lives to the very classrooms that once shaped them.
Their story is one of legacy, service, and unwavering commitment to students.
A Lifelong Calling
For Donna, teaching was never a question—it was a lifelong dream. After graduating from Annandale High School in 1985, she earned her degrees at Belmont Abbey College and George Mason University before entering the classroom. Though she initially set her sights on teaching K through sixth grade, Donna found her proper fit in high school special education.
She said she stumbled into it and loved it!
Donna initially started teaching at her alma mater, Annandale, then left to pursue a master's degree and later returned to teach at the high school level.
“I work with students who have learning challenges and emotional needs,” she shared. “They are where they are—and I try to help celebrate who they are and push them further.”
Donna, who is retiring at the end of the month, has spent her entire teaching career in FCPS at schools like Annandale and, most recently, John R. Lewis High School. She said she loves the culture, diversity and community at Lewis.
“Lewis isn’t as privileged as some other schools,” she said. “That’s always been my calling—to take care of those that need me the most.”
Donna said one of the things she loved about Lewis was her colleagues and the support they give each other.
"My social studies department in particular is very strong here, and we've gotten each other through, you know, children and babies and COVID, and without their support, I don't think my job would have been as pleasant,” she said.
Donna has worked to build lasting relationships with both her colleagues and students and says she is known as “the school mom.”
“I’m their school mom and I’m always making sure they are safe, and they are taken care of and they are heard.”
She shared a special keepsake she has collected over the years – a “touchstone book” that holds heartfelt notes of gratitude and love from the students whose lives she has quietly transformed. She said it's essential for students to know they have another person cheering them on other than their families.
“I feel like a rockstar every time I walk into my classroom,” she said.
A Son Inspired
Growing up with Donna as a role model, it’s no surprise that Alex found his way into teaching. From crafting lesson plans with his mom as a kid to teaching younger Scouts in his troop, Alex realized early on that education offered a space for creativity, mentorship, and meaningful impact.
Now finishing his fourth year as a high school history teacher at his alma mater, Woodson High School, Alex teaches AP World History and coaches the school's rifle team—a sport he once captained as a student. He returned to Woodson with a purpose.
He said that the competitiveness of the school and his desire to help students brought him back to his alma mater.
He said, having been a student at Woodson himself, he knows first-hand the competitiveness and stress that students feel and said he wanted to help mitigate that pressure so their “academic journey is safer.”
Alex said the loss of a classmate to suicide during his sophomore year - and additional student losses over the following four years - had a profound impact on both him and the broader school community.
“It was a pretty rough time for the community. And watching some of my teachers react to that and support us through that, that is one of the reasons why I wanted to be a teacher, so I could help students navigate those pressures and be someone they could connect with and rely on.”
Alex is intentional in his classroom. His goal? To create a space where students feel safe enough to take risks, where grades are secondary to personal growth.
“It’s easy for students to check out,” he said. “But if they know their education is more than numbers on a page, that mindset can change.”
A Shared Mission
Despite teaching at different schools, Donna and Alex share an unwavering belief in the value of relationships, advocacy, and belonging. Whether it’s Donna guiding a once-quiet student into confident self-advocacy or Alex coaching his rifle athletes toward national competition and inner resilience, both educators have created sanctuaries of support within their schools.
Alex said coaching the rifle team allows him to see students outside of the classroom and mentor them.
He talked about watching students go from not being able to hit their target as freshmen to competing in the Junior Olympics a couple of years later and watching their confidence grow as a result.
“One of the most important things in that sport is positive self-talk, which I think is a skill we can all work on in general. So, to see a student athlete who has pretty negative self-talk all the time, that affects every aspect of their life. So when we work on it at practice and to see them develop week to week and get better at that skill, I know it’s not only going to help their shooting but it’s also going to help their mental space in all parts of their life,” he said. “It’s a really rewarding experience.”
Their impact isn’t confined to the classroom. Alex, Donna, and Donna’s husband Mike have all volunteered in the community, including for years with the Canterbury Woods Swim Team. Even as Donna prepares for retirement, she still plans to volunteer in the community and attend graduations, supporting her students until the very end.
Building a Legacy
When asked about their legacies, Donna’s answer is simple and profound: “I want to be remembered as a good teacher and a safe place.”
Alex, still early in his career, is focused on what’s to come: “I want to build a classroom where students can grow without fear, where they see learning as something transformative. I want to build something that lasts.”
They both acknowledge that teaching today comes with new challenges—higher workloads, changing policies, and, for younger teachers, fewer retirement benefits than those who came before. But both also believe in the power of mentorship and community.
As mentor teachers, they’ve helped the next generation of educators find their footing.
“We don’t get into this for the money,” Donna said. “But if you’re called to it, teaching is the best thing you can do.”
Why Fairfax?
Why stay in Fairfax? For Donna and Alex, the answer is rooted in the people.
“Fairfax County Public Schools does a good job of building their communities, and each school unit supports one another,” said Alex. “We all understand the highs and lows of the profession, and they come in when you’re at those highs and they support you when you are at those lows, which I find really, really positive.”
Alex said that while every district has its challenges, he believes FCPS offers the support and resources that matter most, reminding him that the grass isn't greener anywhere else!
Donna agrees. “Fairfax gave me a career, a purpose, and a community I love. I hope the legacy we’ve built helps inspire others to follow in our footsteps.”
Make a Difference
The Clarks have been very involved at their neighborhood pool and swim team, the Canterbury Woods Swim Club. Growing up, Alex swam on the team, and Donna and Mike volunteered their time to help the team be successful.
This summer, the Canterbury Woods C Serpents, along with several other local summer teams, are hosting a swim-a-thon to raise funds for Educate Fairfax’s Supplies for Success campaign.
Please consider donating to help ensure that students in FCPS receive the necessary supplies to start the 2025-26 school year strong.
