Attacks Against Dr. Scott Brabrand are Arbitrary and Abusive

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand has been the target of vile, verbal assaults by certain members of the Fairfax County Community. Armed only with vague and unsubstantiated claims that Dr. Brabrand "does not care" about the parents and students of Fairfax County, these citizens have chosen to libel Dr. Brabrand, a man who began his career as an FCPS teacher nearly 25 years ago and demonstrated time and again his faithful commitment to FCPS's inclusive educational mission to put students first and hold FCPS decision makers accountable for their actions.

Dr. Brabrand has Demonstrated World-Class Leadership During the COVID-19 Epidemic

From my perspective as an FCPS parent, teacher, staff member, or any other taxpaying Fairfax County resident, I have watched Dr. Brabrand and his team work diligently to maintain FCPS's world-class reputation as one of the finest school districts in the United States.

Under his leadership, FCPS began sharing information about the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 on January 28th, 2020 -- two days before the World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency and nearly a month before the Trump Administration asked Congress for just $1.25 billion to combat the epidemic. Ultimately, Congress proposed a budget of some $2 trillion in stimulus.   

Dr. Brabrand Has Worked to Maintain the Health and Safety of FCPS's Most Vulnerable Students

Dr. Brabrand has continued to serve meals to students who qualify for free and reduced school lunch by spearheading a food distribution program at over 30 locations throughout the County. Dr. Brabrand kept the schools open as long as he could, with the most vulnerable students in mind--students who live below the poverty line, suffer difficult conditions at home and for whom school is a safe haven, and special education students who lack an alternative to the caring and individualized instruction FCPS teachers and staff provide.

Only after unprecedented vitriol from raging parents on Facebook and other social media outlets did Dr. Brabrand decide to close the schools. FCPS decided to close all schools for the rest of the academic year only after Governor Ralph Northam ordered all school districts to do so.

In the Face of Uncertainty and Multiple Competing Priorities, Dr. Brabrand Has Demonstrated Exemplary Local Leadership

These are extremely challenging times. Many world leaders consider the impact of this disease on our way of life to be equal to or greater than that of World War II. Scott Brabrand has thus far weighed countless factors in order to develop and execute an effective and empathic institutional response that maintains the health and safety of Fairfax County residents and demonstrates the exemplary world leadership we so desperately need in our local communities.

What's At Stake

Removing Dr. Brabrand from office would invite uncertainty and chaos into the school system at a time when it needs a steady hand with strong institutional and now, crisis management experience, to prepare our students for a precarious future of work.