On July 27, 2017, the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) School Board voted to change the name of J.E.B Stuart High School no later than the start of the 2019 school year. We are tremendously thankful for the work of everyone who helped to change the name, including all of you who signed this petition. However, our advocacy is not finished. We must continue to work to assure that the community is fully engaged in the selection of a new name that meets the criteria spelled out in the motion that was approved. We must choose a new name that severs all ties to the “Confederacy’s foundational principles” of racism and white supremacy embodied in slavery. We must choose a new name that represents the “values of diversity, inclusion and equity that are fundamental to the mission of Fairfax County Public Schools”. In the hope of reconciliation and cost savings the approved resolution contains the suggestion that the staff direct the community to consider “Stuart High School” as the new name. Renaming the school “Stuart High School” meets neither of these criteria. A name that harkens back to the Confederacy so clearly will bring no reconciliation and the cost savings that might be realized by such a name are not well documented. The new Superintendent of FCPS, Dr. Scott Brabrand, is moving quickly to implement the change. He has scheduled two meetings to engage the community in the selection of a new name for the school. For supporters who are local, please join us September 5, 2017 for our next supporters meeting. We will fine tune and discuss our plans to successfully advocate for an appropriate new name at the September 9 and 16. The meeting will be held from 7-9 pm at the Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003. Our advocacy will not be complete until we have a new name that embodies the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Here’s a fantastic news report covering the story to date: http://bit.ly/jebstuart Thank you! George Albert, Bruce Cohen, Julianne Moore, and Students and Alumni for Change