← Return to Candidates page
When it comes to the boundary issue...
Vote Priscilla DeStefano for At Large
Voices of Fairfax undertook an endorsement process because community members repeatedly asked who, based upon our research, would best represent their concerns.  This has been a time-consuming process, full of intense and respectful debate with input from residents throughout Fairfax County.  We appreciate the time candidates provided in responding to our questionnaire, meeting with us, participating in debates, and making themselves available at community events.  We encourage you to exercise your VOICE at the ballot box, and we look forward to working with the new School Board.
Priscilla is a first-generation American graduate of FCPS and has two children, one attending FCPS now and the other soon to follow. She is passionate about parental rights and transparency.
priscillaforfairfax.com
✓   Against proposed boundary policy 8130.8
The proposed policy 8130.8 was almost voted in by the current school board without input from the community, and would have given the board power to move more children without public engagement and rezone students based on their socio-economic and/or racial characteristics.

In her responses to our questionnaire, Priscilla was strongly in support of neighborhood schools and against social engineering.   She states, "I want a school board that makes decisions based on the needs of families and each individual child, not their skin color."  She acknowledges that school boundaries need to take into account a number of factors but to prioritize racial and socioeconomic drivers is "an absurd contention."​
​✓   Supports keeping families in their neighborhood school of choice
The current school board majority is interested in potentially rezoning your neighborhood out of your school of choice, ignoring the impact on your community and property values, in order to distribute the demographics across the county. The current board wanted to remove from the considerations for a boundary change the impact on neighborhoods and overall impact on families and students among other concerning changes.

In Priscilla's response to our questionnaire, she was strongly in support of neighborhood schools. When asked how she would ensure that Great Falls (and surrounding areas currently zoned to Langley) remain in the Langley pyramid, she responded "As an at-large school board member, I would do my very best to fight to keep children in their neighborhood schools. I understand what it’s like to purchase a home based on the intention of sending your children to the assigned school."
✓   Offers solutions to overcrowding
In her responses to our questionnaire, Priscilla said that "boundaries for
McLean High School and Langley High School should be temporarily augmented to allow the children that are near Langley, to attend Langley High School. Of course, there may be children that would prefer to stay at McLean (I’m thinking seniors, specifically), and therefore I think the school board should exempt students who would be able to provide their own transportation to continue to attend McLean." - Aug 14, 2019
​✓   ​Advocates for active, ongoing community input
On her website's main banner, she proudly states "Fighting to give parents a voice again." Advocating for transparency, she states "I believe parents are the first and most important educators in a child’s life. They need to be engaged in the process and informed about their children’s education. Unfortunately for our current school board this is not a priority and, in fact, they continue to make important decisions prior to seeking community feedback... As an elected school board member, I will work tirelessly to give parents the visibility and the voice they have been lacking."
​✓   Priscilla has two children attending FCPS
As a first generation American and FCPS graduate (an important perspective to have on the school board), Priscilla exhibited a strong work ethic and great resilience at a young age not letting anything get in the way of completing her education and career.   Importantly, she has one child currently attending FCPS and a younger future FCPS student with special needs.  Right now, only two members out of 10 school board members, Elizabeth Shultz and Tom Wilson, have children attending FCPS. We need another parent like Priscilla on the board to better represent current families.