We Should Talk About School and COVID with Fairfax County Public Schools Board Members Rachna Sizemore Heizer and Laura Jane Cohen

It's all parents of school aged children can think about....their kids and school. Virtual, two days a week, homeschool? Will they stay in school, will they fall behind? Why are the schools making the decisions they are making and what do they have to say about them? Following the Secretary of Education's declaration that all schools should open in person, regardless of the current climbing pandemic, The Two Jess(es) sit down with two Fairfax County School Board members to get their take on the current crisis, and how it is affecting our kids.
This is an honest and at moments, uncomfortable conversation that must be had.

Show Notes:

Meet Rachna!
Rachna Sizemore Heizer is one of three At-Large Fairfax County School Board Members, the 10th largest school system in the United States in a county of over 1 million residents. She is the first Indian American person and first Asian American woman elected to a Fairfax County wide office. She is also the Program Coordinator of the Human Resource Development minor program and teaches employment law, leadership, and diversity and cultural competency online at Texas Tech University. She received both her Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy and her law degree from the University of California at Berkeley and started her career as a corporate and employment lawyer.  She has served on numerous community boards and spent over twelve years as a disability justice advocate, working with state and federal officials on education policy and criminal justice issues. Her goals on the school board are to bring a voice to those students who most need it while ensuring a strengths-focused and interdisciplinary education that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving. 

Meet Laura Jane!
Laura Jane Cohen was sworn into office as the Springfield District School Board Member on December 12, 2019. Laura Jane grew up in Marietta, Georgia and is the daughter and granddaughter of public school teachers.

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in Political Science, Laura Jane worked for the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State of Georgia. When she and her husband moved to Fairfax County in 2001, Laura Jane became the Director of Outreach for a National Parkinson’s nonprofit. Having two kids brought her back to her teaching roots. Laura Jane taught preschool for several years before becoming a long-term substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. Laura Jane also served on the Cherry Run Elementary School PTA for eight years, three years as Staff Relations Chair, two terms as PTA President, and as the liaison to the Fairfax County Council of PTAs. She is currently a proud member of the Lake Braddock PTSA.

Laura Jane is a proud volunteer with Moms Demand Action and has also served on the Fairfax County Democratic Committee’s LGBTQ+ Committee. She also served on the Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee as well as the Disputed Materials Committee for the FCPS School Board. 

In addition to her advoc

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