Join the JCRC for a town hall conversation with FCPS Board Members-At-Large Rachna Sizemore Heizer and Karen Keys-Gamarra. This is the second in a series of conversations that will provide FCPS stakeholders, including students, families, and teachers, with an opportunity to engage directly with FCPS School Board members.
Select this link to register for the conversation with conversation with FFairfax County School Board Members Laura Jane Cohen and Karl Frisch on Thursday, July 8th at 7:00 pm.
Future conversations will be announced.
Date & Time
-
Location
Zoom. A link will be emailed to you.
Speakers
Rachna Sizemore Heizer Fairfax County School Board Member
Rachna Sizemore Heizer (she, hers, her) was sworn into office as one of three At-Large School Board Member on December 12, 2019. Her term expires in 2023. Sizemore Heizer is the child of immigrants, a college professor, lawyer, and a disability justice advocate. She will work to ensure our schools provide an excellent strengths-focused education that fosters all interests and focuses on critical thinking, collaboration, inclusivity, and a transparent environment for students, educators, and families, and the strategic use of resources to close gaps and ensure consistency and quality across the county. As a first-generation American, she understands both the immigrant experience and what it means to be a citizen of our great democracy and hopes to use that experience to be a voice for our growing diverse population of students and families.
As an experienced community board member, former management consultant, and small business owner, she is well versed in the oversight role of the school board and plans to use her experience to ensure fiscal responsibility and implementation fidelity. She was the Braddock District appointee to the Board of Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, served on the Board for the ARC of Northern Virginia, was an appointed member of the Fairfax County Public School Board’s Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities, and a former Board member of the Fairfax County Special Education PTA. Previously, Sizemore Heizer was a criminal justice professor at George Mason University. She brings a passion for juvenile justice reform, arts education, and robust civics education to her role on the school board.
Ms. Sizemore Heizer is the proud parent of two children and a stepson. Her children, a current FCPS student and a recent graduate, have attended FCPS for their entire educational career. In her spare time, she is a fitness instructor and a runner. She and her husband enjoy traveling and cooking together but her favorite job is roadie for her son, a musician with autism.
Karen Keys-Gamarra Fairfax County School Board Member
As a Member-At-Large since September 2017, Karen Keys-Gamarra is Chair of the Audit Committee and also serves as a liaison to the Human Resources Committee and the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
A graduate of Tulane University and Washington University School of Law, Karen is an experienced attorney who currently handles family law matters and works as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem in Northern Virginia representing the best interests of children from diverse backgrounds. As an attorney and as a school board member, Karen focuses on developing solutions for children and families.
Karen has a thorough understanding of how state and local agencies can work to improve the lives of children and families. She has worked at the state level, worked for nonprofit organizations, and in private practice. She also served as a Fairfax County Planning Commissioner (schools committee member) prior to joining the School Board. As a volunteer, she served as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children and also worked to combat domestic violence as an advisory board member for a nonprofit organization. She was formerly an appointed member to the School Board Budget Task Force.
Karen and her husband are the proud parents of three sons who attended FCPS through elementary, middle, and high school. She continues to focus on community service to improve the lives of children and families.