Introducing the 2025 School Board Candidates!

September 27, 2025

Summary

The Pulse invited the five School Board candidates vying for four open seats to submit a statement about themselves and their priorities. We publish their statements below, in the order that the candidates will appear on the ballot this fall. (To find out about the City Council candidates, read the Pulse post, Introducing the 2025 Falls Church City Council Candidates!)

Early voting began on September 19^th and polling stations will open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 4^th.

Opportunity to meet the School Board candidates

The Citizens for a Better City (CBC) and the Falls Church City PTAs will co-host a School Board Candidate Forum on Thursday, October 16,  from 7:30 – 9:00 pm at the Learning Stair at Meridian High School, 121 Mustang Alley.

Meet the 2025 School Board Candidates

The candidates are:

• Lori K. Silverman – incumbent
• Sharon M. Z. Mergler
• Anne H. Sherwood – incumbent
• MaryKate H. “MK” Hughes
• Kathleen E. C. Tysse – incumbent

Lori K. Silverman (Facebook Page)

I’m a single mother, a small business owner, and a proud Falls Church City resident since 2016.  Serving on the Falls Church City School Board has been such an honor, and I hope to continue to do so if re-elected.

During my tenure, the School Board has done a lot of really good work and I’m tremendously proud, knowing our kids will benefit from these decisions.  We implemented the results from a compensation study to ensure we can attract and retain the best teachers and staff, gave the teachers and staff the right to collectively bargain, so they can come in with a strong, unified voice when discussing wages and working conditions, and even passed a parental leave policy. 

Enrollment levels remain a challenge.  We need to prepare for more students, even though growth was relatively flat this year.  I want to learn more about why past predictions missed the mark and prepare for enrollment growth that will come.  We need to adopt budgets that reflect our growing Little City.  Keeping classes sizes small is critical to student success.

I look forward to working on the new AI policy to ensure our teachers have the best teaching tools and our students are using AI appropriately.  I want to hear from parents, teachers, and experts about what works and what doesn’t work with AI in education.  AI is a great tool, but one that needs limitations in our schools.

Our current cell phone policy is an improvement over no policy, but I hope the Board will work together to expand it further.  Research shows kids learn best when they are away from their screens all day, not just when a teacher is talking.  We will always maintain exception for IEPs, but a “bell-to-bell” policy will create an even better learning environment than what we have now. 

The board and the school’s administration do their best work when we communicate clearly to families, teachers and staff, and the Falls Church community.  I am proud that I have a reputation for bringing people together -—I pledge to keep showing up at town halls, respond to phone calls and emails, and to be accessible to our community. While I may not always agree with you, I will listen and do my best to find areas we can work together. 

Lastly, I am humbled to have received the endorsements of: Governor Terry McAuliffe, Congressman Don Beyer, State Senator Saddam Salim, State Delegate Marcus Simon, Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton, Treasurer Jody Acosta, the LGBTQ Victory Fund, and the Falls Church City Education Association (FCCEA).  Additionally, I earned a “Moms Demand Action” distinction since I support gun safety measures to protect our students.

Sharon M. Z. Mergler (votesharon4schoolboard.com)

I am Sharon Marie Zajc Mergler, and I am excited to be a candidate for the Falls Church City School Board.

For over 20 years, I’ve been dedicated to supporting students with disabilities and their families. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from The Ohio State University and a master’s in K–12 Special Education from George Mason University. I’ve worked in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) from 2007–2015, and again from 2020 to the present, after taking time to care for my two children.

Throughout my career, I’ve taught in preschool autism programs, elementary enhanced autism programs, and preschool class-based programs. I currently serve as a special education preschool resource teacher, working with students in their homes, private preschools, and Head Start classrooms in FCPS. I’m trained to support diverse learners across all grade levels and have helped families navigate diagnoses, access resources, and develop strong Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

My work in developing and leading IEP meetings has taught me to ask difficult questions, ensure every voice is heard, and advocate for what’s best for students. These experiences have strengthened my ability to build effective, collaborative teams that include parents, educators, service providers, and advocates, with positive relationships with families remaining central to my work.

I love being part of our vibrant city and supporting the programs that make it thrive. I’ve served as a room parent in each of my children’s classes, co-chaired concessions for the Hippo Tiger Giraffe fundraiser, and led my daughter’s Girl Scout troop for over two years. I’ve also coached 2nd grade boys and 2nd and 3rd grade girls basketball for both my son and daughter’s teams.

I believe my education and professional experience supporting children with disabilities and their families will help me be a strong advocate for our children’s educational success and well-being. My history of community volunteer work reflects my commitment to collaboration and equity, which I will bring to the school board in support of students, families, and the dedicated professionals in FCCPS.

I would be honored to serve our community and contribute my perspective as an educator, parent, and advocate to the important work of ensuring all students in Falls Church receive the support they need to thrive.

Anne Sherwood (annesherwood.org)

I’m running for re-election to the School Board because I believe in the power of Falls Church City Public Schools. I want to maintain the educational excellence, sense of community, and International Baccalaureate (IB) values for which our schools are known. And I want to ensure we are future-ready: prepared for enrollment growth, meeting the needs of all learners, and ready for changes in the education landscape. I’m proud of our school system and thrilled about the opportunity to help lead FCCPS into its newest chapter.

My family and I have lived in the Little City for 11 years, and my three children—now in elementary, middle, and high school—have grown up in FCCPS.

I’ve served on the School Board since I was elected in a Special Election last November. To this work, I bring my skills as a former lawyer, a current education policy graduate student, and a former social policy researcher. I’m passionate about serving kids and the community, and have spent years serving as co-chair of the Advanced Academics School Board Advisory Committee, on the Choral Boosters Board and the FCEPTA International Night Committee, as a room parent, and as leader of our Neighborhood Working Group on traffic calming. I also currently serve as the School Board liaison to the ESOL Advisory Committee and all our Boosters organizations. 

Serving on the School Board over the past year has been an immense honor. I am proud that I helped hire our new superintendent, after a rigorous community engagement and selection process. I also was deeply involved in our budget process and am prepared to collaborate with City Council to ensure our schools meet predicted enrollment growth and remain a point of pride in our city.

I strive to bring a positive voice to all my decisionmaking, model civil discourse, listen and learn thoughtfully from various perspectives, support students and educators, and rigorously dig into my work. I will use these values to address my priorities:

• Maintaining educational excellence, including small class sizes,
• Ensuring all learners have the opportunity to grow in an inclusive environment,
• Attracting and retaining exceptional teachers and staff,
• Developing strong policies on AI and academic integrity,
• Ensuring fiscal responsibility that puts our students and classrooms first, and
• Enhancing communication and oversight.

I want to ensure every student and family continues to experience FCCPS’s educational excellence. I am excited about the future of our schools, and about the opportunity to continue to serve FCCPS.

I am honored to be endorsed by the Falls Church City Education Association PAC and the Falls Church News-Press, to be a signatory to the CBC’s Campaign Integrity Pledge, and to have received the Mom’s Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction.

MaryKate H. “MK” Hughes (www.hughesforschoolboard.org)

My name is MaryKate “MK” Hughes, and I am running for the Falls Church City School Board because I believe every child deserves a joyful, rigorous, and equitable education, and every teacher must be empowered to deliver it. As a career educator with 25 years of broad, deep, and diverse experience working with students, families, and communities, I can provide a valuable and needed perspective to the work of our school board.

I have been recognized nationally for my knowledge and experience, within FCCPS and beyond, through National Board Certification and a National Educator Award. I have taught multiple grade levels, coached teachers, led curriculum and instructional initiatives, and supported entire school systems in improving outcomes for students. At Oak Street Elementary here in FCCPS, I taught 5th grade, mentored new teachers, led the grade-level team, served on the equity and strategic planning committees, and secured grants to elevate student voice, including launching a student-run podcast. Earlier in my career, I helped build DC Prep from a single school into a network of five high-performing campuses serving more than 2,000 students. Today, I coach educators and prepare the next generation of teachers through my work with American University.

My family and I have called Falls Church home since 2014, and our two children attend FCCPS schools. Like all parents, I want them — and all of their classmates — to be challenged, supported, and inspired every day. That is why I’ve been deeply engaged as a PTA member for more than a decade, Chair of the Hippo-Tiger-Giraffe Games, team captain at Oak Street, volunteer coordinator for the Senior Spectacular, member of the Health and Wellness Committee, and a Girl Scout leader. These experiences keep me closely connected to our schools and the hopes and expectations of families across our community.

I will bring my full experience as an educator and parent to our school board. I know how schools operate, what teachers need to thrive, and how to translate that into measurable decisions. My priorities include transparent, accountable budgets driven by student need, building robust feedback loops informed by data and the voices of stakeholders, maintaining quality as our community evolves, supporting and retaining excellent educators, expanding career and graduation pathways at Meridian, and ensuring every decision reflects both evidence and community values.

Strong schools are the heart of Falls Church. They draw families to our community and prepare the next generation of leaders. I am running because I believe in the power of community, collaboration, and connection — and because I know that together, we can sustain and strengthen the excellence that makes FCCPS so special.

📹Instagram video here.

Kathleen Tysse (www.kathleentysse.com)

I believe in Falls Church City Public Schools. I am grateful for the excellent education they provide, not just to my four children but to all the students throughout our community. As a former teacher and lifelong public education and literacy advocate, I understand what makes schools great, and I believe our schools truly deserve their reputation for excellence. But there is always more work to do. During a time of so much social and political turmoil, we’re being forced to make countless difficult decisions about our values, our safety, and our priorities. As a member of our School Board, I make those decisions for our schools rooted in my leadership experience and strong relationships, with a balanced perspective on our community’s many strengths and a commitment to continuous improvement.

I have been an FCCPS parent since 2013, and served as the elementary PTA President in 2019-2020, which inspired me to want to serve our schools on a deeper level as a School Board member. I have served on the Falls Church City School Board as a member since 2022 and as the Vice Chair since 2024. I am extremely proud of the work I have done alongside my colleagues on behalf of our school community over the past four years. Some of the of the school board work I am especially proud of includes: passing Paid Parental Leave, making FCCPS one of the first school districts in Virginia to provide this important benefit; passing our Collective Bargaining Agreement, giving FCCPS employees a union voice for the first time; and engaging in a very robust and thorough search process in order to welcome our new superintendent Dr. Terry Dade, who is just the right leader for FCCPS’s next chapter.

That next chapter will bring with it many challenges, including growing yet less predictable enrollment, economic turmoil, continued political divisions, changes in technology including Artificial Intelligence, and plenty that we can’t foresee. I am prepared to meet those obstacles with the knowledge I have gained from my leadership experience, building on the relationships I have built over the past thirteen years, and my lifetime of service to education and literacy.

As a proud member of the Falls Church City School Board, I strive to serve all of our students and families equitably. I am committed to respecting the professional expertise of our teachers and I work hard to lead with responsive and open communication. I would be honored to continue to serve our students, families, teachers, and staff for another four years.