Cassandra Aucoin For At-Large Seat On Fairfax County School Board

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Cassandra Aucoin, who had a professional career in public service spanning over 35 years, is running to serve as an at-large member of the Fairfax County School Board.

Endorsed by Fairfax County Republicans, Aucoin is running to fill one of the three at-large seats on the school board in the Nov. 7 general election.

The general election ballot in Fairfax County will also include countywide races for Board of Supervisors chairman, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney, Fairfax County Sheriff, and Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

Early voting for the general election began on Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

Patch asked candidates running for the at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Aucoin's responses:

Name

Cassandra Aucoin

Family

I am married to my husband, Joe, a Navy veteran. We have two children, a son who is in the Navy, and a daughter who is a senior in college.

Education

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Virginia Tech and currently hold a SCP/SHRM certification.

Occupation

I have retired from a 35-year career in federal public service. Throughout my career, I worked for the Departments of Army, Navy, Office of Secretary of Defense, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office. Some of my key leadership roles included Chief of Staff for the Cyber Operations Group, Communication Directorate, NRO, where I led the internal business operations of a global organization; Director, Financial Workforce Management, Financial Management (FM) Career Service Manager, and Deputy Chief, Program Evaluation, Analysis Division at NGA, and Director, Program and Budget for a Navy Directorate, I have been in leadership roles for over 25 years.

Campaign Website

www.cassandraaucoin.com

The single most pressing issue facing Fairfax County Public Schools is the declining achievement levels and learning loss, due to the extended at-home learning during COVID.

Even though FCPS receives annual funding increases of hundreds of millions of dollars and is back to in-person learning, the most recent SOL and SAT scores show a decline in achievement and gaps for minority children still exist. We must focus on teaching a solid core of subjects such as math and reading, including U.S. history and civics. Our children deserve to graduate high school well-prepared for success in whatever pathway they choose to pursue. Essential to raising academic achievement are recruiting and retaining the best teachers, working with parents to reduce absenteeism, and redirecting the budget more towards the classroom, instead of politically driven agendas.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only candidate who has managed a multi-billion-dollar budget, integrated many programs across a large organization, and aligned them to strategic priorities. I am the only candidate who has in-depth experience standing up organizations and establishing new processes. I have vast experience in the areas of strategic planning, budgeting, human resources, program analysis, and organizational change.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Rebuild Parental Involvement. In the past few years, the parent-teacher relationship has become fractured, and parents have been discouraged from participating in their children’s education. I believe children do their best when parents are involved, and teachers feel more supported. I would like to remove any barriers to parental participation and rebuild partnerships. Restore Balance, transparency, and accountability. Groupthink has been a trademark of this School Board because one party has dominated with its political ideology. We need a Board that reflects our community and incorporates other perspectives. I will advocate for more transparency and longer public comment periods. Lastly, we need to restore responsible spending and accountability to the taxpayers, who fund approximately 69% of the FCPS’s operating budget.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

• I managed a $4 billion annual budget and prepared a $20 billion five-year program each year for the Navy's Command and Control Directorate. I organized financial strategies for the Navy’s major IT and Space initiatives, I recommended a network resource strategy that saved $600 million across five years.
• In my Chief of Staff positions, I stood up a new office, integrated functions, and established new processes such as budgeting, strategic planning, staffing, communications, etc.
• I led an assessment of NGA's Contractor cadre, resulting in a contractor conversion program and savings of hundreds of millions across five years. I also led a Chief, Information Operations assessment supporting the establishment of an agency-level office.
• I planned, organized and implemented a new Financial Management Matrix organization, and I established the FM Career Service, the first for NGA.
• I was appointed the FM Career Manager and oversaw the recruitment and career development of FM personnel.

Why should voters trust you?

My entire career has been dedicated to public service for our nation’s defense. I began as an Army intern in the budgeting field, and then later, supported the Navy, OSD, NGA, and NRO where I acquired competence in other fields, such as program analysis, strategic planning, acquisition support, and human resources. I led multi-disciplinary teams, set direction, and collaborated across organizations. As a Navy spouse, I was an advocate for sailors’ families, an advisor for support organizations, and I established two military spouse organizations. As a mom, I was engaged in all aspects of my children’s education. Today, they are thriving young adults.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Live your best life every day. For me, that advice captured so many things from having a purpose, serving others, to how I take care of myself, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and health-wise.

RELATED:

• Saundra Davis For At-Large Seat On Fairfax County School Board
• Kyle McDaniel Running For At-Large Seat On Fairfax County School Board
• Ryan McElveen Running For At-Large Seat On Fairfax County School Board
• Ilryong Moon Running For At-Large Seat On Fairfax County School Board