Join the JCRC for a town hall conversation with Fairfax County School Board Members Laura Jane Cohen and Karl Frisch. 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 Fairfax County School Board FCPS Board Members-At-Large Rachna Sizemore Heizer and Karen Keys-Gamarra on Wednesday, June 30th at 7:30 PM.
Future conversations will be announced.
Date & Time
-
Location
Zoom. A link will be emailed to you.
Speakers
![Laura Jane Cohen](/sites/default/files/images/portrait/Laura_Jane_Cohen.png)
Laura Jane Cohen Fairfax County School Board Member, Springfield District Representative
Laura Jane Cohen was sworn into office as the Springfield District School Board Member on December 12, 2019. Cohen grew up in Marietta, Georgia, and is the daughter and granddaughter of public school teachers.
Cohen graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Political Science, and then worked in government and nonprofit management and outreach. After becoming a mom, Cohen taught preschool and became a long-term substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. She also served on the Cherry Run Elementary School PTA for eight years and currently is a member of the Lake Braddock PTSA.
Cohen volunteers with Moms Demand Action. She has served on the Fairfax County Democratic Committee’s LGBTQ+ Committee and the FCPS School Board’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee and Disputed Materials Committee.
In addition to her advocacy work, Cohen enjoys restoring furniture in her free time, once having owned a vintage furniture store. She and her husband, Seth, live in Burke with their two kids, two dogs, and Cohen's mom.
![Karl Frisch](/sites/default/files/images/portrait/Karl_Frisch.png)
Karl Frisch Fairfax County School Board Member, Providence District Representative
Karl Frisch (he/him/his) has earned a national reputation as a skilled communicator and effective public policy advocate for consumers and student loan borrowers in our nation’s capital. He most recently served as executive director of Allied Progress, a consumer watchdog that holds policymakers and predatory financial interests accountable.
In 2019, Frisch was elected to represent Providence District on the Fairfax County School board. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ local elected official in Fairfax County. Frisch’s priories on the School Board include investing in student success and safety, inspiring future careers, promoting environmental sustainability, advancing equity and inclusion, providing responsible fiscal stewardship, maintaining high academic standards, and supporting teachers and staff with better pay and resources.
On the School Board, Frisch serves as chair of the Governance Committee, its chief policy-making body. He is also one of the Board's two representatives on the Joint Environmental Task Force (JET), which works with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and community partners to proactively address climate change and environmental sustainability. Additionally, Frisch is a member of the Public Engagement Committee and serves as the School Board's liaison to the City of Fairfax.
An avid traveler and photographer, Frisch lives near Fairfax Circle with his partner Evan, a product of Fairfax County Public Schools and a teacher in the system for nearly 15 years.