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From February 23–27, 2026, APS joins schools and communities across the country in celebrating Public Schools Week 2026 (#PSW26). This year’s theme, Building Stronger, Fairer and More Resilient Public Education Systems, highlights the vital role public schools play in strengthening communities, expanding opportunity and preparing every student to thrive. Throughout the week, APS will spotlight the people, partnerships and everyday work that make our schools strong.
This Week
Each day this week, APS will highlight a different pillar of strong public schools:
- Monday: One Team, One APS
- Tuesday: Teaching and Learning
- Wednesday: Leadership
- Thursday: Partnerships
- Friday: Educators
Follow along as we continue showcasing how APS is building a stronger, fairer and more resilient future for every student.
I am committed to leading in public schools because they provide equitable opportunity and celebrate the diversity that makes learning powerful. When students learn alongside peers with different backgrounds, cultures, and learning styles, they gain the knowledge and empathy essential for a thriving democracy.
Public schools are where possibility meets purpose. Every day I dedicate myself to this work because our schools don’t just educate students, they open doors, strengthen communities, and ensure that every young person, no matter their starting point, has access to opportunity, belonging, and a future they can shape for themselves. Supporting public education is how we invest in hope, equity, and the promise of what comes next.
As both a product of K–12 public education and an educator for 30 years, I have seen firsthand how public schools offer students variety and exposure reflective of the world around them. They include, celebrate, and honor everyone, no matter their backgrounds or differences. It’s a safe place where committed teachers welcome and ensure that every child has access to meaningful opportunities.
Leadership in Arlington Public Schools is about shared ownership—each of us; from the school board, to the living room, to the classroom; plays a vital role in shaping our students’ futures. In the face of unprecedented challenges, I am proud to lead with courage along with my colleagues, educators, and staff in defense of public education. We are ONE Arlington, and remain committed to achieving real, representative, measurable, and meaningful academic access and growth for every child in APS.
A connected community ensures that every individual belongs and gains the skills they need to become whatever they choose. With their peers in public schools, students learn about and learn to value each other’s unique and varied life experiences. They explore and learn to value different ways of thinking. Public schools bring diverse and divergent human beings together and provide common ground in which great ideas can grow.
Knowledge is powerful. We know that when our kids have a safe place to learn and grow, our entire community becomes stronger. – Janeth Venezuela
Public schools not only prepare students for a fulfilling life; they also expose children to the breadth of diverse cultures and interests that make everyone’s lives richer and more rewarding. – Marjorie Green
As a former public school student, I am a believer in public education. All three of my children have attended Long Branch Elementary. As soon as my oldest started at Long Branch as a kindergartener, I felt something special about the school community and about APS. I saw the care and attention the teachers gave to all the children, and the immediate positive impact they had on my children’s lives. -Amanda Zolan
There isn’t one educational program that is best for all students, which is why I appreciate APS offering multiple pathways and programs to meet a range of student needs. As a PTA advocate, I rely on public access to information in order to hold the school system accountable to the community. We know that parents and taxpayers lose the ability to hold schools accountable when public dollars are diverted to private schools, so that’s why all PTAs support school choice within public systems — like what APS provides. – Claire Noakes
Arlington has remarkable public schools. We are developing the next generation to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and kind human beings who are ready to be citizens of the world. I have dedicated myself to serving on the School Board in order to ensure that our schools are inclusive and supportive spaces in which every child can learn and thrive. And I am so grateful for the professionalism and dedication of each and every member of the APS community who works to make that happen. – Bethany Zecher Sutton
Public schools are public gems— open to all, nurturing every learner who walks through their doors. They shape futures, strengthen communities and remind us of what’s possible when we invest in every child. – Renee Harber