By Rabita Aziz (May, 19, 2004)

"I think what’s important is that we always keep our focus on you, the student," said Dr. Lois Berlin, the soon-to-be new Superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools, when asked about what she believes is important to maintain in a school system.
 

Dr. Berlin’s appointment was announced yesterday in a press release signed by School Board chairman Ruth Brock. Berlin’s appointment, which will become official May 25, culminates an extensive search begun many weeks ago when current superintendent Mary Ellen Shaw announced that she would not seek reappointment. Dr.Berlin will formally become part of the Falls Church City School System on July 15. Berlin, currently the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Alexandria, Virginia, comes to Falls Church with 29 years of work in the education field under her belt. She has spent the last two of those years as the assistant superintendent. Although she was raised in a military family, and lived in Hawaii and Alaska during her childhood, she graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1970.

Dr Berlin is pictured here when she was principal  of  George Mason Elementary School in Alexandria.  (Photo, Courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor)

After that, she attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1974. At this point, she went to Aberdeen, Scotland, where she was an educator for special needs students. After serving an administrative role there for five years, she returned to the United States in 1979, and earned a masters degree in Early Childhood/Special Education at George Washington University.

She then joined Alexandria City Schools in 1980. She first became a teacher at John Adams Elementary School, then became assistant principal at Jefferson and Houston Elementary, later becoming principal of that school, and then assumed the position of principal of George Mason Elementary School. "I just kind of kept on going," she explained. She also earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership in 1996.

Dr. Berlin explained that she loves to see kids learning and she loves being in the classroom. She also enjoys working with teachers to improve the education of students. She explained that she believes that working in the Falls Church City schools would be wonderful, because the teachers are so involved with their work and students. When at first she thought about becoming a prospective new superintendent, she said, "I thought, what a wonderful place to go." 

Although she is an advocate of improving school systems for the betterment of both students and teachers, she said, "It is not my intention to come in and make big changes," because she believes that the Falls Church City Schools are excellent the way they are right now. One of her major goals to achieve when becoming superintendent is to institute a written curriculum in schools.

She is also no stranger to being a major role in building a new school, as she was involved in programmatic and facility planning for a new high school in Alexandria. She was also a leader in implementing a "one-to-one laptop" initiative in Alexandria, which resulted in putting laptops into the hands of many students in Alexandria who had no access to computers at home. She explained that she will most likely not plan any such large initiatives for the Falls Church City schools, since the Falls Church students are very different, financially, when compared to many Alexandria students. 

The School Board chose Dr.Berlin with the help of a hired search firm, with a national reputation and experience in Virginia in helping to recruit and screen candidates. This firm used their wide network of connections to investigate candidates. The Board also conducted extensive background searches with the help of a hired professional investigative firm. Board members also visited the communities of the finalists, and interviewed many people with whom the finalists worked.

Berlin, whose husband, along with his three siblings, is a graduate of George Mason High school, admits that although she is not too nervous, she does have a healthy feeling of excitement mixed in with nervousness in becoming the new superintendent of schools. 

In a press release, School Board Chairman Ruth Brock said, "We are truly excited about the skill and energy that Dr. Berlin brings to us".