The Region 5 Leadership Team is pleased to announce that Mr. Chris Smith has been named the new principal of Katherine Johnson Middle School!

Mr. Smith holds a Master of Education in Education Leadership from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland.  Mr. Smith has been a talented principal and assistant principal in Fairfax City and Fairfax County Public Schools over the last 12-plus years. During this time, he has been a successful administrative leader in three different, diverse school communities. He was an assistant principal previously at Katherine Johnson Middle School from 2011-2016.  He then transitioned to serving as an elementary school assistant principal from 2016-2019 at Brookfield ES.  Mr. Smith was then named the principal at Daniels Run Elementary School (another Fairfax City School) in 2019.  

During his tenure at Daniels Run ES, Mr. Smith has been a leader in promoting strong instructional practices and School Improvement Plan efforts.  Mr. Smith collaborated with classroom teachers, resource teachers, and FCPS staff to implement AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) strategies in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, focusing on student time management and organization.  He developed and implemented a professional development plan for the implementation of the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan in collaboration with the Daniels Run literacy team and classroom teachers. The focus on teaching methods aligned with the science of Reading has led to gains in all grades in phonics and phonological awareness.  He also guided his Collaborative Learning Teams (CLT) in dialogue and discussion regarding student learning, instructional practices, monitoring student growth, and using common assessment data to inform instruction. 

Mr. Smith has demonstrated throughout his career that he is a highly skilled communicator who emphasizes the importance of a strong home-school-community partnership.  As the principal of Daniels Run ES, he partnered with the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to continue community events such as Welcome Walk, Movie Nights, Bingo Night, and International Night as well as adding additional events such as Back to School Open House/Family Picnic and a basketball game against Providence Elementary School.  As principal at Daniels Run ES, Mr. Smith implemented Restorative Justice practices into discipline procedures, resulting in a reduction in the amount of out-of-school suspensions by 25% since 2019.  He also collaborated with counselors, the social worker, psychologist, teachers, and administrators to implement Zones of Regulation as a schoolwide social-emotional learning program to support the Region focus on Tier 1 behavior.

Mr. Smith is an experienced, dedicated, and talented school leader.  In addition to serving as the principal of Daniels Run ES in Fairfax County Public Schools (also a Fairfax City School), Mr. Smith is a valued leader among his peers, as evidenced by his being selected to serve as a Fairfax Pyramid Principal Lead for Region 5 Schools and an instructor in the Administrator Development Cohort (ADC).  Mr. Smith has both delivered and attended numerous professional development workshops/trainings over the years on topics such as Belonging and Engagement, MANDT Certification, PLC for School-Based Administrators, MentorWorks, Cognitive Coaching, and Fierce Conversations.  Mr. Smith is a leader who is reflective, collaborative, humble, enthusiastic, and empathetic.  He has a strong belief in the power of relationships, the importance of building trust, and ensuring that ALL students, families, and staff feel seen, heard, and connected to their school community.  

Mr. Smith and his wife Amy are proud parents of two FCPS graduates.  Their daughter Maddie is a senior at the College of Charleston, and their son CJ is a freshman at the University of Mississippi.  His wife Amy is a former Katherine Johnson Middle School teacher and now serves as an Assistant Principal in an FCPS middle school.  In his spare time, Mr. Smith enjoys golfing and rooting for his favorite sports teams, particularly during college football season.