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Deborah March has transformed the renaming of John R. Lewis High School into an active leadership program built around service, justice and student involvement.
March, senior manager of the John Lewis Leadership Program, was named Outstanding Nonschool-Based Professional Employee in 2025 for her work developing the initiative.
Fairfax County Public Schools renamed the school for civil rights leader John Lewis in 2020 with the goal of making the change more than symbolic. March was hired to create a program reflecting his legacy through four pillars: leadership, justice, service and advocacy.
Over the past three years, she has guided a team of teachers in building a school-based curriculum described as the only one of its kind in FCPS. In one year alone, the program organized 43 field trips, welcomed 34 guest speakers and produced 102 student-led action projects.
March also established a working group of more than 70 community leaders who help connect students with distinctive learning opportunities.
Her involvement extends well beyond program administration. March has studied Spanish to communicate more effectively with students and families, and she regularly works at Lewis High School instead of remaining at her Willow Oaks cubicle.
She also participates directly in student activities—even crawling across the floor to dodge laser beams during a team-building escape room exercise.
An FCPS Honors nomination credited March with ensuring that student voices remain central to the program. It also noted that she mentors teachers in subjects ranging from social studies and English to physical education and art, helping them incorporate leadership and justice into their classrooms.
“She will be the first to tell you that she did not do this alone,” the nomination stated, “but without her guidance, expertise, and patience, the Lewis Leadership Program would not be what it is today.”
Former Principal Alfonso Smith called hiring March one of the most consequential personnel decisions of his five-year tenure. Her influence may also be helping retain teachers, with several educators saying their participation in the program has encouraged them to continue teaching through difficult periods.
The program’s experiential opportunities have included a five-day civil rights journey through the South and a visit from the National Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice.
Jerrick Lewis, John Lewis’ nephew, said March has created an environment that supports students of all backgrounds, strengthens relationships among students, educators and the community, and ensures people feel heard.
The program’s efforts to expand student leadership also support the second goal of the FCPS Strategic Plan: ensuring students are safe, supported, included and empowered.