Article Text

Lori K. Silverman is seeking another term on the Falls Church City School Board, campaigning on tighter student cellphone rules, careful budgeting and continued support for the district’s growing enrollment.

Silverman, 49, received more votes than any other School Board candidate when she was elected four years ago. She is now one of five women competing for four seats in the Nov. 4 city election.

Fellow incumbents Kathleen Tysse and Anne Sherwood are also running, along with challengers MaryKate Hughes and Sharon Mergler. Board Chair Dr. Tate Gould is not seeking re-election.

A Falls Church resident since 2016, Silverman is a Democratic political consultant, small-business owner and non-practicing lawyer who earned her law degree from George Washington University. Her two children attend Falls Church City public schools.

Silverman said the board’s accomplishments during her term include approving budgets responsive to enrollment growth, working to attract and retain strong teachers, and establishing the school system’s first paid parental-leave benefit for teachers and staff.

She said she wants residents, rather than her family’s individual experiences, to guide the issues she brings before the board. Although she listens to her seventh-grade daughter, Isabella, and fourth-grade son, Ryan, she considers their experiences only part of the broader community picture.

As an example, Silverman pointed to her support for funding and constructing Meridian High School’s new baseball field, despite having no baseball players in her family and acknowledging that the project encountered logistical difficulties.

Budget and district leadership

Silverman described the seven-member board as a cohesive group whose members bring different backgrounds and perspectives to policy discussions.

She also strongly endorsed Superintendent Dr. Terry J. Dade, who succeeded retiring Superintendent Dr. Peter Noonan on July 1. Silverman praised Dade as an experienced and caring listener who connects well with the community, teachers and staff.

If re-elected, Silverman said she would focus on ensuring the budget keeps pace with enrollment and supports students with a wide range of academic, social, emotional and special-education needs.

She said spending proposals should be examined carefully and tied to a clear benefit for students.

Silverman is still evaluating how artificial intelligence should be handled in schools. She acknowledged parental concerns about students using AI to cheat but also said the technology can have constructive applications.

The district already prohibits students from submitting work that is not their own, but Silverman expects its policies will need to address AI more directly. She said she wants expert guidance before settling on a detailed approach.

A split over student cellphones

Cellphone policy is one issue that separates Silverman from the two other incumbents seeking re-election.

Meridian High School’s current rules restrict phones in classrooms but permit their use during lunch, study halls, club meetings and passing periods. Tysse and Sherwood supported that policy, while Silverman voted against it because she favors a general “bell-to-bell” prohibition throughout the school day.

Her proposal would include exceptions for students who need phones for medical reasons or under an individualized education program.

Silverman said phones distract both users and nearby classmates, complicate teachers’ work, weaken face-to-face interaction and allow online bullying to continue during the school day.

In her view, the existing policy addresses classroom distraction without adequately confronting the social effects of phone use during noninstructional periods. She acknowledged that some students would break a stricter rule but argued that enforcement challenges should not prevent the board from establishing its preferred standard.

Silverman also differed with Meridian Principal Peter Laub’s approach of allowing phones during noninstructional periods to help students learn responsible use. She called Laub a highly respected principal but said she gives greater weight on this issue to mental-health professionals and other experts.

She also cited advice from law enforcement about emergency situations and referred to bipartisan Virginia legislation calling for bell-to-bell restrictions. Silverman said the district was awaiting state guidance.

Equipment, buildings and security

Silverman said some of the board’s less visible work has included purchasing new laptops and making capital improvements to school buildings. Such decisions may attract little public attention, she said, but malfunctioning computers or problems such as leaking ceilings at Oak Street Elementary School can interfere with learning.

School security has also been part of her work. Silverman received a candidate distinction from Moms Demand Action, an affiliate of Everytown for Gun Safety.

While serving as a legislative liaison, she worked with the board to encourage then-state Sen. Richard Saslaw and Del. Marcus Simon to pursue funding for a safer entrance at Oak Street Elementary. The resulting vestibule directs visitors into a separate area with a security guard instead of allowing them to walk directly into the school.

Silverman also toured Meridian High School while it was under construction and received a briefing on security features that school officials generally avoid publicizing.

Her alternative campaign-finance pledge

Silverman is the only School Board candidate in the race who did not sign the Citizens for a Better City pledge generally asking candidates to reject contributions from outside Falls Church, except those from close friends and relatives.

She instead adopted her own pledge limiting personal campaign funding to $100. If she contributes more than that amount to her campaign, she has promised to donate the excess to each of the other candidates’ campaigns.

Silverman argued that restricting outside contributions could force candidates to pay for increasingly expensive campaigns themselves, making it harder for people without substantial financial resources to seek office. She cited a reported average campaign cost of $7,000 and suggested it could rise to $9,000 or $10,000.

She said the organization had not pressured her to sign its pledge.

Silverman works as a fundraising specialist for Democratic candidates in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic. Her endorsements include Rep. Don Beyer, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Tom Clinton, Jody Acosta, state Sen. Saddam Salim, Del. Marcus Simon and Falls Church City Council member Laura Downs.

She has also received support from the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and the Falls Church City Education Association, in addition to her Moms Demand Action distinction.

Simon described Silverman as a balanced leader who listens to different perspectives. Salim credited her with managing competing priorities while remaining focused on student success. Downs, who served with Silverman on the School Board for two years, said Silverman was willing to listen and compromise while standing firm on issues she considered important.

Silverman and Sherwood are scheduled to hold public office hours from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Plaka Grill in Birch & Broad, 1216 W. Broad St.