About Dr. Yan
I am running for the school board because my passion is education.
I believe in the promise of America that all who apply themselves can achieve success.
As a young university teacher in China, I attended the pro-democracy protests that led to the massacre at Tiananmen Square in 1989. I was investigated by the authorities, and I was forbidden to resume teaching.
I was able to escape China with nothing more than a plane ticket and a $100 bill. I came to the United States and obtained my PhD from Kansas State University.
One of the proudest days in my life was the day I took the oath to become a citizen of the United States of America.
My new American career employed me at Los Alamos National Laboratory and later in the semiconductor industry. I am now an IT professional for a government contracting company.
I have lived in Ashburn for 25 years. And with my wife, have raised three children who attended Loudoun County Public Schools.
When my oldest son was denied admission to elite Ivy League universities despite high grades and superior SAT scores, I discovered that Asian American students had long faced discrimination in college admissions.
I took on Harvard and other elite colleges for their discriminatory admissions policies. This resulted in the 2023 landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled race-conscious admissions programs are unconstitutional.
I will work each day to do what is best for students; to eliminate barriers to opportunity, reward excellence in teaching and learning, listen to parents, and ensure every student has a chance to live their dreams.
That is my pledge to you.
I BELIEVE
- Success in education as in life should be measured by one’s character, hard work, and merit. Policies that divide us by race or ethnicity are a distraction to learning.
- We must prepare students for higher learning or meaningful work upon graduation. Build LCPS into a STEM powerhouse and expand technical education into trade school pathways.
- Excellence in teaching and learning is to be recognized and rewarded. Grade inflation and test retakes discourage excellence and hinder preparation for a competitive world.
- We must assure that schools are safe places to teach and learn.
- Mental health awareness should be prioritized so that issues such as anxiety, loneliness, depression, stress and bullying are dealt with proactively.
- Allowing boys and girls into each other’s intimate spaces is not safe, nor is it reasonable.
- Placing boys in girls’ sports is not fair, nor in contact sports is it safe. It is contrary to the intent of Title IX which is to create equal opportunity for women in sports.
- We should remove unnecessary administrative burdens on teachers so that they have the time and freedom to focus on classroom instruction and helping students.
- Parental involvement is a key to education success. This begins at home with encouragement and must continue at school in partnership with teachers and administrators.
