My Letter to Mr. Svenson

This email was sent out to Mr. Svenson on Monday, Nov 10, 2025, 6 days after the election. Mr. Svenson responded on Friday night Nov 14, 2025. Below is the full content of my email.

---- Email to Mr. Ross Svenson ---

Hi Ross, congratulations on becoming a school board member representing the Broad Run District.

Winning an election is one thing; doing a good job is another. The reasons I had been campaigning very hard for your winning seat are many. I would like to see you take action on them as a school board member once you are seated early next year.

• Policy 8040 - please work with other board members to table the notorious Policy 8040 — it has divided the LCPS community since its start in 2021 and has been a major distraction from the school board’s mission of education. Your job will be much easier once this policy is removed.

  
  

• Results-driven Education - focus on results-driven education that is measured against international standards. As a product of both private and public schools yourself, you know better than many people the value of merit-based education, which I have been campaigning for years. On the same note, LCPS’s DEI policy needs to be reconsidered — it is totally against the basic idea of merit. I am quite sure that the reason you got into Harvard was not because of your skin color, but because of your excellent SAT score and GPA, among other factors.

  
  

• AOL Admission Policy - The revised AOL admission policy in 2020–2021, which enraged many immigrants at the time, including me, should be reversed to use merit-based standards only. AOL (AOS) was created for the clear purpose of producing STEM graduates to meet the country’s thirst for STEM workers, not for a socialist experiment.

AOL can be reprogrammed to become a full high school for STEM, similar to TJ High School in Fairfax County (it cannot compete with TJ in its current form). Other portions of AOL could also be extended or integrated into other high schools, allowing more students to learn vocational and technical skills.

• Student Holidays and DEI Practices - The additional student holidays added in 2021 by the DEI (Equity) Committee should also be reconsidered. LCPS’s rich cultural diversity ought to be celebrated during school hours so that students have the opportunity to share and learn from one another, rather than through separate celebrations at home—something not all families may be able to do. This is yet another example of how DEI policies tend to divide the community instead of uniting it.

Moreover, parents do not welcome the added holidays, since they must find both time and resources to accommodate the unexpected breaks.

• Student Mental Health - students’ mental health issues must be addressed proactively by totally banning smartphones in schools and eliminating all electronic devices in elementary schools, including LCPS-issued Chromebooks. That’s the least the board can do immediately.

• Special Education - special education needs focused attention and open-minded solutions, as it has become increasingly unmanageable in certain areas, leaving many dissatisfied and unhappy.

• JROTC and Title I Schools - establish a JROTC program in every high school in Loudoun and consider extending school hours for all Title I schools to provide more learning opportunities.

• STEM Workforce Development - the country has long struggled to produce enough STEM professionals. College graduates are often not qualified or prepared for high-tech jobs, such as the semiconductor fabrication industry, which I have worked in before. LCPS should take the lead in building itself into a STEM powerhouse.

These reflections come from my 51 years of experience in education and 25 years living in Loudoun County, giving me a deep understanding of our community and schools. I have shared these insights in over 30 blog articles on my website, with more to come. Every idea and recommendation I offer is rooted in firsthand experience and close engagement with the LCPS community. You don’t need to relearn from scratch—this knowledge is already here for you to take effective actions.

You are about to become the most highly educated school board member Loudoun County has ever had. You are young and smart and now have the opportunity to serve the LCPS community with one clear purpose: improving education—nothing else. Do not be a rubber stamp for the superintendent; have your own independent thoughts and don't just follow others; the country's future and its greatness rest on the shoulders of young people like you; Want to become a leader? listen to everyone, gather different ideas, and dare to think for yourself and do things differently.

Remember, the LCPS community—including me—is watching your every move. Like your college grades, your performance will follow you for life. But unlike a poor grade, a careless or ineffective performance on the school board would not just be a failure—it would harm LCPS, ruin students’ futures, and amount to a crime.

I campaigned for the School Board seat with one clear goal: to advance education with measurable results. I stand ready to support you in achieving that goal and am only a call or email away -- or we can meet over tea if you're open to the idea.

I also want to note that I wrote an open letter to the superintendent in 2023 and sent it to both him and the board twice, without receiving any response. That's not what I expect from you.

I look forward to your quick response. This letter will be published in one form or another, depending on your reply.

-Samuel Yan, Ph.D.