Rachna Sizemore Heizer, J.D.
Rachna Sizemore Heizer is a college professor, lawyer, child of immigrants, disability justice advocate, and mom to two recent FCPS graduates. She has a successful track record of working with local, state, and federal leadership and community organizations to bring real change. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley (college and law school) and has lived and raised her family in the Braddock District since 2001. She is a current FCPS School Board member (at-large.)
Rachna has served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Fairfax County School Board. She has also served as Chair of the Public Engagement Committee, and on the Audit Committee, and as the school board liaison to the Student Health Advisory Committee, to the Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities, to Educate Fairfax, to the Fairfax County Planning Commission, and to the Fairfax City School Board.
Rachna started advocating in 2007 when she realized our school system had room for improvement in educating children who don’t neatly fit into a predetermined “bucket.” Her daughter excelled in the Advanced Academic Program, but only after Rachna convinced the school that her daughter’s mental health needs shouldn’t disqualify her from the program. Rachna’s son is a talented musician, but because he’s also in special education classes, she had to fight for him to be included in school music programs.
In talking with other parents, Rachna realized others have similar stories, regardless of who their child is or what program their child is in. She became an advocate, fighting for all kids to be equally valued and accepted, with high expectations and access to opportunities for all. As a college professor, she knows the skills our students need to be successful in college. As a lawyer whose practice included employment law, contract law, and complex mergers and acquisitions, and as an experienced board member, she brings a breadth of skills and knowledge necessary to oversee a large complex organization such as FCPS, bringing the experience and leadership to ensure consistency, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. And as a disability justice advocate with a track record of real change at the state and local level, she knows how to fight for those who most need it.
In her spare time, Rachna loves to workout, cook, and travel. Her most important roles are groupie for her son, Jake, musician with autism, cheerleader for her daughter, Laura, living her best life as a software engineer in Seattle, and proud stepmom to Chris, living and working in Fairfax. She lives in the Braddock District with her husband, youngest son, and Katie Kerry, her 19-year-old cat who was named by Rachna’s daughter Laura (at age 5) after Presidential candidate John Kerry and Laura’s favorite babysitter at the time.
Education and Experience
Law degree and Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy from the University of California at Berkeley
Assistant Director and Lecturer, administrating a Human Resource Development program and teaching Employment Law and Human Resource Leadership classes (online), Texas Tech University
At-Large Member, Fairfax County School Board
Former professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law, George Mason University
Former associate, Morrison and Foerster and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, specializing in employment law, contract law, and corporate law
Service on Community BoardS
Appointed member of the Virginia State Social Services Board.
Former Braddock District appointee to the board of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB)
Former Appointed member of the Fairfax County Public School Board’s Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities 2012-2019
Former Board Member of the Fairfax County Alliance for Human Services
Former Board member of the Fairfax County Special Education PTA
One of only three community members of the Fairfax County Public School’s Inclusion Workgroup
Former Board member of the ARC of Northern Virginia and continues to work with the ARC on advocacy efforts
Conference and media Presentations
Rachna has presented at numerous events, including the National Education Association Foundation’s Symposium on the Promise of Public Education, Netroots Nation Conference, the Online Learning Consortium Accelerate Conference, the Network Nova Women’s Summit, the National Education Association, the NAACP Juvenile Justice symposium, The RISE district conference, and the Fairfax County Special Education Conference.
Rachna has also spoken on several television, radio shows, and podcasts about strengths based education and inclusion, including WTOP radio, The Dean Obeidallah Show on Sirius XM, Inside Scoop, Kitchen Table Conversations, and The Progressive Happy Hour Podcast.
Her work at Texas Tech in developing a quality online program was featured in the online publication Inside Higher Ed.
