Dear Laurel Ridge Elementary School community,

The Region 4 Office is pleased to announce that Ms. Megan Counts, assistant principal at Frost Middle School, has been selected as the new principal of Laurel Ridge Elementary School, effective August 1, 2022.

Ms. Counts grew up in Fairfax County and is a proud graduate of Woodson High School. She has been an educator for over 20 years, starting her career as a special education teacher in Williamsburg, Virginia. She also worked in Henrico County Public Schools before she returned to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and made it her home for the past 20 years. During her tenure at FCPS, she has had the opportunity to work in a variety of schools and positions including at Laurel Ridge Elementary School (LRES) where she developed a passion and love for the Laurel Ridge community. Ms. Counts spent four years as an assistant principal at LRES prior to accepting a position last summer as an assistant principal at Frost Middle School, supervising the special education program.

Ms. Counts has supported the development of Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs), facilitated data dialogues and developed practices related to Multi-tiered Systems of Support.  She has also led and supervised the work for the Special Education programs (e.g. Comprehensive Service Site, Deaf & Hard of Hearing program, Adapted Curriculum program, and Enhanced Autism Program) to ensure adherence to legal guidelines and mandates and to guarantee that all students are being supported to achieve at high levels and reach their own potential.  Having worked at Laurel Ridge as a teacher and assistant principal, she is knowledgeable of the school’s Spanish Immersion program and Local Level IV initiative. She is ready to lead the work around equitable access to literacy in the coming year as a result of her strong literacy background. Ms. Counts has previously been recognized for her work at Laurel Ridge ES as the 2017 Outstanding Teacher for the Robinson pyramid and the 2020 Outstanding School-Based Leader at Laurel Ridge. 

Ms. Counts is excited to return to and honored to serve as the principal of Laurel Ridge Elementary School. She will be working with the current Laurel Ridge team this summer to prepare for the strong start of the 2022-23 school year. In her free time, Ms. Counts enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, hiking, and a good yoga class.

Ms. Counts holds a Master of Teaching in Special Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, both from the University of Virginia. She earned her licensure in Administration & Supervision from George Mason University. 

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Megan Counts as the new principal at Laurel Ridge Elementary School.

Sincerely,
Penny Gros
Assistant Superintendent, Region 4