Janet Oleszek
Encyclopedia
Janet Oleszek is a former at-large member of the Fairfax County school board
in Virginia
. She was elected to the school board in 2003, serving for one term (2004–2007). She is now the Democratic nominee for the Fairfax County board of supervisors from the Braddock district.
in Special Education
from American University
, and began her career as a teacher in the Fairfax County
public schools system.
Oleszek joined the PTA
when her sons began school and served first as Local Legislation Chair, then (Fairfax) County Council Chair and finally (Virginia) State Legislation Chair in 2002, where she advocated for public school students throughout the Commonwealth and developed an annual legislative agenda gathered from 146 local school districts.
In 2003 Oleszek ran successfully for the Fairfax County School Board as an At Large Member (2003 to 2007) with the most votes a Democrat had ever received for this seat. The Fairfax school system is one of the largest school divisions in the country, with a budget of $2.2 billion, a student population of 167,000, and fiscal and policy responsibility for a jurisdiction of 1.1 million people.
In 2005 Oleszek ran unsuccessfully in a Democratic primary campaign for the House of Delegates.
In 2007, Oleszek challenged incumbent Republican
state senator Ken Cuccinelli
as the Democratic
candidate for the 37th District of the Virginia Senate; after a recount, she lost by 92 votes out of 37,185 votes cast.
Currently, Oleszek is running for the Braddock Board of Supervisors against incumbent John Cooke. She defeated Chris Wade in the primary by 51 votes
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. She was elected to the school board in 2003, serving for one term (2004–2007). She is now the Democratic nominee for the Fairfax County board of supervisors from the Braddock district.
Career
Oleszek holds a master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Special Education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
, and began her career as a teacher in the Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
public schools system.
Oleszek joined the PTA
PTA
-Organizations:* Andalusia Technology Park , a science park in Málaga, Spain* Parent-Teacher Association* Pakistan Telecommunication Authority* Passenger transport authority, a United Kingdom local government authority...
when her sons began school and served first as Local Legislation Chair, then (Fairfax) County Council Chair and finally (Virginia) State Legislation Chair in 2002, where she advocated for public school students throughout the Commonwealth and developed an annual legislative agenda gathered from 146 local school districts.
In 2003 Oleszek ran successfully for the Fairfax County School Board as an At Large Member (2003 to 2007) with the most votes a Democrat had ever received for this seat. The Fairfax school system is one of the largest school divisions in the country, with a budget of $2.2 billion, a student population of 167,000, and fiscal and policy responsibility for a jurisdiction of 1.1 million people.
In 2005 Oleszek ran unsuccessfully in a Democratic primary campaign for the House of Delegates.
In 2007, Oleszek challenged incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
state senator Ken Cuccinelli
Ken Cuccinelli
Kenneth Thomas 'Ken' Cuccinelli II is a U.S. politician and the Attorney General of Virginia. From 2002 until January 16, 2010 he was a Republican member of the Senate of Virginia, representing the 37th district in Fairfax County...
as the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for the 37th District of the Virginia Senate; after a recount, she lost by 92 votes out of 37,185 votes cast.
Currently, Oleszek is running for the Braddock Board of Supervisors against incumbent John Cooke. She defeated Chris Wade in the primary by 51 votes
Issues
While serving on the school board, Oleszek successfully advocated for full-day kindergarten (FDK); its implementation is considered one of her flagship successes as a school board member. Janet Oleszek also played a pivotal role in the overcrowding of West Springfield High School during her time on the Fairfax County School Board.Endorsements
Janet Oleszek's 2007 State Senate campaign was endorsed by:- Virginia Education Association
- Fairfax Education Association
- Virginia League of Conservation Voters
- Virginia Sierra Club
- Virginia AFL-CIO
- International Association of Firefighters, Fairfax County
- Virginia Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw
- Rep. Jim MoranJim MoranJames Patrick "Jim" Moran, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in Northern Virginia and includes the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, all of Arlington County, and a portion of Fairfax County.Jim Moran was...
(D-VA) - Former Congresswoman Leslie Byrne (D-VA)
- Senator Jim WebbJim WebbJames Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D-VA) - Senator and former Virginia Governor Mark WarnerMark WarnerMark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
(D-VA)
External links
- Janet Oleszek official campaign website
- Project Vote Smart - Janet S. Oleszek (VA) profile
- Washington Post - Senate District 37 Race