The FCPS Office of the Ombuds serves as an independent, confidential resource for students, families, community members, and employees who are seeking informal help to answer questions, resolve concerns, and voice complaints regarding FCPS matters. The Office of the Ombuds reports to the Chief Experience and Engagement Officer. 

The word Ombudsman means "representative." 

Our Mission and Vision

The Office of the Ombuds supports the mission of Fairfax County Public Schools. We serve families, students, employees, and community members by:

• providing information about resources and how to access them,
• understanding concerns and providing support to resolve them.

The office follows the four principles of the International Ombuds Association: confidentiality, independence, impartiality, and informality.

What We Do

• Provide parents, students, employees, and community members an opportunity to share concerns and complaints in a confidential manner
• Relay information about FCPS programs, regulations, and policies
• Share ideas to help parents advocate for their child’s education
• Offer information and support to students and parents of children with disabilities, to help them understand and navigate these processes

Examples of What We Do

• Sharing strategies for parents to improve communication with, and between, school and home
• Helping to resolve disagreements between parents and schools or disagreements involving employees in the workplace
• Providing ideas to foster parent participation in Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan meetings

When to Contact Us

• When you want help resolving an issue that affects student learning or the school/work environment
• When you want to understand how FCPS works or where to go for assistance

Contact us by using the "Submit a Question" button at the top of this page, or by calling (571) 423-4014 or emailing [email protected].

What We Don't Do 

• Change or make decisions, policies, or regulations
• Take sides
• Provide legal advice

Assistant Ombuds for Special Education

Kathy Murphy, the assistant ombuds for special education, serves as a resource, providing information and support to parents and students regarding special education services. It is the hope, that through providing transparency and understanding to families, children with special needs will receive all the services and supports required to equitably access public education.

The assistant ombuds can support families in the following ways: 

• Provide information and support to parents and students with disabilities to help them understand and navigate special education processes
• Assist by sharing information regarding state and federal laws and regulations governing special education and Section 504
• Work neutrally and objectively with families and school staff to help ensure a fair process is followed
• Provide information related to parental role, as a member of the knowledgeable committee
• Serve as a resource for disability-related information and referrals to other available programs and services for individuals with disabilities, including early intervention and transition to post-secondary services

Download Our Flier

Office of the Ombuds Flier: 

English | English (FCPS Employees) | 
Amharic | Arabic | Chinese | Farsi | Korean | Spanish | Urdu | Vietnamese

Podcast Episode - January 2023

Dawn Clements, FCPS Ombuds, and Kathy Murphy, Assistant Ombuds for Special Education were interviewed for the FCPS Multilingual Family Podcast. 

Listen: 
English | Español (Spanish) | العربية (Arabic) | 한국어 (Korean)

Parent Advocacy Handbook

Information and resources in the Parent Advocacy Handbook are designed help parents and guardians advocate for and support their children’s academic, social, and emotional growth from preschool through high school and beyond. 

English (webpages on this website) | English (PDF) |
Arabic | Chinese | Korean | Spanish

Frequently Used K-12 Acronyms