END OF AN ERA
TIMELINE
The sequence of events of the elimination of McLean's Chinese Program
all 87 students were informed that the chinese program was to be eliminated on april 23, 2026. The cut signified much more than a scheduling inconvenience for the community.
chinese teacher kuan-chen pearson
Credit: April Sheng
COURSE SELECTIONS FINALIZED
MARCH13
MARCH 13
Students lock in their 2026-27 course selections. Any changes to course requests made after March 13, 2026, will only be made if space is available in the requested courses. Otherwise, waitlists will be created for classes at or above capacity.
Pearson receives a meeting request
APRIL 9
Chinese teacher Kuan-Chen Pearson receives an email from Principal Jones' secretary asking if she is available at noon.
He had already started sending staff meetings to different teachers. He didn't send them to me. He just said he wanted to meet me.”
-Kuan Chen Pearson Chinese Teacher
The meeting
Pearson sits down with Principal Raven Jones and Assistant Principal Zachary Winfrey. She learns the Chinese program will not exist next year. Her position is being eliminated. McLean students taking Chinese next year will instead be redirected to Marshall Academy.
APRIL 9
He [winfrey] said this was a win-win situation.
-Kuan Chen Pearson Chinese Teacher
2026-2027 chinese ENROLLMENT NUMBERS
These figures were obtained from an email sent to parents. Jablonski denied to provide enrollment figures for other language courses.
8 STUDENTS
87
11 STUDENTS
13 STUDENTS
Total Students
23 STUDENTS
32 STUDENTS
teachers notified
McLean officially notifies 14 staff members that their positions are being eliminated for the 2026-27 school year, spanning languages, STEM and library services.
APRIL10
Jones got in contact with me and told me that I my position basically, basically there were not enough students to field my position here for the next school year.
-LIBBY SETTLEMYER Technology teacher
emails sent out
Director of Student Services Jenna Jablonski sends a brief email to Chinese students citing only "program and staffing constraints." Parents are not directly notified.
APRIL 23
Why was a notice not sent to the parents? Can we rely on teenagers in high school to relay on every single message of what's going on in high school to the parents?
-Tian OlsonVirginia Asian Advisory Board to gov. spanberger
Email sent to students
STUDENT REACTIONS
Community response erupts
Chinese families flood school board member Ryan McElveen's inbox with emails. Neighboring school communities including Langley reach out in solidarity.
LATEAPRIL
When somebody makes a decision on this level, it is really hard to turn it around. You have to fight before this happens.
-TIM ZHAO MCLEAN PARENT
Jones releases a follow-up letter
Under pressure from the community, Principal Jones sends a more detailed letter explaining that Chinese enrollment totaled 87 students across all levels — below the minimum viability threshold.
APRIL27
CLICK TO VIEW FULL EMAIL
parents demand answers
A petition circulating among Chinese families draws 130 signatures. After collecting 200 responses in a survey to parents, Olson forwarded the results to McElveen and Jones.
APRIL29
CLICK TO VIEW FULL EMAIL
Pearson still awaiting placement
While most of the 14 destaffed teachers have received county placements, Pearson has not. She has applied for a position at Thomas Jefferson High School. Under county policy, if no placement is found by year's end, she will be returned to McLean without a class to teach.
ONGOING
So far, nobody cares. I have to figure out myself what I can do.
-Kuan Chen Pearson Chinese Teacher
Source: Tian Olson
END OF AN ERA
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Transcript
END OF AN ERA
TIMELINE
The sequence of events of the elimination of McLean's Chinese Program
all 87 students were informed that the chinese program was to be eliminated on april 23, 2026. The cut signified much more than a scheduling inconvenience for the community.
chinese teacher kuan-chen pearson
Credit: April Sheng
COURSE SELECTIONS FINALIZED
MARCH13
MARCH 13
Students lock in their 2026-27 course selections. Any changes to course requests made after March 13, 2026, will only be made if space is available in the requested courses. Otherwise, waitlists will be created for classes at or above capacity.
Pearson receives a meeting request
APRIL 9
Chinese teacher Kuan-Chen Pearson receives an email from Principal Jones' secretary asking if she is available at noon.
He had already started sending staff meetings to different teachers. He didn't send them to me. He just said he wanted to meet me.”
-Kuan Chen Pearson Chinese Teacher
The meeting
Pearson sits down with Principal Raven Jones and Assistant Principal Zachary Winfrey. She learns the Chinese program will not exist next year. Her position is being eliminated. McLean students taking Chinese next year will instead be redirected to Marshall Academy.
APRIL 9
He [winfrey] said this was a win-win situation.
-Kuan Chen Pearson Chinese Teacher
2026-2027 chinese ENROLLMENT NUMBERS
These figures were obtained from an email sent to parents. Jablonski denied to provide enrollment figures for other language courses.
8 STUDENTS
87
11 STUDENTS
13 STUDENTS
Total Students
23 STUDENTS
32 STUDENTS
teachers notified
McLean officially notifies 14 staff members that their positions are being eliminated for the 2026-27 school year, spanning languages, STEM and library services.
APRIL10
Jones got in contact with me and told me that I my position basically, basically there were not enough students to field my position here for the next school year.
-LIBBY SETTLEMYER Technology teacher
emails sent out
Director of Student Services Jenna Jablonski sends a brief email to Chinese students citing only "program and staffing constraints." Parents are not directly notified.
APRIL 23
Why was a notice not sent to the parents? Can we rely on teenagers in high school to relay on every single message of what's going on in high school to the parents?
-Tian OlsonVirginia Asian Advisory Board to gov. spanberger
Email sent to students
STUDENT REACTIONS
Community response erupts
Chinese families flood school board member Ryan McElveen's inbox with emails. Neighboring school communities including Langley reach out in solidarity.
LATEAPRIL
When somebody makes a decision on this level, it is really hard to turn it around. You have to fight before this happens.
-TIM ZHAO MCLEAN PARENT
Jones releases a follow-up letter
Under pressure from the community, Principal Jones sends a more detailed letter explaining that Chinese enrollment totaled 87 students across all levels — below the minimum viability threshold.
APRIL27
CLICK TO VIEW FULL EMAIL
parents demand answers
A petition circulating among Chinese families draws 130 signatures. After collecting 200 responses in a survey to parents, Olson forwarded the results to McElveen and Jones.
APRIL29
CLICK TO VIEW FULL EMAIL
Pearson still awaiting placement
While most of the 14 destaffed teachers have received county placements, Pearson has not. She has applied for a position at Thomas Jefferson High School. Under county policy, if no placement is found by year's end, she will be returned to McLean without a class to teach.
ONGOING
So far, nobody cares. I have to figure out myself what I can do.
-Kuan Chen Pearson Chinese Teacher
Source: Tian Olson