Permanent Superintendent Named For Loudoun County Schools

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Scott Ziegler, who has acted as the interim superintendent for Loudoun County Schools since Jan. 1, was announced as the county's new superintendent at a Loudoun County School Board meeting on Tuesday, June 8.

Ziegler joined Loudoun County Public Schools in December 2019 as an associate superintendent, according to the school system. Before that, he worked as a social studies and special education teacher with Portsmouth Public Schools and Virginia Beach City Public Schools for more than 15 years.

Ziegler also served as a chaplain with the Virginia Beach Police department for more than 8 years, according to vice-chair Atoosa Reaser. "It is a high stress environment where people look to you for leadership and a moral compass," Reaser said at the school board meeting. "I think that that will translate excellent here, as it already has shown."

In addition to his experience teaching and serving as a chaplain, Ziegler worked as the Executive Director of Human Resources and Special Projects for the Portsmouth Public Schools. He holds a Doctor of Education from Northwest Nazarene University, a master's degree in secondary education from Eastern Nazarene College, and a bachelor's in history from Eastern Nazarene College.

"Ziegler has shown us what it means to be a strong leader," Loudoun School Board member Beth Barts said. Barts highlighted Ziegler's strengths "in the areas of communication, tough decision making, and in providing a safe, empathetic, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all."

Ziegler inherits a school district that is embroiled in multiple controversies. Currently, Loudoun County Public Schools is involved in two different lawsuits that were filed at the beginning of the month.

Tanner Cross, a P.E. teacher from Leesburg Elementary School, was suspended after making comments at a school board meeting stating that he would not adhere to the school system's proposed policy designed to support transgender students, stating that it was tantamount to "abuse to a child." Cross was originally suspended with pay pending an investigation, but was awarded a temporary injunction by a judge.

Read more: Teacher Who Disputed Transgender Policy Reinstated By Court Order

Another group of parents is suing the school system for its equity and inclusion efforts. The lawsuit centers on an equity ambassador program that students can participate in. The parents believed their students are being discriminated against because they refused to support social justice.

Read more: Systemic Racism Initiative Draws Lawsuit Against Loudoun Schools

Other parents have voiced their displeasure about critical race theory and its use in schools. Though Ziegler has said that critical race theory is not practiced in Loudoun schools, parents voiced their concerns about equity practices during a rally on Saturday. "It sounds lovely — equity — but it is poison," Monica Gill, a teacher, said. "It is about equal outcomes, which is foundational to Marxist political ideology."