Superintendent of Schools

Peter Noonan, Ed.D.

The Falls Church City School Board selected Peter Noonan as the ninth Superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools in May 2017. Under his leadership FCCPS has continued to thrive as one of the best school divisions in Virginia. Notable accomplishments during his tenure include:

Meridian High School Construction Voters in the City of Falls Church approved a $120M bond referendum in November 2017 - the largest in City history - to build a new high school. Noonan spearheaded the effort to design and build a net-zero 21st century high school. Meridian High School opened in January 2021.

Sustainability Academy Using Meridian High School as a teaching tool on sustainable construction and systems, FCCPS is developing an Academy for Sustainable Thinking which provides students with an understanding of the role humans play in impacting the social, environmental, and economic effects on the world. It also provides a unique academic opportunity for FCCPS to collaborate with neighboring school divisions

International Baccalaureate Continuum Under Noonan’s direction FCCPS has expanded its status as a leader in the International Baccalaureate curriculum. FCCPS is one of only seven school divisions in the United States that offers the full K-12 International Baccalaureate continuum: Primary Years Programme (PYP) in grades Pre-K-5; Middle Years Programme (MYP) in grades 6-10; Diploma Programme (DP) iand Career-related Programme (CP) in grades 11-12.

Equity Following an Equity Audit Noonan created the office of Equity and Excellence which facilitates cultural competency training and an Equity Division Leadership Team comprising employees from all school buildings.

Family Resource Center Dr. Noonan led the effort to open a Family Resource Center within the school division, providing information, focused on supporting families who are learning the English language. Family liaisons are housed at elementary and secondary schools.

Rankings/ Student Achievement Under his leadership FCCPS has been ranked the Best School District in Virginia for 2 years by Newsweek (2020, 2021) and 3 years by Niche.com (2021, 2022, 2023). In 2022 FCCPS was the only school division in Virginia to rank either first or second in SOL pass rates Standards of Learning scores for all five tested content areas. FCCPS School Quality Profile

Working Conditions Noonan is committed to making FCCPS the best place to work in Virginia, with competitive compensation and benefits that will retain and recruit highly-qualified employees.

Strategic Plan In 2022 FCCPS introduced a new Strategic Plan that focuses work in five areas during 2022-2027.

IB Infused Teaching & Learning
Wellness, Equity & Belonging
Resource Management & Continuous Improvement
Communication & Engagement
Investing in Our People

Budget Collaboration During his tenure the Schools and General Government developed and implemented a Revenue Sharing Agreement that provides predictable and equitable budgeting processes that benefit the whole community.

Noonan received the 2023 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the UVA K-12 Advisory Council. In 2019 he was selected as Region 4 Superintendent of the Year, and was a Finalist for State Superintendent of the Year. In 2016 he was named Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year.

He is serving as president of the Washington Area School Superintendents Council, and is a member of American Association of School Administrators, Virginia Association of School Superintendents, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Virginia Region 4 Study Council. He served on the Board of Directors for Virginia State Superintendent from 2016-2018.

Dr. Noonan began his career as a special education teacher in New Mexico where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1993. Prior to arriving in Falls Church, Dr. Noonan served as Superintendent for Fairfax City Public Schools. He served for 11 years in the Fairfax County Public Schools, where he was the assistant superintendent for the Instructional Services Department overseeing academic programs for the system's 180,000 students. Additionally he served as assistant superintendent for Cluster VII school, assistant principal at Langley High School, principal at Lanier Middle School and Centreville High School.

Dr. Noonan holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of New Mexico. He earned an education specialist designation in educational administration from University of New Mexico. He completed his doctorate in education and policy studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).