The City of Fairfax School Board voted unanimously to rename the library at Katherine Johnson Middle School to the Dr. Phyllis C. Pajardo library. The library will be renamed in June ahead of Dr. Pajardo’s retirement on June 30, 2022.
During Dr. Pajardo’s tenure, she oversaw the school name change of Katherine Johnson Middle School, the expansion of the advanced academic programs at the two elementary schools and middle school, the opening of partnerships with the four schools and George Mason University, the establishment of the Superintendent Advisory Team, and assisted with hiring four principals. In 2017, Dr. Pajardo was named as the Educator of the Year from Leadership Fairfax, and is the author of The Principal Influence: A Framework for Developing Leadership Capacity in Principals.
“Dr. Pajardo has changed the face of City of Fairfax schools,” said Carolyn Pitches, chair of the City of Fairfax School Board. “She was instrumental in guiding us through the Katherine Johnson Middle School name change and through this naming we would like to recognize her work.”
“I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to each of you for this honor,” said Dr. Pajardo after the School Board Member Toby Sorensen read the resolution. “Katherine Johnson is a woman who I have admired for many years. She was an active member of my sorority and I am so honored by this. I was an active reader as a student and this means so much to me.”