School Board Members

Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez, School Board Chair

(Term expires December 31, 2016)

School Board Office: 703-228-6015

Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez joined the School Board on January 1, 2009. Dr. Violand is a member of the Northern Virginia Community College Board, representing Arlington County. She is the founder and Chair of the Dream Project, Inc., founder and past president of the Board of Directors of Escuela Bolivia Inc and member of the Board of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. She is a member of the Committee of 100, Donaldson Run Civic Association, American Association of University Women, and Arlington Retired Teachers Association. She is also a member of the National School Board, the Virginia School Boards Association, and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials.

She is a member of the Committee of 100, Donaldson Run Civic Association, American Association of University Women, and Arlington Retired Teachers Association. She was responsible for initiating Project Family, the bilingual GED and various programs that benefit the community. She received a senior scholar Fulbright Award as a consultant for the Educational Reform in Bolivia. She is also the recipient of the James Hunter III Human Rights Award, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund - Community Service Award, Notable Woman of Arlington, American Association of University Fellow.

Dr. Violand retired in July 2007 as the Supervisor, English for Speakers of Other Languages/High Intensity Language Training (ESOL/HILT) Office, PK-12, Arlington Public Schools, Arlington, VA. She received her B.S. and M. S. from Radford University and her doctorate degree in education from the George Washington University. She is currently an adjunct faculty at Georgetown University. Dr. Violand has expertise in family involvement, multicultural education, language minority education, and learning styles. She has several publications on these topics. Dr. Violand-Sanchez has two children, James and Julia, who are also educators and graduated from the Arlington Public Schools. They attended Key, Taylor, Williamsburg, H-B Woodlawn and Yorktown. Dr.Violand was born in Bolivia; and since 1978 she has lived in Arlington.