Jane Kamps (Janie) Strauss (1946-2025)
Jane Kamps (Janie) Strauss, a McLean resident since 1984, died at home on April 11, 2025 at the age of 78 after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Strauss was a long time member of the Fairfax County School Board.
During the April 22 Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board recognized Strauss. Chairman Jeff McKay said that the loss of Janie Strauss "hits home really hard." McKay noted that Strauss served in multiple capacities on the school board, including chair, vice chair, and budget chair. "During her tenure, two elementary schools, Colvin Run and Coates, were opened, and 15 schools in the Dranesville district were renovated. FCPS also advanced initiatives such as full-day kindergarten, additional advanced academic programs, and later start times for high school students, all of which Janie was a key element in supporting," McKay said.
Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in December 1946, her legacy, the power of her life, endures through the lives she touched — committed to her family as mother of four Fairfax County Public School students, now adults, and to all students who benefited through her significant contributions.
Strauss's legacy endures through educational initiatives, the arts and culture, community impact, and personal influence. Strauss served 26 years on the Fairfax County School Board, including two years as an at-large member from 1991 to 1993 and 24 years as an elected representative of the Dranesville District from 1996 until she retired from the school board in 2019.
Strauss also served as chair of The Cappies, an ongoing nonprofit program that combines high school theater and journalism through Critics' and Awards. Strauss's husband, William (Bill), co-founded the program in 1999 in response to the Columbine tragedy as an effort to bring more positive attention to teenagers engaged in creative pursuits. The program began in Fairfax County and has chapters across the United States.
"The Cappies is just such a creative program that Janie came up with, because it wasn't just about helping the kids who are on stage,” said Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, Dranesville District. “It was also about helping the kids who write the newspaper articles about the kids who are on stage. It was about helping the kids who were backstage. She had this way of trying to figure out how to expand the pie of people that she was helping,"
Supervisor Dalia Palchik on Strauss’s community impact: “We would not be who we are today without Janie's legacy on the school board," Palchik said, emphasizing the profound and lasting impact Strauss had on Fairfax County's educational system. Strauss "was really focused on the whole child and the academics of the kids. … I think my fondest memory is that all of her emails she signed, ;Cheers, Janie.’ And that simple closing just really describes who she was, a positive outlook. I was fortunate to serve with her for 14 years and be able to learn a lot from her. She will be sorely missed."
Strauss earned a B.A. in history from George Washington University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She married Bill the year they both graduated from Harvard in 1973, and worked as a preschool and elementary school teacher.
The current Fairfax County School Board also honored its former chair and Dranesville District representative. Chair Karl Frisch called for a moment of silence during the meeting on April 24 and extended the board’s deepest sympathies and condolences to her family and friends.
In 2015, The Connection asked Strauss as she sought re-election on the school board, “What is one issue that defines your call to serve, why does it matter, and how will you tackle it?” Strauss responded in part, “With the challenges facing the next generation — from global instability and an integrated global economy to climate change and energy sustainability — our children’s education is more important than ever. … We must maintain our rigorous programs for ALL students in the STEM fields, the arts, humanities and athletics.” She added, “Their success will come not from what they know but what they can do with what they know.”
In 2020, Strauss posted to Facebook, “I love this quote. ‘You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.’ -C.S. Lewis.”
Among her many awards and recognitions, in 2018, Jane Strauss's consistent commitment to education was recognized when the Virginia School Boards Association awarded her the Advocate in Education Award. In 2021, the Board of Supervisors named Strauss "Lady Fairfax" for the Dranesville District in recognition of her long-standing commitment, leadership, and positive impact on the Dranesville District, particularly in the realms of education and community advocacy.
Strauss served for many years as the board chair of the Country Day School in McLean; and also held the position of president of the Fairfax County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations; board member, Healthy Families Fairfax; organizing member, Fairfax Families Care; and vice president of the McLean Citizens Association. As the education chair of the McLean Citizens' Association, she was part of the group that founded the McLean Teen Center. Strauss also served as a board member of the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA).
Lori Carbonneau. MPA executive director posted, “She was always responsive, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in service — to us, to her constituents, and to so many across our region. I was especially honored when Janie called last summer, already feeling unwell, and asked to walk the site of our new Arts & Education Center. She was genuinely excited for MPA’s future and made a point to understand and support what we were building — a gesture of encouragement I will never forget.”
Strauss's husband, Bill Strauss, predeceased her in 2007. She is survived by her three daughters, Melanie (Cyril) Yee, Victoria (Jeremy) Hays, and Rebecca Strauss; a son, Eric Strauss, and five grandchildren.
A celebration of Strauss's life was held on Sunday, May 18, at McLean High School Auditorium. Instead of flowers, contributions may be sent to Cappies at admin@CAPPIES.com according to a Strauss family request.