Principal Alfonso Smith, after diligently serving as principal of John R. Lewis High School for over five years, now heeds a higher calling, departing this week to serve as the Director of Student Activities Management for Prince William County.

In February 2020, starting his role as principal of what was then Robert E. Lee High School, Smith immediately faced two major leadership challenges: the pivot to distance learning and hybrid instruction during the COVID 19 pandemic and the renaming of the school.

Smith took on the challenge of managing the full brunt of the COVID pandemic on top of his new position as principal at Lewis. On March 13, 2020, Fairfax County Public Schools shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a background in counseling and coaching prior to serving as Director of Student Services and Associate Principal of Hayfield Secondary School, Smith faced this new challenge with skill and patience. During those trying times, Smith’s skills in counseling and communicating actually benefited his newfound role as principal.

Smith described how important his skills in listening and communicating were during distance learning and hybrid learning. He “[made] sure that people had a certain level of empathy, whether it was students, parents, some of the school board members, [or] just the different leaders in our county. I really felt it kind of leveled the playing field for me as a leader,” Smith said.

After facing the unprecedented challenges of COVID, Smith would once again have his mettle tested with one of the most important events in Lewis High School history.

Smith reflects that the days of the name change process were some of the most difficult as a new principal.

“Coming in, everyone was not on the same page in terms of the name change, and I think that was not just with our community. I think there were some people in Fairfax County leadership, school board members that were divided in terms of the importance of a name change,” Smith said.

The name change debates sparked questions about just how much tied to the Lee heritage the high school should be.

“Some wanted to disconnect with all of the old as much as possible. But some wanted to hold on to some of what was tradition, some of the things that were not offensive, and I got both perspectives. But I had to make a decision,” Smith said.

On July 23, 2020, following the combined efforts of students, alumni, families, and staff and after an FCPS School Board vote, Robert E. Lee High School became the John R. Lewis High School we know today.

After meeting the challenges of his first year as principal and earning Outstanding New Principal of the Year in 2021, Smith finds comfort in the routine at Lewis and chooses to focus on the school’s culture. One such aspect that Smith takes pride in is the amount of mutual respect shown between the community, something that Smith values deeply.

“No matter who shows up at our door, I want them to be respected. And we don’t have to wait and see, well, will these teenagers respect us first? I don’t believe in that. I believe that everybody that comes into this school building, they deserve respect. I’ve tried to make sure to try to set a positive tone as much as possible. I don’t know what’s happening in different people’s homes, who’s had an argument with their parents on a given day, who’s had a conflict with a sibling, who came from a great situation in the morning. I just want to do all I can to just get people off to a great start,” Smith said.

As his time with the Lewis community draws to an end, Smith would like to share his final regards and advice for everyone in the community to remember.

“We have a lot of greatness here. I just want people to be confident in who we are as a school and not try to make us into somebody else’s school. I want our students to work towards success. I want them to continue to have high standards for themselves. Don’t look for just the easy way out. Don’t get frustrated with teachers who want to expect a lot from them,” Smith said.

Smith intends for the current culture of respect and high expectations at Lewis to continue long after his departure.

“The greatness of this school will continue to be defined by how the students and the staff conduct themselves, so I want them to really make that job for the next leader to be as easy as possible because they are moving in a great direction,” Smith said.

As Smith’s final regards come to a close, the search for Lewis’s new principal is just beginning. Thank you, Mr. Smith, for all of your contributions. The Lewis community wishes you well in all of your future ventures, for your hard work here will always be remembered.