Governance

Berna is an educational leader and an advocate. She has several years of experience in Quaker education. Berna has a strong passion for diversity and equity in education and actively advocates in this arena in her role as the President of the District of Columbia Association for the Education of Young Children (DCAEYC). Berna has served on various boards and committees on program quality improvement, professional development, and education policy. She loves books, the beach, and the company of friends and colleagues. Berna lives in Maryland with her son and her husband. She has a B.A. in Teaching English As a Second Language (TESL) and an M.A. in Early Childhood Education.

An active FCS parent and Finance Committee member, Bob Burkett brings skills in strategic planning, IT, and financial and investment management to FCS. Founder of Quasar Associates, Bob is a CPA specializing in IT cybersecurity audits. He has served on various local boards, as well as corporate boards in a consulting and advertising capacity over the course of his career. Bob has a strong commitment to Quaker education and the school’s mission and values.

Jade's history with FCS is a long one. All three of her adult children attended FCS for part of their elementary schooling in the 1990's.  She served on the FCS Board for more than 10 years in the late 90's and early 2000's and was Clerk for much of that time, including the period when FCS purchased the land for and began building  the present facility. Jade is a retired U.S. Justice Department lawyer and an active member of Adelphi Friends Meeting. She lives down the road in Greenbelt.

Mark has been a member of the FCS community for over 29 years. During this time he has held a variety of positions, including Physical Education Teacher, Director of Extended Day, Assistant Director of Summer Camp, and Facilities Manager. Mark enjoys presenting a wide variety of experiences for his students, from movement and dance to initiative games, to team games and sports. Mark has an extensive background in outdoor education and is an avid camper and hiker. He also enjoys water activities.

Rachel Kane, Head of School, brings a wealth of experience as both a teacher and leader in Friends education to FCS. She began her career at Monteverde Friends School in Costa Rica before returning to the U.S. to teach at Friends School of Baltimore, later serving as Middle School Director at Abington Friends School and Middle School Principal at Sidwell Friends School. Throughout her career, Rachel has been deeply committed to equity work—helping to found identity-based affinity groups, strengthen faculty evaluation processes, and reduce bias in hiring and student support. She is honored to carry forward FCS’s mission and values, to partner with the community, and to support students in recognizing and nurturing their Inner Light.

An active FCS Middle School parent and Diversity Committee member, Tony Miles deeply values the ways Quaker education empowers students to create meaningful, positive change. With a 25-year career at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Washington, D.C, Tony has since opened his own firm, Miles Law, and has helped provide counsel for other small firms. Tony brings expertise in law, advocacy, public relations, and nonprofit development to the FCS Board of Trustees.

Patience (she/her) is an FCS parent of a brave and adventurous first grader! A native Washingtonian with 20 years of experience leading and supporting organizations through strategic realignments, internal transformations, program and external affairs innovations, and governance evolutions, Patience is the Executive Director of a private family foundation that supports family engagement, K-3 literacy, and the arts. Patience’s life’s work is to disrupt intergenerational cycles of poverty for marginalized people and she believes that poverty alleviation is possible in our lifetime with a focus on cross-sector collaboration and an unwavering commitment to equity and justice by design. She is a graduate of Hampton and Georgetown Universities and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Connect with her on LinkedIn @patiencebpeabody.

Chris Randle is a US Policy Director at Meta where he helps manage government relations with Congress, and advises the company on antitrust and homeland security policy matters, and federal investigations. Prior to Meta, he worked in leadership, committee and personal offices on Capitol Hill. In the House of Representatives, he was Legislative Director and Chief Counsel to Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and Intellectual Property and Civil Rights Counsel to Representative Karen Bass. In the Senate, he was Judiciary Committee staff for Senator Dianne Feinstein, and aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Chris earned his JD and BA from Howard University in Washington DC, and lives in Hyattsville, Maryland with his wife and two daughters.