Rob Foster in front of the family home in Sterling. View photo »

Larry Simms looks out over the courtyard at Park View that was a smoking area for students in the 1970s. Now there's no smoking anywhere on campus. Simms has been at Park View for 38 years, and as one of the early black students in Loudoun, brings a unique perspective to his teaching. View photo »

Larry Simms, a teacher at Park View High School, chats with history teacher Jen Zecher as they prepare their classes for the start of school. Simms has been a teacher at Park View for 38 years. View photo »

Larry Simms has been a teacher at Park View High School for 38 years. View photo »

Larry Sims gets ready to begin his day at Park View High School in Sterling. He's been with the district for 38 years, and as one of the early black students in Loudoun, brings a unique perspective to his teaching. View photo »

Jay Chadha, 6, Thomas Wajsgras, 6, Ian Whitfield, 6 and Ben Schultz, 6, do a writing exercise where they look up to a word written on the mirror by the teacher and then copy it on the mirror. View photo »

Kaleigh Mullins, 9, and Courtney Davis, 9, do hand coordination exercises by trying to find small beads embedded in clay, which helps get them warmed up for writing. View photo »

Voting at Park View High School in Sterling, Jessie Chambes, 80, and Mark Vayda, 82, brave the cold outside. View photo »

Experts say Northern Virginia has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis largely because it once had one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. This photo shows development in the once-rural Brambleton area near the height of the real estate boom in 2005. (File photo) View photo »

This sign on the door at the El Primero Mercado supermarket is one of many seen in the area in response to claims of an anti-immigrant bias in Prince William county. View photo »

6-year-old Diana Padilla gets some reading lessons from sister Brenda at the La Laguna restaurant near Manassas. There is a posted pro-immigrant sign on the door of the restaurant. View photo »

Juan Padilla runs the La Laguna restaurant with his family near Manassas. He said he's protesting what he feels is an anti-immigrant sentiment. He's posted this pro-immigrant sign on the door of the restaurant. View photo »

Bell Multicultural students Diego Pereira and Martha Medina, both 16, and Lucinda Lovos, 15, take the Metro to the University of the District of Columbia. View photo »