August 18, 2019


De ar  RPS Family,
 
First off, I want to welcome our new teachers! I can't wait to meet you all tomorrow at New Teacher Orientation. We're thrilled to have you join the RPS family and look forward to the extraordinary contributions you'll make here. And to our returning educators, who will be beginning the year on Wednesday, welcome back! I can't wait to see you all this week and share how excited I am for the coming school year. Thank you for all that you have already done on behalf of our students, and thank you in advance for all that you will do this year. We are eternally grateful for your service.
 
Before jumping into our RPS inspiration for the week, I want to express my condolences to the family of Mr. Eugene Mason, Jr., a former member of the Richmond School Board and City Council - and more recently, of our Rezoning Advisory Committee - who passed away on August 11. I had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Mason through the rezoning process. I was immediately struck by his quiet and gentle, but also very purposeful and driven, manner. We were scheduled to meet this week to discuss his thoughts about the various proposals under discussion. I'm certain his insights would have been invaluable.

At Mr. Mason's funeral service, numerous city officials spoke about his contributions to Richmond. It's clear that he loved this city - and RPS, in particular - with all his heart. As I sat listening to the words of adulation for this extraordinary man, it occurred to me that Mr. Mason personified a message I recently shared with our school leaders this past week: to "lead with love." 
 
By leading with love, I mean treating every single student as if they were our own flesh and blood. I mean asking greatness of them by challenging them with meaningful, rigorous work that is worthy of their time. I mean seeing an outburst as a cry for help, not a desire to disrupt. I mean holding the bar high for the adults in our schools, but always doing so with humanity, respect, and support. I mean understanding that every parent wants the best for their children; some simply don't have the resources to always provide it. I mean leading from the front, the side, or the back, but always with purpose - just as Mr. Mason did. 
 
No matter who we are - principal, teacher, custodian, or community member - let us honor this extraordinary man by leading with love, teaching with love, and serving with love every sing le day this school year. 
 
4 topics today:
 
1. RPS Inspiration!
 
Ultimate Backpack 2019 - Last week, the Richmond community stepped up big time by donating 14,063 backpacks for RPS students, along with enough school supplies to fill them all! The mastermind behind this effort was Timmy Nguyen, VCU alumnus extraordinaire. On behalf of RPS, I want to thank Timmy, as well as the many corporate and community sponsors who helped make this possible, including: Hardywood Brewery, CoStar Group, UPS, Communities in Schools, Walmart, Genworth, VCU Alumni Association, 103.7, and many more. A big thanks also goes to NBC12 for promoting the event. Thank you, Richmond!


17th Floor of RPS - If you haven't stopped by the 17th floor lately, I encourage you to do so! We did some redecorating, and now you'll be graced by portraits of our 2019 Valedictorians. Shout-out to our RPS colleague, Stefanie Ramsey, for taking the photos. As a reminder, our 2019 Valedictorians are: 
  • Alexis Stokes (John Marshall HS to UVA)
  • Chantal Sheilyn Hernandez (Open HS to UVA)
  • Cozette Bell-Ferguson (Thomas Jefferson HS toTemple)
  • Jordan Baker (Richmond Community HS to UVA)
  • Lahjae Celita White-Patterson (Huguenot HS to Virginia Tech)
  • Laura Diara Blackwell (Armstrong HS to Virginia Tech)
  • Majestic Colley (George Wythe HS to ODU)
  • William Wilkins (Franklin Military Academy to VCU)

New School Construction - As a reminder, with the revenue generated by the Meals Tax, we're building three new schools: a new George Mason ES in the East End, a new Greene ES on the Southside, and a new middle school on Hull Street. Here's a picture of the new Mason ES - it's going vertical!


2. SOL Scores

Last week, the Virginia Department of Education released the 2018-19 SOL scores. As was widely reported, our results were mixed. We were up in math, science, and writing, and down in reading and history/social science. Here's a chart of our three-year trend.

A few thoughts about our scores:
  • While pleased with our gains in math, science, and writing, we clearly still have an enormous amount of work to do - and it's going to take time. As I have often said, this is a marathon, not a sprint. We didn't get where we are in a year, and we won't turn things around in one. Please know that I'm 100% committed for the long haul.
  • Directionally, our scores were very similar to those of the entire state. For example, the entire state was down in reading and history, and up in math. This had more to do with changes to standards and cut scores than with any substantive shift in the learning of Virginia's students.
  • In terms of growth, we actually outperformed the counties. Yup, you heard that right. We were the only school division in the area to see gains in three subject areas. Of course, we still lag far behind the counties in overall achievement. But I do think it's worth noting when RPS distinguishes itself academically.
  • The scores from Carver were heartbreaking, as they confirmed that the prior years' scores were not accurate. We made a number of investments at Carver last year, and will continue to do so going forward. Under Principal Giles's leadership, and with the support of community groups like Embrace Carver, I'm confident that Carver will continue to move forward and will ultimately achieve great success.
  • Finally, SOL scores are just one measure of our schools, albeit an important one. No single number can capture the fullness of what a school provides - or fails to provide. That's why we have 10 goals in our strategic plan covering a wide range of metrics. More on those goals this Fall!
3. Rezoning
 
Our rezoning process continues this week with regional meetings of the Rezoning Advisory Committee. Here are the details:
  • Northside: August 20, 6-8 pm, John Marshall HS, 4225 Old Brook Road
  • Southside: August 21, 6-8 pm, Southside Community Services Center, 4100 Hull Street 
  • East End: August 22, 6-8 pm, MLK Middle School, 1000 Mosby Street
  • West End: August 23, 6-8 pm, Cary ES, 3021 Maplewood Avenue
4. PASS Program
 
Last week, we launched a new approach to the adjudication of severe cases of chronic absenteeism in partnership with the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court at MLK MS. Called PASS (Parents + Attendance = Student Success), this new program helps families develop an attendance plan outside the traditional courtroom setting by linking them to essential social services during the proceedings. We are particularly grateful for the support and contributions of the Trauma Informed Community Network, the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, the Richmond Department of Social Services, Communities in Schools, the Sheriff's Department, and the University of Richmond School of Law.
 
With great appreciation,
 
Jason Kamras
Superintendent
301 North 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219
P: 804.780.7710 | www.rvaschools.net
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