CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – Students in Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover public schools began their first day of classes today, with some districts emphasizing safety and academic growth for each student as top priorities.
Mervin Daugherty, Superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS), says teachers and staff are working hard to improve subject learning for each student, allowing them to flourish personally and academically.
“We’re doing a lot with our instruction, a great deal with our reading, especially with the science of reading,” said Daugherty. “ I think we’ve got some of the best teachers, administrators in the country.”
Daugherty said the school board members have spent a lot of time discussing safety in all CCPS schools and claims it’s a community solution, rather than a school solution.
“We also want our parents and guardians to speak to their children about what to bring and what not to bring to the school,” he said. “We’re just partnering with everyone we can to make sure that every day when you send your child to school, we know that we’re going to send them home to you.”
Nearby, in the Richmond Public School district, a “#WeLoveYouHere” welcome was held in the bus loop at John Marshall High School. Superintendent Jason Kamras joined Mayor Levar Stoney and other school board members to greet students on their first day.
“And we believe we know it’s going to be our best one yet,” Kamras said.
The welcome event was followed by a press conference, where Kamras announced that RPS will have three new fully accredited schools — John Marshall High School, Chimborazo Elementary and Cardinal Elementary.
“Everybody pulled together to ensure that we had every single one of the benchmarks that we needed to hit to achieve full accreditation,” Kamras said.
Kamras told community members what students and parents can expect for the new school year.
“We take their safety as a number one priority — and I say that as a superintendent and as a dad myself,” he said. “We have implemented all sorts of measures to ensure that we are able to safeguard our students.”
On July 10, Kamras outlined a 15-point safety plan including ways to provide greater safety in schools. The following month, on Aug. 14, a revised plan was proposed and adopted, just a week before the classroom doors opened.
Along with safety additions, a change in cell phone use policy will begin in five different schools, aiming to combat bullying and the negative impact social media can have on students.
“We’re also going to remain committed to truly loving our students so that when they are stressed, when they are in peril … they tell a member of the family so we can help them and so that they can not only survive, but thrive here at RPS and beyond,” Kamras said.
