The Commonwealth was literally created on the backs of enslaved Africans. At
@RPS_Schools
we will continue to study that and be honest about its profound implications for our students and families today.
I’ve been Superintendent of
@RPS_Schools
for 53 days. In that time, 6 of our students have been shot, 2 of whom have died. If that’s not the definition of a crisis, I don’t know what is. Enough is enough.
Real talk: planning for reopening school this fall is like playing a game of 3-D chess while standing on one leg in the middle of a hurricane. Please shower students, families, teachers, principals, support staff, and school boards with extra love right now.
RODNEY WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The 2019 NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR is Mr. Rodney Robinson from Richmond Public Schools! I’ll sum him up in 1 word: LOVE - for his students, his colleagues, his community. We ❤️ you,
@RodRobinsonRVA
! Congratulations!!!!
#NTOY2019
No clever zingers here to enrage the opposition. Just a simple, gut-wrenching request made with humility: please ban assault rifles. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I don’t know how to protect my 22,000 students from them. They scare the hell out of me. I’m begging you.
To those in media & outside of Richmond intent on painting our students with broad brush of negativity, shame on you. Our students are the brightest, hardest working & most compassionate young people I have ever met. I am enormously honored & grateful to serve them every day.
I’m heartbroken to share that Fox ES is on fire. I’m on site with Principal Jacobs. RFD is doing their very best to contain it. I’ll share more information once I have it. Please keep the Fox community in your prayers tonight.
Dear
#RPSStrong
Family, if you, or a transgender or non-binary student you know, would like their chosen name to show up in Google Classroom this fall, please email me at jkamras
@rvaschools
.net. We'll take care of it for you completely confidentially. Thank you!
#ReopenWithLove
I just can’t fathom the threat of withholding $ from VA divisions like
@RPS_Schools
that are protecting the lives of students and staff with a 4-inch piece of cloth - as mandated by bipartisan legislation passed last year.
This is unacceptable. Public schools should be welcoming and inclusive, not exclusionary. The very least we can give our students is dignity and respect. This action takes it away.
It’s unconscionable that White House & Dpt of Ed have politicized school reopening. I’ve heard from 100s of families/teachers over last few days, who have widely varying viewpoints - all of which are legitimate. What we need right now is empathy & grace, not heartless directives.
Just spent my last day
@dcpublicschools
exactly like my first: teaching math
@SousaMIddle1
. But this time, Wendall Jefferson, my dear friend & former student from that first year, co-taught with me. Thank you, Sousa students, families, staff & community. Eternal love & gratitude.
Can’t fully express how grateful I feel this morning, knowing I’ll have the honor of serving the students, families & staff of
@RPS_Schools
for 4 more years. Best way I can sum it up? This picture. Much ❤️ to you all!
You ever wonder if
@bombas
actually donates a pair of socks for every pair you buy? Well,
@RPS_Schools
just received about 10,000 pairs from them to give to students in need. Thank you!
World, meet Ms. Brown,
@RPS_Schools
bus driver. She heard of an 80-yr-old grandmother who needed meals for her grandchildren but couldn’t walk to the bus stop. So what did Ms. Brown do? Make a home visit. THAT is how we
#ReopenWithLove
! ❤️
We are not going to close schools again. Our students need us to stay open - perhaps now more than ever before. More details next week re additional measures we’re working on to address Omicron.
I’ve been asked a lot recently why we’re spending so much time and $ on the Bathroom Blitz. This👇is why. It’s about treating children with respect & dignity. And it’s about undoing decades of racial injustice. Would our bathrooms look like this if our students were 100% white?
RVA, thank you for the incredible outpouring of love and support. If you’d like to make a donation to support Fox students and staff, please do so via our Education Foundation and select “Fox Elementary Fire Response” in the designation menu. Thank you!
I’m heartbroken to share that Fox ES is on fire. I’m on site with Principal Jacobs. RFD is doing their very best to contain it. I’ll share more information once I have it. Please keep the Fox community in your prayers tonight.
I took these pictures today in one of our schools. Simple question: Would you send your own flesh and blood to a school that looked like this? If not, why should anyone have to? “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
#RVAKidsCantWait
For next year’s graduations, I’ll be recommending a gender-neutral cap/gown policy (rather than different colors for males/females, as is current practice at some schools). Let’s make sure ALL of our young people - however they identify - feel welcome at their own graduations.
I was deeply moved by our student panel today re policing in schools. They asked for action so here goes. I’ll be recommending to the School Board that we remove SROs from our schools & ask Council to reallocate the $ for mental health professionals.
The argument that there are not enough academically qualified Black and Latinx students to fill MLWGS is, at best, deeply misguided, and at worst, deeply prejudiced.
A school board chairman said this in response to a lack of Black and Latino students in gifted programs:
“I think it might change our vision, mission, or our uniqueness if we try to look like a general public school. We’re not. This is a gifted school.”
New teachers: forget that crazy rule about not smiling the first month. That’s bonkers. Smile, laugh, be joyful. You’re a teacher and that’s the coolest gig in the world!
Speaking for myself, not RPS or the School Board:
@JennMcClellanVA
is my Senator and I’ll be proud to vote for her on Tuesday for Congress. She’s a fierce supporter of public education, a skilled legislator, and a tireless advocate for those furthest from opportunity.
I’m very grateful to
@liz4schoolboard
for proposing a resolution to protect the rights of transgender and non-binary students
@RPS_Schools
and to the School Board for passing it last night. Excellent example of our motto: Teach, Lead, Serve with Love.
Thank you
@RPS_Schools
for your incredibly warm welcome today! I’m humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve the students and families of Richmond. Can’t wait to get started!
#WeAreRPS
What a glorious morning in Richmond! After 544 days,
@RPS_Schools
students are on the way back in, and after 131, years, Lee is on the way out.
#LetsDoThis
I’m absolutely devastated to share that Riddick Parker, Principal of George Wythe HS, has passed away. Mr. Parker gave his FULL heart & soul to the students of Wythe and will be dearly missed. Details are forthcoming on a memorial service. Please keep his family in your prayers.
Speaking for myself, not RPS or the School Board:
Congratulations to
@JennMcClellanVA
, one of the fiercest advocates for public education I’ve ever met. Can’t wait to make it official in February!
I’m celebrating Justice Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court for so many reasons, not the least of which is the message it sends to our students
@RPS_Schools
: You belong at EVERY table.
New hiring incentives
@RPS_Schools
!
***$6K moving stipend (from 50+ miles outside of Richmond)
***$4K signing bonus for teachers with 2+ yrs experience
***$2K signing bonus for new teachers
Come join us!
My wife to kids: “Guys, the debate is tomorrow night.”
Our 9-yr-old: “Is it like Hamilton?”
My wife: “Not exactly.”
Our 9-yr-old: “Well, do they have to rhyme?”
Best. Idea. Ever.
Dear Fed Gov,
We need:
1. Bailout package for $ being spent on non-reimbursable (but essential) food for kids.
2. Policy package to waive testing & other requirements that are impossible to comply with right now.
Hangin' in there, but need help.
Sincerely,
America's Schools
At RPS, our motto is to Teach with Love. That means embracing and protecting our students for exactly who they are. So I will recommend to the Board that we maintain our current policies on transgender students and reject the state's new model guidance.
As the 2005 National Teacher of the Year, as current
@RPS_Schools
Superintendent, and as a parent of two elementary-aged sons, let me be clear: arming teachers is an awful idea. The only answer: gun control.
We did it! 3,000 Obama Elementary t-shirts sold! Enormous gratitude to RVA: We ❤️ you! Changing a school name is just a symbol. But symbols matter. We’re proud
@RPS_Schools
to symbolize hope, inclusivity, and the great promise of EVERY child in Richmond.
I turn 4 (in RPS yrs) today! Couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate than with the 4-yr-olds at MLK Preschool! Did some letter tracing, played with some blocks, took part in an amazing mindfulness routine, and discussed our emotions. I love
@RPS_Schools
with all my ❤️!
Very excited to propose 5% raise for teachers & all staff in next year's budget! Since joining RPS, I'm thrilled we've been able to provide more than 19% in pay increases for teachers, raising average salary from $52K to $64K. Still LONG way to go, but we're making progress!
Just leaving Chimborazo ES where our amazing staff and volunteers are helping stock one of our food distribution sites. The RPS Family is STRONG. Much ❤️ and gratitude to you all!
@RPS_Schools
#WeAreRPS
So excited to announce new partnership between
@RPS_Schools
&
@VAUnion1865
, providing 50 FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to RPS 8th graders when they graduate! Enormous gratitude to
@vuupresident
Dr. Lucas for his leadership. It truly takes a village & the VUU village is stepping up big time.
2 false claims made at tonight’s mtg:
1) That average teacher salary has gone down over last 4 yrs. 100% false. Since I became Supt, average teacher salary has gone from $52K to $64K.
2) That our enrollment has dropped to 19,000. 100% false. As of today, we’re at 21,934.
Our quarter million KN95 masks are arriving at schools now. To be clear, these are not required under CDC guidance, but we’re offering them to staff/students who want them.
.
@RPS_Schools
teachers, your $150 Amazon card is sitting in your RPS inbox right now! Added bonus this year: everything will be shipped to your home, not your school (per your request).
#ReopenWithLove
I was asked at one of our budget town halls this week how many undocumented students we have. My answer: “I don’t know and we’re not going to ask.”
@RPS_Schools
is and will continue to be an inclusive school division that welcomes ALL children of ALL backgrounds.
#SomosRPS
Lamar (Oakgrove-Bellemeade ES) is one of five 5th graders who received a FULL RIDE to VUU today for when he finishes high school! VUU steps up again and again and again for
@RPS_Schools
. Thank you,
@vuupresident
!
GA, please don’t ban our ability to keep our mask mandate. I’m very concerned that many families
@RPS_Schools
will pull their kids out of school if the mandate is eliminated. That’s not good for students or families. Help us keep everyone in school - can’t we agree on that goal?
World, meet our AMAZING 2019 Valedictorians! Jordan (UVA), Lahjae (Virginia Tech), Laura (Virginia Tech), William (VCU), Alexis (UVA), Chantal (UVA), Majestic (ODU), and Cozette (Temple)! We are SO PROUD of you and ALWAYS here to support you.
#WeAreRPS
Rodney wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are SO PROUD of you! You represent everything we stand for
@RPS_Schools
. Words cannot express what this means for our students, our educators, and our community. Next up: National Teacher of the Year!
While passing out desks/chairs today in Creighton Court, Mayor
@LevarStoney
& I met Ms. Redd & her daughter Iesha (
@Woodville_ES
Bear 😊). Ms. Redd runs a pod for 7 RPS students! And I was thrilled to verify that EVERY family we met has RPS Chromebooks & Internet!
Great to catch up with
@RodRobinsonRVA
this morning at Marcus-David Peters Circle. We were doing a photo shoot for an article about the only school district in America with TWO National Teachers of the Year 😊!
@RPS_Schools
For the first time this school year, NO COVID cases today! Thank you to the RPS family for working so diligently to keep our students, staff, and partners safe. Don’t let up! Get vaccinated, wear your mask, and wash your hands.
To our students: RPS may be officially closed, but we are always open to support you in any way we can. If you need anything at all – anything – please email me at jkamras
@rvaschools
.net. We are here for you and we love you.
Congratulations to the
@RPS_Schools
2020 Spelling Bee Champion, Prince-Albert Hudson (Obama ES), and the 2020 Runner-Up, Paxson Wijesooriya (Chimborazo ES)! We couldn’t be prouder of you!!!
Happy Bonus Day!
@RPS_Schools
teachers, I know you don’t do this work for the money. But I hope the bonus makes things just a little bit easier for you and your families. Much ❤️ and gratitude to you!
Congratulations to
@RPS_Schools
for being first school division in VA to approve collective bargaining! Looking forward to partnering with future bargaining units to
#LeadWithLove
together. Onward and upward!
After 2+ yrs, I just tested positive for COVID-19 for 1st time. I’m so disappointed that I won’t be able to attend the rest of our graduations 😔. My colleague J. Austin Brown will accept the graduates for me. To the Class of 2022, I’m SO proud of you and love you very much! ❤️
As we enter budget season, just a friendly reminder that public schools do much more than teach reading & math. In most communities, they’re one of largest providers of:
Food
Healthcare
Social Services
Transportation
Technology
Recreation
Childcare
Employment
And more…
Another way we're going to
#ReopenWithLove
: Providing our students with a variety of virtual backgrounds – including school-specific ones – so no child has to worry if they're self-conscious about how home looks. Thank you,
@NBC12
, for covering this!
JM wins state title!!!!! Everyone knows about their offense, but their defense is the difference maker. Relentless. Just like
@RPS_Schools
. Congratulations, Justices!
Speaking for myself, not RPS or the School Board.
The war in Gaza must end immediately. I say this as a Jew and an American. The humanitarian toll - especially on Palestinian children - is unacceptable. All Israeli hostages must also be immediately and unconditionally released.
Speaking for myself, not RPS or the School Board:
Let’s send
@JennMcClellanVA
to Congress! She’s a fierce advocate for public education, a skilled legislator, and a tireless advocate for those furthest from opportunity. Vote!
We all need to extend grace to one another in these very difficult times. Everyone is stressed. Everyone is anxious. Everyone is scared. Empathy for each other's pain is the only way we'll make it to the light at the other side of this – and emerge even stronger.
#RPSStrong
On behalf of
@RPS_Schools
, I extend our deepest sympathies to Colette and the entire McEachin family. Congressman McEachin was a dear friend to RPS and cared deeply about the success of our students. He exemplified what it means to
#ServeWithLove
and will be dearly missed.
Among the many reasons I love
@RodRobinsonRVA
: right after our celebration for him today, he made a beeline (right past all the elected officials) to his former students to give them a hug.
#WeAreRPS
#RodneyIsRPS
#NTOY19
Thank you! Though changing a school name is but a symbol, symbols matter. This is especially true today when our nation’s ideals and democratic institutions are under daily attack.
@RPS_Schools
is proud to symbolize change in Richmond with the name Barack Obama Elementary!
School visit 43/44: Francis Elementary School! Here’s how our amazing
@RPS_Schools
educators teach PE when they don’t have a gym (don’t get me started on that). And here’s proof that dancing may not be my greatest strength.
#WeAreRPS
I asked
@CityRichmondVA
to replace the mangled & grungy no parking signs at Clark Springs on Monday. Pic on right is today! Excellent service. Thank you!
Today’s math:
Free $300 shopping spree at Walmart for every Wythe teacher
+
Free $300 shopping spree at Walmart for every Boushall teacher
+
Free $300 shopping spree at Walmart for every Woodville teacher
=
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Thank you
@CocaCola
@Walmart
!!!!!
I don’t love being in the paper all the time 😬 and don’t think they always get it right, but one thing I always appreciated about the RTD was how seriously they covered school issues. This is a major loss for Richmond.
There was a fire at Fox Elementary, mask mandates at schools are being lifted in Virginia, history discussions are being politicized, RPS is in a budget crisis, and there may not be an education reporter at The Times-Dispatch for the foreseeable future.
Hmm.
Your vote matters. Need proof? RVA elected people who replaced the school on the left with the school on the right. Vote like your children’s future depends on it. Because it does.