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| Monday (PM), February 22, 2021
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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Lots to cover tonight so let's dive in:
Budget Discussion – Este jueves, 25 de febrero, a las 6 pm, discutiremos el presupuesto de RPS en español para nuestros hispanohablantes. ¡Regístrese aquí! (This Thursday, February 25, at 6 pm, we'll be discussing the RPS budget in Spanish for our Spanish speakers. Please register here!)
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2021-22 Calendar Proposal – Turning to next year's calendar, I want to remind everyone to complete our feedback surveys. Here's the parent/caregiver survey and the teacher/staff survey. Some of the key features of the proposed calendar:
- A fully in-person opening, along with a virtual pathway for families who prefer that option
- 7 weeks of extra instruction to support our 5,000 highest-need students: 3 weeks in July/August right before school (“Jump Start”), 2 weeks in November (“Fall Boost”), and 2 weeks in March (“Spring Boost”)
- More than $10,000 in additional compensation for teachers who choose to work the additional weeks (those weeks would be time off for teachers who choose not to work them)
- A 5-week summer for students participating in the extra days of instruction, and an 8-week summer for all other students
- 4 full-day and 2 half-day Teacher Work Days
- Days off for Easter Monday, Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, and Yom Kippur
- "The average English SOL scores of Black students at 74 percent of year-round schools improved faster than average scores at traditional calendar schools, and the average math SOL scores of Black students at 65 percent of year-round schools improved faster than their traditional calendar peers."
The JLARC study also found positive impacts for teachers. It noted:
- "[T]eachers with year-round school experience believed that the calendar generally has a positive influence on student achievement, and benefits teachers both personally and professionally."
Finally, the study found positive impacts for families. It noted:
- "[P]arents of children that have attended year-round schools believed that the calendar positively affected their children academically. They also reported few negative impacts on their families related to scheduling vacations, participation in extracurricular activities, and securing childcare."
To be sure, this calendar is not a panacea. It's just one of many tools we have to support our schools post-COVID. But, as the research above indicates, it's a powerful tool that can provide a rare win-win-win for our students, families, and staff. As always, if you have any questions or comments about this, please feel free to email me at jkamras@rvaschools.net.
With great appreciation,
Jason
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| 2021-22 Proposed Calendar – Please see below for the details.
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| Would next school year be in-person? Yes. Our goal is to open fully in-person next school year, while also offering a virtual pathway for families who would prefer that option.
What facility upgrades would be complete for next school year? Our goal is to outfit all RPS schools with bipolar ionization air filtration systems, complete other critical HVAC work, and finish the Bathroom Blitz – all prior to reopening.
What health and safety protocols would be in place? At a minimum, we would require temperature scanning and symptom assessment upon arrival, mask wearing at all times, multiple opportunities for hand washing throughout the day, a full-time nurse, and ample PPE. Our hope is that, by the fall, 6-foot social distancing would no longer be required. Of course, we would continue to monitor information from the CDC, and issue detailed guidance to students, families, and staff prior to the start of any in-person instruction.
Would teachers and support staff need to be vaccinated? Our recommendation would be that all teachers and support staff are fully vaccinated (both doses) before returning to in-person instruction. We are cautiously optimistic that all RPS employees will have access to the vaccine over the next 2-3 months.
What are Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost (dates in blue on the proposed calendar)? These would be extra instructional weeks for about 5,000 students who need the most support. Jump Start would be a 3-week session right before school starts; Fall Boost would be a 2-week session in November; and Spring Boost would be a 2-week session at the beginning of March. The teacher-to-student ratio would be kept very low (no more than 1-to-8) and the main instructional focus would be increasing reading proficiency (though other subjects would be addressed at the MS and HS levels). In addition, enrichment activities with local non-profits and cultural institutions would be integrated into the daily schedule.
Is there any research supporting the idea of something like Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost? Yes. There’s a great deal of research indicating that these types of intervention sessions – combined with less time out of school during the summer – can lead to increases in student learning. For example, a 2019 analysis of all the major studies on this topic found that these types of schedules typically produce gains in both reading and math, especially when the time out of school each summer is reduced. And a report by the Virginia General Assembly's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) indicated that calendars like the one proposed have had a particularly positive effect for Black students in Virginia.
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| Did we also consider a longer day as an alternative to this schedule? Yes. But we received a great deal of feedback that both students and teachers would be drained by a substantially longer day.
Why only 5,000 students for Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost? We would, of course, love to have even more students in these sessions. But we are limited by funds, and more importantly, by the need to keep the teacher-to-student ratio low. That is critical for the success of the program.
Would Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost be required for the 5,000 prioritized students? No. We would prioritize students by their scores on reading assessments, and strongly encourage them to participate. But the decision would ultimately rest with each family. Of note, we would have a variety of incentives for students who attend these sessions.
What would students who are not in Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost do during these times? Students who do not participate in these sessions would be off. Jump Start would occur in late July and early August before the official first day of school. To support families with childcare during Fall Boost and Spring Boost, we would work with local non-profits to provide low-cost (and potentially, no-cost) camp options.
How long would the summer 2021 break be for students participating in Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost? Students participating in these sessions would have a 5-week summer break. How long would the summer 2021 break be for other students? All other students would have an 8-week summer break.
Why only 5,000 students for Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost? We would, of course, love to have even more students in these sessions. But we are limited by funds, and more importantly, by the need to keep the teacher-to-student ratio low. That is critical for the success of the program.
Would Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost be required for the 5,000 prioritized students? No. We would prioritize students by their scores on reading assessments, and strongly encourage them to participate. But the decision would ultimately rest with each family. Of note, we would have a variety of incentives for students who attend these sessions.
What would students who are not in Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost do during these times? Students who do not participate in these sessions would be off. Jump Start would occur in late July and early August before the official first day of school. To support families with childcare during Fall Boost and Spring Boost, we would work with local non-profits to provide low-cost (and potentially, no-cost) camp options.
How long would the summer 2021 break be for students participating in Jump Start, Fall Boost, and Spring Boost? Students participating in these sessions would have a 5-week summer break.
How long would the summer 2021 break be for other students? All other students would have an 8-week summer break.
Would Teacher Work Days (dates in purple on the proposed calendar) be completely uninterrupted time for teachers to plan, grade, and otherwise prepare for their lessons? Yes.
Would we continue to leverage the power of virtual PD sessions to give teachers more choices during the PD Days (dates in green on the proposed calendar)? Yes.
Would we leverage the power of virtual meetings by offering virtual Parent/Caregiver Conference Days (dates in gray on the proposed calendar)? Yes, but only as one option. In-person conferences would also be available.
Why would RPS be closed for Easter Monday, Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, and Yom Kippur? To make RPS an even more inclusive school system, we feel it would appropriate to give off these religious holidays for our increasingly diverse students and staff.
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- Helene Edwards has always gone above and beyond in my opinion. She really tries to communicate information about the meetings to the parents and tries her best to make sure parents are heard, and makes them know that their opinions are valued. She did this before things went virtual and continues to do so now.
- Shout out to Coach Jo at TJHS....wonderful guy. He is really pulling my son and others through this. He is the football coach and is talking to the boys, engaging them and reminding them of the light at the end of the tunnel. I love the guy and haven’t even met him in person!
- Shout out to: Mrs. Katie Peters (ISAEP teacher) for meeting with an ISAEP student at Wells Fargo to work with him to open up a checking account; Gayle Robinson and Ebony Pittman (Read 180 teachers) for conducting home visits and dropping office academic goodie bags to their students prior to the ice storm; Spartan Academy Students for raising $600 to donate to VCU Children's Hospital during winter break; Mrs. Dianne Callendar & Ms. Hamlette (Aspire Academy) for conducting home visits and providing food to families in need prior to the ice storm.
- I would like to give a big shout out to Chanda Hannah (school social worker at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary) for all the late night conversations and advice she has given me in the past couple of months. Thank you for everything you do for the Oak Grove family and the school social work team!
- I would like to give a big shout to Katerina Momiroska - behavior specialist for River City Middle School and Lucille Brown Middle School. Thank you for doing over a hundred home visits and being a great asset to the attendance team for River City! Go, Redtails!!!
- I want to give a huge shout out to Ms. Burke, Binford's Choir Teacher. It cannot be easy to teach a choir class virtually, especially when most students are brand new. But, somehow, Ms. Burke has done it and produced a Black Lives Matter video with her students and it is awesome! Congratulations, Ms. Burke; RPS is so fortunate to have you!
- I wanted to give a shout out to the History Department at Huguenot High School. I am a relatively new teacher and my department has been so helpful in guiding me during my first two years as a teacher of record. I have learned something from each and every one of them. I would also like to give special thanks to Ms. Siedlarczyk who has been my second mother, best teacher friend, and number one cheerleader. She was my CRC during my RTR year (cohort 8-- what's up!) and could not have done a better job mentoring me. Furthermore, this is her first year being our fearless department head and she is constantly advocating for us and pushing us to be the best we can be. More special thanks to my co-teachers, Mrs. Schick and Mr. Palmer (current RTR resident). Having three whole teachers in the virtual classroom has been an absolute joy and I couldn't have asked for a better team to get us through this wild ride of a year!
- Ms. Liggans at River City Middle School is the bee's knees! No matter how many times she has to bob and weave, Liggans come through with grace and compassion. We are so blessed to have such a strong and beautiful leader!
- A huge shout-out to Mrs. Gray at Mary Munford. She knew how much the kids were looking forward to a Valentine's Day celebration, so she threw a party on Friday, when they were supposed to be off due to the snow. She really loves our kids and looks out for their social-emotional wellbeing on the regular. Thanks for loving our kids, Mrs. Gray!
- I would like to give a big shout out to the Barack Obama ES Family. Last night, we celebrated the achievements of our wonderful students for the first semester of virtual learning. Through the teamwork of Ms. Drye (assistant principal), Mrs. Thomas-Moore (math coach), Mrs. Duncan (Reading Coach), and the entire BOES team, two outstanding presentations were enjoyed by all who attended. Also, congratulations to all of the awesome students and supportive parents of Barack Obama Elementary School. Remember, we have made it halfway working together, and together we will make it to the end.
- I would like to give a huge shout out to Ms. Waller at Boushall Middle School for going above and beyond for our scholars. She is dedicated to our vision, mission and philosophy of Boushall Middle School.
- I would like to send a shout out to Armstrong High School music teacher Rufus Johnson for a powerful music video created with his students that speaks to the social issues of today. Great job!
- I would like to shout out and thank Mr. Riddick Parker, AP of Armstrong High School, for participating in "RPS Athletics On The Rise". Mr. Parker performed a presentation for the Armstrong Athletics & Academics Association (A Quad), discussing the meaning of success.
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| Armstrong Choir Black History Video – Check out this great video created by Armstrong’s Choir under the leadership of their director, Mr. Rufus Johnson!
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| Poem by Richmond Poet Laureate Roscoe Burnem – Mr. Burnem shared this poem – "children of the drum" – during last week's RPS Live! and it was so powerful we thought it we'd share it here.
“white folks hear the blues come out, but they don’t know how it got there.” – ma rainey
a timeline of music
went from drum call to call for freedom
from plucking on banjos to bondage on a ship
from djembes to django
and then crash
on the soil of tobacco cotton sharecroppin
fingers
coarse as their hair
coarse as the lashes on their back
coarse as their pain
harmonized in the key of trauma
traumatized being a minor
looking for the freedom notes
slave song rebellion anthem
mapping north like a union soldiers bugle
same fingers
plucking strings of blues
and folk guitars
same fingers
plucking the tear soaked rope from their necks
who but us could unhinge a noose
and turn into an instrument
go through hell, and make gospel
like fire shut up in the bones of a burning cross
baptize themselves in a colored fountain
who but negroes could fry a jim crow
and feed a nation revolution
to the symphony of the iron hand bigot called america
the pop of gunshots and police batons like kick and snare snared justice in the teeth of police dogs
who but colored folk could find the rhythm in a riot
make jazz out of jail
make a motown out of a march
in formation til the
the soul need a breakbeat
we bass-boom and crack walls
crack glass ceilings
crack babies born in a concrete existence projects built like mausoleums
forced fed products of experimental
drugs gone viral
viruses gone viral
fame at the expense of an epidemic
[we] pump up the volume and the veins
who but blacks could use needles
to spin back the hands of time
and scratch
the surface of broken history
the one america tries to skip
who but descendants of slave
now only slave to the rhythm
could take generations of suffering
and make genres full of joy
and rising sounds like
black notes are the only reason music exist
how did it get there?!
we took the off-key we were given
remixed it into resilient medley
while they try to silence the notes
hit the notes
dead the notes
it is said you can kill a revolutionary but can’t kill the revolution when you are children of the drum
people can stop the hearts
but they can never stop the beat
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REB Awards – Make sure to nominate the amazing RPS teachers in your life by February 22!
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Facilitated Learning Centers – As a reminder, there are still seats available at the "facilitated learning centers" serving RPS students. See below for details.
- Peter Paul Development Center is running a facilitated learning center at MLK MS for 2nd-8th grade RPS students. The full-day option goes from 9 am until 6 pm, and is completely free for low-income families. To learn more, click here.
- The YMCA is is running facilitated learning centers at Miles Jones ES, Holton ES, and Huguenot HS for K-8th grade RPS students. The full-day option goes from 7:30 am until 6 pm, and is completely free for low-income families. To learn more, click here.
- There are also many other facilitated learning centers not housed in RPS schools across the city. To learn more, click here.
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RPS Love Store – Show your RPS Love and help us raise money for RPS families in need and local racial justice non-profits by ordering something today from the RPS Love Store!
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| Crisis Support – Please reach out if you need help.
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Important Links – I'll note in orange when there have been additions/updates so you you won't miss anything.
#ReopenWithLove Links
Local, State, and National Public Health Links
Local, State, and National Public Education Links
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