The questions below were sent to each candidate competing in the race for Richmond School Board.
Ali Faruk
What's your perspective on RPS200?
I’m glad RPS is trying new things to expand instructional time and improve student outcomes. The key to success here is to properly support the RPS staff so we can maximize this additional instructional time. We have to do more to support our educators in the classroom to improve student outcomes.
What is your take on the Dreams4RPS strategic plan? What would you change and what would you keep?
I’m glad that RPS has a detailed strategic plan and I often visit rvaschools.net to see the various Dreams4RPS data and peruse the outcomes report. Strategic plans should have a regular lifecycle of updates/amendments. I’m confident there will be a deliberate and thoughtful public process to update the Dreams4RPS strategic plan so that it reflects the publics will.
I think the Richmond City School Board should pick 2-3 student outcomes from Dreams4RPS to focus on by deeply understanding the strategy and spending time at each meeting understanding the progress toward this goal. Personally I’d like to see us focus on 3rd grade reading/literacy, absenteeism, and graduation rates. The School Board should commit to achieving certain benchmarks after 3 years on these goals and hold themselves and the superintendent accountable to achieving these benchmarks.
How will you address the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, including English learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students?
RPS has made great progress over the last several years with many schools being accredited and improving SOL scores. We have much more work to do especially around our students with disabilities. There are significant gaps, even in our accredited schools, for our students with disabilities. I’d like to see increased training and technical assistance for our principals and assistant principals. Many RPS families have shared their stories of having to become legal experts in the laws and regulations about accommodations for students with disabilities to ensure their kids were getting the supports and services they need.
When it comes to the classroom, all students benefit from Science of Reading approaches, especially multi-lingual learners and students with disabilities. Multi lingual learners benefit from skilled teachers that understand learning acceleration, RPS has a great leader in this work and they are seeing gains.
What is your stance on the role of standardized testing in schools? How should student success be measured?
Testing is important to establish baselines and measure progress. However, I think our kids are over tested. I think that’s part of the reason kids, especially as they get older, are weary and wary of school. Standardized testing came about when folks wanted to understand if what they were doing in school was working, and this is still something we need to understand. Too many kids go to school and experience work that is not giving them access to opportunities, but standardized testing is not the only way we can measure student success. Any test that kids take should give us information we can use to adjust and refine our instruction or the environment so that we can better serve them- if we are administering assessments that give us data we cant act on or repeatedly telling us the same information, we should eliminate those.
What role does the district play in addressing gun violence?
Until our state level and national elected officials take action to reduce the sheer number of guns circulating in America, the schools systems will be stuck mostly responding to crises. In so much as violence is a symptom of communities and families in need of support and healing RPS can continue to be a partner in bringing services and supports to our families and advocating for more resources.
What are your suggestions for addressing students' mental health?
I’d like to see school based mental health services expanded and explore the Community Schools model.
Charlene Riley
What's your perspective on RPS200?
Being that this is something that was newly instated we don’t have the data at the moment to suggest if this has worked or not, my major concern is what does a program like this cost and how will budgets be decided in the future, my opinion we don’t need longer instructional times we need better engagement with students to better understand them in order to educate them.
We need to also see how programs like this factor into teacher retention.
What is your take on the Dreams4RPS strategic plan? What would you change and what would you keep?
I was not too thrilled about the Dreams4rps strategic plan, it listed teacher retention at number 4, that should have been second after accreditation, at this point the only thing I want changed is the priorities and the ways we go about them, I feel the 130 community meetings was a bit of a waste of resources as we already knew a lot of these issues ahead of these meetings, if we want to address attendance we need to address poverty, we need greater resources in the schools to match the needs of the students and the community as a whole.
How will you address the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, including English learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students?
First thing that needs to be done is, we need to understand that every schools has a different set of needs, we need to get out of the cookie cutter mind set and offer resources and opportunities based on the demographics of the schools individually and not as a whole district, we need individuals to work with the schools on that level with just the schools, communicate with the students and gage needs.
What is your stance on the role of standardized testing in schools? How should student success be measured?
Standardized testing in school is not a bad thing, we just need to be mindful of what these tests measure, how they are composed, and also what they represent. We need state funding to be based on knowledge retention tests, student success should be measured by knowledge retention, comprehension skills, reading skills.
What's your strategy to address absenteeism?
My plan is to address poverty, seek out the students who are struggling with this the most and figure out what plan can we create and follow to help you get to school on time and regularly, what resources can we provide to make your life easier, what services can we provide to help you sleep at night and wake refreshed, that’s apart of the community.
What role does the district play in addressing gun violence?
The district is not providing resources, services or programs, to help keep children off of the streets and not keeping them in school for an extra twenty days, but offer them something fun, safe and constant to do, gauge their interest, figure out what they like and create programs around community interest.
What are your suggestions for addressing students' mental health?
RPS is spending so much of its resources on security they are not spending, if anything on mental health services, we need a shift in the budget to address mental health, we can also partner with local universities to have students who are in the mental health field to partner with RPS to help them get the credit hours needed to ensure graduation while also at the same time creating connections with the community and helping not only their students but all students, playing a positive role in the community as a whole.
Kevin Starlings
What's your perspective on RPS200?
RPS200 is an initiative by Richmond Public Schools to extend the school year to 200 days at select schools. The program aims to modernize systems and infrastructure, improving access for students. Participating schools in the second year of the initiative include Cardinal, Fairfield Court, Oak Grove-Bellemeade, and Woodville. Staff at RPS200 schools are eligible to receive an additional $5,000 bonus if their school meets student outcome goals established at the beginning of the year. The program has shown positive results, with two Richmond elementary schools demonstrating improvement on the state's literacy assessment after completing their first 200-day school year.
Fairfield Court Elementary School was the first Richmond Public School to participate in the 200-day school year pilot program, starting in July. I strongly believe that while data provides valuable insights, direct feedback from teachers and staff is crucial for understanding the realities on the ground. They have firsthand experience with the challenges and opportunities presented by the extended school year. Their input can help shape initiatives that effectively support both educators and students. It's essential to create a collaborative environment where their voices are heard and valued. Before this becomes a district-wide initiative, we need to carefully consider their perspectives and lessons learned from the pilot schools.
What is your take on the Dreams4RPS strategic plan? What would you change and what would you keep?
The Dreams4RPS strategic plan was created in 2018 after an extensive community engagement process involving over 170 meetings and input from 3,000 stakeholders. This plan guides the Richmond Public Schools division into the future. It is centered around five strategic priorities: Exciting and Rigorous Teaching and Learning, Skilled and Supported Staff, Safe and Loving School Cultures, Deep Partnership with Families and Community, and Modern Systems and Infrastructure. The plan delineates eight key actions for each priority, along with 10 overarching goals. Notably, it aims for students to select secondary schools based on their interests and aspirations, which might require them to attend schools outside of their neighborhoods.There are several aspects of the plan worth keeping. Its community-driven approach ensures it reflects the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders it serves. The focus on student-centered priorities puts students at the forefront, emphasizing rigorous education, safety, and opportunities for growth aligned with their interests. Clearly defining goals and actions for each priority provides a roadmap for implementation and allows for progress tracking.
However, there are areas to consider changing or exploring further. While not explicitly stated as a priority, ensuring equity across all aspects of the plan is crucial. This includes equitable access to rigorous courses, safe learning environments, and opportunities for school selection based on interests. Strategies to address potential equity gaps should be embedded throughout the plan. Beyond skills development, the plan could further emphasize staff well-being and retention, recognizing the impact of educator burnout and turnover on students and school culture. To foster deep partnerships with families and the community, the plan could benefit from specific strategies to engage with historically marginalized communities, ensuring their voices are amplified and their needs addressed.
The goal of modern systems and infrastructure is important, but the plan could provide more details on what this modernization entails, such as technology access, facility upgrades, and transportation considerations.
Overall, the Dreams4RPS strategic plan provides a strong foundation with its community-driven creation, student-centered priorities, and clearly outlined goals and actions. To enhance the plan's impact, refining it to more explicitly address equity, staff well-being, and specific strategies for partnerships and infrastructure modernization would be beneficial.
How will you address the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, including English learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students?
Addressing the needs of students from diverse backgrounds is essential for creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment. For English learners, providing access to English language development programs tailored to students' proficiency levels is crucial. This could include bilingual or dual-language programs, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and sheltered instruction across content areas. Validating students' home languages and cultures by incorporating multicultural resources and diverse perspectives into the curriculum promotes a sense of belonging. Teachers can use scaffolding techniques, visual aids, and graphic organizers to support comprehension of complex concepts and vocabulary. Offering multilingual support for family communication and involvement recognizes that families play a crucial role in students' language development and academic success.
For students with disabilities, implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles makes lessons accessible and engaging for all learners. Ensuring implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) provides necessary accommodations and modifications through collaboration with special education staff and related service providers. Leveraging assistive technology tools supports students with different abilities.
Teaching self-advocacy skills and strategies for self-regulation, problem-solving, and accessing support resources fosters independence.
For economically disadvantaged students, collaborating with community organizations provides on-site or linked services addressing basic needs. Ensuring access to rigorous courses and enrichment opportunities, with necessary supports like tutoring or summer programs, helps bridge any gaps. Recognizing that these students may face additional stressors and potentially traumatic experiences highlights the need for a safe, caring school climate and teaching coping and resilience skills. Offering resources and workshops helps families navigate the education system, understand their rights, and support their children's learning at home.
Shared principles across these groups include holding high academic and behavioral expectations paired with the belief in students' ability to meet these expectations with support. Differentiating instruction to meet diverse learning needs, interests, and strengths, with flexibility to adjust strategies, is key. Providing ongoing professional development on culturally responsive teaching, differentiated instruction, and supporting diverse learners fosters a growth mindset among educators. Monitoring the progress of diverse student groups, using data to identify areas of strength and concern, allows for targeted interventions and practice adjustments. By implementing these strategies, schools can better address the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, promoting greater equity and inclusivity. Recognizing that effectively teaching diverse students is complex and continually evolving work is crucial for ongoing growth and improvement.
What is your stance on the role of standardized testing in schools? How should student success be measured?
Standardized testing has been a topic of much debate in education. While it can provide some useful data, it is essential to consider its limitations and potential negative impacts.
Standardized tests allow for comparisons across different classrooms, schools, and districts, providing a common metric for assessing student performance relative to peers. They hold schools and districts accountable for ensuring students meet certain academic standards and help identify achievement gaps between different student subgroups, highlighting areas needing targeted support. However, an overemphasis on standardized tests can lead to a narrow= curriculum focus, potentially limiting instruction in areas like arts, social studies, and physical education. High-stakes testing can create significant stress for students, negatively impacting their well-being and attitudes towards school. Tests may contain cultural biases, putting certain student groups at a disadvantage. The pressure to perform well can lead to "teaching to the test," rather than promoting deeper learning and critical thinking skills. No single standardized test can fully and accurately measure student achievement. I do not support overreliance on tests like the SOLs, as they provide a limited snapshot of student ability.
Alternative measures of student success are essential. Performance tasks provide an authentic assessment of students' ability to apply skills and knowledge in real-world scenarios. Evaluating student projects gauges problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking abilities. Collecting student work over time showcases growth, progress toward goals, and mastery of skills. Self-assessment and peer assessment promote metacognition, reflection, and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
Assessing social-emotional learning (SEL) skills like empathy, self-awareness, and self-management is crucial for students' overall success and well-being. Tracking attendance, active participation in learning, and a growth mindset indicates motivation and likelihood of long-term success. While standardized tests have a place, they should not be the sole or primary measure of student success or school quality. A balanced approach includes a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures, providing a comprehensive picture of student learning and growth. This allows for a nuanced understanding of areas of strength and those needing improvement, informing instruction and support strategies. The focus should be on promoting meaningful learning, equity, and the well-being and success of all students.
What's your strategy to address absenteeism?
Addressing absenteeism requires a multifaceted approach that identifies root causes, implements preventative measures, and provides targeted interventions. To identify root causes, track chronic absenteeism rates for the overall student body and various subgroups. Analyze data to find patterns and trends. Gather feedback from student and family surveys to understand reasons for absences. Is it due to health issues, transportation challenges, lack of engagement with school, bullying, or other factors?
Preventative measures are key. Foster a positive, inclusive school climate where students feel connected, supported, and valued. Ensure students have at least one positive relationship with an adult in the building. Provide engaging instruction and opportunities for student interest and input to increase motivation and attendance. Monitor attendance closely from the start of the year, addressing emerging issues promptly. Offer resources to help families overcome barriers to attendance, connecting them with community services for transportation, health, or basic needs.
Targeted interventions are also necessary. Develop individualized attendance plans outlining goals, strategies, and responsibilities for students with chronic absenteeism.
Implement a tiered system of supports, with all students receiving universal supports, some requiring supplemental supports, and a few intensive individualized interventions. Partner with agencies providing wraparound services like mentoring, counseling, or family support. Leverage these resources to address root causes of absenteeism. Regularly track student progress, adjusting intervention plans as needed based on data and feedback from students, families, and staff.
Clear communication and policies are essential. Establish and clearly communicate attendance expectations, consequences, and incentives to students and families. Keep families informed about their child's absences, progress toward goals, and ways they can support improved attendance. While having consequences for unexcused absences is important, avoid punitive measures creating further barriers to attendance.
By taking a proactive, data-driven approach addressing root causes and implementing tiered supports, schools can reduce chronic absenteeism and promote student success. It requires collaboration among educators, families, and community agencies, as well as a commitment to creating an engaging and supportive school environment.
What role does the district play in addressing gun violence?
The district is important to addressing gun violence in three ways: prevention, intervention and response. In terms of prevention, access to school counselors is paramount. Not only that, however, social workers are equally critical. Provided mental health education and early intervention programs can nip troubles in the bud before they blossom into tragedies. Implement evidence-based threat assessment protocols that identify and address potential threats early. One way to do this is through cultivating a positive and inclusive school culture that supports children in developing social and emotional learning.
Promoting empathy, respect and other learning is also beneficial. And there support services which specialize in providing assistance to families and youth.
In terms of intervention, training staff to recognize early warning signs of potential violence such as altered behavior or concerning communications is necessary. However, developing teams to deal with issues-reactive teams, crisis teams, and threat assessment team-offers a proactive response. Implementing restorative practices and alternatives to suspension/expulsion is how behavior problems are resolved before they escalate to something bigger. It’s important to create support mechanisms and target edged mentoring programs that help youth who are at risk of involvement in violence.
In the event of a gun crime, (including carrying out drills with an active shooter) were to take place on campus, having established emergency response plan sets trained and ready for action-the entire school community. And it ensures that crisis response teams are on hand with response protocols quickly put in place. Access to trauma counseling and other support services for affected students and staff after incidents happen is necessary healing. When making a comparison after incidents, it is found that lessons were learned so that prevention and response strategy becomes even more perfected.
The district can lobby on their own behalf as well calling for all localities, states or national policies aimed at preventing gun violence. For example, background checks and age restrictions on firearm purchases and improved funding for mental health programs are needed. Making available the necessary funds for school safety, mental health services, violence prevention programs is crucial. When information is shared and efforts are combined with the cooperation of police, mental health units and other relevant institutions, then there is a unified approach to this issue. By taking prevention, early intervention, and response to problems, the district plays a crucial role in features of a comprehensive strategy to solve this complex modern problem.
What are your suggestions for addressing students' mental health?
As the Chair of the School Health Advisory Board for RPS, I am deeply committed to prioritizing the mental health and well-being of every single student. It's heartbreaking to see so many young people struggling, and it's unacceptable that they often don't get the support they desperately need. We absolutely must do better.
First and foremost, we need many more school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. Our student-to-staff ratios are far too high, which means kids can't get the individualized care they require. Hiring more staff isn't just a good idea – it's an ethical imperative. And we need to work together with community mental health agencies to provide on-site services or connect students with care outside of school. No child should have to navigate the complex mental health system alone.
Telehealth is a game-changer, especially for kids in areas where in-person services are scarce. But we can't stop there. We need to proactively teach social-emotional skills like self-awareness, self-regulation, and how to build healthy relationships. Kids should learn about mental health just like they learn math or reading. And we need to screen for mental health concerns regularly, so we can catch problems early before they spiral out of control.
So many of our students have been through trauma, and it's our responsibility to recognize that. Every staff member needs training in trauma-informed care. And we need to make sure our services respect the incredible diversity of our students' backgrounds and identities. LGBTQ+ kids, for example, face unique challenges and need safe spaces and targeted support.
Families are our partners, but they need our help. We need to offer workshops and resources so parents can support their child's mental health. And we need to connect families with resources in the community, like support groups and therapists. Caring for kids' mental health is a 24/7 job, and it takes a village.
This is going to take money and policy changes. I'll be fighting tooth and nail for district, state, and federal funding for school mental health. I'll seek out grants, partnerships, any source of funding I can find. Our kids can't wait.
But let's be real, our staff are burned out. They need training and support so they can help students. And they need us to prioritize their own well-being. You can't pour from an empty cup, and that's exactly what's happening every day in our schools.
I am so deeply concerned about the state of our kids' mental health. But I have hope. If we work together; as a school board, as a community, we can create a system that truly supports every child. As Chair of the School Health Advisory Board, I am dedicated to making that vision a reality. Our kids are counting on us.
