Mr. Kamras
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RPS to launch 200-day school year in July
Fairfield Court Elementary School is the first Richmond Public School that will participate in the district’s 200-day school year pilot program, beginning July 24.
Superintendent proposes 35.3 percent budget increase for RPS
Superintendent Jason Kamras is proposing a 35.3 percent operating budget increase to meet the district’s anticipated expenses for the 2023- 2024 school year.
Absenteeism at RPS is down 1.8 percent, but remains high
Chronic absenteeism among school-aged children who miss 10 percent of days or more due to excused and unexcused absences continues to plague school systems, including Richmond Public Schools, throughout the country.
RPS makes history in collective bargaining negotiations
Richmond Public Schools recently negotiated agreements with four collective bargaining “units” that will result in increased salaries, compensation and benefits for those employees. The RPS school board was the first in the state to pass a collective bargaining resolution last December since the Virginia Supreme Court banned such agreements for public sector employees 45 years ago.
RPS scores in lower grades show decline
The latest student test scores reported at the Richmond Public School Board meeting last week contained more bad news.
RPS data suggests student improvement despite SOL scores
Richmond Public Schools student Standard of Learning (SOL) scores are among the lowest in the state of Virginia this year.
Laptop overload
Despite thousands of unused Chromebooks, RPS plans to buy 4,000 more
Three months ago, the Richmond School Board was told that the school system had enough Chromebooks to provide every student with a laptop “for years to come.” Now the board is being advised that Superintendent Jason Kamras’ administration plans to buy at least 4,000 more Chromebooks using a newly awarded federal grant.
SOL scores remain low for RPS
Illness, isolation, trauma faulted for dismal test results
Richmond Public Schools’ Standard of Learning test scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, coming in the same for reading, but falling in math and science when compared with scores from last year.
RPS approves stipends and hiring bonuses to attract new teachers
Richmond Public Schools is taking big steps to find new teachers for the upcoming school year.
New RPS teachers to earn $51,182 annually; bus drivers will earn $23 per hour
Starting pay for Richmond schoolteachers will top $50,000 for the first time after July 1.
School Board still working on final 2022-23 budget
Nearly four weeks after approving the 2022-23 budget, the Richmond School Board is still struggling to complete a final version with all line items filled in to send to City Hall and City Council.
Displaced Fox Elementary students to resume in-person classes temporarily at First Baptist Church on Monument Ave
Students from William Fox Elementary School will have classes at First Baptist Church on Monument Avenue and Arthur Ashe Boulevard starting Monday, March 21.
School Board rejects Kamras budget plan; misses deadline set by mayor
The Richmond School Board is still trying to come up with a finished spending plan to send to City Hall so it can be included in the proposed 2022-23 budget that Mayor Levar M. Stoney will present to City Council on Friday, March 4.
Advocates seek to save programs on Richmond schools budget chopping block
Fully fund computer-based learning. And maintain the current cadre of 21 family and community engagement ambassadors who are critical to keeping Spanish-speaking students engaged with Richmond Public Schools. That was the gist of the message that parents, teachers and other speakers passionately expressed to the Richmond School Board Monday night during a public hearing on the proposed budget that board members are now working to finalize.
Teacher raises, central office cuts are key to Kamras’ proposed 2022-23 RPS budget
Richmond teachers would get a 5 percent raise, the largest in years, while 33 new people would be added to the Richmond Public Schools payroll.
RPS would need $44M to cover Gov. Northam’s proposed teach pay hike
If Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s proposal to increase teacher and school staff pay by 10 percent over the next two years wins support from the General Assembly, Richmond taxpayers could feel the impact.
More options under consideration for RPS academic calendar
Richmond Public Schools is considering a fourth option in adjusting the academic calendar for the 2022-23 school year.
Public school enrollment down 46,000 statewide since pandemic
Richmond Public Schools has reported that 2,700 fewer students were enrolled Sept. 30 as the new school year began than in 2019 before the start of the pandemic.
City School Board reverses vaccine mandate for teachers, staff
In a stunning 180-degree turn, the Richmond School Board reversed its mandate that teachers and staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 or forfeit their pay and possibly ultimately be fired.
School Board rejects terminating contract for school food vendor
The Richmond School Board and schools administration debated the future of who will be contracted to provide meals to the city’s 24,000 students and what they will eat after last week’s public outrage over the condition, quality and nutritional value of the “Grab and Go” meals delivered to schools daily by provider Preferred Meals.
Kamras offers plan to change role of public safety in schools
Richmond schools Superintendent Jason Kamras presented to the School Board a list of recommendations designed to re- imagine the day-to-day roles of those charged with security in schools.
Kamras proposes changing role for SROs; board gives green light to new 1,600-student high school
Richmond schools Superintendent Jason Kamras presented a proposal to the School Board Monday night to re-imagine the role of school resource officers, or SROs, the police hired to provide public safety in the city’s public schools.
RPS mandates vaccinations for teachers, staff
Richmond Public Schools teachers, staff, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, volunteers, contractors and anyone else working with the district must be fully vaccinated against the corona- virus by Friday, Oct. 1.
