Education is still the key to success. 

In Richmond, it is not up to school personnel, the School Board or the City Council to solve all of these problems. All of us are responsible. All of the community is responsible. And with the city’s extremely high poverty rate, it will take a “village.” 

The suggestions below may have been pored over by the experts. However, it is up to all of us to make them a reality.

Subject Content

1. Focus on reading, writing, math and science.

2. Teachers should be educated in the content area that they teach, particularly in reading, writing, math and science. You should not have an English teacher teaching math.

3. Tutors must be provided, particularly in reading, writing, math and science.   

4. More professional development is needed for teachers with a focus on reading, writing, math and science. For example, there is someone in this nation who teaches algebra 1 better than anyone else.  We need to find that person and model that individual. He/she may be in our school district. A genius teacher is someone who can simplify the complicated.

5. Feeder schools must be connected. Elementary schools must be connected to the middle schools; the middle schools must be connected to the high schools.

Student Motivation

1. Starting in middle school, every student should be taken on a college tour.

2. Encourage college students through a homecoming program to return to their high schools to encourage college attendance. “If I can do it, then you can do it.”

3. Students must see the light at the end of the tunnel. Students should not be tracked out of college. However, for students who are not going to a four-year college, other opportunities must be provided. There are tremendous opportunities at community colleges and in technical and vocational education and careers.

1. No motivation is greater than having a parent who is invested in his/her child’s education. 

Outside Factors

1. Students cannot concentrate if they are hungry. Healthy snacks should be in the school’s hallways as students change classes.

2. You cannot learn if you are not in school. If needed, school officials must make home visits, to encourage and enforce attendence.

3. School social workers, nurses and psychologists must be proactive. Many students have home problems that substantially impact their school performance. Most schools do not have enough of these professionals.    

4. We must teach character education. We must fit it into our curriculum. Too many of our students are in the criminal justice system.

TONNIE VILLINES

Henrico County