Lots of time to talk in 14 days

What follows is my latest "Bridges for Schools" e-mail update - I'm just cutting and pasting today to be consistent and very "multi-venue oriented" in my communication--I guess it can't hurt to put the same thing out here, or is that a blogger faux pas? If anyone wants to get on my e-mail list for the regular updates, send an "add me" note to bridgesjk@aol.com.

It's Official: Richmond has the best in Virginia
If you blinked (or didn't read all the way past the obituaries) you might have missed it, but Dr. Jewell Sherman was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year on Tuesday evening. http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-05-07-0113.html

After being selected as one of eight regional finalists, she was chosen by a group representing superintendents, PTA, the state Department of Education, the Virginia School Boards Association, and the business community. It's quite an honor, and Richmond's superintendent will now proceed to the national award level along with the best of the best across the nation. She deserves our congratulations and thanks--and if you feel so inclined, you may reach her at djewell@richmond.k12.va.us.

A Tale of Two Systems?
The statewide recognition illustrates a point that has been vexing me for some time. The current status of Richmond Public Schools could be, to borrow from Dickens, "A Tale of Two Systems." (Even the first line of A Tale of Two Cities rings true for RPS. Extra credit to any fellow English major or avid reader who can prove your recall of the novel's opening--no googling allowed!) It's not just me; others have noticed that the state and national perspective of RPS differs considerably from the local perspective. I've been examining that disconnect and have asked Councilman Tyler if we could delve into it at the next 1st District Town Hall meeting on May 28. Please join us at Mary Munford that evening at 7:00 p.m. for a dialogue on "Perception and our Public Schools." I'll be inviting members of the media to attend as well, as a number of 1st District folks have approached me to ask, "What's up with the coverage of RPS?" I think it will be an interesting and productive discussion - please come.

More chances to talk
Speaking of dialogues and the attributes of a successful superintendent, the school board is hosting several public forums to hear from the community about what we want in our next superintendent. These four public forums will be a critical first step in beginning the superintendent search process. The 1st District will host the forum at TJ on May 14 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and I'll share the other dates below.

Progressing Procurement and Improving Infrastructure
Hopefully you got the chance to read about the actions taken so far to improve the school system's procurement woes. http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-05-03-0049.html
The statewide expert has begun his work to "reengineer" the entire department. With his guidance, that process should be done by July 1.

I received another promising report at yesterday's school board Facilities and Operations committee meeting. With city council's support in the upcoming budget, RPS is looking ahead to an unprecedented level of capital projects for ADA upgrades, City of the Future new/renovated school construction, and yearly maintenance/critical repairs next year. The list of schools that need funds for HVAC, roof and other repairs are the most critical and time sensitive of the maintenance projects--not niceties but necessity to keep children protected from the elements during the school day. These old buildings may be solid and beautiful, but they need on-going care to keep them functional. Please thank council members for putting the funding in place for these projects as they finalize the city budget.

Don't sit on the sidelines!
There's much more to talk about, but I'm going to end with upcoming school board dates and a promise to touch on additional topics in the days ahead.

May 14 @ 6:00 - Public Forum on our superintendent search at TJ
May 17 @ 10:00 a.m. - Public Forum on our superintendent search at Lucille Brown
May 19 @ 6:00 p.m. - School Board meeting
May 21 @ 6:00 p.m. - Public Forum on our superintendent search at Franklin Military Academy
May 28 @ 6:00 p.m. - Public Forum on our superintendent search at Holton
May 28 @ 7:00 p.m. - 1st District Town Hall meeting featuring discussion of "Perception and our Public Schools"

Whew--Anyone want to share a babysitter for 6 events in 14 days? Kim Bridges, 1st District School Board representative

Parent thoughts and media coverage on schools

Very interesting findings in a new report by the Council of Urban Boards of Education. ("What We Think: Parental Perceptions of Urban School Climate") The report finds some significant differences in perceptions based on where parents get their information about schools. In fact, parents with personal experience in urban schools had more favorable responses to areas like school safety than parents who rely on newspapers or television for school information.

From the report's summary: "...parents have a significantly more positive perspective on school climate than their children do. Second, parents who indicated that their primary source of information about the school was the newspaper were consistently more negative than other groups on statements related to safety, respect, and expectations. Those parents who indicated that television was their primary source of information about the school were consistently more negative than other groups on statements related to community welfare and the importance of race in the school. Parents indicated that their top two sources of information about the school were from their child(ren) and self-experience. While print and video media appear to influence a relatively small number of parents, it significantly skews the opinions and views of parents on matters of grave importance." Noting that overall survey results on parent perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, the summary adds, "Parents in urban districts are optimistic and positive about their schools. Contrary to popular reports, these findings do not suggest that parents view the schools negatively."

Without a doubt, media coverage plays a critical role in parent and public awareness about public education. Undoubtedly, that role should include reporting on the good, the bad, and the ugly. So Richmond Public Schools should receive lots of media coverage--and assuredly, that coverage will inform the public's perception of the school system. All the more reason for the public to insist that the coverage is fair, that it is as comprehensive as it needs to be to deal with some of the complex school issues, and that different systems are treated similarly.

So here's a homework case study: a school system in the Richmond region had a comprehensive audit to confront the "brutal facts" about its curriculum. Recently, officials from the system presented at conference of school board members from across the state. Done at a cost of over $100,000 by a team from Phi Beta Kappa, it was comprehensive and system-wide, with findings of both excellence and areas for improvement. Surely this expansive audit of the region's largest school system should have been well-reported in the local media, yet aside from a nine-month-old local weekly story announcing the plan for an audit, little else can be found outside of the school system's own communications.

Essay question: Would that have been the case if the audit had been conducted in Richmond?

(And by the way, I applaud Chesterfield's willingness to undergo this major audit and take on the issues it covers. They gave a great presentation, and by all accounts, the process will be helpful to the system as it embarks on its strategic plan for the district. Read the full audit report at
http://www.chesterfield.k12.va.us/CCPS/About_CCPS/curriculum_audit/Curriculum%20Management%20Audit%20news%20release.pdf)