A Word from Superintendent Dr. Rosa Atkins 

Dear community members—

As you know, equity has been a priority for many years, and it has received particular attention in the last months. I’m writing with an update on our latest work to support equity, including our FY2020 proposed budget, a school reconfiguration plan, the Quest program, and our Program of Study for next year.

• We continue to seek feedback from staff, from CHS and Buford students, and the community. Gatherings include meetings with Habitat families, Westhaven and Friendship Court community members, and churchgoers across the city.
• We have used equity as our lens for the requested 2019-20 budget. Examples include a living wage for all annually appointed positions, another significant pay increase for instructional staff, and new positions in areas such as family engagement, the AVID college prep program, and our social-emotional learning program.
• Our Board has endorsed a school reconfiguration plan that would create a preschool center with extended-day services and early interventions. (This center would be located on the current Walker School campus). The plan also returns 5th-graders to elementary schools and would modernize Buford Middle School to maximize opportunities for the City’s 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-graders. City Council has shown support for this plan by tentatively designating a $3 million allocation for planning and design. We recognize that serving our students well — in preschool, in fifth grade, in middle school, in all grades– is a true equity priority.
• We have continued long-standing conversations about ways to diversify our Quest (gifted) program, and we have increased the program’s emphasis on push-in, whole-class teaching.
• Our Program of Study for next year gives attention at Walker, Buford, and CHS to continue “unleveling” our instruction to promote student diversity within classrooms. Similarly, professional learning will emphasize the skills needed to support this model. Next year’s Program of Study also converts the African-American history class at CHS to the honors-option model to encourage enrollment; this was a suggestion from the CHS Black Student Union when they addressed the School Board this fall.
• We are finalizing an equity committee that will guide our work on establishing a policy that will be foundational to this “equity lens.” This committee will also offer input in areas such as family engagement, instructional and professional learning practices, institutional changes in areas such as unleveled classes, alignment between grade levels, and minority HR recruitment.
• We have posted an opening for Supervisor of Equity and Inclusion to maintain this momentum. Help us find the right person!

This is a long list, but it is merely a snapshot of the work we continue to do to promote equity. We hope it is a reminder to our community that we remain committed — in fact, we have redoubled our commitment — to every student, every day, everyone.

–Dr. Rosa S. Atkins
(This letter was revised on 3/27/19 to include the change to the CHS African-American history class in next year’s Program of Study.)

100-year-old students with canes, beards and baldness celebrate Johnson Elementary’s 100th day of school. To see more of what is happening in all six elementary schools.

Charlottesville City Schools has earned state and national recognition for our efforts to support the whole child, which includes mental wellness, social emotional learning, and supporting students who have experienced trauma. The Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development recently cited our exemplary work in its “Nation of Hope” report.  Learn more about this work here.

As varsity teams begin post-season play, it’s also time for spring sports tryouts.

It’s time to register for preschool! Applications for eligible 3- and 4-year-old children are due March 1. For more information and applications, read more here.

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