It’s hard to believe that 2018 is almost over, but the end of each year presents the perfect opportunity for reflection. This year has been full of change and growth for me and my family, and as I reflect on the decision to move back home to Chesapeake to become your superintendent, I can’t help but be grateful for their love and support through the process. I’ve also had time to reflect on what coming back home to be a part of the Chesapeake Public Schools family again has meant to me. Before school started in August, I challenged our administrators to focus on their “why” and keep it at the forefront of the, often difficult, decisions they make every day. In issuing the challenge, I hoped to inspire educators … Read more

As we return from Thanksgiving break this week, I realize how much we have to be thankful for in our division. Personally, I’m thankful for the dedication of all of our staff members who work tirelessly every day to support the needs of our students. Whether it’s the bus driver that greets them early every morning, the nutrition services worker who provides them with healthy meals, or the teachers who focus on educating every child, each member of our CPS family plays an important part in nurturing the whole child. In particular this week, I’m thankful for the amazing community partnerships we have maintained throughout the years and for several new ones being established. Before Thanksgiving break, I was honored to attend the grand opening of Your Pie in Greenbrier. … Read more

October is probably one of the busiest months in a school calendar year. So busy, it’s been difficult to find the time to sit down and write about it all. We finally got into the swing of things after a few restarts due to Hurricanes Michael and Florence. I know it is tough on both teachers and students to miss days unexpectedly and still maintain the high expectations we have for all of our students, but as I’ve been visiting the schools, I am happy to report that they haven’t missed a beat. One of my most recent visits was to Thurgood Marshall Elementary where the students and staff were excited to welcome Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. Dr. Qarni was greeted by an impressive display of student leadership … Read more

Safety has, and will always be, a top priority for our division–and we are not alone. Across the nation division leaders are conducting conversations about how to best keep our students, staff, and communities safe. This week I was honored to participate in the Town Hall Meeting, sponsored by The Safe Virginia Initiative (SVI), Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr., and Delegate Cliff Hayes, Jr. The focus of the meeting was to discuss ways to reduce violence and secure the safety of Virginians through legislative action. As I listened to the discussion that evening, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the awesome responsibility that falls upon our school principals and division leaders. When our doors open each day, thousands of students, teachers, and staff members walk the halls. Our building leaders must … Read more

  I was reminded of why I became an educator this week when I met with the Student Council Association (SCA) leaders from across our division.  What an inspiring group of student leaders they are! I am a big advocate for providing student leadership opportunities and encouraging our students to take the lead.  During our meeting, I had the opportunity to get their perspective on a number of issues facing our division. Being a student today is a very different experience than when I walked the halls of Great Bridge High School.   The internet has opened up an information superhighway that connects us with our counterparts across the world. As a result, we have more information at our fingertips than ever before–creating the challenge of where to focus our … Read more

This has been a challenging week–some would say historic! Never before have we been impacted by a mandatory evacuation ordered by the Governor. I was impressed by how well our Emergency Team came together to address Hurricane Florence. We were all thrown for a loop when Governor Northam made his announcement on Monday evening. As the week unfolded, our teams went to work making preparations to help prepare our community. Shelter teams at several of our schools were put on notice.     Luckily, the forecast shifted Florence’s path away from Hampton Roads, which dramatically changed our outlook. We opened two of our schools, Greenbrier Middle School and Indian River Middle School, to assist in providing shelter for our community while we waited out the storm. Fortunately, we survived the … Read more

This week marks the start of a new school year–one that I have been anxiously awaiting for a while now. The halls are sparkling, the rooms are inviting, and we are ready for our first students of the year to walk through the doors. A personal goal of mine is to visit all 47 of our schools and centers this year to meet with the faculty and staff at each location. Last week I was able to get started on that mission by stopping by a few of our schools during the pre-service week. At Grassfield High School I stumbled upon an outstanding show of student leadership. The SCA supported the faculty and staff at GFHS by serving breakfast and assisting in organizing a staff development day featuring Dr. Phil … Read more

There’s something about the start of a new school year… it is energizing!  You could feel the excitement building this week as we continue to prepare for the start of a new school year.  Many of our schools welcomed students as they held the first of many back-to-school events to allow new students the chance to visit their buildings and prepare for the year. This week I finished up the last two of my Meet & Greet events—at Deep Creek and Oscar Smith High Schools.  Both Deep Creek and Oscar Smith involved students in the events—including the band!  I was amazed at the talent and dedication of our students!      I did not expect all the attention, and I was completely humbled by these experiences. Even though these events have … Read more

I finally had the chance to visit The Branch this past week.  The students, staff, and community at Western Branch High School really made me feel welcome!  I can’t get over the sense of pride you feel in each part of our city.  Each community is unique and I am enjoying getting to meet and talk to members of this great community.  I have to give a shout out to the students who got up early on that summer day just to make sure I felt welcome—they even painted a message on the WBHS rock.  Now that’s school spirit! You know, it is easy to forget exactly how big the city of Chesapeake is—until you take a trip to Western Branch.  It really puts things into perspective.  Chesapeake covers more … Read more