A place of happiness…

A refuge from an abusive home…

A place of unconditional love…

A ‘home away from home’…

A place to see friends…

A safe place to share ideas…

A classroom can be so many different things to its students, teachers and staff. The classroom also looks very different now than what it did many years ago and so do the individuals in them. Teaching is different and the relationships between students and teachers are also very different. We have to promote and advocate for the building of solid relationships between students and teachers. These relationships need to be meaningful, positive and productive. 

Many students look up to their teachers and a teachers role in a students life can be life changing. We cannot forget that nor let its importance slip away by individuals who believe that a teachers role is black and white. There are many different roles that a teacher now plays in a students life. We need to make sure that we are fostering these relationships in the most successful manner possible. 

Consequences for unruly behaviors also need to be handled in the best way possible. It is 2024. Discipline inside the classroom looks VERY different than what it did years ago. Disciplinary measures need to be handled by teachers and administration in a manner that aims to fix the negative behaviors while still giving room for improvement for the student in an environment that is not wholly critical. I believe this to be a very divisive issue and one that will need to be approached with a level head and open minded thinking. 

Mental health matters and we have to make sure we are taking care of all of our students’ mental health, regardless of their age. We also need to make sure that our teachers and staff have mental health resources if they are in need of them. The COVID-19 Pandemic took a toll on mental health across the globe and while mental health still seems to have many stereotypes attached to it, the conversations surrounding the importance of a child’s mental health into their teenage years, are becoming more and more prevalent. 

I believe that we still fully do not realize the impact that the pandemic had on our students mental health. There is so much research and work being done on the impact it had and how it may continue to impact a young person’s mind on down the road. I also think that with the ever changing nuances of social media, strong mental health resources are going to be even more needed. We see that while having the world available at our fingertips, it has also opened up doors for even more bullying, trends that are not accessible to everyone, and for many students to develop self esteem issues when they are comparing themselves to the very unrealistic individuals and expectations that they see across the various social media platforms. 

Our devoted school counselors and wonderful NRVCS counselors have so many students that they take care of on a daily basis, and since one-on-one conversations cannot always be had, our school district and our community as a whole needs to come together to create a program that will help those students that become marginalized. A program such as this is a project that will need the collaboration of the school board, the community, families and most importantly, our students and staff. My ultimate goal for a mental health program would have the groundwork laid by all parties listed above and then a program created with a framework that aims to serve whomever needs it. I am very aware that this is a big task that would be laid out for us but it is one that is so very, very important. I firmly believe that this is a project that will need the efforts of many but the reward will be tremendous. A compassionate mental health program could be life changing for many! 

The COVID-19 Pandemic really opened our eyes to so much when it comes to our students, but also to what our families and community need. Consistent after school childcare is a necessity for our school district. We have many, many families who need afterschool childcare. 

Radford is a small, but mighty community. We can come together with the resources we have available and create a childcare system that would be heartily beneficial to all involved. Between our schools, Radford University, NRVCS and our city council… there are many sharp minds that could create an after school platform that would provide an invaluable resource to our families. 

The creation of this would be a collaborative effort on all parts. It would also allow for there to be relationships created between parties or the revival of some working relationships and partnerships. We can all work together and achieve a common goal, bettering the lives of our students and families from the resources at hand. 

The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) is currently not offered to all staff within our district. ALL staff, no matter their title, should have the ability to tap into retirement. Many paraprofessionals stay with RCPS for many, many years and they should not end their careers with no promise of financial security. Ask any teacher, paraprofessionals are absolutely imperative to our students and schools. The daily responsibilities of paraprofessionals prove that they are an invaluable asset to our school district. The teacher-paraprofessionals relationship is also a fundamental part of any classroom. I firmly believe that resources can be tapped into to make sure that VRS is on the table for all staff. 

One of our biggest challenges that our school district is currently facing is teacher and staff retention. We have such amazing teachers leaving at an alarming rate. Teachers are leaving the profession all across the United States, but, we are a small district and we feel each teacher’s departure heavily. 

Virginia ranks right in the middle of all 50 states in regard to teacher salary. The average teacher salary in 2024 in Virginia is $63,103. The 2024-2025 salary for a first year teacher (with their Bachelor’s degree) in Radford is $48,993. It would take a teacher 21 years of teaching before they would be making as much as Virginia’s state average salary. 

So, what do we do? How do we keep our educators from leaving? 

I don’t believe that it is the salaries that make teachers leave. It is the environment that we create as a district and as a school board that decides whether or not a teacher wants to stay. Yes, our teachers and staff need pay increases. Our teachers and staff also need consistency, compassion, resources and flexibility. Our teachers and staff must feel empowered to do their jobs and to know that they are supported. 

From my first day with RCPS in March 2020 until my last day in June 2022. I worked as a paraprofessional in various classrooms throughout the day. I worked in a total of 3 classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year and in 5 classrooms for the 2021-2022 school year. Two of those years I was lucky enough to work with two teachers twice; of the 6 teachers whom I worked with in total, only one will still be with RCPS this coming school year. Those 5 teachers are outstanding educators that our district has now lost. We have to make this stop! Our children deserve better and the teachers and staff deserve better.

Students start thinking beyond high school as soon as they enter high school, many students may even start planning for their futures before that! Radford High School and John Dalton Intermediate both do a wonderful job of laying the groundwork for the countless career paths that students can ascertain after graduation. 

In this past school year, I volunteered to speak with students during the career fair for Johnathan Dalton Intermediate. During my session with the students, it was very evident that many of them are on the right track in thinking about their futures and where they believe they want to be in the workforce. Having these sort of events and more importantly, having teachers that want to give students a broad perspective is crucial. 

Currently, Radford High School hosts the ‘Bobcat Career Chats’. This program is an excellent resource that demonstrates to students what is involved in various careers and what it takes to become anything from an Air Force fighter pilot, to an engineer to a cosmetologist. It is imperative that this program continues. I would like to hear more from the families of both middle and high school students on what else they believe that their student needs to be successful after graduation. 

Please check out the link here to learn more about the Bobcat Career Chats. This is another wonderful example of how our schools and community come together for our students! 

Student safety, before anything else in our school system, has always and will always be of the utmost importance. I have seen firsthand the commitment that our School Resource Officers have to ensuring that our students, teachers and staff are safe. I have been in the classrooms when students have had to hunker down for drills and have helped teachers answer the really hard questions of why we have to do these drills. 

Working in the elementary schools was very eye-opening for so many reasons but it also showed the resilience and commitment that our teachers and staff have to ensuring that all of our students are safe and that safety protocols are followed. I also noted on several occasions how responsive our local police department is and their ability to handle situations. 

Student safety will always remain one of my top priorities. Protocols and knowledge about how to keep students safe is constantly changing so it is also important that our school district keeps the families and communities informed with any incidents, changes in protocols and any other information that pertains to a students safety.