An Emotional Meeting and a Trippy Crossing
Cheers RVA!
Today will be hot, partly cloudy with a high of 91. Try and stay cool my friends.
the juice:
The Richmond Public School Board met this past Monday evening.
The back-and-forth with the REA teachers union continued and an “update” on the transportation audit was on the agenda.
The focus from the public comment section was on the American Sign Language interpreters employment status being changed from a continual contract to at-will, meaning they could be terminated at anytime.
Many of the comments were heartfelt.
One parent of a child who had benefited from RPS’s ASL interpreters noted that roughly 1/1000 people are deaf, so it may not seem like an important issue.
Another parent of an RPS student brought in her young daughter to speak. While her daughter was born deaf, she was able to speak, but the mother expressed how she would still need interpretation support throughout her education.
A common theme among the ASL teachers was the attraction to work in RPS, and the disappointment they now feel, as well as the legal validity of changing the contracts terms under the collective bargaining agreement.
The potential hurdles facing the implementation of the clear backpack policy was also brought up by an RPS parent. Here is the most recent RPS Direct Newsletter which includes a Q&A on the new policy.
Two hours into the meeting, agenda item 6.3, an update on the transportation audit, began.
The audit revealed $1.8 million in overtime payment to RPS bus drivers.
From 2:15:00 to 2:41:00 a discussion ensued that started with disappointment that Doug Graeff, Richmond Public Schools’ Director of Internal Auditing, was not present at the meeting.
His 24-page report can be viewed here.
Kenya Gibson, 2nd district boardmember and candidate for city council, had one specific outstanding question from the report: what is the difference between additional hours and overtime hours?
At 2:26:00 things got a bit heated when council chair Stephanie Rizzi commented that the communication among boardmembers was “violent”.
An emotional discussion ensues for the next 15 minutes.
I recommend listening to this genuine and passionate, but also tangential conversation among the school board members about communication and cooperation.
the pulp:
Richmond magazine reports on the diamond-district financial plan. A quote from 1st district councilmember and candidate for mayor Andreas Addison:
“We’re not just building a ballpark,” he says. “We are freeing up 47 acres of publicly owned land — that currently generates no taxes — for new neighborhoods and new developments, which means revenue in perpetuity.”
The Virginia Senate returned Tuesday but failed to take up a bill to exempt some military families who will lose eligibility to benefits at State College and Universities, Graham Moomaw reports for the Virginia Mercury. The House will return to the Capitol on June 28.
the haps:
“The Wailers” will be at the National tonight at 7:30 pm. Tickets are still available as of Wednesday evening.
Drummer and band leader Aston Barrett Jr. “carries the flame for ’The Wailers’ in a show that is simply not to be missed.”
Barrett is the son of the former bassist and musical director of “Bob Marley and the Wailers”.
He also played Marley’s father in the recent film “Bob Marley: One Love”.
the vibe:
Local Richmond Artist Otaconnor posted this cool painting on reddit. Apparently it was sold but you can buy prints here.
Have a vibrant day RVA!
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