Transparency
Cheers RVA!
Today will go from 67 to 87, with a low chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Stay hydrated.
the juice:
The Richmond Public School Board met last night for four hours and 50 minutes. These meetings are often so slow and dry that it is challenging to follow and cover. But there is an election coming up and the decisions of the board matter. Five of the school board members are running unopposed. The pay doubles from 10k to 20k in January, maybe consider running?
the pulp:
400 apartments planned for Northside site near Six Points, from Mike Platania at Bizsense. The apartments would be available for residents earning up to 60% of the median income and would be one of the highest density lower-income neighborhoods built in the city in recent years.
Man found dead in Glen Allen backyard in Henrico County, per channel 8.
All Richmond Public School students to have clear backpacks starting this summer, from 12 on your side
the dive:
The RPS School Board, which is up for re-election this November, with five members running unopposed, met at length last night.
Focusing on the public comment section:
Bus Drivers remarked on the recent overtime audit, drivers who had been with Richmond for 25 years. RPS drivers operate seven days a week.
An REA representative brought handouts the board reluctantly passed out. He mentioned how pre-pandemic bus drivers had 6-hour contracts at $10/hr = 30 hours week, plus 20 hours of activities transport, totaling 40 hours at $10/hr plus 10 hours of overtime.
Post pandemic, the drivers were contracted to 8-hour contracts to recruit more drivers. This change resulted in 40 hours at the regular rate (which increased 10% to $11/hr), plus 20 hours of activities, resulting in 20 hours of overtime rather than 10.
The REA representative claims the drivers were doing the same work, but had received a 40% increase in actual salary due to the change made by RPS to recruit more drivers.
An ASL teacher from Huguenot High School told an emotional story about her experience at the High School graduation shooting last year. She went on to question why her and five other American Sign Language teachers were not given full-time contracts.
REA Vice President Anne Forester, a teacher RPS, noted the culture of fear the RPS school board and administration stokes among teachers who speak out on working conditions. Boardmember Kenya Gibson, of the 3rd District and currently running for City Council, nodded her head in agreement. Forester cited the recent termination of REA President Neri Saurez (who also gave comments) as an example of this “culture of fear”.
Superintendent Kamras has responded to Saurez’s termination saying:
Ms. Suarez is not being terminated because she is president of the REA or because she requested leave to serve as president. She is being terminated because she refused to return to work when required to do so. She could have returned to work and simultaneously advocated for a change to the leave policy. per RPD
It seems there are few voices advocating for the employees of the RPS School System. I don’t know how impactful a union can or cannot be in this context.
At a minimum raising attention to problems in the system seems positive.
the vibe:
Congrats to all the teachers who made it through another school year!
Have a bright day RVA!
Thanks for reading! Help me out by asking a friend to subscribe.