Tag: Schools

By Sofia Heartney

Ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony at Buford Middle School, marking the start of a multi-million-dollar renovation, Charlottesville City Schools Superintendent Royal A. Gurley Jr. recommended changing Buford’s name to Charlottesville Middle School. According to a press release, school board members discussed a name change during a recent meeting. After gathering community feedback, the board plans to vote on the change at its June 27 meeting. 

“This recommendation follows the current trend to move away from school names that honor individuals,” Gurley said in the June 5 press release. “In addition, it indicates that we are essentially building a new school serving grades six to eight. The recommended name is fitting since this middle school will become the place that welcomes all Charlottesville sixth-graders from their neighborhood elementary schools.”

The board had been soliciting community comments on a possible Buford name change since May 25, making the school the latest educational institution in the area to formally consider undertaking a full renaming effort. In January, the board voted to change the name of Clark Elementary, named for General George Rogers Clark, who owned enslaved people and led the genocide of Native Americans, to Summit, and Venable Elementary, named for Charles S. Venable, a member of the Confederate Army and a math professor at UVA who perpetuated myths about slavery, to Trailblazers.

But in April, the board voted to pause the city schools’ renaming of Burnley-Moran and Johnson elementaries, and continue engaging with the community to consider new names for the schools. Those involved in the renaming process hope this pause will allow time for more public dialogue to decide on “lasting names that the communities of the schools would embrace,” in the words of board member Sherry Kraft. She says the ultimate goal of the pause is “to make sure that we are approaching this in the very best way we can for our community.”

The school board first began the process of reconsidering school names by appointing the Naming of Facilities Committee in 2020. The following year, the committee began surveying community members on their views of the names of various Charlottesville City Schools. In the January 2023 survey, about 61 percent of respondents supported changing the name of Burnley-Moran, and approximately 50 percent of respondents believed Johnson should be renamed.

Based on information that was collected, the committee recommended that Burnley-Moran and Johnson be renamed Blue Mountain and Cherry Avenue, respectively. These names have been criticized, however, for not being sufficiently relevant to Charlottesville, which led to the renaming pause.

“We want to find the name that will be most appropriate for each of the schools that, again, fits into the values of the school system,” says Beth Baptist, chair of the Naming of Facilities Committee.

During the current pause, the Naming Committee will continue to propose new names for the schools. It plans to talk to local experts about possible names inspired by plants or geographical features unique to Charlottesville, conduct further discussions with the schools’ staff through outside consultants, and solicit names from the public. Ultimately, committee members hope to arrive at names that are informed by “purpose and place within the community,” according to Baptist.

The renaming process has been criticized by some, who argue that it has moved too quickly, relies on inaccurate research, and has not incorporated enough community feedback. Derek Hartline, a former student and teacher at Johnson Elementary, has spoken against changing the name of Johnson at several school board meetings. In an interview, he explained that he opposed the name change because, during Johnson’s time, “there were a lot of merits and achievements that he did that really were strong and put the school system in the right direction early on.”

Johnson Elementary is named for James G. Johnson, who was superintendent of Charlottesville City Schools for 35 years, until 1946. He, Carrie Burnley, and Sarepta Moran were part of the district when it was still segregated, and Burnley and Moran are purported to have had ties to the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

In Johnson’s case, Hartline argues that “there wasn’t any evidence … whether he was for [Jim Crow] or against it.” He has criticized the process of the Naming Committee, saying its members “promised that they would have transparency, and they really just haven’t from the start.” 

Specifically, he points to issues he has with the community survey the committee conducted, saying he “felt that the survey was biased in a way, because you couldn’t just say, ‘Keep the name the same.’ You had to vote on names that they created that had to do with ‘purpose’ or ‘place,’ when it wasn’t discussed if that’s what the community wants.” 

“Regardless of the accomplishment or merit of these individuals, these schools’ names commemorate an era of segregated education that no longer reflects the division’s values,” said Charlottesville City Schools in an update on its website.

“I think it’s important to send a message that we embrace the diversity of our community,” says Kraft, “and that we want our schools to represent that and to represent our values, rather than just commemorating an individual.” 

Ultimately, says Kraft, while “you can’t please all of the people all of the time,” she hopes the school board’s pause of the renaming process will allow it to “please a few more people.”

SROs may return to Albemarle schools

After replacing school resource officers with unarmed safety coaches, Albemarle County Public Schools has requested funding to hire a single SRO, in response to parents’ complaints about fights, truancy, vaping, sexual assault, and other student misconduct at Albemarle High School. 

The school division’s $257.3 million draft budget request includes $126,000 for the new SRO. In January, Superintendent Matt Haas originally proposed stationing the officer at AHS—however, the current proposal would allow the officer to work at AHS and 10 other schools in the division’s northern feeder pattern, according to The Daily Progress.

The possible return of police to county schools has divided parents. During a January 10 meeting with school board member Judy Le, parents pushed for the division to bring back SROs, claiming the officers would deter student misconduct in bathrooms and other private spaces. In October, the school division said it was investigating an incident involving members of AHS’s junior varsity football team, but did not identify it as a sexual assault. Multiple minors were charged with crimes related to the incident, according to county police.

However, multiple parents urged the county school board not to reinstate SROs during the board’s January 12 meeting, pointing to the negative impact SROs have had on students of color and disabled students, among other marginalized groups. 

In response to the backlash against his SRO proposal, Haas said the division is working on other measures to address misconduct, including hiring a new dean of students for behavior intervention and installing single-occupancy restrooms and vape detectors—but if hiring one SRO helps reduce misconduct, he will try to hire more, he told the Progress in January.

Governor stands behind controversial educational policies

During a March 9 CNN town hall focused on public education, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin defended the controversial educational policies he has implemented and supported since taking office, touting the importance of “parents’ rights”—a critical aspect of his successful campaign. 

Right after he was sworn into office, Youngkin signed an executive order “ending the use of inherently divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory” in schools. His administration set up a tip line for parents to report teachers who allegedly violated the order, but quietly shut it down in November. Though educators say that critical race theory, a graduate-level framework for discussing the interactions between race and law, is not taught in K-12 classrooms, Youngkin continues to claim the framework is being used to indoctrinate students.

Using CRT, schools are “teaching children that they’re inherently biased, or racist, because of their race, or their sex, or their religion … that a child is guilty for sins of the past,” claimed the governor during the town hall, “[and] that a child is a victim because of their race or religion or their sex.”

“CRT isn’t a class that’s taught,” he added. “It’s a philosophy that’s incorporated in the curriculum.”

Social studies teacher Brock Barnes questioned the governor on the difference between teaching CRT and “historical injustices, such as slavery and segregation, and the impact this had on Americans.” 

“Our standard should be to teach all of it, the good and the bad,” replied Youngkin. “We need to teach it honestly and transparently, but we shouldn’t teach it with judgment. And one of the clear realities is that what had crept into our school systems were divisive concepts … that were forcing our children to judge one another.”

The governor also stood behind his administration’s proposed history and social science standards of learning, claiming they “made sure that everyone understood, for the first time in Virginia, [the] cause of the Civil War was slavery.” Last month, the Virginia Board of Education voted to accept the newest draft of the standards for first review.

In January, the state Department of Education released the latest draft after critics accused the governor’s administration of whitewashing history and teaching historical inaccuracies in its original November proposal. While the previous proposal said there were several causes for the Civil War, the new one says that “slavery and its expansion was the primary cause of the [issues] that divided the nation and was the catalyst for secession of southern states.” However, critics continue to voice concerns about the proposal.

“Do you agree that there’s an unspoken culture of racism and implicit bias against teachers of color within school districts nationwide?” asked high school band director Tryon Barnes, a Democrat. Though the governor agreed that racism exists and should be condemned, he questioned why “everything has to be viewed through a lens of race” and called for Virginians to “put down the judgment and move together in a way that lifts up all people.”

Pushing back against the governor’s proposed transgender student policy, Niko, a 17-year-old Arlington student, said, “Look at me. I am a transgender man. Do you really think that the girls in my high school would feel comfortable sharing a restroom with me?”

Instead of answering the teen’s question directly, the governor touted gender-neutral bathrooms as a solution to his concerns.

“What’s most important is that we try very hard to accommodate students,” said Youngkin. “That’s why I have said many, many times we just need extra bathrooms in schools … so people can use the bathroom that they are in fact comfortable with.” 

The controversial proposed policy would force transgender students to participate in school programming and use facilities, like bathrooms and locker rooms, based on the sex they were assigned at birth. School staff would also be prohibited from concealing information about a student’s gender from their parents, and from referring to transgender students by their preferred name and pronouns—unless a parent submits legal documentation of the student’s gender identity, and requests in writing that their child’s name and gender be changed on official school records. Even with parental permission, staff would not be required to use a student’s name and pronouns if it goes against their personal or religious beliefs.

Though the governor’s policy does not address sports, which are subject to Virginia High School League’s rules, Youngkin voiced his disapproval of transgender students playing on teams aligned with their gender identity. “I don’t think it’s controversial—I don’t think that biological boys should be playing sports with biological girls. There’s been decades of efforts in order to gain opportunities for women in sports, and it’s just not fair.” (The VHSL currently permits transgender students to play on sports teams aligned with their gender identity only if they have undergone sex reassignment surgery or been administered hormonal therapy “for a sufficient length of time,” per its website.)

CNN moderator Jake Tapper questioned Youngkin about transgender students who are not supported by their parents.

“This is a moment for counselors, teachers, and parents to come together and deal with what is a difficult issue,” said the governor. “Parents have a right to be engaged in their children’s lives.”

Additionally, the governor argued that gun laws “don’t keep us safe” when questioned about his response to gun violence, particularly an incident in which a 6-year-old boy allegedly shot his teacher in Newport News. Instead, Youngkin advocated for improving the state’s mental health care programs and resources. He also said he would have signed a law requiring the Department of Education to recommend policies about removing books from public school libraries, had it passed the General Assembly.

In brief

Alleged shooters arrested

On March 8, the Charlottesville Police Department arrested Raymaqu’a Antonio Nicholas, 19, in connection with the February 22 murder of Nicklous Gregory Pendleton, 20. Nicholas has been charged with second-degree murder, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The same day, Albemarle County police arrested Taquarius Olando Catoe-Anderson, 21, who was wanted on two counts of malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of a felony in Charlottesville. Catoe-Anderson is a suspect in a September 28 shooting that left two men injured at the corner of Ninth and Anderson streets, according to the Progress.

Bye-bye BBQ

After 11 years of serving up build-your-own biscuits, pulled pork, and other local favorites, Ace Biscuit & Barbecue closed its doors on March 13. Owner Brian Ashworth told NBC29 that he was unable to sell the Rose Hill restaurant, which has struggled to bring in enough money in recent years. “We are broken-hearted, but also excited for what is to come,” reads a March 10 post on the restaurant’s Instagram. “It has been a wild ride and we are happy you were a part of it.”

(More) BOS bids

Crozet resident Brad Rykal—a military veteran, former defense contractor, author, and podcast host—has filed to run as an independent for the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors White Hall District seat, challenging Democrat Ann Mallek. Last month, Mallek, who has served four terms on the board, announced she is running for the seat for the final time. 

“We want to not have data like this,” Katina Otey said candidly at the February 2 Charlottesville School Board meeting. The chief academic officer’s presentation on student conduct revealed a troubling trend. 

“A majority of [conduct violation] incidents were committed by Black students,” she said. “And male students.” 

Seventy-seven percent of students suspended in Charlottesville City Schools this school year were Black, despite Black students constituting 28 percent of the student body. Conversely, white students make up 40 percent of the student population but only 4 percent of suspensions.

Black kids being disproportionately punished is a national trend, but some school board members hoped that removing school resource officers would rectify this. Several CCS representatives argued that parents and the community have a role to play.

“There’s a lot of undue burden on counselors and teachers to deal with a wide array of different problems,” said student representative Vivien Wong. “There’s not enough bandwidth to deal with every student’s concerns.”

Board member Lashundra Morsberger concurred, noting that “a lot of the conditions of your life if you’re a young Black boy or girl … are a consequence of being Black here in Charlottesville.” Morsberger argued further that “these things are generational and deep” and there is no “quick fix.”

Regardless of the root cause, parents remain concerned about violence in schools after a brawl at Charlottesville High School was filmed last week. Tanesha Hudson called out board members for being “unable to control the school” and alleged that students can easily leave campus without permission.

Superintendent Royal Gurley gave an impassioned speech, “debunking” that the schools are “out of control,” and asking “if the community is not holding the community accountable, what do you expect the teachers to do?”

“If you want to create this narrative that it’s about … what teachers are not doing, that’s absolutely not true,” said Gurley. “I’m not going to mince my words at all—I am holding students accountable.” The superintendent recounted an instance in which a parent refused restorative services. “You can only help people who want to be helped,” he stated plainly.

Board chair James Bryant repeated this call for accountability, asserting that “it takes a village to raise a child,” and “we have to have the parents and guardians come to the table as well.”

Activist and UVA student Zyahna Bryant said she also “would not mince her words.”

“We can pass the buck all day. Communities aren’t doing enough, teachers aren’t doing enough—what are the practical asks? And where do we meet in the middle?”

The CHS alum, who was instrumental in the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue, acknowledged that the district could not fix systemic racial inequity in Charlottesville but implored the school board to focus on tangible results.

“I don’t think anyone is asking for the school board to fix age-old issues of the community,” she said. “I think what we are asking for is accountability in terms of new policies, a sort of grading measure of how we’re doing with these new policies, and for the school board to take a strong stance on what the district represents.”

In a statement sent to C-VILLE, Otey clarified that the data was collected to “help schools handle situations with consistency and fairness,” and that they “are very mindful of the need to keep equity in the forefront when we are responding to behavioral issues.” Gurley wrote that the school board plans to “calmly and transparently acknowledge these behavioral issues” and “work with the community to find equitable solutions.” He also noted that the school board is not currently considering bringing back school resource officers, something Albemarle County Public Schools has flirted with.

SOL scores drop

Four Albemarle County elementary schools—Greer, Mountain View, Red Hill, and Woodbrook—have been accredited with conditions for the 2022-23 school year, meaning their Standards of Learning exam pass rates in one or more student demographic groups did not meet state standards, according to a statement issued by the school district on September 22.

“I own these results,” said ACPS Superintendent Matt Haas in the statement. “They are unacceptable and do not in any way reflect the efforts or abilities of our students, families, and educators. They do reflect the inability of our current systems to produce the results we are seeking and clearly demonstrate the need for these systems to immediately change.”

In English, the SOL pass rate for the entire division was 75 percent, compared to a state average of 73 percent, but the pass rate was only 50 percent for Black students, and 51 percent for Hispanic students and economically disadvantaged students—all below the state averages for these demographics. In math, pass rates for these groups, as well as English learners, were also below state averages.

Eight other division schools had at least one demographic that did not meet the state standard, but received waivers because they previously met the standard for three consecutive years.

Within the next 30 days, ACPS will issue a request for proposals for an outside organization to audit the division’s staffing, reading program, classroom practices, and intervention and support models, and provide recommendations for improvements. Haas will also create a task force of teachers, specialists, community partners, and division staff to craft the RFP and, later, review the audit results.

Accreditation results for each school are available on schoolquality.virginia.gov.

(More) false alarms

On September 20, the Charlottesville Police Department received two 911 calls claiming there was an active shooter at Buford Middle School, but did not find any threat after placing students on a 40-minute lockdown.

On September 23, Charlottesville High School was also briefly placed on lockdown due to a misdialed 911 call by a staff member. Just four days earlier, police received a hoax call claiming an active shooter had shot 10 students at the school, according to the CPD. 

“The impact on our staff, students, and families from this week’s events has been significant,” wrote CCS Superintendent Royal Gurley in a statement, encouraging students and families to take advantage of the school district’s free, confidential mental health resources. “Even one of these events would have been ‘too much.’”

The district’s Google directory—which supports its email system—was also downloaded and posted online on September 23. 

“While much of the data posted is considered public ‘directory information,’ we take this violation seriously, especially since it did contain two more protected data fields (school-issued student emails and school ID numbers),” explained Gurley. “The data in the posted file gives no further access to programs containing sensitive private information … [But] we are actively working with Google, the Virginia Fusion Center, and the VDOE to investigate.”

In brief

Apartment shootings

On September 24, Albemarle County police responded to a shots fired report at Rio Hill Apartments at around 9:20pm, and discovered one person who had been shot in the parking lot. The person was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and later died of their injuries. The shooting appears to be domestic related and not connected to the September 23 shooting at Mallside Forest Apartments, where three victims were taken to the hospital for injuries, but were stable as of Friday morning. Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 977-4000 or crimestoppers@albemarle.org.

Early voting

Voters can now cast their ballots at the city’s election office, located inside the City Hall Annex, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm until October 28. On Thursdays, votes can be cast until 7pm. The office will also be open on October 29 and November 5. A 24/7 drop box is available outside the office. 

UVA hate crime

The University of Virginia Police Department is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who placed a noose around the neck of the Homer statue on central Grounds on September 7. If you have information, contact UPD at 924-7166.

Doctor sentenced for child porn

Former University of Virginia neurologist David Ari Lapides was sentenced to five years in jail and five years probation on September 20 for two counts of receiving or transmitting child pornography—however, all but one year and two months of his active sentence were suspended, and he was released from jail with time served, according to Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail Superintendent Martin Kumer.  

Deceased pilot identified 

State police have identified 30-year-old Kevin James Esh of New Holland, Pennsylvania, as the pilot who was killed in a plane crash in Albemarle County on September 14. The plane had a small amount of oil in its engine, and multiple fractured piston rods—a cause of engine seizure, reports The Daily Progress. 

When Sarah first heard about Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposed transgender student policy, she sat down at her desk and cried. Her 10-year-old transgender child, who attends Charlottesville City Schools, was now in danger of losing critical protections and facing discrimination at school.  

“I realized that things are about to get really tough,” says Sarah, who asked that we not use her real name. “It blows my mind that the intention of the Youngkin administration is to harm kids, [and] have families like mine experience this stress—it’s scary.”

Posted online on September 16, the controversial policy would force transgender students to participate in school programing and use facilities, like bathrooms and locker rooms, based on the sex they were assigned at birth. School staff would also be prohibited from concealing information about a student’s gender from their parents, and from referring to transgender students by their preferred name and pronouns—unless a parent submits legal documentation of their gender identity, and requests in writing that their child’s name and gender be changed on official school records. Even with parental permission, staff would not be required to use a student’s name and pronouns if it goes against their personal or religious beliefs, says the policy, citing constitutional free speech rights.

The policy is subject to a 30-day public comment period, which began on September 26, after which Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow will decide whether or not to approve the policy. If it is adopted, Virginia’s 133 school districts must implement transgender student policies that are “consistent with” the governor’s guidance—a major rollback of protections that has sparked fear and outrage among transgender students, parents of transgender children, and LGBTQ+ activists and supporters across the state. 

Under these new rules, Charlottesville and Albemarle County schools would be forced to change their current policies, adapted this year and last year, respectively, which allow transgender students to participate in activities and use facilities that align with their asserted gender identity, and requires staff to address all students by their preferred name and pronouns—no parental permission required. Staff must address a student’s transition with their family, but also prioritize the wellness and safety of students who may face punishment if their families find out about their gender identity. 

These policies are in line with model guidance issued by then-governor Ralph Northam in 2020—however, 90 percent of state schools ignored or rejected Northam’s orders, since the law did not include an enforcement mechanism, according to Equality Virginia. 

Both governors’ policies do not address sports, which are subject to Virginia High School League’s rules. The league currently permits transgender students to play on sports teams aligned with their gender identity only if they have undergone sex reassignment surgery or been administered hormonal therapy “for a sufficient length of time,” per its website.

In response to Youngkin’s proposed policy, both school districts reiterated their commitment to creating safe and supportive environments, free from discrimination and harassment for all students. Still, Sarah fears the range of negative consequences the policy could have on the safety and well-being of her child, as well as of other transgender students across Virginia.

“If a teacher honors my child’s name and pronouns, is that teacher now at risk for legal action … [and] who’s going to enforce that?” she asks. “What happens when a teacher decides not to honor the name or the pronouns, or another student teases or harasses my child—are there still protections? Does anyone care if my kid is feeling safe?”

The policy is rife with barriers for transgender students—some are not supported by their families, or do not want to come out to the them out of fear of punishment, preventing them from receiving parental permission. School staff may be required to out students to their families and others, and may choose to not support transgender students at all. Even transgender students who are supported by their families may not have legal documentation supporting their gender identity. 

“Parents of young children are not going to have taken any legal steps probably,” says Sarah. 

LGBTQ+ activists stress the detrimental impacts that not affirming and supporting a child’s gender identity can have on their mental health. According to The Trevor Project, transgender children are more than two times more likely to have depression and attempt suicide compared to their peers.

“Using someone’s name and pronouns greatly reduces emotional distress,” explains Mary Sullivan of UVA’s Teen & Young Adult Center. “For some young people, that’s all they really want in terms of a transition.”

“This [policy] could go as serious as a child taking their life,” says Charley Burton who serves on the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and several other LGBTQ+ organizations. “You’re literally putting a child’s life in your hands and destroying it.”

Legal analyst Scott Goodman expects the policy to face numerous legal challenges, and have some aspects struck down in court. “Federal courts have upheld students’ rights to use the bathroom that aligns with whatever their gender identity is,” he says, but there may be legal ground for the parental consent requirement regarding names and pronouns. LGBTQ+ activists also accuse the policy of violating the Virginia Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination in schools based on gender identity. 

If Youngkin’s policy is successfully implemented, Sarah hopes CCS will do “the things they need to do to help kids feel safe so they can focus,” she says. “If that means using a preferred name, then we use the preferred name.” 

“What we would hope to see is that there are teachers, school boards, and administrators who step up and say, ‘This may be a policy from the governor,” adds Nick Morrow of the Charlottesville Pride Network, “but we can create an inclusive environment at our school in a way that can hopefully mitigate some of the negative impacts.”

To comment on the governor’s proposed transgender student policy, visit https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/comments.cfm?GDocForumID=1953.

Keep everyone safe from COVID

Starting this week, both city and county schools will have most students physically in class five days a week, for the first time since the pandemic hit in March of 2020. The districts have worked to put COVID mitigation measures in place as school resumes. 

The city decided to hold in-person classes for multiple reasons, explained Assistant Superintendent Kim Powell at a town hall last weekend. “School operations were very successful in keeping students safe even before the vaccine,” said Powell, who also noted that “it’s a mandate from the governor. There’s no decision to be made about whether to reopen.” 

The city has encouraged all employees to get the vaccine, and Powell said that when the district sent around a staff survey, 95 percent of respondents indicated that they had been fully inoculated. County schools leadership estimates “the percent of teachers and staff who have been vaccinated is in the 70-80 percent range,” according to a spokesperson. In the city and county combined, roughly 70 percent of kids aged 12 to 17 are vaccinated, according to the Blue Ridge Health District. 

It’s possible that widespread outbreaks could see the return of virtual school, but at the town hall city schools Acting Director of Human Resources and Student Services Beth Baptist didn’t commit to a specific number of cases at which that would happen. “We’ll do whatever the recommendation is from our local doctors and the health department,” Baptist said.

Both school districts also improved their ventilation systems, and will require students to wear masks at all times. Both districts have also put in place social distancing measures within classrooms and other indoor spaces; the city, for instance, has replaced long cafeteria tables with individual desks. 

Grab your pencil case, your erasers, your mask, and your hand sanitizer, and get ready: It’ll be a year unlike any other. 

Continue renaming buildings 

Like so many of the roads and buildings in this state, many of Charlottesville and Albemarle’s schools are named after old white men who held abhorrent views about race and gender. The city and county have already started the process of renaming some of their school buildings, and will continue to do so in the next year. 

The county stripped the names of segregationist administrators Paul H. Cale and Mortimer Y. Sutherland, as well as revolutionary war soldier and slaveowner Jack Jouett, from its schools in the last two years. They are now called Mountain View, Lakeside, and Journey, respectively.  The county’s researching all its school namesakes. Next up: Broadus Wood Elementary, named for the farmer who donated the land where the school sits. 

Charlottesville is currently reviewing the names of elementary schools Clark and Venable. Both are good candidates for renaming: Clark is named for George Rogers Clark, the revolutionary war soldier and slaveowner whose statue was removed from UVA Grounds this summer. Charles Venable was a confederate soldier and an aide to Robert E. Lee. 

Hire a new superintendent 

Charlottesville is in the midst of a search for a new superintendent, after long-time city schools’ boss Rosa Atkins left for a job with the state department of education in May.  The district hired consulting group Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to survey district teachers, staff, and community members and create a “leadership profile” for potential superintendent candidates. The report says the district should look for someone with “budget and finance experience,” who is “a communicator who can build relationships and trust in a diverse community,” and is “deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Know anybody who might be right for the job? 

Figure out reconfiguration 

A plan is in the works to rearrange the city’s elementary and middle schools. Buford Middle will include grades six, seven, and eight, and fifth graders will stay in elementary schools, and Walker Upper Elementary, which currently serves grades five and six, will become a preschool. In April, the district announced that Charlottesville-based architecture firm VMDO will lead the redesign. It’s not a cheap project: The initial options VMDO presented had price tags ranging from $50 million to $100 million, with a Buford renovation as the big-ticket item. The architects will hold community input sessions on the designs throughout the fall. The city hopes construction will begin in 2023.