Not surprisingly, their take isn’t exactly enthusiastic. While the article doesn’t out-and-out accuse the PH Initiative of promoting school segregation, it certainly floats the suggestion. REA President Wade Ellegood (who, you might recall, is on the committee to recruit a new RPS Superintendent), is particularly opposed:

I think they are making a major mistake by allowing this charter school even though it has not met the criteria of the state…Outside of that 90 percent of what’s in their application does not meet state standards and it does not make any sense for us to invest in something that doesn’t meet state standards.

Richmond City Parent Teacher Association President Tichi Pickney Eppes is only slightly less disagreeable towards the concept, stating that “all of our elementary schools are accredited. So if that is the case we don’t necessarily need another chartered elementary school. The kids are doing fine it would appear in their current environment.”

If you’ll pardon the editorializing again….Does Mr. Ellegood include the 7 or 8 current RPS schools that didn’t meet Adequate Yearly Progress in his comments about not investing “in something that doesn’t meet state standards?” And does Ms. Eppes really believe that all of “the kids are doing fine…in their current environment?”

Finally, the article mentions “traditional charter schools that are operating currently in RPS.” Would someone be so kind as to inform me which RPS schools are charter schools? Because the state Dept. Of Education seems to think there are only 3 (with a 4th due in August) public charter schools in Virginia, and none are in the Richmond area.

The folks at the Patrick Henry School Initiative are making progress with their efforts….

We have submitted our application for 501-3C status (thank you for your donations!) and are raising funds now for PR “get the word out” costs and other incidentals. We will have a fundraising campaign for school related projects once we have charter approval. Please send your donations, large and small, to:

The Patrick Henry School Initiative
P.O. Box 2459
Richmond, VA 23218

We need your calls, e-mails and letters!

The application for the Patrick Henry School Initiative was submitted to the School Board clerk on October 7th.

As the School Board reviews the proposed charter, now is the critical time for the public to voice support of this project. The more calls and letters our school board members receive, the clearer it will be to them how important this initiative is for the community.

If you support the Patrick Henry School Initiative, please take five minutes to call or e-mail your School Board Rep. Contact info is listed below.

A few talking points:

- An innovative curriculum in the city.
- Will keep you from leaving for the county.
- Puts to good use a school asset.
- Outdoor classrooms and a green education are incredible opportunities.
- Promotes diversity, because any city resident can attend.
- I hear that parents must be involved, and I like that.

Additionally, yard signs bearing the slogan “Patrick Henry CHARTER SCHOOL NOW” should be available from the group. Contact them for more details.

This year’s Woodland Heights Holiday House Tour will take place on December 9, 1-6PM, starting at Woodland Heights Baptist Church, and will benefit the Patrick Henry School Initiative. Tickets are $12 in advance, $10 each for a block of 10 or more or $15.00 day of the tour. Tickets are available starting this weekend from all Private Stock stores, Seven Hills Market, Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream (both locations), Once Upon A Vine (both locations*), Wild Orchids Antiques, Williams and Sherrill, Greenhouse II, Strawberry Street Vineyard, Carytown Wine & Beer, Salon 23.

*Stratford Hills still doesn’t appear to be open.

Susanna from the Patrick Henry School Initiative passes along the following:

The Patrick Henry School Initiative submitted its charter school application to the Richmond City School Board in the beginning of October (YEAH!!!)

The proposed charter school would be open to any elementary school aged child in the city.

Read more >

The latest in a long line of RPS school renovation/closure plans is making the rounds and, perhaps not unexpectedly, our local schools are completely missing from the first 5-year phase. The second phase (circa 2012) would see Swansboro Elementary renovated/expanded and Huguenot High replaced with a new building at its current location.

4th District Representative/Board Chairman George Braxton has been pushing a new Huguenot High for quite some time. Personally, I’m surprised that neither Westover Hills nor Redd Elementary schools have been targeted for closure/consolidation, considering they’re roughly 7/10 mile apart, but then Patrick Henry has only been closed a couple of years…

…which seems like a good opportunity to mention that the PH School Initiative folks should be meeting tonight, 8PM, at the Berryman Community Center, 400 West 32nd Street.

Channel 6 and the T-D are reporting the theft of various pieces of equipment, including 24 LCD TVs, from the PH/Norrell Elementary building. The official word from RPS is that “significant action” has been taken, but no names or details have yet been released.

Jess from the PH School Initiative passes along an update:

We are now in the process of editing our charter application! It looks like all is going according to our timeline of submitting it to the school board by mid September.

We have an exciting announcement for those of you who thought you might live too far out of our proposed radius of 1 mile from the school. According to the law, we have to offer admission to all Richmond residents if we do not fill to capacity. While we will strive to keep Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts a neighborhood school, we are gratified to know that many of our friends in surrounding neighborhoods will not be excluded from Richmond’s first true charter school.

So, what’s stopping you from getting involved? Your child could be in our first class of 2008! Come to our next meeting at the Berryman Center(W. 32ND /McDonough) every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.

Jess from the Patrick Henry Initiative passed along some updates on the group’s progress…