Deep Run teacher's comments on Israel-Hamas war prompt debate; nearly 200 HCPS staff flood online forum in support of collective bargaining
It’s been a busy week in Henrico!
At the most recent Henrico School Board meeting, parents, students and community members spoke about a Deep Run High School teacher’s comments on the war in Gaza. Almost 200 Henrico teachers and staff pledged their support for collective bargaining in the school board’s online forum. And starting today, Henrico bus drivers will receive a significant pay boost.
I also got the chance to speak to fifth graders today at Varina Elementary about what it’s like being a local reporter and how they can be one too. They offered some constructive feedback on my coverage — more stories on Rihanna and Beyoncé!
Heated debate over Dec. incident
An abnormally large crowd assembled at the Henrico School Board meeting Feb. 22, after Henrico Schools removed a Deep Run High School teacher from her classroom.
Social studies teacher Catherine Massalha was recorded by one of her students in her ninth grade world history class making comments in December on the conflict in Gaza, stating that Israel committed war crimes against Palestinians and calling Hamas a group of “resistance fighters.” The student’s father sent the 12-minute recording of Massalha’s remarks to the conservative-leaning Defense of Freedom Institute and spoke to the Washington Examiner, which published audio of the recording on Jan. 31.
'Please allow us to have a voice'
Henrico Schools teachers, staff and even supporters from Richmond and Hanover County took to the Henrico School Board’s online public forum for its Feb. 22 meeting to express the need for collective bargaining.
Nearly 200 comments from HCPS staff urging the school board to support collective bargaining for HCPS teachers filled almost all of the 29 pages of the online forum. And leaders of the Henrico Education Association, the county’s labor union for teachers, said that more than 1,000 HCPS staff signed authorization cards in favor of launching contract negotiations.
School board members and some members of the Henrico Board of Supervisors had previously expressed concerns that many school staff did not actually want collective bargaining, HEA committee co-chair and Henrico High teacher Elizabeth Broda said, but the forum comments and the authorization card signatures show otherwise.
Pay boost for school bus drivers
Starting March 1, all Henrico Schools bus drivers will now be paid a minimum $22.98 hourly rate – a 20% increase from the previous starting rate of $19.05 per hour.
The Henrico School Board approved an almost $4 hourly pay raise for bus drivers on Feb. 22, which it fast-tracked to take effect Friday. All bus drivers will see a pay increase between 12.44% and 20.63% depending upon their current hourly rate.
HCPS leaders hope the extra compensation will help the division fill vacant bus driver positions, boosting staff recruitment and retention.
12 schools will get fed. support
Five additional Henrico schools have been listed by the Virginia Department of Education for 2023-2024 as federally identified for needing more support for certain student groups.
Brookland Middle, Cashell Donahoe Elementary, Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary, Jacob L. Adams Elementary, and L. Douglas Wilder Middle have been added this school year to the VDOE’s list of Henrico schools at which at-risk students are struggling. The seven Henrico schools listed for 2022-2023 were listed again this year: Elko Middle, Fair Oaks Elementary, Fairfield Middle, Glen Lea Elementary, Highland Springs Elementary, John Rolfe Middle, and Laburnum Elementary.
(Click here to view information released by the VDOE on Henrico’s federally-identified schools.)
AI in Henrico schools
Henrico County Public Schools officials will be part of a team of educators who will design summer workshops for K-12 teachers to produce artificial intelligence resources for classrooms.
HCPS and Goochland County Public Schools will join with Virginia Commonwealth University to design those workshops and build curricular pathways between K-12 and higher education involving work-based learning experiences for students.
The projects are part of a state grant awarded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to three public universities in the state. VCU, George Mason University and Old Dominion University each will receive $75,000 to complete AI-related projects.
Photo of the week
My Friday mood:
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