RICHMOND, Va. – Tuesday is the last day Richmond Schools will be accepting name ideas for Thompson Middle School.
People interested in submitting an idea will need to submit several items for consideration:
- Resume of the person to be considered
- Five letters of support from community members
Those materials need to be submitted to the school board clerk before the close of business on Tuesday. They can be faxed to 804-780-7833 or delivered at the below address:
Richmond Public Schools
School Board Office
Attn: Angela C. Lewis
301 N. Ninth Street, 17th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Thompson Middle School could have a new name when students from Elkhardt Middle move there next year, and those behind the effort hope it will be the first school to be named after one of its own teachers instead of a historical figure or neighborhood.
Former students, parents and teachers have started an online petition to name the school after former teacher James Vaughan, Sr. He passed at the young age of 36, from a tumor near his brain.
“… he was a champion of education…and the perfect choice to inspire the students who attend this new school,” wrote Regan Winkler, who hopes to spread the word and garner additional support to name the school after Mr. Vaughan.
She said the final decision is to be made on June 30, 2015.
The petition was recently started. If you click this link it has information about Mr. Vaughan, testimonials from former students and a link to letters written in support of renaming the school after him.
A statement by Judy Self, a former Thompson Middle School teacher and colleague of James Vaughan encapsulates the love his students and colleagues have for him and echoes why they believe he is the right choice.
My name is Judy Self. I am a retired RPS teacher and I taught at Thompson for 34 years.
Over the last few days I have been contacted by former students, young people in their 30’s and 40’s who asked me to join their effort to have Thompson Middle School named in honor of James Vaughan. He was a Thompson teacher who taught English, drama, and the performing arts from 1979 to 1989 when his life was shortened by a brain tumor. I gladly join them in their endeavor.
Others have recommended names honoring African American role models such as Benjamin Banneker and George Washington Carver. You do not have to go that far to find one. As my young friends reminded me this weekend James was an inspiration and role model for his students at a very important time in their lives. I remember him as a passionate educator who wanted to show his students the power of the written word – its power to inform, to entertain, and to communicate ideas and emotions clearly and effectively. He wanted to improve their self-esteem and their career opportunities.
He did that and more. He inspired his students and greatly influenced their lives. That can be seen by the fact that these busy young people from Massachusetts to California have come together to honor their teacher. They are successful young men and women; here are just a few of their professions – several public school teachers, a college professor, a newspaper editor, a psychiatrist, the director of a Latin American Art Center, a science fiction author, a real estate developer, a Department of Defense analyst, and public relations, IT, environmental, and financial consultants. All say they were encouraged and inspired by Mr. Vaughan and 26 years after his death they still think of him often.
Over the next couple of weeks you will receive a petition and letters from them asking you to honor a Richmond African American role model – James Calvin Vaughan. I urge you to do so.
