RICHMOND, Va. -- George Wythe High School's new principal addressed the community in a forum on Wednesday night, highlighting some of the focuses he hopes to have in the new role.
Kevin Olds took the position after former principal Riddick Parker passed away in August 2022 unexpectedly just days before the start of the new school year.
Olds said that failure isn't an option at George Wythe and that he is ready to change the school's narrative.
At the forum, he addressed parents' concerns about safety, mental health and discipline — emphasizing that safety is his top priority and he finds it imperative for students to go through metal detectors when entering the building.
“There is no wavering with our students and staff safety. I want to go home to my family, and I’m sure they want to go home to theirs and teachers too,” Olds said.
The CBS 6 Problem Solvers team hasreported on numerous incidents of weapons being found in school, safety concerns from parents and the small 14% of Wythe teachers who said they feel safe at school.
Olds said he is focused on combatting issues through a team approach that leads with humanism, understanding, compassion and tough love. He believes students are struggling with social and emotional learning, which is why he finds it critical to have multi-tiered support in addressing issues.
“It’s not about suspending students. One of our goals is to improve chronic absenteeism. This is not a penitentiary. This is not a pipeline to prison and we will not run it as a jailhouse," Olds said.
The new principal said it's going to take a village to combat problems and called on parents to get more involved both at home and at school, encouraging more participation in the PTA and other volunteer opportunities.
Despite concern from a parent about not being able to attend meetings due to work, Olds is guaranteeing other ways they can stay engaged.
“It doesn’t mean your voice can not be heard. You send any one of us a concern of yours that needs to be addressed at a PTA meeting and it will be on that agenda,” Olds said.
The school plans to release information in the coming weeks on when the next PTA meeting will be.
