RICHMOND, Va. -- Many families in the Richmond Public Schools community said they were left with questions and confusion after an emergency meeting held Tuesday night by the Richmond School Board led to no actions taken or decisions made.
Board leaders said the goals of the meeting were to address poor SOL scores this past year and discuss how to move forward with district leadership. But members spent much of the evening debating whether the meeting was necessary, the process in which board members conducted business, and if the one proposal brought forward was a proper solution.
“It’s an embarrassment. It’s an embarrassment," said Albert Hill Middle School mom, Julie Trevey. "I don't hear from any of my friends who have kids in other school districts that they are dealing with this kind of drama or distraction."
Trevey said she's read many of the headlines leading up to Tuesday's meeting and was concerned about the board making significant adjustments to personnel or the curricula just days before the start of the 2022-2023 academic year.
"I don't understand-- why now? Why are we creating so much kerfuffle right before school is starting," Trevey asked. "What were the SOL scores in 2020? Did we even talk about that? Are we just focusing on '21? In the middle of COVID, parents were able to opt in or out of having their kids even take the tests."
Ahead of the meeting, some board members, including 4th District Representative Jonathan Young, touted "transformative policy changes," a major overhaul of personnel, restructuring of management organization, and there were even rumors addressed by Mayor Levar Stoney that Superintendent Jason Kamras could be fired by the board. Some parents and teachers said the possible changes instilled panic into the RPS community.
But none of that happened.
RELATED: Richmond student failed every SOL until he got to Franklin Military Academy
RELATED: Mayor warns school board against firing Richmond superintendent
"How do you explain this to the public? There was so much of a buildup and then nothing happened," reporter Tyler Layne asked Young on Wednesday.
“It can't be explained, and no one is more deflated than yours truly. We had an opportunity to introduce real policy and personnel changes, and frankly, I think folks in the 11th hour got cold feet," Young responded.
However, the lack of action wasn't due to lack of trying.
Vice Chair and 3rd District Representative Kenya Gibson introduced a motion, seconded by Young, that would've established a work group including teachers to phase out the current curriculum over the course of the year and establish a new one that "meets the unique needs of RPS students." It would've also prohibited disciplining teachers from veering from the curriculum as deemed appropriate.
Kamras strongly opposed the proposal.
"When you put rigorous curriculum in front of children, it ensures that no student is left to be at the mercy of any substandard curricular materials. I believe that the curricula we have are helping us make the growth that we have seen," Kamras said.
RELATED: Richmond school board member calls Mayor Stoney's criticism PR stunt
However, Gibson argued teachers and students were tasked with too much change when the district introduced a new curriculum and revamped the calendar on the heels of the pandemic. She said she has heard from teachers "over and over again" expressing concern about the curriculum.
"The whole premise for your argument is that there's too much change and what you've introduced tonight is one of the most tectonic changes our school system could possibly face. To argue that this is a response to too much change just doesn't pass basic common sense," Kamras said.
“To shame me for making a motion— it’s simply not appropriate," Gibson responded.
Board Chair Dr. Harris-Muhammed told CBS 6 Kamras' remark was "not decent."
"It was unbecoming to imply someone does not have common sense. That was a hurtful public statement," Harris-Muhammed said.
The superintendent also disapproved of how the board conducted business by expecting the body to vote on a motion before the public had an opportunity to weigh in. He called it a "violation of unanimously agreed upon board norms."
“I think it would be a gross disservice to our educators, to our kids, to take this action suddenly without any notice," Kamras said.
However, Harris-Muhammed said Kamras' comments created a "false narrative" of board members performing out of compliance.
"A few school board members and Mr. Kamras may not enjoy motions at any time that do not particularly favor their outcomes or in the moment discussions and that is okay. However, it does not prevent another school board member from calling for a motion," Harris-Muhammed said.
The motion failed 5-4, with Liz Doerr, Cheryl Burke, Dawn Page, Nicole Jones, and Mariah White voting it down. On past items, White has historically voted in alignment with the four members who supported the motion: Young, Gibson, Harris-Muhammed, and Stephanie Rizzi.
"My colleagues and I didn't pass the leadership test. We failed again as a board," Young said. "It was most embarrassing."
Board members who frequently vote in the minority raised concerns Tuesday night about the democratic process after hearing a few members of the board made recommendations to the chairwoman ahead of Tuesday's meeting. They expressed frustration of being out of the loop of pre-meeting conversations, suggesting the board majority strategizes on items without them.
"People of the City of Richmond did not elect group chats, private emails, pacts, or anything else. They elected nine board members, so when issues are going down, they should go down to everybody so that we can all be on the same page," said 9th District Representative Nicole Jones.
"I'm really a little baffled right now. Just as some of my colleagues stated, the expected outcomes of this meeting were not shared with every board member. We are a board of nine. We represent nine districts," said 8th District Representative Dawn Page.
When asked for a response to their concerns, Young said he was less worried about the process and "more concerned about the product."
“Cry me a river. Cry me a river," Young said. “If someone is prepared to defend the status quo, shame on them. God help them.”
Harris-Muhammed said she allows equitable access for all members to share their thoughts and concerns with her, and she schedules one-on-one slots on Fridays to speak with her colleagues.
"If a school board member felt out of the conversation or loop, I would first encourage them to self-reflect. Why do you feel out of the loop? What role did you play in that and what does that look like? Have you made attempts to meet one on one with the school board chair to discuss any concerns, good news, etc? It begins with each individual," Harris-Muhammed said.
Parents including Trevey said they'd like to see the school board interact with one another in a more professional, productive manner.
“There's a desire to create conflict when we need to focus on our students, improving their learning, getting back to the levels pre-COVID," Trevey said. "And stop with the drama. Just stop it.”
Meanwhile, when asked if the governing team is currently conducting as a unified body, Harris-Muhammed said, "We are not here to notarize Mr. Kamras's agenda. We are here to address student achievement by implementing our policies. My goal is not to focus on the politics of the school board, rather the heavy and oftentimes complicated performance of the role. When school board members do not agree with Mr. Kamras those persons are created to be adversaries, and they are not."
She added the board must continue holding district leadership accountable.
Despite rumors, the board did not mention anything related to firing Kamras in closed session Tuesday evening.
However, Young said he's optimistic that "restructuring of personnel" is still on the way.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
