Coleman seeks School Board seat

I’d love to do video interviews with the candidates if they are interested. We could get their answers to many of the questions people keep asking and get a feel for their personalities.

Don Coleman is a man that can make a difference because of who he is with both integrity and strength. I have known Don for 8 years and have seen his passion for the City of Richmond and making a difference in the lives of our children.

I ask that each of you take the opportunity to get to know him and his incredible spirit.

I am happy to hear that Don Coleman has the opportunity to win this time around…

He is the best candidate for what we have in store for our School Board!

Gray and All Others Concerned,

Keep in mind candidates haven’t been ‘officially’ announced but Don would like to meet with anyone interested. He lives right down the street from Capt Buzzy’s and frequents there so that would be a good place to meet.
Drop a line at ColemanForSchoolBoard@gmail.com and we can set something up. I’m Campaign Manager for Don Coleman.
Glad to see such great ‘buzz’ regarding the school board. This kind of engagement is what is special about Richmond and exemplified in the 7th District. When this public engagement is focused it can help maximize our schools great potential. Thanks!

Gray and All Others Concerned,

Keep in mind candidates haven’t been ‘officially’ announced but Don would like to meet with anyone interested. He lives right down the street from Capt Buzzy’s and frequents there so that would be a good place to meet.

Drop me a line at ColemanForSchoolBoard@gmail.com and we can set something up. I’m Campaign Manager for Don Coleman.

Glad to see such great ‘buzz’ regarding the school board. This kind of engagement is what is special about Richmond and exemplified in the 7th District. When this public engagement is focused it can help maximize our schools great potential. Thanks!

Hey don i would like to hear from you. My group and I would like to sit and talk about some issues as charter schools,over crowding of Woodville,Armstrong football field,sol’s,and new schools.What are your plans.I am a Armstrong grad class of ’74 I have seen some very disturbing things since I move back to Richmond.

Hey Gray all that needs to change I am talking about parental interests. My group see a need for change. No one seems to care I mention in one of my post about Armstrong head coach how he was arguing and cussing and about to fight with another coach.On the sidelines in front of all the players and parents to see during a game and no one did anything about it. The head coach his name is Mark Robinson he also got the fighting with another coach doing practice in front of the kids and coaches and they let him remain as coach that is ridiculous Richmond public schools just allow anything to go he should have been fired for this behavior along time ago and you say the schools are good. These kids need help. He was so confident after the game one coach said mark you are going to hear from downtown on Monday about this incident he in return said if i was at a white school i wouldn’t have to wait for Monday i will be fired on the spot but I am at Armstrong these black folk ain’t going say nothing so i ain’t worried about nothing. He made the comment’s in front me other parents.He is teaching and coaching our children.Gray you say our schools are good.

hsfl, Here is something I posted elsewhere on chpn: “I want the next 7th district SB member to do right by all RPS but not short change the east end schools. Demand high quality principals and teachers, language programs, new football field, IB at the elementary level, a newly built school where needed, and never again allow for over crowding like at Woodville. Since I was born and brought to Church Hill forty years ago, the east end has gotten the short end of the stick. Enough is Enough.”

hsfl, I don’t think our schools are good at all and a lot has to do with corrupt administration and their inability to get rid of rotten RPS employees or to higher good ones. I’ve been an extremely harsh critic of the RPS system and feel that downtown is cheating our children out of a good education.

Now the school my children attend, Bellevue, is good because of the principal and particular teachers and staff but it is not where Munford is at as far as programs, technology, etc. go and for some reason they didn’t send higher level language arts books to my daughter’s first grade. Yesterday, my older daughter struggled with math placement test for a private school because it wasn’t multiple choice. She told me in the car on the way home that she has never had a test (in RPS) that wasn’t multiple choice. Her grades have always been B’s and A’s so naturally I would assume she is doing fine but that is not what I saw yesterday. I would like for RPS to pay for a private math tutor this summer…I don’t trust the RPS system or method anymore.

hsfl, We should see Don Coleman together. We should gather troops and demand a high quality education for our children.

Later, I’ll send you links to some of the troubles I’ve had in RPS at a school across town.

EDG i agree 100% the education peices means more to me then the sports. Thats why i hate like hell sending my son to Armstrong. The teachers and principal don’t care.The principal talk about himself at the sports banquet the total focus on him.He also just talks about his daughter that goes to Atlee and how she will be attending UVA in the fall.

Call Keith, Let’s see if he can do something. I know he definitely helped me when we had troubles with an administration at a school across town (although nothing happened to that rotten principal because she had too many folk downtown protecting her). Put it this way, West wasn’t the corrupt one. Carol Wolf is also an excellent child advocate and will fight for you. I’ll give her a call too. I’ll send Carol and Keith a link to this site for them to read your story.

hsfl, unfortunately what you are experiencing at Armstrong is not uncommon in RPS. I spoke with a woman tonight who had horror stories about her childrens’ time in poor RPS –teachers cursing, principals suspending kids for nothing, and one of her kids got scratched on his face by a principal.

What goes on in the poorest RPS would never happen in the wealthier schools.

BTW: As I have posted before, I am tremendously dis-pleased with Keith West. He is very selective in who he “helps” and he has not helped me at all. Fortunately, I have not had the experience of horror stories or cursing teachers.

Tiny, what did you ask Keith West to do for you? In my case, my daughter was being bullied by adults at Cary and a RPS employee inside the school confirmed this.

I have brought my concerns over the closing of Bellevue to him over and over. He suggested they should close Chimborazo instead, which I thought was a terrible idea. Don’t close ANY school in this area, especially when Woodville is overcrowded. But, he was all on the Wilder-Crupi bandwagon to “cut costs” at any cost.

Instead, I found a sympathetic ear with Ronald Cary, executive director of RPS and with McQuinn. There was also another person I spoke with, whose name I cannot remember (David Cherry?) who was also very helpful and guided me through to the right people to talk to, etc.

I am so glad that I’ve finally gotten the word out about Bellevue and that we have supporters now to keep this school open. But, West should have fought for it from the beginning.

I also had problems with No Child Left Behind, discovering the east-end kids were being left out of placement to Albert Hill. This time, I found Ernestine Scott to be very helpful and through her efforts I hope this won’t happen again.

I know we don’t have all the extras that the schools in the affluent “stay at home mom” areas have. But our schools do have the extras that I need that aren’t availble out there, such as good and free after school care. My kids participate in several Parks and Rec programs which I have totally enjoyed, so I guess we make up the difference there. Plus, we need transportation to school, so out of zone attendance simply won’t work for us.

We have only had one teacher that I’ve had a problem with in RPS. And, I tried my best to work with her as I don’t want to teach my kids the “blame game”. Working with Ms. Carey, the situation was improved, although I was still glad when that teacher retired.

Nor do I think the administration is to blame when my child failed to perform. But, I do believe I have his teachers to thank when he excelled.

My son is graduating fifth grade this year and I would like to thank all the teachers and mentors that have helped him along this way – even the teacher I didn’t like, because my child learned an important lesson that year about getting along with people difficult personalities.

I made a connection with each teacher and the principal and truly feel they have been partners in raising my children. And that’s something I really appreciate.

Please don’t think I am trying to belittle your experiences; abuse is abuse and should not be tolerated. But, you are very prolific commenter and when no positive comments are posted, I think it gives a lopsided view of the system.

Gray:

On another thread you asked if Jim & I would be willing to talk to you about a drama program at Bellevue. I responded that we would be interested, and we are still interested. We are very supportive of arts programs in schools and donated a drum set and guitar a year or so ago to the Bellevue Music Program. How is the music program going?

Please contact us, we’d like to help.

laura@mysterydinner.com
804-649-1913

Mr. West I have talk to the principal he said I am the only parent to talk to him about it. He said coaches has misunderstanding’s all the time. He said it’s nothing he could do. Nobody Care’s what type of teaching or coaching our black children receive. Coach Robinson was right if he was at a white school he would have been fried because he is at a black school he can do what he wants. Mr.West the least you can do is talk to the principal and the coach and see why he can’t get along with the coaches that he hired. It is to much fighting amongst the coaches it happen during the season and yesterday. Mr. West you are worst you do not care about our black children you should just quit. Reggie Malone would have got rid of Coach Robinson along time ago. Become a man Keith West stop hiding behind rules. Get rid of the head coach that fight on the sidelines and cuss in front parents students. You telling everyone it is ok to fuss,cuss,and fight in front of student and parents.

I have to admit that I would not even consider sending my children to Armstrong right now, especially in respect to the School Safety measurement on their school performance report card: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/report.do?division=123&schoolName=17811

I do not know what I will do when my children reach high school age. I think it would be very hard to succeed in this school.

hsfl, I do hope you report it and please let us know what happens. If RPS does nothing then it is time to go to the press. Chris Dovi with Style and the Richmond Voice have the courage to cover what the Times-Dispatch ignores. And thank you for bringing this to light. If we want a real change in RPS we need to be open and honest about it.

School Board office (780-7716) should be able to give you Carol Wolf’s number and here is an email cwolf@richmond.k12.va.us . If this doesn’t work, let me know. I’m also going to send Wolf a link to this blog.

hfsl, Gray …

Please send your telephone numbers to my personal e-mail: Wolfies@aol.com.

I promise you confidentiality (if you need it), in order to help, I need to know more about the situation you are describing in order to determine the best course of action, and how to resolve the matter in the best interests of the children and community.

Mr. West is right as far as the relative power any school board member has and that SB members are not supposed to attempt to “micro-manage” RPS personnel.

HOWEVER, if I learn of a situation that endangers the health and well-being — mentally and/or physically — of students or personnel, I am dutibound –both statutorily and morally — to bring the matter forward and to do my utmost to resolve it. So, please send me your phone numbers so I can do my duty and help resolve this matter in the best interests of the students, personnel, RPS system and the City of Richmond.

Hey Gray I talk to school broad member today they said Mr. West don’t have to micro-manage he can report to someone to the administration. They said when tried to oust Mr.Braxton he lost his power. But he can try to get this problem resolve he don’t even answer his phone you leave a message he don’t answer your calls.We need to impeach him he is just sitting on the job i reported this a long time ago. He gave me all the wrong information he has no clue.

I just found out that hsfl never called West. Nor has he/she spoken to or emailed Wolf.

hsfl,
Which SB member did you speak to?
West running for Chairman of the School Board was legal, however, any SB members or RPS employees who participate in trying to render West powerless are the ones robbing the 7th district of representation. I expect SB members to work together through disagreements not act like a gang and shun individuals –isn’t that breaking the very rules we expect our children to follow in the RPS handbook on student conduct?

Here is an article worth reading http://styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=16893 .

If you are truely having issues over at Armstrong, you should call your representative, West then go from there. Also email Wolf.

Tiny, hsfl said he/she had called Cary(#33). I too left his number above.

I started with the info on the RPS School Board site.