Abundance of excellence

This is the time of year that we pause to give thanks for the blessings in our lives. The abundance of good news about Goochland Schools is one of those blessings. There is so much good news about our school division that is it hard to keep track.

Almost every week, another student, teacher, or program is recognized for excellence.

Retiring District 4 School Board member Beth Hardy, began her service to our schools as school board chairperson in 2012, a very difficult year that proved to be the start of a renaissance in local education.  She was recently presented with the Virginia School Board Association Advocate for Education Award. This recognizes school board members who have had impact on their region and the Commonwealth, and who have shown active involvement in local, state, and federal advocacy on behalf of their division, VSBA, and public education. This is the fifth year the award has been presented.  Hardy has served on the VSBA board of directors for five years. Hardy’s efforts, and those of other school board members have gotten Goochland Schools recognition throughout the Commonwealth in a good way.

Beth Hardy

There is far more to contemporary education that reading, writing and ‘rithmetic and our schools work hard to provide as many opportunities as possible for our kids to succeed, or to “maximize the potential of every learner.” Preparing our kids for life after school is an important part of today’s education.

On November 15, the fifth business and education roundtable was held at the exquisite headquarters of Luck Stone in Manakin.  The featured speaker was Dr. James Lane, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, who is no stranger to Goochland, having served as our superintendent of schools. Attendees included representatives of area businesses; school administrators and teachers; county government officials; and current and future school board members.

The view from Luck Stone headquarters in Manakin.

Dr. Jeremy Raley, current GCPS superintendent, explained that the vision of our school division is to prepare life-ready graduates equipped to become gainfully employed tax-paying citizens. The purpose of the roundtables attended by community business partners is to have a conversation about what schools can do to prepare students to join the workforce of the future. Operative word future, because things are changing fast.

Lane said it was good to be back in the county. Goochland schools, said Lane, are renowned across the state as one of the best school divisions, doing really well, and looking for ways to take that success to the next level. He explained that the slogan “Virginia is for learners. Strengthening the talent pipeline with future ready learners,” is part of an initiative to get people to come to Virginia and bring their businesses with them. The Commonwealth, Lane said has been rated number one for business and economic development. It is rated number two for education and workforce development.

Dr. James Lane, State Superintendent for Public Instruction.

To build on that reputation, Lane contended, schools must go deeper and move from a test score metric to challenging students to obtain knowledge, skills, and work experiences identified by employers and educator as critical for success.

He reported that the focus on basic academic skills has been joined by the need to develop soft skills, including collaboration, communication, and problem solving, to develop well-rounded students. Finding ways to measure student progress outside of test score is a necessary challenge. While technology is a necessary tool in today’s classroom, “a great teacher is still the key to a great education for a student”, he declared.

Lane reported that reading test scores for the past five years show a decline across the board. “This means we have an issue. We need you to read to your kids in school and at home. We all have work to do.”

Dr. John Herndon, Director of Innovation and Strategy said that the school division is updating its strategic plan for the next five years and asked for input from the group.   

Breakout sessions followed. The business representatives emphasized the importance of internships and job shadowing to introduce students to career paths they might not otherwise have chosen. Establishing partnerships between school divisions and employers is important to make these programs effective. Sometimes insurance and legal barriers are impediments to these programs for students under 18 years of age.

Employers are looking for applicants with soft skills, some as basic as being able to look someone in the eye, shake hands, and communicate face to face. One attendee observed that few teenagers today have the kind of entry level jobs—flipping burgers, delivering newspapers, cutting grass—held by previous generations where they learned how to work. Students need to learn interviewing skills, and employment basics including showing up on time, completing assigned tasks, following instructions, and getting along with others for success in the workplace.

Raley concluded by saying that educators are busy teaching and do not necessarily know what is going on in private industry. Opportunities for teachers to visit businesses to see what skills they need can help them adjust their lessons.

Thanks to the many connections Goochland’s Career and Technical Education program (CTE) have in place, some of our graduates move form high school to lucrative internships with companies like Luck Stone. These round tables hope to expand those opportunities.

The fall 2019 edition of Explorations in Learning, our school division’s annual report, should be in your mailbox soon. Please take time to read it and find out about some of the many good things our schools are doing to prepare ours kids to take their place in the world and succeed.