Dear Colleagues,
I am both honored and enthusiastic to assume the role of Superintendent of Schools this July 1. As part of my transition from Deputy Superintendent to Superintendent, I am embarking on a Listening Tour throughout July and August. My intention is to relearn our school system from a new perspective—to see and understand our students, parents, employees, and school communities through new eyes and ears. Continue reading
Dear Members of Our School Community:
Superintendent Moran’s funding request for the 2018-19 school year was approved by the School Board during its February 8 business meeting. The Board did not make any cuts; with small adjustments, the request totals $188.5 million with revenues projected at $187.1 million. The funding gap of $1.45 is among the lowest in recent years. Continue reading
Dear Colleagues:
Last month, I sent you a report on the December 14 School Board meeting as a way of keeping you informed about the issues being considered by the Board and their decisions. I’d like to send these reports after each Board meeting, since so many of our Board’s actions will impact you.
The Board has met twice since December 14, including their organizational and first business meeting of 2018 on January 11. Also, last evening, a special meeting was held during which Dr. Moran and I presented the 2018-19 fiscal year funding request for our school division. Continue reading
Dear Colleagues:
Recognizing that not all of you have the opportunity to access our School Board meetings, I’d like to report on the significant actions at each meeting that may impact you. At their meeting this past Thursday, December 14, the School Board made three such decisions.
Dear Colleagues:
This afternoon, School Board members and some senior staff attended a presentation by the two consulting firms that are generating options on how best to meet our high school facility needs in the future. This discussion is the first formal step in a process that will extend over the next few months. Continue reading
During its work session on Thursday, September 28, the Albemarle County School Board appointed Dr. Matthew Haas as the school division’s 20th Superintendent, succeeding Dr. Pamela Moran, who announced her retirement yesterday. Dr. Moran will retire on June 30, 2018, and Dr. Haas’ appointment takes effect the next day, July 1. Directly following both announcements, Superintendent Moran and Deputy Superintendent Haas addressed employees via email, and the school division published two news releases: Continue reading
Greetings Colleagues:
Thank you for an excellent opening to the school year. Your students and families appreciate you, and so do I!
Whether you are just starting out as a teacher in Albemarle County Public Schools or you have been with the system for decades, you probably recognize that you work in a progressive school division aiming to provide the highest quality learning experiences for all students. Our mission “to establish a community of learners and learning, through relationships, relevance and rigor, one student at a time” is your mission, as we cannot accomplish it without you. Continue reading
Greetings, Teachers:
I am writing to advise you of a central decision regarding how the PowerTeacher Pro gradebook will calculate grades. This decision was based on an operating principle for ACPS that we will have fair and equitable grading practices.
With the introduction of the PowerTeacher Pro gradebook, PowerSchool has moved the control of rounding/truncation and rounding precision from the teacher level to the school level. Continue reading
Dear Members of our School Community:
I’d like to invite you to a community meeting on Tuesday evening, January 17, at Monticello High School to talk about the future of Albemarle County’s high schools.
We will provide a brief overview of state-mandated graduation requirement changes on the horizon, as well as our designs. In addition, we will host a viewing of the film, Most Likely to Succeed. During an intermission of the film, we will have brief information sessions in the theater foyer as well as opportunities for you to share your ideas. We want you to be a part of this important ongoing conversation, one that will lead to changes in the high school experiences of all students, beginning with those who will be freshmen in 2018. Continue reading
Dear Colleagues:
News outlets across our nation continue to carry reports of people who have strong feelings about the presidential election and what it may portend for their future and the future of our country. Presidential elections often generate an inward focus because they usually signal change.
Our own school community is not immune to such personal concerns. Continue reading