The Richmond Education Association (REA) has received confirmation that the workers of Richmond Virtual Academy (RVA) have won an important victory: RVA will be converted into a school of record. This was won through grassroots organizing and advocacy efforts led by RVA employees. Below is the message RVA employees received from RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras:
Dear Richmond Virtual Academy Staff,
Thank you for your grace and understanding as we continue the redesign of Richmond Virtual Academy (RVA) for the 2022-23 school year. I apologize for any anxiety you may have experienced as a result of any miscommunication over the last several weeks.
During the School Board meeting on April 11, we received important guidance that I want to share with you. The Board authorized me to begin the process of converting RVA into a school of record, and affirmed its previous decision that RVA will have a total of 30 staff members and be funded by the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) next year. (Once RVA becomes a school of record, it will be funded by operating dollars like all other schools.)
One remaining question is what population of students RVA will serve next year. The School Board will return to this matter at its next meeting on April 25. The final program design will drive staffing, and we anticipate posting all positions online in TalentEd by May 1.
As I shared at the meeting on Monday, I am guaranteeing a job for all RVA staff at RPS for the 2022-23 school year. If you would like to be considered for one of the 30 positions at RVA next year, please complete the online application. If you are interested in exploring other opportunities, please continue working with the Talent Office to identify a transfer. As with all transfers, we strive for mutual agreement between the staff member and the new supervisor. That said, RVA staff members who have not secured a transfer by June 15 will be placed into a vacant in-person position commensurate with their licensure status. For staff members in positions that do not require licensure, we will place you in a vacancy that matches your pre-RVA role.
If you have specific questions or concerns about the transfer or placement process, please contact Monika Haskins, Recruiting Manager, (mhaskin@rvaschools.net) or Helen Mickens-DeMena, Director of Talent Acquisition, (hmickens@rvaschools.net).
With appreciation,
Jason Kamras
Superintendent