FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
REA Organizes Rally for Safe Schools
Richmond, VA – The Richmond Education Association (REA) will hold a rally to support the passage of two School Board resolutions regarding HVAC, air quality, and fire safety on Monday, November 6, 2023, at 5:30 pm at River City Middle School. Rally attendees are encouraged to stay for the vote of the resolutions. The REA recognizes that the physical conditions in many RPS schools are unsafe in terms of HVAC, air quality, mold, and fire safety. These unsafe conditions are a symptom of historic divestment from public education, particularly from public education for low income students of color. REA members and members of the RPS community have demonstrated courage and sincere commitment to their students by speaking out about the conditions in their buildings and how they affect them and their students. In response to these unsafe learning and working conditions, REA members presented two resolutions to the Richmond School Board members for their consideration: one pertaining to HVAC and air quality and one pertaining to fire safety.
The School Board will introduce and discuss these two resolutions at their upcoming meeting on Monday, October 16, 2023, at 6pm at River City Middle School. The REA encourages all members, RPS employees, RPS families, and concerned community members to attend and share their stories about the physical conditions of RPS buildings. The goal of both resolutions is to establish specific criteria for safe operations for all of Richmond Public Schools (RPS) when it comes to room temperature, air quality, and fire safety. If the Richmond School Board adopts these criteria for safe operations for schools as policy, they would then establish plans to repair unsafe conditions. The REA is hopeful the Richmond School Board will support these common sense resolutions. Regardless of the outcome of this particular vote, the REA will continue to fight until our students and staff get the schools they deserve.
What: Rally in support of safe and healthy schools resolutions
Who: Richmond Education Association (REA), RPS employees, families, and community supporters.
When: Monday November 6th, 5:30pm
Where: River City Middle School, 6300 Hull Street Rd, Richmond, VA 23224