State testing shows that the division has lost some ground on the number of our students reading at grade level, especially in grades K-5. The good news is that we are anticipating improved scores for the 23-24 school year. We are also excited about our newly purchased reading curriculum by HMH. We believe that it will provide the necessary resources and scaffolding to help teachers help students with their reading. This will require a great deal of professional development over the next several years, which I will monitor closely.

This will allow students to learn content during reading instruction. In other words, students can read about science or social studies during periods set aside for reading to maximize the use of the limited time we have each day.

In recent years, testing indicates that we have lost ground in math. Again, we are anticipating improvement for the 23-24 school year. And we will be identifying a new mathematics curriculum during the 24-25 school year.

As an example, I have visited AHS frequently this past semester. I can confidently report that AHS is a safe school. But I also believe that AHS could be a calmer, quieter school. Getting students out of the halls and in class on time will require better collaboration between teachers, support staff, and administrators. To this end, I have recommended specific staff development for this summer.

The division is taking steps to be much more consistent in the way the School Board's cell phone policy is enforced across all of our schools. We are establishing a committee to study the matter, but we are also being proactive about communicating our expectations as we head into the 24-25 academic year.

The School Board has heard numerous complaints regarding our grading policies from students, teachers, and parents. I am happy to report that central office staff are studying these issues. However, I also feel that some changes are simply obvious and should be implemented for the 24-25 academic year. For example, if a teacher wants to grade homework, then I believe that we should allow it as long as it is only a small percentage of a student's overall grade. We have learned that many students will not do homework if they know it will not be graded.

Technology is a great tool in the classroom, but it can be misused. There is a growing concern that computers and tablets that we provide for students are used inappropriately during class time. I am working with the division's Department of Technology to explore better ways to deploy technology to our students.

Since the pandemic, absenteeism has increased significantly. I would like to see our high schools on the same page with procedures to handle absenteeism. To this end, I have asked for specific staff development for this summer.

About a decade ago, the division built a number of open classrooms, which are larger than normal spaces with generally two or three teachers working with a larger numbers of students. In some of our schools, these open learning spaces could be converted into additional classrooms. For example, Lakeside Middle School has two open science classrooms that were constructed out of four classrooms. We should be able to reverse engineer these spaces to go back to four classrooms when we need additional classrooms.

I believe that we need to look for ways to make working in our schools a less stressful, more fulfilling experience. Albemarle County Public Schools should be the best place to work! Working conditions can be addressed through our new collective bargaining process, but the School Board also needs to engage directly with this issue. I enjoy visiting schools and listening to administrators, teachers, and staff. What I learn from them and see for myself drive where I focus my efforts, which is complementary to the collective bargaining process.

The development of the school division's budget is one of the most important roles for the School Board. I will be working with our budget experts over the summer to deepen my understanding of the budget process.