Coraggio Consulting
Henrico County School Board Monthly Meeting, Thursday, May 14, 2026

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Place: Henrico County School Board, Virginia
Length: 36m (video)
Official meeting video (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaDyXOgNzfs
Official meeting portal (Henrico County Public Schools, Diligent Community): https://henricoschools.community.diligentoneplatform.com/Portal/MeetingTypeList.aspx

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-25. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:00] monthly meeting of the henrico county school board we'll start with the approval of the agenda is there a motion to approve the agenda i move that the school board approve the agenda for today's meeting thank you mr young uh do i have a second second thank you mrs shea all in favor say aye aye the ayes have it the agenda is approved dr boyd good evening dr kerry fellows principal of pinchback elementary school will come to the podium and introduce students who will lead us and the Pledge of Allegiance.

[00:00:38] - Hi, good evening. I am Carrie Fellows, the principal of Pinchbeck, and we are a Leader in Me school. So we have our sponsor, Ms. Skyler Baker, who is our Student Lighthouse sponsor. And then some of our students on the Lighthouse team, which is Ashlyn Lankford, Anaya Buster, Karam Hassan, Jameson Zimmerman, and Rick Debnath.

[00:01:01] All right, so if everyone will rise. - I pledge allegiance to the flag, United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[00:01:25] Please remain standing as you are able for a moment of silence. Thank you. You may be seated. Please join me in giving a round of applause for our students who led us in the pledge.

[00:01:43] Next, we will have our performance from students at Fairfield Middle School. The board and I are going to move to the audience to view the performance.

[00:01:55] All right, good evening, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Dr. Boyd, colleagues, and guests.

[00:02:25] My name is Christopher Mosley. I am the Education Specialist for Performing Arts, and it is my pleasure to introduce for our performance highlight this evening the Fairfield Middle School Show Choir Opulence under the direction of Mr. Zachary Fortune.

[00:02:41] Mr. Fortune is in his fifth year as a music educator and has served at Fairfield Middle School since 2022. The students will perform two selections, Hold Fast to Dreams by Susan Labar and Dance by Robert T. Gibson.

[00:02:59] Fairfield is the only middle school with a competitive show choir. They placed first in their division at the Mid-Atlantic Show Choir Spectacular and Commonwealth Choral Invitational.

[00:03:15] Opulence also earned Best Stage Crew, Best Band, Best Show Design, Best Choreography, Best Vocal Quality, and Grand Champions of the entire Festival of Choirs. Tonight we have in attendance their very proud principal, Ms. Gina Jones. Please stand so we can recognize you.

[00:03:41] Alright, and now please help me welcome Opulence.

[00:03:47] Let's hear it one more time for the performers at Fairfield Middle.

[00:11:45] Good evening, Chair Irwin, members of the board, and Dr. Boyd. I'm Dr. Leslie Hughes, Chief Learning Officer of Enrico County Public Schools.

[00:12:00] This wonderful performance we just heard perfectly leads us to the first recognition of tonight. Since 1999, the National Association of Music Merchants, or NOM, the Foundation has recognized school districts and individual schools nationwide for their leadership in advancing music education and expanding equitable access for all students.

[00:12:21] HCPS is one of the only two school divisions in the country who has received this recognition every year since the award's inception. Accepting the 27th consecutive Best Community for Music Education School District Award on behalf of the school division, please welcome Education Specialist for Performing Arts, Chris Mosley, and Education Lead Music Teacher, Erin Franklin.

[00:12:53] You gotta get your picture.

[00:13:11] Criteria for this award selection includes student demographics, teacher qualifications, music education participation rates, and music facilities. This recognition encompasses all of the students, families, and staff involved in the performing arts.

[00:13:27] It is the result of HCPS's phenomenal music educators with the support, dedication, and leadership of Chris and Erin. Our staff empowers students with the ability and confidence to succeed, which we have seen and heard during school board meetings and at school events.

[00:13:42] Congratulations, and thank you to Chris and Erin, and all of those who support the performing arts.

[00:13:58] - Good evening, Chair Irving, school board members, and Dr. Boyd. I am Kenya Jackson, Talent Acquisition Ambassador, and I am excited to present our final recognition of the evening, this year's Teacher Scholars Program recipients.

[00:14:13] The Teacher Scholars Program began in 2015 to address staffing needs and the increasing demand highly qualified teachers in critical shortage teaching areas. The selected high school students receive an offer of employment contingent upon completing an accredited college teaching program and earning their teaching license. Upon returning to HCPS with a three-year commitment to teaching in Henrico, these teacher scholars will also receive a one-time hiring bonus.

[00:14:48] we recently surprised the students with the good news let's take a look past 11 years we've had this program and the teacher scholars is one of our longest standing grow your own initiatives that we have to increase the teacher pipeline

[00:15:31] only 12 students are being selected this year you ma'am one of those - Congratulations, Steve. - Thank you, thank you so much. - Thank you. - They have grown up in our schools, and then they go to college, and then they come back.

[00:15:49] They get to be teachers now. - I'll be an elementary school teacher. - A special ed teacher. - A special education teacher. - Yay! - I want to be an elementary school teacher. - For English. - English high school? - Yes. - I'm going to be an elementary ed teacher. - Elementary ed teacher. - Yes.

[00:16:05] - And we can't wait for you to come back and be a science teacher from Miami Public Schools. thank you guys so much it is super rewarding to to see them as students and then to see them when they come back congratulations thank you so much almost 200 all over the years most of them are still in college and so they will be coming out the next few years but 21 are currently in our

[00:16:30] buildings right now without further ado please join me in welcoming this year's 12 teacher scholar program recipients from the ace center at hermitage teacher apprentice program with the home school of tucker high school tyasia randolph from the ace center at holly springs

[00:17:07] with the home schools of glenn allen godwin and tucker high schools hannah tran aubrey wills and madison harrison from freeman high school max mcfiden and tiffany sharp from glenn allen high school wesley boggs reese hilton and julia hinton from godwin high school via violet stark from

[00:17:40] Hermitage High School Franklin Phillips and last but certainly not least from Verina High School Amara Watson we would like to take a moment and thank the HR staff the principals school counselors and of course the students and families that made this possible through their hard work congratulations to our newest teacher scholars we look forward to seeing you back in Henrico

[00:18:13] to continue your journey thank you next on our agenda is the henrico highlight our opportunity

[00:19:34] to showcase the people places and learning that take place across our great county tonight we will visit the classroom of our 2026 henrico teacher of the year miss jordan jordan satterfield jordan is a chorus teacher at cuyacus and middle school where learning hits all the right notes Take a look.

[00:20:01] Good job. Who can raise your hand and tell me what is the time signature? Time signature. Aubrey, what is it? 4-4. Very good. That means we have four beats and a measure. As soon as I came into her class, like, felt like a safe space, like a home that always welcomes you, and she never says anything bad.

[00:20:31] She's just, like, she's basically like a school mother. This is Forte. Make sure we have the accents on the correct syllables. No one teaches, like, in Satterfield. Like, everyone just feels welcome. just loves the class. I knew that I wanted to do music my whole life. I was given the opportunity to conduct a piece my senior year of high school and that's where I really fell in love with the music making process, leading the group and bringing pieces of music to life through others.

[00:21:03] To see how she gets students of all abilities to be able to come together as one, work in unison to be able to perform and perform at the level that they do like the techniques and instructional things that she's doing in her classroom students are really learning and they're really putting it into place. She really does educate the whole student she's a great performing arts teacher she's a great chorus teacher she has really helped grow the music department since she has been here. I set very high expectations for my

[00:21:42] students sometimes higher than what I think a lot of people think that middle schoolers are capable of I believe that they can do so much more more than society often predicts. So I'm constantly raising the bar for them and they meet and often exceed it every time. I didn't know exactly what was going on at first but when it clicked it was just so special and definitely something that I will never forget.

[00:22:09] The school division recently honored Jordan and all of our teachers of the year at the annual banquet. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the best of the best education professionals from across our county. And speaking of milestone celebrations, graduation week is quickly approaching. Between May 27th and the 29th, nearly 3,800 seniors will

[00:22:45] cross the stage at the Henrico Sports and Events Center to receive their diploma. Earlier this spring, they made another important walk, visiting former elementary schools to say thank you to their teachers and to inspire our

[00:23:00] youngest learners let's take a look congratulations to the class of 2026 and their families the

[00:25:46] graduation schedule is now available on our hdps website the academy of virginia randolph and henrico virtual academy graduations are next week followed by the comprehensive high school ceremonies may 27th through may 29th and if you don't have a ticket don't worry we'll live stream each ceremony online. Mr. Chair, that concludes our highlights. Thank you, Dr. Boyd. We will now proceed with the HCPS mission statement. Mr. Young. Enrico County Public Schools, through engagement with our families and community, equips students with the knowledge and skills to be ready

[00:26:21] for life and a successful future. Thank you, Mr. Young. The next item on the agenda is the public forum. This is the time when citizens are invited to address the school board on any matter of concern about the school division. Citizens have signed up in advance and will be given three minutes to address the school board. Speakers will be called to speak in the order in which they signed up and may not relinquish their spot to someone else. We ask that each speaker come to the microphone and clearly state their name and school affiliation, if applicable, and the subject of their remarks before speaking. After stating your name, please place the number you were given

[00:26:58] in the cart near the podium. Speakers must present their remarks to the school board, not the audience, and may provide copies of their comment to the school board clerk the use of obscenity or defamation is strictly prohibited and will be ruled out of order to assist you in tracking your time there's a timekeeping system displaying the elapsed time on the screen speakers will also receive a notice from me when the time has expired the school board is here today to hear from you we will not be responding to speakers concerns or questions during the public forum however a henrico staff member will follow up with speakers stakeholders have also had the opportunity to

[00:27:37] provide written comment through an online form in advance of the meeting those comments are shared with school board members prior to the meeting and posted in board docs for public record equal consideration and attention will be given to both written and in-person comments we appreciate your input and attendance here this evening and first up is speaker number one speaker number one here

[00:28:13] Okay, sorry. Good evening chair and members of the school board. My name is Allie Reynolds and I'm with Girls on the Run Greater Richmond. I'm also a graduate of Henrico County Public Schools Hermitage High School class of 2007, not to age myself. I'm here tonight to share our appreciation for your continued commitment to supporting the whole child, not just academic success, but also emotional and social well-being. We are grateful to partner with schools across Henrico County and we truly value the trust you place in us to serve your students.

[00:28:43] In Henrico County, we know that your vision is to empower every learner, and we see that value come to life in ways that you invest in programs and partnerships that help students feel seen, supported, and connected. That is exactly where Girls on the Run fits in. Girls on the Run is an after-school program for girls in third through eighth grade that uses a research-based curriculum to build social-emotional skills through movement, conversation, and connection.

[00:29:07] Over 10 weeks, with the mentorship of trained volunteer coaches, many of whom are teachers, parents, and community members, girls grow in areas such as confidence, emotion management, healthy relationship building, and decision-making. And along the way, they begin to recognize something powerful, their own inner strength.

[00:29:24] Across Greater Richmond, we are seeing the impact firsthand. This year alone in Henrico County, we have served 350 girls across 24 schools with support of 94 volunteer coaches. 99% of our GOATER girls reported that they felt their coaches cared about them, and 95% of participants reported increased confidence after completing the program.

[00:29:46] But the numbers only tell part of that story. We continue to hear powerful feedback from the coaches, principals, and families who participate in GOATER through HCPS, a testament to the lasting impact of the program. Joy Reed, principal of Ratcliffe Elementary, said, This was by far the most impactful opportunity that our students have had in my 10 years at Ratcliffe.

[00:30:06] One HCPS mom said, Goder made my child feel part of something bigger than herself. And Whitney Beck, assistant principal at Colonial Trail and a Goder coach, said, this is my 22nd year in education and my fifth as a building administrator. Of the many different clubs and organizations I have been able to be a part of through my years in education, none has impacted me more personally than being a Goder coach.

[00:30:28] I've had the great pleasure to get to know a group of 30 girls in a way that was not tied to behavior, academics, or both. In spending time working through intentional character development and workouts during practice, I was able to build meaningful connections with students I rarely get to spend time with in this way.

[00:30:43] This is a great example of what we hear from coaches and teachers again and again. These small moments don't stay small. They carry into the classrooms, hallways, and homes. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in making this possible for students across our region. As you continue investing in the well-being of the whole child, we hope you'll help us bring girls on the run to even more students so every girl has the chance to grow in confidence, connection, and resilience.

[00:31:06] Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your continued dedication to the students of Henrico County Public Schools. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker number one. Speaker number two. Good evening.

[00:31:34] My name is Marlene Sherlock, and our family lives in the Fairfield District. I so would have liked to give in to the pall of senioritis that has infected our home for the past few weeks and just expounded on how our division was selected for the 27th year in a row as a best community for music education.

[00:31:51] or how senior band, choral, and orchestra students at Tucker have been at a blue-ribbon school for their entire four years for the first time in over two decades. Better yet, how our family just watched a second child, along with 50 or so of their ACA classmates, graduate from college before getting their high school diploma.

[00:32:12] Instead, I found myself confronted and troubled with last month's work session item and an extensive Henrico Citizen article on the new proposal for makeup work, policy P7-08-008.

[00:32:30] How can you, in good conscience, talk about accountability and propose that work can be made up for full credit, regardless of whether an absence is excused or not? You aren't just blurring the lines. You're erasing them. What kind of message does that send?

[00:32:50] What kind of message does that send to students? It says that their reason for not being present doesn't matter. Didn't do your homework? Don't go to class. Didn't study for the test? Don't go to class. Get an extra few days to make it up. What kind of message does that give to parents?

[00:33:09] It says we don't value them as partners in making sure students attend class sessions and do their work on time as assigned. What kind of message does that send to teachers? It says that their time in planning, preparation, and execution to stay on pace isn't valuable.

[00:33:29] Having to create makeup work and dragging out the grading period for materials adds to even more tasks on their already full plate. What kind of message does that send to administrators when out of one side of your mouth you tell them to reduce absenteeism but then take away one of the consequences for being absent without cause it goes beyond the school environment it's no wonder college professors bemoan that their students ask for endless do-overs and makeups and late submissions without penalty and finally would we find ourselves

[00:34:06] shocked when a young employee a graduate literally schooled under such a policy finds themselves in trouble at work or worse fired for being awol don't give in to the concept that all can be forgiven all of the time there really ought to be a way to distinguish between a student who just cuts class and one who is otherwise absent it's beyond a bad look it's got another big step down on the spiral to mediocrity thank you thank you speaker number two thank you to all speakers who came out this evening and those who submitted public comment online we will now move

[00:34:45] ON TO THE APPROVAL OF CONSENT ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY REQUESTS FROM ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT AN ITEM BE SEPARATED FOR DISCUSSION OR INDIVIDUAL ACTION? HEARING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ACCEPT, ADOPT, APPROVED, AND/OR AWARD ITEMS 8.01 THROUGH 8.11 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. THANK YOU, MR. YOUNG. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MS. CONCILLA. ALL IN FAVOR,

[00:35:16] say aye the eyes have it items 8.01 through 8.11 on the consent agenda are approved we will now move on to unfinished business colleagues do we have any unfinished business hearing none we will move on to new business colleagues do we have any new business mr shea i will just chime in since ms satterfield was recognized in her video she found out this week that she's a quarter finalist to be a the grammy uh educator of the year she's the quarter finalist in the nation so terrific news

[00:35:52] our music education continues to thrive wonderful wonderful extremely glad to hear that thank you mrs shea um any other new business colleagues okay we'll move on to the announcement of the meeting dates the school board's next meeting will be a work session on thursday june 11th 2026 at 3 p.m., followed by a monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m.

[00:36:15] Meeting times may be adjusted as needed. This meeting is adjourned.

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