This message is appearing local social media about what is happening at Open High:
Our staff at OHS was just informed this afternoon that Open HIgh School for next year is losing 1 whole English Teacher Position, 1/2 of a Science Teacher Position and 1/2 of a Foreign Language Teacher Position (French), and 1/2 of the ONLY Fine Arts Teacher Position. The fine arts program will be slashed in half, leaving Brigette there only part time. The system has decided that a ratio of 22:1 per classroom is acceptable. As a specialty program, we WERE fortunate enough to have smaller class sizes. RPS administration wants to change this for next year.
THE DEADLINE OF WHICH TEACHERS WILL STAY AND WHICH TEACHERS WILL HAVE TO LEAVE OR CUT TO HALF TIME HOURS WILL BE THIS TUESDAY, JUNE 16.
IF YOU WANT THE OPEN HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM TO REMAIN THE WAY IT IS….Please call THE Richmond Public Schools Superintendant’s Office this Monday morning, June 15 to VOICE YOUR CONCERNS.
PLEASE HELP US SAVE OUR WONDERFUL SCHOOL AND SPECIALTY PROGRAM. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NO OFFICIAL PRINCIPAL SO IT IS UP TO YOU AND ALL OF US PARENTS, STUDENTS AND GUARDIANS AT OPEN HIGH TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR WONDERFUL STAFF. I don’t have anymore information at this time.
Dr Bedden’s email is-dbedden@richmond.k12.va.us
The phone number for the Superintedant’s Office is 780-7710
You may also want to reach out and contact the entire RPS school board.
John Richmond says the school board meeting is next Monday at 6 with a public comment period.
Smaller class sizes are an integral part of Opens’ success. This is why parents choose Open. Why cut off the hand that feeds?
Is there currently a parent teacher type association there? There was none when my son went in 2003-2004. I had to start one. It did not go over well with the principal, who had no business being a principal. A great administrator and a good parent interest in the school makes all the difference. I know it was quite the school years back, but during the early 2000’s I wished the school to close and yanked my son out of it half way through his sophomore year. He was sick of it too. I have no idea what changes have been made over the past 10 -12 years, but every parent who has a child there needs to pay close attention to what goes on and how productive their child actually is there. Bridgette is who was appointed to work with me on the parent teacher assoc. I was working on. I encouraged them to follow their grads to see who actually was able to make something of their life in a way the student was happy with. Nobody even knows anything about that. If you leave the school, you then have to fight with the School Board personnel over what letter grade to give your kid as they will need a GPA at any other school. I have no clue why the cutbacks, Open worked on a severely cutback budget already. Get to the root of it!!!
I’ve got a post about this up on CHPN. One thing to pull over to here:
For context, the enrollment at Open High has remained very constant over the past 15 years. I’d be very suprised if the enrollment figures were expected to be that different for next year.
OPEN
2000-2001 188
2001-2002 183
2002-2003 184
2003-2004 177
2004-2005 177
2005-2006 182
2006-2007 171
2007-2008 167
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2011-2012 182
2012-2013 173
2013-2014 190
2014-2015 182