MLWGS – Minimal Progress From Diversity
Consultant and Director’s Search.

Yesterday, the Regional Board held its first meeting of the
New Year. Board Chairman Ivan Mattox led his colleagues in
discussion on a whole host of issues, but the board carefully
skirted any in-depth discussion of the school’s most two controversial
issues, the director’s search and the diversity study.

While there was a cursory announcement about the status of
the MLWGS diversity study, it was only the first such update
since September. As we all know, a $70,000 contract was
awarded last year to four U.Va education professors.

In the coming months, Doctors Brighton, Callahan, Davis and
Moon are slated to deliver their high-priced advice to the Regional
Board. But as of now, these diversity consultants know
practically nothing about our school’s admission’s process.

The professors failed to attend even one of this fall’s thirty
middle school recruiting events. Mr. Charles’s advice on this
issue is ten times more valuable than any diversity consultant –
and his suggestions are free.

As well as being tight-lipped about the diversity study,
MLWGS leadership have dragged with the director’s search. Until
yesterday, very few details were shared about the “hunt for Mr.
Hunt’s replacement.” Even the information given at Thursday’s
meeting was ambiguous. We do know now that approximately
thirty candidates from “Virginia and across the country” have
applied for the position, but no specifics were available.

It would be interesting to know the names of local candidates,
and possibly, whether any current MLWGS faculty or board
members have applied. Without substantial community involvement,
consequences of the director’s search may be disastrous.

Locally – New Richmond Mayor and School
Board Bring Change to City, But Is It Too Late?

Last Saturday, new Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones delivered
his inaugural address to an overflowing, exuberant audience.
From Jones’ remarks, it looks like the next four years could
be a time of revitalization and repair for our city. One promising
aspect is the new mayor’s pledge to work closely with Richmond’s
practically brand-new school board.

In November, five new members were elected to the city’s
school board. Essentially this was a mandate from voters for
change and overhaul in our school system. Hopefully these new
board members will make good on their electoral promises.

This Monday, the MLWGS baseball team met for a preseason
planning session. The team practices on a dilapidated cityowned
field adjacent to Richmond’s Clark Springs Elementary
School. On Monday, the team voted to play this season’s “home
games” at away locations, since the quality of the field is so poor.

Facilities are just one small part of any school system. But
they are a critically important tool in keeping students, parents
and teachers energized and working hard. Let’s hope some simple
things like cleaning up the Clark Springs ball field are seriously
considered when the Richmond School Board gets to work.

Statewide – Budget Crisis and Partisan Legislature
Don’t Bode Well for Our Commonwealth.

More than a hundred basketball fans donned their Green
Machine t-shirts and packed into the gym on Wednesday night
to witness a blowout 63-33 MLWGS victory. However, one
regular fan was missing from the crowd.

Governor Kaine was not watching the Maggie Walker boys
battle Appomattox on the basketball court. Instead, he was delivering
his annual State of the Commonwealth address.

Kaine’s speech was well-crafted and expertly delivered, but the
Governor’s oratory skills were not enough to hide the stark
truth that Virginia is facing a full-blown budget crisis.

At the moment, the state is looking at some huge cuts in
education funding. As Kaine so truthfully admitted, “it’s never
easy to make cuts to schools.” Unfortunately, MLWGS is at
risk of being hit doubly hard.

The best possible scenario would be an $80,000 shortfall.
Yet this figure was developed without even calculating the possible
reduction in funds from our home divisions.

Alas, times are tough. But, as Gandhi once said, “the future
depends on what we do in the present.” Unless the MLWGS
community takes direct action today to deal with these challenges,
we may as well just reprint this very same editorial in
the first Jabberwock of 2010.