Illustration by Victoria Borges
“Traditional” is not an adjective typically used to describe Open High School.
“We give students more freedom, but this requires more responsibility,” says Clary W. Carleton, an administrative dean and English teacher at the school.
The economically and racially diverse specialty high school’s 200 students are expected to participate in decision making, says Kay Bollen, a former PTSA president.
During weekly inter-grade “family meetings,” faculty leaders encourage discussion and activities generated by student issues. Bollen says these forums have helped students address concerns such as derogatory comments made by classmates.
Kaylan Dunning, Varina High School senior, flag and dance team captain
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? Through the Center for Communications and Media Relations, we produce packages or projects for other schools — if they need a message to get out, they come to us. During the summer, we went to Godwin and interviewed students to make a video for the rest of their students to know what their math and science program is about.
“Public speaking is one of the skills that is encouraged, as well as taking leadership,” says Josiah Salgado, a Virginia Commonwealth University freshman who graduated from Open in June. “We have a school constitution. Students have a right to amend the constitution.”
At Open, students voice opinions, propose solutions and share their talents, Carleton says. One way they do that is to teach noncredit elective classes, she adds. “Last year, students taught a swing dance class and an engineering class. This year, students will teach music appreciation and acrylic painting.”
They walk to classes at nearby locations such as the Downtown YMCA or Richmond Public Library, and they can go out to eat for lunch.
“If students are not doing well, Open expects students to address the problem; they’re not always calling parents,” Bollen says, adding that students and staff call each other by their first names, putting them on more equal footing. “They are respected.”
The model seems to be working. U.S. News & World Report’s April rankings placed Open at the top for the Richmond region and fifth among public high schools statewide. Deep Run, Richmond Community, Cosby, Mills E. Godwin, Glen Allen and Midlothian high schools also made the top 50 statewide. The magazine considers factors such as college readiness, math and reading assessments, graduation rates, and how scores compare with predictions based on demographic characteristics. (Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies, recognized in a variety of rankings over the years as one of the best public high schools in the nation, was not part of the U.S. News rankings because the regional school includes students from 12 districts.)
Highland Springs High School's competition-winning marching band rehearses. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Aside from specialty schools such as Open and Richmond Community that draw from an entire district and require students to apply for admission, the schools with the highest rankings and standardized test scores mostly comprise students from higher-income neighborhoods. For example, at Deep Run High School, a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School in western Henrico County that’s ranked No. 2 in the region and 10th statewide by U.S. News & World Report, just under 7% of the students are economically disadvantaged, according to the Virginia Department of Education. In contrast, at eastern Henrico’s Highland Springs High School, ranked 32nd in the region and 253rd statewide, 65% of the students are economically disadvantaged, measured by factors such as whether they receive free or reduced-price lunches.
Noah Fanz, Clover Hill High School senior class secretary
WHAT‘S GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? The freshman mentoring program: Seven or eight juniors and seniors are assigned to a homeroom, so there’s about one mentor per three freshmen. We have homeroom with them three times a week for the first month of school, then meet twice a month for the rest of the year.
But rankings don’t tell the whole story of a school, and they can impede efforts to improve struggling schools. As one of eight area teachers who participated in a Richmond magazine discussion group to provide input for this article told us, referring to the kind of parent involvement and community support that can foster success: “No one wants to join a losing team. It's hard to get it if the school isn't doing well.”
Education experts and advocates say a range of qualities should be taken into consideration when evaluating schools, such as diversity of students and staff; experienced administrators and teachers; moderate class sizes; enrichment activities; frequent and effective communication; a strong support system for students; access to advanced academic courses; a sense of community identity; high rates of attendance; and facilities and equipment that serve the school’s needs.
Great schools are concerned with the whole child, says Tricia Stohr-Hunt, chair of the University of Richmond’s Department of Education.
“You have to support students in social and emotional ways to succeed,” Stohr-Hunt says. “Qualities of a good school include quality leadership and vision. Is it collaborative with students and parents? You hope schools set high expectations for students and not just test scores. And schools need to grow strong teachers who grow strong students. So turnover is an issue. … It can’t be a revolving door of faculty.”
Teachers in our discussion group suggested we highlight successes at area high schools that aren’t necessarily at the top of the rankings list. What follows is a sampling of what we found.
Tough Competition
Nikolas Dore, Glen Allen High School senior, former class president
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? In Battle of the Classes, each grade level will complete in an effort to raise money or collect items for charity. At this one big battle night — typically in early May, every class has their own choreographed dance to songs that fit the theme that we choose at the start of the year. It brings different groups together.
Drumline musician and 11th grader Jordan Adkins acknowledges that Highland Springs High School is known for football, with a four-time defending Class 5 state championship team, and for a cheerleading squad that won its fourth consecutive national title in March, but those aren’t the only gems at the eastern Henrico school of nearly 2,000 students.
“Discipline” and “dedication” are words Adkins uses to describe his school’s music program, which consistently wins recognition at events such as the Nansemond River invitational competition, the Spartan Legion Classic band competition and the King’s Fork competition.
“You follow through,” Adkins says before a late-summer practice session. “Even though a lot of things aren’t easy.” The drumline is a tightknit group, part of the marching band that amplifies school spirit at football games and area parades.
Davon Yonkers has led the Highland Springs High School music program, which also includes concert, jazz and pep bands, as well as an orchestra, for 15 years. “It’s almost like a school of music, like a conservatory,” says Yonkers, who teaches advanced courses including music theory and recording techniques. Highland Springs’ music students work hard to be successful, he adds. “Students are excited about what they are interested in.”
Hanover High School Special Education Department Chair Jennifer Davis (standing, right) and teacher Kori Hughes (standing, left) instruct Elijah Benjamin (seated, left) and Tucker Garrett. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Inclusion and Accessibility
In addition to its academic, career and technical programs, Hanover High School in Mechanicsville is known as a supportive school for students with disabilities, a place where they can learn job skills and move toward independence.
“Our resources set us apart, from assisted technologies to special seating; we have desks that are adaptable to wheelchairs,” says Principal Kristina Reece. Math teachers such as Jennifer Davis, the special education department chair, along with aides, work with students including 25 who have autism, some of them nonverbal. Students with disabilities interact with the entire school in classrooms, at school-based jobs, in electives and in clubs, chorus, band and athletics.
Students with and without disabilities partner through the Hawks Connection club’s social events and at the All-Star Basketball League, which the whole school comes out to cheer on. Assistant Principal Damean Barfield says an inclusive atmosphere pervades because the adults set an example, and students model it for one another.
A Global Mix
Emmaline Clark, Richmond Community High School senior class president
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? My favorite thing about Community is that we are all valued as individuals, and we are all allowed to speak our minds and stand up for what we believe in. A good example is that last year, our principal allowed us to organize by ourselves the walkout for gun violence. Most schools didn’t let their students walk out at all.
As the home of Henrico County Public Schools’ English as a Second Language Welcome Center, J.R. Tucker High School is the first stop for a growing global population. Reflecting that mix in the 1,700-member student body is a point of pride.
Sarah Carr, chair of the Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP), formerly known as English as a Second Language, says the more than 300 English-language learners are supported and integrated into the school.
“LIEP teachers provide lessons that are specially tailored to the students,” even those who are not yet speaking English, Carr says. “We give them the time it takes [to acclimate and learn].”
When newcomers need a friendly face to show them around, a multilingual student from the Center for Spanish Language and Global Citizenship immersion program at Tucker may be asked to assist.
“There is an attitude of acceptance and adaptability,” says center director Susan Hester. “Here, you can walk down the sidewalk and not see anyone who looks like you. We are the world.”
Principal Motivation
Joe Bamisile, Monacan High School senior (attended private schools before his junior year), basketball player
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? There’s a lot of different rigors of academics you can take — normal level, honors level, Advanced Placement or college level classes. Last year, I took honors math and history. You’ve got control over how hard you want to push yourself academically. There’s also a lot of diversity. It’s important to see different kinds of people and get different understandings from your own, to help you grow as a person.
At Thomas Dale High School in Chester, Principal Christopher Jones’ enthusiasm spreads among students, parents and staff, translating into what many see as a joyful culture.
“To have a positive influence on someone, you have to start with positivity,” says Jones, who is in his second year as principal after a move from Virginia Beach. “I did not have it easy coming up. But what an amazing feeling to have the power of impact. The power of a principal can turn a school right side up or upside down.”
Johnetta Henderson, Thomas Dale’s PTSA president for 2019-2020, says she appreciates Jones’ high energy level and approach to community outreach. A diverse school of 2,400 students, Thomas Dale is home to an arts specialty center, as well as a JROTC program.
An Army veteran who played in his high school band during his teens, Jones communicates often through social media. He has implemented group meetings to get students' input and launched a community book club. Jones also initiated a Genius Hour, when community members can share a skill or interest with students.
“The kids are energized by it,” Henderson says. “That energy creates open-mindedness.”
Science of Success
Richmond’s Thomas Jefferson High School has had a robotics team for more than a decade, but the VikingBots experienced a meteoric rise this past spring, qualifying them to attend the FIRST World Robotics Championship in Detroit. FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) presents challenges culminating in a series of competitions to give students real world engineering experience.
Will Dornik, Freeman High School senior class president
WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? The Freeman Project is something that really stands out. It started my sophomore year. It’s considered a club, during the last block of the day. Students spend the entire year doing projects across the school, like planting a garden out front. Last year, students could pay to paint their lockers, and money went to funding projects for Freeman.
Many of the robotics team members are enrolled in the school’s International Baccalaureate program for academically advanced students.
“It’s a high level of instruction,” IB math teacher John Stevens says. “A lot of the material is project-based. It’s not a rote process, but instead it is an attempt to integrate math with the child, to help them appreciate the usefulness and beauty of math.” Stevens says Thomas Jefferson’s football, basketball and track teams also have had recent successes, but when the student body of more than 700 cheered the VikingBots with a pep rally as they headed to the world stage, it sent a message that academic achievements are exciting, too. He credits the team’s success in large part to help from dedicated volunteers, parents, alumni groups, the PTSA and community donors. (Full disclosure: This writer is the mother of the VikingBots’ former co-captain, who graduated in June.)
Robotics drive team captain Eddy Muñoz, an 11th grade IB student, hopes to continue the VikingBots’ winning momentum. “I want to keep pursuing it,” Muñoz says, “with TJ robotics being a symbol of the Richmond area.”
