Community helps pick priorities for Henrico schools

Picking priorities for Henrico County schools isn't as simple as 1, 2, 3, but that's what it boiled down to last night.

In Henrico's first community priorities workshop under first-year Superintendent Patrick Russo, 116 people brought different perspectives to the task of finding common goals during a three-hour session at Hermitage High School.

Participants started out in classrooms organized by common interests, with parents, students, teachers, principals, administrators, civic leaders and businesspeople each having a space of their own.

Participants called out suggestions for priorities, discussed them and then voted for their top three.

Coming together in the auditorium, each group reported its choices. Then they divided up into mixed groups to repeat the process. The next time they met in the auditorium, the suggestions had more in common.

"We understand as we go through this, we can't do all this," Russo said. "The highest levels rise to the top."

Last night's top three focused broadly on developing 21st-century skills in students; recruiting, retaining and training quality personnel; and communication among all involved in the educational process and the community.

Tammy Gartrell, who has children in Elko Middle School and the engineering specialty center at Highland Springs High School, said she found the process worthwhile.

"I think we're going to get some great ideas on how to improve the school system to help all the kids," she said.

David Caravati, a senior at Mills Godwin High School, compared it with his involvement in the Student Congress.

"This is better," he said, "because you get to interact with different groups."

Russo promised that staff would present a ranking at the next School Board meeting and focus on creating objectives and strategies to measure improvement in those areas.

"You've really given us some direction," Russo said.

Contact Katherine Calos at (804) 649-6433 or .