The superintendent search continues for Chesterfield County Public Schools
The following message was sent to families on Monday, Nov. 4, on behalf of the School Board:
The nationwide search for our next superintendent continues, and we expect to have a new leader in place for our school division by July 1, 2025. During this time, Dr. John Murray will continue as the interim superintendent for Chesterfield County Public Schools through the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. Dr. Murray is an accomplished, experienced and thoughtful educational leader who is doing outstanding work.
Here is more information about the superintendent search process and what is planned in the coming weeks. The School Board hired a consultant in May to guide our superintendent search. While we encountered a few great candidates during that process, we have not yet found the right person to become the next superintendent of Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Our students and staff members are too important to rush into a commitment that does not guarantee a strong and successful future for our school division. The board is currently working through an informal request-for-proposal process to engage a new consulting firm to take charge of the search, and we are confident that we will identify the next person to lead Chesterfield County Public Schools. More information about next steps in the superintendent search process will be shared once finalized.
At the beginning of our superintendent search, we sought advice from families, employees and partners about what this community values and what this community wants in a superintendent. The School Board will continue to be guided by that input, which showed that Chesterfield County wants as superintendent a strong, exceptional educational leader who is engaging and collaborative and who connects with all stakeholders to build on the school district’s academic success.
The School Board would like to express our thanks to Dr. Murray, our staff and our families for your patience in this transitional period for our school system.
Marching band video will pep up your Friday night
Whether or not you were in the stands for this fall’s marching band exhibition, you will love this video featuring every high school in Chesterfield County Public Schools. Bold sounds! Precision moves! Drumlines, color guards and more!
This is the weekend for Career and Technical Center open houses
Both campuses of the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center invite families to Nov. 9 open houses to learn about engaging, up-to-date programs available to high school students. Flyers provide details in English, in Spanish and in Arabic.
Through career and technical education, students explore fields across 17 career clusters. Students can earn industry-recognized certifications and connect with work-based learning experiences. November is College and Career Readiness Month, so it’s a great time to see how career and technical education helps students jump-start their careers.
Families can learn more at the school website and by coming to the open houses:
Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse (10101 Courthouse Road) will have an open house 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 9. Also, ESL students and families are invited to an info session 10-11 a.m. Nov. 9 at the Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse.
Career and Technical Center @ Hull (13900 Hull Street Road) will have an open house noon-2 p.m. Nov. 9.
Four Chesterfield teachers win R.E.B. recognition this year
Remarkable adventures in learning await four Chesterfield County teachers who won 2024 R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence and will receive a total of almost $54,000 in professional development grants from the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and the R.E.B. Foundation. The four teachers learned they were heading for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities when Chesterfield County Public Schools leaders popped in during a school day to surprise them with the good news.
Get details here about this success by Sarah Ehret of Monacan High, Karen Smith of Monacan High, Colleen Irby of the Career and Technical Center @ Hull and Rebecca Lynch of Manchester High. See photos from the award surprises.
Groundbreaking for new elementary school is Nov. 18
Chesterfield County Public Schools will ceremoniously break ground for a new elementary school at 10 a.m. Nov. 18. The west area elementary school groundbreaking will take place at 17151 Westerleigh Parkway. If you cannot attend this public event, then be sure to look for an article, photos and video afterward.
Scheduled to open for students in August 2026, the new school is part of a community facilities bond plan approved by Chesterfield County voters in 2022. Virginia Public School Authority bonds will cover the building’s $42 million budget. The west area elementary school will accommodate up to 1,000 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Community members selected the exterior colors of the new two-story building, which was designed using the elementary school prototype for Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Read the fall issue of CCPS on the Go
The fall edition of CCPS on the Go is available in English and Spanish. In this issue, we celebrate opening a new Falling Creek Middle and share about ongoing construction activities for other new schools. We highlight achievements of students and staff as well as school activities. Also in this issue: 55 experienced teachers from 12 countries are now working as full-time educators in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
CCPS on the Go began in 2021 as a printed publication that was mailed to every home in Chesterfield County. Starting with this issue, the award-winning publication is shifting to a digital format. An archive of all issues (in English and Spanish) is online.
This is College and Career Readiness Month
November is College and Career Readiness Month, but November just isn’t big enough for all the activities in Chesterfield County Public Schools so October also holds opportunities for college and career exploration. This CCPS in the Know video shows how schools embrace college and career readiness, and the website offers additional info.
This fall, Chesterfield County Public Schools launched the CCPS in the Know video series to give quick-but-helpful insights into central Virginia’s largest school system. If you have a question that you’d like answered, then ask it here. We’ll cover as many topics as we can. You can see all of the videos via this playlist, with captions available in English and in Spanish for each video.
You can nominate school employees for the Superintendent's Game Changer Award
You are invited to nominate employees of Chesterfield County Public Schools for Game Changer awards. Teachers and other employees consistently go above and beyond to connect with students, build stronger relationships, provide engaging learning opportunities and help families. You can help recognize their work by nominating #oneCCPS Game Changers using this simple form.
Students are taking advantage of free tutoring sessions
As of Oct. 28, Chesterfield County Public Schools students in grades 3-12 have attended more than 3,000 free, online tutoring sessions via Stride Tutoring since the beginning of October.
“We have seen firsthand that offering support in this format is effective in meeting students where they are and helping them succeed in areas where they need help,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. John Murray. “We are glad to see so many students taking advantage of this opportunity while it is available to them.” Read more about this successful initiative here.
Students invited to submit art for Virginia contest
The Virginia Lottery invites K-12 public school students to share their talent in the eighth annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest. The winning designs (one each from elementary, middle and high school levels) will be featured on thousands of thank-you notes distributed to teachers across Virginia during Teacher Appreciation Week in May. The top three student artists will each win a $200 gift card, and their school’s art department will be awarded $2,000 from The Supply Room.
Artwork can be submitted starting now at thankateacherva.com. The deadline is Feb. 3.
Become a licensed teacher through iteach
If you are passionate about education, have a bachelor’s degree and want to explore pathways to becoming a licensed teacher, then learn more in a free virtual session 4-5 p.m. Nov. 19 organized by Chesterfield County Public Schools. This website provides details about iteach and how it can help you become a teacher.
Dec. 6 is application deadline for specialty centers and governor’s schools
Each fall, Chesterfield County Public Schools eighth graders explore their options for high school and decide whether or not to apply to a specialty center, governor’s school or regional technology school. This video gives an overview of how those schools provide unique opportunities to explore special interests.
Open houses offer on-site visits for eighth grade families. Here are upcoming dates:
6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 open house for Governor’s Academy for Engineering Studies at Bird High (10301 Courthouse Road)
6:30 p.m. Nov. 21 open house for Center for Mass Communications at Manchester High (12601 Bailey Bridge Road)
6 p.m. Dec. 10 open house for CodeRVA Regional High School (2601 Durham St. in Richmond)
Complete information about the application process is provided at bit.ly/CCPSoptions. That includes the online application form, links to specialty center websites and everything eighth graders need to know about the process. Here are important dates to keep in mind:
Online application opened Oct. 1 and closes Dec. 6 for specialty centers and governor’s schools.
Online application opens Jan. 6 and closes Feb. 14 for CodeRVA.
Acceptance offers will be made Feb. 28 for CodeRVA and March 5 for specialty centers and governor’s schools.
March 17 is the deadline for students to accept offers from specialty centers, governor’s schools and CodeRVA.
Coffee & Conversation offers connections on important topics for families
Coffee & Conversation is an easy way to connect with experts offering advice on topics helpful to parents. The free online gatherings take place 1-2 p.m. See the full schedule and register here for topics of your choice:
Nov. 20 topic is “Supporting Your Child’s Self-Esteem.”
Dec. 4 topic is “Managing Screen Time.”
Dec. 11 topic is “Recognizing the Signs of Human Trafficking.”
Registration open for SOL and W!se test prep sessions
Registration is open for the SOL Academy and W!se Academy that will meet Dec. 2-12.
SOL Academy is free and open to any student who passed a class but did not pass the corresponding SOL end-of-course test in science, social studies, math, reading or writing.
W!se Academy is free and open to any student who passed the economics and personal finance class but did not pass the W!se financial literacy test and who needs a career and technical education credential to graduate.
This webpage has complete details. Registration closes Nov. 26 for these opportunities: