‘This was an extremely tough resolution’
RICHMOND, Va. — The Chief Educational Officer of Richmond Public Colleges has resigned from her management place. Dr. Tracy Epp’s resignation was confirmed by a Richmond Colleges spokesperson.
“On condition that my size of [medical] go away continues to be undetermined, and that it’s in RPS’ greatest curiosity to have full-time management in teachers, I’ve determined to not return because the CAO,” Epp, who missed a lot of the Spring semester as a consequence of a medical situation, wrote in an e-mail addressed to her staff about obtained by CBS 6. “This was an extremely tough resolution and one which I couldn’t have made with out the help of [Richmond Public Schools Superintendent] Jason [Kamras] and trusted advisors.”
Epp known as Richmond principals and central employees essentially the most “proficient and dedicated” she’s ever labored with.
“I am undecided what precisely is subsequent for me, however I do know that RPS will stay shut,” she wrote.
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“The college board has been knowledgeable the CAO has resigned. Richmond Public Colleges presently has efficacious employees that may kind a clean transition into many vacant roles throughout the faculty district,” Richmond College Board Chair Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed wrote in an emailed assertion. “I’ve little doubt when offered the chance a number of of our present employees will carry out in areas of instant want.”
Epp’s resignation comes weeks after the college system’s Chief Working Officer Alana Gonzalez submitted her resignation.
“Regardless of my greatest efforts to retain [Gonzalez], she felt she couldn’t successfully carry out her duties given the present political local weather, wherein she has felt harassed, undermined, and demeaned,” Kamras wrote in a Could e-mail to the Richmond College Board.
Gonzalez’s place has not been stuffed.
Additionally unfilled is the function of Chief Wellness Officer.
The brand new RPS function can be in control of allocating sources pertaining to psychological well being, disaster intervention, and social and emotional studying. The coordinator would even be accountable for implementing programming that addresses mindfulness and coping methods.
However the place was by no means been stuffed. The Richmond College Board rejected Kamras’ appointee throughout a March faculty board assembly.
The rejection got here after the college board unanimously supported a price range in February that included funding for the function.
Harris-Muhammed stated on the time that she appreciated dad and mom’ issues and the necessity to tackle psychological well being challenges, however didn’t see the need of filling a Chief Wellness Officer place salaried at $185,000.
As an alternative, Harris-Muhammed stated she hoped to reorganize central workplace employees and supply extra help to the Tradition and Local weather Division which presently handles the majority of health-related points.
“I’ve fathomless issues in regards to the variety of classroom lecturers and custodians the division has misplaced. Retention issues to me. I’ll at all times push with goal a reorganization of a number of departments that I’ve overtly described till the college district has a stability of employees in areas of vital want for our complete division,” she wrote. “I’ve not been offered proof to rethink a reorganization till such time that proof is supplied with validity, I’ll proceed to name for a reorganization.”
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