The Richmond School Board meets on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, on the second floor of City Hall (900 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), at 7pm. If the Monday upon which the meeting falls is a holiday, the meeting will instead be held on the next day, the first or third Tuesday of the month.
Information on political and community events in and around Richmond, Virginia. There will be occasional listings for other nearby cities, mostly Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Washington DC. Also, less commonly, people's history, citizen journalism, information and instruction generally relevant to action. This is not a theory blog; its primary purpose is to compile news and opportunities for local action. Please note the side links, especially the Calendar link. All events reblogged or publicized here end up on the calendar.
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Richmond School Board Meetings
“High Stakes Testing Forum: From National to Local.”
Monday, May 20th, from 4:30-6pm, at Unity of Richmond (800 Blanton Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221), there will be a forum on high-stakes standardized testing in public schools, titled “High Stakes Testing Forum: From National to Local”. From the event description:
“From Atlanta to Texas to Seattle, the overuse and misuse of high stakes testing in our public system of education has led to a number of high profile battles over the shape of teaching and learning in our schools. Come join this open discussion where we will consider the questions: (1) What do these cases teach us about the the effects of high stakes tests on our students and schools? and (2) What strategies can we use to develop alternatives at the local level?”
Free and open to the public.
Citizens Standardized Testing Group meeting
On Tuesday, May 21st, at 7pm, in the library of the Midlothian High School (401 Charter Colony Parkway, Midlothian, VA), there will be a meeting of the Citizens Standardized Testing Group, a group against standardized testing.
From the event description:
“VCU Professor Lara Coggin, who teaches freshman at VCU, will speak about her experience with the readiness of students who are entering college, in terms of writing and critical thinking skills. We also hope to have some current and recent college students to discuss their experience and whether the standardized movement has adequately prepared them for college. In addition, SOLS are in full swing, so come share your current SOL stories with others.
An organized group can make a difference!”
SPARC Membership Development and Study Course #1
Monday, May 13th, from 6-9pm, SPARC, Supporting Prisoners and Acting for Radical Change, is holding a membership development study course. This is primarily intended for SPARC members, but the public is welcome to attend.
This session will focus on Rashid Johnson’s essay, “Unity-Struggle-Transformation: On Revolutionary Organization, Leadership and Cadre Development”.
RSVP through the link, and request the address from the administrators if you plan to attend.
Remind City Council of Richmond's school spending priorities.
On Monday, May 13th, at 6pm, at City Hall (800 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), there will be a Richmond City Council meeting. The Save Our Schools Committee is encouraging attendance in order to demonstrate scrutiny of the Richmond Public Schools budget, which must be passed by the 15th of May.
There have been some discrepancies regarding the prospect of building a new elementary school, to replace 35 year old Overby-Shepherd Elementary, in the 6th district. By all reports yet disclosed, the school is in good condition, and is younger than many city schools. Unless extenuating circumstances exist, it is unlikely that now is the time to build a new school; last year, the Board was considering the closure of underattended elementary schools, in order to save money.
Citizen participation and involvement is important in any budgetary process, and especially in areas of direct communal impact.
RSVP through the title link.
Showing of “Barbara Johns: The Making of an Icon”
Tomorrow, May 1st, at 5:30pm, in the lecture hall at the Library of Virginia (800 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), there will be a screening of the documentary “Barbara Johns: The Making of an Icon.” From the event description:
“Barbara Johns the Making of an Icon, is a documentary on the struggle for equality in the Prince Edward County school system during the Civil Rights era. A question & answer session with the director will follow the film. In addition we will visit the monument on Capitol Square.”
There is free underground parking for this event, accessible from either Eighth or Ninth streets. Free and open to the public.
Take Back The Night
Wednesday, Apr. 17, 2013 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Sexual Assault and Violence Education by Students at VCU will host the annual event, Take Back the Night, at the University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms A and B. Take Back the Night is a movement intended to protest rape and sexual violence. Musicians, poets, performers and speakers from VCU and the surrounding community will be present. For more information, contact Kaylin Tingle at tinglekm@vcu.edu.
The University Student Commons is located at 907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
Community Organizing Workshop with Tami Sober
Monday, May 20th, at 4:30pm, at the Unitarian Church of Richmond (800 Blanton Avenue, Richmond VA), there will be a community organizing workshop with Tami Sober.
“Courageous Conversation: Privilege, with Randolph Carter.”
Thursday, April 25th, at 6:30pm, at Orchard House School (500 North Allen Avenue, Richmond VA 23220), there will be a potluck and discussion, titled “Courageous Conversation: Privilege, with Randolph Carter.” Free and open to the public, bring a pasta dish or salad to share. From the event description:
“We are very excited to re-schedule Randolph Carter, founder of The Eastern Education Resource Collaborative (East Ed), as our moderator for our final evening’s topic - privilege. The East Ed programs, services, bulletins, and Institutes speak to diversity, multicultural education, and justice. They embrace a collaborative model that suggests the solutions to a community’s problems exist within a dialogue between members of its community.
During this conversation you will be asked to examine your views of privilege, earned and unearned, and to speak openly about privilege and its connection to the world around us.”
RSVP to Melody Imburg, mimburg@orchardhouse.org or 804-228-2436, ext. 105
Lunch Break Science sessions at the Science Museum of Virginia, April 10th - June 12th
Lunch Break Science is a weekly science program at the Virginia Museum of Science (2500 West Broad Street) which takes place from 12-1pm each Wednesday. Free and open to the public.
April 10th: The Past, Present, and Future of Fossil Fuel Production in Virginia presented by Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy State Geologist David B. Spears.
April 17th: Surface Active Chemistry/Surfactants - All Around Us and In Our Everyday Lives presented by Evonik Goldschmidt Corporation Senior Scientist Bill Bunting.
April 24th: Solar 101 and Solar Policy in Virginia presented by Abakus Solar USA Regional Sales Direcor Jeff Ryan.
May 1st: Virginia’s Rich Architectural Heritage presented by Virginia Center for Architecture Programs Manager Lauren Stelzer.
May 8th: Padre Kino’s Life in Europe and in Arizona/Sonora presented by Hans Oppe, Ph.D.
May 15th: Shakespeare and Galileo presented by Larry Gard and the Science Museum of Virginia’s Carpenter Science Theatre Company.
May 22th: Mission San Xavier del Bac in Arizona, History and Art presented by Hans Oppe, Ph.D.
May 29th: Resolving Nuisance Deer Problems presented by Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Deer Project Coordinator Nelson W. Lafon.
June 5th: Energy and the Evolution of Culture presented by Anthropology Professor Emeritus Nancie Gonzales, Ph.D., University of Maryland.
June 12th: A Look at the Science Museum of Virginia in 2017 presented by Science Museum of Virginia Chief Wonder Officer Richard C. Conti.
