Charles County Public Schools’ Superintendent James E. Richmond formally notified the Board of Education Monday evening that he does not plan to ask for renewal of his contract in 2013. The 16-year Superintendent of Schools said he wanted to provide the Board with ample opportunity to fill his position before his final day on June 30, 2013.
Richmond is not required to notify the Board until the February prior to expiration of his contract, but he said “I think the right thing to do is provide the Board with as much time possible to complete the process of hiring a new Superintendent.”
Richmond, who is a former Maryland Superintendent of the Year, took the top job in Charles County Public Schools in 1996 as interim Superintendent. He was appointed to his first four-year term as Superintendent in 1997, and he will complete his fourth term in June 2013.
During Richmond’s tenure, the school system started paying closer attention to data to track student progress, and he oversaw the creation of a data warehouse. Richmond also focused on improving reading programs for the system’s youngest students. He added a full-time reading resource teacher and a Reading Recovery teacher to all elementary schools as well as the Summer Reading Academy and Enrichment Reading Camp. “Our children must learn to read before they leave the primary grades in order to succeed. Reading is the most fundamental skill we must provide for our students,” Richmond said.
Richmond also adopted a five-year plan that focuses on academic achievement, career readiness and personal responsibility.
Under Richmond’s leadership, Charles County Public Schools opened four schools and completed renovations and expansion of four others, including the addition of the school system’s first indoor pool at Henry E. Lackey High School. Richmond’s final project is the building of St. Charles High School, which will open in August 2014, more than a year after he leaves office.
While building North Point High School, Richmond directed staff to oversee technology improvements across the system and to provide equity and wireless access to all schools, students and staff. Using sound financial management practices, the Superintendent was able to allocate the system’s funding to upgrade technology, improve infrastructure, reduce class sizes and ensure adequate materials of instruction for students.
The Superintendent also created numerous partnerships with businesses and county agencies, the most notable being with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and the Charles County Health Department. These partnerships placed School Resource Officers in each middle and high school and a health department nurse at every school. Richmond feels both enhance the safety and security of the schools.
Richmond has been recognized nationally, locally and by the state for Charles County Public Schools efforts to eliminate the minority achievement gap and his effort to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs for all students. Most recently, the Space Foundation, in partnership with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF) and NASA, presented Richmond with the Alan Shepard Technology in Educatio
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