Mayor Levar M. Stoney has begun a series of recruitment visits to Virginia’s colleges and universities as part of an effort to encourage students and prospective graduates to begin their careers by teaching in Richmond Public Schools.
On Tuesday, the mayor visited Virginia State University, where he spoke with more than 200 students on the benefits of a teaching career and living in Richmond.
The Mayor’s outreach is a joint effort in collaboration with RPS to help close the teacher vacancy gap in RPS by tapping the talent of the state’s higher education system.
“Good students are the product of good teachers, and we want the very best for our schools,” said Mayor Stoney. “Our students deserve nothing less, and our top-rated colleges and universities have the talent that can make a difference in the lives of our children and take our city to the next level.”
Over the next five months, the mayor will make recruiting visits to college campuses throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. His next scheduled visit will be this Friday, Dec. 1 to the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. RPS will also hold an internal teacher job fair in February 2018 and will visit a series of colleges for teacher job fairs between January and April.
“Teacher recruitment remains a high priority for us, so it is encouraging to have this level of support from Mayor Stoney,” said School Board Chair Dawn Page. “Recruiting and retaining highly, qualified teachers is a major benefit to the school district as well as the progression of the city. Richmond is a great city to live, work, and play which makes it the ideal place to start or continue an impactful career in public education.”
The starting salary for a Richmond Public Schools teacher with a bachelor’s degree and no experience is $44,525, plus benefits. RPS annually hires approximately 360 teachers for a new school year.
For more information on RPS teaching opportunities, please visit: www.rvaschools.net/domain/822.