Heather Bell
Radford City Public Schools has been chosen as one of 30 schools in Virginia to be a part of a Lead Innovation Team in the Virginia is for Learners Innovation Network (VaLIN).
VaLIN is an annual cohort of Lead Innovation Teams from school divisions in Virginia meant to “connect educational innovators who purposely work together… to spark ideas and actions for local innovation initiatives…designed to support implementation of local innovation initiatives focused on three outcomes: expanding instructional use of deeper learning strategies; increasing equity so all learners participate in rich, challenging learning experiences; and implementing actions to fully and actively engage all learners through multiple pathways leading to high school graduation.”
Radford city schools Superintendent Robert Graham said Radford’s inclusion in the 2020-21 cohort is exciting news for the school division.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be selected as one of 30 teams across the state of Virginia as a Cohort 2 member of VaLIN,” Graham said. “Our selection is certainly confirmation that what we are doing with innovative, integrated and engaging learning is what is best for our students, staff and school community members. We look forward to this experience and sharing what we learn with the rest of the RCPS team.”
Members of Radford’s team participating in the cohort include assistant superintendent Ellen Denny; education specialist Jamie Little; Sarah Hicks, computer science teacher at Radford High School; Josh Brown, special education deacher at Dalton Intermediate School; Darden Freeman, assistant principal of RHS; Tara Grant, principal of Belle Heth Elementary School; Blenna Patterson, STEM teacher at McHarg Elementary School; and Graham.
Leaders of the cohort offered congratulation to RCPS.
“On behalf of the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia School Consortium for Learning, and James Madison University, we are pleased to share that the team from your school division has been selected to participate in the Second Cohort of VaLIN Teams,” reads the announcement. “A high level of commitment to thoughtful innovation was evident in all of the applications we received. Congratulations to your team and to your division.We are excited about the balance in the composition of our second cohort, which includes 30 teams with members from 35 different school divisions. We believe our Cohort II teams represent the full range of diversity of Virginia’s school divisions.”
Superintendents and members of all Cohort II Teams will be attending the Lead Innovation Team Kickoff on Monday, Mar. 2, 2020. Some Cohort I team representatives will share the challenges and successes of their work as innovation leaders.
