Schools

Jefferson-Houston Principal Asks State for More Time for Improvement

Rosalyn Rice-Harris says school is closing the achievement gap.

Jefferson-Houston Principal Rosalyn Rice-Harris asked the state for more time for improvement at the school in a profile published Monday in The Washington Post.

The pre-kindergarten through eighth grade facility, marked as one of Virginia’s chronically failing schools after losing its accreditation last year, is poised for a takeover by the state as the result of a bill introduced and signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell earlier this year.

The Opportunity Education Institution can hand leadership of the school to a charter organization or university in July.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The profile traces the decline of Jefferson-Houston to a 1999 redistricting plan that increased the number of low-income and minority students at the school. Following a string of poor test scores, parents were allowed to transfer their children to different schools. Faculty turnover increased.

Rice-Harris told the Post three-quarters of the school’s 360 students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a quarter have disabilities and one in 10 students is homeless.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Neighborhoods including Old Town, Del Ray and the new Potomac Yard are in the Jefferson-Houston school district.

Alexandria recently broke ground on a new Jefferson-Houston School on the same parcel of land. Expected to open for the 2014-15 school year, the new facility will increase enrollment to 700.

Alexandria School Board Vice Chairman Justin Keating said in May that the new facility is part of the solution in turning the school around. 

“Anyone who ever has worked in an office, when you get a new office, it’s somewhere you want to go everyday to do your work. It’s the same thing with kids,” he said. “This [current] building has curtains for walls. It has no windows in the classrooms. [The new building is] not the only answer to improving this school. It’s not all of the answer, but it’s a big step.”

In the classroom, Rice-Harris told the Post internal tests inside the school show students closing the gap on some deficiencies. That might not be enough to appease the governor.

School board member Bill Campbell told the Post everything should be on the table to prevent the takeover, including redistricting. Del. Rob Krupicka (D-45th) said he plans to introduce legislation next year to overturn the takeover law. 

With McDonnell leaving office at the end of 2013, the future of the law allowing the takeover is considered uncertain.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here