The Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts story has been flapping in the breeze for a couple of years. Recently it has been generating some very interesting local news, in part because the fate of the charter school seems to be close to being decided. But there’s more to it than that. This story resists pigeon-holing; it’s about education reform from the bottom up, it’s about who holds political power today and it’s about old battles that reach back to the era of Massive Resistance.

My most recent piece on the effort of a group of parents to launch PHSSA in July, as Richmond’s first charter school, is up at Richmond.com.

“Since the school board received the PHSSA charter application in April of 2008,” said Kimberly Bridges, chairwoman of the Richmond School Board, “PHSSA and RPS have undertaken a tremendous amount of work to do something that very few school districts in Virginia have done—approve a charter school  and work to ensure its operational capabilities and sustainability.”

Some of the agendas in play in this story are professional; others are obviously passion-driven, very much in the moment. Some seem connected to remnants of the decades-long feud between Sen. Henry Marsh and former Gov. Doug Wilder. Still other feelings might stem from old battles between the education establishment and its most determined detractors.

Click here to read the entire piece.

Click here to read my piece, “Public Education in the Political Spotlight,” which was published at Richmond.com on Mar. 3, 2010.

Click here to read my piece, “The Spirit of Patrick Henry,” which was published at Richmond.com on Jan. 19, 2010.

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Writing for RVANews, Chris Dovi has been covering the Patrick Henry story more thoroughly than anyone in town. Here are links to his stories over the last three weeks:

• Click here to read Dovi’s “Patrick Henry School finds a new home (for now)” at RVANews on Mar. 25, 2010, which is his most recent piece on the Patrick Henry story.

• Click here to read “Crusade for Voters president and VP step down” at RVANews on Mar. 17, 2010.

• Then there’s Dovi’s: “Patrick Henry lottery an emotional night for parents” at RVANews on Mar. 12, 2010. Click here to read it.

• Click here to read Dovi’s “Patrick Henry School: Gubernatorial support” at RVANews on Mar. 1, 2010.

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Click here to visit Carol A.O. Wolf’s Save Our Schools blog. Wolf is a former Richmond School Board member (2002-08) who is also a former journalist, who still writes about education issues.

Click here to watch/listen to Mark Holmberg’s commentary on Green’s ouster from the top spot for the Richmond Crusade for Voters.

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Update I: The following information was provided by Kristen Larson with PHSSA:

Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, a Richmond Public School, is pleased to announce Pamela L. Boyd as principal of Richmond’s first charter school and the first elementary charter school in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In her most recent administrative position, she served as the principal of Charles City High in Charles City, Virginia, for four years.   As principal of Charles City High, Boyd was dedicated to a democratic approach respectful of the differences and talents of the students, while ensuring a safe and nurturing environment.  During her time as principal was instrumental in maintaining the school’s accreditation.

“We are elated to have found a candidate who matches the board’s level of enthusiasm for integrated education and use of the natural environment to provide experiences that engage children in active, hands-on learning,” said Deb Butterworth, PHSSA President.

On the list of immediate items for Boyd to address in regards to the school, will be the hiring of a teaching and support staff, confirmation of school calendar, and establishing the hours of school operation.

Boyd brings a wealth of experience from the classroom and administration, and was most recently employed at Henrico, Virginia, at Fairfield Middle School in Henrico, Virginia, as a technology teacher. Prior to that she also served as dean of students, and as an administrator-in-training at Meadowbrook High School, Chesterfield County, Virginia.  Boyd also spent 17 years in public education in Maryland and North Carolina.

“It was clear to the Board of Directors that Ms. Boyd has a fundamental belief that a school is a community and part of a larger neighborhood community,”  Butterworth said.  “This philosophical mindset, along with Ms. Boyd’s 20 years of educational experience and strong interest in using untraditional teaching methods, including integrated curriculum, make her a perfect fit for Patrick Henry School.”

Exceptional education students have always played a large role in Boyd’s education career. As an educator she was involved in IEP meetings and often taught exceptional education children.  She found keeping abreast of current trends and research in exceptional student education was a crucial part of the goal of having all students with disabilities showing annual improvement in academic achievement. This combined with an in-depth knowledge of the rules, regulations, policies and special programs on all levels of government allowed for constant progress to be made toward closing the achievement gap.

Pamela L. Boyd received her Masters of Education in Education Supervision and Administration from Virginia State University in 2005 and a Bachelor of Science, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1986.

Update II: The following information was also provided Larson:

GOVERNOR, DELEGATES TO HOST EVENT AT PATRICK HENRY SCHOOL

Governor Robert F. McDonnell, along with Delegate Joe Morrissey and Delegate John O’Bannon will be jointly hosting a fundraising event at the Patrick Henry School on Tues., Mar. 30. Two hundred and fifty education supporters and business leaders from across the state of Virginia have been invited to the event.

The event will showcase the vision of the school’s curriculum, samples of the Patrick Henry Green Café healthy food options, and building tours.

Where: PHSSA, 3411 Semmes Avenue, Richmond, 23225.

When: Tues., Mar. 30, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. (program begins at 7:30 p.m.)

About PHSSA: Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA) is a kindergarten through fifth-grade school based on meaningful parent, educator and community involvement. The school will provide the children of our diverse community with an academically rigorous science- and arts-based curriculum that emphasizes environmental awareness and social responsibility.

About Public Charter Schools:  Charter schools provide public education options for parents and students.  Charter schools are allowed increased flexibility to operate and to adapt to the educational needs of children, and to maintain high levels of accountability to students, parents, the community, and the state to provide a high-quality education.

Currently in the Commonwealth of Virginia, there are 4 public charter schools, including PHSSA.  Nationally there are approximately 4,600 public charter schools operating in 40 states and Washington D.C., serving approximately 1.3 million students, with 365,000 students on charter school waiting lists.

Update III: School Board acts; still no lease. Click here for the story at Hills and Heights.

Click here to visit the web site for PHSSA, where there are links to many more articles/posts on related topics.