Richmond, Va., Mayor Levar Stoney came to George Mason University late last month with a mission.
The mayor said he knows George Mason alumni make up a substantial number of Northern Virginia’s K-12 teachers. So at a Feb. 27 panel at Mason, hosted by the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and focused on urban education and opportunities to teach in Richmond, Stoney made his pitch to panel moderator and CEHD Dean Mark Ginsberg.
“We’re dreaming big in the city of Richmond, and part of those dreams is having a high-quality education system, which means we need high-quality teachers,” Stoney said. “So I’m here, Dean Ginsberg, to take some of your talent back to Richmond.”
The panel also included Anne Holton, a visiting education policy professor at Mason and the former Virginia Secretary of Education, and Rodney Robinson, Richmond Public Schools 2018 Teacher of the Year.
Mason graduate students Jordannah Rhodes and Makenzie Wilson said they already were interested in teaching in Richmond, and felt empowered by the affirmation the panel gave them about their chosen career paths.
“I’ve always loved Richmond, and I’ve always wanted to be in that school district,” Rhodes said. “This was really empowering to hear about how Richmond has really improved in the past few years, and how their new superintendent is just empowering and exciting the kids and faculty.”
“I also know that I want to teach in Richmond,” Wilson said. “So I came here to hear other perspectives from people that live in Richmond in the school system. It was very empowering to hear how passionate the mayor was and how much he cared about education.”
Stoney attributed the recent rise of his city to its young people, and acknowledged that the talent Mason graduates from its education school would be an exceptional addition to the school system.
“I recognize that the school districts in the Washington, D.C., area have used George Mason as a pipeline for their talented workforces, and many of these schools are quite successful,” Stoney said. “I want the same sort of talent down with me in the city of Richmond that is in Prince William or Fairfax County. That’s why I’m here.”