Petersburg Schools officially hires Yolonda Brown as its superintendent
PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- Yolonda Brown, who has been serving as Petersburg City Public Schools' acting superintendent for the last several months, was officially hired as the school district's superintendent on Wednesday. School officials announced Brown's official appointment on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in a statement posted to Facebook. "Superintendent Brown has, in a few short months, established a clear vision for strengthening PCPS, made meaningful connections with the Petersburg community and demonstrated a leadership style that is collaborative and effective," said School Board chair Kenneth Pritchett. "[She] has the vision, experience and commitment to be the strong leader our school division needs and our students and families deserve." Brown took on the role of acting superintendent during a tumultuous time for Petersburg City Public Schools. RELATED: Four districts in 4 months: Central Virginia schools grapple with superintendent turnover Following the resignation of former superintendent Tamara Sterling in April and the brief one-and-a-half-month tenure of former acting superintendent John Farrelly, Brown was selected in early June and assumed the role in July. The new superintendent also participated in multiple panel interviews in recent months as school officials deliberated on whether or not to give Brown this permanent role. Earlier this month, Brown presented her 100-day plan for the school district, in which she outlined multiple priorities for the city's schools. These included addressing school and senior leadership vacancies, reviewing the school system's finances and more. In a statement posted to the school district's Facebook, Brown expressed her gratitude for the formal appointment and said she is ready to continue serving Petersburg City Public Schools. "I am committed to continuously engaging with our community, recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and staff, building the capacity of our school leaders, teachers and division staff, strengthening our district's finances and operations and ensuring the well-being of our students and staff," Brown said. "This commitment doesn't restart today, it continues to fuel the work that we must do to move our division in the right direction for our students." RECENTLY: Petersburg Schools to hold community meetings after ‘unacceptable’ lunch photos surface Brown also addressed actions taken during her three-month tenure as acting superintendent, including the development of new instructional framework for teachers and the implementation of the new Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum "Character Strong," which "will help support the social, emotional wellness of [Petersburg] students." "Yes, there are many challenges to address but there is also work to be recognized and celebrated," Brown said. "In my short time as Acting Superintendent, we have achieved real progress toward building relationships and trust with the community and instituting initial structures to move forward with our shared vision of improved teaching, learning and performance for every student so that they graduate with a life filled with choices." You can read Brown's full statement on Facebook.
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PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- Yolonda Brown, who has been serving as Petersburg City Public Schools' acting superintendent for the last several months, was officially hired as the school district's superintendent on Wednesday.
School officials announced Brown's official appointment on Wednesday, Oct. 30, in a statement posted to Facebook.
"Superintendent Brown has, in a few short months, established a clear vision for strengthening PCPS, made meaningful connections with the Petersburg community and demonstrated a leadership style that is collaborative and effective," said School Board chair Kenneth Pritchett. "[She] has the vision, experience and commitment to be the strong leader our school division needs and our students and families deserve."
Brown took on the role of acting superintendent during a tumultuous time for Petersburg City Public Schools.
RELATED: Four districts in 4 months: Central Virginia schools grapple with superintendent turnover
Following the resignation of former superintendent Tamara Sterling in April and the brief one-and-a-half-month tenure of former acting superintendent John Farrelly, Brown was selected in early June and assumed the role in July.
The new superintendent also participated in multiple panel interviews in recent months as school officials deliberated on whether or not to give Brown this permanent role.
Earlier this month, Brown presented her 100-day plan for the school district, in which she outlined multiple priorities for the city's schools. These included addressing school and senior leadership vacancies, reviewing the school system's finances and more.
In a statement posted to the school district's Facebook, Brown expressed her gratitude for the formal appointment and said she is ready to continue serving Petersburg City Public Schools.
"I am committed to continuously engaging with our community, recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and staff, building the capacity of our school leaders, teachers and division staff, strengthening our district's finances and operations and ensuring the well-being of our students and staff," Brown said. "This commitment doesn't restart today, it continues to fuel the work that we must do to move our division in the right direction for our students."
RECENTLY: Petersburg Schools to hold community meetings after ‘unacceptable’ lunch photos surface
Brown also addressed actions taken during her three-month tenure as acting superintendent, including the development of new instructional framework for teachers and the implementation of the new Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum "Character Strong," which "will help support the social, emotional wellness of [Petersburg] students."
"Yes, there are many challenges to address but there is also work to be recognized and celebrated," Brown said. "In my short time as Acting Superintendent, we have achieved real progress toward building relationships and trust with the community and instituting initial structures to move forward with our shared vision of improved teaching, learning and performance for every student so that they graduate with a life filled with choices."
You can read Brown's full statement on Facebook.
