Message to the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors and School Board at May 7 Joint Meeting

It is my hope and desire that all parties participating in this meeting leave enlightened, encouraged, and united as a result of the staff presentations and your discussion. Both the Chesterfield County Government and School Division have earned exemplary reputations as a result of the outstanding services and education it offers its citizens, both young and old.

This past week I attended a national education conference in the Washington, D.C. area where our school division was highlighted as one of the exemplary systems in the nation. And this week I participated in the Virginia Annual Conference of the Superintendents on Global Education, where again, our innovative and forward thinking strategies to prepare our students for success in the 21st Century was validated as we examined the work of Harvard Professor and author of the Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner, and engaged in discussions with educators from Finland and a panel from India. They also helped affirm the profound challenges ahead in light of the remarkable progress we are experiencing.

Our president recently said, “The time for finger-pointing is over. The time for holding ourselves accountable is here…It is time to expect more from our students…Let there be no doubt, the future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens.” Furthermore, he states, “Economic progress and educational achievement have always gone hand-in-hand in America.”

We can all agree that strong schools are good business for Chesterfield County, for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and for the United States of America.

In closing, I extend a special thanks to each of you for your service, and a special thank you to Jay Stegmaier and his staff for the collaborative manner in which they have worked with our school division staff during some very difficult times. May we always remember that it's not about us, but it is all about our children and citizens we serve. United we stand.

Respectfully,
Marcus J. Newsome