Mr. Rodney Robinson!

An Open Letter to Richmond Public Schools Families

By Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent

I've just got one word for you this week: 

Rodney !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On behalf of RPS, please join me in congratulating Mr. Rodney Robinson, an RPS social studies teacher at the Virgie Binford Juvenile Detention Center, on being named the 2019 National Teacher of the Year! There is simple no one more deserving of this honor than Mr. Robinson.

Rodney represents everything we stand for at RPS: boundless love for his students, a fierce commitment to equity, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence. We are beyond thrilled to have him represent the teachers of RPS, Virginia, and the entire United States over the next year. 

There are so many laudatory things I could say about Rodney, but I'll just share one brief vignette that I think perfectly sums him up. Last Thursday we held a celebration for Rodney upon his return from New York where he was revealed to the world live on CBS This Morning. After a long list of speakers, Rodney had a few minutes to share his reflections. 

As normal, he was honest and genuine. "I'm tired of talking," he said, generating laughter in the packed gymnasium. After doing several dozen interviews, he was exhausted and hadn't had time to prepare remarks for this event. So he did what came naturally to him: he started thanking people. He thanked his family, his colleagues at Virgie Binford, his colleagues from Armstrong, his friends and mentors from VSU, his fellow African-American male educators, and, of course, his current students, who weren't able to be present given the constraints of the facility. 

Finally, when he finished his remarks, he made a beeline past all the elected officials to see and hug his former Armstrong students, who had come to celebrate him. I'm not sure if he was happier to see them or if they were happier to see him. All I know is that was a moment of pure love. Here it is:

Before I close, I want to thank the nearly 4,000 RPS teachers and staff who Rodney represents. He'd be the first to say that he is but a symbol of the extraordinary work they do every day. I also want to give a special shout-out to Ta'Neisha Ford, the principal at Virgie Binford. Her leadership has been absolutely critical to the success of the young people there. Finally, I want to thank everyone in Rodney's life who has provided support, guidance, and love over the years. We are all in your debt.