RICHMOND, Va. — Colonial Heights' new superintendent Travis Ridley spent his first day of school visiting every school in the division to meet with students, teachers and staff.
The greetings never let up Monday morning, from Colonial Heights High School where Ridley got his start as a teacher to North Elementary, the first school where he was principal.
"Leaving the high school and going to the elementary school was a different experience. The relationships you build with the older kids is much different than the younger kids," Ridley said.
For Ridley, this Monday was a special day, though every first day brings excitement.
"Every first day of school is always exciting," Ridley said.
Back in 2003, his first day brought the same feelings many students have walking in the door.
"I had a lot of jitters, 2003, coming in as a marketing teacher," Ridley said.
Now he's in charge of 5 schools, nearly 3,000 students and more than 500 staff. His background, he believes, is key to helping get his job done.
"Working here from teacher, assistant principal, principal, all those things definitely help in this role," Ridley said.
Ridley says some priorities remain constant whether you're a principal or superintendent.
"The biggest thing is keeping the kids safe. That is always our number one thing and then we focus on the academics," Ridley said.
Focusing on teacher retention is also a priority for the new superintendent.
"Teachers will say support is bigger than salary," Ridley said.
This year, the first day of school begins with every position being filled and includes some new teacher assistants on their first day in a classroom as well.
Rosie Passalacqua, whose family owns an Italian restaurant in the city, has decided on a career change.
"I was like, I don't want to do this for the rest of my life, I want to do something different. And I love being around kids, so, and that's why I made the decision to be a part of Colonial Heights Public Schools," Passalacqua said.
For the new superintendent, another key is keeping parents informed.
"We have an open line of communication. We want parents to know we're here for them and support them in making sure their kids can have the best opportunities here, as we go forward," Ridley said.
One major shift from when he started teaching is cell phones and now keeping them out of the classroom. Another is the abundance of English learners.
"We have about 284 students that are English learners, division wide," Ridley said.
While the majority are Hispanic, there are many others who have English as their second language.
"We have about 8 or 9 different languages that walk in the doors, from Mandarin to Farsi, we have a little bit of everything but Spanish is our biggest of our English learners," Ridley said.
Ridley tells me one thing he has come to realize in the first month as superintendent is that eventually, almost everything makes its way to his desk, where he now has to make the final decision.
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