Richmond Public Schools leader Solomon Jefferson has died

Dear RPS Family,

It is with a tremendously heavy heart that I’m writing tonight to share that Richmond Public Schools’ Chief Academic Officer for Secondary Education, Solomon Jefferson, passed away November 23 at his home. My thoughts and prayers, along with those of Chair Fernandez and the entire Richmond City School Board, are with his family, friends, and all those who loved him.

I want to take a moment to share a bit about Solomon, who I’m so lucky to have worked alongside for the last seven years. Solomon was a lifelong educator with a particular passion for middle school. A Central Virginia native, he attended RPS schools, including Huguenot High School for ninth-eleventh grades, before graduating from Meadowbrook. He received a degree from Radford University and then became a teacher in Eastern North Carolina through Teach For America. There, he found a passion for his ‘scholars’ — as he always called the young people he served — and dedicated his life to creating high-quality educational pathways for students furthest from opportunity.

Over the next two decades, Solomon earned both a master’s and a certificate in educational leadership. He was working on his doctorate from Purdue University, and only his thesis remained. After teaching in North Carolina and New York, he worked for Atlanta Public Schools and KIPP Metro Atlanta before returning home to Greater Richmond. He first led Wilder Middle School in Henrico County Public Schools before joining RPS as the Middle School Principal Director in 2018 as one of my very first hires. He has served as our Chief Academic Officer for Secondary Education since 2023. Under his leadership, RPS achieved the highest graduation rate in nearly a decade, and the highest rates for Black students and economically disadvantaged students in nearly 20 years. Were he reading this today, he’d undoubtedly give all the credit to his team, his principals, and all the secondary educators.

I can confidently say that there are young adults in our community who would not have graduated, who would not be alive today, if not for Solomon and the work he did at RPS. He loved his scholars deeply — loved spending time with them, loved finding ways to help them succeed, loved making sure they were supported every step of the way. To his very core, he was a deeply kind man, a caring and thoughtful mentor and teammate, and a tireless advocate for his scholars. He truly exemplified what it means to Teach, Lead, and Serve with Love, and he will be deeply missed.

To the RPS family, please know that we are all here for you. Our Employee Assistance Program is free and available for all to use, and please talk to your manager or another colleague if you need additional support. As always, feel free to reach out to me as well. Once we have details about a memorial service, and other ways to pay tribute to Solomon, I will be sure to let you all know.

Finally, to the scholars who learned from and were loved by Mr. Jefferson — you were the light in his eyes and you are now his brilliant legacy.

With the deepest appreciation for a life well lived,

Jason