RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A recent survey from Richmond Public Schools revealed only 14% of teachers at George Wythe High School feel safe at their school. The survey was given out to teachers, staff, and families district-wide, and asked a series of questions regarding satisfaction.
Labarbra Jones, who works at the high school, laid out a host of issues to 8News that she feels are leading to the low satisfaction rates.
“I’m surprised it’s not lower. I’m surprised that more people didn’t feel unsafe,” she said. “Everyday there are students turned away and things taken away.”
On Oct 6., a student was charged with bringing a gun onto school property. According to Matthew Stanley, a spokesperson for RPS, the metal detector was working, meaning the student found another way to bring the gun inside.
Jones believes an increased security presence could be the answer.
“We don’t have enough security officers for the amount of students we have,” she said. “The buses are coming in late, so you have 200-plus late students come in within a 20-minute period, so it’s really hard for them to catch everything.”
She added, “It’s not possible to man all the doors with six [school officers].”
In addition to safety, the survey revealed only 17% of teachers feel there are “sufficient resources available for professional development,” and 20% feel their school is a good place to learn.
“We have great teachers who really want to be there, but they cannot take the pressure and anxiety and the overwhelming [feeling] of everything that happens in the school day,” Jones said. “We have to do something right now for the kids in the building right now.”
8News reached out to the school district for comment but had not heard back at the time of this reporting.
For a full look at survey results across the division, click here.
