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Botetourt County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Russ tackles his new role – and unusual situation of education during a pandemic – with gusto.
Courtesy of Botetourt County Public Schools
While others were struggling to simply maintain a semblance of normalcy last summer, life-long educator Dr. Jonathan Russ decided to take on the challenge of a lifetime. Botetourt County Public Schools had been without a permanent leader since April and cases of COVID-19 were on the rise in the county when he relocated from Fredericksburg to steering the division of 4,300 students through uncharted territory.
As counterintuitive as it may seem, Russ wasn’t anxious about facing the challenge head-on.
“I was new coming in as a superintendent, but being a superintendent during a pandemic was a new experience for everyone,” he says. “Being a superintendent during the pandemic is difficult, but so is every other position in this profession.”
Going in, his goal was to provide stability to the parents, students, faculty and staff whose world had been turned upside down ever since all 12 schools in the division shifted to remote learning.
“Dr. Russ was hired in the height of planning for the new school year. Tensions were high and there were many unknowns about COVID-19. His calm demeanor and problem solving skills helped our school division move forward with a school schedule and protocols to keep students and staff safe, while continuing education,” Anna Weddle, chair of the Botetourt County School Board, says. “Dr. Russ is easy-going and pleasant to work with but never hesitates to make quick decisions as a leader. He actively attends school events and is getting to know this community as much as possible during a pandemic. Our school board is thrilled to have Dr. Russ at the helm of the division and we look forward to working with him for many years.”
Despite having 30 years’ worth of experience in education, this is his first superintendent position.
Russ spent the first two years of his career as a middle school math teacher, before moving to the secondary level where he taught math for another six years. His first administrative role was as a high school assistant principal, which he did for two years before spending five-and-a-half years at a middle school in a similar role. He then worked as a principal at an elementary school.
His first division-wide role was as director of assessment and accountability, followed by time working as director of human resources. Prior to arriving in Botetourt, he held the title of deputy superintendent for Fredericksburg City Schools.
“My goal was to become a superintendent. As I moved through the ranks of assistant principal, principal and central office, my goal didn’t change. My experience in those positions reaffirmed my desire of wanting to become a superintendent,” he says.
Having worked with many superintendents throughout his career, Russ says that success in such a role is dependent upon the ability to talk to people and the willingness to make unpopular decisions.
“Public opinion is important. You want people to be supportive of your decision, but not every decision is going to be popular. You have to have the willingness and drive to make the tough decisions,” he explains. “I base my decision-making on what’s best for the kids.”
Aside from the challenges that the job posed, Russ had to contend with a significant amount of personal change over the past year as well. He quickly had to relocate to Botetourt County from Fredericksburg in July, which was quite the change of pace.
Additionally, he spent the first six months away from his family until his wife and daughter were able to join him. Now, his wife is a Roanoke City Schools teacher. His daughter is currently enrolled in Greenfield Elementary School in Botetourt. “I love it here. The community is great. My daughter loves going to school at Greenfield. My wife loves her job in Roanoke City,” he reports. “I’m ecstatic we’re here and have no doubt it was the right move. My only regret is not coming here sooner—truly. It has been a blessing to be superintendent of this division. ”
The disruption aside, Russ notes that he felt like he was coming home to Southwest Virginia, having grown up in Washington County.
While he’s bullish about next year, Russ acknowledges that the 2020-2021 academic year was difficult for all involved. The hybrid model the school board adopted at the beginning of the year significantly limited the time students spent in the classroom. Later in the spring once vaccination rates started to increase, the time students spent at school shot up to 80%, having been as low as 40%.
Instruction, he says, was further complicated by the lack of high-speed internet access for all students, which wasn’t as much of a concern for more urban divisions like Roanoke City.
“The level of instruction and the depth of instruction that has continued has been a pleasant surprise. Our teachers have worked so hard this year to still provide the best education possible,” he says. Despite some successes, he acknowledges that there were cases where teachers weren’t able to get through the same quantity of content they would have otherwise. “I don’t think we can expect the same level of student achievement. The gap for us isn’t as high or as wide compared to a normal year as I anticipated.”
As a result of the need for a hybrid learning model over the past year, a permanent virtual academy within the division, which will allow county students to opt for entirely online instruction, will go live this August.
“The pandemic has showed us that there’s more than one way to teach a child. It doesn’t have to be in the classroom and face-to-face every single hour of the day,” he explains. “We’ve had students who have been successful in the virtual setting.”
For the coming year, the division plans to thoroughly assess where students are academically and make up for lost instructional time before moving on to new content. Reading and math, Russ stresses, will be the top priority.
“We have a great school division here. We have a phenomenal school board that truly cares about what’s best for students. Our community has been extremely supportive during this difficult year. We’re fortunate here and I hope people know we’re blessed. At the same time, we have to continue to work hard to continue to experience those blessings,” he says.
The story above is from our July/August 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!