Survey Says: Invest in Educator Support, Social Emotional Wellness and School Safety
Statement by Charlottesville United for Public Education on Community Survey to Inform Budget Decisions
January 27, 2025 — Over the summer and early fall of 2024, Charlottesville United conducted an extensive community feedback survey to ensure that the voices of students, parents, and educators are prioritized in decisions shaping Charlottesville City Schools. This process was specifically designed to uplift the perspectives of Black, Brown, and low-income residents, whose voices are often overlooked.
Between July and September, we engaged community members, parents, guardians, and other caring adults, as well as students, through online surveys and real-time polling at community events. Our goal was to collect a broad range of insights into the priorities and challenges faced by our schools. The survey combined structured questions with open-ended feedback, allowing us to identify both quantitative trends and qualitative themes.
These conversations and survey feedback revealed three overarching priorities for the community: Social Emotional Wellness, School Safety, and Educator Support.
Social Emotional Wellness emerged as a critical concern, with 72.7% of respondents selecting it as a top priority. This includes calls for expanded mental health resources, programs like Conscious Discipline, and additional training for staff to address students' emotional needs. Community members shared powerful stories about how the pandemic has left students struggling with grief, anxiety, and trauma. They emphasized the need for structured programs and more art opportunities to help students process their emotions.
Educator Support was also a dominant theme, with over 70.5% of respondents identifying it as a priority. Teachers are feeling overburdened, stretched thin, and undervalued. Many respondents expressed frustration with the increasing demands placed on educators without additional time or resources to meet them. There’s a clear call for better salaries, professional development, and support systems to ensure teachers can focus on what matters most: supporting our students.
The Superintendent’s budget presentation to City Council on December 19 raised serious concerns about changes at the State level to accreditation standards related to English Language learners. This will just add more pressure to educators already working hard.
School Safety, cited by nearly 37% of respondents, reflects an ongoing concern for both physical and emotional safety. While some community members called for measures like metal detectors, a significant number emphasized the need for relational approaches. Restorative justice programs, more counselors, and proactive conflict resolution strategies were identified as more sustainable and effective ways to create safe and welcoming school environments.
Beyond these priorities, respondents also highlighted challenges such as:
Chronic absenteeism
Transportation barriers
Family engagement
For example, some families shared that unreliable transportation directly impacts attendance, while others pointed to a need for broader support systems for middle-income families facing unique challenges.
Our methodology ensured that feedback was collected from diverse voices through intentional outreach at community events and online platforms. This included survey responses online and at in-person events at Prospect, Riverside Avenue, Westhaven, South First Street, Madison Ave, Michie Drive, Lugo Mc-Ginness, Charlottesville High School and more. We used our initial survey results in order to hone in on our top three priorities. From there we sought to understand what people wanted to see happen around the priority areas.
Charlottesville United is committed to turning this feedback into action. We are asking The School Board and City Council prioritize investment in the following ways:
Social Emotional Wellness: Expand mental health resources, implement structured curriculums, and provide more opportunities for emotional growth through the arts.
Educator Support: Support the needs identified by The Charlottesville Education Association, as they are the voice for area educators.
School Safety: Focus on relationship-based approaches, restorative justice programs, and increasing the availability of counselors.
We recognize that Charlottesville City Schools cannot tackle these big issues alone. Partnerships with community organizations and agencies can help address these systemic challenges. Together, we can create an equitable, supportive, and thriving school environment for all students and educators.
Please consider sharing your opinions on our school budget priorities with the School Board and City Council.
Upcoming School Board and City Council budget dates:
School Board Budget Work Session: Thursday, January 30. 5pm. Walker Upper Elementary School Cafeteria.
School Board Meeting and Presentation of Budget (with Public Comment): Thursday, February 6. CHS Media Center.
School Board and City Council Joint Budget Work Session: Monday, February 10. 5pm. Walker Upper Elementary School Cafeteria.
School Board Budget Work Session: Thursday, February 13. 5pm. Walker Upper Elementary School Cafeteria.
If you are unable to attend in person, you can share your voice directly with school board members by calling or emailing them:
City Council email address: council@charlottesville.gov
School Board email address: schoolboard@charlottesvilleschools.org
Board phone number: 434-245-2400
Email addresses for individual members:
Ms. Lisa Larson-Torres, Board Chair: torresl1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Mr. Dom Morse, Vice-Chair: morsed1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Ms. Amanda Burns: burnsa1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Ms. Shymora Cooper: coopers1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Ms. Emily Dooley: dooleye1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Mr. Chris Meyer: meyerc1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Ms. Nicole Richardson: richarn1@charlottesvilleschools.org