Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

294 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 “One of the things we’re most proud of is the partnership and collaboration we have with the city,” Superintendent Dr. Raymond Haynes, depicts. “When we’re talking about our School Board, the city manager, or city council members, our relationship is exceptionally strong. In terms of what we do on a regular basis, focusing on our core business of teaching and learning, members of city council can discuss our work with a level of specificity that suggests they are integral members of Hampton City Schools. This certainly speaks to how we work together proactively, and how our achievements are interconnected, contributing to a stronger community. It is something that we feel we’re very fortunate, recognizing that this may not be the case in other localities.” Kellie Goral, Executive Director of Public Relations & Marketing, adds, “It goes beyond that city partnership. We’ve got our business partners, faith-based partners, military partners, and our nonprofits. I think we’re very rich with our partnerships.” Academic Landscape Hampton City Schools serves approximately 19,600 students from prekindergarten to 12th grade, supported by a dedicated teaching staff of 1,500. At every level, the district is committed to fostering excellence, even designing its own curriculum, as Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff Dr. John Caggiano, conveys, “We believe that experiential learning is exponential learning. As a result, we’ve made a lot of revisions to our curriculum based on conversations with business leaders and higher education staff. We know that employers and higher education are both looking for students who can do a lot more than Google information. In today’s workforce, we know we need students who can think critically, collaborate, and communicate effectively.” Dr. Haynes remarks, “Dr. Caggiano and I just came back from a conference the other day and a gentleman made a very profound statement. He said, ‘We are preparing students for the world they are entering into and not the world we came from.’ So, we’re looking at it from that Dr. Raymond Haynes, Superintendent