The Portsmouth City School Board met virtually on Feb. 20 and heard a presentation on expanded math instruction supports and family engagement while a scheduled public hearing on the proposed FY 2025–26 operating budget drew no public comment.

Board Chair Doctor. Patillo opened the meeting and said the board would remain virtual because of a winter storm; later Superintendent Doctor. Bracey told the board staff and families had adapted to remote learning during the storm and reminded the public that the division’s family and community engagement survey closes Feb. 28.

The evening’s substantive presentation came from the district’s elementary and secondary mathematics coordinators, who outlined classroom strategies, family supports and an events calendar intended to ready students for the new 2023 Virginia Department of Education mathematics standards.

“First of all, we heard you last year when you asked for some help for parents. So we have started a parent help desk,” said Doctor. Wanda Calhoun, coordinator for elementary mathematics. Calhoun said most elementary schools now offer a monthly, one-hour parent help desk and that the department has produced instructional videos to support less-experienced teachers.

India Hatcher, the coordinator of secondary mathematics, described a sequence of family and student events: a middle-school math night at Waters Middle School on Feb. 25; a STEM day at Manor High School on March 15; a Title I reading-and-math night at Craddock Middle School on March 18; a Basketball Math Madness competition at Manor High School on March 22; and a second annual high-school mathematics challenge in May at Churchill High School. Hatcher said these events are intended to give students and families hands-on practice with new item types and assessment formats.

The coordinators emphasized an instructional framework known as the concrete–representational–abstract (CRA) model. “The CRA model stands for concrete, representational, and abstract. It’s a model that we use in mathematics teaching to help students gain a better understanding,” Hatcher said, describing classroom use of manipulatives and visual tools to bridge to symbolic reasoning.

Calhoun and Hatcher told the board the division is aligning instruction to the 2023 VDOE mathematics standards and preparing teachers with professional development and practice items. Calhoun noted that historically, “when new standards are implemented, trends indicate that a decline in scores is to be expected,” and that the department is working to mitigate that through coaching, resources and family engagement.

Superintendent Doctor. Bracey thanked families and staff for adapting to remote learning during the storm, reminded the community that the family engagement survey will close Feb. 28, and said preschool registration opens Monday, March 3; the division’s preschool registration page is listed at ppsk12.us.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to enter a closed meeting under Section 2.2-3711 of the Code of Virginia for personnel matters: moved by Doctor. Patillo, seconded by Doctor. Cotton; roll-call vote recorded and the motion passed (7 present).
- Motion to certify that only lawfully exempt matters were discussed in closed session: moved by Vice Chair Ms. Atkinson, seconded by Ms. Shumate; unanimous.
- Motion to approve the meeting agenda for Feb. 20, 2025: moved by Vice Chair Ms. Atkinson, seconded by Ms. McSwain; unanimous.
- Motion to approve the consent agenda (items 7.1–7.9): moved by Vice Chair Ms. Atkinson, seconded by Ms. Shumate; unanimous.

Board members also received certificates from the Virginia School Boards Association recognizing School Board Appreciation Month.

What it means

The mathematics presentation outlines the school division’s near-term strategy to support teachers and families during a standards transition, with explicit efforts to increase family access to instructional help and to give students exposure to new item types before statewide assessments. The calendar of events gives families and students multiple in-person opportunities (subject to weather and scheduling) to practice math concepts and testing formats.

Upcoming dates noted during the meeting include: parent SOL night (elementary, date listed per school), Waters Middle School math night Feb. 25, STEM day March 15 at Manor High School, Craddock Middle School event March 18, Basketball Math Madness March 22 at Manor High School, the second annual high-school mathematics challenge in May, preschool registration opening March 3, and the family engagement survey closing Feb. 28.

The board’s next regular meeting date was not specified during the portion of the transcript provided.