Hampton native Andre Griffin returns to teach PE at Machen Elementary

Andre Griffin, a Hampton native who played football at Hampton University and worked in sports operations and sports media, has returned to his hometown to teach physical education at Machen Elementary, Superintendent Raymond Haynes said on the district’s HCS Talks podcast.

"I'm here to make a positive difference and a positive change," Griffin said, describing his reason for leaving a career in sports and media to pursue teaching. Griffin told listeners he is entering his fourth year as an educator and that returning to Hampton after about a decade away felt like "coming home." Haynes introduced Griffin as "one of our school division's new teachers who is teaching at Machen Elementary School."

Griffin recounted attending Captain John Smith Elementary, Eaton Middle School and Phoebus High School, then playing wide receiver at Hampton University. He said he later moved to Houston, worked in marketing and basketball operations for the Houston Rockets and moved into sports television with Fox Sports; he noted that a corporate buyout left him briefly employed by Disney. Those experiences, he said, helped prepare him for classroom work and community engagement.

On his teaching experience, Griffin said he spent three years teaching in Fairfax County before returning to Hampton and that at Machen he will teach K–5 students. He described his classroom approach as "being real intentional" and emphasized transparency and relationship-building: "Let every kid know that they matter, and they're special, and they can do anything they put their mind to, with hard work, consistency, and the right support behind them."

Griffin praised Machen’s leadership and staff support, singling out Principal Mr. Barclay for being "very transparent" and helpful during his early weeks. He also said specialists — the resource team, librarian, music and art teachers — have communicated expectations and helped him prepare for the school year.

Practical details: Griffin said Machen’s open house is Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., and he said he looks forward to meeting students and families, including people he knows from growing up in Hampton. He and his wife, who also attended Hampton University, have a daughter, Leah, who is two and a half.

Haynes closed the episode by reaffirming the district’s mission: "We will ensure academic excellence for every child every day, whatever it takes," and encouraged listeners to subscribe to HCS Talks for future episodes.

The podcast episode serves as a staff-profile and recruitment highlight for Hampton City Schools; it did not include formal district actions or votes.