Comprehensive Plan

In Amherst County Public Schools, we begin the 2019-2020 school year with all of our schools accredited by the Virginia Department of Education. This accomplishment marks the second year in a row that our school division has achieved such levels. While this is outstanding news for Amherst County Public Schools, this information serves as just the jumping off point for our journey. A journey that should lead to a school system that focuses on creating a culture that inspires excellence in academics, career readiness, and citizenship in every child, every day.

To complete this journey, we need a plan that will provide focus, direction, consistency, and transparency for this school division and the greater Amherst community. After ten months of dedicated efforts from parents, staff, administrators, community members, and business leaders, I am extremely pleased to present the roadmap for this journey: the 2019-2024 Amherst County Public Schools Comprehensive Plan.

This comprehensive plan organizes our work into six crucial areas: (1) Equity; (2) Community Engagement; (3) Human Resources; (4) Operations; (5) Student Support; and (6) Student Outcomes. These six areas, along with the associated objectives, will drive the thinking, decision making, personnel actions, and financial investments of Amherst County Public Schools during the next five years. We are excited to get to work in making these plans a reality for our students and community; and we would like to invite you to become active participants in this worthwhile journey.
  • Equity

    Guiding Statement: Amherst County Public Schools is committed to equity and success for all students. Our commitment to equity will be achieved by:
    • Building culturally responsive schools comprised of faculty and staff that are reflective of our students and community.
    • Providing all students with access to the resources they need to maximize their academic growth and potential.
    • Identifying and removing barriers in our current policies, procedures, systems, or practices that limit opportunities for
    our students.
  • Community Engagement

    Guiding Statement: Amherst County Public Schools believe that when schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students are more likely to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, enroll in higher level programs, and graduate prepared to engage their world. With these important benefits in mind, it is critical that Amherst County Public Schools commit to forming collaborative partnerships with parents, businesses, and civic organizations in Amherst County.
  • Human Resources

    Guiding Statement: In Amherst County Public Schools, we believe that our employees make the difference in ensuring success for Every Child, Every Day. All students experience a higher level of positive educational outcomes when we:
    • Recruit and hire effective educators that are representative of the student population
    • Provide meaningful induction and professional development opportunities
    • Provide effective support and mentoring
    • Actively recognize excellent educators
  • Operations

    Guiding Statement: Amherst County Public Schools believes that students should have innovative, safe, and clean learning environments. We believe the facilities and operations of this division will meet the needs of every child and enable them to be proud of their school, attend regularly, perform at their highest level, and invest in their community.
  • Student Support

    Guiding Statement: Amherst County Public Schools believes that all students should be empowered to achieve academic, career, and personal goals they have determined for themselves. In order to support every child in achieving their goals, the needs of the whole child must be met by:
    • Providing high quality social/emotional support and learning opportunities
    • Ensuring that their physical needs are met
    • Providing access to their school and community according to their unique needs
    • Forming collaborative relationships with students, their families and community support agencies
  • Student Outcomes

    Guiding Statement: It is the belief of Amherst County Public Schools that all students participate in an educational experience that prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of life in an ever-changing world. We believe our responsibility is to instill in students the desire for excellence and the wisdom to seek it in every aspect of their lives.
    To that end, we believe that all students must acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship, productive employment, and lifelong learning.

OVERSIGHT OF AMHERST COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The Roadmap To Serve Every Child Every Day


The work of monitoring the Comprehensive Plan consists of a shared commitment to
Continuous improvement Oversight and consistent feedback is built into the plan annually to ensure informed management early and often.

Every fall, the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee will convene to assess the progress of each target area. The Steering Committee, with relevant division and school performance data aligned to the objectives and strategies within the plan, will be reviewed and tracked. The primary goal of constant monitoring is to measure the outcomes over the next five years and develop an in-depth understanding of the patterns and needs, in order to make adjustments to move forward.

The Steering Committee will make recommendations to ensure the division’s vision is actualized for students. Annually the Steering Committee will forward recommendations for Improvements or adjustments to the Superintendent, who will present in his State of the Division Report to the Amherst County School Board.