Taikein Cooper: Why can’t Richmond schools be the catalyst for a great city?
Three years into his work at the Richmond Ed Fund, CEO Taikein Cooper believes philanthropy can change the trajectory of Richmond Public Schools.
Cooper’s group takes outside investment and uses it in new and innovative ways to enhance learning.
“I said, hey, I think there’s an opportunity to do something a little bit different,” he remembered.
“Richmond has a history of trying to solve all its problems one at a time. First we have to deal with poverty. Or, before we can do anything else, we’ve got to figure out housing or economic development. And the premise behind our work was, why can’t education be the catalyst? Great schools are great for the economy. They’re great for health and stability, and they’re great for public safety.”
He said in his early meetings with the business community, he heard that RPS wasn’t preparing kids for the workforce.
“The unfortunate reality is over the last several years, the largest employers of Richmond Public School students are fast-food restaurants,” he said.
Cooper drew applause when he said the district is finally ready to get to work on a technical education center on Southside land donated by Altria.
Victoria A. Ifatusin
The Richmond Ed Fund is also working on literacy programs. Cooper said he’s impressed by the scientific approach to literacy teaching that is paying off with gains in recent state testing.
“One of the things that we really lean into is, how about we stop comparing Richmond Public Schools to Henrico or Chesterfield, and why can’t we become a national model for what’s possible in schools?” he asked.
Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@richmonder.org.
