Teachers and other personnel are ultimately responsible for academic strides within the Clarke County Public Schools, according to Superintendent Rick Bolling.
He thanked employees for their hard work and dedication Tuesday during the opening convocation for the 2026-27 academic year. Classes will resume in the county's four public schools on Monday.
In terms of student achievement, CCPS ranked 60th out of Virginia's 131 local school divisions in 2023. But it had advanced to 43rd by last year.
And, based on preliminary information he's seen, Bolling anticipates CCPS will surpass at least 13 more divisions when the state finalizes rankings for 2026.
State assessments show the division saw academic growth among students at every grade level in the past year, he said.
"That doesn't happen by accident," Bolling told employees at the convocation, held in Clarke County High School's auditorium. "It happens because of you."
Success at learning occurs because teachers consistently plan lessons, teach, adjust how lessons are taught, reteach and challenge and encourage students, said Bolling.
Yet instructional assistants, administrators, counselors, school nurses, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, office workers and many others contribute by establishing a positive learning environment, he said.
"It truly takes a village" to help a student learn, he added.
Preliminary state school accountability results indicate CCPS will have two schools in the "distinguished" category and two in the "on track" category, Bolling said.
One school now classified as being on track has a score that's just a tenth of a point from distinguished status, while another is within two points, he said.
"That is tremendous progress," Bolling said.
He didn't identify the two schools.
Nevertheless, while divisional accomplishments are good, "we should never lose sight of the fact that this work is about individual students," Bolling said.
The new school year, he said, "gives us another opportunity to get better, to try something new, to learn from what (previously) worked and what didn't and, most importantly, to make a difference in the lives of our students."
Excluding prekindergarten, CCPS estimates having approximately 1,815 students enrolled for 2026-27, on par with the past school year. The Virginia Department of Education doesn't include pre-K enrollment in school divisions' "average daily memberships."
Twenty-two new teachers are joining the CCPS force. There are no vacant teaching positions, Bolling said.
Andy Jacks, principal of Ellis Elementary School in Prince William County, was the convocation's guest speaker. He encouraged teachers — new as well as returning ones — to set high expectations for students while striving to get to know them, make them feel appreciated and valued, and create an environment in which they can and want to learn.
You can't fake caring, he emphasized. Students see right through it.
When a teacher has faith that a struggling student can accomplish something, and the teacher commits to helping them, success at learning occurs, Jacks said.
Celebrate with the student the successes that mark his or her progress on the path to learning, he suggested.
CCPS is implementing a five-year strategic plan entitled "Forward Together 2031." The plan asserts that schools will "foster a learning environment where every child will inquire, persist and achieve." It also promotes a shared mission "to inspire every student to grow and reach their full potential by fostering resilience, curiosity, confidence and innovation."
That takes into account a premise that some people might find surprising, Bolling mentioned.
"We have to give our students permission to struggle," he said, because it's part of learning.
The goal isn't to eliminate difficulty, said Bolling, but "rather to provide the appropriate level of support so that students can meet the difficulty."
"You will get kids to do anything," he told the teachers, if you make personal time for them, make them feel safe and make them feel you really care.
Students will make mistakes, and so will teachers, Jacks said.
"If you're not making mistakes, you're not learning," he said.
He encouraged teachers to own up to mistakes and to seek help with correcting them if necessary.
"Asking for help is not a sign of weakness," Bolling said. "It is a sign that you understand the importance of the work."
Teaching is a team sport, not an individual one, Jacks and Bolling stressed. They encouraged teachers to rely on each other for support.