RPS Shines: Celebrating the People Who Make Schools Work

On May 29, the final evening of the school year, Richmond Ed Fund hosted RPS Shines, the annual Richmond Public Schools celebration honoring outstanding educators, staff, leaders, and school communities whose dedication shapes student learning and school culture across the division.

This year’s honorees reflected the many kinds of work that make a school community possible, from classroom instruction and career preparation to student support, school leadership, fine arts, data systems, operations, and the essential work that often happens behind the scenes. 

Each honoree offered a different picture of what students and schools need.

Tiffany Sneed’s commitment to literacy at Fairfield Court Elementary reflects the intentional instruction and care behind building strong readers. Shante Harris’s teaching in Master Barbering and Entrepreneurship at Richmond Technical Center shows the power of career-connected learning led by someone who knows both the craft and her students.

At Franklin Military Academy, Javone Anderson helps set the tone for the building through consistency, pride, and care for the people and spaces around him. Sarah Kim’s work in systems and data represents the critical behind-the-scenes expertise that helps a school division function.

Kenya Massenburg’s leadership at Richmond Community High School demonstrates what can happen when a school community is rooted in high expectations, deep care, and respect for every person in the building. Angel Reynolds’s work supporting students and families centers resilience, healing, and connection. And Christie-Jo Adams’s leadership in fine arts reminds us that creativity and expression are an essential part of a full education.

RPS Shines is more than an awards night. It is a chance to recognize the many different people whose talent, commitment, and care make Richmond’s schools work, and to celebrate what becomes possible for students when the adults around them are seen and valued.