Education Commissioner Shares Vision for New Schools, Plan to Address Teacher Shortage

Dr. Dionne Wells-Hedrington, the newest education commissioner nominee for the V.I. Dept. of Education has her eyes set on creating a “welcoming environment” for students and teachers when school reopens on August 8.

Speaking to Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach during Thursday’s Press Box program, Ms. Wells-Hedrington addressed challenges and opportunities for improvement in the public-school education system.

Among the improvements envisioned is the construction of new school buildings in the upcoming months.

The new Arthur Richards Pre-K to Grade 8 school will be demolished within weeks, according to the commissioner nominee and will benefit from an independent study on how furniture impacts teaching and learning.

According to the Ms. Wells-Hedrington, the USVI will engage with an “independent partner” this year to carry out that study.

“They donated the furniture and they wanted to do a study to see how our students respond. How does the furniture impact teaching and learning and that data that we gather from that will help to drive what we put in the new Arthur Richards because we want to make sure that the furniture compliments what we want to see in the vision forward for our schools,” she explained.

The new Arthur Richards school is expected to be constructed within three years or more based on factors that may affect construction.