Hampton School Board Names Next Superintendent

 

Dr. Raymond Haynes was unanimously approved by the Hampton School Board as the next superintendent for Hampton City Schools during the June 7, 2023, School Board meeting, effective July 1. "We are immensely pleased with our appointment of Dr. Haynes,” said Dr. Richard Mason, School Board chair. He replaces Dr. Jeffery Smith, who is retiring after eight years as Hampton’s superintendent and more than 32 years in education.

Dr. Raymond Haynes has been a member of the Hampton City Schools (HCS) Division Leadership Team since 2014, first as the executive director of schools (2014-2019) and most recently as the chief of secondary school leadership (2019-2023). As a part of his leadership, Hampton City Schools has posted the highest accreditation rate in seven years with all schools being 100% accredited. He has been instrumental in leading efforts to decrease the dropout rate from 14.1% (2018) to 0.62% (2022). Additionally, through collaboration with internal stakeholders, the division’s community and business partners have increased from 80 to 413 partners, representing 16 industries, to support the Academies of Hampton.

Dr. Richard Mason added, “Throughout his professional career with Hampton City Schools, Dr. Haynes has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary ability to foster innovation, drive results, and inspire others. His strategic thinking has been instrumental in transforming our schools, enabling us to overcome challenges and achieve remarkable growth. Dr. Haynes’ steadfast leadership is what we need in a superintendent to continue our legacy of greatness in Hampton City Schools. We are pleased that Dr. Haynes has accepted the call to lead us into the next phase of growth, more specifically with the academies and our relationship with Ford NGL.”

As executive director of schools and chief of secondary school leadership, Haynes has supervised principals’ instructional and organizational leadership at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. This includes closely monitoring instructional and assessment data, as well as attendance and graduation data to provide schools with support, resources, and feedback for student success. Since 2019, he has led the work around the Academies of Hampton to ensure a true transformation of teaching and learning for young people across all four high schools. Under his direction, and through the lens of the Academies of Hampton, Project-Based Learning has been infused into all high schools touching approximately 6,000 students.

His career in education began over 28 years ago in Hampton City Schools. Haynes’ rich experience has afforded him the opportunity to serve as an educational enrichment specialist for K-12, an elementary assistant principal, and a principal at the elementary, PreK-8, middle, and high school levels. Additionally, he has served as a planning principal where he developed collaborative plans to build, open, and staff Hampton’s new PreK-8 schools, Hunter B. Andrews and George P. Phenix, while simultaneously serving as the interim director of alternative programs.

Dr. Haynes shares, “I am absolutely thrilled and honored to have been selected by the Hampton School Board as the new superintendent of schools. This opportunity holds a special place in my heart, as it allows me to continue to give back to the community where I was raised and educated. Being able to serve the students, parents, and educators of this city, where I grew up and received my education, fills me with immense pride and excitement. My goal is to build upon the strong foundation of excellence already in place, working collaboratively with the School Board, City Council, HCS staff, students, families and stakeholders as we continue our laser focus on student success. Together, we will create a brighter future for every child in our community, and I cannot wait to embark on this incredible journey with all stakeholders involved.”

His leadership has gone beyond the day-to-day operations of the school division as he has led the partnership between Old Dominion University and Hampton City Schools Leadership Cohort to develop future school and district leaders through a “grow your own” program. He has worked closely with the leadership at Monarch Lead ODU to develop course schedules, recruit and interview participants, teach classes, and evaluate future leaders.

“Dr. Raymond Haynes embodies what this school division needs as the next superintendent, and he is the right choice to carry the torch,” shares Deputy Superintendent Dr. John Caggiano. “One hallmark of an effective leader, and someone who is ready to assume greater responsibility, is whether they demonstrate the ability to rise to the occasion when presented with increased responsibilities. When examining Dr. Haynes’ career to date in HCS, he has risen to the challenge and exceeded expectations with each new assignment. Dr. Haynes possesses the unique combination of personal qualities, knowledge, skills, and acumen needed to excel as the next superintendent of Hampton City Schools.”

Haynes earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Christopher Newport University, a Master of Social Work from Norfolk State University, and his educational administration endorsement (PreK-12) from the University of Virginia. He further pursued his education and earned his educational specialist endorsement from Old Dominion University and his doctorate from Old Dominion University, where he received the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award.  

He has a daughter who is a graduate of Hampton City Schools, the inaugural 2021 graduating class of the Academies of Hampton, who is currently a student at Old Dominion University. 

The Virginia School Boards Association (VSBA) assisted the school board with the

superintendent search process.