Fredericksburg Parent

26 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • December 2021 210 Ferdinand Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401 (540) 372-1130 www.fxbgschools.us "No one can stop a team dedicated to every child's success." -Dr. Marceline Catlett, Superintendent LONG AND PROUD HISTORY Fredericksburg City Public Schools have been adapting and innovating to serve the needs of the children and families of Fredericksburg since 1870. That year, Virginia's new constitution established the first statewide system of free public schools. This important development changes the paradigm for education in the commonwealth. Before 1870, schooling was private. It was conducted in homes and hotels available mostly for wealthy White children. Schooling for free and enslaved Black children was discouraged and sometimes even illegal, although Fredericksburg was home to "covert schools" where members of the community instructed Black students. Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) opened its doors as a private school for black students in 1867, before the church had even had the chance to repair the significant damage wrought by Civil War fighting. Over the past century and a half, the Fredericksburg community has worked to continuously improve its schools, and those efforts have reflected wider societal struggles with questions of fairness, civil rights and public health and safety. From establishing the first public school sites at the corner of Caroline and Lewis streets in 1883, for White students, and at Wolfe and Princess Anne streets in 1884 for Black students, to today's discussions of building a new school to accommodate a growing population, the children of Fredericksburg have always been at the center of public education efforts in the city. By working to make a better future, we continue to honor the hard work done by so many who have come before us to ensure that all children in Fredericksburg continue to have access to an education that prepares them for the world they will enter upon completion of their academic work. We are striving for no less than excellence in education. sponsored material

• Cover