Ron Richards
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Ron Richards is a teacher and debate coach of many years at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia.
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[edit] Debate
Richards is a successful debate coach in the Northern Virginia region. His teams have won 10 of the last 15 Virginia High School League AA State Championships.[1] Richards has been commended for his work as a debate coach by the Loudoun County School Board; In 2001, the board passed an official resolution commending Richards on his success.[2]
As a member of the debate community, Mr. Richards is extremely involved. He is an active member of the Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensics League and regularly serves as an administrator of these events, specifically of Policy. Richards works in the tab room and keeps track of individual debaters' records and speaker points.[citation needed] He is a member of the Virginia High School League's Debate, Drama and Forensics Advisory Committee.[3]
[edit] Teaching
Richards entered the teaching field in 1982, starting at Broad Run in 1985.[4] The majority of Richards' classes are Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government.[5] Originally the first instructor of Honors Government at the school, Richards' teaching style is not focused on Standards of Learning (SOL) requirements (no US Government SOL exists) or even the AP curriculum. Instead, his objective is to "provoke thought". Richards regularly assigns essays to his students regarding controversial and contemporary topics, geared to making students think independently.[citation needed]
On occasion, this teaching philosophy has gained the attention of the administration in a negative light. In February 2006, Richards filed a formal complaint with the School Board and the Superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools, Edgar P. Hatrick, Ed.D., after a student was disciplined for the content of an essay he wrote.[6] The assignment was to discuss the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.. Before Richards had a chance to grade or even read the assignment, another teacher read what the student's work and reported it to the principal, after openly chastising the student in front of his peers. Richards asserted the student was verbally harassed by the teacher and administration for simply expressing his views in an essay. An apology was made to the student, and Richards was counseled that, in the future, he should handle situations similar to this through the school system and not talk to the media.[citations needed]
[edit] Writing
Richards also has written several novels. One of his more well-known works is a trilogy of books in which he tells an alternative history of the Civil War, envisioning a world in which the Confederacy has emerged victorious.
[edit] Bibliography
This bibliography is incomplete
- Gray Visions
ISBN 978-0962550225 - Brothers in Gray
ISBN 978-0962550218 - A Southern Yarn
ISBN 978-0962550201
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Virginia High School League Book of Records Tenth Edition - 2006-07 (PDF). Virginia High School League (December 12, 2006). Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
- ^ Resolution of Commendation: Broad Run High School Debate Team. Loudoun County Board of Supervisors (May 21, 2001).
- ^ VHSL Forensics Manual (MS Word). Virginia High School League (October 2006). Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
- ^ Yearbook Staff (1985). The Shield–1985 (Vol. XVI). Broad Run High School.
- ^ Mr. Richards - Social Science. Broad Run High School (2006-2007). Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
- ^ Sollinger, Shannon (March 7, 2006). Broad Run teacher charges colleague, boss with reckless conduct. Loudoun Times Mirror. Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
