Richards Appointed Commissioner Of Education
[Updated] The Board of Education and the Ministry of Education and Workforce Development announced that Kalmar Richards has been appointed to the post of Commissioner of Education in the Department of Education.
Mrs Richards, a veteran educator, has served as Acting Commissioner of Education since December 2017.
A spokesperson said, “Mrs. Kalmar Richards has 35 years’ experience as an Educator, having started in 1983 as a high school teacher of English, French, Spanish and Civics in the public school system.
“Subsequent to her high school teaching, Mrs. Richards has been successively promoted to various leadership positions in public education that have included Mentor Teacher, Primary School Principal, Deputy Principal Senior School, Senior School Principal for 27 years, and most recently Acting Commissioner of Education, since December 2017.
“Mrs. Richards has acquired extensive experience teaching students, as well as leading, coaching and mentoring teams of instructional leaders and support staff at all school levels in the public school system.
“During her time as senior school Principal she demonstrated transformative leadership at the CedarBridge Academy, a school initially rejected by the broader community, successfully steering its international Accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in the United States, in 2007 and again in 2017.”
The Acting Chairman of the Board of Education, Mr. Lorren Wilson, said, “On behalf of the Board of Education we congratulate Mrs. Richards on her appointment. We look forward to working with her and pledge our support as she leads the Bermuda Public School System.”
The Minister of Education and Workforce Development Diallo Rabain expressed delight in the appointment and added: “Mrs. Richards is a daughter of the soil who has demonstrated continuous and determined commitment to the Bermuda Public School System.
“With the operationalization of the Public School Strategic Plan 2022 in train under her leadership, we anticipate greater transformation of public school education, and sustained success for our students and their future.”
Update Sept 12, 1.48pm: OBA’s education spokesperson in the Senate, Nandi Outerbridge said, “Having worked with Kalmar Richards on the Cedarbridge Board of Directors, I am confident Ms Richards has what it takes to be an excellent Commissioner of Education.
“I congratulate her on this opportunity to lead all students in Bermuda and towards the successful implementation of Plan 2022.
“Although there maybe challenges ahead, Ms Richards has a record of excellence and I wish her every success as good leadership and stability in education is what our children need.”
About time.
Congratulations. Best wishes.
Well done.
Friends and family plan!!
HATER!!!! Congrats Mrs. Richards you were and excellent principal at Cedarbridge and my daughter excelled under your tutelage. You are most deserving….
A very strong and beautiful Family!
Yes, it cost us taxpayers enough to get this Bermdudian in. Let’s hope the second time round it works out.
Tell her don’t forget the Clorox and water for the mold! Lol
What an ambiguous, unrelated stupid post!
You truly know nothing. It is funny how the internet has given a voice to pathetic persons such as yourself to comment with absolutely NO basis which further arms the uninformed with ignorance.
I’m the public’s Ewart Brown, Chris Furbert and Rev Tweed!!! Now it’s our turn.
Mrs Richards going to make mold disappear. Can’t wait to see her next trick!!! Lmao!!!!!
Tweed got status yet?
Ironically you named the 3 most outspoken Black Males who confront the Hustorical racist ideology in Bermuda.
No dipstick its our turn, you had 300 years of torment against us,get used to it.
And look where your turn between 1998 and 2012 got us.
Justin this is not the OBA … grow up!
No, this is the PLP playing politics again. When you narrow your talent pool to only Bermuda this is what you get. After all the PLP could never replace a Bermudian with a foreigner, could they?
Tweed needs replacing with a real Bermudian.
You had 300 years of having your way, now its our turn.
Suck it up and get over it.
So tweed not training a bermudian how to make placards?
That took how long to do?
A first class lady. Congrats!
The BEST choice.
Thank God!!
Kalmar will not shortchange our Bermudian born students and the other students. She is smart, talented, educated, has worked as an educator and principal in the public school system for decades.
Her legacy is already firmly established.
What a lovely choice.
Congratulations, Kalmar. You are best suited to deal with goals, objectives, policies for OUR children as we move along swiftly in this century!!
Wow, that’s really going to shake things up. What a radical choice?
By the way, doe,anyone know of any bridges for sale?
She’s too condescending for my liking but we’ll see how it goes…
Lets see if she can tackle the issue of not having all the principals in place for the start of this school year. Along with raising the standard of learning and holding those not keeping the standard accountable.
TO OBSERVER:
Mrs. Richardson will be most aware and vigilant concerning the public school system.
Do have faith. Kalmar is the most suitable for the job. Thank God looking inside England was not done. We have enough already: Deputy Governor,her immediate superior,the Commissioner of Police. Happy we have chosen someone bright and most capable… from Bermuda, not England again!!
Congratulations Mrs. Richards! I am very proud of you! God has answered!
Prayers will continue!
congrats Ms. Richards the best choice for the position! please keep a close eye on CBA cause I don’t the standards set my you fall to the side, now that my youngest just started yesterday. It was a pleasure dealing with you a few years ago when my other child attended CBA.
After all this time and with the poor state of Bermuda schools we go ahead and promote someone who has been an integral part of the history of poor schooling? Just does not make any sense? If at first you don’t suceed do the same thing over again!
Congrats Ms. Richards on your appointment. A woman who has the Island’s best interest at heart. She operates with integrity, honesty, and ethics – cudos to you. With your experience and proven track record I know you will do great things for Bermuda’s education system
Congratulations are in order, even if it is a great loss to CBA
This is a great day for Bermuda . Gone are the days when one man can say ,” A Bermudian will not be the first principal of CedarBridge .”Congratulations .
So are you coming back over?
Mrs Richards has always done well at whatever she has done but we were told from the beginning there were no suitable qualified Bermudians. Then Dr. Evans had to understudy the “expert” that was brought in. So if Mrs Richards wasn’t qualified before what has changed? We really need the best person for the job wherever they come from and anything less will not help fix the poor state of public education that we have endured for so many years. She is a great person and I am hoping this works but the board should be telling the public more.
Bingo!! She probably is the best qualified BERMUDIAN but I doubt she’s the best person for the job. The PLP, forever playing politics, could never replace a Bermudian with a foreigner. Who cares about the kids, it’s all about politics!!
Correct! This changes nothing. A disaster waiting to happen!
All the talk about strong male role models to steer our young males goes out of the window
Where are the strong principals and deputy principals in our system?
When strong male role models are not in place at the time, strong women stand in the gap.
It’s part of our Historical Culture when our Male Warriors were systematically being eliminated by the powers that be, our Strong Women stepped in until we regrouped.
Be Watchful Always!!!!!!!!!!