Marlon BaCote on 'Untold - A WTVR Podcast'

Marlon BaCote on 'Untold - A WTVR Podcast'

Untold is a one-hour journey into the previously unheard stories of the people in charge of making big decisions, generating conversations, and sometimes causing controversy in Richmond, Virginia and beyond.

Untold is a one-hour journey into the previously unheard stories of the people in charge of making big decisions, generating conversations, and sometimes causing controversy in Richmond, Virginia and beyond.

Untold – A WTVR Podcast

Marlon BaCote

It has been eight years since Jason Kamras took the job of superintendent for Richmond Public Schools, but he has no plans of leaving anytime soon. And the former math teacher says he is encouraged by the numbers he is seeing.

"Last year seniors hit an 80% graduation rate, which is the highest in about a decade," said Kamras. "And our black students and economically disadvantaged students hit the highest rates in 20 years. We've also seen back to back years in growth in our SOL scores, math, reading, science, history."

Kamras sat down with Catie Beck on the most recent episode of 'Untold - A WTVR Podcast.' They discussed numerous topics, including the RPS budget situation, and the cuts that Kamras recently proposed.

"Let me be clear: I don't want to make those cuts, I don't want to make those reductions, but I felt it was important to give the school board a road map for what seemed likely at the time to be the situation," said Kamras. "Since then, it looks a little bit better for us. There are bills going through the General Assembly that might give us a lot more money."

Kamras also talked about the challenges he faces in running the historically troubled school system, including the poverty, hunger, and community violence that many of his students have to live in and around.

"I've been to a lot of funerals of kids, you know, over 50 kids have died from gun violence since I've been superintendent RPS students," said Kamras. "And probably two, three times that number have been shot, and that fortunately, it has been, knock on wood, a little bit better this year, but still, that's just horrific."

As far as what the future holds, Kamras says he remains focused on the task at hand.

"I'm open to any opportunity that can help continue to broaden the impact for kids, but at least for the next few years, I know I'm here, and I'm committed," said Kamras. "And I think we're just on the beginning of the upswing, and I want to make sure that we keep pushing forward so have no plans of going anywhere anytime soon.

Subscribe to “Untold – A WTVR Podcast” on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

It has been eight years since Jason&nbsp;Kamras&nbsp;took the job of superintendent for Richmond Public Schools, but he has no plans of leaving anytime soon. And the former math teacher says he is encouraged by the numbers he is seeing.
"Last year seniors hit an 80% graduation rate, which is the highest in about a decade," said Kamras. "And our black students and economically disadvantaged students hit the highest rates in 20 years. We've also seen back to back years in growth in our SOL scores, math, reading, science, history."
Kamras sat down with Catie Beck on the most recent episode of 'Untold - A WTVR Podcast.' They discussed numerous topics, including the RPS budget situation, and the cuts that Kamras recently proposed.
"Let me be clear: I don't want to make those cuts, I don't want to make those reductions, but I felt it was important to give the school board a road map for what seemed likely at the time to be the situation," said Kamras. "Since then, it looks a little bit better for us. There are bills going through the General Assembly that might give us a lot more money."
Kamras also talked about the challenges he faces in running the historically troubled school system, including the poverty, hunger, and community violence that many of his students have to live in and around.
"I've been to a lot of funerals of kids, you know, over 50 kids have died from gun violence since I've been superintendent RPS students," said Kamras. "And probably two, three times that number have been shot, and that fortunately, it has been, knock on wood, a little bit better this year, but still, that's just horrific."
As far as what the future holds, Kamras says he remains focused on the task at hand.
"I'm open to any opportunity that can help continue to broaden the impact for kids, but at least for the next few years, I know I'm here, and I'm committed," said Kamras. "And I think we're just on the beginning of the upswing, and I want to make sure that we keep pushing forward so have no plans of going anywhere anytime soon.
Subscribe to &ldquo;Untold &ndash; A WTVR Podcast&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdUz3ZudXu_iJ2kvC6hxIH-hETRG8QkQ" data-linkindex="0" data-auth="NotApplicable">YouTube</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7lF7zBpTbH2oYy5XTXqIMj?si=8bAb7RooT72PDa2UEda8eg" data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable">Spotify</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untold-a-wtvr-podcast/id1797099810" data-linkindex="2" data-auth="NotApplicable">Apple</a>.

Jason Kamras

More than a year after his inauguration, and almost 12 months after he was the inaugural guest on 'Untold - A WTVR Podcast," Richmond mayor Danny Avula returned to talk with host Catie Beck about the highs and lows of 2025, and the icy start to 2026.

More than a year after his inauguration, and almost 12 months after he was the inaugural guest on 'Untold - A WTVR Podcast," Richmond mayor Danny Avula returned to talk with host Catie Beck about the highs and lows of 2025, and the icy start to 2026.

Mayor Danny Avula Returns

It was one of the most puzzling missing persons cases that Virginia has ever seen. In October 2009, a Virginia Tech student named Morgan Harrington traveled to Charlottesville for a Metallica concert. She got separated from her friends and vanished without a trace.

Three months later, Morgan’s body was found on a remote part of a nearby farm. But it would take years for her killer to be caught.

In the wake of what happened to their daughter, Dan and Gil Harrington have fought to protect others from suffering the same fate, forming the Help Save The Next Girl non-profit organization and also the Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship Fund.

"We both think our lifespans will be foreshortened because of the stress of that loss, but despite that, and because we have been determined not to devolve into hatred, we have navigated and established a great deal of wholeness, and I'm so glad that we were able to do that,” Morgan's mother said Gil Harrington. "It ain’t an easy journey."

The Harringtons joined Catie Beck on the most recent episode of ‘Untold – A WTVR Podcast.’ Beck first interviewed the couple inside their Roanoke home just one month after Morgan disappeared.

"You know, the initial shock of Morgan missing was just overwhelming and horrible," father said Dan Harrington. "It was such a relief that someone found her because we know from previous interactions with parents whose kids or loved ones have never been found, how difficult that is."

Beck and the Harringtons discussed what it takes to get past grief, despite dealing with such an immense loss. They also talked about Docs for Morgan, an annual basketball game fundraiser that benefits Morgan’s scholarship fund. This year’s event takes place January 28.

"It is a celebration," said Gil Harrington. "It's Americana at its best. In these times people are seeking connection and belonging and boy do we have it here with this community. We are so grateful."

Subscribe to “Untold – A WTVR Podcast” on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

 

It was one of the most puzzling missing persons cases that Virginia has ever seen. In October 2009, a Virginia Tech student named Morgan Harrington traveled to Charlottesville for a Metallica concert. She got separated from her friends and vanished without a trace.
Three months later, Morgan&rsquo;s body was found on a remote part of a nearby farm. But it would take years for her killer to be caught.
In the wake of what happened to their daughter, Dan and Gil Harrington have fought to protect others from suffering the same fate, forming the <a href="http://helpsavethenextgirl.com/">Help Save The Next Girl</a> non-profit organization and also the <a href="https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/giving/morgan-harrington.html">Morgan Dana Harrington Memorial Scholarship Fund</a>.
"We both think our lifespans will be foreshortened because of the stress of that loss, but despite that, and because we have been determined not to devolve into hatred, we have navigated and established a great deal of wholeness, and I'm so glad that we were able to do that,&rdquo; Morgan's mother said Gil Harrington. "It ain&rsquo;t an easy journey."
The Harringtons joined Catie Beck on the most recent episode of &lsquo;Untold &ndash; A WTVR Podcast.&rsquo; Beck first interviewed the couple inside their Roanoke home just one month after Morgan disappeared.
"You know, the initial shock of Morgan missing was just overwhelming and horrible," father said Dan Harrington. "It was such a relief that someone found her because we know from previous interactions with parents whose kids or loved ones have never been found, how difficult that is."
Beck and the Harringtons discussed what it takes to get past grief, despite dealing with such an immense loss. They also talked about&nbsp;<a href="https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/events/docs-for-morgan-2026.html">Docs for Morgan</a>, an annual basketball game fundraiser that benefits Morgan&rsquo;s scholarship fund. This year&rsquo;s event takes place January 28.
"It is a celebration," said Gil Harrington. "It's Americana at its best. In these times people are seeking connection and belonging and boy do we have it here with this community. We are so grateful."
Subscribe to &ldquo;Untold &ndash; A WTVR Podcast&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzdUz3ZudXu_iJ2kvC6hxIH-hETRG8QkQ">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7lF7zBpTbH2oYy5XTXqIMj?si=8bAb7RooT72PDa2UEda8eg">Spotify</a>, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/untold-a-wtvr-podcast/id1797099810">Apple</a>.
&nbsp;

Marlon BaCote

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