Meet Riverhead Charter Schools Superintendent Dr. Raymond J. Ankrum Sr.

Coming to Riverhead as superintendent of the Riverhead Charter Schools is almost like coming home for Dr. Raymond J. Ankrum Sr., who is a graduate of Stony Brook University.

“I was familiar with the area, but attending a university can be somewhat insular,” says Ankrum, who came to the kindergarten-through-12th-grade school in 2001. “I took the job thinking what an amazing experience this would be. It is not the same. You definitely are not insulated from the community.”

Ankrum, who has been superintendent since 2012 and two of whose three children attended Riverhead Charter, says it is different when you interact with the community as a whole. “Having your own children attend a school you are administering shows how much you believe in the institution, which I do.”

Ankrum says one of the most important things he’s learned and what he practices is a collaborative approach to education.

“You can’t be successful without buy-in from the parents,” says Ankrum, who also believes in being collaborative with the other schools in the area and often invites other administrators and staff to visit and discuss how to best serve students and their families. “You may think you can do it all yourself, but you learn that you can’t. It can be lonely to be the only one of anything. We need our educators to reflect the community we serve. The parent is a child’s first teacher. They’re an expert in their kid, so we need to lean into their expertise.”

Ankrum says that developing a positive relationship with the parents is important, especially as the relationship with the child progresses.

“I tell my teachers to try to make that first interaction with the parent a positive one, so they have a rapport and trust built up for when they have to have that tougher conversation,” Ankrum explains.

This is especially true for charter schools, which not everyone embraces, but Ankrum, who is married to stay-at-home-momTirzah, says the community has embraced Riverhead Charter and there is a waiting list for admittance.

“We have a student ratio of 24 to one in most of our classes,” Ankrum says. “Ultimately it is the parents’ choice where to send their children for the best education. We have some amazing programs and our Middle School was just named among the top 10 in Suffolk County. I regularly reach out to the public schools and invite them to come see our programs. I’d hope they learn from us, and we learn from them.”

Some of the innovations of which he is most proud include Response to Intervention, which is when a child isn’t performing at grade level.

“In some situations, the child keeps that distinction throughout his school career,” explains Ankrum, who adds that each child at Riverhead Academy receives 80 minutes of math and 80 minutes of reading each day. “We work closely with the child to help them advance to their grade level.”

He also explains that 80 percent of teachers are dual certified, with the other distinction being certified in working with those with special needs.

“I am pro-kid,” Ankrum says. “Anything that works for the kid, I’m for. If the public school is a better fit for a child, then I’m all for them being there.”

One thing Ankrum has learned is that you have to look at the entire child, not just the time he or she is in the classroom.

“We offer a food pantry and pack food for the children to take home,” Ankrum explains. “When I was growing up, that school lunch was a meal I could depend on. If that is what the child needs to be successful in the classroom, then that is what we do.”

Ankrum believes in an out-of-the-box approach to teaching and encourages his teachers to do the same.

“During COVID, we had to think out of the box and we did so successfully,” Ankrum says. “But, when we came back we sort of stepped away from that way of thinking. These were best practices that worked. We were successful in how we communicated with our parents. We were able to bring school to the home. We had to get back to those out-of-the-box practices.”

He says that includes communicating with the parents during times that work for them, which may mean unconventional hours. Or, a home visit if officials haven’t seen the child in school in a few days.

“We offer a weekly newsletter so we have another way of engaging with the parents,” Ankrum says. “I have to give a shoutout to my teachers. They are amazing. Not everyone is cut out for this kind of work, but they love and believe in what they do. We have many students who need a little more, and we as an administration get it and offer that support to the teachers so they can offer that needed extra support to the students.”

Riverhead Charter Schools is part of the Black, Latinx, Asian Charter Collaborative, known as BLACC, which includes charter schools on Long Island (also in Calverton and Central Islip), in New York City, Westchester, Albany, Mount Vernon and Buffalo. They currently have 960 students at Riverhead Charter.

“We’re at capacity now,” Ankrum says. “If we had more room, we’d have more students. We have a waiting list for every grade. It is hard to say no to a parent when we know the child is suffering in their current school and the programs we offer could help them be successful.”

Ankrum says they are looking for a location to relocate the high school, which would give them the added space they need. One of the people he credits for their success is High School Principal Dr. Patrick McKinney, who was recently named educator of the year for Riverhead.

“He does an excellent job of providing what the teachers need to help students be successful,” Ankrum says. “For example, testing season is coming up, but we don’t stress about it because we always teach above the standards. Our kids are buckling down and taking it seriously, but not stressing about it.”

Ankrum says he also encourages both students and staff to explore their passions. For example, if a student or students expresses an interest in a certain area, the administration works to find a teacher with a passion for the subject or activity to pair with the students, giving both an outlet.

“It is another way that we stimulate students to learn and succeed, and it also is an outlet for the teacher,” Ankrum explains. “Our goal is to keep everyone – the student, teachers and family — engaged in the success of our students.”

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.