Leadership
Kecia Ryan
School Principal
Ms. Kecia Ryan has spent over 25 years serving the students and families of Richmond Public Schools. Prior to being selected as the assistant principal and then principal of J.L. Francis, Ms. Ryan served as a middle school English teacher. During her long career in education, she remains steadfast in her belief that providing equity in education gives all students the support they need to be successful.
Additionally, Ms. Ryan began her career in education with Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Ryan earned her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Alabama, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Andrea Stewart
Assistant Principal
Ms. Stewart, a retired United States Air Force Major, chose to become an educator after watching the HBO documentary, I Am a Promise, an Oscar-winning film that chronicled the various challenges at a South Philadelphia Elementary School where over 90% of the students lived in poverty with a single parent. This film’s message that no child should go without an education catapulted her studies at New York University and The University of Virginia, where she earned her credentials in Elementary Education and Administration and Supervision. Ms. Stewart was chosen to be an Assistant Principal at J.L. Francis Elementary School after serving as an Academic Coordinator, Military Leadership Instructor and a 5th Grade Teacher in RPS.
Ms. Stewart believes her service as an educator is to pass unto others what has been passed unto her. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve in a larger capacity and to help fulfill the school’s mission: “We provide a Whole-Child approach to education that prioritizes the full scope of developmental, social-emotional, and academic needs as a way to advance education equity.”