If you’ve lived in the Star City long enough, you know the name. Honestly, for over a decade, Rita Bishop wasn't just a superintendent; she was basically the face of public education in the valley.
She was tough. People called her "the Iron Lady" of Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) sometimes, though usually with a mix of fear and deep-seated respect. She took over a system that was, frankly, in a bit of a nosedive back in 2007. By the time she retired in 2020, the landscape had completely shifted.
When she passed away in May 2025, it felt like the end of an era for Roanoke. You don’t just "replace" someone who stays in a high-pressure role like that for 13 years. Most superintendents burn out in three or four. Bishop? She dug in her heels.
Why Rita Bishop Roanoke VA Still Matters
Let’s look at the numbers because they are actually kind of wild. When Bishop arrived in 2007, the graduation rate in Roanoke City was hovering around 59%. Think about that. Nearly half of the kids entering high school weren't finishing.
By the time she left, that number was up to 90%.
That’s not just a "slight improvement." That’s a total overhaul of how a city treats its youth. She didn't do it by lowering the bar, either. She did it by creating safety nets for kids who had already fallen through the cracks.
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The Forest Park Academy Gamble
One of her first big moves was opening Forest Park Academy in 2008. Most school districts just let "overage" students—kids who are 17 but still in 9th grade—drift away until they eventually drop out. Bishop saw that as a waste of human potential.
She modeled Forest Park after a program she saw in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was a school specifically for kids who were behind on credits or had already dropped out. It gave them a path back. Since it opened, over 1,000 students have graduated who likely wouldn't have had a diploma otherwise.
A Career That Spanned the Country
Rita Bishop didn't start in Virginia. She was a West Coast educator first, beginning her journey as an English and speech teacher in San Jose, California, way back in the 1960s. She moved through the ranks:
- Counselor
- Vice Principal
- Principal
- Central Office Administrator
She actually had a "first act" in Roanoke in the mid-90s as an assistant superintendent. She left for a bit to run schools in Lancaster, PA, but Roanoke called her back in 2007. It's rare for a leader to leave a city and then be invited back to take the top job. It says a lot about what the school board thought of her.
The Full Accreditation Milestone
For years, Roanoke struggled with state testing. When Bishop took the helm, eight schools in the city lacked accreditation. That’s a heavy weight for a community to carry. It affects property values, city pride, and, obviously, the kids' futures.
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Persistence was her thing. In 2018, for the first time in the history of the division, every single school in Roanoke City reached full accreditation. They did it again in 2019.
She was named the Virginia Superintendent of the Year in 2013, but if you asked her, she’d probably point to the accreditation or the graduation rates as the real trophies.
RCPS+ and the Summer Slide
She was also the architect behind RCPS+, a massive summer enrichment program. The goal was simple: stop kids from losing what they learned over the three-month break. By 2019, over 3,400 students were enrolled.
She knew that for many kids in Roanoke, school was the safest, most stable place in their lives. Keeping the doors open in the summer wasn't just about math; it was about community.
Was She Polarizing?
You can't be a "bold leader" without making some people mad. Bishop was a fierce advocate for funding. She famously pushed for a formula where the city committed 40% of its tax revenue to the schools.
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Some city council members over the years found her... let’s say, difficult to negotiate with. She was protective of her budget. She was protective of her staff. To her, if you weren't "all in" for the kids, you were in the way.
There were challenges, sure. Bus driver shortages plagued her final years (a problem that still haunts school districts everywhere), and teacher turnover in some of the tougher schools was a constant battle. But she never sugarcoated it. She often sat with stacks of books on her desk—like J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy—trying to understand the specific brand of poverty that affected Appalachian families in the city.
Remembering Her Legacy
Rita Bishop died on May 23, 2025.
She left behind a school system that was objectively better than the one she found. She saw the arts as essential—securing half a million dollars for instruments through the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. She saw safety as a priority, long before it became the national headline it is today.
Basically, she treated Roanoke’s children like they were her own. She once told her staff she’d send her own kids to Roanoke schools "without hesitation." That wasn't just talk; she lived it.
Actionable Insights for Roanoke Residents
If you’re a parent or a resident in Roanoke today, the "Bishop Era" still affects you. Here is how to stay engaged with the legacy she built:
- Monitor the Funding Formula: The city recently changed the 40% funding rule she fought for. Stay vocal at City Council meetings if you believe school funding is lagging.
- Support the STAR Program: What was RCPS+ is now the STAR Program. It’s one of the best resources for city kids—make sure your children or neighbors are utilizing these summer opportunities.
- Look into Forest Park Academy: If you know a student who is struggling or has dropped out, don't give up. The "alternative" path Bishop championed is still there, and it works.
Rita Bishop showed that a city's "destiny" of low graduation rates isn't set in stone. It just takes someone tough enough to refuse to accept it.