Razel Foundation Academy (RFA) will open our doors in the fall of 2023 as a career preparatory academy that equips students with the skills/confidence they need to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. Birthed from the vision of our founder and lifelong educator, Rachel Key, RFA aspires to create a joyful, academically excellent school that prepares students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose — college, career, and beyond. 

The RFA founding team has numerous years of combined experience as classroom teachers, school leaders, and school consultants. We have been fortunate to work in several of the high-demand schools in Hampton Roads, as well as a number of schools along the east coast serving similar populations. Currently, in the middle of our planning year, RFA continues to visit dozens of urban public schools across the country to gather best practices to inform our school operation. While the innovations in schools we experienced vary, the traditional paradigm of public school has remained the same. It’s the way children are expected to learn, especially in undervalued communities that is the issue and RFA now exists to change that.