11 candidates compete for seats on the Virginia Beach School Board

VIRGINIA BEACH — Five of the 11 seats on the Virginia Beach School Board are up for election this year. Every incumbent is running for their seat again.

Two at-large spots are up for grabs, as well as one each in the Centerville, Kempsville and Rose Hall districts. Those elected will help govern a school system that serves 67,000 students with a budget of about $800 million. The Virginian-Pilot asked the candidates about who they are and what they’d do if elected.

Questions:

1. What would be your top priority if elected and how would you implement it?

2. Reopening schools for in-person instruction amid the pandemic has been a hot-button issue. Do you agree with Virginia Beach schools' current plan? How, if at all, would you have wanted to change the plan?

3. Do you believe there are racial inequities in Virginia Beach schools? If so, what policies would you support in an effort to address them?

At large

Beverly M. Anderson

Age: 69

Occupation: Retired teacher

Previous office held (if any): School board member since 2013, including two years as vice chair and three years as chair

Education: Bachelor’s in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Concord University

Website: bev4schoolboard.com

1. We must increase teacher pay so we can attract and retain teachers. Therefore, my top priority is to increase salaries of teachers and staff. The economy was devastated last spring, and the school board 2020/2021 budget was cut more than $24 million dollars. The planned 3-½% raise and experience step for employees was eliminated. When the economy recovers from the current pandemic, we should make salary increases a priority. I will advocate for the School Board to prioritize salary increases in the yearly budget and also lobby city council and the General Assembly to provide the necessary funding.

2. I agree with the current plan as it phases in students for face-to-face instruction with caution. I encouraged the administration to phase in special education and primary grade students earlier than the announced dates. The administration shared their revised plan and special education students began on September 22 and primary grades on September 29. Third through 5th grades will start October 6 and 6th and 9th grades on October 8th. Other grade levels will be phased in as health metrics allow. I would have preferred the metrics to be lower than 10% for entering phase “yellow,” though current metrics are fortunately trending downward.

3. The school board recently passed an educational equity policy and I support it because I want to ensure that all students have the same opportunities to be successful in our school system. As part of that policy, a third-party assessment of educational equities will be conducted to determine equities or inequities within the school division. Assessors will then create a plan to identify priorities, correct and address the inequities and review and monitor such efforts. I will support all suggestions for improvement that are necessary to eliminate any inequities found as a result of the assessment.

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Victoria C. Manning

Age: 47

Occupation: Realtor

Previous office held (if any): School Board member since 2016

Education: Bachelor of science, Old Dominion University

Website: StudentsFirstVB.com

1. My top priority is to get all of our students back into our school buildings. My second priority is to address out of control student discipline problems. Teachers have indicated that this is a big isssue. Teacher and student safety must be the number one priority when in-person learning returns. We also must bring back the awards of valedictorian and salutatorian. We need to emphasize grading practices that teach students life lessons such as deadlines matter and there are consequences for actions. We should be raising the bar for our students, not lowering it.

2. A majority of parents and teachers indicated their preference for a return to in-person learning. In June, I asked what actions were being taken to prepare for in-person learning. The superintendent said he knows how to do in-person learning and seemed to be focused on virtual learning. He needs to be held accountable to get our students back into the classroom without further delay. It is very bad optics for the superintendent to receive a $12,000 bonus when our employee raises were retracted. I voted against the bonus. I am supporting a change!

3. I believe there are inequities related to socioeconomic and special education gaps that need to be addressed. I see many students being advanced to higher levels when they are not ready and I believe this causes behavior problems. This has to be so frustrating to the students who are in levels above their ability. The “everyone gets a trophy” and “no one can fail” mentality is negatively impacting these students. Sometimes failure is what one needs in order to succeed. VB also needs to do a better job addressing the needs of our students with special needs.

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Matthias Paul Telkamp

Age: 44

Occupation: Senior SharePoint Consultant; business owner, Cutulus

Previous office held (if any): None

Education: High school/vocational

Website: MPTelkamp.com

1. My top priority is teacher pay as it has been stagnant for a decade. We should not make excuses for not getting this done. I would work with city council and state reps to raise teacher pay. Second would be to streamline technology and processes. As an IT professional, I have seen too many issues with too many applications and paperwork. We can streamline and simplify this for everyone’s sake.

2. No, I have not agreed with the current plan. I spoke at the June 28th meeting on this. That plan was thrown together without taking factors into account. They know that ventilation at schools is not adequate and there are many locations with maintenance issues. They are trying to build the plane and fly it and are ill-prepared. We should have planned for distance learning until we could have a safe plan that they could give us. Instead, they are moving the target on the parents. Students that need the most help should have a plan first.

3. I absolutely believe there are racial inequities and I agree that we needed to pass the policy that allows for a study. Right now, nobody is fully aware of the extent of the inequities and where they are all happening. But I have heard from teachers, students, and parents that it is a problem in many ways. This not just racial. It is also a matter of being different. Being LGBTQ, a person of color, or having a learning disability should not be reasons to feel uncomfortable at school. Additional policies will be needed based on the study.

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Jeffrey A. “Doc” Feld

Age: 49

Occupation: Foot and ankle surgeon

Previous office held (if any): None

Education: Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology, Syracuse University; Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine

Website: feldvbsb.com

1. Smarter decisions with our expenditures and providing additional student resources with an increase in teachers' compensation will help with retention. Reduce non-educational teacher programs. Having too many programs is neither efficient nor productive for the students' learning environment. We should focus on programs, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and others, that teachers can be proficient, get the desired effect and yield future results. Improve the safety for students, increase vocational education and focus on equitable education. I am not beholden to anyone. And with my ability to breach the divide, communicate effectively and collaborate with the city council, we can implement such.

2. I want my three children physically back in school. Having a medical background, such reopening needs to be safe for everyone. Schools are either safe for reopening or not. I would have used the summer to ensure that virtual learning was appropriate for all ages. Young students shouldn’t have five hours of screen time daily. If necessary I would’ve closed for nine weeks so logistical preparations could be accomplished for a productive learning environment. Children and teachers need consistency to be efficient, effective and successful. Parents need stability and clarity so they can decide what is best for families.

3. There are racial inequities. I’m in favor of any policy that helps teachers connect with students to bring about optimal learning and individual success. We need to mitigate obstacles to an equitable education and provide a bump in resources to help bring children inline with their peers. Increasing school counselors, behaviorists, etc. to help identify students needing additional instructional, emotional or behavioral support and utilize community mentorship programs and virtual peer support networks. We need to foster strong relationships between the community and the schools to help ensure a safe, successful and happy educational environment for everyone.

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Lauren Logan

Age: 45

Occupation: President of Coastal Crush Lacrosse Club

Previous office held (if any): None

Education: Master’s of Education, Old Dominion University

Website: www.laurenloganvb.com

1. I think Virginia Beach Public Schools are the best in the country! I want to be on the VB School Board so I can help keep VBCPS moving in the right direction. My main priority is the compensation and retention of teachers. Teachers in VBCPS need to be paid more. They are under the state’s average salary. We can’t retain good teachers unless we pay them what they are worth. Especially as they juggle teaching online or in potentially unsafe conditions in-person, they deserve pay that is reflective of the professionals that they are.

2. I believe the superintendent and a majority of our school board are doing everything they can to continue providing a safe, exceptional education to our students. Still, I would have voted to keep all staff and student virtual the first nine weeks and then reassess. The extra time home would give teachers and staff more time to plan and adjust, and ensure that our school facilities are ready for safe, in-person teaching. The schools need more time to adjust to loss of staff. The first nine weeks online would have given everyone some breathing room in these very stressful times.

3. Yes, I believe there are racial inequities in VBCPS and that a greater focus is being drawn to them by the pandemic. I’m happy to see that the current school board voted to adopt an equity policy, but that is just the first step to address racial biases and disparities in our public schools. We need a teaching staff that is more reflective of our community’s demographics. We need discipline policies that keep students on the right track and in a safe, comfortable environment. We need to build a school system where every student has equal access to an exceptional education.

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Centerville District

Trenace Riggs

Age: 67

Occupation: Retired VBCPS teacher

Previous office held (if any): School board member since 2017; Virginia Beach Education Association President from 2012 to 2016

Education: Master’s in Early Childhood Education, Old Dominion University

Website: TrenaceRiggs.com

1. My immediate focus is returning to face-to-face-learning as safely and quickly as possible. I will work with my colleagues, city council and our leaders in Richmond to continue to address our challenges in providing competitive pay and benefits for our teachers and all school employees reflective of their dedication to the school division and to aid in our ability to attract and retain the most qualified individuals who will support student success.

2. A key factor in the success of the school division has been our commitment to data-driven decision making. The Fall 2020 plan is a data-driven approach to returning safely to face-to-face instruction based on continually updated health metrics that also provided a level of parent choice in when their students returned. This plan has been significantly challenging to implement. I know the school administration, our teachers and staff have worked hard toward a successful start of the school year. However, the first nine weeks of school should have been fully virtual while preparing for the safe return of students.

3. For too many years, the school division set goals relative to the achievement of our most at-risk student populations without a division-wide policy or approach to how to actually meet the needs of those students. To achieve these goals, I support our educational equity policy because I believe that all in our school community deserve a rigorous and respectful learning and working environment where diversity is valued and used to achieve positive academic and social outcomes. We must meet the needs of students where they are and lift them up to meet high expectations.

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Luis M. Cortes III

Age: 39

Occupation: Business owner

Previous office held (if any): None

Education: Some college (still enrolled)

Website: www.cortesvbschools.com

1. The school board has forgotten whom they represent, and that is the parents and students of Virginia Beach. As a parent of a child with special needs, I see firsthand the misplaced priorities and politics that plague our school board, and the disrespect shown to those who dare to think differently. Parents voices are hushed while special interests dominate, and I will put parents and families in the center of our decisions.

2. It’s only been a hot button issue because the current school board is controlled by those who put partisan politics ahead of science and medical facts. The closer Virginia Beach got to a COVID status that would reopen schools, the further reopening was pushed back. The school board had all summer to prepare schools to reopen only to need more time because they weren’t ready. Some wonder if there was political pressure to keep schools closed. The board should have implemented the plan they promised parents.

3. If you expect my opponent, the former union president, to do anything about inequities after years of hardly a mention about racism, I’d be surprised. They only way to change the school system is to change the school board, a board that spent more time during my opponent’s term talking about Facebook posts than systemic racism. The current board has lowered academic standards, excused poor performance, eliminated recognition for excellent work by students. They too often side with the administration rather than the parents who elected them. I will work to unify our school system and raise the bar.

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Kempsville District

Jennifer S. Franklin

Age: 52

Occupation: Mortgage banker

Previous office held (if any): None

Education: High school graduate with some college

Website: jenfranklinforvb.com/

1. Providing a path for secondary education and workforce readiness are my top priorities. Not every student is college-bound/ready post-high school. I would love to see a path where we have different apprenticeship opportunities in the community to allow those kids who want to go into the workforce. After retiring from 24 years in the military and living in Hampton Roads for 30 years, I am so grateful for my experience and lessons learned. I know we could forge strong partnerships with local employers for a more vibrant apprenticeship workforce program. Reinstating valedictorian and salutatorian would be my next priority.

2. I do not agree with the current plan. I favor a hybrid model utilized where those that feel comfortable for in-person learning have the ability to return to school. Those who are at-risk for any reason would have the option to continue with the virtual learning model. There are many subjects that are just as effective with a virtual learning environment. With current technology, we can utilize both methods to create a safe, secure and effective learning environment. Approximately 60% are in favor of returning to the classroom. With fewer students, there should be enough space to accommodate social distancing.

3. I would be naive to think that racial inequity doesn’t exist in Virginia Beach schools. As a minority myself, I can relate to that and we definitely need to do more to combat it happening within the school system. I don’t believe that policy alone can make it happen. As with the “zero tolerance” policy regarding bullying, it still happens and the policy doesn’t stop it. It’s a great guide, but we need to start with programs that help change the mindset. I would instead love to develop multi-cultural opportunities to help students learn through shared interests (aka food, music, etc) that would help bind them together.

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Dan Edwards

Age: 73

Occupation: Retired naval officer and business owner

Previous office held (if any): School board member from 1998 to present

Education: Master’s in Business Administration, The College of William & Mary

Website: www.DanEdwardsforSchoolBoard.com

1. Top long-term priority is executing “Compass to 2025,” our strategic plan. The six goals (educational excellence, student well-being, student ownership of learning, exemplary, diversified workforce, mutual support partnerships & efficiency) reflect the community priorities of all our stakeholders from parents and students, staff, higher education, military and businesses as potential employers. Each goal has well-defined strategies and includes an equity emphasis. Sustaining our focus on this will avoid distractions and sustain our continual improvement, which makes VBCPS locally appreciated and nationally respected.

2. VBCPS reopening plan is the most aggressive in the region with no artificial calendar boundaries and based on professional medical advice. The clear goal of the plan is expedited face-to-face instruction while adhering to sound medical protocols. It allows for opinions and preferences by students/parents and staff to the maximum extent. Social distance limits the number who can come back concurrently. While attacked by some who think it too slow and other who think it too fast, I do not believe I would change it. Staffing complexities make keeping everyone happy unattainable.

3. While there are no intentional racial inequities in Virginia Beach schools, they exist and are embedded in our culture and policies and processes. While this is true of most large organizations, it nonetheless needs to be corrected. The recently approved equity policy commits VBCPS to doing this and sets in motion a process to make it happen. Regrettably, some members have posted misinformation regarding the policy. Execution of Compass to 2025 and the new equity policy will likely change processes and drive needed policy adjustments, and a true change in culture is the expected outcome.

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Rose Hall District

Joanna L. Moran

Age: 36

Occupation: General trade supervisor

Previous office held (if any): None

Education: Bachelor’s in criminal justice, East Coast Polytechnic Institute

Website: www.studentsfirstvb.com/

1. I have supported returning kids to the classroom because the school board has really fumbled the online learning effort and students learn best in classrooms with teachers. Learning from home not only diminishes education, but the rise in mental health and domestic issues is troubling. I also support reinstating valedictorian and salutatorian awards for those students that work unbelievably hard to excel in their academics. I feel that if we award athletes for excellence, we should award students for academic excellence as well.

2. We should have given teachers, parents and children a choice for going back to school from the very beginning. Following CDC guidelines for reopening schools, we could have gotten our students back in school safely and earlier. Even the head of the CDC has addressed the mental health toll that this pandemic is having on our children. It is clear that the current board was unprepared for the new school year and was not able to open schools no matter what the COVID numbers were.

3. There’s a lack of consistency in Virginia Beach schools when it comes to grading and discipline. In some schools, teachers cannot give out zeros and can only give out minimum grades for work not turned in. And students are allowed to break the rules without disciplinary action, which is teaching them that there are no consequences. This isn’t how the real world works, and we need to stop setting our children up for failure. We need to follow these words: firm, fair, and consistent. Across all schools, we should have the same rules when it comes to grading and discipline.

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Jessica L. Owens

Age: 40

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Occupation: Abuse and neglect hotline specialist for the Virginia Department of Social Services

Previous office held (if any): School board member since May 2019, when she was appointed to fill a vacant seat. Subsequently elected in November 2019 to complete the 1-year term.

Education: Bachelor’s in counseling, Old Dominion University

Website: jessicaowensvbschoolboard.com

1. My priorities remain in a theme of relationship building: expanding equity in our schools, increasing family /community engagement and connecting resources, improving special education, and strengthening educational staff culture. However, none of this can be done without our teachers and staff on board. It is critical that the board prioritizes teacher pay increases and creates an atmosphere where teachers and staff feel heard and involved in the planning and decision process in order to hold onto the teachers we have and recruit the others we’ll need moving forward.

2. The current plan is asking too much of teachers and will result in more teachers leaving. Stability, consistency and predictability are resiliency factors for mental health and overall well-being. Our current plan is lacking too much of those things as it continues to feel like a moving target. I’ve proposed lowering the percent positivity of the “yellow” zone; utilize staggered start dates for our special education students, Pre-K, K, and 1st grade students. I’ve also outlined the opportunities for “on demand” learning versus all live and easy access centralized supportive services for students on the chrome books.

3. There is no room for debate in the fact that statistics show inequities in our schools the same way they are seen in too many other pieces of society. It is obvious when looking at our discipline, gifted program enrollment, etc. These long term, continued inequities are what motivated me to partner with my colleague Sharon Felton and propose an equity policy that commits to a comprehensive equity audit and transparency as we work through analyzing and improving the root causes that contribute to the inequity.