Seven candidates, including three incumbents, are vying for five seats in the Portsmouth School Board race. The top five vote-getters will win.
LaKeesha S. “Klu” Atkinson
Age: 41
Job title/company: Consultant
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Norfolk State University
Previous elected offices held: School Board since 2016
Website: N/A
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? First, we have to acknowledge that mental health is a public health issue. One entity can’t tackle it alone. How we can address it as a board is by strengthening our partnerships with the Portsmouth Health Department by collaborating on joint initiatives, share resources and align mental health objectives with broader health goals and local mental health organizations and nonprofits. We can leverage their expertise and networks to enhance program reach and effectiveness. We currently have a “Here to Help” program. We can build on this initiative by incorporating feedback from participants and stakeholders and explore ways to offer additional support services or resources that address unmet needs.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? The Hampton Roads area has a huge transplant population due to the military. With the influx of families, our schools are growing in population. To address this growth, a new school building is needed. We are addressing this issue by utilizing modular classrooms as a short-term solution, but the long-term goal is advocacy for new construction. We can look into various funding sources for new construction, such as state and federal grants, bonds and public-private partnerships.
___
Irene S. Boone
Age: 42
Job title/company: Pre-employment manager/Military Sealift Command
Highest level of education: Some college or professional certification, in progress
Previous elected offices held (if any): Appointed to School Board in February 2023. Elected in November 2023.
Website: N/A
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? Mental health is a concern for parents and schools. It’s a concern for all who have a responsibility to the next generation. I am proud of the initiatives taken by PPS as it relates to mental health and that’s our “Here to Help” initiative. I would encourage any student needing help with navigating mental health or just needing someone to talk to to take advantage of this program. This will allow students to connect with counselors and even school psychologists.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? One of the most pressing issues for our division and many other divisions would be the teacher shortage. I believe the way to address it is in the direction the current School Board has gone in. I’m happy to have voted to move forward with a study that will explore how to ensure we get our teachers on the correct pay scale. A scale that encompasses their experience and years of service. In the meantime, as we wait for the study to be completed, as a board, we’ve given several raises to all of our staff.
___
Kendall C. Bradshaw
Age: 56
Job title/company: Realtor, Creed Realty
Highest level of education: Master’s, Old Dominion University
Website: None
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? Mental health is a very important issue in our society right now. The School Board can address this issue by hiring more guidance counselors so they have the time to identify and intervene appropriately, having each school provide a safe place on campus for students to deal with their problems and concerns, educating faculty and staff through professional development, offering mindfulness techniques for all and preventative care for those at risk.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? One of our most pressing issues is the hiring and retention of state-certified teachers. In order to correct this problem, the board should conduct the appropriate study and budget the funding necessary to bring new-hire teacher salaries into line with surrounding cities, fund yearly cost of living increases and pay experienced teachers for their years of service. The board can also work to address teacher burnout by offering wellness programs, professional development targeted to this concern and engaging teachers’ input while fostering a positive and supportive environment.
___
Arnette D. “Love” McSwain
Age: 51
Job title/company: Retired deputy sheriff, city of Chesapeake, Portsmouth business owner
Highest level of education: Two master’s, Liberty University
Military service: U.S. Army (SSG) 1990-1999; first female commander of the American Legion Post 190 (in 76 years); current 2nd Dist. American Legion of VA Chaplain
Website: www.devornloveinme.org
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? School boards can address the issue of mental health by ensuring there are funds within the budget that are allocated to address the growing concerns about the mental health of students. They can authorize a team to research medical agencies, hospitals and clinics to see what type of services can be provided for students. Services to provide professional development for staff members on how to support students who are experiencing mental health issues will be sought out during the research process. Agencies to provide workshops for parents on how to support their children will be needed. School Board members can collaborate to create policies that will include the administration, teachers, students, parents and mental health facilities/personnel. Staff will learn the criteria for referral and protocol on how to refer students for the intake process for treatment.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? One of the most pressing issues for the Portsmouth division is, per state test scores, only 61% of our students are proficient in reading. There are approximately 13,371 students in Portsmouth and this percentage shows approximately 8,156 are proficient in reading. I would address this issue by getting an understanding of the current reading initiatives in the district and analyzing the reading curriculum. I’d review the data that shows our students’ reading performance, per grade. I will consult with my colleagues to identify the areas of strategic approach that have been going well and the challenges. I would suggest a collaborative approach with administration, staff members, students and parents to strategically navigate our procedures for increasing our students’ reading proficiency. We must unify the approach of staff and parents to address the academic needs of our students.
___
Lateacia A. Sessoms
Age: 42
Job title/company: Executive director, Connecting Communities
Highest level of education: Master’s, Norfolk State University
Website: N/A
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? To tackle the increasing mental health challenges faced by students, school boards can adopt a multifaceted approach: 1. Commence by evaluating the effectiveness of existing mental health programs to identify areas of success and areas that may require enhancements. 2. Subsequently, establish on-site mental health resources within the school system, led by skilled counselors and therapists. These professionals can deliver prompt support, counseling services, crisis intervention and connections to external resources, ensuring that students have easy access to the necessary assistance. 3. Furthermore, cultivate partnerships with local mental health organizations to enrich the scope and quality of support options available to students.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? A critical priority that I will immediately address within the Portsmouth School Board is the enhancement of staff compensation and retention strategies. By ensuring competitive remuneration and implementing effective retention initiatives, we can attract and retain top-quality educators and staff members who are essential for maintaining a high standard of education in our schools. Additionally, investing in professional development opportunities, creating a positive work environment and recognizing the contributions of staff members can further bolster retention rates and foster a culture of excellence within the Portsmouth school district.
___
Jaclyn T. “Jackie” Walker
Age: 42
Job title/company: Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment
Highest level of education: Doctorate, Capella University
Website: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557154260127&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? Student mental health is a critical concern and school boards must act. PPS has made strides with the “Here to Help” initiative, providing vital resources to students facing mental health challenges. As a former PPS employee, I know firsthand how impactful this program has been. As a board member, I would support and enhance this initiative by advocating for pop-up mental health checks in neighborhoods. These clinics, held at community centers or churches, would make resources more accessible. This approach not only helps in reaching those who may not actively seek help but also reinforces that mental health is a priority for our schools. By collaborating with mental health professionals and community leaders, we can create a supportive environment where mental health is prioritized, stigma is reduced and every student has access to care.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? One of the most pressing issues for our division is staff compensation and retention. Ensuring that all employees are on their correct pay step is crucial. PPS has conducted a compensation survey to ensure that teachers’ salaries are comparable to those in the other six cities in the region. Additionally, PPS has provided all staff with a 7% raise, a positive step toward improving compensation. One of my initiatives is to conduct a “Stay Survey” to ask employees why they continue to work at PPS and what we could do to make them stay. This approach highlights how much we value our employees’ contributions. As a board member, I would advocate for regular reviews of compensation and push for initiatives that further enhance staff retention. Ensuring competitive salaries and acknowledging the worth of all employees is essential for maintaining a high-quality education system.
___
Ingrid P. Whitaker
Age: 59
Job title/company: Associate professor of sociology, Old Dominion University
Highest level of education: Doctorate, University of Michigan
Previous elected offices held: School Board 2014-2018, 2020-present
Website: ingridwhitaker4schoolboard.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue? As a School Board member, I have advocated and supported increasing access to mental health services for students. I was a strong advocate of the Here to Help Program that was implemented by Portsmouth Public Schools. I have also continued to advocate for increasing the number of professional social workers in our schools.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it? One of the most pressing issues for our division is sustaining full funding for the needs of our division. These needs include continued increases in teacher and staff pay, the continued expansion of our career and technical programs, the construction of new school facilities and the continued implementation of programs that address the needs of a student population that is disproportionately affected by under-resourced communities. As a member of the School Board, I will continue to advocate that these needs are represented in the budget requests the School Board puts forth each year.
