Voters in three boroughs will decide who will represent them on the Suffolk School Board. Seven candidates are running for election.
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Nansemond Borough
Valerie Fields
Age: 64
Occupation/job title: Retired Suffolk public school teacher
Highest level of education: Master’s, Norfolk State University
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
The School Board can address the issue of students’ mental health by continuing to support the superintendent’s health services programs which address the physical, emotional, mental and social health needs of students. Counseling services, crisis teams and an anonymous tip line to report any form of bullying are a few of the initiatives available to students to support mental health. Strong support of such initiatives will ultimately safeguard the mental health of students of the district.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
One of the most pressing issues for is the need for capital resources for the improvement of schools. I would address the issue by collaborating with the current School Board to understand the need, network to seek the needed funding and transparently communicate with stakeholders regarding progress. As the district increases in housing and communities, many of the schools in the district have exceeded or are approaching capacity and/or shelf life and are in need of expansion and/or updates. The need to remediate the use of mobile units as classrooms is present in many of the schools. Capital resources to address the issues must be a priority for the School Board.
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James E. Shores
Age: 56
Occupation/job title: Program management analyst, Department of Defense
Highest level of education: Juris Doctor, Regent School of Law
Military experience: Retired Lt. Col., U.S. Marines, Naval Aviator
Website: shores4suffolkschools.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
Department of Education has posted a really good reference on this subject. I think their approach and recommendations (7), on page 2, are spot on. Budgets and prioritization of the same is always a challenge. The climate surveys that Dr. Gordon, our superintendent, utilizes are a good start in picking up indicators on potential mental health concerns. Recently, the chairperson of the SPS Safety Committee attempted to address the mental health of the student population, to incorporate it into the safety program, but it did not seem to garner support from the school administrators. This was my observation, not saying the administrators don’t care. I think it was a well, thought-out recommendation, and therefore if elected I’d like to propose the board take action on it.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
Parent confidence in our public schools. Exodus to home and private schooling. Teacher morale and retention. Only 52 of surveyed teachers saying there is high morale is unacceptable. Demographics. Northeast Suffolk is experiencing a boom in population. Our high schools are already at maximum capacity. If budgets are not aligned to stay ahead of the growing population, overcrowding will have a negative effect on education quality and teacher-to-student ratios.
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Whaleyville Borough
Thelma V. Hinton
Age: 66
Occupation/job title: Retired, stay-at-home mom
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Norfolk State University
Previous elected offices held: Suffolk City School Board, 2009-2012
Website: sites.google.com/view/thelma-v-hinton-for-suffolk-sc/home?authuser=0
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
In 2023, Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly voted to provide more mental health services for students, including proposing to require divisions to employ additional counselors and provide instruction on mental health in every classroom and required the school bus drivers to receive mental health training. School Board members should work together to implement these provisions and bills. The School Board can also help by having the school social worker, psychologist and the school nurse to be the front-runners to address these issues and it is called S.O.A.P. (Subject Objective Assessment and Planning).
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
School safety looks at hazards and overall conditions that will disrupt the learning environment. Issues such as COVID-19, fire hazards, infectious diseases, crime and the like are concerns. The pressing issue of physical safety of students and staff within our facilities is the first priority. As a School Board candidate with a focus on equity, equality and fiscal accountability, I believe the School Board should consistently review safety issues surrounding funding for adequate resource officers, secured access doors all around the buildings, fencing, proper lighting, security cameras, metal detectors, and training for staff, custodial workers and all support staff. Security Equipment Grant Management is a current grant provided by the Virginia Department of Education . This is one of the areas I would recommend our board to research and apply for annually.
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Sean McGee
Age: 41
Occupation/job title: Critical asset risk program manager, Air Combat Command, U.S. Air Force
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Saint Leo University
Military experience: U.S. Marine Corps
Website: www.seanmcgeeforsuffolkschools.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
1. Prevention: We must equip our teachers and staff—those who interact with students daily—with the tools and training needed to identify the signs and symptoms of mental health struggles. By providing them with additional resources and support, we can ensure they are better prepared to recognize when a student is in need. Furthermore, it’s crucial to develop comprehensive educational programs for students and their families, raising awareness about mental health issues and the resources available to them.
2. Support: The School Board should advocate for increased funding to expand the number of dedicated mental health professionals, such as therapists, social workers, and counselors in our schools, that our students have immediate access to.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
As the husband of a Suffolk Public Schools teacher and the father of five children currently attending elementary, middle and high school within SPS, one of the most urgent concerns within our division is the safety of our schools. In June, Suffolk Public Schools released their annual climate survey, revealing alarming statistics: 37% of students and 27% of teachers and staff reported not feeling safe at school. Conduct comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessments for all schools to identify and mitigate all security gaps. Establish a Threat Working Group that proactively meets to evaluate security postures and make informed decisions based on emerging threats and intelligence. Advocate for the assignment of armed officers at every school, with the ultimate goal of having two dedicated officers per school to ensure a robust security presence.
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Jonathan Rankin
Age: 39
Occupation/job title: Professional CDL truck driver, G&G Farms
Highest level of education: some college toward a Business Administration degree
Military experience: One year in the Navy
Website: www.rankin4whaleyville.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
As with any problem the board would have to first, identify and define the problem as there may be multiple problems contributing to the main problem; define the goals and desired outcomes; there must be a deep dive into identifying the root cause of the problem or problems; develop an action plan; execute the action plan and evaluate/assess the results and apply additional analysis for continuous improvements. The School Board could bring in an independent body to do the study. The results of the study could then be used to develop and implement new policies and programs toward improved mental health. Clearly defined metrics should be used to evaluate policies and programs for effectiveness.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
Student achievement is far below standards. I will be looking at policies and programs that are not achieving the results intended and look to fellow board members to join me to modify or eliminate those that are failing to produce results or are determined to be ineffective. I will do this through communication and cohesive collaboration.
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Sleepy Hole Borough
Carly Bosco
Age: 44
Occupation/job title: Senior director for Research and Operations, National Institute of Aerospace
Highest level of education: Master’s, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Website: www.boscoforsuffolk.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
A first step to help combat the mental health stressors of our students is to ensure a school environment that is welcoming and accepting of everyone. We need to ensure policies can quickly and effectively deal with bullying and other behaviors that contribute to negative self-images and social withdrawal. We also need to increase the amount of counselors in our schools to maintain realistic student ratios. One positive effect of COVID was greater acceptance and integration of social, emotional learning (SEL) lessons in schools. Putting the full burden of SEL onto the shoulders of teachers and counselors though is unrealistic. This is a place where districts can leverage community organizations that are trying to address mental health. Erika’s Lighthouse is an example, but there are smaller, local organizations also that can provide resources to students, families and staff, as well as foster family engagement.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
Suffolk is not unique in facing staffing difficulty and teacher drain. While this is a systemic issue, we are losing not only teachers who are opting out of teaching altogether but also teachers who are opting to move to other local districts. Pay is always an issue, but we need to take a hard look at what other factors are creating an environment where teachers actively pursue opportunities outside the district. Employee retention is strongly linked to morale and this is an area we have the power to control even more than pay scales. In the recent climate survey the district conducted, only 51% of high school staff felt morale was high. This leaves 49% who do not, which is troubling. The results in this survey overall from instructional staff certainly point to areas we need to act on with meaningful efforts to make substantive positive change.
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Heather Howell
Heather Howell did not respond to The Virginian-Pilot’s questionnaire in time for publication.
