THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604260130
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Decision '96
May 7 Elections: Portsmouth School Board Candidates
LENGTH: Long : 676 lines
This is a first for Portsmouth: a directly elected School Board. On Tuesday, May 7, the city's voters not the City Council will decide who five of the nine School Board members will be for the next four years. And 16 city residents have said they want to represent you and help run your school system.
You have your work cut out for you as you set about sorting these candidates out and prepare to decide how you will vote.
Naturally, we want to help.
In today's issue of The Portsmouth Currents, The Virginian-Pilot offers these candidates a chance to tell you what they think is important in their own words. We did the same thing in last Sunday's Currents with the 10 mayoral and council candidates.
We invited all of them to respond to two open-ended questions printed atop these pages about what they want to accomplish and what qualifies them to deserve your vote. Their answers are limited only by the space on this and the next three pages and most did have to be edited for length but for the most part, these are their unedited comments.
Portsmouth's elections are at-large, so all city voters will have the opportunity to choose from all candidates: 16 for School Board, seven for City Council and three for mayor. -
We already have published other information about these candidates including a special report this past Friday in The Virginian-Pilot on economic development, education and crime in Portsmouth. And on Sunday, May 5, we will publish our comprehensive Voters Guide in The Currents so you can compare all school and council candidates on the same issues issues that a cross-section of city residents have told us are most on their minds as the elections approach.
This is a lot of reading; we realize that. But by providing you with as much information as we can, we hope we can help you make the best choices from among the people who would run your city and your schools.
The rest is up to you. QUESTION FOR SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
What is your vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now?
How would you work to achieve that as a member of the School Board, and what special qualities or skills do you possess that make you the best person for this job? FOUR-YEAR TERMS
JESSE G. ALSPAUGH JR.
Age: 72
Address: 200 block of Idlewood Avenue, Shea Terrace
Occupation: A retired businessman and a volunteer ``Paired Reader'' at John Tyler Elementary
Election experience: He unsuccessfully ran for City Council in the late 1950s.
Kids in school?: No
In this day of extremist ideas, beliefs and philosophy, if we get two or more people working together even though their opinion will be somewhat different, is a difficult task and one that challenges anyone running for a public office.
Therefore, it takes individuals who can realize this and still work and arrive at amicable solutions to the problems that progress can be achieved.
It is this philosophy, if I am elected, that I will take with me, in hopes that our school system can be improved to benefit our children and in turn benefit our society as a whole to the envy of other cities around us and our notoriety becomes so widespread that others may look at us as an example of what they would like their school systems to accomplish. Portsmouth will by the year 1998 have two of the finest high schools in the state and now we must match our curriculum with quality teachers to meet our goals for academic achievements.
LAWRENCE W. I'ANSON JR.
Age: 59
Address: 3100 block of Honeysuckle Lane, Churchland
Occupation: President of the Beazley Foundation.
Election experience: This is his first run for political office; incumbent board member, since 1993.
Kids in school? No
In 1995, the Portsmouth Public Schools changed all elementary schools to Kindergarten through the Fifth Grade. In addition, school zones were adjusted so that all elementary students were assigned to attend a school near their home. Students were allowed to attend schools outside their zoned school if there was space, and students whose school was changed were provided bus transportation to their old school if they wished to remain there. Preliminary indications are that the Community Schools plan is a success. I foresee the Community Schools and Open Enrollment extended to the middle schools and the high schools as much as possible during the next few years.
Open Enrollment has a caveat: a student can attend the school of his choice if there is space. The second part of my vision for the schools is that space will be critical, that many will not be able to attend their first choice school. Let me explain. We now have a few schools that have special programs. Wilson High School has a magnet program in International Relations; Churchland High School has the performing arts magnet program and I.C. Norcom, the mathematics and science magnet program. Hunt-Mapp, through a partnership with NASA, has an outstanding program in subjects related to space. The Montessori Program at Park View and the Earth and Space Program at Douglass Park Elementary School attract students from all over the City.
I envision each of our schools having a unique character, a program so attractive that students will have a hard time deciding which school they want to attend because they are all centers of excellence. Community Schools and other initiatives such as the magnet schools have already drawn some students back to public schools from private schools. I see the trend continuing as public school education offers more than the private school can.
All of my working life has been spent managing people, money and other assets; 30 years of those years I was in the Navy and eight years at the Beazley Foundation. For three of those years, I have served on the Portsmouth School Board. I have asked the tough questions about personnel policies, financial reports and curriculum content. My votes on major issues have been based on extensive homework and the premise of what I believed was best for all the students of Portsmouth. I have not always voted with the majority nor have I always supported the school administration if I disagreed with their position. Nevertheless, after decisions have been made, I have accepted the result and moved on. My work experience, my willingness to listen to all sides of an issue and my ability to work with others, I believe, have and will continue to enable me to best serve the citizens and students of Portsmouth.
N. GAILE BISHOP
Age: 46
Address: 200 block of York Drive, South Loxley Place
Occupation: Teaches piano and voice and volunteers at the Portsmouth Police Crime Prevention Unit.
Election experience: This is her first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
My vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now will show:
Quality specialized schools with improved diversity and positive growth.
Funding for well maintained schools.
Hiring of capable, certified staff having good classroom disciplinary skills as well as a talent for teaching.
Implementation of an effective systematic evaluation program for all students.
Programming that keeps students motivated fostering self-esteem as well as after school activities.
Opportunities for principals, teachers, parents, and students to air their concerns without penalty.
Institution of a system of checks and balances so that budgets, curriculum, federal, state and local mandates are monitored.
I would work to achieve this as a member of the school board by:
Expanding the ``Magnet School'' program to allow parents and students to choose the curriculum that matches the learning abilities of each individual.
Encouraging the board to collectively - request of city council to pursue revenue from government owned property to be designated for maintaining schools and increase teacher salaries in order to be competitive with surrounding cities.
Evaluating students in a systematic way, by a team of professionals rather than one person, this would prevent stereotyping and students lost in the system.
Promoting in school suspension programs that would include counseling for troubled youth.
Promoting that the school board team up with ``Pride'' program for self-esteem sponsored by the Community Services Board as an after-school activity.
Encouraging the school board to set up a post office box for principals. teachers, parents and students to air concerns without penalty.
Asking as a member of the school board for a quarterly assessment to critique our progress, to set up priorities and cut waste where found.
The special qualities or skills that I possess that make me the best person for the job include the ability to stay focused and complete the course, the desire to make a difference for the citizens of Portsmouth and their children, the willingness to make sacrifices to meet a need, the use of Total Quality Management as a facilitator, the use of educational psychology for curriculum, disciplinary procedure and recreational therapy, the ability to balance budgets as well as good record keeping for documentation, the use of good clerical skills, the ability to meet and communicate with the public, promoting the arts with a background in voice, piano and flute, as well as painting on canvas with mixed media, pencil and ink as well as designing period costumes and props.
JAMES E. BRIDGEFORD
Age: 52
Address: 3800 block of Flagship Way in Churchland
Occupation: Systems accountant for the Navy
Election experience: This is his first run for political office; incumbent, board vice chairman, on the board since 1990.
Kids in school? No
In order for me to address a ten-year vision I must reflect on the last five and a half I have been on the Board. We have downsized from five to three high schools, realigned our elementary schools to contain grades K-5, middle schools grades 6-8, and high schools grades 9-12. We have gone to Community Schools; implemented open enrollment on a space available basis at the elementary level, implemented magnet programs in some of our elementary schools and all of our high schools. We are currently building a new high school. We have implemented TQM and have a strategic plan in place.
I see the future School Boards constantly tweaking the plans of the past few years to improve the student output that will allow the city to build a better tax base. The Community Schools concept we implemented in 1995 I think has started to bear fruit. We see competition among the schools. I think this is good as long as it is healthy competition and we maintain equitable distribution of funds and resources among all the schools. It has also triggered a stronger parental involvement in the schools which I personally wanted to see, and appears to be bringing some of the private school students back. I see the future School Boards constantly struggling for their share of funds to run the school system, which includes the repair of plants/buildings and making teacher salaries competitive. I also see Boards looking for more creative ways of funding the school system.
I would work to improve on the Board's past accomplishments by continuing to carry the positive message of what we have completed and in some cases we have done it with less money. I would push for larger partnerships such as a regional vocational center. If we had more funding to put into instruction we would be that much further ahead. The city as a whole has to believe that our students are receiving a good education and if the need is there they can provide an even better one. We must continue to strive to get the most from all of our students.
My career has been filled with managing people and funds. I have been an Office Manager, Chief Accountant, Auditor, and Accountant. All of these positions have allowed me to constantly deal with individuals of all levels. My ability to see the whole picture and consider the welfare of the entire school system has enabled me to make responsible decisions.
DR. ELIZABETH DANIELS
Age: 57
Address: 1500 block of Belafonte Drive, Cavalier Manor
Occupation: Dentist
Election experience: This is her first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
My vision for Portsmouth 10 years from now is based on our hopes and needs. We know that it is possible for Portsmouth to be a progressive city and we must strive to accomplish this.
Quality schools are a major factor in attracting and holding a population. If the residents of Portsmouth had an optimum education, they may become employees in better paying jobs, giving them greater purchasing power. Increased purchasing power would help Portsmouth to have a larger number of successful businesses.
Successful businesses and an increase in persons able to afford to purchase homes would increase our tax base. This should aid in an improved and progressive economic status for Portsmouth. My role in this vision is to help the schools achieve the quality performance needed.
My education and job experiences have prepared me for all areas of School Board activity. I attended public schools in grades 1-12, public universities and professional school. I have teaching experience in public schools at the middle school, high school and university levels.
While employed at Meharry School of Dentistry, I worked as a faculty member and as an administrator. As Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, I was responsible for the academic program of the dental school and was immediate supervisor of its teaching faculty. I shared the responsibility for formulation and supervision of the school's budget. I also led in the revision of the Student Policy Handbook.
Curriculum guidelines for all dental school courses were issued by the American Association of Dental Schools. I supervised analysis of the guidelines to be certain that all essential concepts were covered in Meharry's curriculum.
Prior to becoming Associate Dean I was chairperson of the Curriculum Committee and participated in the design and evaluation of the curriculum for the dental school. I designed, supervised and participated in tutorial programs to aid students with deficiencies prepare for written dental school admission tests and written licensing examinations.
In September 1990, I opened my dental practice in Portsmouth. As sole proprietor, I have had to manage all aspects of the practice including its budget.
DOUGLAS N. EAMES
Age: 40
Address: Lives on Wayland Drive in Churchland.
Occupation: Self-employed engineering and management services consultant
Election experience: This is his first run for political office.
Kids in school? Three children at Churchland Elementary
Portsmouth will be an attractive place for new families to relocate to. Our Portsmouth Public Schools will be model system for the State of Virginia and the Nation. Teachers will want to work in our schools and there will be a ``waiting list'' for teaching positions. A strong school system will attract families who will attract new and larger businesses.
To achieve my vision, I will work with City Council, community groups, businesses, parents, teachers, students, and the school administration to establish, publish, monitor and achieve specific goals. I will look at other successful programs in other localities and determine if they are applicable to Portsmouth. I will work to stabilize and strengthen the current infrastructure (personnel, programs and facilities) ensuring we are prepared to make necessary improvements. I will work to promote a positive image which will market Portsmouth as a great place to promote a positive image which will market Portsmouth as a great place to live, work and learn. I will work to improve the community schools (with an open enrollment) ensuring all students have equal opportunity and support. I will work to increase the presence of ``Quality Programs'' in our schools.
I will ensure that GOALS for each school and the entire district are established and published prior to the start of each school year. Team building, ``Quality Programs'' and identifiable goals are key to success.
Portsmouth must keep and attract the best teachers. Teacher salaries must be competitive with other localities. We need to expand programs which will attract and retain the best teachers, programs such as tuition assistance; training; scholarships; and increased community involvement in support of the classroom.
School facilities must be maintained to ensure their longevity. Maintenance dollars need to be a priority in the budget process. A building maintenance fund should be established to offset the impact of unforeseen emergency repairs on the annual operating budget. We need to stop the ``Rob Peter to Pay Paul'' philosophy, which has hindered our facility maintenance requirements.
I am a parent of three Portsmouth Public School students and I have been active in our schools for over six years (Mentor/Tutor, Student Teacher, School-To-Work Program, School Improvement Team and PTA). I have excellent team building, communications and consensus building skills; six years' experience in implementing Total Quality Management and Business Process Improvements in public and private sectors; I have 16 years' experience in policy development, arbitration, mediation, and budget development and oversight to include work with the United Nations, National Security Council, State Department, Congress and state and local governments. I am a business owner, facilities engineer, financial planner, and I am active in my church and youth activities.
V.W. ``VIC'' GOODMAN
Age: 57
Address: 1200 block of Tatem Avenue, West Park Homes
Occupation: Retired state Health Department administrator
Election experience: This is his first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
I would like to see Portsmouth 10 years from now a healthy city. In that I mean a place where there is no incidence in the streets, where the economy is good, where the health statistics are below the national average. A place where people come together to discuss problems and work together to resolve them. A place with racial harmony.
To achieve that vision the School Board must be more pro-active in the education of our children. We must prepare them for the real world. Not every child will go to college, nor do they want to. We must provide them with the means to be productive citizens who add to the economy not draw from it. We need to provide basic job skills such as keyboarding a computer, using a cash register, doing simple math on a calculator. To be even more ambitious we should train students, who desire it, in basic trades, the world needs more craftsman. These trade skills used to be provided by the local shipyards, but that is now dwindling away. It then falls on the school system to provide those skills. There are many ways to do that and also to help the city improve its reducing retail tax base.
I think that one of my best skills is the ability to work in a group and do strategic planning. We need to ``brain storm'' and come up with innovative ways to provide students with ways to learn that are challenging and stimulating. An atmosphere that encourages learning. I have taught classes, mostly adults, I have had a local television program on Channel 48 called ``Public Health Update.'' I would be willing to establish a program on Channel 47 to provide citizens a forum for updates on the school system. I also feel the most important aspect of communication is the ability to listen. You can learn more by listening than talking because when you are talking you are not listening.
I have the management background, the financial skills and the human resource skills to help the Board to make the best decision possible for our children. I am a team player and the team that I would work for are the children and the citizens of the city of Portsmouth. This is the citizens of Portsmouth's chance to build the school board team that will be answerable to them. This is a historic event and the citizens need to take this responsibility very seriously, vote on May 7, 1996 to build the best team possible to provide the students of Portsmouth and the system to keep improving to the place we want to be not ten years from now, but next year and the year after.
KAREN S. JORDAN
Age: 41
Address: 100 block of Elmhurst Court, Simonsdale
Occupation: Homemaker; also president of the Simonsdale Civic Club
Election experience: This is her first run for political office; helped spearhead the drive for an elected board.
Kids in school? One at Woodrow Wilson High
When I came to Portsmouth 23 years ago, I found the people who live here to be kind and caring. My continuous involvement in the community here has given me the opportunity to develop a vision for the advancement of our children's education in the next 10 years. We need to work toward this goal of making our school system one that each citizen would be proud to call his own.
First, I believe we should call for an education summit, as we have for other concerns of similar magnitude, such as crime, teen pregnancy and the Community Services Board. By doing this, we can bring together all of our ideas and resources and examine what needs to be done to move toward our goal.
Statistics show that four out of five graduates from our schools do not go on to college. We must re-examine our attitude toward vocational training and even involve the business community in order to make sure that our young people can be readily absorbed into the work force.
We need a program that highlights our children's talents and abilities, and gives them the opportunity to grow and express themselves. In years past, we had a program called, ``Able and Ambitious Comprehensive Program.'' When interested parents sought outside funding to maintain this effort, neither the administration or the School Board would support them. It was requested that the School Board write a letter endorsing the program so that it could be used in a fund-raising packet of information. This request was denied.
The Portsmouth School system has one of the best Special Education departments in the state. This is a valuable asset that can be used to bring families to our community.
We must make sure that our students are prepared to enter the work force or attend college when they leave our school system. They must be equipped with the basic skills that will allow them to successfully pursue their dreams. The community must become more involved with the entire spectrum of their children's education.
As a community leader, I helped lead the petition-drive to have the issue of elected school boards placed on the ballot in Portsmouth. This idea received no support from the members of the School Board at the time. I am responding to my community's request to help bridge the gap between schools and citizens, and bring them together in the ultimate goal of furthering our children's education.
DAVID I. JOYNER
Age: 59
Address: 4200 block of Heather Road, Churchland
Occupation: Old Dominion University education professor
Election experience: This is his first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
The city of Portsmouth could be, and can be, a model for the Hampton Roads area and the State with respect to the rebuilding of an historic urban center. This transformation should include safer streets and schools, a high quality educational system, and the restoration of business and industry to deserted shopping centers, downtown stores, and land areas begging to be developed. An awareness among the people and leadership as to the economic plight of the city, the cooperation and full engagement of all citizens; and electing the most competent, qualified, and visionary leaders possible are required now in order for this 10 year vision of Portsmouth to become a reality.
There is much that is good about the Portsmouth City Schools, but much more needs to be done in order for schools to be as good as citizens require and should have, and to make them of such high quality that new business and industry will be attracted to the city. In my view, the following are the basic things that should be given priority:
Provide the brightest and best teachers can be hired/kept.
Provide a reasonable and safe environment in which to teach and learn.
Provide a reasonable teacher to student ratio.
To do this, teacher salaries must be competitive, new teachers must be hired earlier in the year, the Board should set and follow-through with a longterm schedule of maintenance on school buildings, and a plan to provide a reasonable class size should be implemented.
I am running for School Board out of a sense of public duty, seeking to apply a set of skills obtained through 38 years of continuous experience as a professional educator at Cradock High School in Portsmouth and Old Dominion University. Having served as Associate Dean and Dean of the ODU College of Education, Chairman of the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Assessment Coordinator, and Project Director of many funded research grants; every aspect of the duties of a Local Board of Education has been a part of my experience. These include policymaking, budgeting, personnel management, curriculum, instruction and school law. Presently I teach preservice and inservice courses to license teachers for the public schools in the areas of Classroom Management/Discipline and in Social/Cultural Foundations of Education. Last summer, I supervised a group of student teachers in the United Kingdom.
As an interested citizen and a well trained, experienced professional educator who is qualified and ready to assist in solving the critical problems in Portsmouth City Schools, and with your support I am willing to go to work on your school board.
B. KEITH NANCE SR.
Age: 36
Address: 100 block of Lamper Road, Park Manor
Occupation: Insurance agent
Election experience: This is his first run for political office; helped spearhead the drive for an elected board.
Kids in school? One at Olive Branch Elementary
Portsmouth is my hometown. My vision of Portsmouth 10 years from now would be a thriving metropolitan city with a pleasing mix of retail, service and light industrial business as well as the Arts Capital of Hampton Roads. Our city is in a catch-22 situation, we can't expect to grow economically without a strong educational foundation and vice versa. We as citizens must devise a way in which we can educate our children to be productive workers upon graduation if that is their desire.
Currently, the city of Portsmouth does not have any formal vocational education programs for our students. I graduated from I.C. Norcom in the late seventies when the schools was a true vocational or career oriented school. As I recall, my classmates had little or no trouble becoming productive members of the work force. I realize that times and money are tight. I also realize that if we do not make a substantial investment in educating students in the trades or service technology, we will not need to try to attract new industries. Business locates where it feels that it can get the best prepared work force.
In addition, if we want to become the Arts Capital of Hampton Roads we must allow our students who have artistic abilities to excel. One may ask, where will the money come from? We as a community will have to determine our commitment to our goals with regard to dollars. Current school board budgets need to be scrutinized to detect any waste or deficit. I suspect that the curriculum and building maintenance budgets have been carved to the bone. My initial observation is that the administration of our system seems to take a disproportionate percentage of our school budget.
I was one of the leaders in the process that led up to the election of school board members. The task was not a simple one and involved a great deal of coalition building. Every precinct in our city overwhelmingly voted for change in November 1994. I will strive to make the newly elected board, one which is accountable, responsible and accessible. The public deserves to be treated with dignity and compassion when dealing with our school system, Currently, that is not the case.
The consolidation of our schools has proved to be a fiasco and has not contributed any savings to the budge's bottom line. One of the most attractive things about Portsmouth is our small town atmosphere. Our schools should reflect this as well. I remain hopeful that we will be able to come together as a community of one and work to the greater good for our city.
MARY E. ``BECKY'' NELSON
Age: 39
Address: 900 block of Chumley Road in Hodges Manor
Occupation: Materials expediter at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Election experience: This is her first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
At the present time, the school system of Portsmouth is not faring very well. Iowa test scores are well below the national average, SAT scores are embarrassing, and the Portsmouth system's reputation, in spite of its recent accomplishments, does not weather well against the reputations of other school systems in the region. If the city is to sustain any growth in the next 10 years, several improvements in the school system must be accomplished.
First, the teacher salary level must be raised to a level competitive with other systems in the region. Teachers stay with the Portsmouth system for an average of five years. During those first five years, the salaries are competitive. However, after five years, the teachers find that they can get better compensation for their skills in other area schools. We train them and allow them to go elsewhere. We must establish and maintain a competitive pay scale which keeps the good teachers in Portsmouth. We will see a dramatic increase in classroom achievement if the teachers that we are able to keep are of the highest quality.
Second, the current provisions for continued building maintenance are unacceptable. The newest school in Portsmouth, according to the superintendent, will not be scheduled for renovation or major maintenance improvements until it is nearly 115 years old. While I agree that the replacement of Norcom High School was overdue and necessary, I am concerned that the resulting facility will make it financially impossible to do any significant improvements on a number of the other facilities for several years to come. The school board must become proactive in conjunction with the City Council any time school funding/budget is discussed and fight to guarantee equal and adequate treatment for all the facilities.
Finally, as a target within the next 10 years, I would like to see the constant improvement of the community school concept. Magnet schools and special programs are a good start. However, I have listened to several parents indicate that they send their children to schools outside of their community, not because they want the special programs offered at these schools but because they are disturbed by the conditions of the school within the community. My prevalent goal would be to not require the parent to have to make a choice between proximity and quality. Parents should be able to feel comfortable sending their children to schools close to home and assured that the education that they receive there is equal in quality to schools in the other communities.
ELIJAH ``BUDDY'' SHARP III
Age: 38
Address: 700 block of Hancock Avenue, Cavalier Manor
Occupation: Instructor at Hampton University, primarily teaching continuing-education courses.
Election experience: This is his first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
I see Portsmouth (10 years from today) as an established historic site for tourism, and a place for business and industry to move to train the employees of the future in the school-to-work program.
As a member of the Portsmouth School Board, I will work hard to introduce my school-to-work program and work as a team player to get the community, parents, government, and private grant foundations involved.
I feel that I have great research skills, pedagogic knowledge and experience working with a youth-to-work grant sponsored program (through Housing and Urban Development, HUD).
Portsmouth can be the number one historic site, an area that lives history such as Jamestown, and Williamsburg. We are only 300 square miles, there is no place to develop (except the Cox's property and Craney Island Supply Depot?). We need to allow Olde Towne and historic landings and settlements, (not yet complete), to spearhead a drive that well assist our city financially and place Portsmouth among the top cities in America. Lets face it, history is our number one attraction and we have not captured that tourist dollar.
Our students will be the number one attraction for business and industry would move to Portsmouth (without a tax break for business, which is really needed).
When you add in the number of students who drop out of high school or never go to college, you find only one in five students obtain a college degree.
The school-to-work approach to learning is based on the fact that individuals learn best by doing and by relating what they learn in school to their experience as workers. This approach has come to be accepted as a better way to educate all young people. Instead of traditional general track and vocational, (we do not have a vocational center?), this concept is more relevant and useful to multiple future careers and lifelong learning.
Our students would be introduced to careers in the eighth grade; site visit and enter mentorships in the ninth grade; enter into projects with an industry or business in the tenth grade; internship in the eleventh; be placed in a business as a senior. Employers spend $30 billion yearly attempting to train employees.
As a member of the school board I would appeal to the same people that I now have daily deals (i.e. city council, school board, other city departments). I am currently the president of the United Civic League of Cavalier Manor, and I actually do a lot more.
As a public defender, I learned the power of persuasion, as a professor I helped a student to be admitted to Harvard Law School, as a coach I took a team that had not won a match in eight years, and we won five matches, as a civic league president my community is on the move, as a founder of the Men's Forum, I am working with the Portsmouth Community Trust to bring money into the area to educate, as a citizen I promote activities.
I am the best person for this job.
M.B. ``RANDI'' STRUTTON
Age: 49
Address: 4700 block of River Shore Road, Churchland
Occupation: Homemaker and president of the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation
Election experience: This is her first run for political office.
Kids in school? No
I envision Portsmouth 10 years from now as a safer, more prosperous city where people enjoy living, working, and playing. I see it as a clean, wholesome city that attracts jobs, culture, and civility - a city that provides a high quality of life for all of our citizens. But to accomplish that vision of a brighter future, we must acknowledge and deal with the unfortunate realities of the present. We must restore confidence and competence in our public schools.
Recent accomplishments suggest evidence of some progress, but the glaring truth is that for most children our system is neither effective nor efficient. Year after year, test scores at all levels are lower than in neighboring systems. Most graduates are ill-prepared to compete for scarce jobs or for college admission. With average SAT scores of only 746, few of our seniors can even get into a reputable 4-year college, let alone succeed in one. Inadequate vocational training and guidance means that far too many of our graduates enter the workforce with no realistic expectation of advancement. Yet, we spend more per child than any of our neighbors!
What would I do differently? I would refocus our city's attention on the primary elements of a good education: scholarship, citizenship, and artisanship. I would encourage people in our city to participate - as mentors, tutors, and employers - to ensure that all of the children in this city get the positive attention they need to learn the academic and social skills required for a rewarding life. I would improve the quality of instruction our children receive by employing and retaining high quality teachers and administrators. To do that, I would pay our teachers a competitive salary and would offer them the respect and consideration they expect and deserve. I would institute a meaningful school-to-work program that would allow students to work as interns and apprentices in occupations that pay a good wage. I would develop alternative programs for students who cannot succeed in a traditional school setting and who disrupt the learning environment for others.
Why me? Growing up in Cradock provided me both a solid educational foundation and a strong sense of community service. As an active member of the Tidewater Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, I meet regularly with outstanding teachers, administrators, and scholars from schools and universities in our area. I know what is happening in education, nationally and locally. I also know how to get things done. For over a year now, I have worked steadily to create a wildlife preserve and learning center that will offer hands-on learning activities for our children and enrichment opportunities for all our citizens.
The quality of life in Portsmouth and beyond will be determined by the quality of education in our city. I have dedicated my whole life to education - as a student, a teacher, parent, tutor, and community leader. I am running for a seat on the school board because I have the commitment and the skills to help accomplish the vision we share for our city as a place where learning comes to life and education lights the way to a brighter tomorrow.
LOUISE G. ``SIS'' WALDEN
Age: 53
Address: 500 block of Nansemond Street, Waterview
Occupation: Owner of Olde Towne Flower Market in Portsmouth
Election experience: This is her first run for political office; incumbent board member, since 1993.
Kids in school? No
My vision for Portsmouth is that it will return to an economic rebound, our Olde Towne area will attract tourists and residents alike. Olde Towne is redeveloping as an art center with TCC being the core. Our schools have returned to neighborhoods. Hopefully our political election will be biracial.
I have been involved with Olde Towne Portsmouth Association for four years, this year as president. We are working with the city to revitalize Olde Towne, primarily through Goals 2005.
I put together a biracial ticket for the first school board elections and hope this trend will continue. I am enthusiastic, committed and fair when assessing situations and possess an analytical mind. My business experience of 10 years helps to judge financial situations. \' CAROL P. YOUNG
Age: 29
Address: 2000 block of Colorado Avenue, Kingman Heights
Occupation: Hospital medical clerk
Election experience: This is her first run for political office.
Kids in school? Three at Olive Branch Elementary
This candidate did not respond to our questions.
NORTH E. WEST
Age: 63
Address: Lives on Afton Parkway, in Cradock.
Occupation: Semi-retired in the home-repair business
Election experience: This is his first run for political office.
Kids in school? Three daughters graduated from Portsmouth public schools.
This candidate did not respond to our questions. On April 12, West told a Virginian-Pilot reporter that he would drop out of the race. Before that, he told the same reporter - education staff writer Vanee Vines - that he planned to call it quits because he didn't anticipate media scrutiny of some of his business affairs described in public records. He also said a business contract might require him to spend a lot of time out of town.
As Currents went to press this past week, however, he had yet to officially withdraw as a candidate.
In telephone interviews April 12, West first said he would stay in the race. He later said he would not, for the same reasons he previously mentioned.
``I'm just no longer interested,'' he said. ``You can say I've changed my mind . . . for personal reasons.''
West, a Cradock resident, is in the home-repair business.
He could not be reached for further comment this past week. ILLUSTRATION: Photos of every candidate
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD RACE CANDIDATE by CNB