MEET THE CANDIDATES Portsmouth School Board

This week, The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press are publishing Q&As to help you get to know the candidates better. Look for candidate guides from local races throughout the week. For special coverage of all the races, got to and

PORTSMOUTH — Five of the nine seats on the Portsmouth School Board are up for election this year. Three incumbents are running, and two are not.

The candidates run at large, and those elected will help govern a school system that serves 13,000 students with a budget of more than $200 million.

The Virginian-Pilot asked the candidates about who they are and what they’d do if elected.

Look out for a full story on the race coming soon in The Pilot. But for now, here are the candidates in their own

words.

Barry R. Randall

Age: 42

Occupation: Attendance officer, Portsmouth Public Schools

Previous office held if any: none

Education: Associate of Applied Science in Human Services, Thomas Nelson Community College

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? I believe our division should adapt to teaching lessons on social media due to the heavy influence of Facebook, Twitter etc. For example: If all students who are in third grade lessons were prerecorded, and uploaded to social media, then a parent whose child may be struggling with a certain subject can get help from the community. The post where the lesson is uploaded would allow for parents, educators and community leaders at large to ask questions and get the help they need while at home.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? In order for our School Board and City Council relationship to improve would have to come from the stakeholders. The citizens must elect persons who believe in making sure our foundation (children) is firm. You can’t put a roof on a house without ensuring a sure foundation. If we don’t invest in our children, you will spend the money building more jails and prisons.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? Our division faces staff shortages just like many other districts, but I believe respect and appreciation will trump the lack of equitable pay. If we hold parents accountable and give our teachers and support staff the support they need to do their jobs, it will ensure job retention.

Willie J. Bamberg II

Age: 41

Occupation: Pastor, Judah Sanctuary Church of God in Christ, chaplain and community outreach specialist, Portsmouth Police Department

Previous office held if any: none Education: Associate’s Degree, business management, Strayer University

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? COVID-19 has changed the way most students receive education. Teachers and students have to adjust to virtual classes. It would be important to provide more mental health support to help our students to adjust to all of the challenges that the virus has caused. We must explore ways to get internet access to every student. I will be vigilant and in search of ways to make virtual learning more efficient.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? Providing true leadership is the key. I think that every problem has a solution. Instead of arguing over funding, I will execute due diligence to come up with areas of compromise that will show fiscal prudence to the City Council members while providing adequate funding for the school division. Having poise and being able to communicate effectively are qualities that will help to improve the relationship between the to boards.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? Moving forward effectively during this pandemic by providing a quality education for every student. We have to ensure that we have a solid plan for students in critical grades such as kindergarten, first, seventh, ninth and 12th grades. We have to address the student-to-teacher ratio in the classrooms and inadequate classroom space which was a problem prior to the pandemic and will be more of a challenge when it is time for the students to go back to school.

Vernon Lamont Tillage Jr.

Age:

Occupation:

26

Regional director of a political action committee Previous office held if any: none

Education: B.S., Old Dominion University

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? I do not believe that the school division is ready to reopen and I do not know when will be the right time to reopen. I believe in science and I will make my judgment based on the guidelines set forth by medical experts and the CDC. When the school division does reopen, I would like to ensure that all students, teachers and staff are provided personal protective equipment. I will also vote to ensure that guidelines are put in place for social distancing, professional cleaning, hand sanitation stations, etc. What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? In order to improve the relationship between City Council and School Board, members of both bodies have to put personal differences aside. Elected officials are elected by the people and the people elect them hoping that they will do what’s best for the overall city. Unfortunately, many have followed their own personal agendas. We must also establish trust between both bodies in order to do that we must be transparent and honest with one another.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? Over 18% of Portsmouth population live in poverty and a vast majority of its public school students receive free or reduced lunch. There are also many students who have mental health conditions and behavioral problems. As a school division, we must meet the needs of all children and provide them the proper tools and opportunities they need to excel in life. In addition to expanding resources for our students, we must also pay our teachers and staff a competitive wage in order to retain staff.

Arnette D. “Love” McSwain

Age: 47

Occupation: Owner, I Accept Me, Devorn Loveinme Movement, LLC.; associate minister, New Mount Olivet Baptist Church

Previous office held if any: none Education: B.S., Mountain State University; associate of science, management, Hawaii Pacific University; master’s degree, religion and management and leadership, Liberty University

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? The division should adapt to the changing needs by using the trial and error implementation. The virtual planning staff can add or take away from the procedures that have been orchestrated to accommodate our students and staff. One of the most difficult aspects of this new learning process will be ensuring full student participation. The division must be prepared to counter truancy.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? The relationship between the School Board and City Council can be improved with effective communication. There should be respectful dialogue and a certain level of trust between the two bodies. If the individuals who are elected to the School Board and City Council are optimistic about providing a quality level of education to our youth, a positive consensus should always be the outcome. What is the biggest challenge facing the division? COVID-19 has made the future of teaching and learning the biggest challenge facing the division. When will our students and staff be able to safely return to the school buildings? Will virtual learning be effective? How will the division ensure all students are receiving an adequate education, virtually? Will the budget cuts negatively affect the division? These are some of the questions the division faces during this challenge.

Yolanda C. “Edmonds” Thomas

Age: 38

Occupation: Vice president, senior operational risk analyst at

TowneBank

Previous office held if any: Former Portsmouth planning commissioner Education: B.S. University of Virginia

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? Children learn differently and for some students, online learning is a welcome change while for other students they struggle to focus and grasp concepts when not physically in the classroom. The division should adapt and address the changing needs by continuing to monitor CDC guidelines and COVID cases with the Virginia Department of Health and Portsmouth Health Department to come up with a plan for kids to return to school.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? The relationship between the School Board and City Council can be improved by first ensuring we have elected officials citywide that believe in fully funding and providing our students, teachers, and staff in Portsmouth with the resources they need to have a quality education, quality school buildings and competitive pay. If all elected officials start with that essential common ground then I believe we will immensely improve relationships. I also believe in not working in silos. The City Council and School Board both have liaisons which should encourage better relationships; however, there also has to be a mutual understanding and trust.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? Currently, the biggest challenge facing the division are retaining qualified teachers and also dealing with the funding cuts that are a result of COVID-19.

Ingrid P. Whitaker

Age: 55

Occupation: Associate professor of sociology, Old Dominion University Previous office held if any: Portsmouth School Board, 2014-2018

Education: B.S., University of Illinois at Chicago; master’s degree, social work and sociology, University of Michigan; P.H.D., sociology and social work, University of Michigan

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? COVID has necessitated virtual learning for our students. I believe this has increased stress on students, teachers, and families. We need to increase access to support services to students, teachers, and families. I would propose a one-stop resource center that integrates services. This can be accomplished with the support of the Portsmouth Public Schools social work department as well as the Portsmouth social services department.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? Historically, disagreements between the City Council and the School Board have revolved around the City Council’s refusal to fully fund the needs presented in the School Board budget. These disagreements can be alleviated by electing persons to City Council who are genuinely pro-education and demonstrate this by finding ways to create a budget that supports education.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? The biggest challenge other than COVID-19 is the funding deficit in our school district. This is problematic on two levels. First, the school system requires adequate funding to meet some of the most basic needs of our students and teachers. Among these are pay raises for teachers and staff, adequate staffing to reduce class sizes, and hiring teachers in subjects (such as math) that are in critical need. Second, Portsmouth has a high poverty rate . This requires providing our students and families with additional resources to help alleviate the effects of poverty on learning.

Gary W. Bunting Age:

Occupation:

64

Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway Towne Realty

Previous office held if any: Vice chairman, Portsmouth Board of Zoning Appeals Education: B.S., Old Dominion University

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? Some PPS students do not have or do not have reliable access to high speed internet. While steps have been taken, ensuring access to high speed internet for every student should be PPS’ highest priority. Even with internet access, many students may not adapt well to virtual learning. As the COVID-19 crisis eases, returning students who struggle with virtual learning to the classroom should be a priority and specialized instruction should be provided to bring those students back to grade level. What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? The basis of this conflict is money — starting with a misappropriation allegation and continuing over many years as annual budgets were adopted, resulting in an atmosphere of mistrust and negative personal feelings. Leaders of both bodies must be willing to put past differences aside, otherwise they should step aside. To facilitate positive and fluid relationships, there should be regular and productive meetings between the bodies.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? Over 18% of Portsmouth residents live below poverty level. To overcome the academic challenges faced by students living in poverty, PPS School Board members, administrators and teachers should look at alternative teaching methods that have been successful in improving student performance in other similarly situated school districts. Additionally, improving opportunities in career and technical education will give students the skills needed for a good paying career.

LaKeesha S. “Klu” Atkinson

Age: 37

Occupation: Licensed insurance agent Previous office held if any: Current Portsmouth School Board member Education: B.S., Norfolk State University

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? The school reopening plan I would propose is proactively soliciting RFP (Request for Proposal) for personal protective equipment. We need to ensure that we have sanitizer stations set up in the schools, sanitizers on hand in each classroom, back-up masks for staff and students. I would like us to continue with our routine cleaning plan that we have already implemented using the electrostatic sprayers in each classroom and deep cleaning of hard surfaces done daily by our custodial staff to also include the buses. Our classroom size doesn’t allow much for social distancing but requires masks to be on during instruction. What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? At this point the relationship between the School Board and Council is damaged. There is a lack of trust and communication. We should bring in an outside mediator and/or PR firm to address issues and engage both elected bodies in healthy and effective dialogue.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? The biggest challenge, in my opinion, is the lack of funding for education. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” If we are not vested in education then we are not interested in the future well-being of our nation. Education is the foundation of any career and should be a topic of public interest and priority in every city.

Sarah Duncan Hinds

Age: 42

Occupation: History teacher, Bethel High School, Hampton City Schools

Previous office held if any: Current Portsmouth School Board member

Education: Associate’s degree in science, Tidewater Community College; B.A., Old Dominion University; master’s degree, curriculum and instruction, University of Phoenix

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? COVID-19 has changed just about every aspect of our lives and education is no different. However, I believe the school division has taken some positive steps in preparing for education in the technology world. Upon the return to face-to-face school, we will need to really wrap our arms around the educational losses that our children have faced while away. We will need to assess the students to determine what learning gaps exist, what social and emotional tolls our students may have encountered, and review and update all remedial programs, especially in the Pre-k-3 grades.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? I believe that the School Board and City Council need to have meetings more often. I believe that we need to meet once every quarter. Our meetings should not only revolve around finances but also a dialogue surrounding the city and school’s overall direction and how we can help each other. Both bodies need to be more transparent with each other. What is the biggest challenge facing the division? We must continue to work toward providing a higher level of career readiness as our students leave high school. We need to provide a relevant instructional model that will prepare our children for college, career and citizenship. In the short term, we are going to have to deal with the effects of COVID-19. We will be facing significant funding shortfalls, now and in the future, due to COVID-19 with revenue drops from both city and state levels. Long term, we will need to address significant gaps in learning due to school closings and virtual

learning.

Angelia N. Allen

Age: 47

Occupation: Marketing director, small business owner

Previous office held if any: Current Portsmouth School Board member Education: Pursuing bachelor’s degree at Norfolk State University

How has COVID-19 changed education, and how should the division adapt to address the changing needs? Parents and caregivers are having to become more engaged in the educational process than ever before. Not only are our students and teachers learning this new way of learning, our parents are also learning new things, too! As a division Portsmouth Public Schools has adapted to ensure our students have the necessary tools to continue their education during this period of virtual learning, including Chromebooks, iPads, and wireless hotspots.

What can be done to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council? In order to improve the relationship between the School Board and City Council we have to have respectful dialogue between the bodies. There will be at least one new Council member and a new mayor so there will be a change in dynamics on the Council side. As far as the School Board side I believe we need to look at the School Board liaison positions and skill set of the members assigned to that position.

What is the biggest challenge facing the division? The biggest challenge facing Portsmouth Public Schools is the unknown aftermath of COVID-19. COVID-19 has and will affect funding and other much needed resources for some time to come. How we adapt not only as a division but as a community is paramount for Portsmouth Public Schools