In Virginia Beach, six school board seats are up for election and a total of 12 candidates are on the ballot. The at large seat is elected by voters across the city, while the district seats are elected only by residents of those districts. Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 , and an at large seat are up for election.
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District 1
Rose Dwyer
Age: 66
Occupation/job title: Retail sales
Highest level of education: Certification, Bible College of Texas
Previous elected offices held (if any): Appointed School Board member
Website: RoseforVB.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
As a former PTA President, I understand the importance of parents being involved in their child’s education and schools must welcome parental involvement, especially when mental health concerns are identified. Mental health problems among students were worsened by school closures during COVID. The VA Beach School Board should have re-opened schools for in-person learning much sooner than they did. Too much screen time also negatively impacts children, especially young ones developing social skills. Many young children are showing up to school addicted to devices such as phones. School boards need to limit the amount of time that children spend on technology while in school, especially with the youngest learners.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
Students need to be more prepared to enter the workforce or college and we must emphasize the importance of career training. While college is important, it isn’t the right solution for everyone. Careers in trades are very lucrative and must be encouraged in school. Virginia Beach has a vocational training specialty school but it is only part-time. I will advocate for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools career and tech ed program to be a full-time program. School infrastructure is also an issue we must be planning for now. As a former appointed school board member in another district, I have experience in planning around this topic and will bring that experience to the Virginia Beach School Board.
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Jennifer Franklin
Age: 55
Occupation/job title: Production manager, C&F Mortgage
Highest level of education: Some college
Previous elected offices held (if any): Current school Board member
Military experience: Retired Navy
Website: /jenfranklinforvb.com/
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
This topic is crucial for fostering an environment in which our students and families can thrive academically and personally. As the vice chair of the School Board and a board member for over 3 1/2 years, I have witnessed firsthand the priority our board and school administration place on this issue. In Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), we are committed to ensuring that our counselors receive comprehensive training to effectively support our students. Additionally, we collaborate with Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) through the Care Solace platform. This partnership provides a 24/7 hotline for any student or family within VBCPS, as well as their household members, to access mental health support.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
The foremost challenge for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) is attracting and retaining high-quality educators. Tackling this issue demands a comprehensive strategy: Fostering strong parent-teacher partnerships — building robust relationships between families and educators enhances the school environment and supports teacher satisfaction. Supporting teacher professional development: Investing in continuous professional growth helps teachers stay updated with best practices and remain motivated. Providing competitive compensation: Offering attractive salaries and benefits is crucial for drawing and keeping top talent. By emphasizing these three strategies, VBCPS aims to create an environment where high-quality educators are both attracted to and retained within our schools.
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Kelly Convirs-Fowler
Convirs-Fowler dropped from the District 1 race.
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District 3
Mark Bohenstiel
Age: 66
Occupation/job title: Owner, Coastal Candle VB
Highest level of education: High School diploma
Website: www.markforvbschoolboard.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
A Yale School of Medicine study found that excessive screen time can have harmful effects on youth, even years later. Addiction to phones, online gaming, etc. is an epidemic. While I believe that parents are the most important teachers in a child’s life, it is imperative that schools not contribute to this problem with too much screen time in the classroom. I support recent decisions of the School Board to limit cell phone use in the classroom, but teachers have indicated it is still a problem. I would support a school board policy that sets appropriate limitations on screen time based upon age.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
One of the most pressing issues is that a large number of students across the division cannot read on grade level. It is imperative that a focus be placed on academic achievement rather than political issues in the classroom. Students who struggled through COVID virtual learning are still trying to catch up. The Governor has placed an emphasis on providing resources for reading instruction and extra tutors. This is a great start but it must continue at the local level. Replacing school infrastructure is also an important issue that must be addressed in a cost-effective way.
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John Sutton
Sutton withdrew from the race for District 3.
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District 4 special election
Anissa M. Bowden
Bowden did not respond to the questionnaire.
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Alveta J. Green
Age: 66
Occupation/job title: Retired educator
Highest level of education: Doctorate, The George Washington University
Website: agreen4schoolboard.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 growing concerns for mental health through the development of strong policies that will provide school-based services, programs and support for students. It is important for school boards to work collaboratively with their local state legislatures to address funding needs to ensure competitive pay for personnel who have specialized training to support students’ mental health and well-being such as school counselors, psychologists, social workers and behavior specialists.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
Virginia Beach Public Schools currently has a book ban in place which restricts the intellectual freedom of all students. I can address this issue by initiating policy changes to end the book ban by working with other School Board members to help educate that book bans limit access to knowledge especially books written by marginalized authors and books about the history of marginalized groups. Each parent must have input for his/her student’s intellectual freedom. Protocols that will allow a parent to review books his/her student wants to read can be implemented through policy. The elimination of book bans guarantees the intellectual rights of every Virginia Beach student to seek and receive information.
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Shannon Kendricks
Kendricks did not respond to the questionnaire.
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District 5
Melinda Rogers
Age: 50
Occupation/job title: Self-employed, CLASS Observer
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Buffalo State University
Website: melindarogersforschoolboard.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
To address mental health concerns across the division, I will advocate for a multifaceted approach. First, limiting screen time on personal and school devices, especially for our youngest learners, should be a priority. Second, I will push for increased funding to hire more mental health professionals, social workers and counselors, as current staffing levels are insufficient to meet students’ needs. Proper resources must be available to support and refer students effectively.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
VBCPS is facing a critical issue with staff retention. Last year, some high schools lacked the necessary staff, forcing students to attend classes via Zoom at different schools. If this problem isn’t addressed, it will continue. To tackle this, I will propose both economic and quality-of-life improvements for staff. This includes adjusting the school calendar for greater instructional flexibility, advocating for a budget review to prioritize staff wages, and supporting policies that compensate staff for work done outside of contract hours, such as mandatory staff training and classroom preparation during unpaid breaks.
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Vincent Smith
Age: 54
Occupation/job title: Division manager, city of Virginia Beach
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Old Dominion University
Website: www.VincentSmithVB.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
The Governor’s Executive Order 33 is a good first step. The School Board needs to ensure our students have access to a calmer, focused learning environment. Young minds are full of energy and the ability to concentrate is not necessarily an inherited trait. Removing distractions will also give our students a respite from the stresses of social media. Secondly, we must not only ensure a safe and secure environment for our students but we must make sure they know it is safe and feel safe in it. This will lead to better focus on learning. Lastly, when on the School Board I will do all I can to ensure all students, teachers, and staff have appropriate access to qualified mental health resources.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
By VBCPS’ own statistics, pushing 30% of our elementary students are not reading at grade level. This percentage decreases slightly but not significantly as students move on to higher grades. We need to do better for these students. Nationally, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), this number hovers around 37%. Despite VBCPS already doing noticeably better than a national statistic, I find this shocking and saddening. Reading and written communication are cornerstones of human civilization. Students who cannot read at grade level will struggle to learn at grade level and become frustrated. This ties into the mental health discussed above. I propose building a funding prioritization policy for reading recovery that automatically reallocates funds whenever this number climbs over a set threshold. That reallocation would continue perpetually until the percentage drops below that threshold.
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District 7
Matthew “Matt” Cummings
Age: 40
Candidate’s occupation/job title: Sentara health plans, team coordinator
Education: Master’s, Eastern University
Website: mattforvirginiabeachschoolboard.com/
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
Creating anti-bullying and inclusive environments is important for our students’ mental health and well-being. Our youth need to feel safe and welcomed in an environment that promotes their academic learning and social and emotional growth. A 2023 report from the Surgeon General highlighted that social media is a major contributor to depression and anxiety among teenagers. Developing a curriculum focused on mental health and well-being, reducing screen time on devices and exploring outdoor education opportunities will benefit our students. Additionally, I would advocate for partnerships with local and telehealth agencies to meet the demand for mental health services. In my previous professional roles, I established partnerships with national telehealth organizations to address the rising demand for student mental health services.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
The nationwide shortage of teachers in public education is a pressing issue. Ensuring our students come first requires focusing on retaining and recruiting staff. If our city doesn’t address this shortage, we’ll see larger classrooms and lower-quality education. I propose stronger partnerships with local colleges and launching targeted marketing campaigns to attract talent. I would explore scholarships to encourage graduates to return and teach. Currently, Virginia Beach does not have the most competitive pay and is causing teachers and staff to leave for better-paying jobs in neighboring districts. Increasing access to transitional licenses and credentialing will also boost our talent pool. As a parent with children at Salem Middle and Tallwood Global Languages Academy, I believe in the bright future of our schools with low student-to-staff ratios and a focus on retaining talent.
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Noah Moreland
Age: 27
Occupation/job title: Damage prevention technician, Utiliquest LLC
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Old Dominion University
Website: www.vote4moreland.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
1.) We revitalize efforts to get the community interested and engaged in their students/school systems. Enhancing connectedness between students, families and employees. This starts with transparency involving school activities curriculum and fostering an open spirit towards parents who do want to be involved, enabling them to do so with as few barriers as possible. The more connected we are the more we can look out for, engage with and create a spirit that makes everyone feel involved and important in the school system. 2.) We improve and focus on workforce readiness initiatives in the school system. Mental health challenges can often stem from a lack of direction or purpose and showing students what options they have other than university that exist and can be just as fulfilling for them after they graduate.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
One of the biggest issues is an increasing desire for better workforce readiness initiatives. University is increasingly becoming less desirable to many students and our schools do a poor job of showing what other options are out there. I’d like to partner with companies and contractors to develop pathways for students to get jobs straight out of high school that can lead to well-paying and meaningful careers. This could include jobs in the utility industry, city infrastructure maintenance, and apprenticeships that can lead students to start their own businesses with the skills they have learned.
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At-large District
Monty Ashliman
Age: 56
Candidate’s occupation/job title: Retired, U.S. Navy
Education: Master’s Naval War College
Military experience: 32+ years active duty in the U.S. Navy as an aviator and retired as a Captain.
Website: www.montyashliman.com
Student mental health has been a growing concern for parents and schools. How can school boards address the issue?
The public school team is responsible for a school culture that respects everyone. This is respecting others and treating them how you want to be treated, which is where my background is unmatched. While teachers must recognize concerns in the classroom, they should not be expected to be experts in mental health. This is best provided by trained experts. Our schools partner with CHKD for family access to mental health treatment, and I support this endeavor. Schools should not contribute to mental health problems. Overuse of social media and screen time are driving factors behind mental health concerns. Unnecessary school closures and isolation amplify mental health concerns. Children must be taught social skills and how to interact with others. We should limit instruction time provided through electronic devices. Students need more face-to-face instruction and interactions with peers.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
A pressing issue for our public schools is the health of the teacher workforce, and I have a proven record in my career of building teams for success. There are dedicated professionals desiring to teach and we need to ensure our schools are where they want to be. We must allow the teachers to teach and not overburden them with collateral duties that are not in support of educating the students. Teachers’ preparation time should not be taken up with commitments that are not directly supporting their lessons to be taught in the classroom. School administrations must support teachers and the enforcement of rules in the classroom that are for the safety of everyone. Virginia Beach is a wonderful community to raise a family. We must ensure our schools are strong attributes of this community, a place where families want to be, and they are confident in the school system.
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Sharon R. Felton
Age: 70
Occupation/job title: Retired
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s, Old Dominion University
Previous elected offices held (if any): Virginia Beach School Board member, 2015-2022
Website: www.sharonfelton.com
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 issue that requires our full attention, for every student, every day. I will advocate for increasing access to mental health resources within schools by hiring more counselors and social workers, providing regular mental health training for teachers and staff, and cultivating an environment where students feel safe and supported. I will seek ways to partner with mental health organizations to offer additional support. I will also stress the importance of parents’ involvement in their children’s mental health education through regular communication and educational workshops. Addressing student mental health early and consistently allows for an environment where students have a safe space and an equal opportunity to thrive academically and personally. Student mental health is essential to my mission to support every student, every day.
Name one of the most pressing issues for your division and how you would address it.
One of the most pressing issues in our division is the aging school buildings, some of which are over 70 years old and no longer conducive to a healthy, innovative learning environment. Despite these challenges, I want to applaud our dedicated faculty and staff for showing up and providing a world-class learning experience for every student every day. I will work with my colleagues on rebuilding and modernizing our schools by partnering with local and state elected leaders to identify and designate funding. This includes exploring bonds, grants and public-private partnerships to secure the necessary resources. By investing in new, state-of-the-art facilities, we can create environments that inspire learning and support the academic and personal growth of every student every day. Our students deserve safe, modern spaces that reflect our commitment to their future and well-being.
