Virginia Beach School Board and City Council Candidates

“I appreciate our educators, from teacher to counselor to cafeteria worker to custodian to librarian to everyone else that is a part of the village that shapes our childrens’ lives. I believe we need to truly value the importance of their contributions to our community through the compensation and respect that matches their impact. I hope to engage parents in a genuine discourse to help them partner with our education system to forge new pathways forward.” – Kim Bentley

“Supporting public educators strengthens schools, which are the backbone of our city. During this unprecedented shortage of educators, we need a school board representative who will show up for our staff, show up for our students, and show up for our district.” – Erika Guess

“Horace Mann in 1848 called education “the great equalizer of the conditions of men”. My family, beginning with my immigrant grandparents in the early 20th century, are all beneficiaries of a free and universal American public education system that also set out, in Mann’s words, to embrace “social efficiency, civic virtue and character, rather than just mere learning or the advancement of sectarian ends.” As enduring community institutions of equal opportunity, public schools remain fundamental to our democracy.” – Carolyn Rye

“I believe that inclusive, equitable learning environments are essential to the well-being of all children regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, gender identity, legal status, physical or mental challenges and/or socio-economic status. In fact, I believe that resource equity, opportunity inclusion, and the intentional fostering of diverse faces, voices, and viewpoints in our classrooms is the only manner in which we can ensure all students will truly be afforded the right to realize their full potential. I am, and will continue to be, a fierce advocate for livable wages for our educators and support staff. I believe that if we intend to attract, recruit, and retain the best minds in academia to help shape the young minds of our region, we need to start increasing teacher compensation, quickly. Finally, I believe that community involvement in schools is critical. To borrow an adage: it takes a village. And it truly does. Together, we must continue to grow community involvement in education because the children are our future. They are the future of our neighborhoods, our city, this region, and the nation. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that future is a bright one.” – Sharon R. Felton

“Public education allowed me to succeed as a first-generation American and first-generation college graduate. A robust fully-funded public education system and an educated citizenry is critical to American democracy. We must invest in our Virginia Beach students, staff, and schools to create a sustainable future.” – Staci Martin