Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

I am very proud to be a part of Chesapeake Public Schools, having served on the board for nearly twelve years and in my second term as Chairman. During my tenure, I have focused on three important hallmarks of public education: (1) Accountability, (2) Preparing Students for College and the Workforce and (3) Recruiting and Retaining Top Teachers.

Chesapeake Public Schools lead South Hampton Roads in many areas. While we have the best SOL accreditation record in South Hampton Roads, I believe too much emphasis is placed on SOL's which has a "teaching to the test" affect. More emphasis should be placed on critical thinking skill which is not promoted by current educational legislation. In Chesapeake, we have made significant effort to achieve on SOL testing but also place importance on other aspects of learning. In keeping with that philosophy, Chesapeake has the highest on time graduation rate in South Hampton Roads, the lowest dropout rate in South Hampton Roads, and the smallest achievement gap in South Hampton Roads.

I do not believe in State and Federal "one size fits all" solutions as they are not an accurate measure of success and increase the cost to taxpayers regardless of results. I will promote legislation that truly improves our educational system and the learning environment of our children.

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