Candidate Q&A: Costella Williams

What makes you the best candidate?

I have gained a reputation as a hard worker and strong consensus builder. I am able to get along and work well with diverse groups of people. My community service and leadership experience helped prepare me to become a member of the Portsmouth School Board. I have worked most of my adult life serving and helping children in our community.

What should be the school district's top priority now, and how can it be achieved?

The school district’s top priority should be the full accreditation of all schools. Eighty percent are fully accredited. The superintendent and his team have done a good job in working toward full accreditation. We must keep employees’ pay competitive with other school districts to retain highly qualified teachers and principals. The district should do safety and threat assessments in all schools and placing security where needed.

What do you think will be the school district's most pressing issue in 10 years, and how can the board prepare for it?

One of the most pressing issues for Portsmouth will be declining enrollment as our demographics change and the population ages. Our schools must become fully accredited, and be a safe and nurturing environment for our children to thrive. Our economic development is directly correlated to how well our schools are doing. We prepare by having highly qualified staff, getting more parents and the community involved in the process.

How effective are Virginia's Standards of Learning and the national No Child Left Behind initiatives in raising student achievement?

I believe in accountability of the schools for its outcomes. No Child Left Behind has never been adequately funded. There are pros and cons on both sides, but until there is a better system in place, I believe that it does some good in measuring student achievement, and thereby raises academic success.

What would you do to ensure that accredited schools in the division remain accredited? What do you think should be done at schools that have not yet achieved accreditation?

We must ensure our schools remain accredited by attracting and retaining highly qualified staff. We accomplish this by offering competitive pay, professional development and ensuring safety for our teachers as well as students. Schools that have not achieved accreditation must be monitored and evaluated closely. If necessary, attempting to engage parents as well as looking at best practices of those schools that are accredited.

What should the division do to ensure school campuses are safe?

The division should have a safety and threat assessment done at each school. Engage our police department professionals to assist. The Superintendent should monitor what is taking place in the schools. If assessments show that security officers are needed, then it must be done.