Candidate Q&A: George R. Van Laethem

What makes you the best candidate?

My entire adult life has been in service to our nation, and now to Chesapeake. I have extensive experience in our local government, long-range planning, and the preparation/execution of large budgets. My reputation is for careful preparation and an even-handed approach to the challenges of the day, and I have been recognized by many for my sense of dedication and integrity. My first loyalty was always to the citizens of Chesapeake. It still is!

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

Teachers have a daily impact on our children, and recruiting and retaining them is my top priority. We want our children to have the very best professional educators we can find to motivate and educate them. To do that, we must achieve and maintain pay scales at the national level. The board must work with our City Council and the General Assembly to aggressively express our needs and get the necessary support and funding.

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

Global competition is our greatest challenge. If we want to lead, compete and succeed, our children must know the basics and the value of life-long learning. Keeping outstanding teachers and creating state-of-the-art facilities – and finding ways to pay for both – are the keys. To meet the need, we must make the case now. I will.

The new board may hire a new superintendent in the coming years – what qualities will you seek in a new leader?

Our next superintendent must be an outstanding educator, a visionary leader who can sustain our best and build on it, and someone committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to receive a first-class education. Obviously, the next superintendent will also have to balance budgets and people, but our next superintendent’s first priority must be to help our children grow and succeed as they face real-world challenges.

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

We need to know where we are and how we’re doing, but SOL exams and NCLB initiatives don’t really teach children. . . they just test them. Instead of setting minimum standards as goals, teachers should be encouraged to challenge students to reach up, not down. Change that mindset - and once again include parents and insist that they are participants on a teaching team – and then our children will truly learn and succeed.

What can the school board do to address the longstanding achievement gap between different groups of students?

We are making great strides and narrowing the achievement gap. In reality, though, every child – every child – always has a unique set of educational needs. We must meet those needs if we want every child to have an equal opportunity. It may not be cheap and it will certainly take time, but we owe it to every child – and ourselves – to make a continuing investment in their futures and ours.