The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Eighteen people have applied to fill the at-large seat vacated by School Board member Carolyn Weems.
The diverse pool includes a former pastor, five former teachers, several lawyers and a former Beach School Board member. A hearing on the vacancy will be held at about 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5 at the School Administration Building.
Ten candidates originally applied for the Bayside seat, left vacant by Dan Lowe's retirement last month, but none received an interview because Weems wanted to switch into that position, which represent s her home district.
The board sought applications and held a public hearing on the advice of legal counsel Kamala Lannetti. Weems was appointed to the Bayside seat in a process that satisfied neither the candidates nor the School Board members.
"I'm as interested in serving the School Board at-large as much as I am the Bayside District," said applicant Carray Banks Jr., director of the department of technology at Norfolk State University. "An opportunity to be looked at a second time is welcome." He said he hoped the rules and processes for naming a new board member will be followed to the letter this time.
In addition to Banks, the nine Bayside applicants now vying for the at-large seat include the Rev. Richard Keever, former pastor of Bayside Presbyterian Church; Ashley McLeod, a PTA parent who co-chaired the division's Facilities Planning Committee; and former Beach teachers Vickie Pulley, Dottie Holtz and Carolyn Doetsch.
Bayside applicants also included Susan D. Moore, who served as a School Board member in Minnesota; Gary Ruegsegger, a grant writer for Norfolk schools and Beacon columnist; and Cheryl Wolfe, an active PTA parent.
Lawyer William Burnside, who applied but was not eligible for the Bayside seat because he lives in Kempsville, can now be considered for the at-large seat.
The eight new applicants include Robert Flegal, a former Beach teacher and administrator who still coaches and substitute teaches in Beach schools; Neil Rose, a lawyer who served as a School Board member from 1996 to 2004; Samuel Epstein, an operations analyst who has children in public and private schools; and D. Scott Seery, a lawyer who serves with Rose as a board member for the Virginia Beach Education Foundation.
Other new applicants are Hugh Greene, a financial adviser who chairs the Community Advisory Committee on Gifted Education; Robert L. Crawford, a retired technical writer and guidance counselor; Mark D. Bland, a retired Beach German teacher; and Tim Crowley, co-owner of a media marketing company.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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New Blood Needed....
I hope they chose some "new blood." The school board is dysfunctional because of the clique-like nature of decison-making. Independent thinking is not welcomed on the VBCPS SB....Dan Edwards has made sure of that.
They did waste a lot of time with the shenanigans of appointing Weems to the vacated Bayside seat. The budget season has started and they will be worrying about balancing a budget under crisis AND appointing a new member. They do need to appoint someone who has some experience and knowledge concerning the workings of school boards....but, not Neil Rose.
Weems was always a top vote getter....it will be interesting to see how this procedure will affect her ability to get votes in Nov.
Now Brian....LOL
You certainly have had your fun with past results of the old Talknet.... I suspect there's an agenda somewhere.... it's your job dude. ROFL!! :-)
Run - Candidates - Run
I would rather have 18 highly qualified citizens of the City. One person creating a discussion about their decision and sincerety to run is not substantive to the work that has to be done.
Some of the persons have chosen this time due to family obligations that allow such a committment of time, while others are truely interested in bettering the system and board, based on recent issues.
So how do you feel about the boards stretching out of this process for another one to two months instead of handling all it's business in November. Did they waste time appointing Weems how is already on the board and may up be for reelection at the same time as she would have remaining in her current seat? If shen ran at large then why did she have to be moved to a district whose new middle schools she voted against? I bet this group could clean up the mess with the light rail!!
Beach School Board Seat
Isn't it telling that 18 apparently qualified and obviously interested people are willing to serve on the school board, if they could be appointed? If they had to run and raise money and expose themselves to media scrutiny, I would think the number would be dramatically smaller. At all levels of politics, we are not getting enough talented individuals to "run" for office because of the costs of the process. Sad.
Hmmm.....
Wonders who Brian is supporting, but I'm sure that's gonna be kept close to the vest. :-)
now now
You don't think for a minute my hand is in any of this, do you?
Never work for free.
There isn't any money to be had in this "race". Duh.
Anyone except another
Anyone except another lawyer. I don't look down on anyone just because they are a lawyer but we have enough of them in political and public positions. Our biggest problem in congress now is that we have too many lawyers there. A smart non lawyer could have written the new health bill in about 25 pages and everyone would have understood it.
Wow
Look at the line forming for a seat that's been unopposed for over a decade. Why haven't 18 people filed to run for this seat in recent terms?
Maybe
people are finally fed up with what we've had for those years