The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
School Board member Billy Cook announced Friday he will leave his position early at the end of the month to devote more time to his family.
With three other board members' terms expiring June 30, Cook's departure means the City Council will appoint more than half of the seven-member board later this month.
Cook's resignation, combined with the other board appointments and the impending retirement of Superintendent Stephen Jones, creates the possibility of vivid change in leadership for the school division. Linda McCluney, Ursula Rhodes and Chairman Stephen Tonelson are the board members whose terms expire this month. Jones is scheduled to leave the division June 30.
The council will publicly interview board candidates at a June 22 meeting. The board plans to introduce its top candidates to replace Jones next week.
Cook, who has been on the board since 2005, is serving a two-year term that was scheduled to end next year. This spring, he lost his City Council race against incumbent Paul Riddick.
"I leave confident that I have fought hard to provide positive, transparent and courageous leadership as part of the board," Cook wrote in a statement.
Cook, who notified the board and council of his decision by e-mail, said he had thought about resigning "for a little while" and had also done so in 2008 after his son was shot at random in a street incident.
In his announcement, Cook said he had considered running for board chairman this summer. "I have the leadership qualities to lead NPS over the next year of recovering from what I consider one of the roughest years in its history," he wrote.
The division has been buffeted this year by revelations of problems including assessment testing violations, allegations of principal-sanctioned religious activities at a grade school, and the distribution of unauthorized model fetuses to elementary students.
"This is not an easy decision because of the work before us to remind Norfolk of the greatness that takes place in NPS each and every day," Cook added.
Cook said he will still be a community and education advocate. "However, more importantly, I'll be able to provide the right amount of attention to my family as my primary God-given responsibility," he said.
Cook enlisted in the Army in 1980 and earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in 1985.
He has worked as an elementary school teacher, a counselor for troubled teens and a youth pastor. He and his wife, Sharon, have four children.
Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com
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Mr. Cook, you will be missed...
Billy you are definitely an awesome person and servant of Norfolk. It was great seeing you tonight at the Superintendent Forum! If you ever need anything bro, hit me up. If you ever visit churches, come see me at Wave Church my brotha! Praying for ya!
Marvin
Billy has bigger plans in the future
"This is not an easy decision because of the work before us to remind Norfolk of the greatness that takes place in NPS each and every day," Cook added."
Billy, you have been through the meat grinder, rightfully so. Thanks for trying to do the right thing by your family. It should be any man's first priority.
We'll be hearing from you soon, I'm sure.
Can't wait until you make your next political run.
Hope he does
I am sad to see Mr. Cook leave the School Board. We need his type of leadership there, and throughout the city.
I hope you are correct about his future. He was the best candidate, of all who ran in this cities races, in May. It is a shame that the folks of his ward didn't compare Mr. Riddick and him before voting. I can't imagine that had they done that, Mr. Riddick would have won. Mr. Cook is head and shoulders above Mr. Riddick.
Farewell, Welcome Back
Mr. Cook's decision to step down is the best decision he could have made not just for his family but for the students of NPS. The events of the last year stand as proof that the School Board has no REAL power to affect change. The numerous hours that Mr. Cook spent as a member of the school board can now be used to effect REAL change for NPS. He is a wonderful advocate for children and education and I look forward to seeing him on this side of the podium.
Mr. Cook, thank you for your service. I KNOW that you put 100% into trying to save NPS for our children. As you have said, unless we do something different we will continue to fail. If changes need to be made and people need to be replaced so be it after all this is BUSINESS not PERSONAL.
Cook should have taken the lead to fire Jones.
Cook should have taken the lead to fire Jones. He did not do the right thing for the citizens and children of Norfolk.
That would be the CHAIRMAN'S JOB
The chairman of the School Board should have taken that lead. That is the chairman's job. Mr. Cook was NOT the chairman. Had he been I am sure we would have seen a big difference. A board, unfortunately, ONLY has power COLLECTIVELY, not individually.
a true shame
He is a good man who should have beat Riddick. But Mr. Cook must have realized that as an appointee of the school board, he would likely be booted off by Riddick.
I sincerely hope he starts his 2012 campaign earlier so that we can all get behind him to remove Riddick once and for all.
SHAME!
It is sad to hear that one of the choosen one's will leave early. After all the sweet talking to get into the position and now he wants to leave. Maybe he could not stand the disgrace of loosing the Mayoral Race or is that he knows something that others might not know about all the problems in the school that the State Department of Education is reviewing now and will know that they will find fault with the NPS school board for their actions over the years.
If you know those people who use the excuse that they want to spend more time with their family usually is hiding something and does not want to be around with things start to go bad.
Get Your Facts Straight, Misterd
He did not run for mayor .... Daun Hester ran for mayor against Fraim ... Mr. Cook ran for city council against Paul Riddick. And if you were a faculty member at any of the schools in Norfolk, you would know that Mr. Cook was the ONLY consistent visible force on the board. He was one of the only board members who responded consistently and in a timely manner to any and all concerns voiced by teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and even students. He was the only board member who took time out to visit and advocate for the alternative schools such as Coronado and Madison. He was the only board member who took time to visit students and teachers who were in Norfolk Detention or CHKD. Remember, he is a part of the school board which only has power COLLECTIVELY, not individually. DUH! Building consenses is not easy when you have other board members who are intimidated by city council and who are entrenched in the politics of their position rather than by what is best for children and teachers. Mr. Cook said it clearly during his run for city council that he is NOT a politican. That is most likely the reason he didn't win the seat against Paul Riddick and why he may feel it ti
Not mayor
He didn't run for mayor, he ran for council.