Ed. — From the Sunday, March 31, print edition.
COURTHOUSE — A majority of the Virginia Beach School Board on Tuesday, March 26, appointed Shannon Kendrick to serve in the vacant District 4 seat.
Kendrick has served as a congressional chief of staff and as senior vice president of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance. She is the president of a consulting group and serves on the board of a nonprofit educational organization. She holds a master of business administration degree and has a finance background.
Kendrick earned six votes of support to win appointment, and she was sworn in this past week. She will serve in the seat until the result of an anticipated special election in November. Hours prior to the appointment, Kendrick told members of the board she values education and wants to help the division do its work.
“I think a city is only as strong as its school system,” Kendrick said. “People move here for a strong school system. And, also, the school system is responsible for the workforce that’s here for the city. And so I wanted to be a part of that.”
Kendrick was among four candidates for the appointment, which filled the vacant seat following the resignation of former Board Member Staci Martin due to serious family health matters.
Among the other applicants, Dr. Alveta J. Green had support for the position among four members of the board. Rounding out the field of applicants were Georgia Allen, former head of the Virginia Beach NAACP, and Anissa Bowden, a retired teacher who remains active in education.
Kendrick is expected to represent the seat until after the result of an anticipated special election in November to complete the remainder of the term begun by Martin.
Kendrick’s nearest competition for the temporary appointment to the board was Green, who in 2022 retired as executive director of the Virginia Beach Schools Office of Student Support Services following long service in educational leadership roles, guidance and teaching.
Green, during an interview with board members prior to the decision, said the schools face challenges in compensating employees to retain talent and attract new workers, prioritizing capital needs and looking at the process for identifying gifted students and providing services.
Among the questions on Tuesday, March 26,, School Board Vice Chairperson Jennifer Franklin asked what involvement Green has had with city schools.
“I promise you I will give you the Reader’s Digest version,” Green, who holds a doctorate in education, noted. “As most of you know, I worked for the division for 17 wonderful years.”
Green said she was hired as the coordinator of guidance services, then served as director of guidance services and student records before leading the student support services office.
She previously worked with the state education department as a student services specialist, and before that worked in guidance and as a teacher of English, journalism and reading, according to a resume.
She promised to work with the board collaboratively and collectively for the good of the schools in a nonpartisan manner.
“When I entered public education – and in my heart I still believe it – education was not about what side of the aisle you sat on,” Green said. “It was about students, what was in the best interest of students and their families.”
Kendrick answered questions from the board following Green during the School Board workshop on the day she ultimately was appointed.
“My first question is why in the world do you want to be on the School Board?” School Board Member Carolyn Weems, who later nominated Kendrick for the appointment, asked.
“Let me say this was not on my bingo card for 2024,” Kendrick said. “But, when several individuals in the community told me about the vacancy, and I prayerfully considered it and looked through some of the challenges and things that are facing our School Board, I felt that I had something to contribute.”
Kendrick said she hopes to bring her experience to help make an impact on the board.
Challenges she identified for the schools include unfunded mandates for a body that doesn’t raise its own revenue and managing resources, as well as retaining educators and making sure students “in the middle,” neither struggling nor gifted students, aren’t overlooked.
“I think she’ll be such as asset with her experience,” Weems said during an interview following the meeting.
“She knows we’re here to serve the community,” Weems added.
“We had four very qualified candidates,” School Board Chairperson Kim Melnyk, who had supported Green, said during an interview. “I think any one of them could have served well for District 4.”
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