Bethany Sutton Launches Campaign For Arlington School Board

Mark Hand
Updated ·3 min read

ARLINGTON, VA — Bethany Sutton, chair of the Arlington Public Schools Advisory Council on Teaching and Learning, announced she is seeking the Democratic Party's endorsement for the Arlington School Board.

Sutton, a 20-year resident of Arlington, is a former PTA president and a parent of two daughters who attend middle school and high school in Arlington Public Schools.

A supporter of reducing the achievement gap for students of color, students with disabilities, and English learners, Sutton said she would advance policies and practices that ensure equity and decrease marginalization if elected to the Arlington School Board.

“We should be attentive to how we can help all children, families, teachers and staff feel like they truly belong in our classrooms, our schools, and our system,” Sutton said in a statement. “We use the term equity constantly, but parents and community members don’t necessarily know what that means. We need to deepen understanding of what equity looks like in practice in our system.”

Arlington Democrats have set aside four days in June for residents to vote on which candidate will receive the party’s endorsement for school board. The candidates are seeking to fill the seat held by Barbara Kanninen, who currently serves as chair of the Arlington School Board but opted against running for a third four-year term on the board.

The general election for the Arlington School Board opening is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

At an April 6 meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee, Sutton and Brandon Clark, a teacher in the county school system, announced their intention to seek the school board endorsement.

Democrats seeking the party’s endorsement for school board have until April 27 to file. Under Virginia law, school board seats officially are nonpartisan, but political parties can endorse candidates rather than formally nominating them.

As a school board member, Sutton said she would work to ensure excellence in student learning; advance diversity, equity and inclusion; and prioritize mental health and well-being. She also would aim for innovation in learning and promote sound fiscal judgment in the school system.

With the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on students, teachers and families, Sutton said Arlington Public Schools should focus on increasing trust, strengthening transparency and improving communications.

“We need to chart a new course forward after a period of significant disruption,” Sutton said. “We can and should work to rebuild our sense of community with our diverse population and, ideally, design new forms of collaboration and engagement — with the community and between the School Board and County Board.”

Sutton served for seven years on the PTA Board at Randolph Elementary School; four years on the APS Advisory Council on Teaching and Learning, where she currently serves as chair; two years coordinating the Randolph PTA Food Pantry; and service on the Arlington County Food Security Task Force and the Columbia Pike Community Advisory Council.

Arlington Democrats have set the following dates and locations for the school board endorsement vote:

  • Saturday, June 4: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lubber Run Community Center (300 N. Park Dr., Arlington)

  • Sunday, June 5: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Drew Elementary School (3500 23rd St. S., Arlington)

  • Tuesday, June 7: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Campbell Elementary School (737 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington)

  • Saturday, June 11: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Washington-Liberty High School (1301 N. Stafford St., Arlington)

Candidates can send questions about the endorsement process to chair@arlingtondemocrats.org.

This article originally appeared on the Arlington Patch