Newport News School Board North District: Candidates spotlight

Everett Eaton, Daily Press
·2 min read

Douglas Brown

Age: 45

Occupation: Data Scientist

Previous office held, if any: School Board Newport News, 2014 to Present

Education: Stanford University, Bachelor of Arts in Communications; Master of Science in Statistics

The pandemic, and the response to it, appears to have caused what has been called “learning loss” for students in all grades since 2020. What can and should school boards do to counteract the lingering effects on students of the pandemic?

Summer school. We already know that summer school is the most effective counter to learning loss (Cooper, Harris. “Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions.” Eric Digest, article ED475391). Summer school offers students opportunities for remediation, acceleration and enrichment. We also know that more classroom time combats the achievement gap. Federal COVID-19 aid offers school divisions the rare chance to invest in a summer school solution with low risk to our local budget. Once families see the academic payoff of summer school, the solution will be popular.

Please name one other pressing issue that the school board should address. How would you address it?

Middle school extracurriculars. Adding middle school sports was a big accomplishment in my second term on the school board. I was able to add football, wrestling, cheerleading, soccer and baseball. Having students involved in extracurricular activities improves their mental health and student performance. Middle school sports is the gateway to ensuring students remain active in extracurriculars as they move through high school. Too often students in poverty lack the resources to access sports, music, STEM activities, etc. at younger ages and then find themselves too far behind their peers to make the high school team. In my third term on the school board, I will continue to expand offerings such as robotics, chess, tennis, golf, etc.

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Andrew S. Hlavacek

Age: 34

Occupation: Deputy sheriff

Previous office held, if any: None

Education: Some college

The pandemic, and the response to it, appears to have caused what has been called “learning loss” for students in all grades since 2020. What can and should school boards do to counteract the lingering effects on students of the pandemic?

We should encourage all students to focus on the basics. Read frequently. Write often. Do math regularly.

Please name one other pressing issue that the school board should address. How would you address it?

Safety is a huge issue that needs to be addressed. Simple things like metal detectors, securing doors, i.e. single point of entry and exit for visitors, and asking people questions before they come into the school.

Everett Eaton, 262-902-7896, everett.eaton@virginiamedia.com