VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Beach School Board member Victoria Manning has announced that she will not be running for re-election.
In a news release Monday, Manning said she arrived at her decision not to seek a third term after much consideration with her family. She does, however, plan to stay involved and support another candidate for the at-large school board seat.
“Vicky has been a fierce advocate for transparency and is a true servant leader on the board,” said school board member Carolyn Weems. “She understands that she works for the citizens of Virginia Beach, and she is a voice for those who have felt voiceless.”
The news release pointed to Manning supporting one of the largest pay increases for teachers (9.5%) in 2023 and advocating for higher bus driver pay.
Manning has notably been a controversial figure on the board during her tenure, helping lead the fight to adopt Gov. Youngkin’s policies that critics say discriminate against LGBTQ+ students. She’s also been at the forefront of the push to remove LGTBQ+-themed books that she and others considered inappropriate.
In 2022, she was removed from a governor’s education working group after she said “continuing to educate South Americans is not sustainable” in reference to students learning English as a second language.
Manning wrote about her experience on the board in her new book “Behind the Wall of Government Schools.”