Malia Huddle is a candidate for Chesapeake School Board. Her name will appear on the ballot on November 5, 2024.
Huddle is running against nine challengers for Chesapeake School Board.
The first day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office for this election is Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. Click here to see who is on your ballot.
10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
Biography: I am a retired school counselor with 35+ years of experience in public education. I served as a counselor at Oscar Smith High School for 29 years. Prior to joining Chesapeake Public Schools, I worked at Old Dominion University as an admissions counselor and also as an academic advisor/instructor in the School of General Studies. I enjoy serving students and families from diverse backgrounds. I have been a champion and advocate for public school staff and students through my work as a public school educator, as a former president of the Chesapeake Education Association and during my nine years serving as a member of the Virginia Education Association Board of Directors. I currently serve as the vice president of the Virginia Education Association – Retired and as the incoming president of the Elizabeth River Retired Educators. I am the parent of one son, Adam (age 34) who is a 2007 graduate of Oscar Smith High School. I grew up in Portsmouth but have lived in Chesapeake since 1992. I spend my free time volunteering with the Chesapeake Master Gardeners, the Virginia Camellia Society, and traveling as often as possible. I am a member of the Chesapeake Democratic Committee, Chesapeake Democratic Women, the NAACP. the Crestwood Parkside Civic League, and a lifetime member of the PTA.
Why are you running for this office?
I have spent my life working with and for students and their families. I would like to continue that work. While I believe that Chesapeake Public Schools does an outstanding job of educating our students, I also believe that there is room for growth, improvement, and innovation. I have concerns about equitable distribution of resources across the city as well as overcrowding in our schools and the age and condition of many of our school buildings. I believe that we must pursue new and additional streams of revenue to address these issues. Funding the school system primarily with real estate taxes is not effective or equitable. We must fully fund, staff, and resource each and every school in Chesapeake. I firmly believe our schools should house all of our students within the building and provide a safe and optimal learning environment with access to technology and a variety of educational programs. We have a great foundation upon which to build but we have much more work to do. I am eager to help do that work and to lobby for the additional funding needed to make this vision a reality.
What is the top challenge facing Chesapeake Public Schools, and how would you address it?
Hiring and retaining highly qualified teachers and support staff is an ongoing challenge. We need outstanding teachers to teach our students and they need a complete team of support staff in order to effectively do their jobs. Bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodial staff are an essential part of the team. Student learning is directly impacted when students cannot get to the building and to class on time because there are not enough drivers to cover the bus routes. Students cannot fully focus on learning if they are not fed or if their school environment is not clean, neat, and orderly. All too often, this vital part of the educational team is overlooked and undervalued. We must provide higher teacher salaries, a living wage for our support staff, an attractive benefits package, and ongoing, appropriate, and relevant staff development, as well as opportunities for advancement in order to fully staff each of these areas.
How do you feel about the politicization of public education?
Public education should not be a political issue. It should be an issue of how to best serve the needs of diverse student groups, their families, and the community.
How will you still value constituents with whom you disagree with?
As an elected school board member, it will be my job to be responsive and professional in addressing the concerns of all community stakeholders regardless of agreement or disagreement. I believe all persons should be treated with dignity and respect. I would model and expect the same treatment/behavior from all persons with whom I would interact as a school board member.
