Navy veteran, technology consultant, former interim member of Norfolk City Council, and area LGBTQ activist Nicole Carry formally launched her bid to become a member of the Norfolk School Board on December 18 at a fundraising event at the home of Norfolk City Councilwoman Andria McClellan. If elected in May to fill the the open Ward 1 seat, Carry would be the first openly gay member of the Norfolk School Board and Norfolk’s first openly gay elected official.
Carry has spent more than a decade as a technology consultant for school systems throughout Virginia. As a technology consultant to public schools, Carry sees bridging the ‘digital divide’ as one of Norfolk’s biggest challenges. 40% of Norfolk neighborhoods do not have access to internet broadband while as much as 70% of Norfolk Public School homework assigned requires internet access to complete.
“We need to get all of our students online in the classroom and in their homes,” Carry said, adding that doing so will require an immense public/private effort.
Carry’s platform also includes the following:
- Make school accreditation a top priority.
- Empower educators to develop a robust technology curriculum.
- Build working partnerships with colleges, businesses, and the community.
- Ensure and validate a safe learning environment for students and teachers.
- Support funding for special needs and gifted programs.
- Support compensation and culture that encourages teacher retention.
- Advocate for music and arts programs.
- Proactively address school bullying and mental health of our students.
In addition to her tech experience, Carry has leadership experience in other areas of the community. She was a mayoral appointee to Norfolk Naval Centennial Commission and was selected Inside Business Magazine’s “Top Women in Business.” she is a Co-Founder of Better Together Norfolk and a National Finalist in Women in Technology (WIT) Leadership awards. She is a Gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation Board of Trustees and Founder of Norfolk Forward.
Carry’s opponent in the Ward 1 race is Adale Martin, manager of the Slover Library Foundation and a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. The School Board of the City of Norfolk is a seven-member group of citizens. Two members are elected. Five members are appointed by the City Council. The appointed terms expire June 30, 2018. Beginning July 1, 2018, the School Board will be an elected body. Elections are held in May based on the City’s wards and superwards system. Members are elected to a four-year term.
For more information about Norfolk Public Schools, visit their website HERE.
Disclosure: In the interest of transparency, the Publisher and Editor of OutWire757 know Ms. Carry socially and the Publisher is a campaign adviser. We strive to cover all elections fairly, and we welcome alternate viewpoints. If you have an opinion you would like to share, contact editor@outwire757.com.
