In 2023, the Albemarle County School Board’s at-large race was a contentious, politicized contest that garnered a bit of attention outside of Central Virginia.
Allison Spillman won the seat with 62% of the vote. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin later appointed Meg Bryce, who Spillman defeated, to the Virginia Board of Education.
During that same election cycle, the Rio District’s Katrina Callsen won an uncontested race for state delegate. The school board appointed Chuck Pace, who taught in the district for 29 years, as her interim replacement.
This year, Pace is facing off against Jim Dillenbeck, a former Albemarle High School social studies teacher, for the position.
The Dillenbeck and Pace campaigns each raised less than $8,000, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Individually, the Bryce and Spillman campaigns spent exponentially more.
Below are unedited responses to a VPM News questionnaire that Dillenbeck and Pace responded to via email. Some links were added to provide context to the candidates' statements.
What is the first issue at ACPS that you'd address if elected?
Jim Dillenbeck: The first issue I will address if elected is the alarming test scores among students in 3 of the 4 elementary schools in the Rio district. Approximately 50 percent of students failed the reading and math SOL tests in the ’22-’23 school year. That’s completely unacceptable. (Editor’s note: An Albemarle schools spokesperson said this is not an accurate reflection of test scores, and the division’s website lists three elementary schools in the Rio District — not four. According to numbers compiled by the state, about 50% of Woodbrook Elementary School students didn’t pass reading and math SOL tests during the ’22-23 school year.)
I will propose that the County immediately hire more elementary teachers and aides and especially focus on reading and math instruction. If students are unable to read and do basic math by the end of 3rd grade, they will not succeed in future years. In my opinion, this is both an urgent and chronic problem that needs to be addressed now.
Chuck Pace: There are so many issues that we are already working on. Late last year when I was appointed to the ACPS School Board, the number one issue for me was collective bargaining. If elected this year, then I would say the implementation of the new research-based K-8 reading program is our next major challenge.
We will need to stay flexible as a Board to help our teachers get the necessary professional development within very limited time constraints. Supporting our elementary teachers with professional development and time management is critical for implementation of this program, which we believe will make a huge difference in post-pandemic improvement.
What is ACPS doing well right now?
JD: I like some of the programs and support that ACPS has put in place for students who are from immigrant families (“EL” students). These students represent roughly 12 percent of the student population currently; and that figure is growing significantly.
The County set up a “Newcomer Academy” at the Boys and Girls Club on Lambs Road and an International and EL Program at Northside Public Library. In addition, the County has increased school nurse support and pre-K programs in schools with a high percentage of EL students. (Editor’s note: An Albemarle schools spokesperson said nurses have not been added to schools with a higher numbers of EL students, though the district has increased other supports in those schools.)
CP: ACPS is doing well in many areas. For example, one of our challenges is onboarding new students who do not speak English.
The Newcomer Learning Community on our Lambs Road campus is helping some of these students acclimate to school with quick immersion into speaking and understanding English. It also welcomes their families and brings them all into [the] community. This is a program that I hope we can expand to serve more of our students.
We are examining options to the consolidated high schools with new programs (Studios) that fit into the traditional high school as well as programs that can be housed in non traditional buildings. Fourteen Studios will be phased in as we phase out the three academies we have now. This will create more opportunities for more students in the future.
And these are just a few examples.
The 2023 county school board election was impacted by partisan politics. Do you see the board as a political position — and why or why not?
JD: I do not believe the School Board should be political and I am running as independent, not supported by either political party. The Board code of ethics states: I will refrain from using the board position for personal or partisan gain and avoid any conflict of interest. Unfortunately, several members of the Board have received campaign funds from the Albemarle Democratic Party in recent years, so it has become a bit political.
The Board’s primary responsibility is to ensure a great education is available to every family in Albemarle County regardless of political opinions.
CP: There is some partisan politics impacting school board elections, but most of the actual job of being a school board member is nonpartisan. We have a very limited scope of power. We mostly help manage and then approve the division’s budget and we hire and evaluate the Superintendent.
Board policy is a place where things can get political, but our policies are largely modeled on the policies from the non partisan Virginia School Boards Association. I have been friends with my opponent, Jim Dillenbeck, for many years. I do not anticipate a contentious election.
The board unanimously voted to allow Albemarle County school employees to unionize in April. How would you have voted (or how did you vote)? And what's your perspective on working with the two bargaining units?
JD: Based on what I heard from teachers and staff regarding the collective bargaining agreement, I would have voted in favor of the agreement. As a former teacher, I understand the need to be well represented in matters of benefits and support. A number of teachers and bus drivers with whom I have spoken in recent months don’t feel supported by the Board; that desperately needs to change.
If elected, I plan to meet with teachers and administrators consistently to hear and address their concerns. They have a very difficult job and the Board needs to do everything possible to support them.
CP: I actually voted with the rest of the Board for the resolution in question. I think it is important for teachers and support staff to have bargaining power, which is something that was previously not allowed in Virginia. The Albemarle Education Association will likely be representing both the teachers and support staff. (There is a vote coming up very soon amongst the members of the AEA that will determine whether for not they will represent both groups.) Then the AEA will work closely with representatives of our Human Resources Department to get the process of collective bargaining rolling here in Albemarle County. This is a major victory for our employees and one that I am glad to have supported.
Do charter schools and homeschooling affect Albemarle schools — and if so, how?
JD: In addition to my 10 years of teaching and coaching experience in the public schools, I have been in the business world for 27 years. I am a firm believer that competition is a good thing. If parents have the option of homeschooling or sending their children to charter schools or private schools, this should put pressure on the public schools to improve. We saw a significant exodus from public schools during covid, and that trend will continue if the public schools don’t address some of the behavior problems and poor test scores we’ve seen in recent years.
CP: I will begin with charter schools. Community Lab School grew out of a charter school and an alternative (charter) high school. Both of the original programs became great over time and I supported both when I was in Central Office. I believe that Community Lab School is greater than both the programs that preceded it. I support charter schools when they are well designed educationally. On the other hand, if a charter school is simply trying to skirt the rules that our other schools must follow, then I will personally say no. In Virginia, charter schools remain under the direct control of the local school board. This is one reason that charter schools are relatively rare in the Commonwealth.
Homeschooling is a fact of life now. And during my teaching career, I have worked with many students who were very well educated in the home before they came to me. I believe the Board should be supportive of students who are homeschooled, including allowing them to access specific classes such as AP and participate in extracurricular activities. ACPS working with homeschoolers will benefit our entire community.
What are your suggestions for helping ensure students' mental health?
JD: When I spoke with several ACPS administrators this spring, they mentioned that mental health (for students and teachers) was their biggest concern. Covid took a toll on students and teachers and parents. I will advocate for more staff to be trained and available to help with mental health counseling at all grade levels. The County has provided some support: Social Emotional Academic Development staff; I would like to see more resources made available for this need.
CP: I think the School Board is already pursuing a number of structures to help students who are struggling with their mental health. Having a strictly enforced cell phone policy will help give students respite from social networking while at school. We have expanded a program which provides one or more socio-emotional coaches in every one of our schools. These highly trained professionals will help students to be in school and stay in school. They will also be a friendly face for all students. There are other initiatives to help our students do well in our schools. But it will also be important for the school board to recognize that today’s schools are very high stress environments; we must act accordingly. That means continuing to take the pulse of our school communities even if it means members of the board spending time in individual schools. For me, that’s very important and I visit schools in my district often.
