Chuck Pace and Jim Dillenbeck are vying for the seat previously held by Del. Katrina Callsen
A presidential, senate, and congressional race are headlining this November's ballot, but some voters in Albemarle County will also have the opportunity to select a representative to serve on their school board.
The special election is the result of Katrina Callsen's resignation; after representing the county's Rio District for five years, Callsen vacated the seat in September of last year to join the Virginia House of Delegates.
Local Education
Albemarle announces who will replace Katrina Callsen on school board
Jason Armesto
With Callsen now representing the 54th District in the General Assembly, the Albemarle County School Board began accepting applications for her successor a year ago. Six candidates were interviewed for the role, with the board ultimately selecting retired educator Chuck Pace.
Pace's appointment was temporary, as he was only tasked with serving the remainder of Callsen's term. If he wants to remain on the board for a full four-year term, he'll need to defeat Jim Dillenbeck.
Dillenbeck, a teacher-turned-financial adviser who previously taught in Lynchburg and at Albemarle High School, was one of the six who applied for Callsen's seat last year.
Pace and Dillenbeck, who run as independents as school board candidates, responded to a Daily Progress questionnaire regarding their candidacies, their platforms and their plans if elected.
Why are you running?
Pace: I have thoroughly enjoyed working on the school board and spending time back in schools since my appointment earlier this year.
Thirty-nine years in education gave me the skill sets, knowledge and understanding to work with the superintendent and the other school board members to make decisions that will help our schools improve and our students and families thrive. After working for 18 years at Albemarle High School and 11 years in Central Office as the science K-12 instructional coordinator, I know our schools well. Teaching private school for seven years at the end of my career showed me alternative ways of looking at the issues.
Dillenbeck: I'm running for the Rio seat on the Albemarle School Board because I have experience as a teacher and coach and business owner, and I'm concerned about the direction of the public schools. More than half of the students at Woodbrook Elementary (and one-third of the AHS students of color) failed the reading and math and science standardized tests last year. That's unacceptable. I'm running to support the teachers and staff who are overworked, underpaid and, in many cases, unsupported by the administration. I'm running to ensure that the $270 million budget is spent on improving education (including hiring more teachers) instead of more central office personnel. I believe that the citizens of this community deserve excellent public schools, and I will fight for the policy changes necessary to make that happen.
Where do you and your opponent differ most on policy?
Pace: We agree on some issues, but I believe I have both a deeper understanding of and a much more positive outlook on our current school operations. My opponent believes we are failing to address problems that we are actually already remediating. We are both concerned about elementary reading scores in the Rio District. However, the division has adopted and begun using an entirely new, well-researched reading program; our classroom teachers are hard at work implementing the new materials. Our future gains will be even more significant as teachers become familiar with this program. My opponent also seems to believe that we are losing academic rigor for students in our high schools. Actually, we are providing more opportunity for students to enter into challenging academic programs. I am very excited about the 14 Scholar Studios that we are now implementing to replace the three high school academies (MESA, HMSA and ESA), which were all STEAM focused. Scholar Studios will give our students the opportunity to explore a wide range of interests, including architecture, the visual arts, education and much more. This will serve more students and provide them meaningful academic choices as we work to reimagine high school for the future.
Dillenbeck: Honestly, I don't know Chuck's policy positions so it's difficult to say where we differ. I know he has said that the schools are not failing, but according to the test scores from last year, many students in Rio schools are failing. In fact, among Black and Hispanic students at Woodbrook Elementary, 75% failed math and reading and 83% failed science tests. That's a crisis, and it has gotten worse in recent years. I don't blame the teachers; I believe many of them are working incredibly hard. I'm of the opinion that the board needs to make some drastic changes soon or the problems are just going to get worse. I don't get the sense that the current board (including Chuck) is committed to addressing these serious issues.
Why do you think you were or weren't selected by the school board last year?
Pace: I believe my experience in education was a major factor. I spent a total of 39 years in education as a teacher, coach and Central Office administrator. I also spoke about the importance of teamwork and how it impacted my career, especially during my naval reserve intelligence career. I think this signaled my willingness to work with my school board colleagues to make the best decisions possible for our schools. Finally, I think they felt that I would adapt to being a school board member quickly, again based on my past experience.
Dillenbeck: I would speculate that I wasn't selected to fill the Rio seat on the board last year because I have been out of teaching for quite a while and the board doesn't value my 27 years of business experience. I'm a bit of an unknown and an outsider. In fact, I'm running as a nonpartisan candidate because I don't believe the board should be political. Chuck and all the other members of the board are endorsed by the Albemarle Democratic Party.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Pace: Priorities change as each year progresses so there is not one. I am focused on ensuring our schools are welcoming to all students regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or culture, and that we provide them with the best, most academically rigorous education possible. To accomplish this we must ensure that we hire and retain high-quality teachers and staff and create a positive work environment for them. With that said, my top priority at this time is ensuring a smooth rollout for our new reading program. It's important for the school board, superintendent and staff to remain focused on this major undertaking as we progress through this school year; success with the new program will help define and reinforce student success in the future.
Dillenbeck: If elected, I would urge the board to hire more elementary teachers immediately. Many of the teachers at Greer and Woodbrook are overwhelmed with large classes and an increasing number of English language learner students. If students aren't learning how to read and do basic math by the end of third grade, it will be very difficult for them to succeed in later years. I will encourage more volunteers (high school seniors needing community service, UVa students and retired people) to come in and tutor K-fifth graders.
What are the biggest concerns about the school division you're hearing from voters?
Pace: I have done a number of meet-and-greets with constituents throughout the Rio District. I hear concerns that we are behind in the capital improvements program (CIP) and that some of our schools are reaching or are over capacity. In other words, there is concern that we are not building new schools fast enough. We will soon begin construction of one elementary school and one high school center. And the school board at its last meeting began to look at adjusting some of our timelines to expand of overall capacity in our high schools sooner than originally planned. My constituents have also asked questions about academic rigor and why academic centers such as MESA are being phased out in our comprehensive high schools. As I said above, we will serve more students with more programs like MESA, and that will include updated programs to replace what we already have. I still get questions about cellphones in schools, which we addressed with an outright ban before school started this year. Students are putting their phones away during instructional time and are now more focused on their studies.
Dillenbeck: I've talked with dozens of people in the Rio District in recent months and many are concerned with failing test scores, behavior and safety issues, and a general lack of focus on education. There is a sense that the board and Central Office staff have spent so much time and energy on peripheral issues (like renaming schools) and have failed to make sure that all students are getting a good education that will prepare them for life. Sadly, many of the parents in Rio have pulled their children out of ACPS because they believe they are not being served well.