Incumbent Valencia Davis is seeking another term on the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Board of Trustees along with incumbents Henry Ford and Mike Salanik. She is being challenged by newcomers Carlton Ansley and David Pericak.

Today, Davis shares her views.

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I am Valencia Woodward Davis and I am seeking to be re-elected to the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Board of Trustees. 

I have lived in Roanoke Rapids for 37 years with my husband Maurice Davis, retired dentist.  We have two adult children who attended RRGSD. 

I earned my bachelor of science and Master’s degrees in speech pathology from Hampton University.  I hold many certifications, including Education Administration from East Carolina University. 

I am presently a retired 40-year educator.  

During my career, I served as speech therapist, diagnostician, director of programs for exceptional children, and Department of Public Instruction consultant in the area of exceptional children.  

I have had the opportunity to serve in Goldsboro City Schools, Granville County Schools, Northampton County Schools, Halifax County Schools, and the State Department in Raleigh.

I prioritize giving back to the community and participate in service-minded organizations.   

They include Gregory B. Davis Foundation, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Hampton University Alumni Association, and many others. 

I am an active member of Roanoke Chapel Missionary Baptist Church located in Garysburg.  There, I am involved with the Deaconess, Missionary, and Food Bank ministries.  

My commitment to service has been recognized by my peers as I have been awarded the Elizabeth S. Randolph Civic Award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The African American Heroes Award from Halifax Community College, and special recognition from Gregory B. Davis Foundation. 

My tenure on the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Board of Trustees began in 2010.  

I am vice chairman of the board and have served in that role for the last six years.  

Throughout my tenure, I have served on the Curriculum and Policy Committees, serving as chairman of the latter since 2019. 

The vision for the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District is: Together, we succeed by building opportunities and fostering community for every student to reach their full potential. 

In making this vision become reality, I am seeking re-election to continue to focus on three areas: Academic preparedness, mental wellness, and community partnerships.  

Academic preparedness — We all understand that the global pandemic caused all of us to make sometimes drastic changes in our daily lives. 

School was certainly no exception.  

RRGSD, along with everyone else, saw students lose ground academically.  

So, our next order of business was to determine how to get the students to close the academic gaps. 

I think it was great for RRGSD to use what I call the “Together We Succeed” model to strive for academic success.  

This model includes allowing administrators to look into their tool kits to find what works all while allowing teachers to do the same.  

Putting those strategies, data driven statistics, and grit along with some kindness and patience, allowed RRGSD to see some success. 

I would like to continue to be a part of giving teachers and administrators the flexibility to do their jobs, monitor the progress, and celebrate the success.  

In addition, I believe that every child can succeed. 

The challenge is finding where the child is now then using your toolkit to find the combination that will unlock the potential in every student.

Mental wellness — Another by-product of the global pandemic was an escalation in mental health issues.  

In many instances, through no fault of their own, students came to school exhibiting behaviors that would not allow them to learn.  

I want to continue to be a part of making decisions about how to remediate the behaviors so these students can be successful. 

Earmarking funds to hire qualified staff and allowing staff to get specialized training proved helpful in remediating some behaviors.  

I believe that students need to be mentally well in order to get the most of their education.

Community partnerships — I have been involved in meetings with members of the community who state that they have employment needs. 

RRGSD has students who could be trained to meet those needs.  

If we work together, this combination is a win-win — not only for the student but also for the city of Roanoke Rapids and the surrounding area.

In addition to these three areas of focus, I would like to continue to work on other critical areas, such as facility upkeep.  

RRGSD has many historical buildings that must be preserved.  

This takes money, monitoring, and action. 

Aside from the historical buildings, we must be good stewards of all the buildings we have so the students have adequate facilities in which to learn and grow. 

When people are making decisions about where they want to live there are several things they usually consider.  

One of those considerations will be the schools. 

I have heard and read many opinions on the possible casino for Halifax County.  

I understand and support individual perspectives. I am also reminded that usually when a new entity moves into our area, the first thing we think about is the economic impact. 

We know that it will create new jobs. When there is economic progress then the schools will benefit.  

Educators are vital to our community’s overall success. 

This is where our physicians, scientists, electricians, attorneys, and all others get their start.  

I believe that the global pandemic gave new insight to many, including parents, on how challenging it is to educate children. 

Yes, the demands on educators are great, but when you are able to reach a child, when the light comes on, when they have learned a new concept, it is a wonderful feeling for the educator.  This is why many educators do what they do. They should get adequate pay for the important role they play in molding young people into productive citizens.

I solicit your support in returning me to the RRGSD Board of Trustees so I can assist in furthering the vision of the district.