Mari Gibbs (Mathews County School Board Member At Large, Virginia, candidate 2023)

Mari Gibbs (Republican Party) ran for election to Mathews County School Board Member At Large in Virginia.^[1]

Elections

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mari Gibbs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gibbs' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am Dr. Mari Gibbs, current School Board Member in Mathews County, VA. I was won my Special Election in November, 2022 and am seeking re-election this November.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Transparency: Transparency of curriculum and policy to ensure student achievement.
• Accountability: Accountability for all educators, administrators, parents, and students to ensure student achievement.
• Action: I am a person of action who leads by example in setting a clear vision of efficient School Board governance to ensure student achievement.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Student achievement is the number one goal of a School Board and students learn differently. I am a proponent of school choice - parents need to have as many educational options available to them as possible so they can appropriately support THEIR children's educational needs.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Mathews County Republican Committee Middle Resolution

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The primary job of a school board member is to provide clear vision and efficient governance of a school division, which results in outstanding student achievement.

Who are your constituents?

MCPS students, parents, school division personnel, and the Mathew County citizenry.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Allocating available resources appropriately and ensuring equal opportunity for all.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

As a current School Board Member I interact with parents by attending many student-related events ranging from Athletics, to Scholastic Bowl, Music Department performances, to all Promotion and Graduation ceremonies. Parents contact me on a regular basis in person, by phone and by email to communicate their thoughts. I am an advocate for parents' rights and support parents by listening and taking appropriate action when necessary.

I am a regular volunteer in our schools - many parents will see me behind the line serving meals at student events. I also tutor students and am available to parents as needed to further support students.

One of my goals is to establish a parent liaison to the School Board to increase communication and collaboration between parents and the entire School Board.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

The ideal learning environment for every student is different. Parents know their children best and should have the right to choose the learning environment that best meets the needs of their children.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

We currently have a fantastic opportunity to develop our CTE (Career and Technical Education) Department.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

A transparent budget process is explicit and understandable by all. Multiple budget work sessions between School Board, Superintendent, and Board of Supervisors provide excellent opportunities to communicate and discuss budget line items, needs of schools, and goals of county leadership in order to justify funding requests and allocations.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Simply stated, school personnel and students must be safe in schools in order to teach and learn effectively. Schools are inherently soft targets and should be hardened to minimize safety risks. Safety is job one for community leaders. The relationship between local law enforcement (including SROs), Board of Supervisors, Superintendent, and the School Board must be aligned and cohesive on school safety policies.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

I would like to implement a Promotion of Patriotism policy to increase student awareness of the virtues of the United States of America and encourage love and devotion to our country.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, intelligence, empathy, and responsiveness.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Core responsibilities include: promoting student achievement through efficient school division governance, staying current on state policies impacting schools, being responsive to parents and school personnel, volunteering in schools, and attending as many school events as possible in order to support students.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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[1] ↑ Submitted to Ballotpedia's candidate survey in 2023.