Shannon Kendrick

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Shannon Kendrick

Prior offices

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, District 4

Predecessor: Staci Martin

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Oral Roberts University, 2008

Graduate

Regent University, 2012

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Development director

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Shannon Kendrick was a member of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, representing District 4. She assumed office in 2024. She left office on January 1, 2025.

Kendrick ran in a special election to the Virginia Beach City Public Schools to represent District 4. She lost in the special general election on November 5, 2024.

Kendrick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Shannon Kendrick's career experience includes working as a development director. She earned a bachelor's degree from Oral Roberts University in 2008 and a graduate degree from Regent University in 2012.

Elections

2024

See also: Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Virginia, elections (2024)

General election

Special general election for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, District 4

Alveta Green defeated incumbent Shannon Kendrick and Anissa Bowden in the special general election for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Alveta Green (Nonpartisan)	48.7	7,583
		Shannon Kendrick (Nonpartisan)	39.1	6,091
	Submit photo	Anissa Bowden (Nonpartisan)	11.6	1,801
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	107

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,582
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kendrick in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Shannon Kendrick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kendrick's 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.

A results-driven public servant who serves as a member of the School Board for VBCPS, Vice Chair for the Commonwealth of Virginia's African American Advisory Board, and The Life Enrichment Center board – a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing reading levels of K-3 children. A former college professor of business and a senior executive university administrator.

A businesswoman and specialist in government and community relations, I started the Kendrick Consulting Group, the Hampton Roads Black Caucus, and served as a congressional district director. I was a senior vice president in our region's Economic Development Alliance and have firsthand knowledge of our region's workforce assets and future needs. Internationally, I served in the Peace Corps as a director of intergovernmental affairs and strategic partnerships in Washington, D.C., and currently, a nonprofit organization with a worldwide mission of building churches, schools, rescue centers, and orphanages in Indigenous communities.

I earned Inside Business's "Top 40 Under 40" titles and YWCA's Woman of Distinction. I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and a former member of The Links, Incorporated. I attended the U.S. Army War College and hold an MBA from Regent University and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Law from Oral Roberts University. I'm a first-generation college graduate born to military veterans who served in the Desert Storm War and city fire departments.

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?

• WORKFORCE READINESS: With my experience in economic development, I’ll work to create early career opportunities for graduates in good-paying trades as well as preparation for college. I support and advocate for opportunities to combine college preparatory academics with technical training and workplace experience.
• ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: We must ensure school resources are distributed equally to improve grade-level reading. We must give equal attention to students not categorized as gifted or remedial and give fair selection for entry into gifted programs. We must increase our ability to support economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities effectively. Our children deserve a learning environment where they can thrive. I aim to provide resources to reduce disciplinary occurrences and remedial school visits, fostering parental confidence that their children are in safe, non-distracting learning environments where they are protected and fairly disciplined.
• TEACHER RETENTION: Teachers don’t teach for the money; they teach to prepare our students for bright futures. We must make teaching more rewarding by reducing admin work, encouraging creativity, improving professional development, and offering competitive salaries. My legislative experience in government is an asset in advocating for strategic objectives for our schools, teachers, students, and staff.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Child literacy, parental engagement, workforce readiness, college preparatory academics with technical training and workplace experience, fair discipline, classroom safety, optimal learning environments, school infrastructure, and teacher retention.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Secretary Condoleezza Rice because she is brilliant and humble. She's a solutions-driven expert and doesn't engage in negative politics. I admire her work around the world and I aspire one day leave my mark on the world as she has.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Mansfield and Dirksen: Bipartisan Giants of the Senate. "A Century of Service" Short Film: Bob Dole

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

Civility, respect for fellow colleagues, accessibility to the constituents they serve, human and data-driven decision making, a non-partisan approach to service and a willingness to solve challenges with all key players (subject-matter experts, and the individuals impacted by the decisions) at the table. Making decisions not just for today, but with the future in mind, mitigating as many unforeseen consequences as possible.

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

Putting our children's futures first. Our school division is committed to maintaining its top-ranking status. We need a collaborative servant-leader who can solve fiscal challenges, prepare our children for the workforce, distribute resources efficiently, and align funding and policy-making at all levels of government to advance our school district's current and future priorities. I am that leader and I need your support to continue serving YOU!

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

Members of the school board to fulfill their duties and provide input to the administration on decisions regarding all aspects governing the VBCPS Division.

Who are your constituents?

All families in the city of Virginia Beach.

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

As school board members, we must ensure our children are able to acquire the necessary skills, recognize their unique talents and abilities, and have the support they need to embark on a journey towards success and a fulfilling career in their adult lives. I will continue the employment of specialists that are able to met the unique needs of our students, faculty, staff and community. I would support more training and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I have reached out to and connected with civic league leaders, community leaders such as pastors and I work with principals. I sit on boards such as the Life Enrichment Center and I participate in various community organizations. I try to give my card to everyone to call me if they should ever need assistance.

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?

I would like to see curriculum align more with existing workforce opportunities that are in high-demand in our region. These career paths give our children more options to establish themselves beyond just going to a four-year college. We must partner with organizations like the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, The Alliance, The Community Foundation, Virginia Beach Vision, and the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University to help us anticipate economic shifts, provide cutting-edge education, and tailor our curriculum to meet the demands of the job market. We will also need to recruit top-tier instructors with specialized expertise to ensure the highest quality education for our students.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Every child has the fundamental right to thrive in a safe and nurturing atmosphere. School security is a work in progress, and VBCPS is continually working to ensure we keep up with the latest protocols. We have a Blue Ribbon Panel on School Safety and Security to analyze what needs to change in our division’s security procedures. Adhering to rules and guidelines is essential for fostering a safe and positive learning environment for our children. I am dedicated to finding effective methods to reduce detentions, suspensions, and bullying in our schools around the fundamental principles of relationship, respect, responsibility, repair, and reintegration.

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

I would like to provide more incentive for teachers teaching in Title I schools to remain past the three-year required threshold.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Caren Merrick

Mayor of Virginia Beach, Mayor Bobby Dyer
Students First VA
Kathleen Brown, Virginia Beach School Board Member
Carolyn Weems, Virginia Beach School Board Member

Michael Callan, Virginia Beach School Board Member

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

During COVID, schools were closed and when they did reopen, children were required to wear masks. Looking back on the decisions that were made, I think the mask wearing should have been optional and not mandated, especially since the science shows that masks did not necessarily protect children against contracting the covid-19 virus. Further, many studies showed that children rarely contracted the covid-19 virus, and when they did, the symptoms weren’t as severe as found in adult cases.

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

I attend school and community events and I invite them to join my mailing list to keep them abreast of various opportunities that exists within out school division that they might be interested in.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency is an obligation because we responsible for managing tax-payer dollars. Government should be accountable to the people who put them in power.

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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Candidate

Virginia Beach City Public Schools, District 4

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