Improving the current educational aspect Virginia’s 85th District will produce a better return on investment for the area’s quality of life in the future says House of Delegates candidate Cheryl B. Turpin.
For more than 18 years Turpin has been a resident of Kempsville, an area in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a teacher with the city’s school system. In that period, Turpin has devoted her time to help local students understand what a sound education can do for them as adults, she said.
“I’ve lived and worked in this area for a very long time as an educator,” she said. “I know the people, and I know the district's problems. Having a comprehensive education plan is the key for our citizens to having socioeconomic success. I am a teacher that has the pulse of my community. I want to take that skill-set to Richmond and bring people together to solve common problems.”
Turpin said that one issue that needs to be readdressed is the amount of time school teachers spend focusing the schoolchildren on how to take and pass state-mandated testing.
“Truly enhancing education in our district is my primary goal,” she said. “I believe that we are devoting too much time on [Standards of Learning] testing rather than actually teaching our students. I know we can use our instructional time better and that matters the most.”
Another concern of Turpin’s is the district’s responsibility to have students ready to read at the proper grade level beginning in pre-kindergarten through high school so that students will have higher chances at prospering later in life.
“The ability to read and comprehend is vital for our students’ achievement,” she said. “If we have our kids learning to read at younger ages, they are more likely to become interested in their education as they move up in grade levels, therefore, improving their potential to understand and enjoy more advanced subjects. When our kids get to high school, they will have a stronger foundation for whatever they choose to do after graduation whether that be attaining educational degrees in the fields of science, technology, or math at a university or learning high-income producing trades such as construction management, industrial machinery mechanics or being an electrician. By doing this, we will be improving our economy.”
Turpin said that her status as a political “outsider” is really her greatest strength.
“I am not a politician by any means,” Turpin said. “However, I know how to do the right thing, and that is to put the people of the 85th District of Virginia before myself just as I have done for my students these past 25 years. I have the ability to mediate and find solutions to difficult problems, and that’s what the voters want; results, not excuses.”
If the people of the 85th District have a quality education it will enable them to pursue more productive lives, economic opportunities will increase, transportation infrastructure will improve and basic human rights such as overhauling the criminal justice and mental health care systems to keep the Commonwealth secure will not be a challenging issue thus creating a safer environment for all, according to Turpin.
“The government of the Commonwealth of Virginia is broken, and the people of Virginia Beach are suffering from those effects,” Turpin said. “If elected, I will do my best to mend that damaged system.”
For more information regarding Turpin's policies, please visit: www.ct4vab.com
