Key Facts
Background
Erika D. Johnson Guess attended First Colonial High School and studied Communications at Virginia Wesleyan University. She worked at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach City for eleven years before becoming its Marketing Director. She then began working in public relations and social media and later on in digital marketing and strategy. Guess currently works at a Williamsburg-based tourism marketing firm.
Guess has served on the Hermitage Elementary PTA Board and as a Reflections judge for multiple elementary schools. She has also volunteered with several other organizations in the area, such as Girls on the Run and Norfolk Sister Cities Association. She has two children currently enrolled in Virginia Beach City public schools [1].
Key Issues
Communication
Guess seeks to increase technology solutions to aid educational personnel and increase communication between schools and families [3].
Teachers
Guess’s main priority is teacher retention and addressing the teacher shortage [3].
Miscellaneous
Guess believes that book banning should not currently be prioritized by the School Board. Guess wants to work on policy regarding personal device use at school [3].
Endorsements
Beverley Anderson, School Board Member; Moms Demand Action; Virginia Beach Democratic Committee; VBEA/PACE; Due the Right Things
Sources
1 Erica Guess for VB
2 Facebook
3 The Princess Anne Independent News
4 VBEA Volunteer Recruitment