Chesapeake City (VA) Superintendent Search

Chesapeake City (VA) Public Schools
Announcement of Superintendent Search

The School Board of Chesapeake City (VA) Public Schools invites applications for the position of Superintendent. The anticipated start date of this position is July 1, 2026.

THE CITY
Chesapeake is an independent city in Virginia. As of July 2023, Chesapeake’s population is estimated at 253,261. Chesapeake became the second largest city in Virginia in 2020, and it continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in the region. 

Chesapeake is in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area and is a very diverse city in which a few urban areas are located. Extending from the rural border with North Carolina to the harbor area of Hampton Roads adjacent to the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, Chesapeake is located on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It has miles of waterfront industrial, commercial and residential property. 

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Chesapeake Public Schools serves as the public-school division for the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, and is widely recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, broad student opportunities, and strong community partnerships. As one of the larger school divisions in the Commonwealth, the Division educates close to 40,000 students across 47 schools and centers, serving learners from early childhood programs through high school.

The Division is supported by a substantial and diverse professional workforce. Chesapeake Public Schools employs approximately 6,938 full-time staff members and an additional 3,980 part-time employees who support daily operations, including substitutes, tutors, and athletic personnel. Together, these educators and support staff play a critical role in maintaining high-quality instruction and safe, effective learning environments.

Chesapeake Public Schools continues to allocate resources strategically to support both classroom instruction and student success. The Division operates with a total budget of $844,509,164, representing a combined investment of local, state, and federal funding. Total expenditures equate to approximately $16,463 per pupil, with a significant portion directed toward direct instructional services and student supports that enhance academic outcomes and overall student well-being.

The Division’s mission is to inspire, engage, and empower every learner to achieve their highest potential. This mission is realized through a comprehensive educational approach that emphasizes academic rigor, personalized learning experiences, and safe, supportive environments across all grade levels. Programmatic offerings and initiatives are intentionally designed to prepare students for success beyond graduation, whether in college, career, or civic life.

Students in Chesapeake Public Schools benefit from a wide range of academic and enrichment opportunities, including advanced coursework, career and technical education pathways, dual-enrollment partnerships with local colleges, International Baccalaureate (IB) programming, and specialized academies focused on science, medicine, and STEM fields. In addition to its traditional school settings, the Division operates a virtual school option for students in grades K-12, providing families with a flexible, high-quality online learning pathway aligned with Virginia’s academic standards. Athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular activities remain integral components of the Division’s commitment to educating the whole child.

Chesapeake Public Schools are deeply committed to supporting military-connected students and families. Reflecting this dedication, the Division is a 100 percent Purple Star school division and was the first school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia to earn this distinction. This recognition underscores the Division’s comprehensive approach to addressing the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of military-connected students through targeted supports, trained staff, and strong partnerships with military installations and community organizations.

Strong student outcomes reflect this comprehensive approach. Chesapeake Public Schools maintains an on-time graduation rate of 93.4 percent, underscoring the Division’s focus on student achievement and postsecondary readiness.

Chesapeake Public Schools actively engage parents, families, civic leaders, and community organizations as partners in education. These collaborative relationships strengthen academic programs, expand learning opportunities, and help ensure that all students are supported and positioned to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

For more information, visit www.cpschools.com. 

QUALIFICATIONS
The Chesapeake City School Board, desiring to build on our current success in achieving student learning, seeks an educational leader reflected in this profile.

• An earned doctorate is preferred.
• Experience as a superintendent is preferred.
• Experience as an associate/assistant superintendent or in executive level leadership is required, preferably in Virginia.
• Experience as a principal is required, preferably at multiple levels.
• Classroom teaching experience is required.
• Work experience in Virginia is preferred.

The superintendent will be required to establish residence in the City of Chesapeake.

The candidate must be listed on or eligible for the Eligibility List of Superintendents in Virginia.

The candidate must have a strong commitment to public education as demonstrated by previous service in public education.

The candidate must have a proven ability to motivate, develop, support, and delegate to a high performing and caring leadership team of central office staff, teachers, principals, and support staff.

The candidate must understand how the school division budget is developed. 

A strong candidate should have actively participated in the development of multiple school budgets in Virginia or elsewhere.

The candidate must understand the local governing body’s budget process and the interrelationship to the school division’s budget.

The candidate must understand the funding process used by the Commonwealth of Virginia to fund public education and interrelationship to the school division’s budget.

The candidate must have experience in using data, with a focus on real-time data, to drive both academic and operational decisions and to motivate others to move in that direction.

The candidate must understand and experience with technology and how it should be used in a school division.

The candidate must understand the role of a strong and consistent curriculum to meet the needs of all students of all grade levels.

The candidate must have the ability to increase academic accountability for results at all levels to include increasing student achievement, closing achievement gaps, increasing graduation rates, and decreasing drop-out rates.

The candidate must have the ability to embrace and promote diversity; to work well in a diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic community and environment; and to work to bring equity of opportunity for all children.

The candidate must understand the connection between student health and student achievement, and that the schools need to educate the whole child, including social, emotional, physical development, and academic needs.

The candidate must possess a collaborative management style for building effective teams and consensus around issues, initiatives, and a common agenda. Must effectively engage others in problem-solving and decision-making, demonstrate openness and self-confidence, inspire trust and model high standards of integrity and ethics.

This collaborative management style should extend to working with other school division superintendents.

The candidate must demonstrate a high level of engagement with and support of principals, including visits to schools, and be highly visible in all parts of the school community, serving as the district’s chief spokesperson and tireless advocate for all students.

The candidate must have proven experience of working with an elected School Board to implement Board policies and to communicate effectively with the Board.

The candidate must have the ability to work effectively with employees, parents, and community groups.

The candidate must have experience working with media and effectively managing media requests and Freedom of Information Act requests.

The candidate must have experience with state legislative matters, having the political acumen to work effectively with state and local elected leaders and officials.

Candidates must meet the legal requirements to be licensed or be eligible for licensure as a superintendent in Virginia. Questions concerning the eligibility requirements should be directed to the Office of Educator Preparation and Licensure, State Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA  23218-2120, Telephone: (804) 750-8190.

SALARY
Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
To apply, visit: https://vsba.myrevelus.com/ 

Completed applications are due by March 12, 2026.

Candidates should not make contact with school board members. Inquiries should be directed to Gina Patterson, executive director, Virginia School Boards Association, 200 Hansen Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911, 434-295-8722 or gina@vsba.org. 

Equal Opportunity Employer