The Choice for Ward 1
Both candidates care about Norfolk. Only one has already led Norfolk Public Schools through the hardest years in a generation — and delivered results for students, families, and educators.
A parent who leads
Adale isn’t asking for a chance to learn the role. She was the Board Chair during COVID for three terms, a special-education parent, and a proven advocate for Norfolk Public School students.
Re-Elect
Incumbent · Board Chair during COVID (3 terms) · Proven record for NPS students
Also on the ballot
First-time school board candidate
Side by side
Facts below are drawn from each campaign’s own public materials — Adale’s bio and record alongside the challenger’s published platform.
Adale Martin
Elected to the Norfolk Public School Board in 2018. Was Board Chair during COVID for three terms — leading through the crisis, return to in-person learning, and post-pandemic recovery.
Challenger
No prior Norfolk School Board service. First-time candidate for this seat.
Adale Martin
Focused board leadership on academic outcomes, expanded school security resources, and educator support. Guided NPS through pandemic response (including ~90% staff vaccination), summer remediation, early literacy supports, and workforce investments — with English and Math performance rising from pre-pandemic levels.
Challenger
Campaign platform emphasizes integrity, transparency, and energy. No governing record on the NPS Board to point to yet.
Adale Martin
Mother of two NPS students with special needs. Helps families navigate IEP and 504 processes and fights for equitable access to services — the daily reality of public-school parenting at its hardest.
Challenger
Parent raising a son in Norfolk. Valuable — but without the published record of special-education advocacy Adale brings to the board table.
Adale Martin
Product of public education Pre-K through Ph.D. Doctorate in public policy (ODU School of Public Service); MPA (LSU); BA (Ohio State). Alumna of UVA’s Sorensen Political Leaders Program; class representative on the Sorensen Alumni Council.
Challenger
PhD in Higher Education Administration (ODU); graduate of Longwood and Old Dominion. Strong higher-ed credentials — oriented to colleges, not K–12 board governance.
Adale Martin
Career in adult education, curriculum development, and program management — including clinical/scientific programs at the American Society of Clinical Oncology and first-responder training at LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training. Currently Executive Director of the Slover Library Foundation.
Challenger
Coordinator of Accreditation and Compliance at Tidewater Community College; teaches graduate courses in higher education; board member of the Virginia Zoo.
Adale Martin
Liaison to the Norfolk Public Library Board of Trustees; CHKD advocate via Magnolia Circle of the King’s Daughters; Garden Club of Norfolk. Deep, day-to-day civic work in the city she serves.
Challenger
Virginia Zoo board service and longtime Norfolk residency. A thinner published civic footprint than Adale’s Norfolk institutions work.
The bottom line
01
School board isn’t an entry-level role. Adale was Board Chair during COVID for three terms, made hard votes, and stayed focused on kids — not campaign slogans.
02
A public-policy doctorate, an MPA, and special-education parenting give Adale the toolkit to govern a complex district — not just critique it from the outside.
03
Families don’t ask for political endorsements — they ask for help. Adale’s record is written in IEP meetings, school choices, and parent testimonials across Ward 1.
Keep proven leadership on the Norfolk School Board. Volunteer or share Adale’s record with a neighbor.